The Dispatch, Vol. 33, Issue #3, 2/15/21

D

VACCINE REPORT Overview of campus response to ongoing pandemic and the arrival and distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine

pg. 2

LAUGHTER IS THE BEST MEDICINE Exploration of Generation Z's tendency to cope using humor

DEFINING "AMERICAN" Investigation into the values, ideals, and actions that establish what it means to be an American

pg. 8-9

coming UP

Feb.19 End of fourth grading period March 3 SAT School Day March 15-March 19 Spring Break

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Vol. 33, Issue 3 www.thedispatchonline.net James Bowie High School 4103 W. Slaughter Lane Austin TX, 78749

THE DISPATCH MONDAY, FEB. 15, 2021

Pride in Publishing

State legislative session commences Senate and House reconvene with three priorities: budget, redistricting, and pandemic Cade Spencer Editor-in-Chief

Just an 18-minute car drive from campus, the Capitol stands as the center of Texas' Democracy and political establishment. Traditionally, inside the building's chambers, 181 representatives and legislators make decisions and pass policies that impact all 29 million citizens of the state.

As of Tuesday, Jan. 12, all members of the Texas Congress reconvened remotely or in-person for the 87th Legislative Session.

“Texas is the model for bipartisan cooperation for the rest of the country, whether they realize it or not,” Legislative Director for Democratic House Representative Alex Dominguez, Logan Davidson said. “It is an exciting time to be a Texas Democrat because the appetite for bipartisan action and discussion has probably never been greater.”

According to the Texas Tribune and Davidson, the emphasis on bipartisanship can be attributed to the prevalence of three main legislative priorities that require immediate attention:

sion is really interesting because in the past, Republicans have used it to draw hard red districts,” Davidson said. “The big issue now in redistricting is if the ReTuesday, Jan. 12 publican majority will draw to partisan lines or more true Monday, May 31 demographic districts.”

47.1% Beyond the session priorOf students described their awareness of the state's proceedings ities, 2,838 individual bills as "limited." 29.9% chose "adequate", Vikki Goodwin have been introduced in ei17.2% chose "severely limited", and House of ther the House of Represen5.7% chose "substantial".

Representatives District 47: tatives or the Senate since Email: vikki. the session’s initiation. goodwin@ 52.2% house.texas.gov Within the bills Of Bowie students are not aware of Phone: (512) the name of their current Senator or are legisla463-0652 Representative. 47.8% of students are tion for PHOTO COURTESY OF Vikki Goodwin aware of the name of their current f u n d s Senator or Representative.

POLL for state157 Sarah Eckhardt DATA Students Senate w i d e Polled District 14 51.0% Of Bowie students stated that they accessi91 Seniors Email: know how to contact their state 36 Juniors campaign@ ble-for-all play27 Sophomore legislators. 49% of students said saraheckhardt.

3 Freshmen grounds and reform of they do not currently know how to com Room: (512) 463contact their state legislators.

65.0% Female the state holiday Con32.5% Male 5949 2.5% Other/ federate Heroes Day. PHOTO COURTESY OF Sarah Eckhardt Non-binary “There are many significant bills that I James Bowie High School am excited to watch this 4103 W. Slaughter Ln. session,” Davidson said. tact 78749 “We are in the middle of a a reprepandemic, and thus, I think sentative, advocate, testify, we will see major pieces of or participate in any way.”

Different Zip Code? legislation that deal with the In a poll issued by the expansion of healthcare acDispatch, students indicess, specifically Medicaid.” cated that 50.3 percent of In a poll taken by the them identified that it is Dispatch, 68.2 percent of “important and necessary” Bowie students stated that for students to be aware COVID-19 should be the of and involved in the proprimary focus of the 87th ceedings of the Texas state Legislative Session followed legislature while 44.6 perby 14.6 percent of students cent of students said it was who placed prominence on “important, not necessary.”

House Bill 171: House Joint Resolution civil and human rights.

“The state government If passed, Texas would 28: "Authorize/regulate “Beyond COVID-19 and expand its Medicaid possession, cultivation, can attract the involvement under the Obamacare & sale of cannabis for the economy, I think more of young students through federal initiative. medical use." focus of the Texas state govsocial media platforms and ernment should be on ena greater advertisement of vironmental issues,” senior their initiatives,” Lashinger House Bill 134: House Bill 59: Reya Lashinger said. “Espesaid. “They can also address If passed, creates Elimination of school cially the consideration of young people as greater online voter registration district's Maintenance transitioning to renewable stakeholders in the issues process to increase and Operations resources and making initiapresented and consider their voter registration. property tax rate. tives for lower carbon emisviewpoints on these issues.” sions.”

As of now, the 87th legisIf any additional individulative session will conclude House Bill 221: All al bills are to be introduced, on Monday, May 31. residents of Texas could they must meet the deadline “Fundamentally, I think request an absentee for unrestricted filing of bills anyone who wants to be inballot and vote by mail and joint resolutions of Friin future elections. volved in state government day, March 12. should and can be involved,” “We have a government Davidson said. “It is importof the people, for the people, ant to get involved because and by the people,” Davidson you are affected by what said. “It is very important happens in the legislature, for people to be involved in and it has a personal impact SOURCE: The Texan the state government: conon all of our lives.”

T E X A S

87th

STATE OF TEXAS LEGISLATIVE SESSION

Zip Code #####

GUIDE TO THE...

To find your legislators go to: https://wrm. capitol.texas. gov/home

BILLS

PTSA brings HEPA air purification to the classroom

Dimitri Silva Dispatch Reporter

In response to a need to ensure student and staff safety on campus

as a limited number of individuals return to in-person instruction, The James Bowie High School Parent, Teacher, and Student Alliance (PTSA) announced their theme for

CLEAN AIR: Principal Mark Robinson cheers for the 56 new air purifiers delivered to campus. Before Spring Break, the PTSA hopes to purchase 130 additional purifiers. PHOTO COURTESY OF Leslie Dippel

INDEX

WHO Represents BOWIE?

ART BY Cade Spencer and Rae Gray

Behind the Fence

the budget, redistricting, and COVID-19 response. As of Thursday, Feb. 11, Texas has had a total of 2,534,369 individual COVID-19 cases and 40,340 COVID-19 related deaths.

“I think the State Congress should prioritize COVID-19 right now,” sophomore Marissa Morales said.

“Specifically, [they should] focus on vaccine distribution because it is the most pertinent as COVID-19 is at an all time high.”

Extending beyond vaccine distribution, the legislators are tasked with pressing issues related to COVID-19 including: the future and budget of the public education system, and the financial support allotted to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

“Legislators and representatives need to work together and act fast,” Morales said. “Even if they do not agree, they still need to be able to be bipartisan and get stuff done.”

Closely related to COVID-19, another major priority of the session is the state budget. According to the Texas Tribute, Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar estimates that Texas lawmakers will have $112.5 billion to formulate the general spending budget for the next two years. Currently, legislators have proposed a plan that requires $119.7 billion in funds.

“From the budget perspective, the current proposal exceeds the amount of funds available, so it is about balancing things,” Davidson said. “We are going to have to really read into who needs the funds, such as public education or standing health care.”

The final session priority is redistricting, where lawmakers ensure that state congressional districts are appropriate based on the demographic data collected in the 2020 Census. If there are no delays, the census information should be introduced by April 1.

“Redistricting this ses-

News 1 , 2 Politics 3

Feature 4, 5 Photo Essay 6

the annual Build Up Bowie campaign to fund the purchase of individual units of air purifiers. If each communal area is to get a purifier, the PTSA announced their 20202021 campaign goal to be $28,000 or the combined price of 186 total units.

“Our PTSA is amazing for organizing something like this,” social studies teacher Alejandro Garcia said. “It helps to benefit the teachers and students that are returning to campus.”

The MA-25 brand air purifiers include special HEPA filters that are efficient at particle filtration, such as cleansing the air of Coronavirus pathogens. According to the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), HEPA filters can clear up to 99.9% of unwanted airborne particles.

“I think [the purifiers] will benefit Bowie through the classrooms and cafeteria area,” sophomore

Entertainment 7 In-Depth 8, 9, 16

Sports 10, 11 Pop Culture 1 2

Chazon Mingarine said. “I do not think they will help with the main buildings since many students go in and out of the building letting in and out air that has not been cleaned.”

As of Friday, Feb. 5, the PTSA has raised over $17,000 to purchase air purifiers. $11,000 more in funds are needed to fulfill their initial goal.

“While they are good, the purifiers are not the best option,” Mingarine said. “If you can stay at home then that is the best solution because then there is no way you will get COVID-19 from school. If you have to go back then opening windows or staying more socially distant is best.”

As of Friday, Feb. 5, 56 air purifiers have already been purchased and delivered to classrooms. According to cleanlink.com, the individual HEPA filters should be checked every six months, and if Reviews 13 Commentary 14,15

find us

they are not soiled, they can continue to be used. In addition to the $150 cost of the air purifiers itself, each individual filter costs $25.

“The best option for keeping COVID-19 from spreading at Bowie is to not have anyone at school,” Garcia said. “But since the state does not agree with that, the air purifiers are a huge help in keeping everyone safe.”

Since the Build Up Campaign is a year-long fundraiser, donations will be accepted until the start of Spring Break. In order to donate, access the site: www.bowieptsa. org/buildupbowie.

“Not surprisingly, the Bowie community has responded with great generosity to our campaign,” Build Up Bowie Chair Leslie Dippel said. “We are beyond humbled at the response to this fundraising program, and we know Bowie is thrilled to have additional air purifiers and more on the way.”

@jbhs_dispatch

2 NEWS

THE DISPATCH MONDAY, FEB. 15 , 2021

COVID-19 vaccine distribution initiated Arushi Sharma News Editor

when it becomes available because I think that it’s important for me to protect myself as well as protect Since the outbreak of others near me,” Zeng said.

COVID-19 in December of Davis believes that once a ma2019, several companies, injority of Americans get vaccinatcluding Moderna and Pfizer, ed, there will be a change in the How would you describe Based on your experience have been working to distribCOVID-19 situation for the better. ute vaccines in order to protect your level of satisfaction with this year, do you prefer re“The goal is to vaccinate enough American citizens from the mote learning or in-person Bowie's COVID-19 response? people that the vulnerable popuCoronavirus. The first vaccine lations who have medical reasons instruction? was administered to a health that prevent them from receiving care worker on Dec. 14, 2020. vaccinations will be protected,” However, almost two Davis said. “Hopefully between months later, the cases are EXTREMELY SATISFIED vaccines and building some natural still rising with over 26.3 milimmunity, it will become more like SOMEWHAT SATISFIED lion cases and almost 500,000 the seasonal flu, where we receive deaths. Several people, includvaccinations for the predominant ing science teacher Jessica Dastrains each year and try to keep vis, believe that even with the the spread as low as possible.” vaccine, it will not be the end NOT SATISFIED Garcia Pena believes that after of COVID-19. most Bowie staff members and stu“With the new variants dents get vaccinated, life will get emerging and vaccine distribuback to normal, except for the contion challenges, we are projecttinued use of masks in the public.

Would you get immunized if you ed to lose many more lives over “There would be a majority of had the opportunity to receive the next few months,” Davis students who [would take the vacsaid. “I also worry that people cine], so I do not think there would the COVID-19 vaccine? that can get vaccinated may not be a need for masks. However, not, and that keeps people who if wearing the mask was required, are unable to receive vaccines I would respect that,” Garcia Pena at greater risk.” said.

Along with the lives lost Many Bowie students are conthis year, this pandemic has cerned about the transition away brought change in different from COVID-19 as more people forms, including the change are being vaccinated. Zeng believes to a virtual model of school. that after the vaccination process Although this year has been there will still be some changes in online for a majority of Bowie the perspective of “normal.” students, some students have “I think that everyone will reorder to ensure that students re- als to get either the ​​​​Pfizer-BioNpen at Bowie through emails.” been going back in person, includAscension Seton Medical Care is ceive high quality instruction from Tech or the Moderna vaccine​​. As of turn in a new normalcy way being sophomore Antony Ramirez. working with AISD to get all staff certified teachers. The school was Dec. 28, the AstraZeneca vaccine, cause I would still be hesitant to go “My school experience with members the COVID-19 vaccine named just one of five schools to Janssen’s vaccine, and Novavax's back without a mask, since there COVID-19 has been a bit chalat the earliest work in the program to help better vaccine​are all currently working in can be new mutations of the virus,” lenging because date. The dis- the conditions of COVID-19 and Stage 3 of the COVID-19 vaccine Zeng said. learning from Some Bowie teachers have inclinical process. Senior Cristian trict has split up remote learning. home is a bit corporated the COVID-19 vaccine “Bowie staff is involved in the pi- Garcia Pena is hopeful that the vacthe staff memdifficult and in into their lescination will be lot program at a whole-campus levbers into mulWhile this year has person it's quite sons in class, successful. el to support students and teachers tiple groups; certainly presented risky,” Ramirez including Davis.

“There have currently staff in maximizing student learning and said.

“Going challenges, the In her AP Biolmembers who student and staff safety,” Prescott been an extrato campus has class, Davis neous amount said.

“These measures help to reare over the age vaccine distribution I am sure the vaccines ogy been okay actucreated a project of disparities in of 65 or at risk duce the spread of COVID-19.” roll-out is a reason to ally but it does will be available to us where students The pilot program works with the distribution have been getfeel awkward gobrainstormed be hopeful. ting the vaccine Education Austin and AISD to help of vaccines, but before the beginning ing to the library solutions to and once those connect district leaders to the AISD I think Austin sometimes.” of next school year. make formal individuals get employees in order to work togeth- would not exWith stuMarie Prescott proposals for an them, the dis- er and address general concerns perience that,” dents going equitable vacAssistant Principal Pena trict will move about COVID-19 and students’ Garcia Cristian Garcia back on camcine distribution said. “I am sure on to the next needs. pus, there have Pena globally. After “The program was designed to the vaccines will group of higher also been nuseeing their Senior help our most at-risk faculty and be available to risk individuals to be vaccinated. merous COVID-19 cases reported work, Davis is “While this year has certainly staff work remotely, while still pro- us before the befrom Austin Independent School hopeful towards presented challenges, the vaccine viding access to highly qualified ginning of next District (AISD) staff members and the future, even distribution roll-out is a reason to teachers for in-person students school year.” students. According to the AISD’s According to Pfizer data pub- with the global pandemic. be hopeful,” Assistant Principal whose teacher may be working COVID-19 tracker, there have been “I am proud of our students' reMarie Prescott said. “I am confi- from home,” Davis said. “It took lished in Dec. 2020, the Pfizer vac1,091 cumulative positive cases dent that at Bowie we are keeping the cooperation and innovation cine is roughly 52% effective after sponse to the challenges the with 623 employees and 444 stustudent and staff safety front and of teachers and administrators the first dose for adults. However, COVID-19 pandemic has presentdents since Sept. 2020. center, while also providing a qual- to make this work, and we are so Dr. Jose Romero, the chair of the ed us with and after seeing their “I am content with how proud of our campus for working CDC’s Advisory Committee, said projects, I am excited and hopeful ity learning environment.”

Bowie has been responding to that testing trials for COVID-19 for our future,” Davis said. “We The vaccination process with Se- together to make this happen.”

COVID-19,” senior Megan Zeng The CDC (Centers for Disease vaccines in children under the age have some amazing future scienton is part of a larger program called said. “They have been informing tists and public health professionthe AISD Pilot Program, a program Control and Prevention) has autho- of 18 should begin mid-2021. me about any new cases that hap“I plan on getting the vaccine als in our current student body.” that works with staff members in rized and recommended individu-

POLL DATA

157 STUDENTS POLLED 02/02-02/09/2021- Polled via Google Forms 102 Females, 51 Males, 4 Non-binary/Other 91 Seniors, 36 Juniors, 27 Sophomores, 3 Freshman

63.1%

62.4%

36.9%

6.4%

REMOTE

IN PERSON

YES

19.1%

0.6%

ART BY Arushi Sharma

80.3%

31.2%

MAYBE

NO

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New Voices Texas: Effects of censorship on journalism Azul Lin Assistant Editor

New Voices is a student-led, grassroots movement that is lobbying for the passage of the New Voices bill, granting student journalists the same press freedom rights as professional journalists. The 1988 Hazelwood Supreme Court Decision that New Voices seeks to reform currently allows administrators the power to ask to see student publications in advance of the publication, potentially enabling those administrators the ability to censor students.

