Persimmon Tree Bears Fruit for First Time p4
Anesu Nyatanga is Lions’ Mascot p20
Margaret McDermott Reflects on 101-Year Life p7
FRIDAY NOVEMBER 8, 2013
THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL
news p2
features p7
Centennial Day of Service Approaches Students from all three divisions commit to a day of service across Dallas
arts & entertainment p14
sports & wellness p18
A LOVED ONE LOST
DALLAS, TEXAS 75229 VOLUME 65 ISSUE 2
perspectives p21
castoff p24
»» Before the age of 18, one in 20 children will experience the death of a parent. The effects are everlasting. p12
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ALEXIS ESPINOSA AND COURTNEY LE
SERVICE continued p6
infocus p12
Texas Women Seek to Gain a Voice in Politics In a world where only 20 women serve in the U.S. Senate and only 78 hold political office in the 435-member House of Representatives, a large discrepancy exists between the number of women who live in the country and those that actually hold political power. It’s a gap that organizations like Annie’s List recognized and sought to change 10 years ago. “Either by unfair redistricting, institutional bias or self-imposed limitations, women have DAVIS continued p8
PHOTO PROVIDED BY MEGAN RODMAN
In appreciation of being a part of the Dallas community for the past 100 years, Hockaday will participate in the Centennial Day of Service on Nov. 13. Six thousand hours have been pledged. The entire community, including parents, teachers and alumnae will join together to serve the Dallas community by participating in various projects designed to help partner agencies and make a positive impact on the Dallas community. “Hockaday thinks it is so important to give back to the community, and our efforts make such a great impact on our community,” Director of Service Learning Laura Day said. Executive Director of Jubilee Park and Community Center Ben Leal said that Hockaday’s service definitely makes an impact on the organization. “The support we receive from The Hockaday School is an invaluable resource to those we serve,” he said. “The key to ending the cycle of poverty is education, and with The Hockaday School’s support, we are improving lives and strengthening our community.” Hockaday’s Day of Service concept began with the idea that the school needed to do something unexpected. “Not many schools participate in a day of giving back to the community, so [the Community Service Board] thought that it would be a great idea,” Community Service Board Chair senior Lucy Wilson said. The morning of Nov. 13, after a short 8 a.m. advisory meeting, the entire Hockaday community will head to an all-school gathering on Graduation Terrace for the community service kick-off, where the centennial aspect of community service will be presented and the day’s projects will be introduced. Following this assembly, girls from fourth through twelfth grades will travel, by advisories, to various locations across the Dallas area. Hockaday will provide transportation to the agencies and boxed lunches at each of the organizations. The activity is required for all students. Each advisory will be assigned to volunteer with an organization for either a full or half day, helping to complete various assignments.
photoessay p11
11600 WELCH RD.
ANNIE, GET YOUR CANDIDATE Seniors Anisha Anand, Katie Payne and Sophie Cohn met gubernatorial candidate State Sen. Wendy Davis of Tex. on Oct. 16.
” Dallas Mayor Mike Rawlings p5
02/03
THE FOURCAST
NOVEMBER 8, 2013
No one had ever been assassinated in my lifetime. That was history. Cathey Greenfield ’64 p5
Briefing
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Youths United by Space
Corey Lott, Libraries and Academic Research Department Chair, is collecting items for the Centennial Time Capsule. Anything that represents this school year and captures its unique aspects can go into the capsule. So far, there is a skirt-length measuring card, the first school week’s lunch menu, club posters and a fourth-grade science project. The capsule will be opened in 25 years. Lott is accepting submissions until mid-June 2014.
PHOTO BY ANNE -MARIE CORLEY
Centennial Time Capsule
The newly installed guard shack on Rosie Mae Bell Lane p2
Charlsea Lamb Asst. News Editor
Laura Bush to Speak at Centennial Luncheon Laura Bush, former First Lady and parent to former Hockadaisies Barbara and Jenna, will be the Centennial Luncheon keynote speaker at Alumnae Day on Friday, April 11, 2014. The luncheon will recognize the Alumnae Association’s distinguished award recipients in addition to the senior class, the association’s newest members. Eugene McDermott Headmistress Kim Wargo and Alumnae Association President Carrie Moore Becker ‘89 will also speak. Information regarding purchasing tickets will be available at a later date. Emily Wechsler Copy Editor
PHOTO COURTESY OF LAURA BUSH
CENTENNIAL ALUMNAE DAY Former First Lady Laura Bush will speak at the Centennial Luncheon on April 11, 2014.
Guard Shack Installed on Rosie Mae Bell Lane
Five sophomores voyaged to Russia for an international youth forum on space and science as part of Hockaday’s Global Initiatives Program. In addition to learning about outer space, the girls also gained international perspectives on global peace. Neil Armstrong first stepped onto the moon in 1969 and said, “It’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” When five sophomores first touched down on Russian land, they also felt like they made a similar giant leap. As a part of Hockaday’s new Global Initiatives Program, Lower School science teacher Lara Guerra and Anne-Marie Corley ‘99 took five sophomores (Sarah Chan, Kate Cooper, Allison Lanfear, Darcy Malican and Alexandra Randolph) on a trip to Russia from Oct. 11 to Oct. 20 for an international youth forum: “United by Space.” The forum sprung from the minds of the Russian cosmonauts and the American astronauts who worked together on the Soviet Union’s Mir Space Station, later operated by Russia, which orbited the Earth from 1986 to 2001. Through these forums, the astronauts work with young people so that they can learn that everyone is united. Guerra said that when astronauts travel into space and look down on the Earth, they are profoundly changed
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o better enforce security on Hockaday’s campus, a guard shack was opened on Rosie Mae Bell Lane on Sept. 28. It serves as a checkpoint, allowing security to identify any campus visitors. “What we have is that when you have a flow of traffic going down Rosie Mae Bell, no one is stopping them, and they can come all the way back to Penson Gym, go all the way back to the fields, and we don’t know who they are,” Director of Safety and Security Karyn McCoy said. Middle School carpool will follow the same route as be-
and “experience this huge shift in the way they view things. Political ideologies will sort of fall away, because they see that we’re all in it together, we’re on this planet and it’s up to us to
take care of it.” This conference was a follow-up to the first international youth forum: “The Guardians of Earth,” led by Corley, which took place in Star City, Russia, near Moscow, in August 2012. This first trip was opened up to any interested students in Upper School. Sophomore Darcy Malican and seniors Anisha Anand and Anna Herbelin were accepted into the program. According to Guerra, the three Hockaday students who attended this first trip “so impressed the organizers” that Hockaday students were invited back a second time to continue their discussion of space and environmental issues with their Russian peers. Guerra and Corley planned this second trip together. Because Corley can speak Russian fluently, she planned the Russian part of the trip, while Guerra organized the Hockaday part. The two also worked with Elizabeth Smith, the Director of Global Education at Hockaday, in coordinating the trip. On the first day of the trip, Guerra, Corley and the students flew into
fore by entering through Rosie Mae Bell Lane and will not be delayed by the new addition of the shack. “It will take us more time [to get on campus], but I think it is a good solution,” said Jill Callahan, mother to firstgrader Annabel and fifthgrader Emilia. However, the shack’s installation brings changes to visitors’ driving route onto campus. The flow of traffic now enters on Rosie Mae Bell Lane instead of the former main entrance that leads to Hoak Portico, but will still exit through the horseshoe. Guests are stopped at the shack for a “meet
VOYAGE TO RUSSIA Sophomores Darcy Malican, Alexandra Randolph, Sarah Chan, Allison Lanfear, and Kate Cooper visit a former Olympic venue that was used for a long jump ski competition.
Moscow Domodedovo Airport from JFK International Airport and caught a plane to Sochi, the 2014 Winter Olympics site. After staying in Sochi for two nights, they took a train north to Orlyonok, a Russian youth camp, about two and a half hours away, where the international youth forum was held. Located on the Black Sea, Orlyonok, which means “Little Eagle” in Russian, was once a “Young Pioneers” Camp, a communist youth organization and the Soviet version of Boy and Girl Scouts. Today, it is a regular summer and winter camp for children around the world. On Oct. 13, students from all over Russia came together to participate in different types of programs at this camp. The Hockaday students attended the five-day environmental portion of a month-long program that focused on the environment, space and what people can do to protect the Earth to make a real impact. In the forums, students asked questions to cosmonauts and astronauts currently on the International Space Station and participated in discussions about the future of space exploration and the importance of cooperation between nations. They also learned about the Russian space program and explored the similarities and differences between the Russian and American space programs.
and greet” with a Hockaday security officer before heading to other parts of the campus, said McCoy. During the day, the horseshoe gates will be closed, removing entry points near the science portables off of Welch Road and making them more secure. The checkpoint not only ensures students’ safety but also helps direct visitors to their intended destinations. Anyone making deliveries will be identified and run through the Raptor system, which conducts limited background checks in order to identify potential offenders, so that they do not need to stop
RUSSIA continued p5
every time and can proceed without delay. Miguel Celestinos is one of the guards who operates the shack. He said that it benefits Hockaday’s security system because it “will be more accurate as far as keeping track of who comes in and who goes out.” The security team began placing guards in the shack after the Centennial celebration, and so far, McCoy said, it “has been really successful.” Megan Philips Staff Writer
news
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THE FOURCAST
NOVEMBER 8, 2013
The Fourcast welcomes any comments about published information that may require correction or clarification as well as any news tips. Submit to Molly Montgomery, Public Relations Director, at mmontgomery1@hockaday.org.
STUDENT RELATIONS
Switching Up Advisories Upper School advisories mingle with each other to encourage student interaction across forms
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onuts and bagels: great ice-breakers for any uncomfortable situation. This explains how upperclassmen advisories managed to enjoy breakfast with underclassmen on Oct. 25. This year, the Student Relations Board initiated an advisory exchange program between freshman and junior and sophomore and senior advisories to emphasize group relationships. Student Relations Board Chair senior Allie Love said that the pairs were made based on location but were random for the most part and the board will organize for them to meet once a quarter for a total of four this year. The freshman/ junior and sophomore/senior advisories will meet on the
same set day. Last year, the Student Relations Board created a similar program where senior and freshman advisories were paired. They met for a total of three advisory periods that year. According to Love, the program was so successful that the board decided to change it up and make it freshman/junior and sophomore/senior. “I was excited [about the new program] because we did something like it last year that was fun and we got to eat food so I looked forward to it,” sophomore Meg O’Brien, a member of the Kramer advisory, said Love said that in order to avoid taking away the Big Sis/ Lil Sis program between freshmen and seniors, the board created a separate program in
which they paired different advisories. Caroline McGeoch, the sophomore representative of the Student Relations Board, said that “cancelling Big Sis/Lil Sis was never an option since it is such a tradition at Hockaday, so we definitely wanted to keep it but at the same time we definitely wanted to make improvements so that [the upper and underclassmen] could feel more connected.” However, these connections may take some time to form. Senior Dalton Youngblood, a member of the Walder advisory, described her experience with underclassmen. “We literally just played games, so I did not get to know any of them any better but I definitely had
fun,” Youngblood said. Her advisory and the Skerritt advisory enjoyed playing “Catch Phrase” and “Heads Up!” together. Youngblood recommended these types of games for other advisories as well. “I heard of some advisories who didn’t know what to do, and didn’t talk very much, but I think that was just a first time kind of deal. We are going to have a lot more throughout the year so they should get to know each other better” Love said. O’Brien additionally stated that if her advisory had an activity or was assigned something to do, the meeting could have been better. Because this is the project’s first year, the board is open to changes and ideas. Love said the board has considered in-
corporating community service and competitions into the program. The program allows students to expand their friendships outside of sports or other extracurriculars and gives them the opportunity to meet with people they wouldn’t normally see. “We hope it will build relationships,” Love said. “Maybe even if it doesn’t at first, you’ll still recognize that senior, that junior, that freshman or sophomore and say hi to them in the hallway, and it will give you the opportunity to make a connection with someone.” Manisha Ratakonda Staff Writer
In Our Saddle Oxfords Upper School Head John Ashton spent a day in the life of a Hockaday Upper School student busy her schedule of four solids in one day is. “I really wanted Mr. Ashton to see how hectic our days can be, and also I really just wanted to spend the day with him. I thought it could be really fun,” she said. Ashton also shadowed junior Molly Nelson on Sept. 30 and sophomore Aleena Tariq on Oct. 24. He will shadow a Form I student on Dec. 5. These girls were randomly chosen by Ashton. Close to a dozen girls from each Form volunteered, and Ashton drew their names out of hat. “I think he’s reaching out and trying to connect a little more, bridge the gap, and I really appreciate that,” Nelson said. “He was taking notes the whole time and always asking us questions. He really cared.” Ashton will compile his notes from his experiences into a summary, which he plans to share with the whole school. As a result of his time with the students, Ashton now feels he is in a better position to make decisions on behalf of the Upper School student body. “To shadow you girls was helpful to really understand how your day is so I can now make decisions with your experiences in mind,” Ashton said. “For example, I’m even more sensitive to schedule an
PHOTO BY EMILY YEH
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itting on the floor with the entire junior class at a Form Meeting, sneaking in a cup of coffee before D period and sharing homecoming stories at lunch, Head of Upper School John Ashton spent a few days in the shoes of Upper School students. This semester, Ashton, followed his own initiative, and shadowed one student from each Form for an entire day. Wanting to gain a better insight into the daily routine of Upper School students, Ashton came up with the idea this summer that he would shadow students throughout their normal school days. “I just had a lot of questions over the summer about what being a student at Hockaday now was actually like, and this was the only way to get answers,” he said. Starting with Form IV, Ashton spent the day with senior Katie Williams on Sept. 16, attending her classes, advisory, club meetings and even lunch with her and her friends. “I tried to be as normal as possible and talk about what I always talk about with my friends—boys, homecoming, parties—all of that, so he could get the full experience,” Williams said. She volunteered to be shadowed to show Ashton how
IN OUR SHOES Upper School Head John Ashton attends on one of Assistant Director of Debate and Forensic Activities Jason Sykes’ debate classes. assembly on a day that is not a Day 6.” Ashton was also glad to see how little of high school had actually changed since he attended. “One thing that was refreshing for me to see was how much being in high school was still common across generations,” Ashton said. “There are still those common
conversations happening about friends, boyfriends and social activities, and it was refreshing to see students taking time to have fun during the day.” Though Ashton doesn’t predict any major changes as a result of this experiences, he believes it was a success and will have a positive impact on the way he leads Upper School.
