The August 22, 2016 lightningboltonline.com
BOLT
20402 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Coast, CA 92657 www.issuu.com/shsbolt @theboltonline
Volume 17, Issue 1 www.facebook.com/sagehillschool
When Eight Is Enough
Lightning Goes Freelance
The Sage Hill football team is looking ahead at a bright season, filled with new be17daileyj.publications@gmail.com ginnings. Led by new head coach BJ Crabtree, the team will make the transition from 11-man to 8-man football and they could not be more excited and prepared to compete this fall. “My hope for the team this year is that each player has a great experience and finds success. This does not necessarily mean that they win every game or win a CIF Championship (although both would be nice), but it means that they learn and demonstrate what it means to be a part of something bigger than themselves, and that each team member makes his journey, the team’s journey too,” Megan Cid, Athletic Director said. In the short time Crabtree has been with the team, he has already proven he is extremely qualified and determined to take this team to the next level. “If you walk out to one of [Crabtree’s] practices, there is no doubt that he is ‘all in’— dedicated, passionate and positive about the direction of Sage Hill football. That to me is already success, and I can’t wait to see him build upon it,” Cid said. As a collegiate athlete, Crabtree played at Golden West Junior College and Sonoma State University. He then continued his football journey as a coach at The Pegasus School where he still teaches in the school’s computer lab. He has also brought along a new offensive coordinator for the team, Michael Kilkenny, who teaches and once coached at Carden Hall for almost 20 years. Their passion for the game, along with the drive of Ricky Sharpe, expert strength
By Jamie Dailey
Friday - Calvary Chapel Downey, Home Sept. 2 - St. Michael’s Prep, Home Sept. 8 - New Design Charter, Away Sept. 17 - Price, Home Sept. 23 - Avalon, Home Sept. 30 - Discovery Prep, Home Oct. 7 - Chadwick, Home Oct. 14 - Chadwick, Home Oct. 29 - Animo Leadership High School, Away
coach and defensive coordinator, will allow them to lead this team to success. “We are trying to win every game. Something the team, coaches and community will hear early and often will be win with character. That’s our goal, but what’s unique for this first year is our motto that we as team are building around, which is to ‘Attack The Moment’ (#ATM),” Crabtree said. Although there was much debate last year as to whether Sage Hill should switch to 8-man football, because of the small size of our school and the number of football participants, it was decided that 8-man would best allow the football program to grow and thrive. “Our football team is in a pretty big transitional year, going from 11-man to 8-man football and while during this decision not everybody was on the same page, we are now where we are, an 8- man football school,” Crabtree said. “So, like in life, you can only control one thing, the moment you’re in right now, and that’s our plan. Whether we are lifting, watching film, studying playbooks, stretching, doing drills, executing plays or supporting a friend, on or off the field, we will ‘Attack The Moment!’” The players have already embraced the switch to 8-man football, showing their dedication both on the field and in the weight room. “This summer, we focused on developing our skills and creating strong bonds within our team, especially between the veterans and the new guys,” senior Javier Martin said. “We trained ourselves for this season through not only practice on the field, but also through weight lifting and learning new plays in the MMLH. The hard work that we have been putting into football since July is going to really prepare us for this season.” Among the many changes in the football program this year, the team will now compete in CIF-SS Division 1 as “freelance” and play in eight games throughout the fall. However, 8-man football will still prove to be a game of high intensity, the only main differences from 11-man being a slightly smaller field with three less players on each side of the ball. “One of our main goals is to prove to this community that 8-man football is still football with blocking, passing, tackling and scoring...This community will see how hard we play. We want Sage Hill to be proud of this program, and I truly believe we will do this,” Crabtree said. When Sage Hill left the Academy League, the three remaining teams, St. Margaret’s, Crean Lutheran and Bretheren Christian, were forced to go freelance and may have difficulty qualifying for CIF Playoffs. Sage Hill plays its first game of the season against Calvary Chapel Downey on Friday, August 26 at 7:00 PM at Ramer Field.This night of celebration and school spirit will even include food and drinks from Taqueria De Anda, music and giveaways! Time to #ATM.