“It can stop student journalists from putting out stories about important topics that affect students, because the administration doesn't believe that students should be reading it or publishing it,” senior In-depth Editor Rae Gray said.

Two years ago, New Voices representatives petitioned Texas legislators to pass a law that would protect students more fully, nullifying the Hazelwood decision. Fourteen states have already passed legislation to protect student journalists, and the Texas branch of New Voices aims to become the next state.

In 2019, the New Voices legislation did not make it to the floor of either branch of the Texas house and died.

“There are so many students in Texas who are not given their First Amendment rights,” Gray said. “We’re a country that is based on being the ‘home of the free and the brave,’ but we don’t allow students to have the same rights they would have out of the classroom because those rights are deemed ‘distracting.’ If you start restricting student’s rights, when does that restriction stop?”

Cade Spencer, club development officer for New Voices Texas and the editor-in-chief of the Dispatch, believes it is the job of students to lobby for their First Amendment rights in the 2021 87th Texas Legislative Session.

“We educate people on the bill, we run a social media account, getting support,” Spencer said. “We talk to actual representatives to convince them to support us and vote for the bill as we get into the council session.”

New Voices students have already met with their representative in the House of Representatives, Mary Gonzalez, in order to get their bill passed in the lower chamber.

“She has signed her name on the New Voices bill to show that she’s supporting it,” Spencer said. “We talk to her about why we believe the bill is important, and to us it’s important because we believe student journalists do crucial work on campuses and fill a role that is equal to that of professional journalists, especially in this time of COVID-19.”

New Voices leaders are currently searching for a Senate representative so that their bill can be represented in both chambers and possibly be passed.

“Student journalists grow up to be professional journalists," Spencer said. "When you write controversial stories, there’s impact, there’s backlash, there’s feedback. Future journalists need to know how important the truth is, and how no one should be allowed to silence the truth or reduce it.”

Newspaper adviser Michael Reeves encourages his students to join in the movement so that they can fight for the rights of other students in Texas.

“I would never teach someplace where censorship happens,” Reeves said. “I want to fight for the rights of all students."

For Bowie students, this is important because it is to protect other students that may get censored because of the Hazelwood decision.

“It deeply saddens me, thinking that all of these students are putting so much hard work and effort into publishing something,

NEW VOICES: Activist Bethany Bissel (right) testified before the Public Education Committee in 2019. The committee is made up of 13 members of the Texas House of Representatives. PHOTO COURTESY OF Angela Glass and the Akins Eagle's Eye Publication

only to have their principal say, ‘No, this makes me feel icky, you can’t publish this,’” Gray said. “The things that make us feel icky are the things that we need to talk about the most.

Newspaper students like Gray feel that it’s important to address sensitive issues while they’re still able to be fixed, which is exactly what New Voices is fighting for students to be able to do.

“A teenage alcoholic becomes an adult alcoholic," Gray said. "A teenage drug addict becomes an adult addict. If these issues aren’t brought to light or dealt with now when it’s the most pressing years of our life, it becomes a much bigger problem later in life.

Publishing stories that talk about these issues opens up a forum to talk about their struggles and allow them to get help.”

Gray shares her personal experience, listening to founder of New Voices at the Texas State Capitol.

“We got to sit in and we got to hear Neha Madhria, the founder of New Voices,” Gray said. "She made a really powerful speech, it was amazing, and I still kind of think about it two years later because her words, they were some of the most educated words that came out of an 18 year old’s mouth.”

Through his experience in Newspaper, Spencer explains his role has a student journalist in censorship as fundamentally important.

“I love newspapers because they are a media that can start discussions among peers," Spencer said. "We can stir discussions at the high school level just with our paper.

This brings people together.”

POLITICS 3

MONDAY, FEB. 15, 2021 THE DISPATCH

President Biden issues executive action As of Feb.12, Biden has signed thirty presidential orders tackling issues such as COVID-19 Carey Wooley Dispatch Reporter

Biden's Executive Orders

1 2 $

Pausing and reviewing all oil and gas drilling on federal land

Requiring the wearing of masks on all federal property

3

Reopening enrollment for the Affordable Care Act for three months

4

Pausing federal student loan payments and collections for eight months ART BY Dylan Ebs

On Jan. 20, nearly 40 million people tuned in to watch Joe Biden's inauguration to be the 46th President of the United States. Shortly after, the Biden and Harris families went to the White House to begin Biden's term.

Nearly a month after Biden’s inauguration, he has signed more executive orders than any other past president during their first month. As of February 12, President Biden has signed 30 executive orders, many having to do with the current pandemic and immigration.

“My favorite things Biden has put out so far is reversing Trump’s legislature that allowed discrimination to LGBTQ people,” senior Lily Albini said. “It got hidden in all of the capitol madness and I’m glad it was prioritized. I’m also happy that he reversed the transgender military ban. Anyone who wants to serve and is able to serve should be able to.”

Biden has become president during very unprecedented times due to Covid-19. The country is still suffering many cases a day, the vaccine roll out is only just starting and many people in the high risk community are still unable to get a vaccine. Biden has already made another relief package in his first couple of weeks.

“I think the most important thing within Biden’s first 100 days is COVID response, no hesitation on that one,” Albini said. “We are failing miserably compared to the rest of the world and the more time that goes by the more people that die. People need guidance to wear masks, social distance and he needs to prioritize getting people money so they can stay home and get vaccines so that hopefully we can all go out again soon.”

Another aspect of Biden’s presidency, and dealing with Covid, is education. Most schools are now offering an in-person and online version of school but no one is sure when normality will come back to schooling. Even with an in-person option with as many safety precautions as possible, schools are still having cases of Covid pop-up within student and teacher populations.

“Students are struggling and need to be in person with their teachers,” Ready Set Teach and Child Development teacher Bridget Reyes said. “I think by providing all teachers and individuals who are considered high risk with the vaccine, we could then begin encouraging our students to return to campus.”

On January 20, President Biden issued an executive order requiring the wearing of masks on all federal buildings and lands. A day later, President Biden issued an executive order requiring the use of masks on public uses of transportation, which includes airports, trains, and intercity buses.

“In the first 100 days I expect Biden to try to reverse some of Trump's damage and focus on Covid-19 because that is the most pressing issue right now,” sophomore Abbey Hen-

Source: ABC News

derson said. “I hope to see Biden really enforce masks and really push for social distancing because that's what needs to happen.”

In the Covid plan Biden laid out, he included a new round of stimulus checks and a plan for vaccine distribution. According to NBC News, a part of the funds from this plan would go to a program to hopefully vaccinate over 50 million people to then lead to reopening schools.

“The most important thing Biden needs to do right now is focus on the pandemic,” Henderson said. “I think Biden’s first 100 days will be much more stressful than most of the past presidents because he is really under a lot of pressure due to the Coronavirus.”

Like many past presidents, when Biden began his term he reversed many of Donald Trump's past policies. Some of these reversals include revoking the permit given to the Keystone XL Pipeline, stopping the building of the wall on the Mexico border and ended the travel ban Trump put on some majority Muslim countries.

“Compared to other past presidencies, I think that President Biden walked into a big mess,” Albini said. “I am hoping that his trend of jumping right in and getting things done will continue for his first 100 days in office and through his four years as President. If he does stay active and engaged, then I would be pretty happy with his performance compared to other past presidents.”

Texas Capitol tightens security amid the January 6 riots

particular, have highlighted the need to ensure public buildings are safe for visitors in those who work in them," Abbott wrote in his proposed budget. “I recommend the 87th Legislature fund Capitol security capabilities and the associated personnel requirements of DPS.”

Since Republicans control the Texas State House, State Senate, and the Governorship, some people feel that Texas won't be affected by the threat of right-wing violence.

“Perhaps I am naive, but I feel that those who want to oust our government through force and vi-

AISD's COVID-19 policies stir debate Austin ISD teachers without accommodations are required to teach in-person Since the 2020-2021 school year started on September 8, Austin ISD has offered virtual learning for every student who wishes to attend school remotely. As Austin ISD begins to allow students to return to in-person school if they choose, the district has implemented safety precautions like requiring masks.

“I am very happy with their COVID-19 precautions, however I don’t feel like we should go back in person until vaccines have been distributed,” junior Lizzie Jensen said. “I also disagree with the school board’s decision to send teachers back. I think it is unfair to staff members to force them to return to working in person because many are at risk or live with people that are at risk.”

While the decision of sending teachers back to school is unfair to some, English teacher Christopher Logan highlights a different outlook on his situation.

“I don't know that fair really factors into it," Logan said. "Is it fair to workers at HEB that they can't work from home? We're all making sacrifices. I realize I'm lucky. I have a job I love, and I've managed to stay

healthy so far."

The decisions of the school board have allowed students to learn from home but has put many teachers in a tough situation, where they are told to teach in person.

“I'm glad students and parents have been given the option to learn from home," Logan said. "It's unfortunate that more teachers aren't given the same option, at least until vaccines are readily available. I worry that not enough people are taking the pandemic seriously, and I'm terrified of bringing the virus home to my daughter."

The severity of the pandemic has increased over the past few months because of all of the travel from holidays. Students and teachers both worry that it is not taken seriously enough when sending people to school.

“While I am glad to be doing school from home because it is safe, I have more difficulty focusing in school," Jensen said.

“This is why I wish AISD would not force teachers to be in person because the more people that get sick, the longer it will be before I can return to school safely.”

STORY BY Nicole Rooney

closed Capitol grounds on January 21 and increased security

increased security and proposed building a permanent fence around the Capitol

olence don't have a huge problem with the majority of Texas leadership,” math teacher Edward Day said. “Their coup would have to be at the federal level, so I think any protests staged here will not be any more dangerous than a typical Saturday night on 6th Street.”

Speaker of the Texas House Dade Phelan addressed the concerns regarding security at the Texas Capitol during a Texas Tribune interview.

“I can see the concern but I also see the presence on the ground right now and we’re getting security briefings on a daily basis,” Phelan said to the Tribune. “I feel confident that we will not be caught off guard like what occurred in Washington DC. I don’t see that happening at the Texas Capitol.”

The concerns over Capitol security have been apparent statewide and nationwide. Ahead of Biden's inauguration, he chose not to ride the Amtrak train for security reasons, according to CNN. In the view of some, President Biden has a unique opportunity to ease tensions in the wake of the January 6 riots.

“We are so divided that it is no joke anymore” junior Jake Giangrande said. “We are so much better than this. [Biden] seems presidential and recognizes the crisis that America is currently in.”

BULLDAWGS SPEAK OUT

What actions do you want President Biden to take during his presidency?

INTERVIEWS BY Dylan Ebs PHOTOS COURTESY OF Interviewees

”

Source: USA Today

banned the open carry of guns inside the state Capitol

Jake Giangrande Junior

I believe that President Biden has what it takes to turn things around. Strong leadership is exactly what we need to get through these tough times.

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closed capitol grounds from January 16-20

ART BY Dylan Ebs

State capitol buildings across the nation have been on high alert following the violent attacks at the United States Capitol on January 6. Following the insurrection at the D.C. Capitol, the FBI warned of plans for armed protests at state capitol buildings from far-right groups, according to the Associated Press.

Some armed protests occurred outside the Texas Capitol on January 12, which marked the first date of the Texas legislative session.

The January 12 protests at the Texas Capitol were not violent, but the Texas Capitol grounds were closed to the public from January 16 to January 20 due to a risk of violent protests.

In his proposed budget for the 2022-2023 biennium, Governor Greg Abbott indicated his support for enhancing security at the Texas Capitol.

“Recent events across the nation, and in Washington, D.C. in

State responses to the January 6 attacks

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Dylan Ebs Politics Editor

Austin Dalbey Junior

Judith Cooper Photography Teacher

I want to see Biden lower student debt. I also want to see him address the epidemic of cancel culture that's gotten people fired and shunned for expressing their right to free speech.

President Biden's point to start investing in our children at birth is so important.

Preparing students early for education and college is an integral part of providing for their success.

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4 FEATURE

THE DISPATCH MONDAY, FEB. 15, 2021

Frog Town leaps into original melodies Senior musicians form band to preform original and cover songs for their supporters Mia Folkers Feature Editor

As the instruments and equipment pile into the garage, he moves quickly to set everything and everyone in the correct place. As the music begin to echo through the small space, he makes sure to strum every note right. In just a few hours, cover songs and original songs are perfected and are ready to be played in front of a crowd.

Senior Jack Lance has been playing in a band Frog Town with his friends since October of 2020.

“Our first performance was for Lucas’ mom,” Lance said.

“She was running for an AISD board seat at the time and we were congratulating her on her efforts by putting on a concert. From there we decided it would be a good idea to get together and try to write some music.”

The alternative rock band consists of four musicians, made up of rhythm and lead guitar, bass, drums, and one lead singer. According to Lance, each member has their role to make the band practices successful.

“All of us learn our individual parts on our own, and we meet up and put it all together,” Lance said. “After we’re done working on cover songs, we spend some time showing each other certain chords or licks that we like and we work on making songs out of what we agree on.”

Frog Town was formed in the midst of the pandemic so the band so far hasn’t struggled to make many adjustments to their schedule according to senior band member Lucas Caballero.

“COVID-19 hasn’t really

PERFORMING LIVE :Senior Jack Lance (right) and Lucas Caballero (left) play along with the rest of the band in front of an audience of family and friends. Frog Town began practicing and performing together in October and plan to play together until the end of the school year. PHOTO COURTESY OF Mary Lance

affected the band as much as we thought it would,” Caballero said. “ Of course the only limitation we have is not having as many opportunities to perform and really broadcast our music to other people.”

According to Caballero, Frog Town is currently working on producing some sort of mini-album, which will consist of a small collection of songs they have been working on.

“The band has been focusing a lot of time writing music

and seeing if we can get the ball rolling with the songs that we have ideas for,” Caballero said. “We are working towards creating an extended play, so we could eventually record and release for fun.”

The band’s commitment is not the only thing that makes the band successful. Lance believes that the variety of natural musical talent makes them noteworthy as well.

“Our band is unique because most of us can play multiple instruments,” Lance

ALL SMILES: The band “Frog Town” poses for a group photo after a garage performance. Frog Town originally was a five-member band, but original band member Frankie Caballero left for college (middle). PHOTO COURTESY OF Mary Lance

said. “Sometimes for certain songs we’ll switch it up and fill in different rolls.”

Similar to Lance, his mother Mary Lance is impressed by the band members’ abilities and believes that their drive to continue improving makes them an even better band.

“It’s cool that a bunch of kids, who are basically selftaught, got together to play music,” Mary said. “They are amateurs, but they work really hard to get it right.”

Caballero believes that the bonds within the band makes the work of producing music easier and more enjoyable for everyone.

“I like how relaxed it feels to play with the band,” Caballero said. “It feels more like hanging out with the guys because we were already friends beforehand. The music comes naturally that way because it’s not super strict, it’s more focused on having a good time and doing something that we all enjoy.”

The experience of playing music holds more value for the band members than just time to socialize, according to Mary.

“The band has been a fantastic outlet during this pandemic,” Mary said. “Writing original lyrics and melodies and learning how to collaborate is challenging in a good

way, keeps the brain sharp.”

Although the social connections within the band are well-built, Caballero believes they are still working on including everyone’s ideas into what they produce.

“I’d say the biggest challenge we have in the band is working with everyone’s creative differences,” Caballero said. “We all have very similar taste in music, but you notice where we all differ on what we want to create. We all have a sense of creative direction we want to go, so we all have to work to make that compromise for everyone.”

Even though the band keeps busy working toward improving their music, Caballero expressed that the overall experience of the band has been quite gratifying.

“Music has always been a feel-good experience for me,” Caballero said. “Playing puts you into a different zone so you’re not focused on anything else. The music you create really makes you enjoy playing your instrument regardless of the song.”

With graduation approaching for the senior members of the band Jack explained that the musicians are trying to enjoy their remaining time together.

“Sadly we’re all planning on going to separate colleges

so we don’t have plans for the band outside of high school,” Jack said. “However we plan on having another concert for our senior graduation because wanted to play again before we all go off and do our own thing.”