“I really enjoy spending time with you,” he said. “Any opportunities that I have to be with students and spend time with you is where I draw my energy from to then go back and be an administrator.” Avita Anand Sports & Wellness Editor
FOURWARD Nov. 8 - 9 US Debate Tournament SPC Championships in Ft. Worth
Nov. 20 US Parent Visitation Day Fall Dance Concert
Dec. 4 College Counseling Coffee, Form I & II Parents
Nov. 13 Centennial Day of Service
Nov. 21 Student Diversity Board Forum
Nov. 14 - 16 International Student Trip
Nov. 25 - 29 Thanksgiving Break
Dec. 5 Community Service Austin Street Dinner College Counseling Financing College Night, Form III & IV Parents
Nov. 14 - 17 NSPA Journalism Trip, Forms II & IV
Dec. 2 - 17 Community Service Gift Drive
Dec. 6 Form I Whole Girl Program
Dec. 7 SAT Exam Dec. 8 Admissions Preview Dec. 14 ACT Exam Dec. 16 US Choir Concert
news
THE FOURCAST
NOVEMBER 8, 2013
04/05
Tree Bears Persimmons for First Time A Japanese kaki persimmon tree, located by the Lower School duck pond, blooms fruit for the first time since its planting
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PHOTO BY CLAIRE FLETCHER
n a crisp day in October, schools and community orgaIsnarda Lares, house- nizations around the world. keeping staff member, “Basically, the whole projwas walking by the Duck ect was made to spread the idea Pond between Penson Gym and of peace: peace for all, including Lower School when she discov- the environment, for individuered that a tree was growing als and between countries,” bright, orange fruits -- persim- Mayes said. “The blooming of mons -- for the first time since its this tree is very touching for planting 13 years ago. me because I was always workThe Japanese kaki persim- ing towards peace by teaching mon tree was brought to Hock- tolerance in my classroom.” aday by retired Lower Interested in School art teacher Dee the project, Mayes Mayes in 2000. applied for a Kaki Following the U.S. seedling to join the bombing of Nagasaki Hockaday communion Aug. 9, 1945, a kaki ty. She believed that tree was found damaged Hockaday would benby the atomic bomb, The whole efit from having this but still alive. Msayuki unique Japanese PerEbinuma, a tree doctor, project simmon tree on camdecided to procreate a was made pus. On Oct. 25, 2000, “Kaki Tree Jr.” A contemHockaday hosted porary artist named Tat- to spread Ebinuma, Miyajima suo Miyajima took in- the idea of and Sayaka Sonodo, terest in this junior tree, peace. a translator, to an and together, Ebinuma Former Lower School event celebrating the and Miyajima created teacher Dee Mayes planting of the tree. the “Revive Time” Kaki Hockaday was the Tree Project. first school to plant a Mayes discovered the Kaki junior Kaki tree in the U.S. Tree Project in 1999 while visitFirst and fourth-graders ing the Venice Biennale, a pres- gathered around the Kaki seedtigious modern art exhibit in ling, singing songs of peace in Italy. Japanese and English. “It’s kind of like a state fair, Upper School English only it’s a world fair of art and teacher Janet Bilhartz read a they do it to introduce contem- poem called “Persimmons” by porary ideas in art,” Mayes said. Li-Young Lee with her Con“Japan’s whole exhibit was the temporary American LiteraKaki Tree Project, which is a ture English class about perpeace project.” simmon fruits in mid-October, This exhibit had paper unaware of the concurrent cranes all over the ceiling, and blooming persimmon tree on a small kaki tree was growing campus. in the middle, she explained. “This tree is coming from Ebinuma began germinat- another culture, and we don’t ing more second — genera- really think about things like tion Kaki trees, like the one at that. So many of our fruits the exhibit in Venice, from the come from different cultures damaged parent tree. He made but we tend not to think about these junior trees available to it,” Bilhartz said after learning
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of the blooming tree. “I love that we have persimmons ripening right now.” Foro Lares, one of Hockaday’s ground keepers, said the tree grows naturally, without the use of pesticides and fertilizers. While Isnarda Lares mentioned that the housekeeping staff does not know what it will do with the fruit, Mayes hopes to continue sharing her legacy of peace at Hockaday by possibly creating a persimmon fruit-picking and eating project for the Lower School students. By planting the Japanese Persimmon tree at Hockaday, Mayes wanted her young students to realize the meaning behind tolerance and the importance of respecting other people’s opinions. Mayes said that part of the whole project was that they figured it would be about 10 years before the tree would bear fruit, so the school was expecting to have homegrown persimmons in 2010. But the tree waited until Hockaday’s 100th birthday to produce fruit. “The guidelines were that in 10 years it was supposed to bloom, and that ten years after you got it, you would have a project again that was a thank you to it and was to focus back on peace,” Mayes said. “I think, definitely, that our little tree chose 2013 to blossom because it is Hockaday’s centennial.” Inaara Padani Staff Writer THE GIVING TREE Retired Lower School art teacher Dee Mayes visits the kaki tree, which bore fruit for the first time during Hockaday's centennial week.
Government Shutdown Shakes Up Hockaday Federal closures across the country affected several trips planned for months throughout the community
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hen Congress failed to resolve the dispute over the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (colloquially known as ObamaCare), the U.S. government shut down Oct. 1. After more than two weeks, it reopened Oct. 17, when President Barack Obama signed the bill to reopen the U.S. government and raise the debt ceiling. The closures affected millions of people—not exempting some members of the Hockaday community. Trips planned months before the shutdown were postponed, cancelled or, in some cases, changed for the better.
Civil Disobedience History Department Chair Steve Kramer had scheduled his American Civil War class to fly to Washington, D.C. from Oct. 11 to Oct. 13 to visit various battlefield sites, including Harper’s Ferry, Antietam and Gettysburg. However, due to the shutdown, the plans were put on hold. Kramer cancelled the museum, hotel and airline reservations and did not officially schedule the trip for another date until the federal government had reopened. The trip also requires 10 people for the trip to make, and it remained doubtful if all of the students could travel on the resched-
uled weekend. But the new dates in December actually allow more girls to take the trip because early college application deadlines have passed. Twelve seniors—Ali Aston, Anna Dyer, Grace Gilker, Samantha Kim, Devon Knott, Meredith Mihalopoulos, Molly Montgomery, Gretchen O’Brien, Caitlin Sellers, Christine Smith, Sarah Startz and Alexandra Villareal—and two chaperones— Kramer and Lower School teacher Karen Roberts—will take the trip from Dec. 5 to Dec. 8 and visit the same sites as originally planned. "No matter how oblivious you are to the news of the world, you find out about the government shutdown," Gilker said.
Submint to Vibrato e-mail submissions to: vibratoart@hockaday.org vibratolit@hockaday.org vibratophoto@hockaday.org
Seashore No More Since the beginning of the summer, Katie McKnight, Food and Catering Administrative Assistant, planned to go to Corpus Christi with her boyfriend Oct. 12-14 to visit South Texas Botanical Gardens and Nature Center, Lexington ship and Padre Island National Seashore. The morning she intended to visit the seashore, though, she discovered it was closed due to the shutdown. “I was kind of mad,” McKnight said. “I realized the shutdown doesn’t really affect you until it happens to you.” But she found an alternative, instead spending the day at the beach at Mustang Island State Park. “It wasn’t a big deal, but it sure was disappointing,” she said.
By Serendipity When Centennial Director Holly Hook heard about the shutdown on the news, her mind went to her brother-in-law, Todd Polson. “I was concerned it was affecting him. It was a big deal at the time,” Hook said. Over the summer, Hook’s family scheduled a trip to visit Polson’s family in Redondo Beach, Calif. from Oct. 8-15. Hook had expected to just not see Polson as often during the trip because he
would be working. Polson works for NASA as Criminal Investigator in the Office of Inspector General in Long Beach, Calif. Although the shutdown began Oct. 1, he still had to check in to work because he was the one person assigned as “essential” Duty Agent to handle emergencies. This meant he was required by the government to work. He was told that he would be paid for that week, Oct. 1-4, but when he would be paid was uncertain. He would also not be paid regularly—for him, every two weeks. By serendipity, the shutdown actually benefited the trip: after working for the first week of the shutdown, Polson stayed at home and was able to spend more time with Hook’s family. “It was awesome. We got to see him a lot,” Hook said. They visited the space shuttle Endeavor, played soccer with the kids and enjoyed the beach. Polson was fortunate enough that the furlough did not put a major economic strain on his family. He returned to work Oct. 17, just after Hook and her family left California. “For our little slice,” Hook said, “it had a silver lining.” Tiffany Le, Editor-In-Chief, with additional reporting by Katie Payne, Managing Editor
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THE FOURCAST
NOVEMBER 8, 2013
CENTENNIAL
Alumnae Recount the Assassination of President John F. Kennedy
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anything. It was just grisly. To watch a man die live on TV, we didn’t do that in those days,” Greenfield said. After the incident, both Lee and Greenfield witnessed the world turn against Dallas. Although Greenfield said the event did not affect her much beyond the six days she got off school (during which she mostly watched television coverage of the event), when she went to the University of Colorado the next year, many judged her because she came from Dallas, she said. “Everybody blamed everybody in Dallas like you had personally planned to kill the President,” she said. Greenfield said it was strange to go to a new place where everyone greeted her with suspicion and pulled away. This lasted through the middle of her sophomore year, she said, and “really put a pall on things.” Similarly, when Lee’s husband went golfing in Arizona
in the spring of 1964, the caddy would not carry his bags because he was from Dallas. “They still do treat us pretty bad,” Lee said in a 2013 interview for the Sixth Floor Museum’s Oral History Project. Despite this continuing sentiment, Dallas now prepares to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Kennedy’s death. “It’s important that the city of Dallas has a strong voice in remembering this very solemn day, and that we reflect upon it with the sense of history and dignity it deserves,” Mayor Mike Rawlings said. “This will be an event to rejoice in the remarkable life, legacy and leadership of John F. Kennedy and to show that the city of Dallas remembers what a great loss it was for the entire world.” Lee stressed that this event is a commemoration, a positive approach to remembering Kennedy’s life. “We would really be at fault if we did nothing,” Lee said. Greenfield, on the other
hand, said she does not care about the commemoration because the media memorializes him every year. But Greenfield did agree that it changed the atmosphere of Dallas and the U.S. “The world was different then,” she said. “In those days, we were much more naive, not so worldly.” To put the extent of the change in perspective, she cited the show Dragnet, a radio, television and motion picture series about the cases of Los Angeles police detective Joe Friday that was popular at the time. “They always caught the bad guy,” she said, “but you never saw anyone shot. Everything was so simple, and it was safe above all.” This is why Greenfield said this particular assassination was so shocking. “A lot of people have been shot since then,” she said, “but no one has ever made the impact that Kennedy did.” Mary Clare Beytagh Web Editor PHOTO PROVIDED BY TOM DILLARD OF THE DALLAS MORNING NEWS
atalie “Schatzie” Hen- Sarah T. Hughes, who swore in derson Lee ’50 was get- Vice President Lyndon B. Johnting ready to attend a son on Air Force One at 1:38 luncheon at the Trade p.m., just over two hours after Mart with Operation Support, a Kennedy was assassinated. campaign dedicated to inform“All of a sudden,” Greening the public of and support- field said, “this was history, but ing President John F. Kennedy’s I knew these people.” legislative policy. It was Nov. 22, The next day, Lee’s for1963. The television was on, and mer classmate Manny Bera news reporter was describing gan Tollefsen, who had been a why Kennedy was leaving Fort Norwegian exchange student Worth’s Hotel Texas through the at Hockaday in 1955, wrote a kitchen. They did not want a sur- letter to Lee. In the letter, she prise assassination like the one expressed the common grief that had killed President Wil- over Kennedy’s death even in liam McKinley in 1901. a “small, way-off country like Lee said the reporter used Norway.” a phrase like “and then he Four thousand miles away, was dead.” Hearing this, her sentiments Lee’s three-year-old son echoed those of the asked, “Is the president American people. dead, mom?” to which “It is simply unshe replied, “No. That believable that he was a president long, is dead,” she wrote. long ago.” After the lun“Losing President cheon, however, she All of a Kennedy almost feels would have to tell him sudden, like losing a close otherwise. friend.” At the luncheon, Lee this was Although they sat above in the balcony history, were of opposing parlevel while her husband ties, Lee and GreenGeorge, a member of a but I knew field felt the same different Democratic or- these way about the loss of ganization, sat below. Evsuch an icon. eryone was waiting for people. “At the time, it the president to arrive. was a crisis. We lost Cathey Greenfield '64 “Time went by and Camelot,” Greenfield time went by, and the said, referring to President hadn’t arrived,” Lee the popular phrase Jacqueline said. Kennedy coined to describe the At the same time, Cathey Kennedy administration and Greenfield ’64 was sitting in her its idealism. senior Latin class when someAs Tollefsen was writing one came through the door and the letter, she saw on TV that told the class that President Dallas nightclub owner Jack Kennedy had been shot. The Ruby had shot and killed Lee class then went across the hall Harvey Oswald, who was beto the history classroom and lieved to be the sniper who fawatched reruns of the assassi- tally shot Kennedy. Although nation on television. Even then, there have been many conGreenfield said the news didn’t spiracies surrounding Ruby’s sink in immediately. actions, his motives have never “It was so surreal because been confirmed. you don’t expect something Responding to this inexlike that,” she said. “No one had plicable event, Tollefsen said, ever been assassinated in my “Seems like Dallas has returned lifetime. That was history.” to the Wild-West times again.” However, this was history Greenfield also saw the in the making, and Greenfield shooting of Oswald on live telewas closer to the action than vision. She had known Ruby’s most. Her father, a staunch Re- name because she used to drive publican, was friends with fed- by his clubs downtown. eral judges Irving Goldberg and “It was not like a movie or
BELOVED PRESIDENT President John F. Kennedy and First Lady Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis in her iconic pink Chanel suit arrive at Love Field Airport in Dallas the morning of Nov. 22, hours before Kennedy's assassination.
Upper School Students Travel to Russia RUSSIA continued from p2 The Russian space program “finds ways to do things cheaper and with what they already have, and their space program works really well, while [the American space program] spends a lot of money,” Malican said. From the camp, Randolph hoped that she would gain a bigger perspective on many environmental issues and learn about what the Russians consider unhealthy for the environment “as opposed to here, [where] there’s a lot of fossil fuel-centered environmental issues.” Attending the camp changed many of the girls’ outlooks on the environment in space. Chan said that she “learned much about space litter and unused satellites up in space” and “realized that we need to take care of the environment.”
