Hundreds of Thousands Show at March for Life

Matt Colantonio

Hundreds of Thousands Show at March for Life

President Trump made a special appearance to marchers on January 19 at the March for Life.

Every year around the anniversary of the 1973 Supreme Court decision of Roe v. Wade, which declared a constitutional right to abortion, thousands of pro-life activists march around Washington D.C in protest of the decision. Church and school groups from around the nation traveled to participate in the March. Although this event has occurred every year for 45 years, this year marchers were seemingly optimistic.
With a new administration in the White House, one that has come out against abortion, pro lifers see an opportunity to finally reverse the controversial and divisive decision of Roe v. Wade. President Trump even made a special appearance via live stream and spoke to the thousands gathered around the Washington Mall.
“Today, tens of thousands of families, students, and patriots and really, just great citizens gather here in our nations capital,” said Trump to the marchers. “You come from many backgrounds, many places. But you all come for one beautiful cause: to build a society where life is celebrated, protected, and cherished.”
Trump also vowed that his administration would fight to defend unborn babies’ right to life.
Unfortunately for pro-lifers, however, is the reality that an anti abortion bill must ultimately pass through the Senate, where abortion bills that have passed the House have historically been unsuccessful.
This fact doesn’t stop thousands of dedicated pro-life marchers from displaying their disgust with the country’s current laws surrounding abortion, and the March for Life will certainly continue until the Supreme Court’s 1973 decision is reversed.

 

The Clock Has Run Out on Sexual Misconduct

Brianna Caridi

Time’s Up Movement

The Clock Has Run Out on Sexual Misconduct Women lead the TIME’S UP movement to stand in solidarity against gender inequality A sea of black shrouded the 75th annual Golden Globe Awards on Jan. 6 as actors and actresses
alike chose to wear black to raise awareness for sexual harassment, assault and inequality in the
workplace.

Over the past several months, many famous actors, movie producers and talk-show hosts have been accused and subsequently fired from their jobs due to their involvement in sexual misconduct scandals.
According to the official TIME’S UP website, the TIME’S UP movement aims to address the
deliberate inequality and injustice that women are required to face in the workforce every day.
The movement began with over 300 female celebrities publishing a letter which revealed the crusade in the New York Times. It is a direct response to the #MeToo movement which began the
national conversation on sexual harassment and assault.
“Men can physically abuse, rape and kill women because they refuse sexual advances,” senior
Olivia Clark said, “It’s not easy to just say no.”
The movement advocates for women to speak up and defend themselves against these crimes of
injustice and promotes a zero-tolerance policy for any sort of discrimination, harassment or
abuse.
“It’s encouraging and comforting to know that in the year 2018 there is a movement against
sexual misconduct in the workplace,” senior Marissa Pekular said. “Bringing light to this
situation and exposing these harassers is a step in the right direction.”
According to Cosmopolitan, one in three women ages 18 to 34 have been sexually harassed at work and 71% of those women said they did not report it. Based on information from NBC
News, nearly half of all working women in the U.S. have experienced sexual harassment in the
workplace.
At the Golden Globe Awards, Oprah Winfrey gave an empowering speech in which she declared
that the “time is up” for powerful men who are not held accountable for their actions.
While advocating against sexual misconduct is forcing more cases of abuse into the spotlight, the
TIME’S UP movement was created for more than just talking about these issues.
According to the official TIME’S UP website, the movement has created a Legal Defense Fund
that will provide legal support for women and men who have experienced sexual harassment,
assault or abuse in the workplace and while in pursuit of their careers.
By creating a Legal Defense Fund, the TIME’S UP movement is demonstrating that simply
talking about the issue of sexual misconduct is not enough. Action needs to be taken in order for
these issues to be completely eradicated.
“Because of this movement, I feel a strong responsibility to support victims and act against
abusers in my own community,” Clark said. “Fighting sexual harassment is no longer the nice
thing to do, it’s the right thing to do.”
Opening up the conversation on sexual misconduct has allowed many women to come forward
with their stories, which, in turn, is holding more people accountable for their actions and letting
everyone know that sexual harassment will simply no longer be tolerated in the workplace or
elsewhere.

