Category Archives: VOICES

Authentic student voices of The Stampede’s writers and editorial staff

Dear President Trump,

By The Staff of the Stampede

Dear President Trump,


May God Bless You,

The Stampede

Girl Power

Kendyl Peoples ’20, Staff Writer

Some say being a girl is hard or complicated.


As a girl, you may be underestimated.










The Ferguson Reports and why they’re bigger than just Ferguson












Somewhere in America, there is another Ferguson, Missouri.

Stop the Fourth Lunch Crunch

Clarissa Corey-Bey ‘14 | Staff Writer 

I remember the long wait for the lunch bell my freshman year. Nearly every class, my growling stomach would scatter my concentration. I had the legendary Mr. O teaching me English fifth period, but it didn’t stop the seconds from dragging by until the blessed bell dismissed us to third lunch.

Until this school year, the longest wait a student would experience before they could eat again was third lunch, but with the implementation of a fourth lunch period starting at 12:54 PM, students are eating later than ever before. According to administration, the new four lunch system was supposed to alleviate long food lines and make the cafeteria less crowded.

The change is having unintended side effects. Many students and teachers aren’t used to the long wait for lunch. They are finding it more difficult to focus during class time. A study conducted by the Journal of Child Nutrition and Management in 2002 concluded that there is a direct correlation between how well students can focus and the last time they ate.

Some teachers are even allowing students to snack during classes stuck with the fourth lunch, to help improve focus and cope with the wait. They’ve realized it’s just too long to be waiting for lunch.

Another unintended consequence of fourth lunch is the decreased amount of time students have to eat. Lunch periods are now only 32 minutes long, and this does not provide much time for students to travel to the cafeteria and wait in line if they purchase food from the dining service. According to research conducted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, in partnership the American Academy of Family Physicians, the average high school student needs about 24 minutes to socialize and consume their food. This leaves just eight minutes to go to lockers, get to the cafeteria and wait in lines.

Ultimately,I applaud our administrators for heeding the cries of the students who got caught in the crowded lunch lines. But this fourth lunch crunch is not the answer to the problem.

NBA Trades and Family Livelihood

In NBA Trades, the players are showcased but the families are the ones most affected

by Anthony Brown ‘12 | Sports Editor

Trades are a part of the NBA. The players are the ones highlighted, but what the public doesn’t know is what the players’ families have to go through moving to a completely different city and/or state, having to find housing all over again, putting the kids in new schools and for both the children and the mothers in some cases finding new friends. This is something that is a part of the sport and comes with the job but still should be recognized regardless. Particularly in basketball it happens often, because the NBA is an 82 game season.

A great example of this that I saw was on VH1’s Lala’s Full Court Life which is a reality show that focused on New York Knicks small forward Carmelo Anthony and his wife Alani “Lala” Anthony. At the time the show was aired, Carmelo Anthony had just been traded mid-season to the Knicks after being on the Denver Nuggets for his first seven seasons in the NBA. It was evident that during the show’s airing that both Lala Anthony and her son Kian Anthony who was four years old at the time, were affected by the sudden move after being in Denver for so long, more so Lala Anthony because Kian is so young.

Although NBA trades are a part of the job, no matter who the people are and how much money they make, people in those situations still deal with it and it takes a toll in many ways just like anything else. When it happens, I imagine it is a tough experience to go through depending on how long the family has been in a city or state that they called home. I know that trades are a part of the NBA, a part of the job so to speak, but I think there should be more consideration and effort put into making sure the families of the traded players are well taken care of in this process. In the NBA and with all sports, performance of the players is the only thing that matters, not the well-being of their families which is unfortunate.

However, that’s the case with any job — having to move from a location to work at a new one and bring your family along for the ride. The family basically has to start from square one, finding a new place to live, schooling for the kids etc. It’s not what one wants to have go through or deal with because that process isn’t a cakewalk but one does it because it has to be done. I believe if the NBA and more sports leagues did more to help the families of the traded players transition easier so they wouldn’t have to worry about the stresses of doing what’s needed to start a new life in a new city or state, this wouldn’t be a problem at all. It’s a shame that more isn’t done but unfortunately in the business world, performance is all that matters and in some cases business comes first over the well-being of family.