The students interested in participating in the trip applied at the end of the last school year and were chosen based on the quality of their applications. Whether or not there will be a trip to Russia next fall depends on the feedback given after this year's trip. If there will be a trip, information will be available to students and their parents next spring. Guerra hoped that from the trip, students would “learn to appreciate and be aware of other cultures. She also hoped that the students would be “awakened to space travel” and would enjoy “meeting kids from all over Russia, just seeing how people their age live, what they think and what they say.” According to Guerra, these hopes were “delightfully fulfilled.” She said that
the girls “learned far more on this trip about cultural differences between Russia and the United States than they can put into words at this time.” Both Guerra and Corley agree that the trip was “absolutely fantastic from beginning to end” and look forward to seeing the girls use what they learned on the trip and apply it to their daily lives. “I hope the girls continue to reflect on their experiences and have a broader appreciation for other world cultures outside of their own,” Corley said. Perhaps, like Neil Armstrong, they will make more giant leaps in the future. Catherine Jiang Staff Writer
Places Hockaday Girls Visited While in Russia SOCHI • Celebrated Chan’s birthday with vanilla ice cream topped with chocolate shavings and a song dedicated to her by singers at a Caucasus restaurant. • Visited Sochi National Park, tasted caviar and toured the 2014 Winter Olympics site. MOSCOW • Took a 22-hour train ride across Russia back to Moscow. • Dined with Courtnay Smith Perevalova ’84 at a Georgian restaurant. She has lived in Russia for 20 years with her Russian husband and their three children. • Attended a performance by the internationally renowned Bolshoi Ballet Academy: "Spartacus." • Visited a souvenir market, a historic hall and Vladimir Lenin’s tomb.
news
THE FOURCAST
NOVEMBER 8, 2013
School Serves Greater Dallas Community
STUDENT COUNCIL
SERVICE continued from p1
Two Freshmen Inducted into Council
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reshmen Taylor Toudouze and Eleanor Wilson were inducted into the Upper School Student Council in October. Toudouze is Form I President, and Wilson is Parliamentarian. Their induction came after a series of elections and run-offs following the annual freshman trip to Mo Ranch in September. Toudouze defeated six girls after four run-offs for Form I President. Wilson defeated three girls for her position on the council. As the only two freshmen on a council of 14 seniors, two juniors and two sophomores, they will bring a younger perspective on Upper School. “Freshmen have a really fresh view of Student Council because we’re not used to it,” Wilson said. “We’ll bring new ideas regardless of whether they’re wrong or right.” Wilson’s duty as Parliamentarian is to advise the president on procedure during meetings. If she notices a violation in procedure, she quietly tells the president, then the president may rule from the chair.
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Her older sister, senior Lucy Wilson, also serves on the council as Community Service Board Chair. “It’s really fun,” Eleanor Wilson said. “Lucy and I get along pretty well.” Her twin sister, Mary Claire Wilson, also serves on Student Council as Form I Secretary. Eleanor Wilson has had previous experience on Student Council at her former school, Christ the King. Toudouze was Middle School Student Council President last year, and she notices a big difference between the way Upper and Middle School Student Councils function. “It’s been kind of crazy and scary with the seniors—being on Middle School Student Council, it was a lot more chill—but it’s cool because we actually have a lot more to do now,” she said. As president, Toudouze hopes to become familiar with all of her classmates, especially the new girls. “I want to be someone everyone can come to as a leader,” she said. Tiffany Le Editor-in-Chief
Some of the jobs off-campus include bagging food at the North Texas Food Bank, making angels for the Salvation Army’s angel trees, which aid needy children in celebrating the holiday season and making blankets for Jubilee’s residents. Girls who are serving for half a day off-campus will return to school and participate in activities with six organizations. Agencies will set up booths in the gym with various service-related activities that everyone can participate in. Pre-K thru third grades will stay on campus but contribute by participating in multiple activities based on each grade’s theme, such as making placemats for the cafeterias of homeless shelters. “We want to help spark girls’ interest in community involvement,” Wilson said . The Centennial Day of Service co-chairs are Lisa Hurst 84’ and Karen Pollock ’84. Hockaday alumnae nationwide are participating in efforts to support and serve our community. Some of the projects include a canned food drive in San Francisco, Calif. and a holiday item drive in Austin, Texas. “The goal of these events is to contribute to and inspire positive change in these communities,” said Priss Benbow ‘79, Centennial Vice Chair for Out of Town Alumnae. For Upper School students, the hours spent at the organi-
NUMBER OF STUDENTS ASSIGNED TO EACH ORGANIZATION Brother Bill’s Helping Hand West Dallas Community School 20 girls Dallas Furniture Bank 32 girls 48 girls Educational First Steps 30 girls
Salvation Army 50 girls
Wesley Rankin 96 girls Goodwill Industries 100 girls
North Texas Food Bank 240 girls
Medical City 200 girls
Source: Hockaday’s Community Service Department
GRAPHIC BY SYDNEY YONACK
zations will count towards the community service hours required of each student. After helping agencies around the Dallas metropolitan area, girls will return at around 3 p.m. The next day, in advisory, there will be a reflection about the importance of giving. The Hockaday community will wear specially designed Tshirts funded by Medical City Hospital.
Even though this event was centered on the community service aspect of the centennial, “Hockaday hopes to continue with this program in the future,” Wilson said, because it is important to be an active part of the Dallas community. Vivian Armitage Staff Writer
hockadayfourcast.org
THE FOURCAST
NOVEMBER 8, 2013
Our priority is 100 percent to elect female candidates.
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Seniors Cate and Gretchen O’Brien are applying to college p10
Annie’s List Vice-Chair Patricia Miller p8
FourSteps
Lifetime Trustee Reminisces on Her Life
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PHOTO PROVIDED BY CHARLOTTE HOSKINS
...To Making Pumpkin Pie Turn the heat of the oven to 425 °F.
Mix three-fourths cups of sugar, 1½ teaspoons of pumpkin pie spice, one-half a teaspoon of salt, one 15 oz can pumpkin, 1¼ cups of half-andhalf, and two eggs (beaten). Pour the mixture into a frozen pie crust.
Bake for 15 minutes, then reduce temperature to 350°F. Continue baking until a knife can be inserted and removed clean (about 40-50 minutes.)
Allow to cool for two hours and refrigerate until serving time.
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IG UE Z
Megan Philips Staff Writer
A BY PHOTO
INA LA
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As Hockaday reaches its centennial year, the
she had done for the city of Dallas the greater community is looking back on our past and rec- and community. Some of her ognizing individuals who have made Hockaday the highlights philanthropy include her donaplace that it is today. This list includes numerous tion of $3 million to the Meyerson Symphony Centeachers, administrators, students, parents, board ter, her creation of the Eugene McDermott scholars program at the Unimembers and donors. One of these versity of Texas at Dallas and, most relpeople is Margaret McDermott. Deevant to Hockaday, the endowment of spite the life McDermott has lead, Hockaday’s “Eugene McDermott Headshe is still incredibly relatable, clear mistress,” titled in honor of her late headed and forward thinking. Her husband. This donation to the school house, though modest, holds some of means that the budget for Hockaday’s the finest art collections in the Dallas headmistress comes exclusively from community; it includes work by PicasMcDermott’s gift, simultaneously atso, Braque and Renoir (this interview tracting quality candidates for the job was conducted with the backdrop of while leaving the money that would one of Monet’s famous “Waterlilies” be used for the salary for other areas series paintings). of the school. A conversation with her leads to This philanthropist has earned a inevitable self-reflection, as meeting a reputation for her humility. As Dalperson of such kindness and generoslas Morning News reporter Alan Pepity often does. But most of all, she is a pard wrote in Feb. 2012, “In a town that role model for girls throughout Dallas loves to brag, Margaret McDermott as a woman who has done astonishing remains the exception…[she has] conthings throughout her life and contintinued to do more civic good and take ues to do so. All of this is remarkable, less credit than perhaps anyone in but it withholds one crucial detail: the history of our city.” Margaret McDermott is 101 years old.
Philanthropy
Hockaday, Then and Now
If you were to meet McDermott, she would never mention the good
McDermott offers a perspective on Hockaday that few others can give
L Boarder Wars
Competition heats up in the Residence Department
et the games begin. The House Council has revamped the Hall Wars, the Resident Department’s annual inter-hall competition. With Fat Straws gift cards, amusement park trips and special eat-out dinners at stake, the Hall Wars have sparked the competitive spirit of the Resident Department. “The purpose was to bring the halls together through competition, so it’s kind of a fun thing to do,” House Council President senior Anita Wang said. “It’s also a stress relief, and people get to have fun but also get to be competitive.” Although the competition is a tradition for the Resident Department, enthusiasm for the competition had faded in
previous years, with some girls not even participating. In order to instill enthusiasm for this year’s competition, House Council “really tried to bring it back and make it something people really want to do,” Wang said. To accomplish that, the council overhauled the old competitions, which were dominated by more competitive activities like relay races. This year, the Hall Wars are instead a boarding version of Upper School Form Day competitions. The competition has different scavenger-hunt type “tasks” to complete, ranging from “Easy” to “Impossible.” House Council creates the new list of tasks for each quarter, and the prefect, an
FROM ONE GENERATION TO THE NEXT Margaret McDermott (left) and Eugene Headmistress Kim Wargo (right) converse at an Alumnae Day Luncheon on Apr. 19, 2013.
to the school; she has seen the school through its entirety and even knew founder Ela Hockaday personally. Instead of a second-hand description of Ela that students and faculty have become familiar with, McDermott offers her own first-hand perspective. “[Ela] was [an] aristocratic and a perfect lady. She encouraged girls to study and work hard and was like a general under a regime, but she also cared for her students like they were her family,” McDermott said. McDermott was given the honorary position of a life trustee to the school in 1976. Current Eugene McDermott Headmistress Kim Wargo commented on the importance of the McDermott influence on Hockaday and the greater Dallas area. “Margaret told me that she and Eugene believed leadership to be absolutely vital,” Wargo said. “To them, a healthy institution grows through leadership, and to invest in leadership is to invest in the entire community and their future, so that’s where they have focused frequently in the organizations they partner with.” Wargo, who has kept in touch with McDermott since their initial introduction in 2010 by attending luncheons and corresponding through handwritten letters, also said that McDermott has high expectations for those she works with.
upperclassmen leader who lives on each hall, acts as a scorekeeper, tallying points for each task completed. Although most tasks can be completed on Hockaday’s campus, some opportunities to gain points occur off-campus. However, finding a way to accomplish these goals is not a problem. “Many of tasks can be finished on the daily boarding activities we go on, so it’s not an actual burden on the girls to find transportation,” Wang said. The tasks include taking a selfie with Upper School Head John Ashton, a picture of a male faculty member wearing a Hockaday skirt and a picture of the Hockaday possum on campus. When a girl completes a task, she earns points
MCDERMOTT continued p9 for her residence hall, either Upper/Lower Morgan or Upper/ Lower Trent. A single task completed can gain a hall points from 10 to 80. However, even though points are mostly given, they can be deducted too. One infraction will cost a hall ten points, and cheating within the competition will cause the hall to lose all points gained. Wang said that feedback on the wars so far have been positive, and many have praised the new challenges. “The challenges are really fun but some are pretty hard. While the impossible ones are the hardest, they’re definitely the most interesting,” sophomore Amanda Xiong, a member of Lower Morgan hall, WARS continued p9
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THE FOURCAST
NOVEMBER 8, 2013
Changing the Face of Power, One Candidate at a Time Hockaday students and Annie’s List organization support local female politicians such as State Sen. Wendy Davis of Texas
The Impact of Annie’s List
same time,” Rodman said. But the organization goes beyond party politics despite their PAC status and speaks largely to the need for more female representation in Texas government and increased support for the candidates that attempt to change that. “Our priority is 100 percent to elect female candidates,” said Miller. Students like Yeh agree with this statement, asserting that the need for female voices truly transcends party lines. “While I believe we should consider the candidate’s stance first and foremost, we should be looking toward women as we consider all of the potential representatives within our parties,” Yeh said.
high profile stories like Davis’s, Annie’s List plans to stay in the state of Texas and keep focused on municipal and state elections. “We have our work cut out for us here. In 10 short years we have elected 22 to women to office in Texas and plan to double and triple that number in coming years,” Rodman said. And Miller agreed, explaining the excitement of working on a state like Texas. “[Texas is] geographically large and diverse. We have major urban and metropolitan districts to rural and farming districts,” Miller said. “I think our demographics are changing, and I think we are going to have much more diverse political leadership because some people who have not been well represented before are gaining in their power and impact.” But that demographic change can only happen with the recruitment of young college graduates and the harnessing of talent from younger generations, said Miller. This is a fact that many Hockaday students and alumni have come to understand. Hockaday alumna Leigh Bailey ‘97 will be running in the Texas House race for District 108 as the only female candidate. The election will take place next year. And as for the Hockaday political clubs, they will continue to work towards this goal as well while attending party functions and supporting female candidates. “We don’t want to be people who just claim to believe something for no reason,” senior and member of the Upper School Young Democrats Club Evie Pena said. “We go to these things because we truly care and want to know more. We really are the next generation of leaders.”
The Future of Texas For the majority of 2013, Annie’s List focused on the reelection campaign of Houston Mayor Annise Parker. But for the upcoming 2014 year, they will concentrate on garnering support to aid 11 State Representative candidates in their campaigns for re-election as well as Senator Davis’s gubernatorial run. “Senator Davis has worked across party lines to get things done. Her hometown newspaper called her a legislator who will ‘stand up and fight’—and that’s just what she’s done, on behalf of Texas children, families and veterans,” said Rodman. Yeh considers Davis a figure that might appeal to both sides of the aisle because of her gender, and just like Annie’s List, she believes the Young Democrats Club will be actively working for the state senator’s campaign next spring. “Beyond her famous filibusters, she is an extremely strong feminist and proponent of wellfunded public education. Her focus has always been women, children, veterans and the unemployed.” The Wendy Davis Campaign was unavailable for comment. Though a national movement towards increasing female representation in government has emerged, especially with
PHOTO COURTESY OF VOGUE
At the luncheon, the students not only learned staggering facts about the importance of female voices in power from U.S. Senator Kirsten Gillibrand of New York but also more about the organization of Annie’s List, which seeks to“change the face of power” and increase female voice in government. Named after Annie Webb Blanton, the first woman elected to a statewide office in Texas,
the grassroots movement began as a one-person organization and has now grown to six full-time staff members. In the 10 years of its existence, Annie’s List has elected and re-elected 21 women to public office in order “to bring a balanced perspective back to Texas government,” Rodman said. Its philosophy comes from the belief that women do not run for office unless specifically asked, so this particular organization actively searches for capable women to run for public office in especially crucial but often difficult districts. “We do not sit around and wait for great women candidates to appear from thin air,” said Rodman. “Within targeted districts, we build relationships on the ground and recruit women candidates willing to do what it takes to win a tough campaign.” Annie’s List goes to city councils, school boards, local charity organizations and businesses in search for these potential political leaders, which coincidentally is how Wendy Davis was discovered in 2008. The organization’s work can be divided into four different aspects, including fundraising, candidate training, discussion of the issues and the Campaign School. The training sessions that they lead are supposed to provide candidates with the experiences and resources that they need. “The candidates come with all different levels of experience,” Annie’s List ViceChair Patricia Miller said. “We look for someone who has strong motivation and someone who is really willing to work.” Miller noted that much of their instruction involves fundraising, which she considers a distinct difference between female and male political campaigns. “Men often raise money very comfortably, but women are a little more tentative about raising it for themselves,” she said. “Our candidates need to make phone calls, reach out to donors both large and small, and they really need to be assertive in their fundraising.” In addition to training the candidate, the organization also gives instruction to the staff through the Campaign School and actively searches for potential workers. “We are empowering the next generation of progressive activists and helping our endorsed candidates win at the
GET A CLUE Match the car pictures with the student or faculty member.