Although the band will not last forever, Caballero believes the decision to create the band was a great way for the band members to continue playing music outside of any music related classes.

“When you’re in your own band you’re not limited to what you want to make,” Caballero said. “We play out of sheer boredom, not because we have to or because there is any obligation to do it.

We play because we want to, which makes the focus not so much on doing it for a better letter grade, or to be held to any crazy expectation. This experience was purely for us to enjoy.”

Mary believes similarly to Caballero and hopes that their love for music will stay with them after the band is gone.

“Watching the band play live and seeing how they carried themselves really shows the pure fun and excitement they are having,” Mary said.

“I hope they always continue to turn to music for a positive outlet in life.”

Food delivery staff shares work life in the current pandemic Donna Kim Dispatch Reporter

Ever since the implementation of social distancing policies in response to COVID-19, going out to eat has not been much of an option. No one can eat out regularly, but in place sprouts a much safer option, food delivery services.

According to Market Watch, the big four food delivery services: DoorDash, Uber Eats, Postmates, and Grubhub, have all increased in production since the beginning of April.

With many schools transitioning to remote instruction, teenagers have started to work for food delivery services as a way to earn some extra money. Senior CJ Saurez is a student who currently works for DoorDash.

“Typically I’ll go out around 5:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m., and start waiting for orders in a shopping center, and once I get one, I’m busy for the next two to three hours until orders die out,” Saurez said.

According to GridWise, over 12 percent of food delivery service drivers are 18 to 29 years old. Senior Liam Spencer shares why he started working for DoorDash.

“I wanted to start working [for DoorDash] because I had some friends that were doing it, and they said it was super fun and easy,” Spencer said. “So I started to make some extra money on the side during the pandemic.

Within five hours I would make around eight to 10 deliveries.”

Unlike regular jobs, Saurez believes the growing popularity of food delivery services is based on the unique freedoms workers have within the job.

“I will usually work by myself, but sometimes I’ll invite a few friends to hang out with me while I drive around,” Saurez said.

In food delivery services, Spencer believes that although the job comes with unique freedoms, there are also common challenges workers have to face.

“The best thing is the

flexibility that is offered,” Spencer said. “You can work whenever you want, and payments are once a week which is faster than other jobs. The worst part about [food delivery] is that you are alone the whole time, so it can get pretty lonely. It can also be scary or challenging if you are going to an area you don’t know, which has happened to me before.”

Although working as a driver for a food delivery service may seem easy going, Colleen Saurez, mother of CJ Saurez, believes there are precautions workers must take seriously.

“I don’t like that CJ is working during the pandemic, but I do feel like he has minimal contact with other people with this job,” Colleen said. “He always wears his mask and when necessary, keeps his distance. He told me that most customers prefer that he drops off their food order on their doorstep instead of handing it to them.

This is helpful as well.”

CJ believes that even with the many precautions that

ON THE MOVE: Senior Liam Spencer delivers order to a customers house. Typically Spencer makes eight to 10 deliveries in five hours. PHOTO BY Cade Spencer

are taken within his job, the food delivery services have not faced many challenges due to COVID-19.

“It hasn’t been any trouble at all - there are almost never any crowds at restaurants when I pick up food, so I hardly have to worry about COVID-19,” CJ said.

Spencer shares similar views to CJ regarding working for a food delivery service during the pandemic, and how it affects his performance.

“It honestly has made the job better,” Spencer said.

“Since we are in a pandemic there are more people that

are ordering, so there are bonuses on orders. It’s different because of the little contact with people you have, which makes it a safe job during the pandemic.”

According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the number of teenagers employed during the school year increased from 4.4 million to 17.5 million from April of 2020, to July of 2020.

“Some teens are very busy with a heavy school load and different types of activities,” Colleen said. “It can be difficult to find the time, but if it is possible to get a job, even if it’s just for a few hours a week, its a great way to gain experience that you can’t get in school.”

Spencer believes there are many things to learn from working in food delivery services.

“I learned a lot about being efficient,” Spencer said.

“You have to be efficient because you are on the clock. I will take away the importance of assertiveness. You have to be assertive to get orders in on time.”

FEATURE 5

Students fund raise for cancer research MONDAY, FEB. 15, 2021 THE DISPATCH

Miranda Cardenas Feature Editor

would be an amazing opportunity where I would be able to not only support blood cancer patients The Leukemia and Lymphoma but also advocate for this cause Society is a global leader in the fight and spread awareness wherever I against blood cancer dedicated to could,” Lee said. funding research, finding cures, Team member, junior Leela and making treatments available to McKenna was also looking for a as many patients as possible. Ev- way to get involved and help an orery year the LLS chooses students ganization during quarantine. across the country to compete for “Over quarantine I thought that the title of “Student of the Year” maybe I should be doing someby seeing who can raise the most thing more for the community and money for this cause. just for other people in general, I This year, junior Lizzie Jensen wanted to find a good use of my was nominated by her college advi- time,” McKenna said. “This is such sor to be a candidate for this oppor- an important cause because we’re tunity, and has been finding ways helping individuals and families in to fund raise and advocate for LLS. need and no one chooses to have “I chose to take on this oppor- cancer, so you should always want tunity because I think it is so im- to help people in need as best you portant to find ways to serve your can whenever you can.” community and I thought it would Local businesses and restaube a great learning experience,” rants have also pitched in to help Jensen said. the group raise money by donating All money donated and raised or also spreading awareness to cusgoes straight to LLS, and Jensen tomers. has set goals in order to motivate “My favorite part so far has been her to donate as much as possible. reaching out to local businesses for “My personal goal is to reach donations because I’ve discovered $5,000 in donations but my goal that many local businesses in the for my team is $20,000 which community are very supportive of seems big but I’m really confident this cause and were more than hapwe’re going to reach our goals bepy to donate and cause we’re help in any way really putting they could,” Lee ourselves out said. there,” Jensen Reaching out Finding the cure to said. to local businessWo r k i n g one type of cancer es has also been alongside Jenanother learning is a step further to sen is a team of experience befinding the cure to all fellow juniors cause the team who have been forms of cancer and has had to learn helping to plan networking skills making the world a these fundraisin order to form ing events for better place. sponsorships. months now.

“This camLizzie Jensen “We also paign has taught Junior have a team me a lot about etfull of many iquette and how juniors that are to act in a profesalso helping us raise money, but sional setting as I have set up meetmy co-candidates are Yuri Lee and ings with possible sponsors and Samantha Thompson who I chose written many emails,” Jensen said. because I know they’re really dedi- “We not only get to raise money for cated students,” Jensen said. a good cause, but we’re also learnCo-candidate Lee was searching ing really valuable leadership skills for an opportunity to get involved like how to work in a team. in something that could help the The Leukemia and Lymphoma community, and took this opportu- Society not only helps people afnity to help blood cancer patients. fected directly by these blood can“I wanted to get involved be- cers, but also helps these students cause this fundraising campaign who are trying to make a difference.

”

”

RAISING MONEY FOR LEUKEMIA: Juniors Ana Diaz (left) and Lilly Crosbie (right) eat Torchy’s at a fundraising spirit night. Spirit nights held at Torchy’s and Chipotle allowed students to donate to this cause. PHOTO COURTESY OF Lizzie Jensen

“These organizations actively help patients and their leaders set examples for people like me that are interested in taking on leadership roles,” Jensen said. “LLS has incentives for candidates and team members, one of which being a college recommendation letter and that is also a big motivator for all of us.”

Like many other things, COVID-19 has affected how the team has been able to raise money and safely reach out to people while keeping in accordance with safety guidelines and precautions.

“There are a lot of challenges going on in the world right now especially the pandemic, so trying to get people to donate to the cause has been a little more difficult than it seems,” McKenna said. “We’ve sent emails to friends and family members asking for donations, planned fundraising events and been hugely relying on our social media to spread the word to our peers of our upcoming events.”

Keeping in agreement with CDC guidelines has still allowed the team many ways to raise money but

has also shut down a lot of ideas.

“COVID-19 has also impacted our process because it’s prevented us from organizing certain events we wanted to plan, that would’ve allowed us to raise even more money and drawn in more people,” Lee said.

By not having the ideal ways to fundraiser, the team has relied on family help to spread the word of their efforts.

“What has worked best so far has been our families helping advocate for this cause and telling extended family members,” McKenna said.

Jensen reflects on how important this cause is and how helping organizations like LLS is also helping a much bigger picture.

“I feel like a more productive member of society when I participate in a big project such as Student of the Year,” Jensen said. “Everyone is affected by cancer in some way including myself, so finding the cure to one type of cancer is a step further to curing all forms of cancer and eventually making the world a better place.”

STUDENT OF THE YEAR CANDIDATE: Junior Lizzie Jensen poses with a sign recognizing her fundraising work with Leukemia. Jensen was one of few students nominated for this title. PHOTO COURTESY OF Lizzie Jensen

Exchange student weighs in on recent political climate Isabella del Nido Dispatch Reporter

Arriving in the United States as an exchange student from Germany in August of 2020, in the midst of a global pandemic with the known far from sight. The reality unfolds for sophomore Sophia Rockitt as she sees the increased political climate of America first hand from an outside perspective.

Rockitt’s new perspective when it comes to American politics brings fresh ideals.

The previous events leading up to Biden’s inauguration like the Impeachment charge against Trump, the riots at the Capitol, and the 15,000 troops stationed at the Inau-

guration prove many unrests within American society.

“There are people who definitely have different opinions,” Rockitt said. “But having a president who knows how politics works and has experience in actual politics is a good thing.”

American politics and German politics are very different. Germany is governed by the federal Parliament while the United States operates under a Constitutional Republic. With the differences, each has pros and cons.

“I think Germans are divided on how to best address immigration,” Rockitt said.

“Strife in the Middle East has resulted in an uptick in immigrant and refugee populations

WITH HER HOST FAMILY: Sophomores Sophia Rockitt, Emily Williams and graduate Megan Williams hike in Austin. The Williams family has been in contact with Rockitt since last May. PHOTO COURTESY OF Sophia Rockitt

across Europe, and countries like Germany are grappling with how to manage or serve these people in need, not unlike what we have dealt with the last few years in the U.S.” Rockitt describes more differences between the policies in Germany and the United States in governance.

“One big difference is that we have more than two parties in the Bundestag (similar to Congress),” Rockitt said.

“Whichever party gets more than five percent of the votes will go into the Bundestag and their percentage determines how many seats they will get.”

According to NPR news, over 156 million Americans voted in this year’s election.

This is estimated to be 66.5 percent of eligible voters in the United States.

Many younger voters did not participate in the 2016 election, but this year there were many other ways people got involved.

“I think that in each country the politicians could listen more to the young people because they know what will be important in the future, and they will become the future,” Rockitt said.

More people voted this election year than in the past 120 years, even in the current pandemic. With this, even the younger voter demographic, which is historically known to not vote as much as the older generations, was high.

“Voting is our greatest privilege in the United States and I don’t miss an opportunity to participate in an election, be it for seats on our local school board or our nation’s highest office,” Spanish teacher Kelly Tagle said.

In June of 2020 BLM came

ENJOYING THE SIGHTS OF AUSTIN: Sophomore Sophia Rockitt poses in front of a famous mural downtown while sight-seeing. Rockitt traveled from Germany to be an exchange student despite the pandemic. PHOTO COURTESY OF Sophia Rockitt

together for the death of George Floyd, and to point out the injustice against the black community.

“I think the most important thing which should be fixed is acceptance,” Rockitt said. “Because some people which we have seen last year with George Floyd and all the other victims are still very racist and every country has some of them.”

Bipartisanship between the Democrats and the Republicans makes it difficult to pass bills like the stimulus bill. Because of the political divide in this country, it makes it harder for the Senate to come together to make a decision.

“The U.S. is a big country and it’s difficult to fix this problem because it is the people who need to be taught,” Rockitt said. “It’s good that so many people who live here are spreading awareness and I

hope we won’t experience the past ever again and continue to move forward.”

Higher educational institutions and more specifically the cost of higher education has been an area of controversy, due to how much students are expected to pay and how much debt a student can accumulate.

“Data shows that a Bachelor’s degree significantly increases a persons earning potential, yet the price tag associated with a four year degree makes it nearly unattainable for so many,” Tagle said. “It’s been said, ‘we all do better when we all do better.”

In Germany, all unnecessary businesses are closed, but in Texas shops and restaurants are still open. Due to this it was harder for Rockitt to arrange her arrival.

“We have been talking to Sophia and her family via Whatsapp weekly since late

May,” host parent Laura Williams said. “We were so excited for her to arrive. I’m so grateful to her family for supporting her.”

Being able to teach younger generations on how to address the political climates of the future is a staple for Williams.

“We encourage her and our own kids to depend on a variety of news sources, and not just opinions shared via social media,” Williams said.

The face of education through exchange students has changed a lot in the past months. Finding a family who is willing to take a student in during a pandemic can be a challenge.

“It’s the best match I could’ve got,” Rockitt said. “I actually talk often with my host mom about politics and I learn so much from my host family about politics, and culture.”

6 PHOTO ESSAY

THE DISPATCH MONDAY, FEB. 15, 2021

Election protests at the State Capitol

CHAOS AT THE CAPITOL: President Donald Trump supporters gathered to protest the inauguration of Joe Biden. These protests were based on claims made by President Trump of a fraudulent election. “I do not think protesting the election results is justified or effective, however I think the issue is bigger than those who are protesting,” senior Alyssa Shumaker said. “They have been misled and misinformed to the point of complete disillusionment of the entire election. The real problem with the protests is those in power who are spreading lies and empowering people to commit crimes based on false information.” PHOTO COURTESY OF Preston Rolls

BY Reagan Zuniga

LOYAL SUPPORTER: A supporter of President Trump displays a sign expressing his belief of a fraudulent election. He was one of many present on Inauguration day supporting the claims of a stolen election by protesting. “Democracy is fragile and if people don’t believe in the elections, they riot and try to overthrow the government,” junior Avery Kissenger said. “The core of Democracy is the peaceful passing of power.” PHOTO COURTESY OF Preston Rolls

BOARDED UP: Businesses surrounding the Capitol put boards up to protect their plate glass windows. This was one of many precautions that were put in place in anticipation of protests downtown. ”I think it was smart for businesses downtown to board up their buildings,” junior Avery Kissenger said. “I would be worried about my business being destroyed seeing the violence that happened at the U.S. Capitol.” PHOTO BY Reagan Zuniga

Supporters of President Trump gathered downtown as the inauguration of President Joe Biden approached Reagan Zuniga Photo Essay Editor

During the week leading up to the Inauguration of President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris, supporters of Donald Trump gathered at the Texas State Capitol downtown.

Some of these protests had been planned in advance for various reasons such as advocating for gun rights and to show disapproval of COVID restrictions as the city enters stage 5. Junior Connor McClellan supports the relaxation of COVID restrictions as well as values the second amendment “I think at this point COVID-19 restrictions should be gone and people should return to their normal lives,” McClellan said.

“Considering the number of hospitalization cases and the number of people who actually get very sick. It’s time to move on.

As for gun rights I want to be able to protect myself and my family when I am able to purchase a firearm.

For Biden’s campaign I am not too sure of his plans for restrictions for gun rights but I could see him trying to place restrictions.”

On the actual day of the inauguration of President Biden, supporters of the outgoing president gathered because of fraudulent concerns believing that

Trump had won the is because they were mailin votes and most people presidency.

“While I think this past who voted by mail voted for election was a little bit fishy Biden.”

President Trump is based on certain security currently footage being released at on trial for the ballot inciting the offices, riot that I think took place at it isn’t the Capitol the most by spreading efficient t h e s e thing to claims of a protest fraudulent what has election and already encouraging happened,” i s M c C l e l l a n Connor McClellan h s u p p o r t e r s said. “Sure Junior to fight. you get S e n i o r the media A l y s s a to see that people are upset, and Shumaker thinks this is still you demonstrate your an important procedure.

“Had he not spread freedom of speech, but after a presidential election election misinformation and whether it be a blue or red lies as well as used violent state it is not going to change and inflammatory language at the Save America Rally, the results.”

