February 2018

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6 features Deep in our nation’s history, immigrants saw “No Irish Need Apply” signs on businesses, a rise in KKK activities against Catholic Italians, and internment camps created for Japanese arrivals. Recent news reveals that anti-immigrant, antiminority sentiment isn’t a thing of the past, though. In a meeting focused on immigration with U.S. Senators three weeks ago, President Donald Trump said he’d rather have immigrants from Norway than from certain African nations or Haiti, which he called “sh****le countries.” This comment, however, is not only reflective of the president’s beliefs but many of his supporters’ beliefs too. “I would hope that this comment makes people sick to their stomachs,” Voice for the Nameless sponsor Randall Harper said. “The truth is that there are people who agree with him, though they might not use those exact words.” On Monday, Jan. 8, 67% of students think that the Trump administration is showing antiimmigrant sentiment by ending TPS and DACA* it was announced that, in addition to Haitians, all Salvadorans would lose their Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and have 18 months to leave the country. According to the U.S Citizenship and Immigration Services website, a Temporary Protected Status (TPS) is a “temporary immigration status granted to eligible nationals of designated countries.” Senior Dennis Gaitan explained how this specific decision would impact his loved ones. “This would affect my parents who came here with a TPS after the Civil War in El Salvador and my aunt who also came here with TPS after the earthquake in 2001,” Gaitan said. The Trump Administration’s decision to end TPS for Salvadorans will have lifechanging consequences for Gaitan’s family. “I don’t know how I am going to deal with them leaving,” Gaitan said. Even though El Salvador can be a nice place to visit, Gaitan explained, “my home is here. I have family that lives there and even though they think El Salvador is safe, there are too many gangs and violence. You are always in danger in El Salvador, and there is no opportunity to succeed there like there is here in the United States,” Gaitan said. In most cases, families are being sent back to places where they have no homes, no jobs, and no protection from the same violence or danger they originally fled. What people sometimes neglect to understand is the desperation that is felt by people who benefit from TPS. “Sending us back won’t solve the problem. If anything, it would worsen the issue,” Gaitan said. “Parents are sending their kids to the United States on a very risky journey to escape the violence with the hope that they will receive refuge and help here.” Harper explained how the Trump Administration has the complete authority to end TPS for these ZAC ABERO Life Behind The Law NATIONAL POLITICS CAN PUT MORE THAN ONE LIFE ON THE LINE BY MARTYLINETTE SANCHEZ features editor countries. “When people were given TPS, it was with the intention that it was temporary. Sending them back wouldn’t be illegal, but I don’t understand how it would really help our country. I also don’t understand why after all these years, they are being sent back now,” Harper said. Like TPS, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a program that protects from deportation 800,000 undocumented individuals who arrived here as children and meet numerous requirements, ended after President Trump signed an executive order ending DACA in September. If DACA recipients have their DACA status expiring before March 5, they will be able to renew their DACA if they apply before Oct. 5. If Congress is not able to pass a new bill, after March 5 DACA recipients will be in danger of deportation. Because Congress could not reach an agrement about the national budget, the federal government shut down on Jan. 19 at midnight. Both parties February 2, 2018 W had priorities they wanted to get accomplished before sealing the national budget, and they only agreed temporarily on the terms to fund the government through this coming Thursday. The future of DACA and border enforcement are two of the key things Senators want resolved, and each party is using their priorities as bargaining chips in the budget debate. “Democrats need Republicans’ support for the bill, but as part of the deal, Democrats want DACA and Republicans want more money for programs that secure the border with more border agents,” Harper said. One Maine West student who is a DACA recipient explained how DACA has helped her live a normal life in the United States. “Because of DACA, I am able to get a job and license, and I don’t have to live in fear of a police officer pulling me over and arresting me,” the anonymous student said about the legitimacy she has because of DACA. It also allows her to pursue a college education later. An extremely common misconception is that DACA recipients do not pay their taxes just like American citizens. “We are not taking anybody’s jobs. We get up every morning and go to school and work to obtain a better life. We also have an IT number that allows us to pay our taxes just like everybody else,” the DACA student said. Although there is always uncertainty in one’s life, the type of uncertainty DACA recipients face is unimaginable to most. “I don’t know if I’m going to be here tomorrow. We are living a [nightmare] because we’re living in two worlds at the same time: one where we’re hiding and another one where we’re trying to live a normal life,” she continued. Leaving this country would crush all that her family has worked to build here. “This is the only life we know. This is the only place we have been able to call home, and it’s hard for people to understand that,” she said. Harper described the dilemma felt by Americans who support and who oppose the DACA program and the undocumented immigrant community. “I understand why people that went through the long process of getting into this country the ‘right’ way feel resentment, but to say that the recipients of DACA should be deported is soulless and completely flies in the face of the values that are supposed to make the United States great,” Harper said. As the anonymous student explained, “at one point or another, unless one’s family is Native American, we are all immigrants,” she said. Having seen how his family 79% of students think that our country should allow a path to citizenship for the 800,000 DACA recipients* has worked for years and years contributing to the American economy and local community, “being American is more than just a piece of paper that tells who you are. To be American is to have the courage to be able to overcome obstacles, follow your dreams, and work hard for them,” Gaitan said. *According to a Westerner survey of 115 students