2
1
Dodge Charger
A) Junior Molly Nelson B) Upper School Spanish teacher Luis Gallegos C) Upper School History teacher Lucio Benedetto D) Senior Chloe Naguib
Ford Mustang
3
4 Mini Cooper
Volkswagen Eos Convertible
Katie Payne Managing Editor
? Answers: 1C , 2B, 3D, 4A
DAVIS continued from p1 been severely underrepresented in the Texas Legislature,” Annie’s List Deputy Director Megan Rodman said. “In fact, over 6,000 men have been elected statewide compared to just 143 women.” This lack of female leadership disturbs Hockaday students as well. “Our politicians are making so many decisions specifically affecting women that it is odd how more of them aren’t female,” Young Democrats President senior Emily Yeh said. But this fall, students have begun to take initiative and have actively started to support female candidates. In addition, many of this year’s senior class will be able to vote in the 2014 election cycle for midterm elections and local House and Senate seats in Texas. Two senior members of the Young Democrats Club, Yeh and Anisha Anand, attended a press conference held by State Sen. Wendy Davis of Texas on Oct. 3 as she announced her bid for Texas State Governor; the election of which will take place in November of next year. She is the Democratic candidate in the race. “You never know how famous the speaker might be one day. Each event poses a unique opportunity to listen to some influential individuals who have ideas and stories to share,” Yeh said. “And of course, it is always helpful for the speaker to have us in attendance as a way to demonstrate his or her support for students.” Two weeks later, a group of 16 Hockaday students attended the annual Annie’s List Luncheon with 1,000 other Texas men and women where they met Davis. “Her story and message is so inspiring to women, especially to those in Texas, so I was really glad that I got the chance to meet her,” senior Ali Aston said.
hockadayfourcast.org
THE FOURCAST
NOVEMBER 8, 2013
PHOTO COURTESY OF ANN HE
Model Students Hockadaisies balance school with modeling
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porting saddle oxfords by day and wearing 8-inch heels by night, senior Mary Margaret Hancock, junior Olivia Whittaker and sophomore Evan Miller all juggle double lives as both a students and professional models.
Time Management
Although there are many stereotypes about body image that surround the industry, these girls choose to focus on the benefits that modeling brings. Whittaker has been working with Christopher Porter, her agent at The Clutts Agency, for over a year now. His belief that modeling “makes girls more confident and empowered” has helped Whittaker to step outside her comfort zone “I’m usually a closed-in person and I’m not super confident, but modeling has helped me do things I’m afraid to do,” Whittaker said. The perception of perfection displayed on television and in movies can have a negative effect on teenage girls. However, Miller focuses on the “positive outlook and sense of self confidence” that modeling teaches. With full support from her parents, Miller hopes to take modeling to a global stage and impact the people around her. “I want to inspire people in the way that others have inspired me,” Miller said. “I hope
Over the summer, Miller worked with famous fashion designer Phillip Lim, known for his label 3.1 Phillip Lim, to model for a Target exhibit that was featured during New York City’s Fashion Week in September. “I thought it was pretty cool because he was actually at the photoshoot,” Miller said. Some of her photos are in Target stores. She was also featured on “Good Morning Texas,” on Oct. 1, where she did her first live modeling show wearing clothing from Neiman Marcus. However, the first few months of her modeling career were not as successful. Page Parkes Management, the agency Miller works with now, rejected her when she went to them in early 2012. “I was just devastated because I felt this agency was a really good fit for me. My mom encouraged me to not give up, so I worked on my walk, I worked on my posing, I worked on everything to make sure that it was all together for when I went in again,” she said. When she met with the agency in June 2012, she got signed. “That just goes to show that you have to put in hard work for what you really want,” Miller said. Like Miller, Whittaker began modeling in June 2012 and is currently signed to The Clutts Agency in Dallas. She modeled for Cantu and JCPenney Mizani, which are both haircare companies. Whittaker also did a show at Klyde Warren Park in spring of 2013. Hancock started modeling at the age of 14 with Wallflower Management in Dallas. Since then, she picked up two other agencies: Silent Management in
STRUTTING THEIR STUFF Mary Margaret Hancock (top), Olivia Whittaker (left) and Evan Miller (right) model for the cameras.
Paris and The Lions in New York City. She has been featured in D Magazine as well as in advertisements for Mockingbird Station, Neiman Marcus, JCPenney and more. Now, she believes she has found her niche in modeling, even considering taking a gap year next year after high school to pursue a career in New York. “It’s very rare that you find something you really like to do, and that’s how it is with this, so I don’t see why I should do anything else,” she said.
A Different Perspective However, not all girls see the glitz and glam behind this industry. Lily Simon ‘11 modeled for one year but chose to quit after her junior year. “I wanted to move on with my life. I knew I never wanted a
McDermott Influences Hockaday Looking To the Future In addition to her generosity and perspective on the school, McDermott’s ability to be candid in conversation is nothing short of refreshing and often hilarious. When reminiscing about the differences in the school from the ‘40s, when she was an active member of the board, to now, she had one key observation: “The girls were smart and independent then and they’re still smart and independent now, but today they look a lot different. In the ‘40s, the girls wore bloomers and obviously that isn’t true today; the girls are more adorable now.” Aside from the school’s uniform, McDermott also noted the change in the lives of the girls from when she was a high school student in Texas herself, to today.
career in fashion,” Simon said. “I saw how young lives can be wasted through modeling; so many girls sit around waiting for jobs and don’t go to college because they think they’ll make it otherwise.” She did not enjoy modeling in the same way that Hancock, Whittacker and Miller do. “I spent hours walking up and down railless stairs that were suspended a few meters into the air in six inch heels,” Simon said. “I had fun, but the novelty wears off.” Simon chose to quit modeling and enjoy her senior year at Hockaday. Currently, she is pursuing environmental policy and economics at Pitzer College in Claremont, Calif. At the moment, she is in Amsterdam studying environmental science with a year abroad program.
“I wouldn’t have been able to do this if I was still trying to model,” Simon said. “I see beautiful people around me every single day and they don’t have to be models for it to be recognized.” Although modeling does not suit every girl, Tammy Theis, Hancock’s agent, believes that many girls blossom and become confident from this job. “We named the agency Wallflower because so many models are classic wallflowers in high school: tall, gawky and sometimes they don’t feel all that pretty—late bloomers typically,” Theis said. “It’s great to see them look at their first pictures and realize that they really are beautiful.” Inaara Padani Staff Writer
Boarders Compete
MCDERMOTT continued from p7 “If you’re invited to meet with her, you better be ready for good conversation and have an idea to contribute,” said Wargo. “She wants everyone around to contribute to the conversation at some point, and she keeps you on your toes.” McDermott herself prefers to keep busy contributing to her community, and still packs a full schedule into each day following the principle she and her late husband, the Texas Instruments, Inc. co-founder, held dear. “Eugene believed that financial success should be shared, so he did. And he showed me how to do it too,” McDermott said. “Even when [Eugene] was just getting started, we weren’t sure if we could finance all the projects we hoped to. We still did, because he said, and I still believe, we will run out of time to do good before we run out of money.”
PHOTO PROVIDED BY EVAN MILLER
Self-Confidence
Background of Each Model PHOTO COURTESY OF CLUTTS AGENCY
Teenage modeling has its glamorous moments, but it isn’t always easy. Hancock, Whittaker and Evan Miller must learn to balance their time between school and modeling. “Modeling is a huge time commitment. Sometimes I’m running from JCPenney to school and changing clothes in my car, wiping off makeup, keeping up with homework and missing class. But it’s worth it,” Hancock said. Many photoshoots take place after school and last for hours, but the result is rewarding. “There’s a lot of standing and waiting around when you’re on the job, but it’s fun,” Miller said. Miller’s agent, Jay O’Dell, believes that there has to be a balance. “This is a business and if you commit, you must be available or it will not work,” O’Dell said. “You must take advantage of everything that comes your way.”
that people, young girls, look at me and say ‘Well she did it, she followed her dreams and succeeded, so I can do it too.’” Similarly, Hancock focuses on the positives by surrounding herself with professional people and agencies that allow her to be happy with her body image. “My agency never tells me to lose weight or take inches off my waist,” Hancock said. “A lot of people think that modeling is about having a certain body or putting people down, but I think it teaches girls how to walk into a room with confidence. It really teaches you to have a presence.”
“Think of these girls and what they’ve done, where they’ve been at my age; I’d only been to Colorado Springs,” McDermott joked, “So they’re better than we were, and frankly they should be.” An important figure of support and growth for the school, McDermott embodies so much of what the school stands for. She knows that it will only continue to become better in its next 100 years. “I have great expectations for the future of the school and the future of its students, and I know Hockaday shares these expectations with me,” she said. “The school is a relic of education, and it’s furnishing a varied education for the girls of Dallas, Texas and the world. It has been so fun to be a part of it.” Molly Montgomery Perspectives Editor
WARS continued from p7 said. She took a photo of a male faculty member in a Hockaday skirt, gaining her hall 40 points. The tasks allow the girls to unite as a hall. In order to win the competition, the hallmates must work together in order to complete the tasks. “I like how it helps the hall work together, and some of us don’t see each other that often, so the activities give us a chance to bond,” Xiong said. “I think it’s healthy and fun for the girls to have something to work toward as a team, just to break the stress and monotony of the daily grind. The competition builds a team spirit among hall mates,” Vicki Palmer, Upper Morgan Dorm Mom, added. At the end of each quarter, the hall with the most points wins a “quarter gift,” which can range from gift cards to Fat Straws or a hall-wide dinner out in Dallas. Halls choose their quarter gifts themselves. And at the end of the year,
the hall winner will be announced. The hall which has won the most “quarter gifts” will win the whole competition. As a reward, each girl in the winning hall will receive a small trophy, and the larger Hall Wars trophy will be passed down to their hall. Although the competition is only open to resident students, the Resident Department hopes to create a conversation with the day students about the competition and provoke interest in boarding overall. “We don’t want to make boarding seem like a separate entity,” Wang said. “We want people to be more involved in Upper School and in boarding.” As of Nov. 4, the points are as follows: Lower Morgan leads with 840, Upper Morgan has 817, Lower Trent has 240 and Upper Trent has 190. Sunila Steephen Staff Writer
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THE FOURCAST
NOVEMBER 8, 2013
FOUR QUESTIONS
Head Catering Chef Juan Limon answers questions from The Fourcast’s readers
What does a catering chef do and did you have to go through special training to become one?
How do you decide what food to serve and where do you get inspiration for your cuisine?
Junior Anne Marie Hwang and sophomore Caroline Greenblatt
Upper School French Teacher Susan Bondy and sophomore Tala Vaughn
I cook, especially for events. If somebody here has a meeting or something, and they want to feed their guest, I’ll take care of that for them. They put the order in and I do it. I went to culinary school [The Art Institute]. Then, I started working at a hotel just as a cook, worked my way up, [and] then left that place. I worked at a country club for a while [and] learned quite a bit there. My first catering job was at Stephan Pyles, and then I came here.
Usually it is on the guest, on what they like, what they prefer. I am not going to just make something and then they are like “oh, I’m allergic to this” or “I’m not really allowed to eat that.” I will find out what they want, what they can and cannot have and then work from there. It is normally salads—special salads. And everything is made from scratch here; I make all my vinaigrettes and dressings. The person I get inspiration from is Chef Rick Bayless. Yes, he is a very good chef. I don’t know if he still does his show any more on PBS, but he is big Latin American cuisine chef.
How did you get involved with Hockaday and what is your favorite part of the job?
What has been your favorite event to cater?
Junior Staci Shelby and sophomore Cameron Todd
Senior Anita Wang
It would be one we had at the country club. They had a really big party for 3,000 people, and they had a big ice sculpture right in the center with seafood sitting on top of it that the guests could just come and pick up.
They had an opening here, I came and applied for it, and they liked what they heard and hired me. My favorite part is that I get to cook whenever I want, when I want.
PHOTO BY SHELBY ANDERSON
NEXT ISSUE: Anybody—including faculty, staff, students, alumnae and parents—can submit questions for Brian Hudson, Upper School English teacher, to mmontgomery1@hockaday. org by Dec. 3. Please include your name with your question.
Senior Sisters Split The college process is already stressful, so how does having a twin affect it? Twins figure out how to handle the college process
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he college process: a time to establish individuality and make the first step towards independence. Whether by parents, peers or counselors, it’s easy to be influenced during this time of decisions. Many decide to not share college lists with friends, but it’s even harder to keep them secret from family. The two sets of twins in the senior class say having a twin go through the same process at the same time makes things even more interesting. Senior twins Cate and Gretchen O’Brien and Ali and Augusta Aston have made the decision to keep their college processes separate from their sisters in addition to their classmates. Since the beginning of the college-search-season, neither twin has known anything about the other’s college endeavors. The Aston and O’Brien twins came up with the idea to keep their college choices separate from each other on their own. Both sets of twins presented the idea to their parents, and their families figured out together how to make it work. For the O’Briens, their parents supported the process. To make sure neither knows about any of the schools the other twin is looking at, the twins’ father, Rick O’Brien, takes Cate on college visits. Their mother, Caroline O’Brien, takes Gretchen, and all four travel at the same time to different locations. The
process is even kept secret from knowing,” Cate said. “This way their younger siblings, sixth it’s not a competition; it’s her grader Elly and freshman Meg. thing and my thing.” “My parents are the only Both the O’Briens and the ones who know where we’re both Astons agreed that sharing collooking,” Gretchen said. “We even lege choices with each other have separate college counselors.” could influence the other’s colThe Astons college applica- lege choices, too. tion process, however, has been a “We made the decision so little less secretive. Althat we could figure though they also decidout our own interests, ed to keep their choices and so that our choicseparate and haven’t es wouldn’t interfere told their younger with each other,” Aubrother, Owen, anygusta said. thing about their pro“I feel like if we cesses, the Astons do were communicating discuss some things It’s best for with each other, she between themselves. both of us would tell me about a The Astons went on college I hadn’t even the same college visits not knowing. thought about, and and shared some of This way then I would think it’s their opinions—with- it’s not a a good idea to go apout revealing the speply,” Gretchen added. cific colleges they were competition; The O’Brien and interested in. Aston twins have sepait’s her thing “Our parents were rate college counselors. kind of going with and my Carol Wasden is both the flow as we were,” thing. Gretchen and Ali’s colAugusta said, “Plus, lege counselor, while economically, it was Senior Cate O’Brien Courtney Skerritt is just easier for us to go Cate and Augusta’s. together.” Skerritt believes the twins have The O’Briens and the Astons a good approach for the process. both chose to keep their choices “In my experience, every separate for a number of reasons. single set of twins that I have “We always know every worked with has been individulittle detail about each other,” als,” Skerritt said, “Their college Augusta said, “So we tried to do process needs to be as individusomething on our own and see alized as they are.” where it would take us.” Katherine Boehrer ‘10 also For the O’Briens, competi- went through the college protion was a major reason. cess with a twin. Contrary to “It’s best for both of us not both the O’Brien and the Aston
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twins, Katherine and her twin sister Alex did not keep their choices separate from each other. The Boehrer twins even had the same college counselor at Hockaday, Carol Wasden. Katherine believes that having an advocate during the college process is extremely helpful. “I liked it because we could both talk about certain places,” she said. “It’s like touring a school with a friend who has similar preferences to you.” Skerritt agrees that having an advocate may be helpful. However, she tells twins to be thoughtful about whether they would want to apply to the same institutions or not. “I encourage them to consider, what would the experience be like with or without your twin with you?” Skerritt said. Although they didn’t intend to, the Boehrer twins ended up attending the same university. At the beginning of their education at Cornell, both Alex and Katherine were Environmental Science majors. Now as seniors, they have different majors: Katherine is majoring in Environmental Science and Communications, while Alex essentially created her own major, called Environmental Health. The twins spent their first three years at Cornell in separate dorms with their own roommates. At the beginning of senior year, they began sharing an apartment with two of their other friends.
