ScholarWorks @ SeattleU (Seattle University)

A Jesuit college or university should help its students, especially young women, to recognize and resist internalized cultural messages about sexuality. In order to propose a beginning to such a large task, this essay will explore three important facets of the issue of sexuality and American youth. First, greater clarity around sexual messages prevalent in the culture will be sought. The work of Carol Gilligan (1970) and her seminal book In a Different Voice will provide additional clarity specifically regarding how girls and young women in our culture may be affected by these sexual messages. Finally, a cursory retrieval of Augustine will be suggested as one way to begin bringing students at Jesuit colleges and universities into dialogue with the Catholic theological tradition and an alternative set of ethical norms

Sutherland, Philip

English

Sex and the Role of Jesuit Colleges and Universities

Mwangi, Hannah

Seattle University 
ScholarWorks @ SeattleU 
The Spectator Online Newspapers 
1-24-2024 
2024-01-24 Mean Girls: The Movie For The Theater Kids [REVIEW] 
Hannah Mwangi 
Seattle University 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online 
Recommended Citation 
Mwangi, Hannah, "2024-01-24 Mean Girls: The Movie For The Theater Kids [REVIEW]" (2024). The 
Spectator Online. 1162. 
https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online/1162 
This News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Newspapers at ScholarWorks @ SeattleU. It 
has been accepted for inclusion in The Spectator Online by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ 
SeattleU. 
3/11/24, 1:10 PMMean Girls: The Movie For The Theater Kids [REVIEW] – The Spectator
Page 1 of 2https://seattlespectator.com/2024/01/24/mean-girls-the-movie-for-the-theater-kids-review/?print=true
The Spectator • January 24, 2024 • https://seattlespectator.com/2024/01/24/mean-girls-the-
movie-for-the-theater-kids-review/
Mean Girls: The Movie For
The Theater Kids [REVIEW]
Hannah Mwangi, Staff Reporter
Oh, God. Another musical.
The 2024 “Mean Girls” movie adaptation of the 2019
Broadway musical, based on the classic 2004 screen
comedy has been released, and if that sounds entirely
too much, that’s because it is. The newest remake, a
sour skit from the millennials, copycats the original in
an unfunny, postmodern trash flash. 
Tina Fey, writer for both movies, creates a replica
TikTok version that so easily parodies her later work.
It did, almost exactly, what the YouTube Hunger
Games Spoof Movie did. No, wait, the Starving Games
parody was so much better, in mocking the original, and actually made something new.
This isn’t me subtly hating musicals, just those awkward seconds right before you feel the cast will break out in song and
dance. Those were the worst seconds of my life. Oh my God. And it isn’t as if they helped the plot in any way—I really,
actually, couldn’t tell you what it helped. Each number was more forgettable than the last and the longer I stayed in the
theater, the more I was sure. I literally hated this movie.
I think, maybe, Fey’s attempts at keeping the relevancy of her script, tampered, too much, the satirical high school trope
that we all love so much. The new movie took itself too seriously. It removed the slang and slur and the ruthlessness of
the teenaged girl. I mean, the “Mean Girls,” weren’t mean enough. 
I needed to envy their status, to pray I was part of their clique, but I really didn’t care. Their rivalry against each other
was boringly mediocre. The “Burn Book” held no cheeky secrets, and was disappointing underwhelming. The once iconic
prop, mirrored the movie well: plain and lame. 
Kay McHugh
3/11/24, 1:10 PMMean Girls: The Movie For The Theater Kids [REVIEW] – The Spectator
Page 2 of 2https://seattlespectator.com/2024/01/24/mean-girls-the-movie-for-the-theater-kids-review/?print=true
The Reneé Rapp lore made the watch just tolerable. Rapp (who played the same role on Broadway) plays the hot pink
stilettoed Queen B, Regina George, in a passive, misanthropic guise that had a muted beotch-y feel from Rachel
McAdams’ take in the 2004 edition.
Rapp’s obvious stardom seemed to be the only pinnacle for the supposed success of the film, despite her low screen
time. Her indifferent aura in both the movie and the movie’s press tours hyped the new starlet up. Her unapologetically
messy public faux pas has hailed her “queen of relatability,” from verbally obsessing over Megan Thee Stallion’s talent
and ass to publicly claiming to be an ageist, Rapp is winning over the audience.
Replacing Lindsey Lohan’s “Cady” is Angourie Rice, who I felt was a mistake to be cast. Her transformation from nerdy,
homeschooled girl to the wicked new bully wasn’t at all convincing. I would blame the screenwriter, but I don’t think that
was the problem. I mean, who the hell is Angourie Rice? 
Her clawing up to popularity, ruining every existing friendship in the high school hellscape, was too nonchalant. Not
because it was easy, but because it wasn’t her story. She didn’t actually care for this.
This tasteless revival of the devilishly naughty high school comedy did absolutely nothing in conjuring originality (other
than swapping out characters to make them browner and gayer). 
Here’s what’s wrong with trying to remake something as iconic as “Mean Girls.” The new cast knows, too well, the
original piece, so that when delivering the same lines, it’s done with the same mannerisms and the same tone and it
comes off as tacky. But even the most memorable lines were butchered. The “get in loser, we’re going shopping,” was
incomplete, the absurd insults like “you can go shave your back now,” were absent. It felt like the new movie was just a
watered-down replica of the 2004 “Mean Girls.” The 2024 copycat, scared of “woke teens” and their cancel culture.
Tina Fey had obviously prioritized talents in singing over acting for this project. Casting real pop stars and Disney voice
actors damaged the comedic timing and performances of the cult classic. The thing I’m mad about, though, was that the
music wasn’t even good music. It was a limping hyper pop playlist from the musical theater kids, for the musical theater
kids.  
The tired rendition of the pink plastics was no more than a trendy box office money grab tailored to the audiences of the
Broadway musical.


