NASA Mounts OSIRIS-REx Mission to Asteroid Bennu

Graphic By Alekhya Maram

By Adam Tufts

Ever since the turn of the 18th century, when modern scientific thought started to gain traction, astronomers have puzzled over how Earth, or more generally the Solar System, came to exist. Nothing concrete could be concluded, but several popular hypotheses permeated throughout scientific circles. Currently, the most generally agreed upon theory dictates that 4.5 billion years ago a dense interstellar cloud collapsed upon itself, and the remnants of the phenomenon condensed to form the Sun and all the surrounding astronomical bodies. 

This elegant explanation, however, is inadequate in one key respect: it lacks substantial empirical evidence. Moreover, to the disappointment of many modern-day astronomers, obtaining this evidence, if it were to exist, was, and remains to this this day, an extremely cumbersome process. This can be attributed to the turbulent history of most terrestrial material. 

“It is very hard to find old rocks on Earth, because [Earth] has volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, and plate tectonics. The surface of the Earth is always getting recycled and renewed and reborn,” said astronomy teacher Andrew David. “There are only very few places on Earth where we can go back and see rocks that were formed in the early days of the Earth and Solar System.”

After accepting this reality, many scientists turned their focus to certain extraterrestrial bodies, which they realized, unlike the Earth, could yield incredibly valuable insights on the origins of the Solar System. Following this epiphany, the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) initiated the OSIRIS-REx mission in September 2016. The core objective of the operation was to send the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft to Bennu, an asteroid whose orbit can run only several million miles from Earth’s, in hopes of gathering a sample. Bennu, in specific, attracted many NASA scientists to the prospect of the OSIRIS-REx mission largely due to its classification as a carbonaceous chondrite, or an asteroid very rich in carbon.  

“[Carbonaceous chondrite] asteroids, which Bennu is one, are important in answering question about the origin… of the solar system because these objects are pretty much unaltered for the past 4.5 billion years…” said Ross Gaunt, member of the Tri-Valley Stargazers Astronomy Club. “The carbon found on Bennu likely came from an exploded star. The star(s) that produced the material contained in our solar system [and, thus, on Bennu] exploded, probably, billions of years earlier.” 

Two years after the launch of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft, it arrived at Bennu on December 3, 2018. However, while many were excited by the landmark occasion, the NASA research and engineering teams were first greeted with unfortunate news. The engineers of the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft had anticipated a generally smooth surface covered with centimeter-scale particles, but the camera bolted onto the spacecraft revealed a different reality: a surface with an unexpected amount of superficial diversity in the form of boulders, hills, and rocks. In response to the unforeseen developments, the spacecraft orbited and examined the surface of Bennu to find a suitable site from which to extract a sample for a little less than two years. Bennu is a relatively small entity, so extremely precise measurements had to be manipulated to allow the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft to orbit Bennu from the right distance and at the correct speed.

“Bennu is only a couple Empire State Buildings tall, which... compared to the Earth is really tiny, so it has a really small amount of gravity,” said David. “The spacecraft going around Bennu was going at a very specific and precise speed of a couple feet per second. If the spacecraft went any faster, Bennu wouldn’t have enough gravity to keep it in its orbit, but any slower and it would gravitate towards Bennu.” 

Even after the minute calibrations had been administered to the spacecraft, the most intense and stressful leg of the mission had yet to come. On October 20, 2020, after an optimal collection location had been selected, OSIRIS-REx descended towards Bennu. The collection apparatus momentarily came in contact with the asteroid to collect material before boosting off into space. At first glance all appeared to be well, in fact, it was clear that the spacecraft had collected far more than the 60 grams of material they had intended to gather. After close inspection, however, NASA officials reported that the mission had been too successful. During the collection an excess of particles and rocks had been swept into the collection arm, causing several to get caught in the flap of the mechanism. This, in turn, resulted in the precious asteroid material slowly leaking from the OSIRIS-REx spacecraft into space. 

“You’ve got to remember the entire system is in microgravity,” Dr. Lauretta, the principal investigator of the OSIRIS-REx mission, said in a New York Times telephone news conference in October. “The particles are kind of diffusing out.” 

In an effort to mitigate the issue, mission coordinators elected to immediately load the material into the sample return capsule, where it would stay for the remainder of its voyage back to Earth. Previously, they had planned to weigh the rocks—in order to ensure they had enough material—by spinning the collection apparatus around the spacecraft. They quickly noted that such a procedure would likely dispel much of the sample so they opted to contain the rocks before they dissipated, sacrificing an exact measurement of the material’s weight. Gaunt references this decision to emphasize the importance of human control over purely automated commands. 

“Deciding not to weigh the sample… shows the importance of exploration under the control of humans,” said Gaunt. “By having exploration controlled by humans, we enable the missions to overcome problems, to choose landing sites, to select components to sample, etc.” 

Luckily, the process of loading the material into the sample return capsule was successful. Individuals curious about the origins of our Solar System must now sit in anxious anticipation for September 2023, when the spacecraft will supposedly touch down. 

“This achievement by OSIRIS-REx on behalf of NASA and the world has lifted our vision to the higher things we can achieve together, as teams and nations,” said NASA Administrator Jim Bridenstine in an October press release. “Samples like this are going to transform what we know about our universe and ourselves, which is the base of all NASA’s endeavors.”

Election 2020 — the Aftermath

Photo Credit: Stratos Brilakis / Shutterstock: President-elect Joe Biden

by Sahana Garg

It has now been over two months since the record-breaking election of this catastrophic year took place, and the media’s fixation on it has not settled down. Consumers of news media will hear about two major things: primarily COVID-19, but also the voter fraud allegations being made by the members of the Republican party. These claims include accusations of Democrats both stuffing the ballot box and removing Trump votes. With all of the turmoil surrounding the allegations, people haven’t been focusing on what is really going on in the background: the aftermath of the election.

Although we have yet to transition from the Trump administration to the Biden administration, we can already foresee some of the changes that may be made. Sources such as NPR already predict many improvements, such as large monetary aid being offered to households, state and local governments, and small businesses being made by the Biden administration. They also believe that the country’s economy will lift. However, as the Democratic party has already promised, taxes will increase, but these tax increases will only be applied to wealthier citizens. Families making under $400,000 per year will receive tax breaks. Much of this newly generated money given to the government will be used towards healthcare, help for the elderly, people with disabilities, climate change, affordable housing, immigration, and LGBTQ rights.

Many officials are even going as far as to say that there will be changes in the government immediately after the transfer of power. But, first and foremost, the goal of future president Biden is to get the pandemic under control. Mask-wearing and other prevention tactics will be enforced across the country in hopes of slowing the spread and transmission of this deadly disease as well as give us time to find a workable solution. Biden is also working to make coronavirus tests, treatments, and vaccines free. The biggest hope of all is that a vaccine is coming. 

To hone in on a more local aspect, we spoke with the past mayor and councilmember of San Ramon, Dave Hudson, to hear his thoughts about the transition between governments as well as another important topic concerning the election: the passing or failing of California propositions 16 and 18. Proposition 16, which failed, would have repealed the law that prevents public universities in California from considering race in college admissions. Proposition 18, which also failed, would have allowed 17-year-olds who would be 18 by the next general election to vote in the primary election. 

“Prop. 18 is the wrong direction. It took me four terms (16 years) to understand the crafting of propositions,” Hudson said when asked about the failing of these propositions in an email. “It’s not the beauty contest you are led to believe. Don’t be in a hurry to choose the path that doesn’t produce the campaign promises,” he said. 