“We’re involved in different areas,” Katherine explained, “but we live together and talk about what happened during the day.” At the end of October, the Aston’s shared their college lists with each other. According to Ali, the twins shared a lot of the same choices. “A lot of our colleges overlapped,” she explained, “except for about three or four.” Augusta wasn’t shocked to discover that they both had a few of the same colleges on their lists. “I’m not surprised [the lists] took us to the same schools,” she said, “because we have the same interests. Not all of them were the same though, so it was cool to see how we were different.” As for the O’Brien’s, they still haven’t shared lists yet. Gretchen believes that even with their separate processes, she and her twin could still end up going to the same college. “If we did happen to go to the same college,” Gretchen said, “at least we’d know we both really wanted to go there.” With the O’Brien’s, the secrecy may soon come to a close. The common app, with its November deadline, asks about siblings and whether or not they’re applying to the same school. Skerritt encourages every girl to “treat this experience like the individuals that you are,” regardless of having a twin. Elie McAdams Staff Writer
hockadayfourcast.org
THE FOURCAST
NOVEMBER 8, 2013
SENIOR ANNA ANDERSON EXPLORES ITALY This past summer senior Anna Anderson spent 12 days in Lucca, Italy. She traveled through Tuscany, Italy, participating in the National Geographic Student Expedition Tuscany Field Workshop.
photo essay
LA DOLCE VITA
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1. This picture was taken from the mountain city Montecatini overlooking Tuscany. We were waiting to board the train going down the mountain when I snapped this picture, experimenting for the first time with long exposures. 2. I took this picture of a candle arrangement in the Duomo as I was playing with the idea of perspectives. 3. Honestly, this picture was a complete accident. We had a long, two-hour bus ride up to the marble mine where Michelangelo’s David originated, and on the ride, I adjusted my camera settings. After taking the photo, I looked at my camera and realized that it came out blue. It made the marble miner look like an ice climber instead. 4. This picture was taken when I first fell in love with night photography. I really loved the idea that you could take something so dark and capture it brightly in a photograph. In this picture specifically, I was drawn to the curving line that the street, the buildings and the sky made.
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5. I took this picture after a full day of portraittaking in Pisa as we were walking back to the train. It wasn’t a planned picture. It was more of an impulse as the sunset was highlighting the river and the buildings.
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To see more of senior Anna Anderson’s trip to Tuscany, scan this QR code with your smartphone.
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infoc
hockadayfourcast.org NOVEMBER 8, 2013
Nov. 22, 1963—President John F. Kennedy was assassinated, shot en route to the Dallas Trade Mart, where he planned to give a campaign speech. Americans lost a leader that day, but two children—Caroline and John Kennedy Jr.—lost their father.
THE CHILDREN LEFT BEHIND According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 3,697,092 children in the U.S. lost a parent in 2012. That equates to one in 20 children under the age of 18. But each one of these children dealt with their bereavement differently. Certain factors like age, environment and manner of death will influence how a child copes with this loss. Yet despite the multitude of possibilities affecting a child’s reaction, the grief always begins with one thing: death.
TURNING POINT
Aug. 31, 2012. The 243rd day of the year. Twenty-two days before the start of fall. Eight days after school started. The day senior Megan Silver lost her father, Martin Silver. It started as a normal dinner during a field hockey trip in St. Louis, Mo. Megan was at the restaurant Noodles and Company with her teammate, senior Lucy Wilson, and Megan’s father Martin, who wore a striped blue button-down polo, khaki shorts and white tennis shoes. Complaining of nausea and sweating profusely, Martin asked Megan to take his order and went to sit down. After ordering, Megan returned to the table but found that Martin was gone; he had left to use the restroom. A waitress set a bowl of noodles for him down on the table. A bowl that he would never touch. Soon after, a waiter ran out of the bathroom and exclaimed that a man was passed out on the floor. It was Martin. Almost 10 minutes later, the paramedics arrived, immediately rushing to the back of the restaurant, trying to resuscitate him. Megan watched from down the hallway. All she could see were his legs, stretched out the bathroom door. Still. Lifeless. She watched as they loaded him onto a gurney 20 minutes later and rolled him into the ambulance. Though she headed to the hospital, that was the last time she saw her father. Megan said that after his death, she experienced stages of shock, anger and sadness. Typically, there are five recognized stages of grief: denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance, according to Dr. Margaret Morse, Upper School Counselor. “I couldn’t really figure out how to deal with something like [my father’s death],” Megan said. “I got into this phase where I would get angry and sad and all these emotions at once, and I didn’t really know how to deal with them.” In the turmoil after death, children generally experience trouble in academic and social realms of their lives. Megan endured both. According to a 2012 study conducted by Judi’s House for Grieving Children and Families in Denver, Colo., an organization which offers counseling to families who have lost loved ones, 60 percent of grieving children reported having academic difficulties. “It was very difficult for me to focus,” Megan said of returning to school. “It just didn’t always seem very important, the things I was doing.” After her father’s death, Megan found that her life didn’t feel the same. “I had trouble finding my place when I went back,” Megan said. “Everybody’s life was the same and mine was so different.”
AGE IS MORE THAN JUST A NUMBER
Morse was just 12 years old when her mother, Peggie King, was diagnosed with breast cancer at age 41. The cancer soon metastasized to her liver. After six years of fighting the disease, her mother passed away on Jan. 13, 1989. While Morse’s father, and even her mother, understood this death was impending, Morse refused to accept it. “I, as a 14-year-old, kept thinking that she was going to get better—that is, until the day she died,” Morse said. While she spent the last years of her mother’s life hoping her mother would overcome the sickness, her father came to terms with it and accepted the inevitability of death. In other words, her father went through a majority of the five stages of grief while her mother was still alive. Having already accepted his wife’s death for months, Morse’s father began to date again six months afterwards. This left Morse resentful and angry. “To see your parent be with someone who isn’t the other spouse is weird,” Morse said. “To me, it was a threat to my mother’s memory.” Morse attributed her and her father’s different reactions and methods of coping to their respective ages. Even children of different ages process death differently. Dr. Micki Burns, Director of Programs at Judi’s House, agrees that age makes a difference when it comes to understanding death. “How a Lower Schooler understands death is different than a Middle Schooler, which is different than how a High Schooler understands death.” Age can cause different reactions towards a death even within a family, just like what happened to Morse and her father. “Everyone’s on their own different tracks,” Morse said. “[Even though they] experience the same loss, they deal with it on their own. You can still feel isolated even though you have other family members that have gone through the loss.” Megan’s sister Mia was only 11 when her father died. While Megan does believe that her sister understands the concept of death, she does not believe that her sister is really facing the reality of what the tragedy means. “She probably processes it a little bit differently than [my mom and I] do. I think she has the perspective of, ‘He would want us to be happy, so I’m going to be happy for him,’” Megan said. “But I also think that just mentally,
she chooses not to deal with it.” Morse added that children simply think differently thing as heavy as death. According to a publication by the New York Life fou Center for School Crisis and Bereavement at Cincinnat four basic concepts that children must comprehend in reversible, all life functions end completely at the time there are physical reasons someone dies.” Schonfeld explains that the concept of death is diffi television shows and movies, children see characters ‘ going to happen,” he said. These false portrayals of what it means to “die” hin means. At their age, their minds are not as developed a erything they see. As Shonfeld said, “If children don’t th to begin to mourn. An essential first step in this proce the loss is permanent.”
NOT SO SUDDENLY
Sarah Simmons ‘13 awoke at 7 a.m. on Dec. 15, 2006, th where advisories sell homemade holiday goods. She w Simmons walked out of her room, she heard voices dow But not her father’s voice. Slowly, she put two and two together—her father ha Sarah’s father, William David Simmons, was diagno had been in decline for roughly eight years. “He died i expect to kill someone, so his death was kind of sudden However, because he was diagnosed with diabetes, Sa his death. “It wasn’t completely unexpected,” Sarah said. The manner in which the loved one dies can affect t one has an illness that they are being treated for and different because you often go through the grieving as Like Sarah, Morse said her mother had struggled w knew it was coming, and there was time for preparatio what’s about ready to happen and to tie up loose ends a time to let it sink in.” However, if the death is sudden, it can affect the pers person lost that person can have a huge impact. If it w ent to say goodbye, but if it was a sudden traumatic lo consequences,” Burns said. Unlike Sarah and Morse, Megan was completely sur Megan said. “I couldn’t really emotionally process what While the shock hit Megan immediately, the true her life. “Over time, I started to realize how perman when I looked at all my future landmarks like gradua posed to be at and realized that he wouldn’t be.” However, Sarah said that she doesn’t “know if it w just different.”
WORLD SHAKEN
Accompanied by field hockey team chaperone Carol hospital. Anxious. Worried. Tense. A chaplain entered. “I’m so sorry. Your dad just had a massive heart attack Megan could not believe it. She wondered for a mom real. But then I realized, no, she wouldn’t joke about tha According to Morse, Megan’s initial shock was norm that her community provides. “In the [Hockaday] com and we know where our next meal is coming from, and Because students are so accustomed to this stability For the most part, everything in our lives is predictable; expect them to. On the other hand, children who are con stant violence are less inclined be as shocked by death—n “There are people in this stage of life who don’t have any
cus
y than adults, making them less prepared to face some-
undation, Dr. David Schonfeld, Director of the National ti Children’s Hospital Medical Center, believes there are n order to understand and cope with death: “death is ire of death, everything that is alive eventually dies and
fficult for children to understand because “in cartoons, ‘die’ and then come back to life. In real life, this is not
nder children from comprehending what death really as adults’ and they are more susceptible to believing evhink of the death as permanent, they have little reason ess is understanding and, at some level, accepting that
he day of the Hockaday Middle School Bazaar, an event wondered why her mother hadn’t woken her up. When wnstairs. Her mother’s voice. Her grandmother’s voice.
ad died. osed with Type 1 Diabetes long before she was born and in his sleep,” Sarah said. “Diabetes isn’t something you n.” arah and her mother had time to prepare themselves for . “We knew that he might have a shortened life-span.” the grieving process of those left behind. “When somethe end of the illness is the death, the grief process is the person is still alive,” Morse said. with her cancer for a while, so in some ways her father on. “It’s more expected and there’s more time to realize and to say your goodbyes,” Morse said. “You have more
son in a more negative way. “The method in which that was a terminal illness, they might have time to be presoss or a freak accident, there might be more emotional
rprised by her father’s death. “I got that instant panic,” t was happening.” reality of death did not come for Sarah until later in ent it was,” Sarah said. “I felt more of a sense of loss ation, my wedding [and events] that your dad is sup-
would be better if [his death] was sudden or not. It’s
line O’Brien, Megan sat on a couch in a tiny room in the
k,” she said. “There was nothing we could do to save him.” ment if it was a joke. “I heard her and thought it wasn’t at,” Megan said. “I was in total shock.” mal, but it was also partly due to the stable environment mmunity, for the most part things are stable and secure, d we have clothes to wear,” Morse said. y, they are that much less prepared to deal with death. ; we are not accustomed to things not going the way we nstantly surrounded by negative environments and connot that it is any less painful, it just is not as unexpected. of those things to begin with and safety and security are
12/13 THE FOURCAST
ILLUSTRATION BY ALEXIS ESPINOSA AND COURTNEY LE
always in limbo,” Morse said. “When [they] lose a parent, it’s still huge, but for people within [Hockaday] where there’s a lot of stability and security, it’s even that much more traumatic.” However, that same stability can also help someone work through the shock. The relationships girls form with other students can be essential to moving on after a loss. “My friends were as helpful as they could be,” Megan said. “I could tell that they cared about me a lot. I knew that they wanted to help, even if they didn’t always know how.” Megan recalled the response from her fellow Hockadaisies when she asked them to buy snow cones at Doc’s Snow Cones in Dallas. In order to have Martin’s favorite flavor, natural lime with raspberry drizzle, renamed “O-Mart” after him, the shop had to sell a minimum of 200 of these snow cones in one afternoon. Hockaday rose to the challenge, purchasing approximately 350 snow cones. “O-Mart was a nickname one of our really close family friends gave him, and we thought he would appreciate having it as his Snow Cone flavor name,” Megan said. “I asked people to go support him, and a ton of people from Hockaday went. That was really nice.” Like Megan, Sarah found that the stability at Hockaday helped her move on. “I think just the order of being at Hockaday really helped. He died the first day of holiday break, and I had two weeks of complete chaos. People were in and out of my house constantly, and it was a little too much,” Sarah said. “I was really happy in January when I had a constant schedule. My teachers helped me, and my friends treated me like it was normal.” Morse agreed that being a part of Hockaday, being a part of any stable community, can make the grieving process much easier. “I think what’s interesting about the Hockaday community is that Hockaday is like a second family to most people,” Morse said. “I think that’s why coming back to everyday life here feels good.”
