Trust Matters JUNE 2020
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Looking Back at How My Graduations Shaped Me
June is the beginning of a new chapter for many graduates, but this year, things don’t seem quite so concrete or even celebratory. In the aftermath of COVID-19, many schools postponed or canceled their graduations — some even stopped schooling before the semester was scheduled to end — leaving many graduates to end their academic careers with a whisper instead of a bang. It’s disappointing to think about the memories they will miss out on, and my thoughts go out to every graduate feeling the pang of a missed opportunity to celebrate their academic achievements. Keystone Law’s own Ryan Magel can sympathize. Ryan was set to graduate with his bachelor’s degree this spring, and while he will still have that diploma (and we are so proud of him!), missing out on that chance to “graduate” from his program has to be a little disappointing. I can still remember the way I felt walking across the stage at my own graduations. At my high school graduation, there was that crystalizing moment of realizing that nothing would ever be the same. I had a great core group of friends in high school, and while we still keep in touch, we took our own paths and created our own lives. I think that’s the beauty of high school graduation. You get to create your own path afterward. Next up was my graduation from my undergraduate schooling. I had earned a degree in engineering, and naively, I thought that would carry me to my first job. I had this idea that if you graduated with an engineering degree, employers would be lining up to hire you! Instead, for the next few months after that momentous occasion,
I discovered that this wasn’t how the whole job thing worked.
Ultimately, that led me to law school. I wasn’t sure where I wanted to go, and since I didn’t have a job keeping me grounded in one place, I figured I might as well continue my schooling. I made a promise to myself that by the end of my third year in law school, I was going to be in a position where I would be offered a job after graduation. I set my sights on it, and that’s exactly what happened. It was an incredible feeling after three years to earn that J.D. You work so hard in law school, study for an insane amount of hours, and grind at your job or internship. The chance to celebrate with my graduating class and receive that degree was validating. It was a great conclusion to a hard-fought chapter. All this is to say that I really feel sorry for the graduates who will miss out on the ceremonious aspects of the end of their academics. Still, nothing can take away from the work they did and the commitment they made to their education. The best advice I can offer the class of 2020 is to focus on figuring out what it is you want and then figure out how to get there by starting backward from your goal and working toward how you’ll start. You get to choose which road you travel down, and it’s completely acceptable if that road looks different than what other people think it should be. Nothing is worse than realizing 10, 15, or even 20 years after your graduation that you are not at the point you want to be at.
Ryan is all smiles!
So if I can offer you any pearls of wisdom, then it’s that nothing can take away from all the hard work you put into getting here, and nothing is stopping you from creating the path you want to take next. Congratulations to the class of 2020, and a special congratulations to our very own Ryan Magel!
-Francisco
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A ‘SILVER’ BULLET ATTORNEYS GENERAL STAND FIRM AGAINST SNAKE OIL
Jim Bakker dominated headlines in the late 1980s with his legal troubles, and now the televangelist is facing a new lawsuit in 2020.
The original story of Bakker’s fall begins on a TV set. Bakker and his wife at the time, Tammy Faye Messner, hosted the popular evangelical talk show “The PTL Club” from the mid-1970s to the late 1980s. However, their reign came crashing down when Bakker resigned after being accused of offering money to church secretary Jessica Hahn to cover up rape allegations. Bakker was later convicted of scamming thousands of viewers out of millions of dollars, and he spent several years in prison. Today, Bakker hosts “The Jim Bakker Show” and leads Morningside Church in Missouri. While freedom of religion is protected in the U.S., a recent promotion on Bakker’s show caught the attention of attorneys nationwide. In 2020, when the COVID-19 pandemic found its way to the U.S., many people stocked up on emergency medical supplies. For some, this meant purchasing colloidal silver “cures” that were promised to kill the virus. Supplements, pills, and oils with no scientific evidence of their efficacy were sold to consumers until the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent cease-and-desist orders to seven manufacturers in March 2020.
appeared on Bakker’s show on Feb. 12, proclaimed Silver Solution is a cure for the coronavirus. Bakker promoted the product and later sold it through his website. The Missouri and NewYork attorneys general caught wind of this scheme and immediately filed cease-and-desist orders, and even a lawsuit, against Bakker. NPR explains that Bakker and his church are in violation of state laws by “falsely promising consumers that Silver Solution can cure, eliminate, kill, or deactivate coronavirus.”
One such product involved was Sherrill Sellman’s Silver Solution. Sellman, a self-described naturopathic doctor and mind-body psychologist who Bakker stopped selling Silver Solution in mid-March 2020. Even as the lawsuit continues to move through the court system, the message is clear: The justice system is cracking down on the sale of snake oil. TIMES THE OLYMPICSWERE CANCELED And the Postponement of the 2020 Tokyo Games
In late March, amid the global spread of COVID-19, the International Olympic Committee announced the postponement of the 2020 Olympic Games. They were slated to take place in Tokyo, Japan, this summer, but they will now happen in the summer of 2021. While this is an unprecedented decision, it’s not the first time that major global events have affected the Olympic Games or which countries participated. Since the inception of the modern Olympic Games in 1896, they have been outright canceled three times — 1916, 1940, and 1944. The first cancellation of the Olympic Games happened duringWorldWar I. The German Empire was supposed to host the games in Berlin, but by the time 1916 rolled around, Europe was deep in the trenches of WWI. Many nations had sent their athletes to fight in the war, so the games were canceled.