Lauren Hausman
New Season Begins. Junior quarterback William Leong greets coach BJ Crabtree at the beginning of practice Thursday on Ramer Field.The team will play its first 8-man football game Friday night at 7:30 against Calvary Chapel Downey.
Lauren Hausman
Freshmen Featured. The new lineup for 8-man football features seven freshmen on the Lightning team who will play their first game Friday night.
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The Bolt Sage Hill School Aug. 22, 2016
EDITORIAL
Our Duty Seeking Truth and Reporting It
We snap photos at school dances, engage in interviews about your personal life and construct our yearbook, Storm, from the year’s highlights. It’s the beauty of high school journalism. As journalists, our mission is to seek truth and report it. Yes, it is the common knowledge that we are meant to remain neutral and balanced when reporting matters. A journalist should be honest and never alter the content to be passed on to the people. However, the fact that we assume such a role does not mean that only certain matters are to be written about. From the articles that push us to reflect on our privilege to those that inform the community of notable events such as potential schedule changes and the Sage Center, Publications Staff has continuously worked to promote conversation and awareness at Sage Hill. Protected by the concepts of Education Code 48907 as well as Leonard Law, we uphold our right to print and share our beliefs as well as information that is honest and reliable with our community.
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By doing so, we aim to educate our peers and faculty about school events and adjustments affecting them; We believe our community worthy of nothing less. It is not our job to slant the newspaper’s content for the public’s convenience. A journalist’s job is to pass on the news in the
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EdCode 48907 and Leonard Law guarantee student journalists the same rights as professionals in California.
best way possible, regardless of the effect on the people of interest. As Publications Staff, we also recognize that it is important to encourage the discussion of issues within and outside of school so as to push others and ourselves to form opinions about them. The Sage Hill mission
statement reads: “We inspire in our students a love of knowledge and the ability to use that knowledge creatively, compassionately and courageously throughout their lives.” As members of Publications Staff, we strive to do just this. By questioning Sapphire’s pricing, tackling the problems associated with gender roles and speaking out on gun violence we struggle to bring our community to a place of greater understanding and acceptance. And with courage, we put our ideas to paper in The Bolt and lightningboltoline.com. In return, we ask for our voice and perspective to be respected. We reserve the right to write freely on any matter, as long as it respects other’s rights.We hope those in our community will use our publications as a way to remain updated with the happenings of our community and to use that knowledge to advocate and push for the greater good of our school. To prove a journalist’s honesty in reporting matters of the world is genuine; we are willing to be held accountable.
the
he Bolt, published seven times a year, is a student newspaper and serves as a public forum at Sage Hill School. Its content - news, editorial, opinion and feature - is protected by Education Code 48907, the state student rights law and the California Constitution which guarantees all citizens the right of freedom of speech and of the press. The Bolt accepts signed letters to the editor from members of the Sage Hill Community which may be posted as comments to our website, lightningboltonlilne.com, or addressed to editor-in-chief Vale Lewis and put in her mailbox on campus. These letters may not exceed 150 words or they wil be edited for inclusion.
Editors-in-Chief
Vale Lewis, Stephanie Min, Claire Lin and Tommy Lee Associate Editors
Christina Acevedo, Niva Razin and Catharine Malzahn
2016-17
EICs
Vale Lewis
Stephanie Min
Claire Lin
Tommy Lee
Bolt
Halah Biviji Jamie Dailey Julia Dupuis Sahar Emtiaz Jo Farkas Daniel Fishman Lauren Fishman Lynn Fong Jerry Fu Krystal Gallegos Genesis Gonzalez Madison Harris-Weiner Lauren Hausman Richard Horn
Michelle Hung Sarah Kim Jennifer King Olivia Lowe Abby McGuire Monis Mohiuddin Isabella Mora Donia Olia Emma Ruck Ryan Simpson Brett Super Amani Tarsadia Peyton Webb Hannah Woodworth
NEWS
The Bolt Sage Hill School Aug. 22, 2016
The Big Upgrades 8-MAN FOOTBALL
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T L CU
SHADE ST
RUCTU R
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FLIK
HANDBOOK
SECUR IT
CONST
RUCTIO N
NEW TEACHERS
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CAL E D AR
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SAG
FLIK Replaces Sapphire as Food Vendor By Isabella Mora
Sahar Emtiaz
Safety First. Shaded by a green tent, a security guard waits to stop cars on the road up to Sage in order to verify that they have a Sage Hill decal.