Hudson also claimed that these wouldn’t affect local students directly, and he doesn’t imagine that Proposition 16 will make college applications more difficult. He fears for the lack of money being put towards transportation in the next four years, but looks forward to what Biden has to offer and hopefully his positive impact in California as well as the Bay Area.

As life goes on and we all recover from the damage this year has done to the world, politics will continue to change and affect us in a variety of different ways. We are all in pain whether it comes in the form of being stuck at home, ill in the hospital, or missing our friends and family, and are hoping for an outcome that allows for prosperity and success. 

What Does it Mean to Live a Sustainable Lifestyle?

Listen to Hudson Scott and Brittany SchlaeGuada discuss what it means to live sustainably.

Oil Spill Near Trinidad and Tobago Threatens the Health of the Caribbean Ecosystem

Photo Credit: Ohrim/shutterstock: Volunteers clean ocean coast oil after tanker wreck in Mauritius.

By Kati Wilkes

Twenty-four miles from the coast of Venezuela, near Trinidad and Tobago, sits a slowly sinking oil tanker that threatens to  cause one of the greatest natural disasters to date. The 1989 Exxon-Valdez oil spill in Alaska spilled nearly 11 million gallons of crude oil, and is considered to be one of the worst oil spills in history. It covered 1,300 miles of coastline with oil slick, and killed hundreds of thousands of seabirds and various types of marine life. Now, nearly 30 years later, the impact of the spill is still felt, and remains a reminder of the devastating environmental impact that spilled oil can have. If the Venezuelan oil tanker, FSO Nabarima, were to spill its 1.3 million barrels of oil, its effects would be five times that of the Exxon-Valdez spill. 

Environmental groups, such as Fishermen and Friends of the Sea, went to the sight of the sinking oil tanker to raise awareness of the disaster that is set to occur, yet no government has taken any action to stop the tanker from sinking. The organization seeks to inform the public about the threat that the spilled oil poses to coral reefs and the general long term biodiversity of the region. Nearly 50,000 fishermen rely on that region of the ocean, and an oil spill would drastically impact their ability to find fish and other healthy marine life. 

Though Fishermen and Friends of the Sea have been the most active organization in drawing attention to the looming natural disaster, the first individual to speak publicly about his concerns was Venezuelan oil worker Eudis Girot. He posted his concerns via Twitter as early as August 30th. However, his warnings were largely ignored, as evidenced by the lack of response by the governments of both Venezuela and Trinidad and Tobago. 

In his tweet, he warns that the conditions onboard the tanker are very poor, and that it is quickly deteriorating. Girot goes on to tweet in Spanish that the “lower deck and equipment is 3 meters underwater.”

Though it’s impossible to predict the specific effects that the FSO Nabarima oil spill will have on the marine ecosystem in the region, it’s clear that general sea life will be negatively impacted. Once oil has spilled any animal or wildlife that comes into contact with the contaminated water will itself become oily. 

“One of the things that can happen especially with marine mammals and birds is that the oil will absorb into their skin, and the reason that is harmful is because it will allow certain contaminants that are in the oil to get into their skin, which will cause toxic poisoning,” said Athenian science teacher Brittany SchlaeGuada.

Even if an animal were not to come into direct contact with the oily water, its food might be contaminated. 

“Either their food or plankton or whatever they are eating are now coated in oil so they are also ingesting it, which is a stomach problem,” SchlaeGuada said.

In addition to these detrimental effects on marine animals, marine plant life will most likely also be affected. When oil spreads and becomes a layer on top of the ocean it begins to block sunlight that normally would make its way down to the lower depths of the water. 

“The reason that becomes a problem is because marine plants need sunlight to photosynthesize. So, when that happens they aren’t able to get the sunlight they need to produce their own food,” said SchlaeGuada. 

In addition to these more general effects of spilled oil, the biodiversity of the region is in specific danger, because of the vast swaths of coral reefs that are at risk. The reefs in the Venezuela and Trinidad & Tobago regions are key to the health of coral ecosystems of the entire Caribbean. 

Each coral region that originates from Venezuela & Trinidad and Tobago is genetically unique and impacts a larger reef system that reaches as far as the Florida coast. These reefs evolved from Trinidadian corals and various types of bacteria that surrounded the coral. Other coral systems throughout the Caribbean depend on the nutrients and healthy bacteria that these reefs provide. The effects an oil spill would have on these already climate-stressed reefs will be detrimental. 

The spilled oil is nearly impossible to completely clean up and will impact regions of the ocean for decades to come. These pollutants become a long term problem, as they are cycled through the plant and animal life of the region. Oil is a perpetual toxin and the spilling of it needs to be properly addressed if there is any hope of curbing its long term effects. 

Though oil spills aren’t necessarily a new phenomenon, no real action has been taken to stop these man-made natural disasters. In reality, the possible FSO Nabarima spill will kill hundreds of thousands of innocent marine animals, severely deteriorate the health of the Caribbean ecosystem, and put thousands of fishermen out of work. Many remain unsure if the governments of Venezuela and Trinidad & Tobago will make the next move. 

The Implications of the 2020 Election

Listen to Hudson Scott and April Smock discuss the implications of this historic election, and the significance of elections in general.

12/4 Update: I Listened to the Billboard Top 10 So You Don’t Have To

Photo Credit: Cubankite / Shutterstock.com: Shawn Mendes attends The BRIT Awards at the O2 Arena in London, UK.

By Gianna Beltramo

I Listened to the Billboard Top 10 So You Don’t Have To

Hello, and welcome to my column! I’m Gianna and I have frequently wondered what is going on in the world of popular music, and this is my attempt to figure it out. Every other week (and yes, I know that the Billboard lists update on Tuesday, which is highly unfortunate because it means that I’m doomed to forever be at least a week behind), I will be rating the top songs in the US as well as dishing out a steaming hot plate of commentary. (Please note that in the event that the Billboard doesn’t change that much, I might also do some music video reviews or something else on the side to spice things up a bit. On a similar note, when I was reviewing the songs, I did not watch the music videos to stop that from influencing anything. This is about the music.)

10. Lemonade - Internet Money & Gunna feat. Don Toliver & NAV

See 10/25 

9. Blinding Lights - The Weeknd

See 10/4 

9. Savage Love (Laxed - Siren Beat) - Jawsh 685 and Jason Derulo

See 10/4 

8. Monster - Shawn Mendes & Justin Bieber

I was fully expecting this song to be as bad as...well, let’s just say I was pleasantly surprised that it was better than Holy. The “minimalist” (in quotes because it wasn’t really that minimal) path they took with the instrumentals was a choice I can appreciate, as it puts more emphasis on the background vocals. The fact that many of the lyrics don’t rhyme troubles me, but that’s just me being nitpicky. Overall, I am not looking forward to it being on the radio every thirty seconds (that hyperbole makes no logical sense), so I’m just going to try to forget it exists until our next fateful meeting. What an odd way to describe a song. 83/100.