SILVER LINING
Megan was out for a jog in the spring air last year when the scent of a nearby barbecue wafted through the air. The aroma immediately reminded of her father, who always grilled in the summertime. “It made me happy and sad to remember that,” Megan said. “There are certain ‘triggers’ that remind me of him, and a lot of the time they are really random.” Morse said that though people learn to move forward with time, the loss never does fade. “Every birthday, every holiday, every anniversary of that person’s death, you don’t relive the death every time, but that person’s death is very apparent,” Morse said. “You never forget that.” Constantly remembering the loss of a loved one puts life into perspective. “It makes you question things and decide what is important to you,” Morse said. “Your priorities and what you think really matters get shifted.” But the long-term effects of loss are learning that nothing is forever and that things are not always stable. “Losing someone starts existential questions: who are we, why are we here, what is the purpose of this, why did this happen? All those questions come at a very young age,” Morse said. Megan agreed. She has become more reflective about her life, but at the same time, she has tried to focus on the positives. “I realized that nothing is permanent, [but] we have to enjoy every second that we do have,” Megan said. “[My father’s death] has already made me a lot more grateful because I understand that things can be taken away.” By writing down memories in a journal, Megan has been able to move forward while still keeping her father in her thoughts. She writes the “little things that [she’s] worried [she] might forget as time passes.” In addition, Megan and her family recall what Martin would have said or done in certain situations to keep him present in their everyday lives. “It’s comforting to think that, even after a year, we can still picture exactly what he would have said about one thing or another,” Megan said. Sarah’s loss, on the other hand, inspired her to change her whole life plans. “[My father’s death] affected my career path,” Sarah said. “I’m interested in being an endocrinologist now. I want to help people with diabetes, maybe even cure it.” Sarah has also involved herself in fundraising for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. “The fundraising just makes me feel like I’m making a difference,” Sarah said. As far as remembering her father, Sarah stops by his grave every birthday and every anniversary of his death - what she has dubbed his “death day.” In addition, she keeps her father alive in her thoughts and the way she lives her life. “I’ve created this image of him that I’m constantly trying to please,” Sarah said. “I like to think that whatever I’m doing, he would be proud of me.”
THE PHONE CALL
Saye Storey, Sarah’s grandmother, was manning the desk at Parkland Memorial Hospital in Dallas on Nov. 22, 1963. At 12:30 p.m., the phone rang. President Kennedy had been shot. Storey was instructed to help prepare the hospital for his arrival. But despite the hospital’s best efforts, Kennedy could not be saved. He left behind a lot of people that day. Family, fans, supporters, critics, colleagues. His own children. Little did Storey know that her own granddaughter would also lose her father, 43 years later. And the child’s life would never be the same again.
Alexis Espinosa A&E Editor
Courtney Le Features Editor
14/15
THE FOURCAST
NOVEMBER 8, 2013
arts & enter tainment PopChart
Design is an evolutionary process. Robert Kallos p16
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Eighth-grader Anna Tagioli as Dorothy Gale p16
Carlyn Ray Plans Centennial Project PHOTO BY DOMINIQUE SUNG
MUSIC
KRAZY FOR KATY
Katy Perry’s sophomore album, Prism, was released Oct. 13. The “100% biographical” album includes Perry’s latest chart-toppers, such as “Roar” and “Dark Horse.” Her next Dallas concert is set for 2014.
FOOD
KEEP ON TRUCKIN’
Located on Lower Greenville, The Truck Yard is Katy Trail Ice House’s artsier cousin. This new food truck park hosts a rotation of three food trucks daily. The park also features Carnival Barker’s Ice Creams, a boutique ice cream shop.
PHONES
APP-RECIATION
Looking for a new app? Heads Up! is a digital version of charades available for purchase on the iPhone, iPad and Android. The app was first released on Sept. 18 and is now ranked 8th on Paid App Top Chart. It costs $0.99 in the Apple App Store.
MOVIES
IT’S ABOUT TIME
About Time is yet another classic Hollywood love story, featuring Domhnall Gleeson and Rachel McAdams (“The Notebook”), released Nov. 1.
The new Centennial Center’s integrated arts and
project. After reviewing the seniors’ balscience building, set to open before next school lots, Sanders said seniors year, will feature an art project that will incorpoare leaning towards somerate the designs, ideas and works of every stuthing very conceptual right dent here at Hockaday, specifically the seniors. now and not something that is too concrete of a symbol. Carlyn Ray, a professional glass “The gift isn’t just the project, blower, will spearhead the project, the gift is the process,” Sanders said. and the senior class will have an “That’s a really far reaching opporespecially prominent role in the tunity for everybody so I think that’s design of this art piece, as it is the very nice.” senior class gift. She is still considering various After speaking to the entire upways in which each student from per school, Ray addressed the senior Pre-K thru twelfth grades can have class about specific ideas she had a mark on this art project. Each in mind for the art project. Seniors Lower School student could either then voted on general ideas and be working on her own individual themes for the art project by ballot. part or perhaps with the guidance “It’s kind of a growing design, that’s of another, older student. But it all kind of morphing, and people bring depends on the design the senior new ideas to it,” Ray said. class will be choosing over the next She hopes to speak with more few weeks. seniors within the near future in “I would like it so that everyone individual groups to gain a better creates a piece that would fit into idea of what the senior class hopes a whole,” Ray said. “That way girls to see in this new project. She’ll could actually have individualized meet with an art class as well as a pieces and would be able to locate science class and fuse design ideas their piece on the whole piece.” from both when creating the projThe Advanced Studio Art stuect. The first group of girls will start dents will be working more on the narrowing the ideas the senior class planning aspect of this project to voted on, and the second will work narrow down the ideas. off of that and add new ideas. Advanced Studio Art student After reviewing a compilation senior Alex Ludwig is particularly of these ideas and designs, Ray will drawn to the idea of using glass then consider other factors such and light for the project. as cost, feasibility and how all the “I think the idea of working girls can participate. with glass is very cool. Not a lot of Visual Arts Chair Susan Sandpeople get to do that, so that is defiers is also heavily involved in this
BLOW YOUR MIND Professional glass blower Carlyn Ray typically works with glass heated up to 2,300 degrees, the same temperature as lava.
nitely going to be very interesting because we can do so many different things with it,” she said, “Light would probably involve the entire room. So that would make it more fun, and it would draw more attention to the actual project itself.” Ray hopes this will be finished by the end of the school year, even though the integrated arts and science building won’t be completed until the end of the 20142015 school year. During that time, Ray would like to see a portion or a model of the piece on display for the public somewhere so the girls can actually see what it is like putting it together. “It’s definitely going to be interesting watching everyone join in to do this project,” Ludwig said. “It commemorates the whole centennial year and we want to combine the whole art-and-science aspect of it, since we are reconstructing the science and fine arts building.” The art project may not be a smooth ride, but Sanders knows it will be worth is for everyone. “It’s not a perfect paradigm, it’s just not possible,” Sanders said. “But I think that at the end of it, its going to be a really great experience. Anisha Anand Business Manager
Sources: digitalspy, ellentv, abouttime.jottit
To The Beat of Her Own Drum
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eating on plastic trashcans usually isn’t considered a high school activity. But to sophomore Jee Kim, it’s music. Before arriving at Hockaday this year, she was in the drumline during her freshman year at her former school, Wichita Collegiate School, in Wichita, Kan. But when she arrived at Hockaday, she realized that the school did not have a band. That meant no drums. As a result, she decided to start her
own club. Drumline is “basically only playing percussion instruments,” Kim said. As part of the drumline at Collegiate, she participated in the marching band, playing the snare drum at football and basketball games during halftime shows. Kim hopes that her drumline club will eventually perform at Coffeehouse. The club has not yet gotten music, but the club’s sponsor, Fine Arts Department Chair Ed Long, has currently been composing
several pieces, because he took a college course, learning to write for percussion only. Kim is also looking for drum line music online, like pop songs that only require snare drums, bass drums, using mallets. In 2008, Min Lee ‘08 started a similar drumline club, but it died out after about a year. “Other girls were very interested in the club. It didn’t matter whether they had played before or not, they learned along way,” Kim said, regarding the club’s large roster.
Currently, the club has no proper equipment, meaning actual drums, and has actually been using plastic trashcans. In the future, if the club succeeds, then the school will grant funding to buy drums. “I dream that people will genuinely enjoy what we play,” Kim said. To sign up for the club or for more information, email Kim at jkim1@hockaday.org. Kate Clement Staff Writer
arts & entertainment
hockadayfourcast.org
THE FOURCAST
NOVEMBER 8, 2013
The Fourcast derives its name from the four cornerstones of Hockaday: character, courtesy, scholarship and athletics. It is also a pun on the weather “forecast.”
Film Class Goes Behind The Screens Upper School Film Studies and Journalism teacher Glenys Quick’s film classes have the privilege of talking to successful filmmaker David Lowery
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he up-and-coming independent filmmaker David Lowery, who is currently directing “Our Man” starring Robert Redford and the sci-fi thriller “To Be Two” starring Casey Affleck, is coming to Hockaday on Friday afternoon to speak with the film students and to guide them on how to improve their filmmaking. Lowery will also discuss his journey as a filmmaker and how movies contribute to students’ everyday lives. Film class teacher Glenys Quick got in touch with Lowery because one of her husband’s relatives, Philip Cowan, is the Executive Director of Grand Cinema, a non-profit art-house theater located in Tacoma, Wash. The theater honored Lowery as one of the “25 New Faces of Independent Films” in 2011 and has shown many of Lowery’s films, including “Ain’t Them Bodies Saints” (2013) and “Pioneer” (2011). The independent filmmaker never enrolled in a
film class in high school, and he to release at the end of 2014, majored in English while at the took a mere three weeks to University of Texas at Dallas, complete, a sweeping record not Film Studies. However, for him. while he was not studying or He advised that even during attending classes, he watched writer’s block, one should keep and filmed movies. trying. “It’s not going From a very young to get done until you age, Lowery knew he push through those wanted to become a A great frustrating moments,” filmmaker. he said. “I knew that I film will But Lowery would be a student of give us noted that working cinema, whether I was with actors is in fact in the classroom or insight into the hardest part of not,” he said. ourselves filmmaking. Although Lowery “It’s difficult for believes his greatest and those me to vocalize my accomplishment is “the around us. ideas, and when you’re fact that I’ve finally Filmmaker directing actors, you managed to make a David Lowery often need to be able to living doing what I love.” provide very clear and He writes the script for his concise direction in between films in different sittings and takes on the spur of a moment,” rarely finishes a script in less he said. than a couple of months. He Rather than giving up, he strives to write the scripts for finds a solution to the problem his different films all at once by hiring actors who can but claims that he does not have cooperate easily with him and enough focus. understand his visions. Yet his most recent script The audience for Lowery’s for a movie, which he hopes films has broadened to a wider
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audience over time to “everyone from students to grandparents,” even though they are “art-house film[s],” as he put it. “I’ve always made movies for people who love movies, but the degree to which that love balances between art and entertainment has been changing,” he said. Lowery strives “to make films that people remember—I want to make movies that get stuck in your throat, so to speak, that don’t go down easy.” Sophomore film student Sadie Lidji looks forward to Lowery’s visit. She is excited for the business and distribution aspects of the filmmaking industry because even though they are “less glamorous,” she said, they are essential to filmmaking. Lowery said this less glamorous side of exposing a film to the world is something that people do not often think about. This involves a lot of traveling and attending of screenings, which he described as both “an incredible luxury”
and something “incredibly exhausting.” Quick said she is eager for his visit because of his experience in various parts of filmmaking such as writing, editing, cinematography and directing. The students also value the experience that Lowery as a filmmaker will bring. “[Filmmakers] have perspective and experience, regarding both creativity and business. They know what works and what doesn’t,” Lidji said. “A great film will give us insight into ourselves and those around us,” Lowery said, “ and we’ll come out the other end with the memory of an experience that will give valuable context to something that’s happening, has happened or will happen.” Charlsea Lamb Asst. News Editor
THEATER
Mariel Gets Into Character Upper School Spanish teacher Mariana Mariel does live performances with her own Spanish theater group Lake in Dallas, as well as small one-act plays a few times a year in people’s homes and at the One-Act Latino Theatre Festival at the Latino Cultural Center in Dallas. All of their performances, directed by her mother, are reenactments of famous Spanish classics. Because Mariel’s theater group members have an Argentinean or Chilean heritage, there is a South American influence. “We want to broaden the scope of our Hispanic culture by representing its great writers and maintain the richness of the Spanish language through art,” Beatriz Mariel said. They have performed five plays based off of classics. While previous plays have been classified as comedies,
this year’s play “is very dramatic,” Mariel said. “It deals more with some of the social injustices in Chile.” Regardless of the genre, all of the group’s plays resemble real-life situations that the audience can identify with. Upper School Spanish teacher Luis Gallegos has seen several of her plays. “They are definitely the kind of plays that make you think,” Gallegos said. “There is definitely some kind of social message...you kind of have to think about what the outcome is, and what’s the message of the playwright.” Before Mariel’s theatrical epiphany, she wasn’t always a stage star. “When I was little, I wanted to be a performer, but I was extremely shy,” Mariel said. “[Theater] has impacted my life tremendously because I never thought as a teenager that I would be standing in front of an audience and portraying a character...I love it.” Although Mariel devotes an extensive amount of time and energy rehearsing and preparing for performances, the hard work pays off. “It’s her passion,” World Languages Department Chair Lisa Camp said. “Even though it’s something that is very exhausting, it’s something that illuminates her at the same time because she enjoys doing it so much.” Performing live has also improved Mariel’s skills as a teacher. “It has impacted me because I stand in front of an audience every day,” Mariel said. “It’s easier for me to get up on stage, even to give a speech... even though I still get nervous, it’s gotten better.” “The ability to assume certain characters and personalities serve[s] her well in the classroom, because then
PHOTO PROVIDED BY MARIANA MARIEL
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n 2001, Mariana Mariel, an Upper School Spanish teacher, played the youngest daughter in her mother’s reenactment of the play “Cuidado con Las Bonitas,” by Alejandro Berruti. It was a small role, but it nevertheless had a big impact on Mariel’s life. After studying theater in college, Mariel decided to form her own Spanish theater group. In 2008, Mariel, along with the help of her mother, Beatriz Mariel, who has been acting for 35 years, and three friends, did just that. Named “Cambalache Teatro en Español,” Mariel and her group put on major performances once or twice a year at the Bath House Cultural Center, located on the east shore of White Rock
BREAK A LEG Upper School Spanish Teacher Mariana Mariel’s latest play is called La Muerte Y La Doncella, or The Death and the Maiden. she is able to use those skills to present new perspectives to her students,” Gallegos said. Although Mariel portrays a variety of personalities, her personality is very different from the ones she plays onstage. “She’s very laid-back,” Gallegos said. “It’s interesting to see her play certain characters that are actually quite distinct from who she is as a person.” Because of theater, Mariel has been able to conquer her fear of stage fright and
pursue her dream of acting. “It’s something that I always wanted to do and wished I could do,” Mariel said. “I wanted to stop wishing I could do it, and start doing it.” Mariel’s next performance, “La Muerte y La Doncella,” will be shown at the Bath House Cultural Arts Center on Nov. 8, 9, 15 and 16 at 8 p.m. Erin Thomas Staff Writer
arts & entertainment
THE FOURCAST
NOVEMBER 8, 2013
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Out of the Box Hockaday’s Dance Theater class, with help from Beth Wortley and Robert Kallos, puts a spin on the usual dance routines PHOTO BY AUDREY KIM
DANCE CRAZE Senior Janie Martin gracefully spins and jumps her way across the newly-constructed set in preparation for the Hockaday dance recital on Nov. 19.