Sage Hill Cafe, operated by FLIK, officially begins as the new campus food service company today. “Our goal is to provide really good food done really well,” Barbara Stoner, FLIK’s senior chef/ manager said. “We are a scratch kitchen that uses fresh ingredients prepared close to service to ensure freshness. We don’t use any fillers, artificial flavors or colors, preservatives, MSG, trans fats or foods that are heavily processed.” FLIK was started in New England by Rudy & Julie Flik in the early 1970s. They saw a need for college students to have a healthier, more nutritious diet to stimulate brain function and overall health, Stoner said. Over the years the company moved into high schools, middle schools and preschools. They are dedicated to providing dining services to private schools only and were selected by a campus
19morai.publications@gmail.com committee after several food tastings in the spring. Former food service Sapphire of Laguna Beach declined to enter the business competition. “We are really looking forward to getting to know the students this year,” Stoner said. The Sage Cafe’s grab and go service items, provided in a mobile food cart outside the main library building, will range from $1.25 to $6 each. Two hot entree items, cold sandwiches and salads will be priced by the cost of food purchased and packaging, depending on the items. “Obviously an item with steak or salmon in it will cost more than a salad without a meat or fish component,” Stoner explained. Menus will always consist of the standard student’s favorites out of each month’s food choices. FLIK will also feature a few different and separate programming
menus such as ‘FLIK’s Vegetable Revolution’ with a seasonal vegetable of the month such as beets. Menus will also be combined with music themes and ‘Revved Up Recipes’ which are redesigned to be packed with highly nutritious ingredients without changing the flavor of the original recipe, Stoner explained One new change in the food service will be a sensitivity to clubs and organizations who want to use baked goods sales as fund raising events. “If the group will let us know a week or so in advance,” Stoner said, “we will make sure we do not serve items that are similar so we won’t be competing with what they are trying to do.” Theboltonline and campus T.V.s will feature menu previews on a monthly basis. Emails were sent to Sage community members last week explaining how to financially load the preprinted Sage Hill Cafe cards.
New Gate and Car Decals Keep Sage Safe By Niva Razin
18razinn.publications@gmail.com Did you notice the large, black gates at the base of Sage Hill School’s driveway as you rode into school this morning? What about the screening area and security officer who monitored all entering vehicles? These and other recent changes—as you may have already surmised—are an effort to further secure the campus. The new safety measures include an updated perimeter fence, updated and improved security camera system, remodeled and improved front gate and a car decal system. “Our goal is to be proactively responsible in the safeguards we provide to our community. We want to prevent issues and ensure safety, not respond to issues after they take place,” says Security Supervisor Adam Patterson who denies the updated security changes were prompted
by a particular event. As part of a plan set in motion this year to keep the campus “access controlled”—meaning a security official overseeing the passage of all incoming vehicles—those cars without an official decal will be directed to stop in the visitor lane, be verified as an invited guest (predetermined by a visitor log) and continue on to check-in at reception, Patterson explained. For events such as sports games where large numbers of visitors without the Sage car decals are expected, extra security may be needed to process and usher in these crowds to strike a “balance [between] security needs [and] ease of access and efficiency,” he explained. In the words of Patterson: “the safety and security of the Sage Hill School community is paramount.”
Lisa Laducci
New to Sage. Faculty and staff new to campus include (front row) Melissa Freeland, Donna Jacobsen, Evelyn Ramirez-Schultz, Laura Popkowski,Tanya Lerch; (middle row) Shannon Regli, Anie Aklian, Diana Garcia, Chris Farrish; ((back row) Danae Howe, Josh Black,Taryn Brannon, Lynette Swanson and Matt Balossi.
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The Bolt Sage Hill School Aug. 22, 2016
o T w o H
CLASS O
Own the First Day By Michelle Hung
19hungm.publications@gmail.com
Many students look back fondly on freshman year as an exciting, rewarding experience full of fun activities, valuable friendships, and inspiring classes. But as a new student on the first day of high school, the journey ahead may seem uncertain and intimidating. In recognition of these fears, students from last year’s freshman class were each asked to give one piece of advice to the incoming freshman class. Hopefully, their answers will help reassure any freshman feeling nervous or overwhelmed on their first day.