W Feburary 2, 2018 features 7 THE FCC’S REPEAL OF NET NEUTRALITY MAY DRASTICALLY CHANGE THE INTERNET BY NATALIA WOLNY THE PAIN OF asst. features editor FRIEND BREAKUPS Accustomed to having access to anything online right at our fingertips, the noise over why your favorite Netflix show isn’t streaming smoothly or why you can’t access a certain website is about to go up a decibel. The Internet itself could be facing some dramatic changes with the end of net neutrality. “The Internet is like a highway that cars drive down. The cars themselves are the data and information that is put out. With net neutrality, anyone can travel freely and take any highway they want,” AP Computer Science teacher Rachel Levin explained. Now, that net neutrality has been ended by the Federal Communications Commission, users may face increased costs for their usage. “It’s possible that nothing may change, but it’s definitely concerning that the ISPs will have the ability to control what we get to see and how fast we get to see it.” Internet providers now have the option to charge you more to access your favorite sites and apps, as well as the option to slow down or block access to sites that are run by competing companies. The repeal on net neutrality raises concerns as to what is in store for the free Internet. “Net neutrality insured that ISPs could not take advantage THIS of their customers, but ISnow they have that ability,”senior Paul Loewes THE said. “It is reasonable END to think that if a company has the ability to take advantage of their powers, they will. Therefore, I question the sensibilities of even giving ISPs this ability in the first place.” In the long running debate of net neutrality, a central question is continually being asked as to whether or not the Internet is a public utility and if that is enough to subject the ISPs to stricter regulations. “The decisions are now being made by private companies as opposed to being regulated by a government bureaucracy as a utility,” AP Government teacher Daniel Fouts said. “We use the Internet like it’s electricity; [the argument is that] it’s in the public’s interest, which preserves it from being managed by private companies. However, it hinges on what the definition of a public utility is and until we have a clear definition of what a utility includes, we’re going to be debating this.” Senior Paul Loewes argues that, “the Internet is an equalizer. It allows [the] disadvantaged] to have the ability to become successful. Because of this, it must be protected and should be regulated as a utility, like water,” Loewes said. Small companies and startups, like farewell to free BREAKING DOWN NET NEUTRALITY “Facebook started with a college kids creating something online where everyone had access to it,” Levin said. “One of the biggest concerns for programmers is that without net neutrality, there’s a possibility that individuals trying to put an idea out might not have the means to buy their way into the fast track of the Internet or be able to reach people the way they used to.” The battle to keep net neutrality alive continues among the states, cities, Congress and the American people. The governor of Montana signed an executive order that bars state agencies from doing business with those that violate net neutrality. A wave of lawsuits from 21 states were filed to block the FCC’s repeal and Senate Democrats are pushing the vote to restore the regulations. “Net neutrality is generally a liberal, democratic, pro-regulatory policy,” Fouts said. “It has a chance of passing in the Senate, but the identical bill has to go through the House of Representatives in which the Republicans have a majority.” Even though the majority of Americans support net neutrality, “President Trump has been supportive of leaving this in the companies’ hands. With the numbers right now, and with the President being a Republican who Under the Obama Administration, a principle known as net neutrality, was implemented to ensure that the Internet would remain open and free by barring Internet Service Providers (ISPs) from slowing or blocking web traffic. The goal was to guarantee that all data on the Internet would be treated equally. The Federal Communications Commission has dismantled these guidelines. Internet providers may now have the ability to slow certain data or charge for faster delivery of content supports deregulation, I don’t think there’s enough support,” Fouts said. Although legislation is the most desired and permanent fix concerning net neutrality, public backlash has intensified. [Net neutrality activists] are making a political statement to get people’s attention and to cause grassroots movements around this. “If we, the public, get angry, our legislators may feel pressured to change the law,” Fouts said. “But, that all depends on how much we care about the Internet. If it’s important enough, we’ll pay attention.” Many are unsure what lies ahead for net neutrality but, “The Internet is not going away,” Levin said. “All they did was loosen the rules, and we don’t really know how companies are going to react so now we just have to wait and see.” BY IVONNE SANCHEZ reporter Whether it was something that was said or simply because two people found themselves going in different directions, friendship break-ups affect even the closest of friends. Valentine’s Day, with its focus on those we love most, can also be a reminder of those friends who have broken our hearts, too. Though it’s a sad experience, as AP Psychology teacher Suzanne Savard explained, it’s a necessary experience that many people encounter. “When you break up with a friend, it’s like severing ties,” Savard said. As Savard recounted, friends are normally made when two or more people share the same interest and when they are most likely in close proximity. “Common interests This is the end shape teenagers and w h o they hang out with,” junior Ashna Thomas said. Sometimes relationships drift apart due to situations that they can’t control where two people eventually figure out that they aren’t as similar as they once were. Other times, there is a specific event that involved the real or perceived betrayal of a friend that leads to a more abrupt end in the friendship. “[Friendship breakups] are a mark of growing up and maturity. Adolescence is a time to define yourself and friends are a great way to find yourself,” Savard said. Contrary to some beliefs, the pain felt by a friendship breakup, can be more painful than a relationship breakup.“People can cope the same way they do when it’s a romantic breakup, but friend breakups are much more traumatic because having a friend betray you, or leave you, is harder and deeper to deal with,” school psychologist Lynn Perri said. “Surround yourself with people who listen to you, have your best interest at heart and who like to do the same things that you like to do.” ZAC ABERO
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February 2018

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