Saints Bounty Program Controversy


By Anthony Brown ‘12 | Sports Editor

The NFL community is buzzing over the latest news of the New Orlean Saints conducting a bounty program on individual players of opposing teams. Greg Williams, former defensive coordinator of the New Orlean Saints, Washington Redskins and Buffalo Bills, was suspended indefinitely by the NFL after it was found out that he held a bounty program with the teams he was employed with.

However, the Saints organization should not be the only one in the hot seat. I believe the idea of a bounty program, which in context is paying defensive players an extra bonus for  injuring key players on opposing teams, is wrong and it takes away from the game of football as a whole. Giving players money to intentionally hurt others who work hard every day to play a game they love, also sacrificing time away from their families, is another issue compared with malicious intent. NFL players don’t need the bonus, since they already get enough money for playing the sport — which I already don’t believe they should, because salary should be based on player performance. Gregg Williams got the sentence he deserved and although he was a great defensive coordinator, that did not give him the right to give his players a bonus for hurting other players intentionally or even starting the program to begin with.

Sean Payton, coach of the New Orlean Saints has to suffer a one-year suspension from the NFL as a result of the league finding out about the bounty program. It was reported around the league that Williams conducted this program with not only the New Orlean Saints but both the Buffalo Bills and Washington Redskins, which basically gives the notion that if he was going to conduct it with one organization, he was going to do it with others.

I truly was a fan of Williams when he was the Defensive Coordinator for the Redskins   and believed he should’ve been head coach for the team at one point, but this news totally changed my opinion of him because this puts the Saints organization and the NFL collectively in a bad light. I was just surprised Gregg Williams was able to keep this going for as long as he did without the league finding out. This news also hurts the St. Louis Rams organization as well because they hired him as their Defensive Coordinator in the 2012-2013 off-season, but now that position will be empty and they have to go back to the drawing board.

The players who participated in this program are also to blame as well because yes, they would be getting paid extra money under the table, but it’s their responsibility as players and most importantly as men to uphold a standard of integrity and right judgment because they are trashing the reputation of the NFL and the game of football in general. Ultimately, there are so many people to blame for what has gone on, but as long the people in charge of the operation were reprimanded, that’s all that matters. It’s unfortunate however that Gregg Williams was not caught when he first started the program because then I don’t believe it would’ve been as big of an issue as it is now.

Facebook: The Antisocial Network

The introduction of the new “EnemyGraph” app on Facebook allows users to create a list of people, places, and things that they DIS-Like

Josephine Kalshoven ‘15 | Media Club

EnemyGraph Logo

How can you ever show your true opinion on things when Facebook only equips you with a “friends” list and a “like” button? What if you really don’t like something?

Dean Terry, a professor at the University of Texas, has finally begun to address the general concerns of the three million people who signed an online petition for a Facebook “dislike” button. If you have been longing to declare war on brussels sprouts or Justin Bieber, Terry’s release of the new “EnemyGraph” app for Facebook allows you to share these feelings.

With the app, you can create an enemies list comprised of anyone or anything that has a Facebook page and is either famous, already your friend, or another user of the app. Your list is then added to your profile. You can also view current “Trending Enemies,” “Top Enemies” (right now including everything from Rick Santorum to fake tans), and enemies that your friends have added. If your friend declares something that you have previously “liked” to be his or her enemy, this conflict will appear in a box labeled “Social Dissonance.”

But why has an actual “dislike” button still failed to make its appearance on Facebook? According to the Huffington Post, the company has put its foot down on allowing this feature. Facebook says they want to avoid opportunities for misuse of the button, but Facebook also does not want users to begin disliking its advertisers’ products. This protective policy is what threatens a shutdown of the rapidly-growing EnemyGraph if it becomes too popular.

There is merit to the premonition that an app like EnemyGraph might be harmful. Even without the aid of EnemyGraph, there are reports of people committing suicide after falling prey to cyberbullying. EnemyGraph may become an additional tool for bullies to effortlessly slay their victims’ self-confidence with a cruel dubbing of “enemy.” Friends might jokingly place each other on their enemy lists, but, as with sarcasm, on the Internet you can never tell the true meaning of things.

Terry is eager to point out the positive side of his new app. “Most social networks attempt to connect people based on affinities… but people are also connected and motivated by things they dislike. Alliances are created, conversations are generated, friendships are stressed, stretched, and/or enhanced,” he writes on his blog. “Relationships always include differences, and often these differences are a critical part of the fabric of a friendship.“

Not Just a Drinking Day


Kate Fry ‘12 | Staff Writer

Kate Fry '12 is a writer for The Stampede










Africa’s “First World War” Continues Today

by Bailey Allegro ‘14 | Guest Writer

Although it is tragic, it is no surprise when you hear about recent deaths due to gang violence, or the killing of a normal citizen on the news today. We have heard so many stories like these that we are becoming immune to them.

When was the last time you heard a news report about the struggles of many African countries? Unless a celebrity has decided to adopt a new baby, we rarely get any insight on other horrific situations in these countries, other than starvation and poverty, such as families being displaced from their homes, the rape of women and children, boy soldiers, or genocide.

It has come to my attention that even though we all know about the largest documented genocide today called the Holocaust, which targeted many different social and religious groups, the largest being the Jews, a majority of people would be utterly shocked if I told them that events like this are STILL going on today. Africa’s third largest country, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) has been in a state of war and strife for the past 12 years. The situation in the DRC has sometimes been called Africa’s First World War. At one time, this conflict involved seven neighboring nations and was declared the planet’s deadliest conflict since WWII. Today, more than 5.4 million people have died as a result of this war, 2.7 million of those being children.

Sean Carasso, founder of the organization Falling Whistles, a campaign for peace in Congo, has worked to promote awareness about the use of “whistleblowers” and using OUR voice as THEIR weapon. On his trip to the DRC he met with five boy soldiers who had been rescued from their rebel groups by the National Army. They showed utmost excitement and relief when they were rescued from the rebel army that they were kidnapped by and forced to be a part of. But once they were rescued they were imprisoned in a jailhouse where they experienced brutal beatings every night and nearly starved to death. These boys told Carasso all about their experiences and explained to him the “whistleblowers” who were young boys too small to carry a gun so they were simply given a whistle. In his journal entry Carasso wrote,

“Their sole duty was to make enough noise to scare the enemy and then to receive –with their bodies—the first round of bullets. Lines of boys fell as nothing more than a temporary barricade. Those who tried to flee were shot at from behind. The soldiers called it “encouragement” to be brave. Without a gun to protect themselves, the smallest boys were placed between the crossfire of two armies – forces fighting for reasons far beyond their ability to understand.”

After many struggles, Carasso, with the help of global relief organizations like the United Nations and UNICEF, had the five boy soldiers released from custody of the merciless guards at the Congolese Army’s Titu compound. Like the five boy soldiers Carasso met, there are many other boys starting from ages as young as 7 all the way up to 18 year olds, who are captured from their homes, handed a gun, and forced to kill. The process to try and get these boys back to their normal state is long and can take years to fulfill.

Just to add on to the injustice given to the Congolese people, every day women and children live in fear with the constant threat of being physically mutilated and raped by rebel militias. More than 200,000 women and girls have been a victim of rape or sexual violence. In a short video by New York Times reporter Nicholas Kristof, he captures the story of a 9-year-old orphan whose home was attacked by a Hutu militia consisting of remnants of those who committed the Rwandan genocide and later escaped to the Congo. They killed her parents, and kidnapped her sisters. She fled to her aunt’s house, but after only being there for two months the same militia attacked her aunt’s home and held everyone at gunpoint. She and her aunt were both raped and her uncle was slaughtered right in front of them. The militia kidnapped her aunt’s two daughters and left her and her aunt tied up, not to be discovered until three days later.

When the reporter asked a townsman how much a normal bride was worth he replied, “20 goats.” When asked how much a raped bride was worth he replied, “2 goats, if that.” Once a woman is raped, it is hard for her to feel accepted in the town. Women are often rejected by their husbands, and rape victims have difficulty marrying.

Tragedies like this occur every day in the Congo. The rapes and killings have been going on for so long now that it is hardly considered ‘news’ anymore. The world itself has become a bystander, and now that we have the knowledge of their suffering we need to stop the ignorance in the making, and do what is humanly right to stop injustice and bigotry. How much louder do they have to cry for help for us to actually take action?

Frontiers of Justice is a club at McNamara, run by Mr. Monohan, which works to promote awareness to social injustices. They plan events, such as the presentation by the organization Invisible Children, to inform students about current acts of bigotry and other unjust events. Not only does it let students know about cruel acts, but it encourages students and peers to work together to take action, because what we do matters. If you are interested in learning more about these topics, or doing something to help, please visit the club.


Get a Life, She’s Only 14

Controversial ad offends

 Commercial Against Obsesity Goes too Far

Carolyn Conte ‘14 | Opinion Editor

A young girl is in her family room watching TV, chewing on chips while dreaming about being a star one day. The Covergirl commercial ends, and a dramatic black background appears on the screen. White words flash up with sudden sounds, “High Blood Sugar. High Cholesterol. Hypertension.” It goes on, and a black and white picture of a wide girl accompanies the words. “Get healthy. Get moving. Get a life. Cut childhood obesity down to size.” The bigger girl is replaced by a bone-thin child.

    The state of Georgia has been criticized for its ads against obesity, but none of them offended me until this. When I heard a bit about the ‘insulting’ commercials, I was curious enough to watch some on Youtube. The first three left me thinking, “Yeah, it’s sad — but the kids themselves are admitting they want to be healthy and it’s not fun to get picked on. The overall message is to eat healthy, so it’s ok.” The last one I viewed, though, was truly disdainful. The overweight girl portrayed did not speak for herself as in the other ones, and instead written words narrated her health issues — which was good because it was informative — but when it wrote “Get a life,” my jaw dropped.

First of all, this is a totally wrong approach to encourage kids- especially girls- to diet. A person that needs to lose pounds should be motivated positively, not by bullying. “Stigma and prejudice are intensely stressful. Stress puts the body on full alert, which gets the blood pressure up, the sugar up,” said Colombia University Health professor Dr. Peter Muenning in a NY Times essay by Harriet Brown. Basically, feeling ugly and fat will make person more likely to get depressed, sick and gain more weight. There are a bajillion different ways to say ‘eat properly’ or ‘eat in moderation for a longer life,’ but it is plain offensive when you insinuate that the girl has no activities or friends. They have no right to imply that she has no social life, or that she has no potential for happiness. This was an unnecessary smack in the face to insecure obese children, and the phrasing itself was mean.

Then it has the audacity to follow with the expression ‘cut childhood obesity down to size’ and replace the still of the overweight girl with a stick figure girl. Muscle is required for a person to be in shape. A kid 20 pounds heavier than the one portrayed as ‘healthy’ would be average size. Enough kids are depressed because they hate themselves. Overweight and obese adolescents exemplified suicidal rates of 26.8% – more than twice the average of studied subjects, according to Medical News Today.

The sponsors should not be blaming the kids. Children adopt eating habits from their parents, and size structure is also inherited- it’s not easy to be perfect. Instead, the commercial made me feel like obese people are unwanted, useless losers that need to “Get a life” and be emaciated like the last image.  That ad did not make any little girl aspiring to be the next Rihanna put down their chips and exercise. Personally, it made me feel ugly, and like there’s no fun in life if you aren’t thin.

You can watch it now at