“Stay true to who you are be cause you will always find people who love and accept you. Sage Hill has one of the most caring communities, so do not be afraid to show your true colors!” - Malia Smith “Put yourself out there and to not be afraid to try new things. Take advantage of the awesome opportunities there are at Sage and have fun!” - Eliza Feffer “Try to talk to many different people, especially in the first few weeks of school. It may be easier to hide among old friends, but you’ll be glad if you make the effort to branch out and meet new friends!” - Michelle Hung “Introduce yourself to as many people as possible on the first day of school. It may seem weird but it is really beneficial for you in making friends and meeting new people. “ - Grant Sheen “Don’t stress out too much over your classes, and take the time to get to know your classmates before your classes amp up too much. Enjoy life as a freshman!” - Isabelle Meegan
OF 2020
The Bolt Sage Hill School Aug. 22, 2016
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“My biggest piece of advice is to join clubs. Immerse yourself into the Sage community to meet new people, because everyone is super welcoming! Sage is a super special place with unique opportunities, so take advantage of them!” -Hannah Woodworth “Every person in the entire school has been where you are now. Everyone is just as nervous as you are, so just talk to people because they want to make friends just as much as you do… put yourself out there because high school only happens once.” -Samantha Hague “High school is the time to try new things. Sage has so much to offer; take advantage of these opportunities. Lots of clubs and sports will even accept you if you have no experience at all. Joining a club is also a great way to meet new people. You will not regret anything!” -Jerry Fu “Do not be afraid to try new activities that you have never done before! Everyone is very inclusive and encouraging which makes trying new things fun and allows you to discover new passions!” -Lauren Langdale “Remember to be patient, because you’ll find a way to work everything out in the end.” - Hannah Romeo
“Always go and see teachers even if you think they don’t like you! They will appreciate it and it will help tremendously.” - Isabel Janavs “Sage offers so many opportunities, and freshman year is a great year for exploring these opportunities. Freshmen should step outside of their comfort zones because they may find something they really love.” - Halah Biviji “Try and meet as many people as you can. Everything will be easier if you know and have friendships with more people, so I highly advise you do that even if it means going out of your comfort zone.” - Alex Desbans “Find something that you can really invest yourself into, but if you don’t find yourself making much progress, it may be time to consider dropping it.” - Richard Horn “Don’t be afraid to make new friends and talk to everyone on the first day. Everyone is new; you aren’t the only one.” - Charlene Gao
Photos by Lauren Hausman • Sahar Emtiaz • Konnie Krislock.
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The Bolt Sage Hill School Aug. 22, 2016
STUDENT LEADERS
Facing the New Year
StuCo Officers Plan for Sage Cup’s Return Wyatt Manolakas President
By Claire Lin
17linc.publications@gmail.com
Sahar Emtiaz
As the 2016-2017 school year at Sage Hill commences, student council is in full force. Senior Wyatt Manolakas, who is this year’s president, has been actively working towards leading the Sage Hill community towards a successful and engaging year. With Sage Hill going through many changes, structurally and physically, such as a new security system and new construction sites, one of the chief goals of the student council, which Manolakas will lead, is to make the transitions easier for the rest of the Sage community. “The chief goal of student council as a whole this upcoming year is to
help Sage adjust to the recent physical changes to the campus while maintaining the sense of community at the school that lets us call it home,” Manolakas said. He aims to galvanize and maintain greater school spirit through reinstating traditions like the Sage Cup—with events such as pep rallies and attendance for attendance at sporting events and dances. For Manolakas, Sage Hill is an integral part of his identity. He believes that the community has given him the opportunities and support that have shaped him into the person he is today. “There has been no factor in my life more influential on my personality, and I want to do ev-
erything in my power to ensure that every kid that comes through Sage has as great of an experience as I have had, Manolakas reflected. “The best way I could think of doing that was by running for a position that would give me the power to make real and lasting change”. Manolakas also contributes to a number of other activities. “I’m most excited to see the way we interact with a largely new Sage,” he said. Whether it be the 6 new additions to the teaching staff, a new food supplier or the soon to be completed pool, Manolakas believes that the rest of the student population will also positively respond to the changes and embrace them.