Junior Kody Coiboin the insurrection at the capital believes that there shouldn’t would not have occurred and be protests or beliefs that this those lives would not have election was fraudulent and been lost,” Shumaker said. that the reason there is any “Losing lives over a hurt ego is because President Trump and refusal to acknowledge convinced his supporters it truth should not be tolerated in public officials of any level was with baseless claims.

“It wasn’t stolen,” Cobain and Trump should not be said. “There was a recount. allowed to hold office again.”

Contrary to that belief, It was a normal election. thinks that “The reason some people McClellan thought it was stolen was President Trump shouldn’t both because Trump said it be impeached since he is no was and because votes came longer the sitting President.

“Since Trump already left in overnight for Biden. This

DISPLAYING PATRIOTISM: A protester waves American flags and dances. She was one of many protesters the week before the Inauguration. “I think the right to protest is an important part of being American,” junior Avery Kissenger said. ”I’ve personally peacefully protested during the 2016 election.” PHOTO BY Reagan Zuniga

”

RIGHT TO BEAR ARMS: A protester stands outside the Texas Capitol entrance with a firearm. He was attending a planned gun rights protest just a couple days before the Biden inauguration at the Texas Capitol. “I think gun rights should definitely be restricted,” junior Avery Kissinger said. “I hope Biden restricts gun rights. It doesn’t make sense for people to be able to bring guns to protests.” PHOTO

I think at this point COVID-19 restrictions should be gone and people should return back to their normal lives

”

office I think that people shouldn’t bother impeaching him and in doing so it just seems like they are just out to get him even after he served his term,” McClellan said. “And for political issues like impeachment only the facts should be looked at, emotion can help the case but it should not be the determining factor for impeachment.”

Similarly Coiboin thinks President Trump shouldn’t be impeached since he has left office but believes he still should be charged for his actions or lack of on Jan. 6.

“Trump should face criminal charges for inciting a riot and treason, thus preventing him from running in the future,” Coibion said.

As for the future and the Presidents who will take office after Trump, expectations are varied.

Shumaker hopes politics will return to how they were prior to the Trump presidency.

“I think that the biggest development from Trump’s presidency is the growth of conspiracy and distrust of officials and media,” Shumaker said. “I hope that we will be able to return to a more trusting and transparent future with other presidents who will no encourage conspiracy and instead will ensure Americans that they are being told the truth.”

EXTRA PRECAUTIONS: Members of the National Guard surround the Capitol in anticipation of armed protests. The Capitol grounds were closed for over a week prior to the Inauguration of President Joe Biden. “I didn’t personally think that the protest at the Texas Capitol were going to get violent and I don’t think it was anyones intent to make it violent,” junior Connor McClellan said. PHOTO BY Reagan Zuniga

ENTERTAINMENT 7 MONDAY, FEB. 15, 2021 THE DISPATCH

Steel drums adjusts to virtual practices Max Muzny Dispatch Reporter

From the array of drums organized across the hall, a melody is given birth by the strikes of many mallets. This music is thanks to professional steel drum composer and educator CJ Menge who shared his passion for steel drums with many throughout Austin including Bowie’s own steel band he started more than 20 years ago.

One of the most attractive aspects of the young instrument from Trinidad and Tobago is the tropical melody it produces despite being a metallic percussion instrument.

“More often than not people think of it as an island type instrument,” steel drum teacher Anthony Paxton said. “People enjoy it because it’s not something that’s as common at concerts.”

The uniqueness and novelty of the instrument allows the steel drum bands to often practice and perform separately from most of the rest of Bowie’s massive band programs.

“I didn’t want to do marching band since it seemed like a big commitment, but I still want to take a music class, so I chose to do steel drums because I tried it in middle school and liked it,” senior Olivia Gendron said.

Despite being separate when it comes to practicing, occasionally all the bands perform together.

“We usually do our holiday concert as one mass concert, so everybody performs at the same concert.

Other than that, we usually have our own concerts,” Paxton said There are five types of drums: leads, double teners, double seconds, cellos, and bases. Each drum or pan has its own note range and purpose in different songs that in-

fluence the preference of each student.

“I’ve played bass and cello in the past, but I don’t like moving my body to each drum because I often turn around and miss a note,” sophomore Sarah Jandt said. “I like leads because the pan is right in front of me and my hands are in the same playing area so I don’t miss anything.”

Last year, the bands were primarily split into an intermediate and advanced band. There was also a third band for freshmen to introduce them to the instruments.

“The advanced band is for people who are extremely good and very devoted to steel drum,” Jandt said. “The people in the intermediate band train for the whole year and then audition for next year’s advanced band at the end of the year.”

The steel bands play a wide variety of music from traditional pieces from Trinidad and Tobago to popular songs on the radio. Since many of the songs that they play are written by Menge, he occasionally visits a class and teaches it.

“I think it’s pretty great that we get to have CJ come out and help us practice because he has more insight for us learning his pieces since he wrote them,” Jandt said.

Because of the pandemic, the bands were forced to take home their instruments. Although they were able to bring home the instruments, each student now has to practice playing individually.

“It’s hard to play the parts by myself,” Gendron said. “It’s easier when we have a big group of people all playing the same thing so we can listen to each other while we’re playing.”

The bands still meet regularly to

PRACTICING THE SONGS: Students in the steel drums class get together to practice playing their music. This was the first in-person rehearsals that was held and students were given the chance to either stay remote or practice in person. PHOTO COURTESY OF Anthony Paxton

practice virtually during their class periods, but the limitations of the Zoom platform still make it difficult.

“There are background noises which make it hard to tell if I’m playing the notes correctly or not, especially if it’s staticky,” Jandt said. “[Class] is also in the morning, so I have to keep quiet so I hopefully do not wake up my parents.”

Additionally, Paxton decided last year to integrate the freshman band into the intermediate band this

year since there weren’t enough freshman signing up for the class.

“A lot of people probably don’t know about steel drums, and some people who aren’t interested in doing concerts end up quitting,” Gendron said.

Jandt believes that merging the two bands was a beneficial change that helps balance the varying levels of skill between new and experienced students.

“For me, this year has been a lot easier because I get a review of what we learned last year while

we still move forward at a steady pace,” Jandt said.

Regardless of the setbacks and adjustments of being virtual, Paxton still plans on having the steel bands perform at a concert for the first time this year in the near future.

“With the school district telling everybody to stay home, we have not really started in person rehearsals yet,” Paxton said. “We hope to get those started in February and then have a concert in March, hopefully with the jazz bands.”

Spreading cheer by singing out loud for everyone to hear Junior Tennyson Tole writes, records, and releases her own individual music and lyrics Abbey Repka Entertainment Editor

Music spreads throughout the room as junior Tennyson Tole rehearses her songs. Tole has been writing her own music and releasing it for all to hear.

Tole has been singing since she was eight years old. She started learning opera and writing her own songs when she was 12.

“I have always been a really creative person,” Tole said. “Once I got into middle school, I was obsessed with trying to learn how to play songs I was hearing on the radio on the piano, and eventually decided to try and write a song after I learned how to play

chords.

Tole currently releases her music on Soundcloud, a popular music app that allows artists to upload their music for potential audiences.

“Having a form of progress that you can look back on and listen to is the best part about marking music,” Tole said. “It’s really cool to go back to my old songs from many years ago and see how much my voice, style, and quality has changed.”

Tole describes her music as a mix of indie, pop, and lo-fi and likes to write ballad-type songs.

“What I like most about Tennyson’s music is that it’s so light but it’s also well balanced

PREPARED TO PERFORM: Junior Tennyson Tole gets ready to sing a song for a choir competition. Tole believes being in choir has helped her hear different styles of music that can help inspire her to write new music. PHOTO COURTESY OF Tennyson Tole

and fresh,” senior Jennifer Doering said. “For example, her song ‘Other Side’ is so relaxing and calming that you actually take time to listen to the lyrics when they come up.”

Tole is currently in the varsity girl’s choir which has allowed her to learn many new skills and meet new friends.

“My favorite part of choir is working on music that everyone can enjoy and have fun while practicing,” Doering said. “I also like meeting new people during the concerts when we’re all backstage talking to each other.”

Tole has previously recorded music at Baylor University for a classical singing competition.

“When I recorded music at Baylor, it was for a competition called NATS. It is not open to the public, and the reason I was able to be there was because my voice teacher works there,” Tole said.

Choir teacher Aaron Bourgeois encourages all his students to explore creating their own music.

“I think besides performing music, students taking part in working on their own creation gives them a perspective of the challenges of songwriting, pride in creating their own unique compositions, and appreciation for the work of other composers because they now have that perspective,” Bourgeois said.

According to Bourgeois, any students who want to make music should start now and a good way to get started is to join a musical class.

“The more music a writer is exposed to, the more inspiration they have,” Bourgeois said. “No matter what type of songwriting or music field [students] would like to be involved in, having time in a music classroom will only further [a student’s] abilities as a performer and a music learner.”

Bourgeois believes students wanting to make music should take the time to expose themselves to every type of music possible to help with inspiration.

“I love music wholeheartedly, and the things I learned watching live pop concerts or talking with amateur songwriters has given me even more perspective of music as a whole than my time in college for music,” Bourgeois said. “At the end of the day, it’s all music, and it’s all viable.”

Although Doering does not release her own music, she shows her support for Tole’s music in many ways.

“I support her music by listening to it on

Soundcloud and by always being there for her to cheer her on during her performances and I will always support her in all of her music endeavors,” Doering said.

Junior Malaika Beg believes that Tole’s music is definitely something she can imagine hearing on the radio one day.

“It is unique and really incredible and I can tell she pours her heart and soul into her music,” Beg said.

According to Tole, there are many benefits of making music however there can also be many challenges.

“I deal with a lot of anxiety and perfectionism,” Tole said. “I have over 50 songs that I’ve started recording that haven’t been finished, and over 1,000 notes of songs that I’ve started writing lyrics for and probably won’t finish.”

Despite the challenges, Tole works hard to make sure her music is constantly growing and getting better.

“I definitely want to improve the quality, which has been noticeably happening because I just got a new microphone for Christmas,” Tole said.

In addition to releasing her music on Soundcloud, Tole has played her music in class for fellow students to hear.

“I absolutely love that [Tole] is pursuing these individual musical endeavors, and especially working on her own music is something that’s always super impressive to me,” Bourgeois said. “I never really wrote my own songs, so seeing one of my students able to do so is a cool new way to explore music.”

SCAN ME: Scan this QR Code for a link to junior Tennyson Tole’s Soundcloud to hear her music.

coming UP in ENTERTAINMENT Feb. 20 Band UIL Solo and Ensemble Mar. 12 Cheer Tryouts

Mar. 13-27 Austin Rodeo Mar. 16-20 Virtual SXSW

Mar. 20 Cody Johnson Concert Mar. 28 Zilker Kite Festival

IN-DEPTH 9

8 IN-DEPTH

“Land of the free, home of the brave” THE DISPATCH MONDAY, FEB. 15, 2021

MONDAY, FEB. 15, 2021 THE DISPATCH

CURRENT AMERICAN IDEALS Song also claimed that America’s history of racial and ethnic exclusions causes being American to mean sharing a national culture, one that is largely defined in racial, ethnic, and religious terms.

“To be an American means to recognize the diversity and uniqueness of the nation we live in and to constantly strive to uphold founding values,” Thomason said. “I think Americans should have characteristics of tolerance because America is uniquely diverse and a place of so many different people, which is special to America among other nations.”

On Jan. 6, extremist supporters of former president Donald Trump attacked the United States capitol in an attempt to “save America” and “stop the steal” of the 2020 election, according to the New York Times. This attack marked the sole capital invasion since the strike of British troops in the year 1814.

“The events on Jan. 6 show some of the negative aspects of America,” junior Caroline Rasmussen said. “It showed the ignorance of some Americans and the fragility of Democracy, but I do not think the actions represented the majority of Ameri-

WHAT EVERY AMERICAN SHOULD KNOW

In 1987, E. D. Hirsch Jr. wrote a book titled Cultural Literacy, claiming that every American should know common knowledge about the United States. Hirsch sparked a nationwide debate. The webpage http://www.whateveryamericanshouldknow.org/ allows for anyone to submit their own top 10 list, and provides the most common top 10 historical and political items that Americans should know about, listed below.

Human Rights 1 6 4 9Democracy Law September 11 7 2 White Declaration of 10 Privilege US Civil War 5 Independence Voting 8 3 Slavery

the Civil Rights Movement

FOUNDING PHRASES An explanation of several famous phases of the United States of America, found on primary documents like the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. SOURCES washingtonpost.com, wikepedia.com, cnn.com

“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.”

Found in the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson highlights three unalienable rights: rights given to the people by their creator to be upheld by their government.

Kole Muras Freshman

America is a place where you can be anything you want.

It’s about having the freedom to make your own choices and live your life the way you want to.

”

Lainey Killian Sophomore

I think for an individual to be an American, the individual should strive for the freedom and equality for everyone.

”

George Bruen Junior

I would describe Americans as having good ideals at heart, but they create a perversion of those ideals in their actions through misinformation.

”

”

cans and how they behave.”

Before becoming President, Abraham Lincoln delivered his House Divided Speech on June 16, 1858, in Springfield, Illinois during the Republican State Convention. According to History. com, Lincoln discussed the phrase “a house divided against itself cannot stand,” a statement found several times in the Bible, in relation to the slavery that divided the United States in the 1850s.

“We, yet again, live in a house divided,” Pool said. “The events of Jan. 6 made it very clear that thousands, if not millions, of Americans are currently blinded by hate and fear. And because of their blindness, they are susceptible to inflammatory rhetoric and misinformation. On top of all of this, we live in a digital age that rewards inflammatory rhetoric, and a time where is it far too easy to spread hate, fear, and misinformation.”

The Pew Research Center reported that in 2014, Republicans and Democrats were more divided in political and ideological lines than ever in the past two decades, and the rise of ideological uniformity has been a lot more pronounced for individuals who are politically active.

“I think the current “typical American” can improve by reevaluating implicit biases they hold and monitoring how such biases manifest in their daily life,” Thomason said. “I think all Americans right now can focus on eliminating division within the nation.”

The American Creed: Writing for Our Future website allows for young adults and educators to comment on their thoughts about the PBS documentary film American Creed, a story exploring the idea of a unifying American philosophy.

The website currently has 57 responses with essays covering topics such as “What it means to be American,” “Education in America,” and “The American Dream.”

“To me, being American is much more than just being an American citizen or living in American,” Columbus High School student Eddie F. wrote. “It seems people in America have a responsibility, and an obligation to be the best person they can be. It’s part of being an American, and another part is doing your part to keep society running properly. [Additionally,] being American means to be free and have equal opportunity. America needs to get back to the idea that everyone is created equal.”

To Thomason, the largest factor in being American is to be vigilant about founding policies and fight to uphold both freedom and liberty.

“To be American, whether we are talking about the American Revolution, the Abolition Movement, the Civil War, the Women’s Rights Movement, World War II, the Civil Rights Movement, or today, is coming together to overcome ignorance, hate, fear, and injustice,” Pool said. “That is what we have done repeatedly dating back to the American Revolution.

That is what we must do again today.”

”

FOUNDING IDEALS

people that took part in Shay’s rebellion, for example.”

U.S. Representative Markwayne Mullin explained in his column “Mullin’ It Over” that America has been known as the “land of opportunity” since its foundation and that millions of immigrants moved to America seeking the opportunity to succeed. Mullin thinks it’s the job of Congress to make sure that the federal government does not stand in the way of the opportunity of the people.

“What’s made America stand out from other countries is we really represent opportunity; opportunity to make your life and your family’s life better,” Pool said. “I think a big part of being American is having that opportunity and relishing that opportunity. The chance not just to better your life, but to live in a society that agrees upon these principles and a society that gives you the opportunity to contribute in many ways, but really to have that possibility to get the most out of your life.”

Sarah Song from the American Academy of Arts and Sciences wrote that the Latin motto of the United States, “E pluribus unum”, or, out of many, one, and Israel Zangwill’s idea of the melting pot suggests that there should be a coexistence of many-in-one under a unified citizenship based on shared ideals.

