The Student News Site of The Webb Schools

Webb Canyon Chronicle
The Student News Site of The Webb Schools

Webb Canyon Chronicle
The Student News Site of The Webb Schools

Webb Canyon Chronicle
Categories:

Webb students cause discord over abortion ban

Amelie Cook, Editor of News and Opinion
May 24, 2019
Amelie Cook
Caroline Metyas (‘20) looks up Roe v. Wade statistics on the Planned Parenthood website. 73% of Americans oppose the overturning of Roe v. Wade, yet with the introduction and approval of recent fetal heartbeat bills in Georgia, Alabama, and Missouri, the Roe v. Wade decision may soon be rechallenged in the Supreme Court.

On May 7th, 2019, Governor Brian Kemp of Georgia signed the ‘Fetal Heartbeat’ Abortion Law, which will effectively ban abortion after six weeks of pregnancy, beginning on January 1st, 2020. Multiple other states, including Alabama and Missouri, signed off on similar abortion bans soon afterwards. The ban has caused an extreme amount of controversy, as Webb students and the outside world argue over the moral implications of abortion.

The ban in Alabama is arguably the most restrictive out of all the versions of the fetal heartbeat abortion law. Not only will women be forced to carry their pregnancy to term after the fetal heartbeat can be detected, but there are no exceptions in the case of rape or incest. In Alabama, the abortion provider/doctor could end up with 99 years in prison, while in Georgia, a woman could be charged with murder for getting an abortion after six weeks.

Webbie’s opinions on the issue are extremely scattered. During the week of May 20th, several students joined Webb’s Discord channel to share their thoughts about abortion. The debate was heated, with plenty of persuasive points, not to mention a multitude of memes.

Maya Jaffe (‘20) said, “The abortion ban is problematic because it isn’t just an abortion ban. Despite the fact that women should be in control of their own bodies, the abortion ban causes anyone who has an abortion to become a felon and because felons can’t vote and about one in four women get abortions, the ban is effectively taking away 25% of women’s right to vote.”

However, Matthew Gooch (‘22) had an opposite opinion. He said, “You are dead when your heartbeat ends, so people should be alive when their heart begins… Cases of rape and incest together make up 1.5% of all reasons that people have abortions, making it a rare exception to the law. Rape and incest are terrible acts, but so is murder. It is hard to say where it is moral in these circumstances.”

The new abortion laws could end up in the reversal of the Supreme Court’s 1973 Roe v. Wade decision, which affirms that “access to a safe and legal abortion is a constitutional right.” In previous years, fetal heartbeat abortion bills similar to the ones passed in Georgia and Alabama were declared unconstitutional. Since many women do not know they are pregnant by the time the fetal heartbeat can be detected, they would automatically be unable to access a safe abortion, which is technically unconstitutional.

As each side of the abortion argument believes that they are morally correct in their thinking, it is difficult to start productive conversations about the topic that do not end in total cacophony (like the Webb discord channel). However, in order to change any legislation, there must be debate in the public sphere. As Webb students, we all know the power of a Harkness discussion; maybe it would be beneficial to hold one nationwide.