2024-01-24 Mean Girls: The Movie For The Theater Kids [REVIEW]

Zalbert, Riley

Seattle University 
ScholarWorks @ SeattleU 
The Spectator Online Newspapers 
1-31-2024 
2024-01-31 A New Generation of Presidential Voters 
Riley Zalbert 
Seattle University 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online 
Recommended Citation 
Zalbert, Riley, "2024-01-31 A New Generation of Presidential Voters" (2024). The Spectator Online. 1169. 
https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online/1169 
This News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Newspapers at ScholarWorks @ SeattleU. It 
has been accepted for inclusion in The Spectator Online by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ 
SeattleU. 
The Spectator • January 31, 2024 • https://seattlespectator.com/2024/01/31/a-new-generation-of-
presidential-voters/
A New Generation of
Presidential Voters
Riley Zalbert, Volunteer Reporter
A New Generation of
Presidential Voters
Kay McHugh
A New Generation of Presidential Voters – The Spectator https://seattlespectator.com/2024/01/31/a-new-generation-of-presidentia...
1 of 4 9/13/24, 3:19 PM
You can also listen to this article using the audio player above.
In 2022, 8.3 million young people became eligible to vote as they turned 18. In 2024, over 8 million youth will be of voting age come
time for elections in November, resulting in a new high of nearly 41 million members of Gen Z able to vote this election cycle. This
group of new voters has become a formidable block with the opportunity to wield significant political power.
In the U.S., the last election to take place nationally was the 2022 midterm where many of these young voters were not of age or did
not participate. With the 2024 election 10 months away, political activity and public discourse are too plentiful to synthesize in one
article. 
From legal battles in court, to a campaign that is both revered and feared, to a candidate that is trying to fight back to keep
themselves in the race for the Republican nomination, to another that is trying to prevent the resurrection of a political entity.  
There has been a long road leading to today, where we see polarizing political discourse playing out in the public eye over the last
few months and in the courts as we head into the months before a contentious U.S. election. 
Across the world, almost 50% of the population is also taking part in elections in over 60 countries and several regional blocs will
hold elections, including the European Union. As this year is showing to be the election year across the globe, we can understand
that far-reaching ramifications might be on track in the future if the geopolitical balance of the world is shifted or upended
completely.  
As we head into the unknown of the next few months, there is a lot to be said around Seattle University surrounding the candidates,
primary elections and the upcoming general elections in the fall. 
With months to go, there is still a sense of perseverance in the camp of Nikki Haley, the only remaining challenger to Trump’s
presidential nomination. With fundraising events scheduled across three states, and a rally in her home state of South Carolina, her
team continues to hold out hope for the eventual nomination
Alexa Zambrano, a first-year forensic psychology major, will be voting for the first time in this upcoming election. She intends to
vote for Haley if she continues her campaign.  
“As of right now, I’d have to go with Nikki, because I think it’s about time, we give someone like her that control, and I would not like
to see Trump again. But if it’s down to Trump and Biden, I’d go with Trump because Biden’s too old,” Zambrano said. 
Biden would be continuing the presidency as the oldest president (82 for the 2024 election) to take office in 2021 at 78 and with
Trump at 70 in 2017, they are the oldest presidents elected to office. We see that there is a growing distaste for these nominees as
they head into the older years of their lives.
Harpreet Sangha is a third-year computer science major approaching his first upcoming presidential election. Sangha is wary of the
potential candidates, not having seen promise in any of the options as of yet. 
“I’ll see who I want to vote for towards the end, over the past few months nominees have been dropping out left and right as it
happens, but both candidates don’t seem promising,” Sangha said. “. We’ve already seen both as president with these four years and
the four years before with Trump, and besides them and other smaller third-party candidates, none of them stand out or do
anything that would make me want to vote for either of them.” 
Tynan Mathieu is a third-year computer science major, and this will also be his first upcoming election. He echoed Sangha’s
weariness towards both candidates, if they are the eventual nominations in the fall.  
“The options aren’t that promising, but I don’t think anyone else will be the nominations, it’s also who will be doing the least damage
is who I’ll be rooting for because the main options aren’t that promising. When Trump got elected, it was an alarming thing to a lot of
younger voters, and when Biden was elected it was alarming for the other side also,” Mathieu said.  
With the Gen Z vote becoming a larger number each year, there is the possibility that this year’s voting block skews more
Democratic than Republican. However, within the new generation of voters, there is a strong block of independents with no party
affiliation that tends to vote for the Democratic nominee. With millions of new voters registered since 2020, there will be a strong
impact from the incoming voting group. 
“I think it’s going to have more of an impact on this election than the last election, there are more Gen Z that are now able to vote
A New Generation of Presidential Voters – The Spectator https://seattlespectator.com/2024/01/31/a-new-generation-of-presidentia...
2 of 4 9/13/24, 3:19 PM
like me,” Mathieu said.  
Though neither believes strongly for either potential candidate, Sangha believes that Gen Z will have a major impact on the voting
body.
“They’ll vote more because they have the opportunity, and with their strong beliefs, whether it be the Gen Z on the left or right,
either side will get out to vote for candidates,” Sangha said.  
Though New Hampshire (Jan. 23) and Iowa (Jan. 15) were just the start of the presidential race, there are two notable upcoming
races with Nevada Feb. 8 and Haley’s home state of South Carolina Feb. 24. Here, she is hoping to avoid being trounced and keep
pushing towards the Republican nominee, but given Trump’s historical influence, that possibility may not look promising to many
viewers of the race. 
While Trump may be barreling toward the nomination, he is under a slew of investigations relating to his business practices,
payments made to Stormy Daniels, and election interference cases federally and in the state of Georgia. 
With those cases at different stages in their processes, different groups from states, including Colorado and Maine, have brought
forth cases to bar the former president from their state primary ballots. The Colorado case has been escalated all the way to the
Supreme Court, where they are slated to decide if Trump’s disqualification is valid or not. 
This is a tough legal and political situation, but there is a tough road ahead for all of the potential candidates. If Trump is the
eventual nominee, he has already indicated he will go after his political rivals that challenged him. 
An anonymous law student provided their opinion on the first-year voters and what unique circumstances they are facing in this
presidential election. 
“I think it’s really tough with this upcoming election, you have people who are born in the 1940s running in elections 80 years later,
that’s a tough thing as a first-time voter to get really excited about,” the source said.
Regarding Republican candidates, the anonymous source highlighted how they are having a hard time connecting with the younger
generation that will be voting in this election cycle. 
“One reason why conservative candidates have a hard time connecting with young voters, is that a conservatism that is strictly
focused on trying to preserve what was there before doesn’t necessarily project any sort of vision of where to go in the future. Even
if past practice had good answers to current problems, it’s a hard sale to make,” the law student said. 
The American Constitutional Society’s student chapter at Seattle U is a group focused on progressive interpretations of the
Constitution. Last year was the first year back for the group and there have been several events they’ve held discussing a multitude
of constitutional issues, cases in front of the Supreme Court and other current legal debates that are relevant to constitutional law. 
Jennelle Carlin is the president of the student chapter and a third-year law student who provided her thoughts on where younger
voters might be getting their election coverage from. 
“With younger audiences especially, social media tends to be the main platform for news. The platforms can be great for
disseminating information, but they can also put you in a tunnel where you only hear from one side,” Carlin said. “So it’s difficult for a
first-time voter to know they’re seeing the full picture if their only source of information is coming from social media.” 
An issue that is commonly discussed by members of The American Constitutional Society involves the role of social media and
media literacy in first-time voters’ political education.  
Rebecca Hannan is the vice president of the Constitutional Society chapter at Seattle U and is a second-year law school student.
She provided her thoughts on first-time voters who may not be up to date or know what’s going on with some of the candidates in
the legal world. 
“A first-time voter will care more about the actual events that are underlying the legal cases—–even if you don’t follow the news
closely you know what happened on January 6. The first-time voters who are following the news very closely will care more about
the underlying conduct of the candidates more so than the nuances of the legal battles that are playing out,” Hannan said. 
Coming from a law-based perspective, both Hannan and Carlin emphasized the lack of legal awareness that may influence first-time
A New Generation of Presidential Voters – The Spectator https://seattlespectator.com/2024/01/31/a-new-generation-of-presidentia...
3 of 4 9/13/24, 3:19 PM
voters’ decisions, believing that the younger generation places further value on behavior over legality, while they find both to be
important. 
“These legal cases are important and it’s important also for the value of precedent moving forward of what we’re saying under the
law is okay and what you can do, what disqualifies someone from office in this country, it is important for that precedential value
going forward,” Hannan said. “For first-time voters it’s important they understand the facts of what’s happened.” 
With this upcoming election there will be a large number of factors that will play into the intricacies of the fall and who will be
nominated eventually for both parties. Only time can tell what the remainder of election season will hold. 
A New Generation of Presidential Voters – The Spectator https://seattlespectator.com/2024/01/31/a-new-generation-of-presidentia...
4 of 4 9/13/24, 3:19 PM