“To be or to become an American, a person did not have to be any particular national, linguistic, religious, or ethnic background,” historian Philip Gleason wrote. “All he had to do was to commit himself to the political ideology centered on the abstract ideals of liberty, equality, and republicanism. Thus the universalist ideological character of American nationality meant that it was open to anyone who willed to become an American.”

INTERVIEWS BY Faith Lawrence PHOTOS COURTESY OF Interviewees and Faith Lawrence

”

Capitol insurrection, the President banned from social media, Democrats controlling the Senate, a new President, the distribution of a COVID-19 vaccine, a Presidential impeachment trial, and over 25 million reported cases of COVID-19 according to Wikipedia and The New York Times. These major events took place during just the first month of the new year.

Alia E. Dastagir, a New York National correspondent, wrote that “it is a difficult time to celebrate America” in an article published by USA Today in July of 2020. Dastagir questioned what it means to be an American, who qualifies, and how Americans should act and found that, despite political polarization in the U.S., 90 percent of people surveyed in a 2018 Grinnell College National poll agreed that being a “real American” meant treating people equally.

“There are so many different opinions circulating in the political climate,” junior Kathryn Thomason said. “Some of which reflect what it means to be an American by constantly working to help others and make America more equal, while others ignore this.”

The most simple definition of the word “American” is a resident or citizen of the United States or someone who ethnically identifies as American. However, what defines American identity is more complicated.

“I think all Americans should strive to understand the truth,” social studies teacher Dalton Pool said. “I would also hope that Americans take the job of being educated and well informed very seriously because that’s important in a democracy.”

Writer Javed Amir from The Baltimore Sun wrote that American identity was initially based on ideology, not race or ethnicity. Furthermore, American philosopher Horace M. Kallen introduced the concept of “cultural pluralism” in 1915, stating that true democracy required a population of multiple cultures and t h a t

forced assimilation was anti-Democratic and anti-American. come together and worked together, whether it’s creating a “What it means to be an American is something that I strug- vaccine or providing health care, or just really getting through gle with since there is no one simple answer,” Pool said. “I do the pandemic. There’s a lot to be proud of in this country. It not think it’s good to have traits or characteristics attached to just may not be what we see on the news every day.” it; it’s better to describe what the government expects of us.”

John Sides, a professor of political science at Vanderbilt University, wrote an article published in the Washington Post that presented the findings from a survey sent to 8,000 Americans in According to The Founding Ideals of America website, the 2016. Sides found that the people surveyed believed respecting five ideals that America was built around and emphasizes are American institutions, 93 percent, and having American citi- the values of democracy, rights, liberty, opportunity, and equalzenship, 91 percent, were ity. the two highest qualities “These principles, rooted most important to being in an understanding of natuan American. Additionally, ral rights and the experience Sides reported that most of self-rule, outlined the founTo be American is coming together to of the surveyed, but not dations of a new nation,” the overcome ignorance, hate, fear, and all, rejected an ethnic conBill of Rights Institute wrote. ception of citizenship: the “This set of principles and ideinjustice. That is what we have done idea that Americans have als have guided and shaped repeatedly dating back to the American to be of European heritage the public life and the AmerRevolution. That is what we must do again or descent. ican character. As Americans, “I would say the most we believe it is essential to untoday. important factor for a perderstand and implement these son to be an American is fundamental or founding printo believe in the American Dalton Pool ciples and civic virtues.”

Dream: you can make your John Hancock spoke of Social Studies teacher own decisions, you can American founding ideals in have freedom, you can de1776, claiming that the idea cide how you want to live,” that “All men are created equal” and of fundamental rights junior Caroline Rasmussen said. “I think having pride in being such as liberty, freedom of speech, assembly, and religion, and American is important as well.” due process of law were all more acceptable in the abstract With President Joe Biden beginning his Presidency, the than they were in practice.

White House website wrote that Biden and his staff will work “When Jefferson wrote ‘all men are created equal’ in the together in order to deliver action and relief to families includ- preamble to the Declaration, he was not talking about indiing controlling the COVID-19 pandemic, providing economic vidual equality,” writer for Stanford News Melissa de Witte relief, tackling climate change, and advancing racial equity and said. “What he really meant was that the American colonists, civil rights. as a people, had the same rights of self-government as other “The majority of Americans want what’s peoples. It now became a statement of individual equality that best for them and their family everyone and every member of a deprived group could claim and what’s best for their for himself or herself. It is that promise of equality that has country,” Pool said. always defined our constitutional creed.”

“Over the past According to Pool, the word “freedom” is not mentioned in year, a lot of the United States Constitution. Instead of advocating for freep e o p l e dom, the founding fathers advocated for liberty. Pool describes h a v e liberty as being able to make personal decisions but said decision cannot negatively affect other people.

“You may hear a lot that America equals freedom, or you hear Americans say they are free and can do whatever they want, but the difference between liberty and freedom was big for our founding fathers,” Pool said. “Now, they were also all white males who [were] very wealthy, so their idea of being an American could be different from the

”

Faith Lawrence Editor-in-Chief

What do you think it means to be American?

”

After the election of a new President and the widespread release of a vaccine, students and faculty reflect on what it means to be an ‘American’

BULLDAWGS SPEAK OUT

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Audrey Smith Senior

I think being an American is a sort of double-standard.

Americans are supposed to be loud and patriotic, but we are just trying to get by.

“Government of the people, by the people, for the people.”

Abraham Lincoln said this phrase during his Gettysburg Address. These words are often quoted as the definition of Democracy.

”

“E Pluribus Unum.” - Out of many, one.

The Latin phrase is the traditional motto of the United States and is found on the Great Seal along with other Latin phrases “Annuit cœptis” (favors [our] undertakings) and “Novus ordo seclorum” (A new order of the ages [is born]).

y ra G

Wendy Uzzle Social Studies teacher

Being an American means that we have a civic duty to engage in and improve our country through the Democratic process.

A

RT

BY

Ra e

This phrase is a lyric from the United States national anthem, the Star Spangled Banner, by Francis Scott Key. Key’s views were controversial at his time, but the phrase now illustrates national pride.

”

“Land of the free, home of the brave.”

ART BY Rae Gray and Faith Lawrence

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10 SPORTS

THE DISPATCH MONDAY, FEB. 15, 2021

ATHLETES ASSERT Super Bowl LV Recap Riley Payne Dispatch Reporter

On February 7, 2021 in Tampa, Florida, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers faced off against the Kansas City Chiefs.

The Chiefs came into this game looking to repeat as world champions after another stellar year finishing with 14 regular season wins.

On the other hand, the Buccaneers had an impressive offseason by signing Tom Brady, Rob Gronkowski, Leonard Fournette, and Antonio Brown.

Throughout the NFL regular season, COVID-19 rescheduled games, prevented some players from playing on a weekly basis, and altered fan attendance. The Super Bowl’s attendance was around 25,000 this year.

The Chiefs offense looked normal at first, but the offense was nowhere to be seen for the majority of the game, and the Buccaneers went on a 14-0 lead. The Chiefs settled for a late field goal cutting the lead down to eight with just a minute and a little to spare before half.

The Bucs started the following drive before converting to get a first down. A trilogy of pass interference and holding calls set up the Buccaneers at the goal line, and Tom Brady gave a touchdown pass to Antonio Brown.

With a 21-6 lead at the half, the Buccaneers couldn’t get too comfortable knowing Patrick Mahomes was on the other sideline.

The Chiefs got the ball to start the second half and put up a field goal to cut the lead down to 12. After the field goal, the Chiefs couldn’t move the ball for the rest of the game, while the Bucs were doing anything they wanted on offense.

The Buccaneers went on to score 10 in the 3rd, which resulted in them winning the Super Bowl 31-9.

The Super Bowl MVP was named quarterback Tom Brady, who solidified his spot as MVP after winning his 7th Super Bowl and being the first quarterback to win a Super Bowl in both conferences.

Although Brady had a great game, he wouldn’t have had so much success if it wasn’t for his defense shutting down Patrick Mahomes and his offense.

Mahomes was running for his life the whole game and made some spectacular throws while in bad situations, but he could never convert due to the high pressure of the Buccaneers.

Devin White, Lavonte David and Ndamukong Suh all made cases to be the MVP of the game for their performances on defense.

Looking into the future, Tom Brady has no plans on retiring yet, and this Buccaneers team feels like they can only get better. Additionally, Mahomes in his third year as a starter has made the Super Bowl twice, and it won’t be his last appearance in the Super Bowl either.

Senior seasons stolen by COVID Naya Tillisch Sports Editor

Participating in high school sports is normally a stress-free and refreshing way for students to have fun with their friends at school, but in the midst of a worldwide pandemic, that has changed for some athletes. Senior varsity goalie Lauren Spencer and senior varsity forward Neve Sanders ultimately had to quit soccer this year as a result of COVID-19.

“After a lot of thought and consideration, my family and I decided we weren’t comfortable with me being involved in school or club soccer while local COVID cases are so high,” Spencer said.

Spencer was primarily worried about the size of the soccer program and other programs within the district.

“Soccer teams are relatively large with sometimes 20 or more players on each team,” Spencer said. “I felt like between our large girls’ soccer program at Bowie, and the other teams we would be playing, I was increasing my risk of being exposed to COVID-19.”

Experienced varsity soccer coach Carrie Hoffman-Howell has some reservations about continuing sports through the pandemic.

“I have mixed feelings about playing during the pandemic,” Hoffman said.

“With the cases growing out of control, we should probably shut down the state of Texas for a couple of weeks to gain control of the disease.

However, most people [have been] staying home most of their time since March 2020, and depression cases have risen, and playing sports is a way to avoid depression.

I believe sports provide so many positives to a young athlete. It is really important to try to keep it available.”

Sanders felt the district could’ve enforced stricter COVID-19 guidelines, but

SHE’S A KEEPER: Senior goalkeeper Lauren Spencer makes a save in the match against Ann Richards in the 2019-2020 season. She was the starting varsity goalkeeper, but she chose not to play during COVID-19. PHOTO COURTESY OF Hernan Flores

she understands the difficulties the district is facing.

“I think they could’ve been better at separating the teams, but I do understand it’s hard because soccer is a contact sport,” Sanders said.

“I was uncomfortable with being around all the teams, not knowing if they have been social distancing or quarantining correctly.”

Spencer first began debating whether she should play in preseason when the team first began practicing again.

“In a normal year, I would be excited to attend a practice with my teammates,” Spencer said. “However, this year the thought of being around people out of my social bubble made me extremely nervous.”

Though it was a difficult decision for both athletes, Hoffman understood their concerns.

“I had three seniors choose not to play soccer this school year due to COVID,” Hoffman said. “It broke my heart to lose all three seniors under these circumstances.

I talked with each one, and I let all of them know that I understand.”

The team has been forced to adapt to this season’s unusual circumstances.

“My athletes have to wear masks the entire time, which can be difficult to exert themselves while trying to breath in a mask,” Hoffman said. “[Additionally], our schedule has changed multiple times this year due to teams having to quarantine.”

Though Sanders stands by her decision to not play this year, she still misses playing and is disappointed her senior year was so severely impacted.

“I missed hanging out

Even with all of the challenges of playing through a pandemic, Hoffman is hopeful the team will have a strong season.

“I hope we get to finish the season and make a strong run in the playoffs,” Hoffman said. “I’m very proud of my team for being patient with all of the AISD and CDC guidelines. They have been following all the guidelines along with me and staying positive for the season. I believe this team has a real chance of a successful season if COVID-19 doesn’t shut us down.”

Both Spencer and Sanders continue to support the varsity soccer team this year..

“I wish the Bowie Girls’ Soccer program the best of luck this season, and will always be cheering them on, just from a distance this year,” Spencer said.

Student athletes reflect on their final seasons Luke Smith Dispatch Reporter

From the last free throw to the last touchdown catch, senior athletes are playing their final seasons through a unique year of high school. For some it may be the last time they ever play

their sport competitively.

Football, one of the earliest sports to start, began its season in October.

Senior varsity wide receiver Trey Gipson reflected on his football career as his last season came to a close.

“One of my favorite memories from football are the times where

Questions?

Concerns?

Want to share your opinion?

Contact: Email: bowie. journalism@ gmail.com Room: F203

with the team, goofing around while we warmed up, and the bus rides and locker room where we would blast music and dance,” Sanders said. “The hardest part is being stuck in the house [without] being allowed to do much or hang out with my friends. I’ve learned about patience and being able to be content with little to no social interaction.”

Spencer feels the same, and she has learned some important lessons through this experience.

“The hardest part of sitting my senior season out has to be that I unknowingly played my last soccer game in March of 2020,” Spencer said. “Through this experience, I’ve learned that I should not take anything for granted, even waking up at 5:30 a.m. to be on time for goalkeeping practice.”

BREAK AWAY: Senior varsity power forward Cade Holzman has been playing basketball since he was four years old. He is pictured dribbling down the court in the game against Hays, where Bowie came away with a win of 66-59. PHOTO COURTESY OF Hernan Flores

coach Ables and coach Branyon would try to scare us with fake snakes and spiders and half the time it actually worked,” Gipson said.

“Before and after practices they’d wait outside the locker room doors and throw them at people.”

Gipson has played football since middle school, and the sport has been a big part of his life ever since.

“I started playing in 7th grade because I thought it looked fun and it was always something I had wanted to do,” Gipson said.

Senior varsity starting power forward Cade Holzman, a lifelong basketball player, relates to Gipson and is currently playing in his last season for the Bowie basketball team. Bowie basketball began play in early November.

“I started playing when I was [around four years old]. I love playing, getting better, and competing everyday,” Holzman said.

Both athletes have been around their sports for the majority of their lives, but Gipson does not plan on continuing his football career in college.

“I don’t have plans on playing football again, but I do want to become a physical therapist,” Gipson said. “Maybe one day in the future, that’ll bring me back to the sport.

Gipson is thankful for his time as a football player, for it has taught him a lot.

“Football has taught me that not everything will go as planned, but being able to adapt to new things is a key to success,” Gipson said.

Likewise, some of Holzman’s best high school memories and lessons came from basketball.

“My favorite memory from Bowie basketball was probably my sopho-

more year when we beat Lake Travis to go to round four of the playoffs,” Holzman said.

Erica Holzman, Cade’s mom and one of the basketball boosters, has enjoyed seeing Cade grow as a player and person.

“How we do anything is how we do everything; that quote sums up Cade well,” Erica said. “He puts his all into whatever he does, and he is super competitive. [I am proud of how] he can separate the basketball player and the young man he is.

Boundaries are important and necessary, and my favorite part has been watching him grow as a person, player and teammate.”

It has been a challenging and uncertain year for Cade.

“Right now, I don’t know where I’m going to go yet, but continuing to play is definitely the plan,” Cade said. “Basketball has taught me just to keep working for what I want and to never give up on things.”

Erica has never stopped supporting her son through this unique season. “[I think] Cade is adapting a little better than me to this season and year,” Erica said. “He just wants to play, so he’s doing whatever he can to make that happen. Sacrifice is a part of everything we do.”

As a parent of a senior athlete, Erica has some advice for new high school athletes.

“My advice would be to stay on top of your schoolwork, show up every day, and always give 100%,” Erica said. “This part is all on Cade. He is responsible for doing what he needs to do in order to play. Cade learned to advocate for himself at a young age, [and] failing is not an option for him.”

coming UP in SPORTS F e b . 1 8 Tr a c k m e e t @ B u r g e r S t a d i u m

Feb. 23 Varsity girls soccer vs. Westlake @Westlake

Feb. 20 Varsity boys soccer vs. Austin High @Burger Annex

M a r. 2 3 V a r s i t y s o f t b a l l v s . L a k e Tr a v i s @ L a k e Tr a v i s

Feb. 19 Varsity boys lacrosse vs. St. Andrews @St. Andrews

M a r. 6 V a r s i t y b a s e b a l l v s . V a n d e r g r i f t @ B o w i e

SPORTS 11

MONDAY, FEB. 15, 2021 THE DISPATCH

Moreno family's huge wrestling dynasty

Sibling varsity wrestlers Joshua and Olivia contribute to a competitive family legacy Corinne Piorkowski Sports Editor

Wrestling is a competitive sport that is often overlooked, but requires extreme strength, focus, and discipline, to succeed. The sport is a recipe for family dynasties, and the Moreno family is nothing short of that.

