NEWS LITERACY

Using knowledgeable sources

Following Trump's controversial Muslim ban, I decided it was time to include the very voices that mattered most - the Muslim community. Amidst mass discourse by the political analyst community, I felt that the mainstream lacked the Muslim perspective. For the following article, I sought out Muslim students who were affected firsthand by the presumptively anti-Muslim sentiment in the country. Aside from simply tying it back to the school, I believe these voices were more important on this particular issue than the perspectives of non-Muslims.

BY KARINA BLODNIEKS

In a slew of controversial executive orders, one seemed to stand out to the American populace. Trump’s January 27 order issued a travel ban for seven majority-Muslim countries, sparking mass “No Ban, No Wall” protests across the country.

At Cooper City High School, many students felt the brunt of this religiously-charged mandate.

“I feel like the ethical approach they embarked on somewhat inferiorized the Muslims throughout the U.S.,” sophomore Neehal Hussain said.

The order was so politically provocative that the New York Times editorial board referred to it as “cowardly,” citing xenophobia as the root of the action.

While the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals halted the travel ban for the time being, no official overturn has been issued.

“The appeals court challenged the administration's claim that the ban was motivated by terrorism fears, but it also questioned the argument of an attorney challenging the executive order on grounds that it unconstitutionally targeted Muslims,” wrote the Chicago Tribune.

What many Muslim students are concerned with, however, are the deeper sentiments it unveiled.

“[Trump’s] speech has constantly put emphasis on the already existing connotation of Muslims,” sophomore Faezah Rahman said.

In particular, the Trump administration invoked terrorism as the cause of the ban, specifically citing 9/11; however, the designated countries did not include the original nations of any U.S.-threatening terrorist attackers, wrote the New York Times. This discrepancy is leading people to question the motivation of the order, but the official court decision should be released in coming days.

“Not every single Muslim is a terrorist,” junior Zohra Quzi said. “There are good and bad people in every religion and faith. Some people just want a home and to be safe and away from the war and tensions in their country.”

This sentiment is felt throughout the Muslim population, and sophomore Hiba Ali commented that it is a lack of knowledge that drives this.

“Trump does not understand our religion, nor does he bother to educate himself on the topic, which, as president of such a diverse nation, he should have taken the time to do,” Ali said. “People who are pro-Trump are going off of what he has said about Muslims because they think as a man who typically appeals to ethos, that he knows what he is talking about.”

In retaliation against the order, many protesters began forming “No Ban, No Wall” marches to highlight the racism they felt was underlying the action.

In many ways, Quzi said, these protests have made her feel accepted for the first time in her life.

“It makes me feel a little happier that there are a bunch of people out there supporting Muslims across the country and across the world,” Quzi said.

Some Muslim students are finding ways to fight negative perceptions on campus. Sophomores Neehal Hussain and Hiba Ali are working to create a Muslim Students Association, aimed at operating on the behalf of all the Muslims at CCHS.

While they’re still early in the process and the club lacks administrative approval at this point, their ideas are clear.

“Our goal is to bring the Muslims together for special events happening at different areas for this national association,” Hussain said. “We want to inspire them to simply do their Muslim thing.”

For other Muslim students, participating in a vocal forum is the first step to change. Rahman noted that the inclusion of minority voices in the prevalent discourse is important for the future.

But at the same time, this doesn’t assuage the current fears.

“Honestly, I feel like I’ve been let down by what I thought to be a progressing society,” Rahman said. “I’ve been more on edge now than I’ve ever been.”

But this isn’t the end of the story. Through collaborative work, many believe that the tension can be settled.

“As Muslims, we are not upset or angry at the ignorance of these people, we just wish that they would take the time to appreciate our culture and religion just as we have done theirs,” Ali said “We love this nation, that's why we came.”

In so far as recognizing and deconstructing negative views, the population of Muslim students at CCHS simply want to normalize themselves.

“Growing up in America, I never really considered myself anything else [but American],” Quzi said. “It’s just like being Christian or Jewish. You just believe in your God, you pray, you’re just a normal person.”

Identifying my own bias

As a politically outspoken person, it's hard for me to escape my own thoughts on major issues. However, in a recent piece on Betsy Devos' confirmation, I sought out a supporter far and wide. Despite my own inclinations, I felt the inclusion of all perspectives on the issue promotes the highest quality journalism. However, I believe there is a distinction between bias and 'taking a pulse check,' so to speak. Most students and teachers I talked to had negative feelings toward DeVos, and in pursuit of a supporter, I actually went up to every table at lunch and still came up blank. It seemed that the school was almost unanimous in their distaste for DeVos, so I do not believe I was under any obligation to make it seem like they were split. That is why the angle of the following piece highlights the dislike of her policies - because that's how the school feels. However, I did manage to find a supporter after much searching, and chose to include that perspective so it would be represented.

BY KARINA BLODNIEKS

Around twelve P.M. on Tuesday, February 7, the news broke that Betsy DeVos would serve as the next Secretary of Education.

Extending the admittedly controversial election, DeVos’ confirmation has been met with heavy pushback.

“I feel that [confirming] an individual with a closed mind in regards to education shows our regression and a lack of faith in our public school system,” senior Star Fassler said.

In a policy guide by the Public Broadcasting Service, journalist Joshua Barajas is quick to point to DeVos’ seeming lack of qualification for the job. Having never served in a public school, critics are fast to claim she’s only been hired due to her large campaign contributions to President Trump.

But the largest controversy has by far been her stance on charter schools, which many educators, parents and students fear will privatize the public education system. If federal funding goes to charter schools (which generally have lower accountability standards), many professionals feel it will divert funds from American public schools.

“I think she’s going to be very bad for our public schools,” senior Alec Shears said. “She supports for-profit private schools, so I don’t think she cares about students’ educations, just money. I think school and money should be separate.”

For educators, this fear is very real.

“The confirmation of DeVos solidifies the idea that presently in our country any government seat is available to the highest bidder regardless of the detriment it may cause to its citizens,” English teacher Natalie Flaten said.

The dissent was so strong, in fact, that DeVos has become the first cabinet nominee in American history to require a Vice Presidential tie-breaker. Settling at a 50-50 final count (with senators mostly voting along party lines), Pence made his first act as President of the Senate to confirm his nominee for Secretary of Education.

But one viable question comes to the forefront for many terrified teachers: how much power does the Secretary of Education hold over Cooper City’s public schools?

Many knowledgeable parties are pointing out that, while the Secretary of Education does have power in advising the President and pushing legislation, DeVos’ stance is largely decentralized. The administration hopes to give power back to the states, so there is potential that DeVos’ impact will be minimal.

“Each state’s Department of Education really affects funding for schools,” AP Government teacher Maria Rodriguez said. “So I think [the power] is more ideological.”

Despite the controversy, many people have rallied in favor of the new cabinet member. Supporters say her outsider position may have a greater impact on the education system.

“America is [behind] in reading and math,” junior Andreas Hinsche said. “And we’ve had all these experienced people running education, so maybe they’re doing something wrong.”

In many ways, this support echoes the “outsider” paradigm found so often in Trump’s campaign.

“The Trump administration is radically reforming America,” Hinsche said.

But amidst the support, there is no question that many students and teachers are concerned.

Senior Taylor Rutherford, who supported Trump during the election, says that his choice of DeVos was a mistake.

“I’m pretty unsure of her simply because she doesn’t support public schools,” Rutherford said. “Instead of supporting public schools - which accommodate all students regardless of income, religion or disability - she supports creating for-profit charter schools.”

Rutherford went on to say that the potential for inequality upsets her.

“Just the idea that not every student will have the opportunity - the same opportunity that I have to flourish at school - makes me very upset,” she said.

Senior and Trump supporter Gaby Sanchez faces a similar dilemma, noting that many of Trump’s cabinet picks failed to deliver.

“In light of DeVos’ recent confirmation, my disappointment has only deepened further,” Sanchez said. “Taking funding from the already underfunded public education system to benefit a small minority goes against, in my opinion, American values.”

Regardless of the demographic, students across the school seem to feel that the Senate made the wrong choice.

“As someone who has had no experience in the public education system, I think she will be disconnected with the current state of education,” sophomore Isaac Chiu said.

Sophomore Aiden Adams agrees, citing DeVos’ privatization as the major cause of his concern.

“There is no doubt public schools have their issues, but eroding our public education system, the backbone of our nation’s future, is taking a big risk,” he said.

As for now, Cooper City High School remains suspended in a state of dismay.

In response to the confirmation, Flaten asked the question that seemed to be sticking to her mind.

“How can there be such a blatant disregard for education, its teachers, and its children?”

Fact checking

In order to remain credible as a high school journalist writing political pieces, there are two major requirements. First, I have to back up my points with credible sources. Despite its popularity, I try to stray away from news sources like the Huffington Post because I know it has a significant liberal tilt. In both previous articles, I used credible sources to fact check the information I was putting out. But secondly, in order to make political reporting relevant to the student body, I have to include the students' voices. If I'm writing a summary of articles any student can find with a simple Google search, I'm not doing authentic journalism. I need to contribute something new to the discourse, and in order to do that, I have to add new perspectives.