Miles Wilson
Vice President
By Stephanie Min 17mins.publications@gmail.com
Famous for his resounding spoken word and uplifting and weekly Miles’ Manifestos, Miles Wilson is not just the student who does it all; he is a passionate member of the Sage community who loves his school. Recently elected vice president after a two-year history of being freshman and sophomore co-chair, Wilson plans to bring spirit back to Sage. Being vice president comes with a plethora of responsibilities and meetings. “As Vice President my job is to not only manage Town Meeting and organize student council meetings, but it also requires me to act as the bridge between student council and SAME,” Wilson said. “I work with SAME in order to get both groups
collaborating to make sure we have culturally appropriate holiday events and informative town meetings and info sessions.” With his past experiences in student council, he describes his personal goals to “make Town Meeting both more interactive as well as more exciting. Featuring more class competitions and more student-led performances, I want to bring back fun to Town Meeting while still allowing it to be a place where people can make announcements and let their voices be heard. “Each new member comes many new ideas. I would really love for this year’s student council to bring spirit back to Sage. I really hope we can put together amazing dances and events that encourage students to show some
school spirit,” Wilson said. “Whether it be and improvement in attendance at sports events, a newfound passion for pep rally, or even a greater upper class presence at school dances I hope that StuCo can make students want to both come to and stay at.” As one of the only returning student council members, Wilson has experience leading the community; however, he knows that being a leader “means being someone who follows their own heart rather than following in the footsteps of those around them.” His advice to incoming students? “I’d like to tell all new freshman to never hesitate at Sage Hill. If you have the slightest interest in something, try it, because you will never regret doing so.”
Sahar Emtiaz
STUDENT LEADERS Sahar Emtiaz By Vale Lewis
17lewisv.publications@gmail.com
As a first-year member of student council, Sahar Emtiaz brings a new voice and exciting ideas to the role of Secretary-Treasurer. She has big plans on how to make the student experience at Sage the best it can be. Emtiaz has many ideas she is excited to share with the community throughout the year. As Secretary-Treasurer, she is in charge of keeping detailed notes from meetings and keeping the community informed about events and announce-
The Bolt Sage Hill School Aug. 22, 2016
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Secretary-Treasurer
ments as well as work with the rest of student council to plan dances and other fun events. “I’m most excited about bringing the Sage Cup back and seeing the impact it has on how many students and faculty show up to cheer on our teams or go to other events in the community. I’m also excited to see how we can improve throughout the year.” Her goals for this year reach further than just making dances fun; she hopes to help strengthen the Sage community as well. “I’m looking forward
to seeing how we can come together as a community for events like dances,” Emtiaz said. “Most of us on StuCo have the same goal which is to get everyone excited about all the events we have on and off campus.” As a senior, Emtiaz is aware that this is her last year to make an impact on Sage which was one of the reasons why she decided to campaign to be Secretary-Treasurer. “I wanted to be able to try and leave a mark on Sage Hill before I leave my senior year, and what better way than being a part of student council?”
Sahar Emtiaz
Kate Kelly
Co-Activites Coordinator By Madison Harris-Weiner
19harrisweinerm.publications@gmail.com
Ashton Carroll
Sahar Emtiaz
Co-Activites Coordinator By Sarah Kim
19kims.publications@gmail.com
Another year has started, and every student on campus is buzzing with excitement. Ashton Carroll, co-activities coordinator, aims to provide students with enjoyable school life as well as success in academics. “I decided to run for activities coordinator because I thought I had a lot to bring to the table in terms of new ideas and creativity,” Carroll said. “As an activities coordinator this year, my job is to plan all aspects of student-led events such as grade level bonding, pep rallies and especially
school dances. “We Coordinators lead student council when choosing everything from themes to music to venues. I am very excited to help with major parts of Sage’s student life this year, especially the dances.” Because this is her first time being an activities coordinator, Carroll wants the year to be full of new and creative ideas, building from the success the coordinators had last year. “In terms of dances, Kate and I have come up with some fun original themes, as well as unique venues. “We are excited to be partnering with a new
D.J. and are also working on movie nights, X-Block activities and a potential resurfacing of Sageyland. “We might even host Sage’s first formal Homecoming Dance. “Ultimately, our whole goal is to keep raising the standards, helping to create memorable and entertaining events! “The culture of Sage will always be transforming-—and as student leaders, we are hoping to lead the change in a new bright direction.” Meanwhile, the Activities Coordinators will start off the year with the return of the Sage Cup, which will take place this fall.