Currently, there are two wrestlers from the Moreno family competing on the wrestling team, junior Joshua and sophomore Olivia.

“Being a Moreno can be hard,” Joshua said. “Everyone expects you to walk out on the mat and win, by a lot.”

Since wrestling is a vital piece of the Moreno family, the kids started the sport at a young age.

“I was introduced to the sport when I was three years old, and I started competing at age seven,” Joshua said.

“The beginning of my wrestling career was fun.”

For Olivia, wrestling hasn’t been a sport she’s done for a majority of her lifetime, but it is still important to her.

“I first started wrestling when I was a freshman,” Olivia said. “The Bowie varsity wrestling team is very fun and challenging because they expect you to act as a leader.”

On the wrestling team, there are tournaments that are practiced for and perfected by the team to win as many matches as possible.

“The wrestling tournaments are really fun; the competitiveness in the air is crazy and nothing can compare,” Joshua said. “During each match, the emotion, the intensity, the pressure, gets to everyone.”

In addition to the wrestlers, one of the head varsity wrestling coaches, Brittany Moreno, is a cousin to the two Moreno siblings, and is very familiar with the Moreno wrestling legacy.

“I have always been around the sport of wrestling and loved the environment,” Brittany said. “When I started teaching at Bowie, I was told there was a position open as a wrestling coach and I couldn’t resist the challenge.”

Since Brittany knows the Moreno siblings personally, she has special insight into their qualities as wrestlers.

“Joshua and Olivia are both great leaders in their own special ways; they are extremely competitive on and off the mat,” Brittany said. “This is a great quality to have for a sport that is physically and mentally the toughest sport I have ever seen.”

The current Moreno siblings are not the only ones that are well-known for being competitive on the varsity wrestling team.

“I come from a family full of wrestlers; there were four state placers and a state champion, and my little sister was a wrestler at Bowie,” Brittany said. “Yes, a lot of wrestling Morenos.”

With so many alumni, there is a legacy implanted for the current and future generations of Moreno wrestlers.

“Looking up to the Moreno legacy is kind of fun because I always want to be the best so I try to do better than all my cousins and brothers have before,” Olivia said.

“It can be stressful though because they expect you to always be committed to the sport.”

The second head varsity wrestling coach, Glen Lewis, has a different perspective on the Morenos, since he interacts with them from outside of their family.

“There’s one thing you always hear when a discussion about the Morenos comes up and that’s fierce competitors,” Lewis said. “The family has had some special ath-

WRESTLED DOWN: Sophomore wrestler Olivia Moreno tackles a wrestler from a different school during a fullday tournament. Moreno has only been wrestling since her freshman year, opposing most of her family members.

PHOTO COURTESY OF Joshua Moreno

letes come through Bowie.”

From a coach’s perspective, there are many characteristics that define leaders in the wrestling gym.

“It was expected because of the family history, but they are really leaders in the wrestling gym,” Lewis said.

“They always work their tails off at practice.”

Being together constantly at wrestling tournaments and practices allows for meeting new people interested in the same sport.

“My favorite part about wrestling has to be the friendships you make in the wrestling community,” Moreno said. “These are far greater than you could imagine.”

Since there are a lot of wrestlers that have had competitive and successful careers, it is inevitable that there will be comparisons among the family.

“Our family is very competitive, especially with each other, so everyone wants to

do better than their sibling or cousin,” Brittany said.

“However, the experience of watching your family be successful as well as competing against and side by side, is an indescribable feeling.”

The sport of wrestling is mentally and physically challenging, but is also rewarding in many different ways.

“Wrestling has really made me a better person in every way,” Joshua said.

“Wrestling teaches discipline, responsibility and

growth.”

For the Moreno family, wrestling is a lifestyle that has been participated in for generations, but is loved dearly by every member that plays the sport.

“If you ask all of my relatives, they all got into wrestling because our parents were in wrestling when they were younger,” Olivia said.

“We all joined because our parents wanted us to, but we all continued because we love the sport.”

Varsity lacrosse team hosts its first annual alumni game Riley Payne Dispatch Reporter

In a game pitting old versus young, lacrosse players collide with former teammates defending the net during the competitive first year alumni game.

The boys’ lacrosse team hosted an alumni game on January 23. The game consisted of former and current lacrosse players competing on the same field, and there was competition between them.

“It was fun to play in, because some of the players you used to play with are now on the opposite side,” senior player Caden Cooper said. “Since they graduated, it’s thrilling to see them on the field again and try to claim bragging rights.”

Junior Sokol Evans is a current player on the team and played in the alumni game during his first year on the team.

“Playing in the game was very difficult, because the alumni team

PUSHING AND SHOVING: Junior player Walker Demedeiros (left) battles an alumni player during the game to score. The alumni players had an advantage in the game because most of them had previous coaching experience. PHOTO COURTESY OF David Wang

was a lot older and had more experience,” Evans said. “I had a lot of fun playing and seeing former teammates come out though.”

Although this is the first year for the alumni game, the lacrosse team has been a fixture at the school for 29 years.

“I like seeing the old guys come out and play,” Cooper said. “It’s pretty fun to watch them play since a lot of the older players are out of shape.”

Head varsity coach James Burleson-Porras is in his first year of coaching at Bowie, so it was also his first alumni game.

“Watching the boys and men compete out on the field made me smile,” Burleson-Porras said. “I really feel that we are building something special here.”

The future of the alumni game and its continuation for the team hasn’t been decided yet by the lacrosse board members.

“I think the game should definitely continue to be played in the future,” Evans said. “It was very interesting to see how our current team could hold up against all the old players.”

Alumni and former lacrosse team coach Auggie Buerkle was in attendance this January.

“I coached back in 2016, so all of the players I had the chance to coach would now be on my team,” Buerkle said.”It was nice to see a few old faces on my team.”

When playing the game, the age gap between former and current players is larger than what would take place in a regular game.

“If I could give any advice to the current players it would be to play other sports, focus on improving your fundamentals and always remember to believe in yourself,” Buerkle said. “It’s also really fun watching the younger guys work together.”

Since the lacrosse team has been

BLOCKED OFF: Varsity player Jax Caddel blocks an alumni player from scoring a goal. The final score of the game was 9-7 favoring the alumni. PHOTO COURTESY OF David Wang

playing for decades, there are successful former players that also have some coaching experience to help them out in the game.

“The real highlight from the game was at certain points, I witnessed the alumnus coaching the varsity players from the field,” Burleson-Porras said. “That impressed me and spoke volumes about what the program means to them.”

Although the alumni game was competitive, the former players have the support and best interests in mind of the current varsity players.

“I think the current players recognized that they have the support of the alumnus, and that the alumnus care about their success,” Burleson-Porras said. “Plus, it was fun to knock around some softer bodies.”

12 POP CULTURE

THE DISPATCH MONDAY, FEB. 15, 2021

SEASONAL ACTIVITIES to

Activism in sports becomes more popular

do in AUSTIN Five fun things to do for Valentine’s Day that align with safe COVID-19 policies Maya Hayne Dispatch Reporter

Questions?

Concerns?

Want to share your opinion?

Contact: Email: Bowie. journalism@ gmail.com Room: F203

ART BY Rae Gray

Controversy regarding athletes participating in political action grows Callie Payne Pop Culture Editor

The year is 2016 as the preseason 49er’s game comes on the TV. While the national anthem starts to blare through the speakers, Colin Kaepernick takes a knee, starting a nation-wide controversy.

Activism in sports has been a heavily disputed subject since the 1970’s.

For over a century, athletes all over the country have tried to use their platform in ways to fight for equality.

It has become more common for professional athletes to join in especially since the Black Lives Matter protests became a huge movement sweeping the country.

“If I was a professional athlete, I think that I would partake in this kind of activism in order to support my teammates and bring light to everything going on in the world,” senior Dylan Dang said. “I think that by allowing athletes to do this, we are allowing them to express their emotions and opinions on everything that is going on in this crazy world today. Especially after the summer that we just went through, it is imperative that we use our voices and speak out about social injustices and racism.”

According to Pew Research, 62% of Americans believe that professional athletes should speak out on polit-

ical and social issues. On the other that are still present in our counhand, 35% of people believe activism try today,” Dang said. “I personally in sports is not at all acceptable. supported Colin Kaepernick when “​ I believe that athletes have a he kneeled because he was using unique platform in which to express his voice to protest against police a lot of different things,” girls basket- brutality and white privilege, I reball coach Vickie Benson said. “Very ally respected him for that because often athletes are role models and it must have taken a lot of courage. have a responsibility if they like it or Protesting is a constitutional right, not to be mindful and I think that athof that, the more letes should be able responsibility they to choose to protest At the end of the show the greater when they deem it is the influence they necessary.” day, I think doing will be. When it A former NFL playthe right thing is comes to activism, er, Jim Brown, was more important and heavily involved in acathletes absolutely can take a stand impactful than caring tivism but he took his and use their posiefforts off the field. what others think tion to do so. I do This was extremely about you. believe in the law, important during his and if the law is time because it was not being broken, completely different Dylan Dang I don’t see anyfrom what other athSenior thing wrong.” letes were doing, reIn addition, the gardless he was able majority of people to inspire millions who said they agree that activism around the world. belongs in sports were between the “An athlete that inspires me ages of 18 and 29. While the ones beyond words is Ann Meyers who disagreed the most were 65 and Drysdale,” junior LeeAnn Stamm older. said. “Not only did she try to break “I believe that activism should be sports gender barriers but she is the allowed to be in sports because it al- only woman who has signed an NBA lows athletes, who can have a enor- contract for the Indiana Pacers. I also mous influence, a chance to educate admire her because she always stood others about the social injustices up for herself no matter what.”

”

This Valentine’s day will be a year not like the rest for so many events that can’t be enjoyed during Covid-19.

Even though we are in a pandemic, there are still ways to celebrate Valentine’s day with your loved ones safely.

One fun way to enjoy the outdoors and nature is to visit the Austin Botanical Gardens. This is a fairly big outdoor park with many different and interesting gardens right near Zilker Park.

There are many attractions such as a Zen garden, pioneer village and a small prehistoric garden plus many more other garden areas. Make sure to participate safely and wear your mask.

In order to get a reservation tickets must be obtained from their website- zilkergarden.org. Tickets range from $6-8 per person depending on age.

Another fun thing to do but without much interaction with people is to go on a picnic. Picking up food or even making your own and going to one of Austin’s many lovely parks. You could even make a full course meal to bring. There are many nice parks to visit if you need ideas such as Zilker, Circle C metropolitan park, Dick Nichols Park, Auditorium Shores and a few more parks are out there too.

This is a great way to celebrate Valentine’s day during a pandemic. This is completely free and up to you for what you want to bring.

Bringing an activity or game to do is also a fun inclusion to a picnic. So, there are limitless options to how it’ll work best for you and your company.

Something for the less outdoorsy people is to go out to a fancy dinner. This is what a lot of couples like doing on Valentine’s day. This is a great idea for many but, there is much limited space at many restaurants and we are still in a pandemic so for many people going out to eat is out of their comfort zone for this time.

If you’re one of the people who isn’t comfortable there still are options. Food picked up from a restaurant and taking it to a beautiful view and eating with your loved one is also a great option.

Even eating at home just like you are at your own personal restaurant.

If staying home and cooking is more for you, here is an idea where you can make a tasty treat. Making sweets is a great alternative. Quality time with a loved one can be enjoyed and have fun while doing it. You can even make it a competition or just for fun. There are many different ways you can make this work for you too.

Exchanging gifts that are made by you or bought are also a nice way to celebrate valentine’s day and show your loved ones how much you love them. This doesn’t involve any interaction if that’s how you want to celebrate. No matter if the gift is big or small or handmade it’s a great way to show your love. You could drop off the presents or give them in person in order to participate safely.

”

People have not always been so fond of athlete activism, right after the Colin Kaepernick controversy, only 20% of people were for it, according to Public Opinion Quarterly.

However, in recent years this number has doubled and continues to rapidly increase.

“I think that anyone willing to stand for something important to them needs to be prepared for others to ridicule and mock them,” Benson said. “If whatever they are standing for is important enough to them, they will not concern themselves with the backlash that will occur.

On the flip side, there will be many who choose to stand with them for advocating their belief. When we are willing to stand for something, we must be prepared for both.”

Even though the majority of people believe using activism in sports is necessary, there can be a lot of disadvantages that come along with doing so.

“I think a potential disadvantage would be the intense amount of criticism you would most likely receive,” Dang said. “Colin Kaepernick got some insane backlash from so many people, I can’t even imagine what that would feel like. But at the end of the day, I think doing the right thing is more important and impactful than caring what others think about you.”

Gen Z has turned humor into a coping mechanism Dylan Zellner Dispatch Reporter

Humor is used by many as a toy; engaging to have fun and play. However it can be used as a coping mechanism, according to The Conversation psychologists have recently discovered how much of a tool humor can really be.

In a time of adversity, humor can be used to help shine a light on people’s views as well as grow relationships in a time of distance.

“I think humor can be counterproductive when it is used to completely ignore the stressor you are having to deal with,” psychology teacher Kris Grandinetti-Johnson said. “It can be harmful if the person is using humor to degrade or at the expense of someone else’s feelings.

Good humor shouldn’t have to make someone else feel bad for you to feel good.”

Stanford University conducted a study in which subjects were asked to respond to disturbing images with improvised jokes - negative or positive jokes - to reinterpret the photos before they expressed their emotions. This study found that those making positive jokes improved the subjects experienced the largest increase of positive emotions and the largest decrease of negative emotions.

“I personally use humor to soften the effect that particular things have on me,” sophomore Alyssa Wright said. “Most things don’t

seem real until you actually sit down and talk about them seriously.”

Even though humor can fight depression, it is also possible for it to actually push some towards depression. According to Psychology Today, a study was executed where twins were to take tests determining their humor type, in which there are four -affiliative, self-enhancing, aggressive, and self-defeating. Those with self-defeating were more likely to be diagnosed with depression, those who used the two positive humor types (affiliative and self-enhancing) were more depressive than those who didn’t.

“It’s not the healthiest option for coping because you’re not really working through your problems, you’re just covering them up,” Wright said. ”It’s an easier choice in the moment to just laugh about it and move on than to take the time and truly come to terms with whatever it is you’re dealing with.”

Humor can also help form relationships between people, for according to Greater Good Magazine, a study was conducted where two viewers had to watch funny to not-so-funny clips while video chatting however one of the viewers was prerecorded. The viewers said that they felt more connected to the other person when they shared a laugh.

“Humor can bond friends and partners,” sophomore

According to Help Guide, laughter strengthens your immune system, boosts mood, diminishes pain, and protects you from the damaging effects of stress.

Cara Gonzales said. “Humor connects people and that’s how you can find people who are like you with similar interests and personalities.”

According to Brain and Behavior Publishing, humor can be used to withstand

depression because humor’s main structure is to bring vast amounts of positivity and combat negativity. The positivity and distraction that humor can bring can change peoples’ view on misfortune.

ART BY Shruti Patel

“If you can’t laugh you’ll just be depressed. Even if you’re laughing at tragedy,” sophomore Palmer Hurd said. “Laughter and humor is another way to not depression consume you which can be a good strategy.”

REVIEWS 13

MONDAY, FEB. 15, 2021 THE DISPATCH

“Death to 2020” lacks comedic spark Sammie Thompson Reviews Editor

2020 was a strange year for all of us and many were eager to wish it goodbye. Several companies were just as ready to ring in the New Year as the rest of us. Netflix, a popular streaming service, bid its farewell to the historic year in its comedic mockumentary, “Death to 2020”.

At an hour and 10 minutes long, “Death to 2020” was released on Dec. 27, 2020, five days before the calendar year was even officially over. It’s labeled as a mockumentary, which is a movie or TV show that depicts fictitious subject matter (or, in this case, real events but fictional characters) as a documentary, normally in an attempt to be comedic or mocking.

While there were many instances of this film mocking the people and events that made this past year the historic one it was, I’m hesitant to say that it checked the “comedic” box.

First of all, “Death to 2020” shares the same creators as “Black Mirror,” a British sci-fi show set in the near-future. This means that many of the topics that were touched on and jokes that were made appealed to either an American audience or a British one, but not both.