View Story Comments
Print this Story
More to Discover
More in News
Daira Kaufman, Webb’s choreographer for the dance company instructs the whole dance team. Ms. Kaufman has been choreographing the dancers in many different styles of dancing to perform for the dance show. ”Styles and themes include contemporary dance, jazz, hip hop, K-pop, ballet, dance theater, dance as political satire, dance as resistance, a Community Dinner like you've never seen before, and so much more,” said Ms. Kaufman.
Webb’s dance program leaps into a new chapter
Tyler Liu (‘25), a local day student, runs alongside West Baseline Road. Here, the road is riddled with imperfections and hasty patches, though there may be hope for a solution soon. The City of Claremont began a near $2 million citywide street resurfacing project approved at the May 28 City Council meeting. This project, which will span from Indian Boulevard to Towne Avenue, has locals hoping that this is a precursor to changes across all streets. “I can definitely feel some bumps while driving to school,” Tyler said.
Claremont, local politics, and you: what changes are happening around Webb?
Every Monday, prefects gather in the Arts Lab to brainstorm ideas and finalize plans for the upcoming holiday party. Led by Dr. Ardina Greco, prefect council advisor, the prefects have been organizing the event since before Thanksgiving break, with each prefect contributing ideas to make the evening memorable. “Every time the prefects host some sort of event on campus, there’s a lot of work that happens behind the scenes that people don’t always recognize,” Sydney Morales (‘25) said. Every year, the Holiday party is the most anticipated event of the winter season.
Upper Dorms light up for the Holiday party
Students fill nearly every seat in the dining hall, catching up with friends over lunch. Food is undeniably an important part of the Webb life, so a total of 250 students and faculty communicated their opinions about the dining hall food through the food survey sent out by Michael Hoe, Assistant Head of School. “It's empowering to be able to give feedback on stuff that's going well and not going well,” Hanbo Xu (‘25) said. It has been about a month since students took the survey; what is occurring behind the scenes?
Food survey bridges student-admin communication
Natalie Au (‘26) portraying Pablo Picasso gives her presentation about Picasso’s life and achievements while Anna Park (‘26) records her as part of the project. Other students performing at the central tables in the library speak as their Spanish-speaking figures as well. “I had the most creative freedom during this project out of all my years [of Spanish] and [got] to bring in my passions from outside of Spanish class,” Natalie said. The project was an intriguing scene for anyone who saw students in their costumes; what happens behind the scenes?
Behind the scenes: Honors Spanish 3 students vivify Spanish-speaking figures
The numbered phone stand used for Reboot November in South Hutch dorm was an efficient system that helped keep track of participating students. The stand, numbered from 1 to 30, allowed students to place their phones in designated slots, making it easy for dorm prefects to monitor participation. “It’s a simple and effective way to stay organized, even though I didn’t participate, I noticed how the system made it easy for everyone to keep track and to make sure no one missed out on their rewards,” said Jarra Jallow (’25). This process helped maintain order and ensured everyone’s phone was accounted for during the challenge.
Week 3 of Reboot November: can Webb earn a no-school day?
More in Showcase
Martin Beseth (‘27) angrily educates Ethan Xi (‘27) about over-relying on paper cups as they produce unnecessary waste. Webb started to advocate for the community to decrease the number of paper cups used. “I think [Webb is] taking a huge step towards stopping the deforestation of trees ...and helping the environment,” Martin Beseth (‘27) said. The attention brought to the community prompts new opinions among students on using fewer paper cups.
Webb reduces paper cups in the dining hall
Jonathan Lee ('27) points at Sarah Lantz, Dean of Students, and Yeslea Tadeo, Dean of Residential life, standing in front of the Deans' Building in fear as, highlighting the persistent stigma surrounding the space. "It doesn’t matter who she’s (Ms. Lopez) there for —when Ms. Lopez walks in, the whole room goes silent, and everyone gets tense," Jonathan Lee ('27) said. This reaction reflects how the Deans' Building's intimidating reputation often impacts students, even in situations where no disciplinary action is involved.
Breaking the barrier: making the Deans' Building more approachable
On December 18, 2024, at the Webb Schools’ gym, Dr. Theresa Smith, Head of Schools, struck a thoughtful pose, embodying curiosity and reflection. She pondered the transformative potential of artificial intelligence. "How is AI going to transform education and transform society at large?" Dr. Smith asked. She wishes to make Webb a safe place for students to innovate and prepare for the technological advancements of society.
Dr. Theresa Smith navigates AI incorporation at Webb
Tracy Ren (‘28) stands on the outdoor courts, ready to practice for the girls’ JV team. Her excitement to improve is infectious, filling the court with a buzz of eagerness. Although the team warms up outside, in the chilly winter air, the excitement warms the team up. "Having energy on the court makes me play better” says Mandana Mojaverian (‘26). With the readiness for improvement coursing through the girl's veins, there's no secret this season will be a great one.
Girls’ basketball has come with a unique surprise this winter season
Holiday decorations relieve stress around Webb campus
The sunlight gleams on the edges of the front steps of the Webb campus steps, defining the students' goals to think, act, lead, and serve. Although the front steps remind us of our principles to be trendsetters, another step needs to be taken for a Webb student to become a true leader. “For me, leadership is really a very basic principle of how one leads their own life” said Sarah Lantz, Dean of Students. But how can students lead their life confidently and serve the community as student leaders?
What does it mean to be a student leader?
About the Contributor
Amelie Cook
Amelie Cook, Copy Editor
Amelie Cook (‘20) is entering her third year in journalism and is ecstatic for her new position as Copy Editor. Amelie balances her time in journalism with being a Day Student Prefect and babysitter on the weekends. She spent most of her summer babysitting amazing kids and visiting family when she got the chance. As a DSP, she is responsible for improving day student life and hosting fun events on campus. She loves listening to her favorite artist Bazzi and reading murder mystery books. The secret to Amelie's boundless enthusiasm is to sleep—a lot. Once awake, she focuses her energy on environmental issues as she believes society should put more emphasis on combating climate change.