WorldWar II caused the next two cancellations. The 1940 Olympics were initially scheduled to be held in Tokyo. It would have been the first time the games were hosted by a non-Western country, but Japan forfeited the right to host when they invaded China in 1937. The games were then rebooked for Helsinki, Finland, but after Nazi Germany invaded Poland in 1939 and startedWWII, those games were scrapped as well. Since the fighting hadn’t ceased by the time the games were supposed to happen in Cortina d’Ampezzo, Italy, in 1944, the Olympics were canceled again. Though the Olympics have happened on schedule since the end of WWII, the United States has not always participated. In 1980, when the U.S. boycotted the Olympics that were held in Moscow, Russia, in protest of the Soviet Union’s invasion of Afghanistan, 64 other nations followed suit. However, those games still went on as planned and 80 countries participated. The fact that major global conflicts are the only other events that have been catastrophic enough to affect the Olympics might be distressing and elevate anxiety about our current global health crisis. However, it’s important to keep in mind that the Olympics have only been postponed this time, not canceled. We’ll still get to cheer on our favorite Olympians next year.
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TAKE A BREAK
TURN YOUR VACATION INTO A STAYCATION
3 Ways to Replace a Canceled Vacation
Vacations provide opportunities for families to spend time together in a relaxed environment, get away from the routines of everyday life, and create meaningful memories. If you’ve recently had to cancel a trip but still want to create the experience of a vacation for your family, then a staycation is just what you need. TRANSFORM YOUR BACKYARD When you’re trying to recreate a vacation, the outdoor areas of your home present a variety of possibilities. You can turn a sandbox into a relaxing beach, complete with a kiddie pool “ocean.” If you have trees, then set up a zip line or obstacle course. You can even stimulate summer brains with a scavenger hunt around the backyard with hidden clues in the dirt or bushes. The ultimate prize can be something you would have purchased on your original vacation, like a souvenir you can find online. CREATE A ‘FAMILY MUSEUM’ Many vacations include an educational aspect in order to enrich our understanding of the place we’re visiting, and museums are a great way to accomplish that. If you’re confined to the house, then teach your kids about your own knowledge and interests and encourage them to get creative and make their own contributions, too. Have everyone create art, take photos, or write about their prized possessions. Display these masterpieces around your home and let their creators take you on a tour. Learning more about one another builds meaningful bonds. BRING YOUR TRIP HOME You probably chose your original vacation destination in order to experience new and different cultures and activities. But just because you’re no longer traveling to that location doesn’t mean you can’t experience some of what it has to offer! Research popular local cuisine, activities, and history of the area, then create ways to experience them with your family. Cook a traditional meal, recreate a scenic location through photographs, or share a story about local lore and history. Your changed plans will no longer feel like a missed opportunity. Staying at home doesn’t mean your family can’t have the fun of a vacation. All it takes is a little creativity and innovation to build an experience that will bring your family closer together.
GRILLED BASIL CHICKEN AND TOMATOES
Inspired by TasteOfHome.com
You can’t go wrong with grilled chicken and tomatoes on a warm summer’s evening. It’s a simple recipe that packs a flavor punch.
Ingredients
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2 tbsp olive oil
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1/4 cup tightly packed fresh basil leaves
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1 clove garlic
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8 Roma tomatoes
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1/2 tsp salt
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4 boneless skinless chicken breast halves (4 oz each)
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3/4 cup balsamic vinegar
Directions
1. For marinade: In blender, combine olive oil, garlic, salt, vinegar, and basil. Cut 2 tomatoes into quarters and add to mixture. Cover and process until blended. Halve remaining tomatoes for grilling.
2. In bowl, combine chicken and 2/3 cup marinade. Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour. Reserve remaining marinade.
3. Heat grill to about 350–400 F. Lightly oil grates. Grill chicken until internal temperature reads 165 F, about 4–6 minutes per side. Grill tomatoes until lightly browned, about 2–4 minutes per side. Discard remaining marinade.
4. Serve chicken and tomatoes with reserved marinade.
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INSIDE THIS ISSUE
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The Impact of Graduation
Televangelist Facing Legal Trouble After Selling COVID-19 ‘Cure’ Have the Olympics Ever Been Postponed Before?
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Grilled Basil Chicken and Tomatoes 3 Enriching Staycation Ideas
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Help Local Nonprofits in Challenging Times
THE BEST WAYS TO HELP LOCAL NONPROFITS IN CHALLENGING TIMES
VOLUNTEER
Over the past several months, families, businesses, and nonprofits have had to navigate life in this challenging “new normal,” and it can be hard to support your favorite nonprofits when times are tough. Here are a few ways you can help these important entities, even when you don’t have resources to spare right now.
In a time of social distancing, volunteering may be discouraged, but nonprofits still need volunteers to operate. The good news is that many nonprofits need volunteers for positions that maintain social distance, such as driving. Food banks and kitchens need drivers to pick up donations or ingredients from donors and to deliver food to people in need, such as the elderly or those with disabilities.
DONATE
While many people donate generously during the holiday season, remember that nonprofits need donations throughout the year, and different nonprofits need different things. A monetary donation can often go a long way, but never feel obligated to give money, especially when your budget may be tight. Instead, consider cleaning out your closet. What clothes, shoes, or other accessories can you part with? What about dishware or small appliances? When you clean out your home and donate unused items, you benefit those in the community who need them most.
ADVOCATE
Even if you don’t have time or resources to give, you can become an advocate for important causes around your community. While it might not seem like much, sharing information about local nonprofits on social media can make a genuine difference. Nonprofits need exposure, which is greatly boosted through community support. Sharing useful information about nonprofits — or sharing their posts — increases their visibility so more people will take action.
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