There were several broad topics that were involved throughout the entire film, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, the U.S. Presidential Election, and the Black Lives Matter movement. However, more specific events were also mentioned, like the Australian wildfires, Brexit (the withdrawal of the United Kingdom from the European Union), and even the controversial show “Tiger King”.

Many other important events were discussed, but there was a strange balance between American and British appeals. For example, there is a segment where one of the characters, a British woman who has been given the title of “most average citizen,” is interviewed about her experience in quarantine. She describes watching a show called “America”, which turns out to really be the news channel. This ap-

2020 Election Ballot

VOTE

2020

peals to a British audience, as they may have been in a position similar to this in 2020 watching American news. However, the film quickly returns to describing events that appeal mostly to American viewers, making it hard to decipher who the intended audience was.

Another reason why the comedic aspect of this film didn’t completely check the box for me was because it required a very specific type of humor to appreciate some of the jokes. It was filled with satire, especially political satire, and dark humor. While many people love this type of humor, it’s definitely not for everyone.

Not only was the style of humor very specific, but many of the jokes presented in the film had already been made before. From the standard toilet paper jokes amid panic shopping at the beginning of the pandemic to the jabs at Donald Trump’s hair and Joe Biden’s age, many of them had already been beaten to death while these events

ART BY Sammie Thompson, with photos courtesy of Netflix

were actually being experienced.

Because of this, “Death to 2020” earned fairly low reviews. However, that’s not to say that there weren’t any laughable moments.

A high point of the mockumentary was its star-studded cast. The film opens to a shot of Samuel L. Jackson, who plays a reporter named Dash Bracket, talking to the director of the documentary. Next comes Hugh Grant and Lisa Kudrow who play historian Tennyson Foss and “non-official spokesperson” Jeanetta Grace Susan, respectively, and the big names just keep coming.

I enjoyed a lot of the performances and felt like most of the actors really tried to embody the persona that they were “interviewing”, even when the film’s script wasn’t the best. My favorite performance was Kudrow’s as the “non-official spokesperson”. As this character, Kudrow made exaggerated claims and mocked certain real-life politicians, all while maintaining a mes-

merizing composure and perfect smile. I also liked Kathy Flowers, a self-proclaimed “soccer mom” and conspiracy theorist played by Cristin Milioti.

All in all, this cast had some potential that was lost through inadequate writing, however, it ultimately gave this film the boost that it desperately needed.

Something else that I was impressed with was the overall production and visuals of the film.

Fictional interviews with characters were intermingled with real life clips and photos from the past year. This was a smart move, as it allows the viewer to relive these historic moments as they are hearing the characters comment on it.

This kept it visually appealing and more informative than if they had just used footage of the mock interviews.

I was even more impressed when I learned that the entire mockumentary was filmed over a span of 10 days, with one of the 10 char-

acters filming each day to follow COVID-19 protocols.

Additionally, several of the events that were discussed, like the results of the 2020 Presidential Election, occurred not long before filming and had to be written in.

These time constraints were evident in the final product. There were times where the commentary felt choppy, like certain parts had to be added at the last minute. However, it could be argued that this fit in with the chaotic aspect of 2020 that the mockumentary was trying to convey.

Overall, “Death to 2020” wasted a lot of potential with a qualified cast and inadequate writing. It has several good performances and makes a smart choice to utilize clips from real life in telling the story of 2020, but it pairs these strengths with weak humor and a confusing combination of topics.

This mockumentary is definitely not for everyone, as it covers topics and events that may be sensitive for many people. I would recommend watching it if you have a spare hour and want to relive historic events of the past year and have a good laugh or two, but I wouldn’t go into it with super high expectations.

RATINGS Overall: 3/5 Production: 4/5 Acting: 3/5 Informativeness: 2/5 Humor: 2/5 ART BY Sammie Thompson

“Bridgerton” breaks stereotypes and boasts diversity

Peak into Netflix’s most famous royal family that has captured hearts around the world Ava Wong Dispatch Reporter

The Romance genre is frequently viewed as trashy and sexist with not much depth to the stories. It often targets female audiences and tends to be heavily derided. All Romance films tend to follow this stereotype and always have the same cliche and predictable ending. Netflix’s “Bridgerton” breaks that stereotype.

Netflix released the new romance show on Christmas Day and it quickly became popular around the world and among all ages. The Shonda Rhimes production is set during the Regency era in England and follows the lives of eight charming siblings who come from the powerful Bridgerton family as they struggle to find love.

The show can be described as Jane Austen meets “Gossip Girl” with a narrator who plays into the character’s lives. Lady Whistledown (Ju-

lie Andrews) is this show’s version of Gossip Girl, but instead of spreading scandals through the internet, she writes a newspaper.

The show controversially includes more diverse characters than history would have allowed at that time. Notably, King George III’s wife, Queen Charlotte (Golda Rosheuvel), was portrayed by a Black woman.

In the show, the King was madly in love with the Queen, which paved the way for the inclusion of people of color in the early 1800’s British society. However, despite not needing to be white, you must be high up in power and wealthy to get anywhere close to success. The distinguished and elegant Bridgerton family is a perfect example of that as their eldest daughter, Daphne (Phoebe Dynevor), makes her societal debut in front of the Queen.

Daphne is quickly chosen as the Queen’s favorite. Beautiful, elegant, and well-man-

RATINGS Overall: 4/5

Plot: 4/5

Characters: 5/5

Entertainment Value: 5/5

Diversity: 5/5

Production: 3/5

ART BY Sammie Thompson

nered, Daphne is perfect so her siblings don’t have to be.

But her love life might not be as flawless as her.

The eight Bridgerton siblings are named alphabetically from oldest to youngest, starting with Anthony (Jonathan Bailey) then Benedict (Luke Thompson), Colin (Luke Newton), Daphne, Eloise (Claudia Jesse), Francesca (Ruby Stokes), and Gregory and Hyacinth, the two youngest.

Just like Daphne, the siblings are seen as perfect and loving. We get to see the real characters, each one with their own quirks and personal journeys.

I like how we don’t just see the family the rest of society sees but we get to see the imperfection and struggles the family goes through under the surface.

The kids are held to incredibly high expectations by society. Following their father’s death, the sons must take responsibility of their family, carry on their success and obtain devoted wives.

The daughters must fall in love and marry fast, but only with high members of society, and bear children quickly.

The siblings set out to retain their status in life, but discover it might not be all it’s made out to be. They each go on a different journey, chasing love, mystery and drama.

Something significant several Bridgerton viewers have harshly critiqued is the show’s historical and costume inaccuracy. These viewers like to complain when they see things that are not normal in their minds. For example, the ethnic presence in this show is unusual. This

has created a stir around the show, because people rejected seeing a colored person in a 19th century gown.

I have seen people online critiquing the flashy inaccurate costumes as well, but I think there’s something more to that story. The inclusion of colored people as high standing members of society in a Regency drama is unheard of, and I, for one, am happy that it’s finally been done.

The one quality many know of a Shonda Rhimes

ART BY Ava Wong

production is a sprawling multicultural ensemble cast.

The producer’s many famous shows, like “Grey’s Anatomy” and “How to Get Away with Murder”, bring a large ethnic presence to the screen.

Seeing a cast without a majority white presence was a plus while watching her many addicting creations. In her new show Bridgerton, that ethnic presence is historically inaccurate - but purposefully so.

Showrunner Chris Van Dusen told OprahMag.com they

wanted Bridgerton to “reflect the world we live in today”.

With royalty such as the Queen and the Duke (RegéJean Page) being portrayed as Black, along with lady’s maids, nobles and footmen portrayed as other ethnicities, the audience gets to see characters they can relate to, which makes the show more appealing.

To critics of the show’s outstanding diversity, it exists in a fictional 19th century London society. Fictional. If you say the show was in the wrong for the inclusion of different cultures, why not just straight up say that you’re uncomfortable seeing different colored people on TV? We should not gloss over how colored people were actually treated back then, but the very reason they included this detail was to show the change in the world, and an important part of that change is how we react to it. I suggest to be open to different aspects of the world and the creativity it brings.

I highly recommend this show to anyone who likes something different. The show leaves you wanting more and more after every episode. The dangerous romance and drama of it all is extremely pulling and intriguing which will lead you to finish the show in less than a week.

Bridgerton is a momentous show that includes characters of different races, sexual orientations, and societal classes, and even though it’s set 200 years ago, it’s immensely relatable to all people. This show is extraordinary and will soon be a notable household name.

14 COMMENTARY THE DISPATCH MONDAY, FEB. 15, 2021

Martin Luther King Jr.'s White-washed legacy Since King's death in 1968, it has become incredibly easy to change what he stood for EDITORIAL

Black history month has always served as a time of education for figures in history who often go overlooked, it’s also important that we learn more about the historical figures that are often left without context, like Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King stood for a lot of radical policy and instead of whitewashing his legacy, we need to start educating everyone on who he truly was.

King’s disapproval rating was at 75 percent at the time of his death. The celebration of very small aspects of King’s vision only began in the early nineties with states changing Robert E. Lee day to Martin Luther King day.

King was not liked during his time and even today, what he stood for especially towards the end of his career remains unpopular.

Our education system and several politicians have completely undermined King’s real message of income inequality and his critiques of white liberalism and centrism. On Martin Luther King Jr.'s day of this year, the New York Times released a video with King’s son, Martin Luther King III, where he recalls his father’s other dream.

The dream was to fight for the rights of workers.

King saw people working day and night for a barely livable wage, like the group of striking Memphis sanitation workers that King spoke to the night before his assassination.

The workers were on strike due to

the death of Echol Cole and Robert Walker who were crushed by a malfunctioning truck. After eleven days of frustration towards the city's response, 1,003 Black employees went on strike with encouragement from King who told the group "Nothing would be more tragic than to stop at this point in Memphis. We’ve got to see it through.”

Dr. King was in a fight to end poverty and he was not afraid to call out the wealth of others as he did in his 1964 Nobel Peace Prize address, “The rich nations must use their vast resources of wealth to develop the underdeveloped, school the unschooled, and feed the unfed...No individual or nation can be great if it does not have a concern for ‘the least of these,” King said.

King tackled what he believed to be the next steps in racial justice in his last book "Where Do We Go From Here: Chaos or Community?" Written in 1967.

King points out how white supremacy stands in the way of Democracy in America. He stated that the White American idea of equality is different from Black Americans.

“Negroes have proceeded from a premise that equality means what it says, and they have taken white Americans at their word when they talked of it as an objective. But most whites in America … proceed from a premise that equality is a loose expression for improvement,” he wrote.

King brings up a truth that a lot of white Americans still aren’t willing to

face.

Holding on to and protecting white supremacy will never lead to real equality for Black America. The social structure of whiteness is more common than some like to think.

Dismantling systemic racism is more complicated than passing a civil rights act or signing an executive order promising racial equality. This is a conversation a lot of white liberals are not open to having and King understood this from his first-hand experience.

Politicians struggle to see the benefit in taxing the rich, raising the minimum wage, giving financial relief during a global pandemic, and several other economic policies that the majority of Americans agree upon. Yet so many of them pretend to care about the legacy of Dr. King when they so are clearly are opposed to the majority of what he stood for.

It’s time to start learning what Dr. King truly stood for without sugarcoating the message or the context surrounding it.

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY Rae Gray (AP File/Photo)

The power of White privilege has taken center stage Amorah Schultze Arts&Graphics Editor

dency. Rather, it’s instilled into the very roots of white privilege.

All the warning signs of escalating violence were set in motion long before Trump took to the podium on January 6. His rally call was another expression of a domino effect centuries long. The elective officials are supposed to represent the citizens. When they don’t, the citizens must call them out. Especially if those citizens are white.

That is their power. The police have a duty to stop citizens who overstep their rights. When they don’t, that is the privilege afforded to white lawbreakers.

Trump supporters could’ve been

ART BY Amorah Schultze

illustrates conflicting power dynamics. On the one hand, the BLM movement is about injustices comOver 14,000 people were arrest- mitted against marginalized cited in the Black Lives Matter pro- izens whose voices are silenced, tests. Tear gas, rubber bullets, pep- sometimes violently, by the police per spray, and police shields were who are supposed to serve and proamong the weapons used on BLM tect them too. activists.

On the other hand, Trump supJust 230 people have been ar- porters rose against an institution rested at this point after they they believe don’t represent their stormed the Capitol to protest the choices anymore. In their minds, election results. they’re free to exercise their rights The police stood their ground as Americans and the police can’t for hours past the emergency cur- stop them because the citizens few before they began to march “pay their salaries.”

Trump supporters back.

This contrast isn’t coming out of The contrast in police response left-field, or because of one presi

EDITORIAL POLICY

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stopped quickly if the authorities had taken the threat of violence seriously. But the National Guard didn’t appear for hours despite publicized trespassing, government property damage, and intentions to hold Congress members hostage.

When the police finally pushed the protesters back, their delicate handling showed the biases of those in power. Trump’s “silent majority” were treated like reasonable people who had been riled up, angry but placeable, honest PTA parents who’d been misled into fantasies of election fraud.

White privilege is a powerful system in perspective. Domestic terrorism can be recast as patriotism. A violent insurrection is the second American Revolution. A slap on the wrist instead of handcuffs. After-the-fact damage control instead of a preemptive strike.

The macrocosm of this issue embodies a pyramid hierarchy of white privilege perpetuating white privilege. The insurrection wasn’t just an affirmation of privilege; it was a declaration of it, from the top down.

The people involved weren’t just telling the world that American Democracy had been violated, they were reminding everyone that it was their narrative that mattered, that they were the people the Constitution was written for.

The lasting impact of this insurrection won’t be about the election at all, but the question of what Democracy is and who it

applies to. Most people don’t have the privilege to cherry-pick which parts of the Constitution to ignore, or a second chance when they’re wrong.

The power of white privilege is a fearless expression. White emotion is afforded full range, even rage.

White accusations are taken seriously, to the fullest extent of the law. White mistakes are protected, to the familiarity of the dominant culture. The assumption of the worst does not apply. The white experience is a human one with a long history of one collective’s expression of what life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness mean.

In this case, any chance of danger was dismissed by a system that justifies white violence until it’s undeniable. By then, it’s hard not to follow the trail of a smoking gun.

But the collective is evolving.

We all stand at the crossroads of change. At the chance to express ourselves more humanely, with less violence and false accusations.

The latest election is the wheels of change turning, as always. The question is whether we choose to move forward in the same direction.

Questions?

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THE DISPATCH STAFF

THE DISPATCH PRINT EDITION EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Faith Lawrence Cade Spencer

COMMENTARY EDITORS Maya Amador Anna Holme

MANAGING EDITOR Rae Gray

PHOTO ESSAY EDITOR Reagan Zuniga

NEWS EDITOR Arushi Sharma

COPY EDITOR Amanda Zinni

POLITICS EDITOR Dylan Ebs

ARTS/GRAPHICS EDITOR Amorah Schultze

FEATURE EDITORS Miranda Cardenas Mia Folkers

ASSISTANT EDITOR Azul Lin

SPORTS EDITORS Corrine Piorkowski Naya Tillisch ENTERTAINMENT EDITORS Callie Payne Abbey Repka Samantha Thompson

REPORTERS/STAFF Colin Barnes Lucciana Choueiry Isabella del Nido Grace Harris Maya Hayne Donna Kim Emily Loewe Rachel Maddox Max Muzny

Riley Payne Cassidy Pesek Nicole Rooney Carter Scruggs Dimitri Silva Luke Smith Ella Waltuck Ava Wong Carey Beth Wooley Lauren Wright Dylan Zellner

THE DISPATCH ONLINE EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Shikha Patel Shruti Patel MANAGING EDITORS Natalie Cullen Izzy Rejino

ADVISER Michael Reeves

COMMENTARY 15

2021: new year, same issues continue MONDAY, FEB. 15, 2021 THE DISPATCH

Anna Holme Commentary Editor

on his promises, and that we can gain as much positive change during his presidency as humanly possible.

So, the Biden administration wants to make beneficial changes? Good, we need to make sure they follow through.

As America begins to transition into the new year, many are eager to forget 2020 and the countless major and/or tragic events that conspired during its time. From forest fires in Australia and California, to WWIII memes, to the COVID-19 pandemic running rampant, comparatively, it seems that things couldn’t get much worse from here.