Homelessness in Pittsburgh

Rebecca Fitzharris

How Bishop Canevin is working to end homelessness

 

After a long day at work or school, you just want to unwind in the comfort of your home but have you ever considered the people that do not have that option? Last year in Allegheny County, there were a total of 1,492 homeless people in the city of Pittsburgh. Though there are currently 1,401 of the 1,492 living in a dozen homeless shelters, there are still 91 homeless people living on the streets.

With the days getting colder and colder, the people of Pittsburgh are thinking about how to stay warm for the winter. Though it might be easy for those who have a roof over their heads to find relief from the cold, what about those who are left on the streets? From frostbite to hypothermia, the homeless of Pittsburgh are in serious danger during these winter months.

Though the citizens of Pittsburgh are well aware of the harsh conditions that winter brings, are they doing enough to help their fellow people during this time? People realize that there are still many in need of help. Especially when the environment around them is not forgiving.

Though homelessness is an issue that people are aware of, it does not get enough recognition and is usually put on the back-burner of people’s minds. However, there are still people who are raising awareness and continuing to try to help end homelessness.

Organizations such as Operation Safety Net provide medical and social services to the homeless of Allegheny County, and have been using all their effort and resources to decrease the homeless population. This association was started in 1992 by Dr. Jim Withers who began by making medical “house calls” to those who were living on the streets and had no way to receive the medical care they needed. He has always shown kindness to those in need and yearned to want to help them. This organization that he created has reached thousands of individuals and helped more than 1,500 homeless people to find homes. They continue to help those who are less fortunate and provide any care they need. They also partner with other homeless service providers.

Another organization that has been providing care for the homeless of Pittsburgh is the Jubilee Soup Kitchen. This is also the main charity that Bishop Canevin has decided to lean its focus on this year. This association has been providing food as well as other necessities for the homeless community for the last 36 years. It was also founded by a group of people dedicated to Judeo-Christian values and Catholic Worker ideals of honoring the human dignity of each guest in a non-judgmental way.

Though the threat of being homeless might not be something you need to worry about, it is a concern of someone else. Day after day they might be worrying about where their next meal comes from let alone if they will have a roof over their head that night. There are people who can ignore the problems of others around them while they walk down streets pretending to not see them. You have an option to be like those who ignore and pretend or you can open your eyes and heart and do something about helping those in need.

“We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give” said Winston Churchill.

Rowing Into the Deep

Schanelle Saldanha

Crusaders Advocate for Social Justice in Washington D.C

From Nov. 4 – 6, eight students traveled to Washington, D.C with religion teacher Sean Fox and Assistant Principal Karen Walker to take part in the 20^th annual Ignatian Family Teach In for Social Justice.

The Ignatian Family Teach In is the largest annual Catholic Social Justice gathering in the United States. Although there were _______ students from across the world attending, everyone arrived with one goal: to educate, network and form advocates for social justice animated through the spirituality of St. Ignatius of Loyola.

Junior Annie Walsh attended the Teach In for the first time. Although she has previously participated in many social justice events, this conference carried a new element for her.

“My first teach in was not like anything that I expected. There were so many people and they were all there for the same thing – helping those who need it most,” Walsh said.

The theme for this year’s conference was “Rowing into the Deep.” This theme was fostered by the ideology that although rowing into new waters can challenge us, it is through that challenge that we move toward a magis, a greater and stronger passion for justice.

 

 

Throughout the weekend, participants had the opportunity to listen to three Keynote Speakers and Six Network Speakers discuss issues on immigration reform and terminating racial bias within the criminal justice system. Senior Kara Schaffnit was one of the attendees and was drawn to one speaker in particular.

“I loved the first Keynote Speaker, Fr. Bryan Massingale. He opened up the conversation to racism, and his talk was hitting many hard points people never like to mention,” Schaffnit said.

While everyone listened to the conference speakers, the most enticing aspect of the weekend were the individualized breakout sessions that allowed students to get more information about specific social injustices.

“I really appreciated the fact that we were able to attend different speakers that we were interested in. Almost all of my speakers were so interesting to listen to,” said Walsh.

After two days of education and discussion, students headed to Capitol Hill to lobby with representatives from the offices of Pennsylvania Senator Toomey and Representative Doyle. They addressed their concerns with the recent DACA termination and reformation within the criminal justice system.