7. Laugh Now Cry Later - Drake

See 10/4 

6. Holy - Justin Bieber feat. Chance The Rapper 

See 10/4 

5. I Hope - Gabby Barrett feat. Charlie Puth

See 10/4 

4. Positions - Ariana Grande

See 11/6

3. Dynamite - BTS

2. Mood - 24kGoldn feat. Iann Dior

See 10/4 

1. Life Goes On - BTS

More Kpop! I’m starting to wonder if all BTS songs really do sound like workout music, if this is far too small of a sample size to tell, or if my definition of workout music is simply wildly incorrect. The high-pitched voice in the background is very annoying. It’s easiest to hear at the beginning, but it happens many times throughout the song. This song is better than Dynamite, at the very least. It would be right at home in one of the “aesthetic songs” playlists that have flooded my YouTube recommendations as of late. 79/100.

A Cumulative Ranking

(Songs are ranked on a scale of 1/100 based on how much I personally liked them, as well as whatever comments on the actual quality of the music I made.)

Blinding Lights - 95 (A)

I Hope - 91 (A-)

Laugh Now Cry Later - 89 (B+)

Positions - 88 (B+)

Mood - 87 (B)

Monster - 83 (B)

Life Goes On - 79 (C+)

Lemonade - 73 (C) 

Holy - 68 (D+)

Meet Amy Pitsker

Photo Credits: Amy Pitsker

By Zoe Patterson

Amy Pitsker is one of two new French teachers at Athenian. She’s teaching French 1, 2, 3-Honors, and 4-Honors. While she loves French, she started learning it because of a different interest of hers: art.

“I grew up around art, and I really loved art, and I wanted to go see some of this art at some point in my life as a young person,” Pitsker said. “And so I asked my mom, how can I get to [this museum], and she said...if you learn French and went to a school that had a study abroad program, you could get there.”

However, as Pitsker learned French, she began to fall in love with many aspects of the language and culture.

“I got really passionate about the language and the beauty of the poetry in the language,” Pitsker said. “I really loved it. And also, the cinema was another thing that really drew me in.”

Pitsker is quite interested in the arts in English as well, especially in music.

“I love talking about songs,” Pitsker said. “My favorite song right now would probably be Pink Floyd’s ‘Wish You Were Here.’”

Making her own music is something that Pitsker claims not to be good at, but that she enjoys regardless.

“I picked up the guitar in my 30s, and I’m all self-taught, so I’m not very good, but I’ve gotten better over the 20 years I’ve been playing,” Pitsker said.

Pitsker’s love of live music in particular has been unfortunately affected by the current situation with COVID-19.

“Dancing to live music...is the thing that feeds me and centers me,” Pitsker said. “It’s the thing that I have to do to feel really in my body. And I’ve been dancing...and it’s just not the same. I miss that so much I can’t even tell you.”

However, in other areas, Pitsker has long been an adaptable person who is open to change, partly due, she says, to her childhood.

“I went to—I think it’s 13...K–12 schools, and I think one of the reasons that’s important is that it developed me personally in a lot of ways,” Pitsker said. “Like, I’m really flexible and curious, and I think both of those things came out of having moved so many times and having to change communities so many times that it became a way of being for me to be a person who welcomes change and newness. I like things that are new.”

This has, in fact, influenced Pitsker’s experience with French.

“Even within the United States, I’ve lived in different cultural kind of groups of the US, and they’ve been really different...and then of course, I lived in Paris for a year, and that was very different, and I’ve traveled in a lot of French-speaking countries that are different as well, and lived for, like, a month in France a couple of times,” Pitsker said. “All of this is the kind of thing that is fed by my childhood of having to change so often and explore what’s new and rise to the moment.”

Pitsker has always looked at this affinity for change optimistically and considers it an important part of her life.

“When you leave a place, there’s always things you miss, but then there’s always something good about where you’re going, so that’s kind of my motto in life,” Pitsker said. “There’s always something good about where you’re going.”

Race In the Bay Area: A Conversation With Kalyan Balaven

Hudson Scott and Kalyan Balaven discuss police brutality, mixed race identities, and how to enact change regarding racial equality.

Hindsight is 2020: What the Media Failed to Learn From the 2016 Election

Photo Credit: Evan El-Amin / Shutterstock.com

By Ilah Ross

On November 9, 2016, a victorious Donald J. Trump sauntered onto the stage at the Hilton Hotel in Manhattan, New York. The energy in the crowd heightened with each step he took towards the podium, and the chants of “USA” got louder and louder. “I’ve just received a call from Secretary Clinton,” he began. In typical Trumpian fashion, he took a dramatic pause before continuing, using  the time to survey the crowd. A sea of red MAGA hats and signs lay before him. As Trump finished his sentence, the crowd began to cheer once again, for they knew what was to come: “She congratulated us on our victory.” The crowd exploded, and with it, our country as we knew it.

Sixty-nine percent of Americans were surprised by the outcome of the 2016 election, and rightfully so, as Hillary Clinton had not only won the popular vote by approximately 2.9 million votes, but had also been projected to win by the New York Times, Washington Post, and countless other respected institutions. However, looking back on the drama that was the 2016 election,Trump’s victory should not have come as a surprise. 

Trump spent significantly more time being discussed and analyzed by the press than Clinton and was permitted to tell blatant lies time and time again without being held accountable by the very media which ridiculed him. In a 2016 article by the New York Times, it was determined that “Hillary Clinton [had] a 91% Chance to Win” the election, not only exhibiting the Times’ incorrect assumptions, but also their refusal to recognize that a significant subset of Americans were indeed in support of Trump. This gave many Americans a false sense of security, leading them to believe that they need not vote, as the outcome of the election had already been determined.

In her 2020 documentary “Enemies of the People: Trump and the Political Press,” Vice News President Susie Banikarim outlined the many missteps which the media took during the 2016 election, and more importantly, how Trump was able to exploit the underlying issues in the political press to his advantage.

 “The 2016 election revealed so many flaws in how journalists had long been covering politics'', mentions one of the interviewees during the film, “The ground was shifting under their feet, and they just didn’t know what to do.” In the face of such unprecedented change, the media attempted to continue on a path of normalcy in their coverage of the election, and in doing so, helped Trump win. 

Looking back at the road to the 2016 election, many journalists acknowledged the extent to which the media was at fault for Trump’s disproportionate amount of air time. In a 2016 article by the New York Times, it was determined that Trump got the equivalent of $2 billion worth of free media during his candidacy, in part because many Americans found his outrageous character entertaining, and the media tends to focus their attention where the demand lies.

Though the purpose of the media is to deliver a balanced and unbiased representation of each candidate, their attempts for equal coverage have ended up working in Trump’s favor in both the 2016, and now the 2020, elections. In a recent interview with PBS News, Banikarim notes that currently, “At the same time as Trump is saying that he wants Amy Coney Barrett confirmed so she can weigh in on the election if it goes to the Supreme Court, the media is spending a lot more time asking Biden about court packing.” She goes on to say that “the reality is, sometimes, two things are just not equal, and it's our job [as journalists] to contextualize that for people and help them process it...when we sort of push to balance, just because we don't know another way to seem objective, we're doing a disservice to the audience.”

A similar attempt for equal coverage by the media was seen in the 2016 election, specifically during the height of the Clinton email scandal. Though the press rightfully focused on Clinton’s wrongdoings and how they affected her electability, they failed to exhibit the same level of investigative journalism for matters pertaining to Trump. From his refusal to release tax returns during the campaign, countless sexual assault allegations, outright misquoting of facts, and more, the press often refrained from challenging Trump and holding him accountable, resigning themselves to the notion that those are just the types of things Trump does. The media has allowed Trump to define himself as someone who does not need to adhere to the norms and rules of a presidential candidate, simply because he doesn’t want to. 

With all this in mind, it seems that the months leading up to the 2020 election should have been a chance for the press to rectify their former mistakes, as Trump’s presidency is no longer a theoretical and amusing possibility, but our reality, making this arguably one of the most important elections in American history. However, this has yet to happen. The media has failed once again in delivering Americans a clear representation of reality, without the “spectacle”-as Banikarim puts it. 

With the pivotal night of November 3, 2020 fast approaching, it is time for the American people to decide what they value more; press which delivers us endless coverage of the spectacle, or truth.

Past, Present, and Future: The Black Lives Matter Movement

Photo Credit: Matteo Roma / Shutterstock: Black Lives Matter Protesters

By Thalia Collins

Protests for the Black Lives Matter movement are popping up throughout the country in 2020 as people push back against police brutality and racism in the police force. 

According to Vox, “In the weeks following the police killing George Floyd, millions of Americans marched in the streets. Many had never attended protests before, and some lived in historically conservative towns. At the peak of the protests — around June 6, according to publicly collected data from the Crowd Counting Consortium — people across all 50 states and dozens of cities around the world had participated in demonstrations that called for racial justice and an end to police violence.” 

The movement was sparked in 2020 by a spike in murders of black victims at the hands of police. The killing of a man named George Floyd is what many are protesting about. Floyd, a 46-year-old black man, was arrested in Minneapolis after allegedly using a counterfeit bill. The security camera of a nearby shop shows the police officer kneeling on his throat until he died. Other victims of police brutality include Rayshard Brooks, Daniel Prude, Breonna Taylor, Atatianna Jefferson, Aura Rosser, Stephen Clarke, Bothan Jean, Phillando Castile, Fanisha Fonville. And although there are many protests across  America, there are also protests internationally. These places include Buenos Aires, Vienna, Antwerp, Brussels, Rio de Janeiro, Montreal, and more, representing every continent other than Antarctica. 

Protesters are fighting for changes  such as defunding the police, taking away their weapons, or fighting against white supremacy. Although the movement is going strong, it has lost some support over the summer.  

According to Fact Tank “A majority of U.S. adults (55 percent) now express at least some support for the movement, down from 67 percent in June amid nationwide demonstrations sparked by the death of George Floyd. The share who say they strongly support the movement stands at 29 percent, down from 38 percent three months ago.”  This decline in support can be traced further.

“The recent decline in support for the Black Lives Matter movement is particularly notable among White and Hispanic adults,” the Fact Tank article stated. “In June, a majority of White adults (60%) said they supported the movement at least somewhat; now, fewer than half (45%) express at least some support. The share of Hispanic adults who support the movement has decreased 11 percentage points, from 77% in June to 66% today. By comparison, support for the Black Lives Matter movement has remained virtually unchanged among Black and Asian adults.”

Because we are in a pandemic, public safety is very important at this time, however there has been no evidence these protests have spiked COVID-19 cases. Although these protests have had an impact on people's interest in the movement both nationally and internationally, there is little evidence that it has impacted the country much politically.

An article by Politico quoted our current president’s opinion on the matter: 

“Left-wing mobs have torn down statues of our founders, desecrated our memorials and carried out a campaign of violence and anarchy,” President Trump said. “Whether it is the mob on the street, or the cancel culture in the boardroom, the goal is the same: to silence dissent, to scare you out of speaking the truth and to bully Americans into abandoning their values.” 

The upcoming election will have a great impact on the country and the current issues we are facing. In an interview by Heinz College newsletter, with Professor Dainel Nagin, winner of the Stockholm Prize on Criminology, Michael Cunningham asks him if he thinks the protests are outlying incidents or systematic. 

“The Black Lives Matter Movement has to be understood in the context of the historical legacy of the ill treatment of blacks by the police and the criminal justice system and American political and social institutions more generally,” Professor Nagin said. “That legacy is a fact. The Movement, I think, is a reflection of and reaction to that legacy. I don’t think people should be surprised by it, and it’s part of why people should listen to the Black Lives Matter position. At the same time getting people to listen has been greatly complicated by the lethal ambushes of police officers in Dallas and Baton Rouge.” 

Although people think that the Black Lives Matter movement is tied to the civil rights movement of the 60’s and believe it is a thing of the past, the stark truth is that this political issue lives on.

Election 2020: What’s Causing Worsening Partisanship?

Photo Credit: BBC

By Adam Tufts

As Election Day 2020 approaches, anxiety and suspense festers in the hearts of millions of Americans. Naturally, this trepidation stems from different sources depending on the individual: politically informed citizens are likely concerned with the likelihood that their candidate of choice may lose the election, while undecided voters are tasked with determining which nominee deserves their vote. These high-strung emotions, paired with the conglomerate of diverse and conflicting opinions within the United States, inevitably lead to political divide.

In 2016, following the election of Donald Trump, 66% of Americans reported that they perceived the nation to be “greatly divided,” according to a Gallup poll. Four years later, as the next election nears, this number has increased, with 85% of registered voters, in response to another Gallup poll, describing America as “greatly divided.” Even journalists, whose jobs are centered around current events, experience difficulties in navigating the tense political terrain. 

“In my 40 years in Journalism, this is the hardest thing I’ve ever done—cover politics at this time,” said Christine Stapleton, award-winning reporter, quoted by Nick Moschella in the Palm Beach Post. 

The “time” Stapleton alludes to is election season. Politics are inherently polarized, but elections typically widen the chasms between political adversaries. 

“Everyone wants their guy to win,” Understanding Elections teacher Stephanie McGraw said. “So much is on the line, so people really double down on what they believe during election season… Election seasons do exacerbate political polarization.” 

Social media, like election season, possesses a polarizing quality that further alienates disagreeing political factions. The effects of social media have become ingrained in society, with over half of teenagers obtaining their news solely through popular Instagram and Youtube platforms. 

“Today, with the internet it is a lot easier to be insular,” said John C. Green, former director of the Ray C. Bliss Institute for Applied Politics at the University of Akron. “You can disappear into your little cocoon... and never have to come across, let alone engage with, someone who has different ideas.”

Clearly, the growing popularity of social media has trapped users in echo chambers which consistently validate their views and shelter them from opposing beliefs. This inability to properly converse across ideological divides worsens political partisanship, and presently this growing divide seems to have reached a crescendo. With nationwide protests, a global pandemic, and the rapidly approaching election, the immense strain the American political sphere faces in 2020 is uniquely polarizing. 

“Dealing with the charged political climate in America is difficult,” said McGraw. “A pandemic, the recent Black Lives Matter movement, and many other recent events make some people view this election as life or death.” 

The apparent high stakes of the 2020 Election prompts American voters to double down on their fundamental values and, possibly, adopt extreme variants of their previous beliefs. In fact, the Pew Research Center reported that since 1994, Americans have tended away from centrism (to growing extents) during election seasons. This could be attributed to the efforts of politicians and public figures to underscore the seemingly monumental importance of each election. This method of exciting the voting population persists into 2020, with politicians continuing to emphasize the significance of the coming election. 

“There’s just one month left until the most important election of our lifetime,” tweeted Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden in early October.

Senator Bernie Sanders, endorser of Joe Biden, echoed this assertion days later. 

“This is the most important election, in not only our lifetime but in the modern history of our country,” tweeted Senator Bernie Sanders. 