Making a return to Student Council to serve a third and final term, this time as activities coordinator alongside junior Ashton Carroll, senior Kate Kelly has a myriad of events on her plate that will keep busier than ever this year. “It felt incredible to be back and win activities coordinator and be back on StuCo. I think that as someone who’s pretty outgoing and passionate about Sage, it’s always fun to be in a leading position and really achieve the things that I want to leave as my legacy,” Kelly said. The position of activities coordinator is based on the ability to plan and organize, which Kate considers a strength of hers. She got a head start on planning for the upcoming year, spending some of her summer thinking about new ideas that she will bring to the table which will undoubtedly yield fun and innovative activities. “I have some great dance ideas, that the school will find out about as we get closer to each event, but aside from that, I’m thinking about bringing back the movie nights. A few happened my freshman year, but I’m thinking that we can expand to maybe do one once
a month or every other month on the Tuesday before service learning,” Kelly said. Kate plans to pave her own path with unique activities but she also acknowledges whose footsteps she’s walking in and will take some inspiration from previous activities coordinators. “I think that it’s really important to still use the things that they worked so hard to bring into our school and appreciate the strides they made, but also put my own and Ashton’s spin on things.” Kate wants to include all classes and make the community stronger as a whole through activities but she does has a special soft spot for her senior class. When she graduates alongside them in June she wants to know that she made their last year of high school the best it could be. “I’m most excited to be able to epitomize the ideas of the senior class for our last two dances and show we can make things happen. “I’m also excited to get to know the incoming freshmen and work with the sophomores and juniors to make every year they have at Sage special. I’m very excited to plan an amazing senior prom!”
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The Bolt Sage Hill School Aug. 22, 2016
BACKPAGE
colorblind
Lynn Fong
Race is a Social Construct
racism
By Julia Dupuis
17dupuisj.publications@gmail.com
In a society increasingly burdened with tension over race and racism, it may seem like an enlightened, informed thing to say that you don’t see race. Race is a social construct, right? We’re all just one race: the human race. It isn’t a biological factor, and it doesn’t determine the content of someone’s character. So really, it shouldn’t matter. But it does matter. Even though you might be trying to say that you’re not prejudiced, it sounds more like you’re saying that you’re good intentioned but ignorant. By pretending to be
‘colorblind,’ you inadvertently erase the cultural context behind the concept of race and you diminish the experiences of people of color. Brushing off racism is remarkably easy when you don’t have to live with its terrifying reality each and every day. “Colorblind racism has essentially taught an entire generation to hate racism while still effectively being racist,” says senior Robert Lynn-Green. “It has diminished the prominence of racial issues to the public eye so that it is taboo to discuss race.” Racism is complex and
multifaceted. It manifests itself in ways that are obvious or covert, individual or systemic. Sometimes it occurs in an isolated incident and other times it is imbedded into a larger structural form of oppression. And yet, Americans
“Being racially
colorblind is not a grand gesture... continue to cling to the narrow idea that racism can be summed up with the ‘n’ word and mass lynchings during the 20th century.
Whether you like it or not, we have a race problem. From school to prison pipelines, stop and frisk programs that target communities of color and disproportionate arrests for marijuana possession, to young black individuals who are racially profiled and killed. We have a race problem. The problem is only exacerbated by desperate lengths to which white people will go to dismiss claims of racism by people of color and minimize the validity of their experiences. To disregard racial distinctions is to disregard
the voices, experiences and perspectives of people of color. “It stems from ignorance,” explains senior Ye Chen. “Saying you don’t see race is effectively ignoring the struggles that only a member of a particular race or ethnicity can experience.” Being racially colorblind is not a grand gesture against prejudice, but rather a form of contextual erasure. It reflects the type of ignorance and avoidance that will always drive white America to perpetuate the racist ideals of the past while hiding behind a veil of equity and progress.