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ormally only inhab- and a high bar, came from a ited by dancing girls piece Wortley once choreoand the occasional graphed in 1996 at Hockaday. prop, the Wellness She not only wanted to loosely Center dance room now hous- model this new dance on part es multiple raised of the old piece but also boxes, a ramp and a wanted to create somehigh bar, totaling 19 thing unique in itself. feet in length. In this year’s dance I was Looking Back there are three differthinking of and Moving On is the ent movements. The theme for this fall’s the idea of dance is called “Looking dance theater perfor- emerging back [referring to the mance. In order to old dance] and moving bring life to the dance, into a new on [referring to the new Chair of Performing realm. dance],” but there are Arts Beth Wortley, very few actual simiTechnical Director Technical Director larities between the Robert Kallos and the Robert Kallos two dances. This year’s Dance Theater class have cre- dance is more modern and abated a dance and set that go be- stract “like a dance version of yond the usual Hockaday dance modern art,” Wortley said. props. Choreographing and deThe idea for the set, which signing such a unique set dance consists of the boxes, a ramp presented challenges to the
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girls in Dance Theater. But they managed to “problem solve together,” senior Janie Martin, a member of the class, said. The girls began working at the beginning of the year, brainstorming ideas on what would function best in the space. “It was like playing with legos,” Martin said, remarking about how the dancers were able to move around the boxes and try different moves. This flexibility and input was what drove Kallos’ designs—he wanted them to be able to share what would work best for them. “Design is an evolutionary process. It was nice to be able to give [the dancers] a bunch of things to play with and see what they would come up with,” Kallos said. Kallos constructed a set that would be “in tune,” as he
put it, meaning that it fit with the theme of the piece while not taking away from the dancers. Kallos used only measurements that were odd numbers for the boxes, the ramps and the bar. He also incorporated the idea of Pandora’s box and “emerging,” trying to create a more simplistic set that highlights the dancers instead of being chaotic as Pandora’s box is normally seen. “I choose to take the positive meaning of Pandora’s box. I was thinking of the idea of emerging into a new realm,” Kallos said. He created a bridge made up of boxes for the setting, allowing the set to flow from the old into the new. After the final set was assembled, the girls began practicing. “We’ve all been putting our minds together to come up with new ways to move our
bodies and interact with the set. When we work with the set, we definitely use a lot more tricks than we normally do,” Martin said, noting how the dance includes more gymnastic moves than previous dances the class has performed. In the future Wortley is not sure if the dance class will use another set as extensive as this, but she is sure that the Dance Department will continue to try to incorporate new ideas. “I hope to provide the girls with new experiences every year of the four years they dance in Upper School,” Wortley said. The dance performance will take place in Hoblitzelle Auditorium on Nov. 19 during conference for the Upper School and on Nov. 20 at 7:30 for anyone who would like to come. Alaina Rodriguez Photography Editor
Wargo Has N-Oz-talgia Now that the eighth-grade musical has passed, Kim Wargo reflects upon her time as Dorothy Gale
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lmost every Hockaday student has either watched the story come alive as a Hockaday musical or in the movie itself. The Kansas girl donning a plaid and blue dress and braids remains a favorite. This year’s eighth grade musical is “The Wizard of Oz.” Eighth-grader Anna Taglioli played Dorothy in Hockaday’s newest adaptation of the tale, which ran Nov. 1 to 3. Taglioli has played the piano for 10 years and works with an acting and vocal coach. She has participated in other musicals
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at the Plano Children’s Theater including “Willy Wonka,” but this will be her first lead role. “I think all the choreographing together has really brought us together as a grade,” Taglioli said. “I’m not exactly the best dancer, so I’ve had to work a lot with Ms. Wortley, but she has taught me really well.” Hockaday has been home to many individuals cast as Dorothy, including Eugene McDermott Headmistress Kim Wargo. Wargo grew up participating in theater, acting for both her school and the ama-
teur theatre in her hometown of Baker, La. As a junior in high school, Wargo was cast in her first lead role as Dorothy. But it was not until she missed the deadline to learn all of her lines by heart that she understood the significance of her role. “I guess I just didn’t really realize how important that was to be responsible as the person who had the most lines in the show to set a good example until that day came and went,” she said. “It was really a wakeup call for me to realize that if you are going to be the
Giving Thanks Anna Herbelin
person in front, then you have to set a good example and be a role model to everybody else.” Lindsay Dolan ‘08, who is currently a PhD student at Columbia University, played Dorothy in her class production of the eighth grade musical in the spring of 2004. She speaks of her memories fondly: “The eighth grade musical was one of the moments at Hockaday that most clearly crystallized how lucky we girls were.” Dolan said that performing prepared her for experiences in the workforce. “Now, I try to muster the same kind
of energy I used on the stage when I’m teaching a class or presenting a paper at a professional conference,” admitting that she has broken into song during a few presentations. Perhaps the girls in green plaid will make use of their walk down the yellow brick road as well. As Glinda the Good Witch of the South says, “You’ve always had the power my dear, you just had to learn it for yourself.” Austria Arnold Staff Writer
arts & entertainment
hockadayfourcast.org
THE FOURCAST
NOVEMBER 8, 2013
REVIEWS Food for the Gods PHOTO COURTESY OF FLAVORWIRE
PHOTO BY ALAINA RODRIGUEZ
No End in Sight Ender’s Game Gavin Hood
Nazca Kitchen 8041 Walnut Hill Lane
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e know what God did those first six days. Yet, on the seventh day, I believe he might’ve gone to Nazca Kitchen. “Food for the Gods,” or so they advertise at this South American-inspired café. Last December, Nazca Kitchen opened in a rather unassuming strip mall off Walnut Hill Lane and N. Central Expressway. The owner, Craig Collins, is a partner of the Red Hot & Blue Southern-style BBQ restaurant chain. The redbrick front of Nazca Kitchen led to its frosted, double glass doors. Nazca’s wait staff, dressed in the classic black pant and shirt, stood eager at the entrance, and we were seated upon arrival. It was well-lit and warm inside. Small wooden tables sat evenly-spaced across the marble floor, and larger dark red booths lined the opposite wall. A large potted palm tree rested in the middle of the restaurant, and abstract paintings and photographs of South America hung on its simple, white walls. Nazca was a calm quiet compared to outside.
Our waiter arrived—glasses of water in hand—after we were seated. For an appetizer, we ordered the Aji Amarillo Hummus. It was brought out in a matter of minutes on a small platter of homemade pita chips and garden-fresh carrot and celery sticks. I was hesitant at first of the Aji Amarillo sauce’s striking yellow color, but I quickly discovered that its piquant flavor went well with the cool hummus. We then perused the menu which offers three sections for entrées: Lite, Features, and Hand-Helds. The Lite menu offers salads, such as the Quinoa Salad, and its wellknown Acai Bowl—a small dish of puréed Amazon acai berries topped with granola, bananas and a maraculladrizzle.The Features and Hand-Helds menus offer burgers, sandwiches, steaks and fish; the most popular of these is the Andes Burger, which the menu described as “premium Kobe beef with avocado mash, rocoto pepper and cheese served on an Amazon crunch bun.” After much consideration, I ordered the flame-grilled butterfly chicken breast which, its skin slightly charred, arrived on a warm, white plate beside a small bowl of red pepper and black olive quinoa. The light vinegar glaze had soaked into the chicken, and it (pardon the cliché) cut like butter. The salted white meat
WHAT’S COOKIN’? Nazca Kitchen offers a variety of grilled chicken options, including the flame-grilled butterfly chicken breast.
hinted of garnish and wood-smoke. I had a bite of my brother’s mediumrare Entraña steak, served on a bed of chopped spinach and onions. Both the chicken and steak were tender and thick with flavorful juices. Somehow, I had room for dessert. Our waiter brought out a chilled platter of desserts ranging from rum-bread pudding to chocolate ganache. I chose the raspberry passion fruit mousse—a three tiered block of brownie, raspberries and passion fruit mousse—in a dark chocolate drizzle and bits of dried strawberries. The mousse tasted almost light-as-air; it wasn’t too sweet or too tart. It was the perfect size after such a generous dinner. Nazca Kitchen is a dining experience all should have. Nazca might be a little overpriced, but it doesn’t hurt to indulge on a meal that is deserving of the “Gods.” Faith Isbell Staff Writer Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner. Sunday-Thursday 6:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday 6:30 a.m.-10 p.m. $$ Moderately Priced Reservations Available
Gretchen O’Brien Projects Manager
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PHOTO COURTESY OF NOVEL SOUNDS
Must Be True Love Eleanor and Park Rainbow Rowell
hen I started this book, I thought it was one of those classic high school romance stories seen too often, featuring a weak, anti-climactic plot: a girl falls in love with a boy, but their relationship ends inevitably due to their naivety. I was proven wrong. In this author’s debut novel, I had a hard time catching my breath. Rowell moves the plot along effortlessly sprinkled with just enough cuteness expected from a love story and storyline to draw in the reader. Set over the course of a 1986 school year, the novel effectively tackles the meaning of true love (despite what little I know about that) and how fragile it can be. This book definitely drew me in right from the beginning. Rowell starts slow, casting the characters in their own
separate plots, shifting back and forth every so often between the perspectives of the story’s lovers, merging their relationship gradually. Rowell throws in some dramatic twists to liven up the plot. By the end, the story was so fastpaced and suspenseful that the beginning of the book seemed so long ago. The relationship that develops from the two main characters is so unwonted that it more deeply depicted the meaning of true love. From their quick glances at each other on the bus to the exchange of comic books and mix tapes, Eleanor and Park, such opposites in their personalities, are meant to be. Eleanor, an awkward, clumsy red-head, is introduced as the new girl with a complicated family background. She
returns home after her abusive, alcoholic and ill-tempered step-dad bans her from the house for a year due to a minor dispute. Shaky and nervous, she goes onto the school bus, where she finds Park as her bus partner. Park, a half-Korean boy with a passion for comic books and good music, thinks that he is a disappointment to his dad. His dad struggles to accept a son who prefers comic books and music to sports and driving. His younger brother, Josh, is taller and bigger than he is, and the two constantly argue. Over the novel, Park exchanged X-men and Watchmen comic books with her as well as his collection of tapes. They end up talking over these books and slowly their relationship evolves. In this novel, society around them, as well as Eleanor’s fam-
I love movies. I can’t think of many things that would be better than sitting with a large water and a pack of M&Ms, being entertained by the dramatic scenes of award-winning actors and actresses, not thinking about school work. But I am fed up with the world ending or aliens attacking. Based on the 1985 science fiction novel “Ender’s Game” by Orson Scott Card, the movie adaptation portrays future earth led by a militaristic government preparing children to fight aliens. Come up with something new, people! Asa Butterfield portrays 12-year-old Andrew “Ender” Wiggin, whose voice cracks every couple of sentences. I can’t handle it. Might I add that this stick-sized boy killed three characters with his bare hands? Very realistic, director Gavin Hood. I admit the movie was very action-packed. There were mini battles between different children-led armies and plenty of freeze guns. At one point, Ender is standing above all of the other children, waving his arms around, directing each one how to fight off the horse-sized ants. Got to say, I felt stressed out for him. If you have read the book and its sequels, then go enjoy it brought to life. If you haven’t and you are like me, tired of the alien invasion movies, then I highly suggest not paying $10 to take a two-hour nap. That’s what my mom did, anyway.
ily situation, serve as obstacles to their relationship. These obstacles are skillfully woven throughout the book and escalate quickly by the end. I admired Rowell’s writing style. Her succinct and precise use of words contributed to the beauty and simplicity of this book. Her writing style was also somewhat humorous and funny. This style allows Rowell to discuss themes like sibling rivalry, friendship and the struggle of broken families, as well as first love’s innocence. And upon close examination, I noticed that Rowell ironically but meaningfully alludes to several books including Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” and J.D. Salinger’s “Catcher
in the Rye,” adding significance to the novel. By comparing this love story to that of the dramatic “Romeo and Juliet” and “Catcher in the Rye,” Rowell captures the power from these stories and reflects it into her own book. All in all, this book moved me in so many ways and was so inspiring that I breezed through the book in just two days. Even though it was a classic high school love story, Rowell presents it in such a way I forgot all my previous presumptions about the book and truly enjoyed it. A definite recommendation for teenage girls with opposite love interests. Noor Adatia Staff Writer
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THE FOURCAST
NOVEMBER 8, 2013
sports & wellness FourScore
Winning the title during Hockaday’s Centennial year would be a great way to celebrate the athletics cornerstone. Senior Catherine McGeoch p20
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Sophomore Raney Sachs volunteers at Equest Therapeutic Horsemanship p19
It Runs in the Family PHOTO IILLUSTRATION BY ClAIRE FLETCHER
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Number of wins the Junior Varsity Field Hockey team had out of 15 games played this fall season.
3-0 Number of games out of five with which Hockaday Varisty Volleyball beat St. Mark’s Junior Varsity Volleyball in the annual match up Oct. 23.
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Number of Cross Country runners that particpated in the Susan B. Koman Race for the Cure on Oct. 19 in honor of breast cancer awareness month.
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Hockaday Varsity Crew finished in 5th place in the Women’s Lightweight double scull at the Head of the Colorado Regatta on Oct. 26.