Whether the politicians and media outlets have been correct, and each election since 1994 has been the most consequential in its time or not, is irrelevant. The true crux of the matter is that political partisanship is a growing dilemma in the United States of America. Whatever the causes may be—either election season nerves, the intolerant nature of social media, or political manipulation—Americans are failing to empathize across ideological differences.

10/25 Update: I Listened To the Billboard Top 10 So You Don’t Have To

Photo Credits: lev radin / Shutterstock.com

By Gianna Beltramo

Hello, and welcome to my column! I’m Gianna and I have frequently wondered what is going on in the world of popular music, and this is my attempt to figure it out. Every other week (and yes, I know that the Billboard lists update on Tuesday, which is highly unfortunate because it means that I’m doomed to forever be at least a week behind), I will be rating the top songs in the US as well as dishing out a steaming hot plate of commentary. (Please note that in the event that the Billboard doesn’t change that much, I might also do some music video reviews or something else on the side to spice things up a bit. On a similar note, when I was reviewing the songs, I did not watch the music videos to stop that from influencing anything. This is about the music.)

10. Lemonade - Internet Money & Gunna feat. Don Toliver & NAV

I have noticed a trend in rap music: crackly lo-fi intros. Perhaps I am simply out of touch with music trends, because it took listening to no less than five such songs for me to realize that they had all the same components and weren’t actually being original. I think I have too much faith in people to do their own thing and not just blatantly copy others. I’m very glad that rap songs are so short, because this one is not good. The individual aspects of this song seem alright, but they combine to form something that seems like a bit of a mess, in my opinion. It feels like there should be more to say about this song, but there just isn’t anything particularly special worth pointing out. It just kind of...exists. 73/100.

9. Watermelon Sugar - Harry Styles

See 10/4

8. I Hope - Gabby Barrett feat. Charlie Puth

See 10/4

7. Rockstar - DaBaby feat. Roddy Ricch

See 10/4

6. Savage Love (Laxed - Siren Beat) - Jawsh 685 and Jason Derulo

See 10/4

5. Dynamite - BTS

See 10/4

4. Blinding Lights - The Weeknd

See 10/4

3. Laugh Now Cry Later - Drake

See 10/4

2. WAP - Cardi B feat. Megan Thee Stallion

See 10/4

1. Mood - 24kGoldn feat. Iann Dior

See 10/4

A Cumulative Ranking

(Songs are ranked on a scale of 1/100 based on how much I personally liked them, as well as whatever comments on the actual quality of the music I made.)

Blinding Lights - 95 (A)

I Hope - 91 (A-)

Laugh Now Cry Later - 89 (B+)

Mood - 87 (B)

Savage Love - 81 (B-)

WAP - 77 (C)

Lemonade - 73 (C) 

Dynamite - 70 (C-)

Rockstar - 66 (D)

Watermelon Sugar - 64 (D)

Newfound Student Voice at Athenian: The Story Behind @athenianprotectors

By Kati Wilkes

The summer of 2020 was filled with uncertainty and apprehension due to the coronavirus, but that didn’t stop Athenian students from coming together to try and make social change. 

Student voice is constantly encouraged at Athenian, but doesn’t mean that it’s always heard. With a rise in general student activism and newfound energy to enact change, two anonymous students created two different Instagram accounts for students to use to voice their thoughts, opinions, concerns, and proposals for change at Athenian. The first account, @athenianprotectors, was focused on giving students a platform to talk about issues, both inside and outside Athenian, related to sexual assault and harassment.

“When I started to see other schools and individuals speaking up about their personal experiences, I realized that our community needed a similar platform. We needed a place where people can be supported and feel comfortable sharing their stories,” says the creator of the initial account (@athenianprotectors).

Anonymous platforms, just like the two at Athenian, have become increasingly popular on high school and college campuses all across the country. Most notably, in 2016 students at Harvard created an anonymous app called Campfire that served a similar purpose. According to The Harvard Crimson, the student-run newspaper, the forum was created to foster campus-wide discussion about classes, social issues, and allegation of sexual assault. 

As of now, the @athenianprotectors account has posted around one hundred anonymous submissions; none of which have any names or information listed that tie the accusations to specific individuals. However, it was noted recently at a community meeting that most students were able to figure out who the submissions were talking about based on their own knowledge and experiences. 

The initial account was met with some backlash from members of the student body. There was some questioning of the validity of certain allegations that were posted as well as submissions that tried to undermine the seriousness of the platform. The administration has also voiced some of their own concerns about the forum.

The student leading @athenianprotectors says, “There was a lot of positive feedback towards this platform that reinforced the need for students to have a safe space to get support. As expected, there were also some mixed responses from the student body, as it is hard for a site like this to meet everyone’s needs.”

The platform, as of recently, has become a point of controversy within the school. Administration members have made statements to students stating that due to the anonymity of the forum, it was difficult to do thorough follow-up on the content of the postings.

“Things were being posted but nothing was being brought to the school. The school wasn’t being informed, it was being posted on a site, so the school couldn’t do anything with the information,” says Amy Wintermeyer, Head of Upper School.

The administration continues to urge students to use more official channels of communication with the school itself if they want to report anything. More information about those specifics can be found in the student handbook, or students can reach out to the administration directly.

“I worry about kids needing help and not getting help because it’s being done on a site and not being reported to adults who can help,” adds Wintermeyer.

For some students, that wasn’t a good enough answer. They want the concerns they voiced to be acted upon. The community is attempting to find a way that everyone in the Athenian community, both students and administrators, can work together to resolve any possible issues. 

The second account, @athenianchange, was started shortly after the first account began posting because the creator wanted a platform where students could talk in the same open manner about issues other than sexual assault and harassment. 

“I saw how the first account was causing people to speak up more publicly about stuff that I’ve been hearing about for years, so I wanted to make another platform to start a discussion about other issues at school like sexism, racism, xenophobia, etc,” the account creator said. 

The @athenianchange account has nearly 140 posts, though it should be noted that there were nearly twice that amount of submissions. Most of those were either duplicates, responses to other posts, attacks on people with no basis, or threats towards the owner of the account.

“I only really wanted to post things that were productive and could actually spark some conversation at school. I, by no means, censored people I didn’t agree with, I just didn’t think it was in the account's best interest to post submissions that were blatant jokes or just complaints about me and the account,” adds the account creator.

Somewhere along the way, the account owner asked students to respond in the comments below previous posts if they wanted to make a comment of any sort or agree/disagree. They hoped that by doing that, they could better start a conversation and make it easier to have a real discussion with someone, instead of just submitting anonymous responses. Not much has been done formally to address the more general issues and ideas that were shared on @athenianchange.

As the summer came to an end, some students wanted to continue the conversations that were started via the two accounts. Tess Shotland ‘22, the founder of the new student group, “Uncensored,” (no affiliation to the old uncensored meetings) hopes that by bringing more students together to talk in a school environment can help make some change. 

Shotland says, “I wanted to [start uncensored] because I didn’t want to be anonymous. I wanted to be able to talk to other people about what I was saying instead of just posting it and being done because that wouldn’t really do anything.”

The conversation has just begun, and she hopes that by creating this new platform even more students will be able to speak their minds and really be heard. The group is currently working to create a safe space for students to gather and share their ideas and opinions about current issues at Athenian. Their hope is to connect with Forum and Community Meeting leaders to create a plan of action. 

“It's harder to say no to a group of students than just one student,” says Shotland.

#TogetherAtHome Concert Review

Photo Credit: Entertainment Tonight

By Sahana Garg

For our second piece together, I bring to you #TogetherAtHome. The idea behind this series is to bring live music to us all when, as we all know, we can’t go out and enjoy it. This was started by Chris Martin, the lead singer for band Coldplay. 

Chris Martin is an English singer-songwriter, producer, musician, and philanthropist and a multi-Grammy award winner. Coldplay is one of the world’s best-selling musical artists/groups.

In collaboration with Global Citizen, Martin has brought us a series of Instagram-lead concerts performed by many A-list artists including but not limited to, John Legend, Shawn Mendes and Camila Cabello, Charlie Puth, Niall Horan, Miguel, Bazzi, and more. The goal of this series is to raise awareness about COVID-19 and to donate money to help in the search for a cure. The length of these programs ranges from about twenty minutes to almost two hours.

Immediately, you will see how amazing this series is, and for that reason, I will give it an overall rating of 9/10. Its beautiful purpose shows the power that music really has and how it can influence people to be better and help make the world a safer, healthier place. Due to the phenomenal number of artists that performed, there are many options, but often you will notice that some performances are better than others. Some concerts, including John Legend’s, contain full-length pieces, enough talking to make it interesting, and even some comedy. I would rate his performance a 10/10. Sadly others, such as Chris Martin’s himself, were far too much speaking. There was not enough music and in the entire half-hour, there was only one full song.

I also noticed that the comments took away a lot from the episodes. It made them seem less real as well as distracted both the musicians and the viewers. Reading them also took a lot of time out of the sessions and some were also inappropriate and mildly uncomfortable and unprofessional.

Despite some pitfalls, this series was still an amazing source of entertainment and music during this tough time. If I had to recommend one episode to watch, it would definitely be that of Charlie Puth’s. This may be biased as I really enjoy his music, but he put on a great performance, the background was beautiful, he didn’t get too distracted by the comments but still performed what his fans wanted, and overall the acoustics were amazing and his voice was spectacular. 

In conclusion, I think that the concept of  #TogetherAtHome is amazing and I hope to see more from this series in the future. Before I finish I would also like to shoutout Global Citizen’s collaboration with our queen, Lady Gaga for the Together At Home Benefit Concert for the World Health Organization. Thanks for reading, and I’ll see you soon!

The Inside Scoop: Ben & Jerry’s “Milk” & Cookies

Photo Credits: Keith Homan / Shutterstock.com

By Kati Wilkes and Savonnah Wong

For our second scoop into the world of non-dairy ice cream alternatives, we tried out Ben & Jerry’s “Milk” & Cookies ice cream. We stopped by our local Safeway and picked it up, eager to see if it lived up to its reputation. In place of dairy milk, this ice cream has a base of sunflower milk and butter, making it vegan. Since it’s vegan, it’s an even more accessible choice for those who aren't just dairy-free. 

The sunflower milk base creates a creamy texture that is very similar to traditional dairy ice cream. While either scooping or enjoying this treat, it’s nearly impossible to tell that what you are eating is not “normal ice cream.” There is not much more we could ask of Ben & Jerry’s in making a non-dairy alternative.

As for the flavor and fillings in the ice cream, the “Milk” and Cookies variation really stays true to its name. It’s filled with a swirl of Oreos and chocolate chip cookies, which adds to the creamy yet smooth consistency of the entire concoction. The flavor is rich, yet not overpoweringly sweet, so with every spoonful, you get a taste of everything wonderful that the ice cream has to offer.

Though the frozen desert certainly is a wonderful alternative, it is far from perfect. The vanilla “ice cream” base has a bit of a weird flavor due to the roasted sunflower seeds that are used to make the sunflower milk. The vanilla taste is almost overpowered by a burnt undertone. However, in the scoop that has everything mixed together, the “burnt” taste really is not an issue at all. 

Taste: 🍦🍦🍦/5

Consistency: 🍦🍦🍦🍦🍦/5

Similarity to Ice-Cream: 🍦🍦🍦🍦/5

Overall: 🍦🍦🍦/5

The 100th Anniversary of Women’s Suffrage: How Far Have We Come?

Photo Credit: The Guardian

“Ida B. Wells”

By Alison Chabala

August 18, 1920, marked the centennial of when the nineteenth amendment was put into effect and women were able to vote. On that day, a long-sought-after women’s rights milestone was finally reached. Indefatigable activists like Ida B. Wells and Susan B. Anthony led the prominent women’s rights movement while straining under the omnipresent burden of sexism in America. But even after this achievement, many were still motivated to pursue the next steps towards gender equality, because there was still so much more to be done. In fact, it wasn’t until 1965 that women of all races could vote. 

Women across the board have faced adversity due to discrimination. But surprisingly, statistics have shown that more women have voted than men in every presidential election since 1980. According to a Pew Research article, “In 2016, 63% of women who were eligible to vote said they cast ballots in the presidential election, compared with 59% of men.” Where does this disparity come from? Why did almost 10 million more women vote in the last presidential election than men? Statistics show that this trend has become even more prevalent over the recent elections. 

An interview with humanities teacher Stephanie McGraw adds a new perspective to help discern the root of this trend. 

“When you go back in history, like when women got the right to vote in 1920, a lot of people thought there would be this ‘woman’s vote,’ and there wasn’t,” McGraw said. “It starts in the 1970s, what we call ‘the culture wars’, And then in the late 70s, there was a huge backlash against Roe v. Wade, and abortion, the ERA (Equal Rights Amendment), and the ERA actually got defeated in the 80s. So I think a lot of women decided that the way to change society is through the vote.” 

The surge of women voters in 1980 has been attributed to what has been called the “Ronald Reagan effect.” That was the year of the election between Ronald Reagan and Jimmy Carter. In his campaign, Republican presidential candidate Ronald Reagan advocated vehemently against abortion, and gave his opinions of the role of women. 

According to The Atlantic, “the party dropped its support of the Equal Rights Amendment, embraced an anti-abortion position, and courted conservative Christians who lamented the effect of working women on “traditional” families.”

This, many claim, is when women started to take sides based on their own individual opinions and the incongruences and differences of voting among women were revealed.  McGraw adds how subsequent events helped ignite the fire of the women’s voting. 

“The Anita Hill hearings, 1992, was the year of the woman, and it was part of my coming of age, because women were so upset with the senate judiciary committee, headed by Joe Biden, reacting to Anita Hill, who had accused Clarence Thomas of sexual harassment, and it was a bunch of like old, white guys who basically ignored this black woman,” McGraw said. “So for me it's women frustrated with the system, frustrated with the patriarchy, and the lack of representation, and feeling that the vote is the way to have their voices heard.” When asked if she thinks if higher voting rates of women have any deeper implications, she said, “Yes. I do.”

Photo Credit: The New Yorker

“The Anita Hill Hearing”

Recent events have swayed potential outcomes of the 2020 presidential election between Joe Biden and President Donald Trump. Democratic Associate Supreme Court Justice and feminist icon Ruth Bader Ginsburg passed away in September due to complications from pancreatic cancer. 

According to by NBC news, “A Pew Research poll from early September also showed that 66 percent of Democratic voters viewed the Supreme Court as ‘“very important’ in the election, compared to 61 percent of Republicans.” Ginsburg’s death has many possible implications: if her seat is filled by a nomination from President Trump, an indubitable threat is posed for abortion rights, LGBTQ+ rights, among other issues.

 “I know statistically, the supreme court energizes the right, much more than the left, so I think Trump being able to get a third, really conservative, pro-life person on the court is really going to energize the right.” McGraw said. “But [with] the supreme court vacancy, I’m not sure, because there’s so much on the line, and I think that a lot of conservative women who were disgusted by Trump and weren't going to vote for him, I think because they are so adamantly pro life, I think they might come out and vote.” 

The consequences of this presidential election will ripple across the country. And regardless of why more women vote, the women’s vote will be very influential. 

“There are so many variables that come into play,” McGraw said. This 2020 election will be very consequential for a myriad of reasons, and the vote is the most important to vocalize your ways to invoke change, because they are intrinsically powerful.”

My Friend, Fire: Native American Practice of Controlled Burns Suppressed

Photo Credit: Alf Manciagli/Shutterstock.com

By Renee Tian

Flickering flames, eagerly stretching their tendrils towards the sky, spewing out smoldering fumes that bring burning tears to your eyes. It crackles, knowing the destruction it harbors, and leaves a barren wasteland behind, ashes dancing in the air. Fire, one of the five key elements of life and spirit, is widely known to be the root of obliteration, wreaking havoc on communities and claiming the lives of loved ones. An average Californian would describe fire as destructive, having seen the frontlines of the chaos it brings. That’s what we have been taught, from only seeing the aggressive aspects. Yet, another side to this narrative exists. Fire is natural and healthy for the ecosystem—a source of life, even. It has existed on Earth for longer than humans have, and it is not the dangerous creature that people see it as. 

For centuries, Native tribes have been utilizing this very element to foster life and create balance on our land. These flames are guardians of the land, not destroyers. According to the Cultural Fire Management Council (CFMC), traditional “cultural burns” are controlled fires annually set to “lead to a healthier ecosystem for all plants and animals, long term fire protection for residents, and provide a platform that will in turn support the traditional hunting and gathering activities of Yurok.” It burns off underbrush and encourages new plant growth, creating healthier forests and less wildfires. 

Rick O’Rourke, a traditional fire practitioner describes it as “an amazing, healing, life-giving, rejeunivative tool” that helps “[make] trees more fire resilient and [into a] fire-adapted landscape.” He started practicing this method when he was 11, taught by his grandmother while spending the summers at her home. It was used for house protection from wildfires then, and has since grown into his greatest passion—one that he loves to share. 

O’Rourke describes performing cultural burns as “to use [fire] and to respect it like a relative or dear trusted friend.” It is a delicate ritual that requires years of experience to become properly in tune with the fire itself. “As the Fire and Fuels Coordinator of CFMC, he travels around California educating communities about the importance of fire in their landscape, while performing cultural burns there. 

In 1910, cultural burns were banned and considered arson by state and federal agencies. O’Rourke, also a Yurok tribe member, stated that his elders determined that since “there were so little [Natives] left, it was not an acceptable risk” to continue their practices. Recently, in the past decade, it has been made legal again, after scientific research proved it was environmentally beneficial, and fire departments across California have started implementing this method for fire control. It took over 100 years for the government to recognize the value of these burns, and they now use the same tactics that they banned Natives from performing. However, O’Rourke holds no grudges against his fellow firefighters.

“One of the most important parts of working with local state and federal agencies is creating a trust relationship and being at the table. If you’re not at the table, you can’t talk with them. You gotta be at the table and invite them in and share,” said O’Rourke. 

He works with these fire departments on a clean slate and encourages them to implement traditional techniques into their routine. Although O’Rourke is a qualified wildland firefighter himself, he asserts, “I’m a firefighter but I don’t like to fight with fire. I like to work with fire.” Their goal is to prevent wildfires before they happen, instead of stopping them once they are already in action. 

While O’Rourke may hold no resentment to the people he currently works with, others feel the hypocrisy of the U.S. government should be acknowledged. Brittany SchlaeGuada, a second-year teacher at Athenian, attributes the exclusion of Native fire to how “in America, we devalue the cultural knowledge of people who are not white.” She believes that the society we live in today does not allow certain cultures and spiritualities to be practiced. History has been unrelentingly oppressive towards minority groups, as she states that our country was built on “the foundation of white supremacy and oppression.” 

At the heart of what she does is the desire to  enlighten future generations about ways to help and discern inequity. SchlaeGuadachooses to teach through a lens “of environment injustice and racism,” highlighting environmental issues that “disportionality [affects] certain groups of people.” 

A common factor both educators stated is how crucial teaching the future generation is, and spreading awareness. SchlaeGuada implements these into her teaching, while O’Rourke teaches kids at local schools. As knowledge is multi-generational, and passed on from elders to the youthful, it’s impactful to teach them how to recognize injustice. 

Each and every culture brings valuable information to the table. Only by acknowledging that, and working together, can we progress and thrive. Mistakes have happened before in the past, and not all of them are amended yet, but it’s imperative that history doesn’t repeat itself. Knowing exactly how to incorporate and value different cultures allows society to flourish and nurture a healthy, trusting environment. 

The first step to ensure that we are on a prospering path is to inform others. To get people to recognize an issue is to talk about it. If we don’t, we fail ourselves and our future generation. Bringing awareness to environmental issues essentially saves civilization, as every single one of us are connected to the environment.In fact, we are the environment. In the spirit of our past and future, SchlaeGuada affirms to “be willing to listen to people that are different from [yourself].”

Does Athenian’s Leadership Pillar Deserve its Place?

Photo Credit: The Athenian School

By: Zoey Patterson

International and Multicultural Understanding, Education for Democracy, Environmental Stewardship, Outdoor Adventure, Leadership, and Service. One of these things is not like the others.

The original Round Square pillars did not include Leadership. It was added later per the suggestion of King Constantine II of Greece, who had long been involved with Round Square, and the Athenian upper school did not accept it as one of the school pillars until 2018. I can only assume the reason for this is that adding it as a pillar simply doesn’t make sense.

In my freshman year, I took the “Dyke Brown’s Mandala” March term class, taught by Gabe Del Real and Sarah Freedman, in which we dove into the history and philosophy of Athenian and, by association, Round Square. This culminated in the creation of a pictorial representation of the Mandala and the Pillars which featured stick-figure icons that represented each section and pillar as simply as possible. While creating all of these icons required a lot of thought, one of the biggest challenges we faced was making a Leadership icon that wasn’t exactly the same as the one for Service. In its purest form, what more is there to leadership?

One way of looking at the issue is that all the other pillars are specific guidelines for how to be what the Round Square website calls a global citizen. Essentially, they represent concrete actions that students ought to take in one way or another. In the context of Dyke Brown’s mandala, they are the way a whole student can use their capabilities and understandings to do not only what is good, but what is just. We should adventure outdoors, or serve our communities, or learn how best to participate in democracy. Leadership, however, is more vague. It’s not a specific type of action so much as a recommendation for how to partake in these actions. 

In taking a leadership role, we choose not only to engage in an activity ourselves, but to help others do the same. We guide a group of people to achieving a common goal, perhaps helping them decide how and what. We work to unite them, with the greater purpose of satisfying a unanimous desire. This is service, and it is why a leader must be selfless. And most importantly, the common goal could be anything, like international and multicultural understanding, or education for democracy, or environmental stewardship, or outdoor adventure, or community service.

When I’ve mentioned to others that I think Leadership doesn’t make sense as a Round Square pillar, I’ve been met mostly with confusion. I have no doubts that this is because most members of the Athenian community don’t really think about the Round Square pillars—why they exist, what they mean or why they matter. Most students can’t remember them all, even with a handy acronym. They’re just nice things that we should work towards. They’re fancy words we use to show off how progressive our school is. We don’t see them as guidelines for how to apply the potential we develop as we become our whole selves, even though they’re fundamental to Athenian’s mission. It would be next to impossible to actually change the Round Square pillars, but the least we can do is think inquisitively and critically about them. Understanding that leadership doesn’t quite belong, and why, means truly understanding the Round Square pillars and taking them as guidelines for specific action, rather than as values we already uphold in how we run the school that are easy to talk about. It means understanding Athenian’s true mission and how it relates to the Round Square pillars, which I think makes being an Athenian student all the more meaningful.

Meet Catherine Lu

Catherine Lu

By Zoey Patterson

Catherine Lu is Athenian’s new Mandarin teacher. She moved to the United States from China four years ago, and is interested in what she could learn at Athenian about American culture.

“I feel that through school, the place I work, I know this country, or this culture...I just feel there’s still so many things about this country I need to know and to learn, and I feel school is really a good place [to do that],” Lu said.

Lu is also excited to learn about Athenian culture specifically, and expressed a particular interest in the international students.

“I’m very excited to now have a lot of students from China, and I just feel, I don’t know, just naturally close to them,” Lu said. “This year, two of them applied to be my TAs, and I’m very excited about that, too.”

The outdoor aspect of Athenian also appealed to Lu when she chose to come here, especially because of her previous teaching job in San Francisco.

“The driving and the commute can be very stressful there, and...I’m not very good at parallel parking, so whenever I’d drive there, I’d just feel so scared...and so I was like, hmm, maybe I should work in a more open space area,” Lu said. “When I found this opportunity came up...I had never heard of this school before, but I see Danville, and there is open space, and you know, it’s more nature—I was like, hmm, maybe I should explore that school.”

Not only does Lu have TAs she’s looking forward to connecting with, she’s also a ninth grade advisor.

“I feel that my favorite part of being a teacher is having a close connection with my advisees,” Lu said.

The fact that they are in ninth grade also interests Lu, especially with the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I feel, as ninth graders, they might feel all different kinds of emotions when they join the Athenian high school in this situation, so I will try my best to help them to have a better, more smooth transition,” Lu said.

Lu herself has definitely felt the effects of the pandemic, as it has impacted some of her favorite hobbies.

“I love swimming and hiking. That’s why I feel a little depressed during the pandemic, because I cannot go swimming anymore,” Lu said.

But the pandemic has not put a damper on every aspect of Lu’s life.

“I feel like this is a fun part of my life, especially now, considering, you know, the outside world, and the pandemic, and everything,” Lu said. “Whether I can come to the class, it’s just to calm myself down and to remind me there’s still good things in life and we still have hope.”

How Would A Coronavirus Vaccine Work?

Photo Credit: Joel Bubble Ben / Shutterstock.com

For the past several months, the coronavirus has ravaged the world, forcing the public to incorporate new and foreign practices into their everyday lives. While a few have flourished in the midst of this global pandemic, the general consensus remains that COVID-19 has been disastrous for a significant portion of the international community. In the hope of regaining some semblance of normalcy in society, discussions have arisen in scientific circles regarding the development of an effective and efficient COVID-19 vaccine. 

Firstly, to examine the plausibility, efficacy, and timeliness of a COVID-19 vaccine, two fundamental concepts should be understood: viruses and vaccines. 

“A vaccine gives you a toned down infection… which trains your immune system to know what to attack, but it does it in a harmless way that doesn’t kill you,” biology teacher Elizabeth Wright said. “Outside of a cell, a virus can’t reproduce or hurt you… They are intracellular parasites, meaning once they get inside our cells they can completely take over and turn our cells into virus factories.”

Vaccines, while potentially effective in mitigating the severity of viruses, can be incredibly difficult to contrive. These adversities are often so prevalent that several months ago—when little substantive research on the coronavirus was available—scientists were forced to remind citizens that there was no guarantee a COVID-19 vaccine would ever be developed.  

“We can't make an absolute assumption that a vaccine will appear at all or... whether it will pass all the tests of efficacy and safety,” said Dr. David Nabarro, a professor of global health at Imperial College London, who also serves as a special envoy to the World Health Organization on COVID-19, as quoted by Rob Pichetta, a CNN reporter. 

Fortunately, recent developments in coronavirus research suggest that medical experts may be within reach of vaccine finalizations. The events of September 23 corroborated this possibility, with Johnson & Johnson becoming the fourth firm to enter the final stage of COVID-19 vaccine development. This may seem adequate reason for celebration, but Johnson & Johnson, along with their competitors, are now tasked with conducting the most substantial leg of their research: numerous potential vaccines must be administered to thousands of people to test for efficacy and safety. While the enormous sample of testees may appear excessive, it is a necessary component of potential vaccine evaluation. 

“Different people with different backgrounds have different responses to drugs and vaccines… Certain drugs work differently for different people,” said biology and chemistry Teacher Maria Luca. “It depends on your biological sex, your genetic background, and your family history, and a lot of other factors.”

Thus, given the various immune responses different individuals have to the same vaccine, it follows that the COVID-19 vaccine  must be tested on a diverse sample of people to collect comprehensive data on its efficacy. 

Another logistical challenge is vaccine distribution. To retain their antiviral properties, vaccines must be stored at specific temperatures while they are being transported to various medical centers. The transporters are responsible for preserving the vaccines’ temperature within a range of three degrees celsius, which, in turn, curbs vaccine denaturation.

“Denaturing is when proteins lose shape, sometimes because of temperature,” said Wright. “Our immune system recognizes things that are not us by shape, so in order to train our immune system what to fight against we have to give it the right shape. This vaccine has to have the same shape as the virus to be effective.”

If the logistical nightmare of vaccine transportation is resolved, society has yet another obstacle to overcome in its quest to vanquish COVID-19, namely, acquiring herd immunity. Achieving herd immunity is possible via two methods: mass infection or mass vaccination. The former could entail mass death, whereas the latter mandates the successful development of a vaccine. Once a coronavirus vaccine is procured, herd immunity would be achieved by maximizing the amount of immunized people, incapacitating virus reproduction by barring it from potential host cells.   

“[COVID-19] is a highly transmissible virus,” said Dr. Soumya Swaminathan, the Chief Scientist for the World Health Organization, in a published interview with Vismita Gupta-Smith, the Information Officer for the World Health Organization. “We think it needs at least 60 to 70% of the population to have immunity to really break the chain of transmission.”

Obtaining herd immunity is especially crucial for individuals who are physically incapable of receiving vaccinations, and, therefore, have limited protection against the virus. 

“The idea behind vaccines is to expose you to a small part of the virus or a weakened version of the virus,” said Luca. “If you give it to someone who is immunocompromised it might not work like it is supposed to.”

Consequently, those individuals who are incapable of being vaccinated will rely on the rest of society to vaccinate and isolate the spread of the coronavirus. For this reason, vaccination can be considered as more than a self-centered medical operation, but also a public health service. 

Bearing in mind the tribulations that accompany vaccine development and distribution, it is important to continue all safety procedures until medical experts instruct otherwise. Not only will this behavior limit the spread of COVID-19, but it will also lay the foundation for effective and efficient vaccine usage.