2024-01-31 A New Generation of Presidential Voters

Schorr, Natalie

Seattle University 
ScholarWorks @ SeattleU 
The Spectator Online Newspapers 
1-31-2024 
2024-01-31 The Problem With Portland’s 90-day Fentanyl 
Emergency 
Natalie Schorr 
Seattle University 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online 
Recommended Citation 
Schorr, Natalie, "2024-01-31 The Problem With Portland’s 90-day Fentanyl Emergency" (2024). The 
Spectator Online. 1177. 
https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online/1177 
This News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Newspapers at ScholarWorks @ SeattleU. It 
has been accepted for inclusion in The Spectator Online by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ 
SeattleU. 
The Spectator • January 31, 2024 • https://seattlespectator.com/2024/01/31/the-problem-with-
portlands-90-day-fentanyl-emergency/
The Problem With Portland’s
90-day Fentanyl Emergency
Natalie Schorr, Digital Media Producer
Yesterday, Oregon Governor Tina Kotek, Portland Mayor
Ted Wheeler and Multnomah County Chair Jessica Vega
Pederson declared a 90-day state of emergency in Portland
to help combat the drug use problem in the city.
As someone from the Portland metro area, I’m doubtful
that this will create any real change.
Back in 2020, Oregon voted to pass Measure 110, which
decriminalized the possession of drugs. Many sources seem
to point this out as the root of the problem Portland is
facing now. Along with decriminalizing drugs, Measure 110
was supposed to create more resources to help people
facing addiction. Instead of arresting people found with
drugs, police officers are now supposed to give people
referrals to get treatment.
But that hasn’t actually worked out.
In actuality, Oregon has not invested the money needed to build more treatment centers and create more resources. In the
outbreak of this news, I have also seen various news outlets report that the issue is that people are ignoring the referrals. It seems
to me like people are assigning the blame in this problem to the wrong people. Instead of putting fault on the government
organizations who were not creating resources, they say that people simply aren’t taking the referrals. 
I find it highly unfair to reduce this whole problem down to people not taking referrals for drug treatment. Firstly, not everyone who
is addicted to drugs recognizes that it is an issue, or, if they do, they may not even want help. Secondly, even if they do want help,
there are not enough resources in Portland to get them that help. I do believe that there has been an increase in fentanyl usage in
Portland. But I also think that citizens are now being forced to see that issue firsthand, instead of police throwing these people in jail
to forget about. 
If you’re wondering why there is a lack of proper drug treatment resources in Portland, it’s not for lack of funding. If you make above
a certain income threshold and live in the Portland metro area, you pay a 1% income tax intended to help fund resources to help
unhoused individuals. My parents pay into this tax. Even with all this money, Multnomah County—the county where most of
Portland is located—is not even creating a plan for how to spend it or effectively address the crisis.
All of this leads us to where we are now, with no real changes since the initial measure passed and more issues arising. The only
solution we have come up with is declaring a state of emergency. Even with a state of emergency declared, the only plan seems to be
Jake Nelson
MDMA capsule. Fentanyl laced Psychostimulant overdose deaths
in the United States have more than quadrupled over the past ten
years according to the national institute on drug abuse.
The Problem With Portland’s 90-day Fentanyl Emergency – The Spectator https://seattlespectator.com/2024/01/31/the-problem-with-portlands-90-...
1 of 2 9/13/24, 3:20 PM
to create a “command center” to address the issue. There doesn’t seem to be a plan beyond that. Or a plan for what happens when
the state of emergency is over.
I have long felt like the systems of government in the United States do not actually do anything to help the people they are supposed
to represent. I think this state of emergency is a prime example of that. When are we going to stop with all this nonsense and
actually help the people who need it? I love my home city, and I have seen firsthand what our government’s refusal to help people
has led to. I want us to find a real solution that will effectively address the problem, and I do not see this recent development doing
that. 
Maybe I’m just frustrated. Maybe I’ve read too many articles on the issue from sources I felt were poorly reporting on the subject. I
want to see real change and real actions taken to combat a growing drug problem in my home city. Unfortunately, I can’t see this
state of emergency doing anything to actually fix it.
The Problem With Portland’s 90-day Fentanyl Emergency – The Spectator https://seattlespectator.com/2024/01/31/the-problem-with-portlands-90-...
2 of 2 9/13/24, 3:20 PM


2024-01-31 The Problem With Portland’s 90-day Fentanyl Emergency

Truog, Daniel

Seattle University 
ScholarWorks @ SeattleU 
The Spectator Online Newspapers 
2-7-2024 
2024-02-07 Exploring The Supreme Court’s Upcoming Decision on 
Donald Trump’s Ballot Disqualification 
Daniel Truog 
Seattle University 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online 
Recommended Citation 
Truog, Daniel, "2024-02-07 Exploring The Supreme Court’s Upcoming Decision on Donald Trump’s Ballot 
Disqualification" (2024). The Spectator Online. 1183. 
https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online/1183 
This News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Newspapers at ScholarWorks @ SeattleU. It 
has been accepted for inclusion in The Spectator Online by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ 
SeattleU. 
3/11/24, 11:59 AMExploring The Supreme Court’s Upcoming Decision on Donald Trump’s Ballot Disqualification  – The Spectator
Page 1 of 3https://seattlespectator.com/2024/02/07/exploring-the-supreme-courts-upcoming-decision-on-donald-trumps-ballot-disqualification/?print=true
The Spectator • February 7, 2024 • https://seattlespectator.com/2024/02/07/exploring-the-
supreme-courts-upcoming-decision-on-donald-trumps-ballot-disqualification/
Exploring The Supreme
Court’s Upcoming Decision on
Donald Trump’s Ballot
Disqualification 
Daniel Truog, Volunteer Reporter
With a rapidly advancing election season, a common
perception among many Americans could be that the
candidates slated for the 2024 ballots are set in
stone. However, there is a growing effort to remove
former president Donald Trump from some states’
Republican primary ballots. This presents a potential
challenge to his heavily anticipated return to the
White House.
Feb. 8, the Supreme Court will hear arguments for
and against Trump’s ballot disqualification in
Colorado. This comes after the Colorado Supreme
Court ruled 4-3 in favor of disqualification. Trump and
his lawyers are hoping to reverse this ruling.
The ruling on disqualification is a result of Section 3 of
the 14th Amendment of the United States
Constitution. This section states that people who, “have engaged in insurrection or rebellion,” may not hold public office.
Those attempting to remove Trump from the ballot believe that comments made by the former president on Jan. 6,
2021, constitute engaging in insurrection.
Specifically, Trump urged his supporters to “confront this egregious assault on our democracy”; “walk down to the
Capitol…[and] show strength;” and that if they did not “fight like hell, [they would] not…have a country anymore.”
Jordie Simpson
Professor Siegel, an expert on the Supreme Court, leading a
discussion about Donald Trump’s potential Presidential
Election disqualification in the Sullivan Hall Courtroom.
3/11/24, 11:59 AMExploring The Supreme Court’s Upcoming Decision on Donald Trump’s Ballot Disqualification  – The Spectator
Page 2 of 3https://seattlespectator.com/2024/02/07/exploring-the-supreme-courts-upcoming-decision-on-donald-trumps-ballot-disqualification/?print=true
Andrew Siegel is a professor of law at Seattle University who specializes in constitutional law and the Supreme Court.
Siegel weighed in on the significance of the legal precedence of the case.
“It’s one of the biggest, most open-ended cases to reach the Supreme Court in our lifetime,” Siegel said. “It really will
determine so much about how this election transpires.”
Siegel hosted a conversation Jan. 31 titled “Discussion on Disqualification – The Trump Question.” Organized by the
Seattle U chapter of the American Constitutional Society (ACS), this event brought together students to explore the
many facets of the upcoming decision facing the nation’s highest court.
Rebecca Hannan, a second-year law student and vice president of the ACS chapter at Seattle U, says the organization
put together the event to explore legal and political questions raised by the case.
“I think, often, we get the headline of what a given decision is, but understanding the reasoning behind it can be really
helpful,” Hannan said.
The ramifications of any decision are particularly complex due to the political context. The Supreme Court’s six
conservative justices are making their decision with the clock ticking toward Super Tuesday March 5. Super Tuesday will
see 15 states vote in Republican primaries, including the state of Maine. The Maine Supreme Judicial Court is waiting for
the Supreme Court’s result to make its own decision on disqualification.
“It would be hard to imagine the court ruling that Trump is disqualified from the ballot based on the current makeup of
the court, and also the consequences that that would have,” Hannan said.
Even with the court’s conservative majority, it is unclear what path the court could take to reach Hannan’s predicted
outcome. The open-ended nature of the language in this section of the 14th Amendment is yet another complicating
factor.
“Section 3 of the 14th Amendment–this particular provision is terrible Constitution writing. It is an invitation to
contested litigation with incredibly high stakes at, by definition, the times in our history where we are most fragile,”
Siegel said.
The United States adopted the 14th Amendment after the Civil War. Section 3 was adopted in large part as a means to
bar Confederates from public office. Siegel expects the Supreme Court’s ruling to hinge on their modern definition of
inciting an insurrection.
“[It is possible] that the court determines that President Trump’s conduct was largely limited to his speech and doesn’t
meet the constitutional definition of incitement…and therefore this can’t be used against him,” Siegel said.
The court’s decision is significant not only as it affects the 2024 election, but future elections as well. Gabi Muña, a third-
year political science and sociology major, has a more optimistic perspective. Muña is vice president of the Political
Science Club and participated in a club discussion about the upcoming case.
“I think it would set some real precedent for holding politicians accountable for their actions in and out of office if it were
to be ruled against Trump,” Muña said.
If the Supreme Court decides to side with the Colorado Supreme Court, it does not mean Trump cannot win the
presidency. States would have to decide on their own whether to disqualify Trump from their ballots.
3/11/24, 11:59 AMExploring The Supreme Court’s Upcoming Decision on Donald Trump’s Ballot Disqualification  – The Spectator
Page 3 of 3https://seattlespectator.com/2024/02/07/exploring-the-supreme-courts-upcoming-decision-on-donald-trumps-ballot-disqualification/?print=true
The Supreme Court’s decision, regardless of the outcome, will have lasting effects on the American political climate. Oral
arguments for the Supreme Court case will begin Feb. 8.


2024-02-07 Exploring The Supreme Court’s Upcoming Decision on Donald Trump’s Ballot Disqualification

Bunker, Leila

Seattle University 
ScholarWorks @ SeattleU 
The Spectator Online Newspapers 
2-7-2024 
2024-02-07 WGSS Holds Fourth Annual CurveCon 
Leila Bunker 
Seattle University 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online 
Recommended Citation 
Bunker, Leila, "2024-02-07 WGSS Holds Fourth Annual CurveCon" (2024). The Spectator Online. 1189. 
https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online/1189 
This News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Newspapers at ScholarWorks @ SeattleU. It 
has been accepted for inclusion in The Spectator Online by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ 
SeattleU. 
3/11/24, 11:54 AMWGSS Holds Fourth Annual CurveCon  – The Spectator
Page 1 of 4https://seattlespectator.com/2024/02/07/wgss-holds-fourth-annual-curvecon/?print=true
The Spectator • February 7, 2024 • https://seattlespectator.com/2024/02/07/wgss-holds-
fourth-annual-curvecon/
WGSS Holds Fourth Annual
CurveCon 
Leila Bunker , News Editor
In an effort to provide students the opportunity to
showcase their research, the Women, Gender and
Sexuality Studies (WGSS) Department held their
fourth annual “CurveCon” Feb. 2. The panels
organized included one on “Individual and Collective
Modes of Women’s Activism” and another on
“Analyzing Violences Against Women.” Three WGSS
students were featured, each of them presenting
works that related to history and the illumination of
specific topics. Serena Cosgrove, an associate
professor of international studies, was the keynote
speaker and closed out the student research
symposium with a presentation titled “Heal Her, Heal
the Country: Women’s Activism in Post-conflict
Settings.”
Chair of the WGSS Department Nova Robinson and Senior Administrative Assistant Heidi Speck worked diligently and
closely to curate this year’s CurveCon. While the previous conferences were held in spring quarter, it was decided that
hosting the conference in winter quarter going forward will give students the opportunity to receive feedback and
workshop ideas that can potentially be developed into a senior thesis. 
Speck expressed that CurveCon is beneficial for a multitude of reasons, whether that be becoming comfortable with
public speaking or looking to put down experience on one’s resume. 
“Looking back when I was a student, it would have been great to have those kinds of opportunities. I would have loved to
have somebody look at my work,” Speck said. “I feel like it’s a great way to learn about workshops and panels in general
so you can get a sense of what it is like.”
Jordie
CurveCon 2024 signage posted in the Casey building on
campus.
3/11/24, 11:54 AMWGSS Holds Fourth Annual CurveCon  – The Spectator
Page 2 of 4https://seattlespectator.com/2024/02/07/wgss-holds-fourth-annual-curvecon/?print=true
Professor Serena Cosgrove giving the keynote address during CurveCon 2024,
hosted by Seattle U Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies department.
All of the students this year were first-time panelists, with Anneliese Stahly-Dronkowski, a third-year double major in
history and WGSS, presenting first. About a year ago, she studied the life of Cheryl Marie Wade, a disability activist and
poet who was diagnosed with rheumatoid arthritis. Stahly-Dronkowski initially felt insecure about what she produced,
but revisiting her work for CurveCon made her more confident. 
Stahly-Dronkowski expressed that she didn’t know a lot about disability activism and wanted to broaden her horizons
on the topic. She believes that more attention needs to be given to disability rights activism and the women whose
identities intersect within
that, but in a way that
amplifies the voices of
others who have been cut
off from the privilege of
having their own platform.
One of the things that
Stahly-Dronkowski
expressed in regard to
CurveCon was that she
appreciated the amount of
diverse perspectives. 
“It’s unique being with so
many people from different
disciplines, and that we all
come together in the realm
of women, gender and
sexuality studies. It’s really
fun to see different people’s
takes on my research, even
if they’re not historians,”
Stahly-Dronkowski said. 
The second panelist was
Claire Cox, a second-year
double major in history and
WGSS. Cox presented a
paper that was focused on
the #MeToo movement in
Sweden. Their interest in
this topic stemmed from
wanting to know how the
movement shows up
differently internationally.
Cox was attracted to
Sweden in particular
because Sweden is one of the countries with the highest level of gender equality, ranking fifth in the world.
3/11/24, 11:54 AMWGSS Holds Fourth Annual CurveCon  – The Spectator
Page 3 of 4https://seattlespectator.com/2024/02/07/wgss-holds-fourth-annual-curvecon/?print=true
An observation that Cox made was that the U.S. #MeToo movement has conversations largely surrounding the stories of
individuals, while in Sweden the discussion is more holistic, as it is about systemic patterns of violence that perpetuate
gender inequality and why people deny gender-based violence. The scope of Cox’s research was specifically based on
workplace equality. 
Skye Torrey, a second-year graduate student enrolled in the criminal justice program, was the third panelist and
presented her research on the depiction of gender-based violence in the media. Using the show “Big Little Lies,” Torrey
analyzed how the media desensitizes violence and, as a result, produces distorted perceptions of reality.
Criminal Justice MA student, Skye Torrey presenting during the research symposium at CurveCon 2024. (Jordie
Simpson)
Being that gender-based violence is a sensitive topic, Torrey was unsure for a time if she would be able to handle delving
into the research due to her own personal history. Yet, she believes that she’s made progress and that, despite other
research interests, she always finds herself coming back to the issue. To Torrey, it is an essential conversation. 
“When I see news articles or hear stuff on TV, most of the time it’s victim blaming and it’s really irritating. The media has
such a big impact on how we perceive misogyny and violence against women,” Torrey said.
CurveCon is an opportunity for WGSS students to showcase any type of research they’d done in previous classes.
Ultimately though, it serves as a supportive environment where students can bounce ideas off of another and further
their interests in WGSS related topics.
3/11/24, 11:54 AMWGSS Holds Fourth Annual CurveCon  – The Spectator
Page 4 of 4https://seattlespectator.com/2024/02/07/wgss-holds-fourth-annual-curvecon/?print=true
“When I see my peers presenting their work, it’s very motivating for me… on a lot of levels they are likely the same
generation as you are, so they have similar interests and work ethics. You can find a lot of support for your own research
by building those connections,” Stahly-Dronkowski said.


2024-02-07 WGSS Holds Fourth Annual CurveCon

Byrne, Hudson

Johnson, Naja

Seattle University 
ScholarWorks @ SeattleU 
The Spectator Online Newspapers 
2-14-2024 
2024-02-14 The Comeback of Standardized Testing 
Hudson Byrne 
Seattle University 
Naja Johnson 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online 
Recommended Citation 
Byrne, Hudson and Johnson, Naja, "2024-02-14 The Comeback of Standardized Testing" (2024). The 
Spectator Online. 1199. 
https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online/1199 
This News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Newspapers at ScholarWorks @ SeattleU. It 
has been accepted for inclusion in The Spectator Online by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ 
SeattleU. 
3/11/24, 11:50 AMThe Comeback of Standardized Testing – The Spectator
Page 1 of 3https://seattlespectator.com/2024/02/14/the-comeback-of-standardized-testing/?print=true
The Spectator • February 14, 2024 • https://seattlespectator.com/2024/02/14/the-comeback-
of-standardized-testing/
The Comeback of
Standardized Testing
Hudson Byrne and Naja Johnson
The debate over the relevancy of standardized
testing has emerged, after Dartmouth recently
announced plans to reinstate standardized testing
scores as a part of the admissions process for
prospective students.
Standardized testing, such as the SAT or ACT, had
been a long standing requirement of most colleges
prior to 2019. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit,
standardized testing became nearly impossible to
administer due to social distancing protocols. Schools
were forced to re-examine the value of standardized
scores in the admissions process. With this news, the
class of 2020 took a sigh of relief, though few believed
the impact of this decision would be as far-reaching as
it has revealed itself to be. 
This decision sparked conversation as to whether or
not standardized tests were the best way to
determine academic ability. A tradition of nearly a century was put under the limelight, with many colleges, including
Dartmouth, finding the utility of standardized testing to be obsolete. In a statement released in 2020, Dartmouth said
that standardized tests are, “not good uses of a student’s time, money, or emotional energy.” Clearly, the institution’s
sentiments of standardized testing have changed.
Since 2020, many college students have expressed that standardized testing does not entirely or accurately represent a
student’s academic performance. Many students, including first-year engineering major Johnny Rosario, agree. 
“Does the ACT or SAT determine your performance? No, not really,” Rosario said. 
Luca Del Carlo
3/11/24, 11:50 AMThe Comeback of Standardized Testing – The Spectator
Page 2 of 3https://seattlespectator.com/2024/02/14/the-comeback-of-standardized-testing/?print=true
College after college dropped the requirement for standardized testing, with some schools going as far as implementing
test-blind policies. In spite of this, Rosario acknowledged the potential benefits of standardized testing. 
“For those with poor grades, standardized testing can be a great way to showcase your ability,” Rosario said. 
And that is ultimately the goal of test-optional schools: to allow standardized testing to be a supplement, not a necessity.
After the test optional period, some universities have elected to reinstate mandatory testing into their admissions
process.
To Ineliz Soto, senior director of admissions at Seattle University, it is not that simple. 
“It depends on the student,” Soto said. 
Soto also raised concerns with the accessibility of SAT or ACT resources. 
“Success on standardized tests often depends on access to preparatory materials, which many do not have,” Soto said,
Some recent research supports Soto’s claims, with one study finding that the wealthiest one percent of Americans were
thirteen times more likely to score highly on the ACT or SAT tests than low-income students. 
Other studies seem to support the idea that standardized testing helps those from low income families. One report,
which was commissioned by Dartmouth College President Sian Beilock, found that test-optional policies discouraged
some low-income students from submitting scores in their applications, even when the scores would have helped
strengthen their candidacy. 
So should we expect colleges to follow suit with Dartmouth? Unlikely. 
The test-optional experiment has been a success for most schools so far; increasing diversity while simultaneously
maintaining rates of academic success. Over 80% of four-year colleges in the United States will not require ACT or SAT
scores this coming year. 
92% of admission officials at colleges that switched to test-optional policies said they will be continuing the practice. 
Jacob Bledsoe, a 2019 graduate of Santa Margarita Catholic High School in California, discussed how fears surrounding
the SATs and other standardized tests had temporarily subsided. 
“We’d get good grades but some of us just did not do well on the SAT. Just felt like it was all for nothing, you know,”
Bledsoe said.
Bledsoe identified with the despair many students felt due to standardized tests. 
Ava Higginbothan, a high school junior who lives in Renton, Wash., weighed in and expressed her concerns related to the
return of standardized testing.
“I was really surprised. I think it’s a step back from where we were going,” Higginbothan said.
She explained that institutions that solely focus on students’ test scores take away from the individuality of the student.
In the past years when universities went test-optional, it gave students who don’t test well an opportunity to shine.
3/11/24, 11:50 AMThe Comeback of Standardized Testing – The Spectator
Page 3 of 3https://seattlespectator.com/2024/02/14/the-comeback-of-standardized-testing/?print=true
“They looked more at the student as a whole. That’s how we get great leaders and other influential people. It’s not
necessarily good grades, it’s how they plan to contribute to society as a whole,” Higginbothan said.
Higginbothan ended with the financial implications associated with preparation for the major tests.
“It’s not always fair that there are people with lower socioeconomic incomes that don’t have all the resources to hire
tutors or get all the study material. I am in a school district where they give some SAT prep but not everyone has access
to that,” Higginbothan said.
As institutions begin to redefine the requirements for admission, the next generation of college students wait
anticipating how their college admissions will change overnight.


2024-02-14 The Comeback of Standardized Testing

Seattle University 
ScholarWorks @ SeattleU 
The Spectator Online Newspapers 
2-14-2024 
2024-02-14 What the FAFSA Troubles Mean for Students 
Riley Zalbert 
Seattle University 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online 
Recommended Citation 
Zalbert, Riley, "2024-02-14 What the FAFSA Troubles Mean for Students" (2024). The Spectator Online. 
1202. 
https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online/1202 
This News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Newspapers at ScholarWorks @ SeattleU. It 
has been accepted for inclusion in The Spectator Online by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ 
SeattleU. 
3/11/24, 11:48 AMWhat the FAFSA Troubles Mean for Students – The Spectator
Page 1 of 3https://seattlespectator.com/2024/02/14/what-the-fafsa-troubles-mean-for-students/?print=true
The Spectator • February 14, 2024 • https://seattlespectator.com/2024/02/14/what-the-fafsa-
troubles-mean-for-students/
What the FAFSA Troubles
Mean for Students
Riley Zalbert, Volunteer Reporter
Tuesday, Jan. 30, the U.S. Department of Education
(DOE) announced that there would be yet another
delay in this year’s turbulent FAFSA rollout. Initially,
the department had planned to send out financial aid
offers for students in Jan. but has now delayed that
information’s release until at least early March.
According to The Washington Post, the department
has been scrambling to amend an error as  they did
not calculate correctly for inflation in a stretch from
April 2020 to April 2023 of the Consumer Price Index
(CPI).
With these mismanagements, students who need
FAFSA to access government money to help cover the
cost of school through federal loans, work-study, and
Pell Grants for low-income students won’t know their
potential aid until much later in their potential
decision window, also tightening their potential dates
for decisions for where to go. These changes hold
significant barriers over students’ college experience. 
When the form was first released as a soft launch in
December, there were only very short windows for
Dec. 30 and Dec. 31 before gradually opening from 8
a.m. to 8 p.m. a few weeks ago. After that, students
only had until February 1st if they wanted to meet the
priority deadlines at Seattle University. 
Luca Del Carlo
3/11/24, 11:48 AMWhat the FAFSA Troubles Mean for Students – The Spectator
Page 2 of 3https://seattlespectator.com/2024/02/14/what-the-fafsa-troubles-mean-for-students/?print=true
There has already been coverage of the new rollout here at The Spectator.
Some of those who could provide answers to the questions were Assistant Provost of Student Financial Services (SFS)
Jordan Grant and Amber Brockel, the assistant director of student contact and communications for SFS.
They have been waiting on new data to become available to SFS by next week, which will then be factored in by the
team.
“Normally we would have most aid packages in January, so students would have January to April to make their decision
[about attending Seattle U]. Right now, regardless of when you apply to Seattle U, you’re going to have the month of
April basically to make the decision,” Grant said.
 The shortened amount of time a prospective student has to make their decision on where they want to go, and who
might be offering them the best package, may be anxiety inducing due to the delay. In light of this development, SFS is
responding to these changes and doing what they can to prepare as they wait for more information to come.
“We’re doing a lot of things to get prepared for the eventuality, and that is planning. So Amber is planning incoming
student appointment times. We’d have four months to do those, and we now have four weeks,” Grant said. 
With such a condensed schedule now, there has been a sense that everything needs to be in order for when that new
data arrives and how that will play into the offers and how they will impact those.
“We are doing our system set up, everything we can do to get ready for the new Institutional Student Information
Record (ISIR), that’s something all the financial aid offices deal with, ” Grant said. “We’re doing a lot to process that and
right now. We have three test files that the DOE has released for us, and we should get more next week also.” 
Angelina Spitzauer, a fourth-year biology major, believes these changes might potentially have a negative affect on
campus life.
“Right now SU, in full transparency, is going through a weird time. After COVID and everything, we’re not doing great
with money and I think it’s going to affect the campus. Our classes might get smaller, not as many students might enroll,
and overall we’re going to have to find ways to compensate for that, which is going to really hurt the students,” Spitzauer
said.
The questions have been coming in gradually from parents of first-time students navigating FAFSA,but Brockel thinks
that more parents will begin to inquire sooner.
“A lot of the calls we’re getting are about filing the FAFSA, with general questions about ‘How do I get past this point?’, or
others that have submitted and are just worried that we haven’t gotten it, which we don’t know yet because we haven’t
gotten any FAFSA information. Or maybe they made a mistake and they want to make a change or a correction, which
they still can’t do until mid-March when the data is released to the schools. I do foresee as we inch closer to Decision Day
(May 1), more families reaching out worried about being able to afford it,” Brockel said.
Brockel hopes more students will show up at the upcoming FAFSA workshops. 
“We had several students that turned out last Friday. Out of those students we were able to help the majority of them
get their FAFSA submitted, so that was awesome, and a few still might need help.We’re hoping as we get closer and
closer to decision day and [as] students are getting more anxious about finding out their financial aid awards that we’ll
have more students who will come into those workshops and get help, even if it’s one question,” Brockel said. 
3/11/24, 11:48 AMWhat the FAFSA Troubles Mean for Students – The Spectator
Page 3 of 3https://seattlespectator.com/2024/02/14/what-the-fafsa-troubles-mean-for-students/?print=true


2024-02-14 What the FAFSA Troubles Mean for Students

Stipkovits, Caleb

Seattle University 
ScholarWorks @ SeattleU 
The Spectator Online Newspapers 
2-21-2024 
2024-02-21 Bubbling to the Top: New Boba Shop Reinvents Cap 
Hill Tea 
Caleb Stipkovits 
Seattle University 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online 
Recommended Citation 
Stipkovits, Caleb, "2024-02-21 Bubbling to the Top: New Boba Shop Reinvents Cap Hill Tea" (2024). The 
Spectator Online. 1206. 
https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online/1206 
This News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Newspapers at ScholarWorks @ SeattleU. It 
has been accepted for inclusion in The Spectator Online by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ 
SeattleU. 
3/11/24, 1:03 PMBubbling to the Top: New Boba Shop Reinvents Cap Hill Tea – The Spectator
Page 1 of 3https://seattlespectator.com/2024/02/21/bubbling-to-the-top-new-boba-shop-reinvents-cap-hill-tea/?print=true
The Spectator • February 21, 2024 • https://seattlespectator.com/2024/02/21/bubbling-to-
the-top-new-boba-shop-reinvents-cap-hill-tea/
Bubbling to the Top: New
Boba Shop Reinvents Cap Hill
Tea
Caleb Stipkovits, Volunteer Reporter
Although it has been weeks since its grand opening,
Capitol Hill’s newest boba shop is still packed every
day. Comebuytea, located on the corner of Broadway
and Pike, is growing in popularity due to its luxurious
interior and colorful “Teaspresso” machines. Above all
reasons, the fresh drink menu is what keeps
attracting customers.
Although new to Seattle, Comebuytea has made a
name in the boba business by operating several Taipei
and Hong Kong locations. The Capitol Hill location is
only the second Comebuytea in the United States. 
Founded in 2002, the company makes its tea using the 5-
step Kung Fu method in a Teaspresso machine, which is
similar to an espresso machine, but for tea. The Kung Fu
method includes warming, rinsing, immersing, “waking up”
and steeping the tea. Although the tactic is usually very
time-consuming, the Teaspresso can complete the entire
process in just 60 seconds.
Seattle University Second-Year and Political Science
mMajor Ahmed Osman is one of the many new fans of the
store. Following his first visit, Osman has returned to the
store several times since.
Adeline Ong
3/11/24, 1:03 PMBubbling to the Top: New Boba Shop Reinvents Cap Hill Tea – The Spectator
Page 2 of 3https://seattlespectator.com/2024/02/21/bubbling-to-the-top-new-boba-shop-reinvents-cap-hill-tea/?print=true
“It looked really nice in there, I felt at peace, it was aesthetically pleasing. The price is amazing, $6, $5 plus tax is actually
really good… I don’t mind paying that much compared to other places,” Osman said.
The appealing interior has even attracted people who are just passing through Capitol Hill. KJ Lee, a visitor from San
Diego, was in the neighborhood with some friends when they stumbled upon Comebuytea.
“We were just walking around, it’s kind of nice inside so we stayed for the vibes,” Lee said. “I got the sun moon lake black
tea. I got it hot because it’s kind of cold outside. It was a really nice sweet tea, but it [also] felt healthy in a sense.”
The opening of Washington’s first Comebuytea is thanks to Brandon Ting and Seung Lee, two business partners who
believe that Washington has a great market for fresh tea. Ting is the Master Franchisor of Comebuytea USA, and it was
his decision to bring a store to Seattle.
“I always thought the US market needed [a] good bubble tea brand to come to Seattle,” Ting said. “When I went back to
Taiwan, I saw Comebuytea. Comebuytea is one of the five [boba] brands in Taiwan with the longest history, and it is very
admirable in Taiwan because of how competitive the market is.”
Lee joined the project at Ting’s request, and after a long construction period, the Capitol Hill location was opened.
One of the key pieces to the store’s early success has been marketing technique. Lee, who is in charge of several day-to-
day operations including developing promotions, detailed some of the methods the store has used to gain customers. 
“Initially, we started with 100 free drinks to the first customers, we also launched a first hundred drinks to social media
followers [promotion].”
The business flow has been so good that Lee has hardly gotten a break these past few weeks. 
“I haven’t had a real good meal since I started this a
week ago,” he joked. “Since the grand opening, I’ve been
eating behind the bar, just a waffle or some snacks… [it’s
been busy] every single day except there was a day that
it snowed… it was slow during the snow, but it picked up
right again as soon as the snow stopped.”
Although Comebuytea hasn’t been open long, Ting and
Lee hope to make an impact in the Capitol Hill
community as soon as possible. The store is located on a
street corner that has seen some of the most brutal
parts of Seattle’s homelessness and addiction crises. Lee
hopes that the opening of the shop can help strengthen
the community.
“I’m [hoping] to bring this community together,” he said. “I see a lot of badness [in] Capitol Hill, but I think we can make it
better. There are a lot of unwanted activities on the street, [so] I hope that we can make a difference together and clean
up the mess that we caused.”
While the grand opening craze will most likely slow down as time goes on, many Seattle U students like Osman will
continue to buy from Comebuytea. 
Adeline Ong
3/11/24, 1:03 PMBubbling to the Top: New Boba Shop Reinvents Cap Hill Tea – The Spectator
Page 3 of 3https://seattlespectator.com/2024/02/21/bubbling-to-the-top-new-boba-shop-reinvents-cap-hill-tea/?print=true
“The boba scene here is strong, you can’t go in Capitol Hill and not see someone drinking boba,” Osman said. “I have
never been to a boba store consecutively like that… [It’s my favorite boba store] by a wide margin.”
Whether you are someone who loves boba or someone who has never tried it, Ting encourages anyone to try what
Comebuytea has to offer.
“Enjoy the show, this experience is not only educational and cultural… but fun. We hope you like our products, we [hope]
to see you often!”


2024-02-21 Bubbling to the Top: New Boba Shop Reinvents Cap Hill Tea

Seattle University 
ScholarWorks @ SeattleU 
The Spectator Online Newspapers 
2-21-2024 
2024-02-21 New House Bill Seeks to Transform Education on 
Fentanyl 
Naja Johnson 
Seattle University 
Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online 
Recommended Citation 
Johnson, Naja, "2024-02-21 New House Bill Seeks to Transform Education on Fentanyl" (2024). The 
Spectator Online. 1210. 
https://scholarworks.seattleu.edu/spectator-online/1210 
This News Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Newspapers at ScholarWorks @ SeattleU. It 
has been accepted for inclusion in The Spectator Online by an authorized administrator of ScholarWorks @ 
SeattleU. 
The Spectator • February 21, 2024 • https://seattlespectator.com/2024/02/21/new-house-bill-seeks-to-
transform-education-on-fentanyl/
New House Bill Seeks to
Transform Education on
Fentanyl
Naja Johnson, News Editor
House Bill 1956 was passed in the Washington State House
of Representatives Feb. 9, and is currently working its way
through the Senate Committee as of Feb. 21. The bill was
first introduced in December of 2023 and has been in the
works for quite some time. The bill, if passed in the senate,
would require schools to address fentanyl through
substance use disorder prevention through education. 
Mari Leavitt is a state representative for the 28th district of
Washington. Leavitt was the primary sponsor and spent the
interim working on the bill. 
“What brought me to the bill is our youth are dying,
particularly those under 24, to opioid and fentanyl
poisoning,” she said.
Leavitt expressed that fentanyl has endangered youth
without them even knowing it. She also explained that opioids and fentanyl is the number one cause of death for those under 30.
“Many folks are not choosing fentanyl; they’re taking Adderall or Percocet, thinking that something that they’re taking is one thing
and finding out it’s not. Unfortunately, fentanyl is 50 times more potent than heroin, and as a result, the tolerance in one’s body is
not high for a drug like that,” Leavitt explained.
Leavitt described the importance of education when it comes to substances such as fentanyl.
“It’s really important to educate our youth and make sure that they know the dangers. Also, they’ll be able to identify the symptoms
within themselves and their friends.”
David Hackney is a representative for the 11th district of Washington and one of the sponsors of the bill. He shared that he feels
the bill would be a step in the right direction and would help protect youth.
“We need comprehensive action from education. Education is key,” Hackney said.
Hackney expressed how fentanyl is impacting communities across Washington state. 
Jake Nelson
MDMA capsule. Fentanyl laced Psychostimulant overdose deaths
in the United States have more than quadrupled over the past ten
years according to the national institute on drug abuse.
New House Bill Seeks to Transform Education on Fentanyl – The Spectator https://seattlespectator.com/2024/02/21/new-house-bill-seeks-to-transfo...
1 of 2 9/13/24, 4:48 PM
“I spoke with a Native American chief who was concerned that fentanyl would kill his whole tribe,” Hackney said.
Hackney, also a former federal prosecutor, addressed the discrepancies in legislation when it comes to controlled substances. 
“Some drugs are so dangerous they should be illegal. If you expose a dependent child to meth it’s a felony. If you expose a dependent
child to fentanyl it’s a misdemeanor,” Hackney shared.
Hackney shared that if the bill is passed it would help legislators actively work against substance use disorders in Washington state.
“Success breeds success. As legislators, we need to use every tool in our toolbox to keep people safe,” Hackney said.
Jenn Gladish is a mother of three and a Seattle resident. Gladish weighed in on the bill and expressed her thoughts as a parent. 
“My immediate thoughts were that education is the first line of defense against ensuring that children that are getting into those
types of high school and college years are adequately informed before trying new things and having new experiences. They must be
aware of the risks,” Gladish said.
Gladish believes that HB1956 will be a great resource to fight the opioid epidemic in Washington State and will work to serve
youth. She also stated that the timing for the bill was appropriate.
“I think it’s a step in the right direction, I don’t think any faster was appropriate. We needed to see if the epidemic was to develop or
if it was going to remain stagnant.”
Gladish provided a perspective on how fortified education can provide students with the necessary skills whilst navigating the
opioid epidemic.
“ I think that education is impactful in that way too. They need to know that there are risks for things outside of what they’d be
consenting to. Just general living and the potential to breathe in substances that can harm you indefinitely,” Gladish ended. 
As HB1956 works its way through the senate, Washington state youth and their counterparts await to see how the presence of the
opioid epidemic will be combated in the state of Washington.
New House Bill Seeks to Transform Education on Fentanyl – The Spectator https://seattlespectator.com/2024/02/21/new-house-bill-seeks-to-transfo...
2 of 2 9/13/24, 4:48 PM


Seattle University

Not a member yet