A Change in Health
Hockaday Film Studies and Intro to Journalism teacher Glenys Quick is passing on her “quick” legacy to her daughters, Tala and Adoette Vaughan. As a profesional athlete, Quick’s running career included qualifying for the 1984 summer Olympics. Quick believes healthy competition is evident between them, but they still have their own strengths. Adoette Vaughan is built more like a cross country runner than her older sister, who Quick said is more suited for shorter distances like the 400-meter and 800-meter races. “There is a lot of sisterly competition…she is probably faster than me in cross country, but we’ve never raced. But I’m faster than her in track,” Tala Vaughan said. Adoette Vaughan’s recent time at the two mile course at Norbuck on Oct. 10 was a 12:53, and this past May her mile time in a track meet at TCU was a 5:50. Adoette Vaughan’s goals include beating as many high school records as possible. As for participating in world championships and marathons, “I don’t know if I’ll ever go as far as my mom, but anything can happen,” said Tala Vaughan. “You never know.” On the other hand, Adoette Vaughan wants to compete at an international level. “I want to run in the Olympics,” said Adoette Vaughan. A goal almost achieved by her mother for the 1984 Summer Olympics. Even with the impressive achievements of their mother,
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his year eighth—graders are learning First Aid and CPR as part of their health rotation in Physical Education, switching the course order of the Hockaday’s health curriculum. Previously, sophomores have taken this course, but they now will take Managing your Fitness, the course formerly taught in the eighth grade. This curriculum change has been in progress for the past two to three years. The main reason for the change, according to Rebekah Calhoun, Director of Health Curriculum, is that all the information that the students learned in eighth grade was
Quick said, “I don’t think they feel any pressure because they really love to run and I just give them small pieces of advice if they need it.” Quick began running during her senior year at Fraser High School in Hamilton, New Zealand, in 1973, under the acclaimed coach Arthur Lyndiand who had previously coached several men for the 1960s Olympics. Just a few years later, in her early 20s, Quick won the New Zealand Cross Country Championships and set a national record for the 800-meters in track. In the 1980s, Lyndiand arranged for her to travel to the U.S. to compete in road races, which are completed on a street course. After arriving in the U.S. in 1981, she was offered a track and field scholarship to the Texas Women’s University in Denton, Texas. “It wasn’t really anything I had thought about doing because I was kind of a bit tired of running because in New Zealand, it’s a great place for training; the terrain is so hilly and it has great weather, but there wasn’t much to keep you motivated, everything was on such a small scale,” Quick said. While attending TWU, she ran in several National Collegiate Athletics Association Championships and the Open U.S. Championships. But in 1983, she moved on to running marathons and other middle dis-
lost by junior year. By completing the Managing your Fitness course, newly formatted to be more advanced and driven towards developing individual fitness programs, in sophomore year, students will be better prepared for Junior Independent Study, a program which allows students to exercise on their own. “We changed because we felt this was a more logical progression, ” Calhoun said. “I think when you look at the big picture of the curriculum, it makes a lot of sense the way we have set it up.” After much discussion, the Health and Wellness de-
RUNNING ON THE SAME TRACK Sisters Tala (front) and Adoette Vaughan (second) pursue a passion for running like their mother Glenys Quick (last).
tance track events, and placed 14th in the World Track and Field Championships. Later she placed 6th in the Chicago Marathon from 1983-1985. In 1984, Quick traveled to Japan to run in the Nagoya Women’s Marathon. She won the Nagoya Marathon and qualified for the New Zealand Olympic team along with four other women who broke the Qualifying times. Unfortunately, Quick was slotted as the alternate and could not attend the Olympic Games. After qualifying for the Olympics, Quick stayed in Dallas to continue running competitive races for her coach, Robert Vaughan, whom she later married. She completed her MFA in photography in 1988. Upon returning from the World Track and Field Championships with her husband in 1991, Quick received several voice messages from Ed Long, Director of Fine Arts Department at Hockaday. Upon recommendation from her photography teacher, Long offered her a job as a middle school photography teacher. Quick has not run at the professional level since then, and has continued to teach at Hockaday for 22 years. However, her running career has influenced her current teaching style. “I think that has given me the attitude that I known I can do just about anything. You have this strength that you know that you can do it without help from anybody,” Quick said.
partment decided that eighth graders were ready to handle the content that is covered in the First Aid and CPR course. “Since a lot of students start babysitting, First Aid and CPR is good information to have a bit sooner,” Calhoun said. In the First Aid and CPR course, students learn ways to handle injuries, cuts, and bruises which can be helpful while babysitting. Freshman Sabah Shams, who took the program as an eighth grader, enjoyed it and found it to be informative. “It’s important to be prepared at all times so you know what to do even if you cannot help,” Shams said.
Claire Fletcher Staff Writer
Additionally, Melanie Horn, the physical education teacher who is in charge of the eighth grade health curriculum, was also in favor of the change. According to Horn, students have already reported stories of emergency situations in which their First Aid/CPR skills were of great use. “As we say in First Aid and CPR, ‘It is better to know First Aid and not need it, than to need it and not know it,’” Horn said.
Noor Adatia Staff Writer
sports&wellness
hockadayfourcast.org
THE FOURCAST
NOVEMBER 8, 2013
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Not Horsing Around Sophomore Raney Sachs devotes her free time to volunteering at Equest Therapeutic Horsemanship
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on a regular basis. Sachs describes the staff members as patient and kind with both the riders and the volunteers. “The staff and instructors are amazing,” Sachs said. “They have an incredibly hard job, but they do it really well.” Equest Director of Volunteer and Intern Services Ellie Grant believes that the volunteers like Sachs get as much or more out of Equest than they put in. “There’s something so special about being a part of that team,” Grant said. “As a volunteer, you are able to work with both the horse and the rider and to bring changes into the rider’s life. Knowing that you made a difference in a life, there’s nothing more rewarding.” Sachs and Battalora are examples of the relationships that the riders and the volunteers develop at Equest. “Being a part of that struggle and watching the riders rise above all of the challenges life has thrown at them is a really incredible experience that I am so grateful for,” Sachs said. Equest caters to riders with over 24 disabilities and learning differences, like ADD/ADHD, Autism Spectrum and Cerebral Palsy. Founded in 1981, the 48 —
PHOTO PROVIDED BY CAROL BATTALORA
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e all find a way to ers “progressively improve.” get a break from At Equest, the riders develop school sometimes. physically, in areas such as in Some girls catch muscle tone and motor coorup on Netflix. Others go for a dination skills, and psychorun. Sophomore Raney Sachs, logically. The self-confidence however, spends her free time and “positive attitude” that as a volunteer at Equest Thera- the riders acquire improve peutic Horsemanship. their familial and social inSachs had been riding teractions as well. horses for 11 years when “They are struggling with she learned about and overcoming isEquest Therapeutic sues like being able Horsemanship from to stand upright, her riding instruckeep their balance tor three years ago. There is and communiEquest offers equinecate their feelings,” nothing assisted therapy and Sachs said. “[Those rehabilitation for more are] abilities that children and adults rewarding. we often take for with physical, cogni- Sophomore granted.” tive, emotional and Raney Sachs Sachs worked learning disabilities. with one rider, Leah Sachs now travels to Equest Battalora, for a year from once a week to work with 2012 to 2013. Battalora, 18, is an assigned rider and horse. autistic. Sachs believes that her exBattalora’s mother, Carol perience as a volunteer at Battalora, believes working Equest has helped her gain a with Sachs was a “positive perspective on life—includ- and fun experience” for her ing school—she didn’t have daughter. “It was awesome before. for [Leah] to work with a peer “The riders are focusing who was patient and calm,” on obstacles that are signifi- Carol Battalora said. “[Sachs] cantly more imposing than allowed [Leah] to care for my pre-calculus homework,” and handle her horse, and Sachs said. “[It’s] so inspiring, [she] listened to Leah’s many and [it] makes all of my own stories about Katy Perry and obstacles feel a lot smaller current events in her life.” and inconsequential.” Sachs no longer works With each therapy ses- with Battalora; however, sion, Sachs notices the rid- Sachs still sees her at Equest
TAKING THE REINS Sophomore Raney Sachs leads a rider in the indoor arena at Equest.
acre Equest campus in Wylie, Texas, provides indoor and outdoor riding arenas, horse stalls, housing and specialized treatment facilities. Its staff of certified instructors, physical therapists and occupational therapists provide services to more than 150 individuals in over 447 sessions annually.
Equest’s mission is to “empower, enrich and educate through horses.” “[Equest] is such a different environment from everything else in my life,” Sachs said. “I’m really lucky I get to be exposed to it.” Faith Isbell Staff Writer
GOLF
Middle School Golfers Finish Their First 18 Holes The first Middle School golf program in Hockaday’s history wraps up its inaugural year
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the season. They also participated in internal competitions that simulated the formats of the professional Ryder Cup tournament. “This is a format that represents competitive formats in varsity and college level golf,” said head coach Chris Lagow, who is also the head coach of the varsity team at Hockaday in the spring. Eighth-grader Kate Fundis was a member of this fall golf
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The reason the other golfers might be so surprised? This group is a Middle School golf team, the only current program in the fall Southwest Preparatory Conference. The inaugural fall team completed its first season the week of Oct. 28. The girls, who started the program with a range of abilities, worked on swing mechanics as well as the rules and etiquette of competitive golf throughout
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etween 3:45 and 4:45 p.m. every Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, the average age of the crowd at the North Texas Golf Center or the Luna Vista Golf Course, both in Dallas, shifts down appreciably. Though they don’t have a true uniform, seven girls in golf attire move through the course in a group, surprising the usual retirement-age golfers with their skill.
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Full-body workouts in 50 minutes. Intense on the muscles, but not on your joints or schedule. “Workouts were boring until we started going to Studio 6. - Regina, Jessica and Kelsey
team. “In addition to learning how to golf better, we’re learning the rules and how playing with other people works, so I think it’s really good to get that experience now,” Fundis said. Because this was the first time Hockaday has offered a Middle School golf program, Lagow added that she was “pleased with the turnout for the first time we’d ever had it.” “It’s great to play with other girls because you can kind of compare and learn with them,” Fundis said. She had played golf in camps over the summer for several years and plays most weekends with her father and brother, but she had never been a part of a team before. Senior Alexandra Villareal, who has been a member of the varsity golf team since freshman year, is glad that these Middle School golfers are getting experience in a team setting before high school. “I think that playing on a team is different than playing by yourself,” Villareal said. “Sometimes people are going to tell you things that go against what you’ve been taught, and you have to learn to get used to that.” Villareal hopes that many of these girls will continue golfing in Upper School. “Having a bigger team will be nice because we won’t have to play in every tournament,” she said. “The last two years, we’ve had a really small group, so I’ve been gone every Monday
in April, plus some in February and March and SPC. It’s really hard to keep up with academics that way.” As the team wraps up its inaugural year, Lagow will be looking to see what changes need to be made. One change that might be tried in the future, she said, is testing the program in the spring, though she qualified this statement with many reasons why the fall program worked better. “A lot of the feedback from this program will be now going to the other schools once we’ve completed our first season,” Lagow said earlier this fall. Lagow plans to meet with the varsity coaches at various area schools to discuss the program, with the hope that some of them will follow Hockaday’s lead. The Episcopal School of Dallas will be starting a middle school program this spring. Though Lagow will be able to tweak the program in the future, she is happy with the way it has gone this first year. “My understanding from the girls is one of they are much more excited about their golf, they seem inspired to continue to develop their golf and play together more often as a team, and also outside of the team,” she said, “And they are very prepared for what a varsity season in this sport might be about.” Emily Wechsler Copy Editor
sports&wellness
THE FOURCAST
NOVEMBER 8, 2013
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The Mane Attraction
St. Mark’s mascot junior Anesu Nyatanga recounts her experiences in the lion suit
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ou’ve seen his grisly teeth, flowing mane and chiseled abdominals, but most people do not know what goes on inside Lenny’s large head and what it means to be Lenny the Lion. Junior Anesu Nytanaga is currently serving her second year as Lenny the Lion, St. Mark’s beloved feline friend. Why she decided to try out for mascot was merely an act of impulse. “I actually had never been to a St. Mark’s football game so I never really knew what the mascot did,” Nyatanga admitted. “I thought, ‘It couldn’t hurt to try.’” And it didn’t. Assistant Cheerleading Coach Kathy Ferguson said that, when looking for a mascot, she looks for somebody with creativity, energy and enthusiasm—all of which were found in Nyatanga. “During a break in the action, you always want to be watching her because you have no idea what she may do next, whether it’s doing the splits or just pumping up the crowd,” St. Mark’s Varsity football player Elton McIntosh said. “She just brings such an exciting aspect to pep rallies and games beyond what you would normally expect from a mascot.” Not many people, though, know actually how much is re-
quired to be a mascot. “I think people assume that you just [get into character] and go without preparing,” Nyatanga said. “There is actually a lot of preparation and planning that goes into it.” The mascot creates and performs skits, so she must fine-tune her acting and edit music in order to execute a successful pep rally. Most people also do not know that there is a strict set of rules stated in the National Cheerleaders Association handbook that mascots must follow while in character. The two main rules that Nyatanga emphasized were to never speak unless to police officers, coaches or the occasional cheerleader, and to always be in complete character, meaning that if she wears the body, she has to wear the head. “I take being a mascot seriously,” Nyatanga said. “It’s a real deal.” Nyatanga also said that she has gotten so much out of her experience as Lenny the Lion, and she is grateful for the friends she has made whom she would otherwise not have the opportunity to get to know. “I know that if today, I wasn’t a mascot, I would not be able to say hi to some people in the
halls,” Nyatanga said. She also admitted that having the opportunity to say “I’m a highschool mascot” is
Fall Captains Make Goals
pretty cool in itself. “I don’t know if that’s a big deal to anyone,” Nyatanga said, “But it’s a pretty big deal to me.” Former three-year Lenny the Lion Daly Montgomery ‘12 said that being Lenny changed her for the better. “I’m a much more supportive friend and teammate now because I spent so long cheering people on,” Montgomery said. But being a mascot isn’t all sunshine and daisies. Both Montgomery and Nyatanga explained that they gained a lot of experience with heat. “You don’t know what sweat is until you’re covered head-to-toe in a wool lion,” Nyatanga said. “It sounds like a joke, but you should see me after a 10-minute pep rally.” Montgomery also admitted that her tolerance to heat is now “unreal” thanks to her experience as Lenny. As for leaving behind Len-
ny at St. Mark’s, Montgomery admitted that Lenny was the best part of her high school years—“No question.” She said it might be the only thing she “really really [wishes] she could go back and do again... There is really nothing like it.” Despite not having seen Nyatanga’s very own take on Lenny the Lion in season, Montgomery said she is “really excited to see where Lenny’s legacy goes.” But being a mascot means so much more than revving up a dreary crowd at a football game. “To me, being a mascot means being a main representative of the campus and school spirit,” Montgomery said. She also said its means being a strong supporter of the school and team no matter what the circumstances. To Nyatanga, being mascot is a lot about pleasing other people. “There are those little kids who look at you and their eyes get all big and they get so excited,” she said. “I would take all the heat exhaustion, and the sweat and the messed-up hairdos just to see their faces because they are so genuinely happy and excited. It’s the best payment you can get.” Sydney Yonack Graphics Editor
PHOTO BY CHARLOTTE HOSKINS
Senior sports captains set expectations for their teams at fall Southern Prepatory Conference this weekend
PHOTOS BY AUDREY KIM
Volleyball Allie Love
Field Hockey Catherine McGeoch
Cross Country Dominique Cooper
HVVB hopes to go into Fall SPC with an insane amount of enthusiasm, pep and confidence to end on a high note (and hopefully a championship). Our season so far has been pretty successful and we hope to keep it that way in the upcoming tournament by focusing on trusting our teammates, ourselves and our coaches to get the W. We have what it takes, all we need to do is remember: Defense 2 Ball.
Our team’s ultimate goal is to win the SPC Division 1 Title. