Stories of the Year: 2020-2021

About one in 54 children have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, according to the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  Join host Kaylene Lin as she sheds a light on the autism community by spotlighting four stories from four inspirational guests. Anna Kennedy's story with autism started when her two sons were diagnosed. After years of caring for them and becoming an in...

“We are living in a material world / And I am a material girl” One can revel and jive to Madonna’s “Material Girl” for its tongue-in-cheek poetics and whimsical 80s melody all day long, but the song, as interpreted through a Marxist lens, speaks the truth about the reality of living in a world dominated by capitalism. After all, physiological needs and safety needs are two of the most basic...

Amid growing attention and demand for climate action, the Green New Deal proposes a plan to address climate change and economic inequality. Among the many proclaimed shortcomings of the Deal, including that the resolution is nonbinding, is that it doesn’t encompass Indigenous environmental justice needs and knowledge. Enter the Red Deal. The Green New Deal, first introduced in February of 2019 by Representative Alexandria Ocas...

Being a queer student is certainly not easy for everyone, especially at a university in a state where gay marriage was not recognized until the U.S. Supreme Court case Obergefell v. Hodges in 2015. A little over 15 years ago, a referendum of 76% of Georgia voters approved keeping gay marriage illegal. Although the state and Mercer communities have greatly adjusted to be more accepting of the LGBTQIA+...

As a Black woman, Aliyah Edwards, senior, said she is undervalued. As one of few the Black students in predominantly white classes, she combats daily limitations and stereotypes that negatively affect her mental health. Edwards’ sense of disconnect in school stems from a sense that staff hold her academic capabilities in a lower regard than her non-Black peers and from limitations in participating...

Out of the 7.7 billion people on Earth, only about 28 million are twins and triplets, and sometimes it feels like all of them go to Mac. This school year, there are multiple sets of multiples enrolled, with sets of identical and fraternal twins and even triplets seeming to take over the (virtual and hybrid) halls. Living with a built-in best friend can be great, but sometimes the constant comparison...

Ivryel Reed ‘21 loves the song “driver’s license,” but she wouldn’t have listened to it if it weren’t for Tik Tok. “Every other video on my For You Page was people reacting to it, and then you'd see them crying and I'm like, ‘there's no way a song is that good that everyone is listening to it,’” Reed said. The song taking over Reed and many others’ For You Pages is 17-year-old...

This story was originally published on The Catalyst on November 19, 2020.

As anti-racism movements, most notably the Black Lives Matter (BLM) Movement, have gained momentum this year, many industries are making a greater effort to address discrimination. In particular, the tech industry has doubled down on efforts to eliminate certain terms used in the workplace. The murder of George Floyd in late May 2020 prompted widespread protests against racial discrimination and...

The rogue creeps around the corner, keeping an eye out for traps. The ranger has an arrow notched. The wizard is ready with a Fireball. The cleric is prepared for a Healing Word if anything goes wrong. They turn the corner, but from behind them rolls in a beholder, prepared with its Paralyzing Ray. Roll Initiative. “You’ve got your perfect warlock,” but where did it all begin? Dungeons &...

. This story was originally published on LAHS - New Media Lit on April 21, 2021....

Jill Lefferman woke up early Oct. 5 to discover one of the political yard signs had been stolen off her lawn in the heart of Beverlywood. It was a Biden-Harris sign, with the phrase “B’H,” an abbreviation for the Baruch Hashem, or praise God. In response, she logged on to the NextDoor app, which lets residents of neighborhoods communicate with each other, and posted the news on the site�...

UPDATE, 4:15 PM: Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear responded to this story with the following statement: "This is absolutely unacceptable. It is further unacceptable that I just learned about this through social media. We will collect all the facts and take immediate corrective action." UPDATE, 5:15 PM: Morgan Hall, the Communications Director for the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet, se...

In the world of sports, there’s no in between. The ball is either in or out. You make the shot or miss it. You win or lose. Even the way sports teams are categorized is firmly rooted in the binary: boys and girls. Facing barriers Since the establishment of girls sports in 1926, state athletic programs have remained separated by boys and girls teams, respectively headed by the Iowa High Sc...

'Like pouring on gasoline': Bay Area’s pandemic response complicated by ongoing affordable housing crisis On March 16, Bay Area officials in six counties announced shelter-in-place directives, mandating that residents only leave their homes for essential purposes. But what does sheltering in place look like in the Bay Area, one of the most unaffordable housing markets in the U.S.? “Whe...

This story was originally published on The Southerner on January 7, 2021.

Sitting on the bus on her way home from school, sophomore Saynab Mohamed didn’t know what to expect as she listened to the verdict of Derek Chauvin being announced. Mohamed said she didn’t have her hopes pinned on Chauvin’s conviction in fear of being let down. “It's better when you don't get your hopes high because when the results are bad, then you're not so disappointed,” Mohamed said....

It was a full-page ad that appeared on the March 21 issue of the Los Angeles Times. Typed out in a white font that contrasts against the black backdrop, the notice called on readers to report any kind of anti-Asian hate incident to stopaapihate.org (Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders). Including the hashtag “#StopAAPIHate” in bold, yellow lettering atop the page, the notice was shroud...

This story was originally published on Tower on February 5, 2021.

Violence against women has surged in Latin America; Mexico, in particular, has seen an unprecedented amount of femicides and crimes against women. Violent offenses against women have increased by 7.7% since the beginning of 2020. The president of Mexico, Andrés Manuel López Obrador, has attempted to downplay the alarming situation in Mexico by passing a 75% budget cut for the federal women’s instit...