However, this sort of mindset is damaging and dangerous. As our calendar flips to a new day, nothing has changed at all. The pandemic is still very much alive and well, and it is important for us to learn from the mistakes of 2020 and actively advocate true progress.

2021 can’t be a better year than 2020 unless we make major changes and stop maintaining complacency.

NEW PRECEDENT

NEW VACCINE Already the prospects of 2021 seem promising, with the Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines being approved and distributed around the world. However, the COVID-19 vaccine doesn’t guarantee the eradication of the pandemic.

“Herd immunity” is often the term used to describe the means of keeping the masses healthy, where if a large portion of a population gets COVID-19 or is vaccinated, it will cut off any possibilities of infected people being able to spread a contagious disease.

There is a practical issue with herd immunity when it comes to COVID-19, that being a combination of the mass amount of people needing to be immune, and general American stubbornness to the idea of a vaccine.

Dr. Anthony Fauci, one of America’s leading scientists in the effort against COVID-19, estimates that around 70 to 90 percent of the population must be vaccinated in order to achieve herd immunity. This, mixed with (according to the Kaiser Family Foundation) the around 27% of the American public that is hesitant or unwilling to get vaccinated, makes for a pretty concerning reality. Without a large portion of the public getting vaccinated, chances of things going back to

“normal” become exponentially slimmer.

This doesn’t mean we are doomed, it just means that we have to work harder to maintain proper health precautions and understand that it is through our decisions to wear a mask, social distance, and get vaccinated that things will get better. These may seem like meaningless platitudes, but they’re more important now than ever before.

So mask up people, or we could be in this for the long haul.

NEW PRESIDENT The COVID-19 vaccine isn’t the only new thing to appear in 2021. With the inauguration of President Joe Biden occurring in late January, many are hopeful for progressive policy changes under his administration that weren’t possible under the Trump administration. But these changes won’t occur un-

ART BY Anna Holme

less we hold Biden accountable for his actions.

Biden has a large list of plans for the future of America, but my concern lies in his willingness to complete them. Many Democratic voters are so relieved to have Trump out of office that they fail to consider what will happen with Biden in power. New does not equate to good and staying complacent, as America is right now, is a toxic ideology.

In reality, Biden has had a history of harming marginalized communities. From his opposition to school integration by busing in the 1970s, to his help in creating the 1994 crime bill which has led to continued harm to communities of color, I’m not convinced that Biden can be the progressive president many of us want him to be.

This being said, giving up on him completely is counterproductive as well. We need to make sure that Joe Biden follows through

In 2020, activism was at the forefront of our country’s discussion. With the Black Lives Matter protests, environmentalist discussions, and various other social justice issues being put on full display online and on social media, the way many view how activism looks has changed and become digitized. And in 2021, we need to continue maintaining our commitment to these crucial subjects, and make sure we speak up on injustices.

Just because the calendar has flipped to a new year doesn’t mean that the way America’s systems aim to oppress marginalized groups has changed. Creating long-lasting change requires a serious lifetime commitment, beyond the digital resources one has.

Activism burnout is a very real issue, but instead of viewing activism as short sprints of caring about social justice it is a long road in which one tries to better themselves and the society in which they live.

Continuing to grow, change, and passionately work towards a better future is essential each and every year, and did not just end with the end of 2020. I have a lot of hope for 2021 and the possibilities it brings, but at the end of the day it just marks another orbit of the Earth around the sun. What gives a year meaning is what we do with that time, and how we work to better ourselves and our collective society.

Questions? Concerns? Want to share your opinion? Contact: Email: bowie.journalism@ gmail.com Room Number : F203

Current events are shaping youth attitudes for the future Amanda Zinni Copy Editor

Between the COVID-19 pandemic, the Black Lives Matter protests, and the presidential election, 2020 was an overwhelming year.

Due to lockdowns and constant access to social media, many events received lots of traction from the media. These events will shape how young generations vote and view their government, as well as

ART BY Anna Holme

how they use the internet.

One event from the past year that will shape younger generations is the COVID-19 pandemic.

Because of how long the pandemic has lasted and how poorly it was handled, it will affect who Generation Z votes for in the future and how they view the government.

A majority of the COVID-19 response was orchestrated by a largely conservative government under the Trump administration. This

government enabled over 400,000 COVID-19 deaths in 2020 through a lack of nation-wide COVID-19 restrictions or warnings about the coming pandemic. With such a high death toll in the hands of one administration that was enthusiastically enabled by conservatives, it’s clear that the Republican party members who allowed such negligence have little to no care for the people they’re supposed to be representing.

In addition to all those deaths during the pandemic, the government gave little to no money to people affected by COVID-19.

What does giving only $600 in stimulus communicate to Americans who are counting on their voice to be heard through their representatives?

People pay an insane amount of money in taxes (that funds the paychecks of their representatives) and Congress can’t even give them money to feed themselves or pay rent. A lack of action from the government creates a lack of trust from those it governs, and the lack of action on the part of the Trump administration will be noted as a part of the generation-defining event that is the COVID-19 pandemic.

While the Biden administration is planning on giving $1400 to

those who meet the requirements, a total of $2000 is nowhere near the amount of money that the average working-class citizen needs to survive. The government expects the people it serves to be satisfied with little to nothing while Congress members make six figures a year.

However, these injustices aren’t going unnoticed and are becoming more accessible to ordinary people.

Thanks to social media platforms, information and evidence is available to anyone seeking it. Social media users (namely Generation Z and Millennials) have access to firsthand accounts of protests and information about current issues at their fingertips thanks to social media platforms like TikTok and Twitter.

By having relatively unlimited access to information, it makes everything from learning about current events to expressing opinions and ideas to government representatives easier.

However, America is also seeing a downside to the wide reach of social media platforms. The attack on the Capitol on Jan. 6 was made possible because of the reach of social media. The attack was encouraged by Donald Trump and was planned online on public forums, forums that can be easily accessed

by pretty much anyone, including government officials. The federal government had the power to stop this attack, but chose not to and enabled violence.

However, this attack exposed the general public to the dangers of the unchecked white supremacist ideologies that were allowed to fester on social media sites.

Because the nation has witnessed the consequences of unchecked white supremacy in online spaces, it is a much more realistic threat and therefore one that is of more concern to the federal government than it was at the time of the attacks on the Capitol.

2020 was a difficult year and it is essential that we don’t downplay the number of people affected by the carelessness of the government and the systematic racism that America was founded on. By openly displaying the faults of this country, we give younger generations the opportunity to see things the way they really are and create change as quickly as possible.

Questions? Concerns?

Want to share your opinion? Contact: Email: bowie. journalism@gmail.com Room: F203

BULLDAWGS SPEAK OUT What are your hopes for 2021?

INTERVIEWS BY Anna Holme PHOTOS COURTESY OF Interviewees

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I hope to be back in school as I want to be able to socialize with my peers again.

Camilla Cooper Junior

In 2021 I hope to see people take COVID-19 seriously and continue to take precautions in order to help us move past it.

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I’m looking forward to having a somewhat normal marching band season [...] the possibility of being able to attend and participate in competitions next season is so exciting.

Jillian Kelly Sophomore

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Lindsey Morales Freshman

Conner Petru Senior

Randell Howell Social Studies Teacher

We now have the chance to address this pandemic with a new administration and a better understanding of the virus. I hope these two differences give this year a chance to be better than the last.

Class of 2022 not only had their sophomore year wrecked, but now their junior year as well. [...] I really, really hope they can have a normal, memory-filled senior year like they deserve.

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16 IN-DEPTH

I R S IN G THE DISPATCH MONDAY, FEB. 15, 2021

S UN RE T

ART BY Rae Gray

Poll: What are students beliefs?

157 STUDENTS POLLED 02/02-02/09/2021 Polled via Google Forms 102 females, 51 males, 4 non-binary/other 91 seniors, 36 juniors, 27 sophomores, 3 freshmen The COVID-19 pandemic contributed to the claims of fraud surrounding the 2020 Presidential Election results.

Strongly agree

17.8%

Agree

24.8% 24.8%

Neutral Disagree

10.8%

Strongly disagree

29.9% Social media misinformation and disinformation contributed to the claims of fraud surrounding the 2020 Presidential Election results.

Strongly agree

15.3% 36.3%

Agree

5.1%

Neutral

4.5%

Disagree Strongly disagree

38.9%

Trump announcing that he had won on election night before all votes were counted contributed to the claims of fraud surrounding the 2020 Presidential Election results.

Strongly agree

17.2% 6.4% 26.8%

7%

Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree

42.7% Trump’s speech at the "Save America” rally on Jan. 6 played a role in his supporters storming the U.S. capitol.

Strongly agree

21.7%

16.6%

Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree

58.6%

Trump should be convicted in the U.S. Senate on the count of inciting an insurrection and barred from running from federal office in the future.

Strongly agree

19.1%

14.6%

Agree Neutral Disagree Strongly disagree

58.6%

Students and faculty discuss the social and political culture that contributed to the riot at the U.S. Capitol building on January 6 Rae Gray Managing Editor

On January 6 a violent mob of insurrectionists stormed the United States Capitol while it was in session to certify the electoral votes for the 2020 Presidential election. Reported and fact-checked by USA Today, the mob was largely made up of Trump supporters who believed that the election was fraudulent and being “stolen” from former-President Trump. The events of the day brought to light some of the more pressing issues regarding the political climate and social culture in the U.S.

ECHO CHAMBER Popular social media platforms such as TikTok, Twitter, and Instagram use algorithms to curate feeds that pertain to individual user’s interests, which allow users to find and enjoy content that relates to them and their experiences. According to senior Keaton Johnson, this phenomenon has very negative political consequences that displayed themselves on January 6.

“While on social media, people have an algorithm that curates information for them that plays towards their own biases,” Johnson said. “For example if you're left leaning on social media, you are exposed to a lot of very left bias articles and information, and this happens on both sides. As we've been taking in sources that are curated for us by algorithms to get the most views, we continue to be pulled apart, making us more prone to disagree and fight.”

Confirmation bias is the tendency for individuals to seek out and favor information that confirms their values, beliefs or hypothesis on a certain subject. This type of bias can be seen on social media outlets as they have become a common way for people to share their political opinions and find like-minded individuals to communicate with online.

“With so much information out there it is easy to find information that fits our own narrative,” government teacher Dalton Pool said. “And because so many people naturally seek sources and information that reconfirm what they believe we are left with a bunch of ideological bubbles that struggle to even agree upon basic facts.”

According to Thompson, the events of January 6 emphasized the dangers of those ideological bubbles and the echo chamber that results from confirmation bias.

“The insurrection at the Capitol on the 6th made clear the dangers of polarization,” Thompson said. “Many of those rioting lived in a completely different world than the rest of America. They truly believed that America was under attack, that the election was stolen, and that they were saving America because of how entrenched they were in the Trump campaign’s propaganda. In a nation with less polarization, or at least less hateful polarization, they would have been more open to believe sources that presented information they didn’t agree with.”

FAKE NEWS MEDIA In a study done by the Center for Web-Using, Republican voters have grown increasingly alienated from established news sources. Social media has become a popular way for people to receive information, according to Pool this phenomenon has negative consequences regarding media credibility.

“The main thing social media has done is decentralize information,” Pool said.

“Now, instead of most Americans getting their news from a few mostly reliable

sources, we are getting our information from the most shared and liked social media posts. And the bad thing about social media is whether or not something is liked or shared doesn't necessarily correlate with how credible the source is.”

In the study conducted by the Center for Web-Using, it was found that out of the 30 political news outlets given, Republicans polled distrusted more than they trusted 20 of the given media outlets. Only seven of the sites surveyed had a higher trust ratio for Republicans, including Fox News and radio broadcasts from Fox News host Sean Hannity and Rush Limbaugh.

“I think that by instilling the deep distrust in the media that said negative things about [Trump] it helped get his followers to the place they are now,” Thompson said.

“When all that they trust is the media that is entirely supportive of Trump, how could they not believe the information he is saying? It is basically a media machine created to develop an alternate world where everything that Trump says is true.”

According to Harvard University, education is an important cornerstone to every Democracy. Pool believes that misinformation is dangerous to this cornerstone.

“By discrediting the media and spreading misinformation former President Trump made it difficult for people to decipher the facts,” Pool said. “This is dangerous in a Democracy because a Democracy works best when we have an educated electorate that can make logical decisions at the voting booth. When basic facts can't be agreed upon our decisions as an electorate become less and less logical.”

POLITICAL CLIMATE Part of a healthy Democracy is the ability to respectfully debate policies and come to a conclusion that benefits the majority without severely harming the minority.

According to Pool, this ability to have respectful debates is handicapped by misinformation.

“What is unfortunate is that the current spread of misinformation, coupled with how we interact and communicate with each other in a digital age, are limiting our ability to have a healthy debate and then take action based on what the majority of the country wants,” Pool said.

Political polarization is the divergence of political attitudes to ideological extremes.

Pool believes that political polarization is the result of the fast-paced change that society has experienced over the last years.

“We are more politically polarized today than we have been since the 1960s,” Pool said. “Social Media is a big reason for the polarization. But another overlooked reason is just how fast our society is changing.

How our country and our communities adapt to this change is a difficult endeavor and the fact that we can't agree upon the best way forward is very much reflected in our politics.”

According to Thompson, the idolization of politicians is a phenomenon that instills a deep personal connection to politics that is centered around an individual instead of the policies that a politician plans to enact.

“I think that the main issue with idolizing politicians is that it makes politics, and by extension government, about the person rather than actually governing,” Thompson said. “It leads to an infective government where representatives spend more time grandstanding instead of doing the job they were elected to do. It also enhances political polarization and tribalism by adding a personal connection to politics.

When a candidate someone idolizes loses, they feel like they lost too.”

Politicians are elected officials that are

given their power by the people that voted them into office. Senior Alina Watson believes that the actions of politicians should be viewed critically by all sides.

"If anybody should be at the mercy of the people, it's [politicians],” Watson said.

“Politicians should be the ones that we as a people are critiquing and looking at constantly, and staying educated on who's representing us.”

Idolizing politicians is a limiting factor in American politics, according to the Independent. Johnson believes that the idolization of politicians inhibits the American people’s ability to think critically about politics.

“I think it's horrible how we idolize politicians, because it teaches us not to think for ourselves,” Johnson said. “The main issue with idolization in regards to Trump and some of his supporters is that they just followed whatever he said and didn't do their own research to see if the claims he was making were actually true. This trend is causing problems for people on both sides of the aisle, not just Republicans. If people don't start to think for themselves then tensions are just going to get worse."

THE AFTERMATH Divisive rhetoric from politicians has been cited as one of the main driving factors for the insurrection.

“The riot at the capitol made it very clear that what leaders say have far-reaching impacts,” Thompson said. “Representatives must take care to speak the truth, and to do so in a way that doesn’t foster hatred in those listening.”

Watson believes that in the wake of tragedy, there is hope for the future, and that education is the key to mending society and cooling the political climate.

“I hope that people can move past the party system, and vote for people who they believe in rather than just blue or red,” Watson said. “But I think the best thing that an individual person can do is be educated and exercise their right to vote. I believe that when society starts to mend, then hopefully the political system will follow.”

According to Thompson, the events of January 6 brought to light the divergent elements of American politics, and has given Americans an opportunity to mend them and move forward.

“I think the first step is finding that solid foundation to agree upon, whether that is core values or a specific issue to unite on,” Thompson said. “We just have to have some common ground on which debates can be built upon. It serves as a foundation of respect for each other and cooperation for the same goal. Additionally, there needs to be a certain level of willingness to let others live the way they want to live as you do the same. Not everything has to be a federal issue where there is a one-size-fitsall plan for everyone.”

After the rioters at the capitol were dispersed and the situation was stabilized, Congress reconvened to certify the election results and do their Constitutional duty.

“The Capitol riot shows both the strength and fragility of our system,” Thompson said. “Democracy is not the norm for humans. For a millennium, the strongest ruled and the weak died. We have a nation that rejects those ideals, in pursuit of a world where everyone has a voice. The rioters fell back into human nature, and tried to use force to gain power. I have hope that, given time, the riot can become a warning of the dangers of polarization, and a reminder that even if we disagree with someone, there is nothing good that can come from hating them.”