“I love moderating Crusaders for Justice because it provides me the opportunity to see students passionate about social issues and a desire to change the world for the better,” said religion teacher Fox.

As a Jesuit Inspired school, students are instilled with a sense of purpose to “set the world on fire” and see God in all that they think, say and do. Through this conference, they were able to accomplish just that.

“It is very rewarding to put your faith into action, to truly set the world on fire and actually do something about the injustices you see,” said Schaffnit.

 

The Battle is Far From Over

Bri Caridi

Campus sexual assault guidelines under Title IX have been rescinded

Under the Trump Administration, Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos is attempting to limit Title IX guidelines established by the Obama Administration that deal with campus sexual assaults.

According to CNN, DeVos feels that many people that are accused of harassment or sexual assault are wrongly held accountable for these crimes, and the current process denies these people their due process of law. As of Sept. 22, the Education Department decided to formally revoke the guidelines determining how schools should handle sexual assaults under Title IX.

Title IX is commonly thought of as the law established to ensure the equality of girls’ and boys’ sports teams, but it is much more than that.Title IX includes a detailed description of how schools are expected to handle accusations of sexual assaults.

“It’s a personal issue for me,” Assistant Principal Karen Walker said. “My daughter Emily [Walker] was in graduate school at the University of Texas and did have to file a Title IX complaint because there was another student who she felt was harassing her.”

According to the Supreme Court, a school becomes legally responsible when the school’s response to the harassment is “clearly unreasonable in light of known circumstances.”

“To be a parent and get a phone call from your child saying that she is being made to feel uncomfortable is very difficult,” Walker said. “Because she was in Texas, I couldn’t go there and rescue her.”

Based on information from CNN, the Education Department has released a Q&A in lieu of the Title IX guidelines which suggests recommendations for how schools should handle sexual assaults. The Q&A allows for schools to be “flexible” in establishing their own procedures.

“From what I read, different universities interpret it in different ways,” Walker said of the Title IX guidelines.

NBC News reports that the biggest change DeVos is implementing into the guidelines is that schools will be moving away from a “preponderance of evidence” model to a “clear and convincing standard of proof.”

As for her daughter’s experience,“The process that she went through was long and tedious. It was not as if, at that particular school, that the process favored her,” Walker said.

Although the Obama-era guidance was mainly aimed at colleges and universities, DeVos’ plans for new guidelines will include K-12 schools as well.

High schools have fortunately not encountered as many instances of harassment as some universities have in which Title IX needed to be discussed. However high schools still must keep accurate security measures and procedures in place in case a situation involving Title IX would occur.

At the school, there are many security measures in place to ensure the safety of all students, faculty and staff. Over the past summer, 56 security cameras were installed around the building.

“It was a safe-school grant from the diocese,” Dean of Students and Athletic Director Shawn Holup said. “After considering what would be reasonable to upgrade, we decided to get some new security cameras for around the building.”

Beyond that, the school does have a clearly-stated policy regarding sexual harassment in the handbook.

“It is an immediate 25 conduct points, which brings you to the level of suspension. If the harassment is serious enough, you are expelled,” Walker said.

As for the future of Title IX, DeVos wants schools to continue to confront these horrible crimes head-on, but it is unclear how she will ensure the safety of students if she changes or limits the guidelines.

“I don’t feel that anything that would happen with Title IX would make us change our school policy in any regard to that, it’s just simply not tolerated here,” Walker said. “Regardless of what federal, state or local government would say, that’s just our policy as a Catholic high school.”

 

 

How Trump’s Influence can Hurt the Dreamers

Marissa Pekular

DACA, What is it and Why is it Necessary

 

The controversy regarding the DACA  program creates an environment of ambiguity and fear for students and families dependent on the organization.

DACA stands for Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals. It is an American immigration policy, created by the Obama Administration in 2012, allowing individuals who entered the country as minors to receive a two year period of deferred action from deportation. The recipients are also eligible for a work permit.

According to CNN, in 2017, 800,000 “Dreamers” were enrolled in DACA. Those who are protected under this program are know as the “Dreamers.” The majority of these minors grew up in America, went to school here and anticipated a solid future in this country. However, in early September, the Trump Administration revisited this executive order and debated the idea of disbanding DACA all together.

DACA recipients have been able to come out from hiding and live normal lives. They have the ability to obtain valid driver’s licenses, enroll in school and legally secure jobs. This program  protects Dreamers against deportation and a harder life in an unfamiliar country if deported. Although Trump is aware of the benefits of DACA, officials will no longer accept any new applications for the program. Trump’s next move is unclear. Either way, thousands of lives will be effected.

“I think it’s a practical solution, however, it doesn’t solve the whole problem. It’s a moral issue,” religion teacher George Schlicht said. “Their parents brought them over here and they had nothing to do with it. It’s a complex problem. Criminals should be deported, but it’s impossible to deport them all. DACA is a step in the right direction but it doesn’t solve all the problems.” Schlicht explained that there needs to be a better solution to this problem.

When asked what he would do if he were president, Schlicht said, “ I would try to control immigration and increase surveillance. I’m not saying we should build a wall, but we cannot let in illegal immigrants. It’s just not ethical.”

Senior Danny Bigley counters Schlicht’s opinion, giving a different point of view.

“In the case of DACA, I focus my stance on the fact that DACA recipients were minors when they were brought to the country. The key words in this are minors and brought, because it highlights that they did not choose to break immigration law,” Bigley said.

Some may agree with Trump and some may side with the Dreamers. Either way, an executive decision must be made. Students and young children are living in fear and anxiety, hoping that they can continue to receive valuable education and rights in America.

History teacher David Casavale shares his experience with teaching some of these students. “I started my teaching career at an at risk urban school in Hartford Connecticut,” Casavale said. “We had a lot of students from the  Latino population. Today, those kids are in college thriving and now they have all of this uncertainty and anxiety dealing with this situation.”

It is unclear what congress will do next. According to CNN, if they do not act soon, nearly 300,000 people could lose their status and be at risk for deportation.

 

 

 

 

Year of the House Captain

Matt Colantonio

The Mr. Canevin tradition is no longer, but a group of eight students are determined to lift school spirit and charity efforts
Freshman are not the only students asking questions about the new House Captain system introduced this school year.
House Captains are meant to cater toward the House System of the school and boost house and school unity, pride and charity. House Captains are not a replacement for the Mr. Canevin competition which was a competition designed to raise money for charities of the contestants’ choice. Their goal, however, is to bring the Houses together in order to set a standard in service and spirit, but most importantly to represent the Jesuit identity of the House System and the school and to win the Crusader Cup.
The House Captains, Richie Bochicchio and Olivia Clark for Kostka, Hailie Meenan and Chloe Marasco for Faber, Chuckie Rakaczky and Jack Shorthouse for Ricci and Lauren Gamble and Robert Goodnight for Rahner were elected by teachers that are members of their respective house. The House Captains had to submit a detailed plan including fundraising ideas and ways to involve students in the House System, and the teachers, without knowing which plan belonged to which student, voted who they thought would best represent their house.
To fulfill the charity requirements of being a Jesuit-inspired school, students and administrators chose a charity that schoolwide fundraising efforts will focus on. The schoolwide charity that the Houses will contribute to this year is the Jubilee Soup Kitchen. The House Captains will be coming up with creative ideas to raise money for the charity that everyone in their House can participate in. Several ideas include personally volunteering time at the soup kitchen. Captain Gamble is pursuing the idea of a BC fashion show, cornhole and Can Jam tournaments, Easter egg hunts and Halloween candy grams.
Aside from fundraising, the other goal of the House Captains is meant to promote school spirit.
“I’d like to get the students’ school spirit up to let other schools know that we are proud to go to Bishop Canevin High School,” Shorthouse said. “The House System makes the students more interactive and involves them more than just going to school.”
In order to accomplish these goals, however, the House Captains are urging members of their house to participate in events with enthusiastic attitudes.
“All we need is participation,” Clark said. “… nothing will matter if students don’t want to participate. We promise to make it as easy as possible to do so.”
House captains will certainly play a huge role in this school year.
“I love the fact that I get to be a voice for the students of my house,” Goodnight of the Rahner House said.
The House Captains are ready to enhance their peers’ school experience, and they need the help of their fellow House members to boost school and house pride, raise money for the Jubilee Soup Kitchen and win the Crusader Cup.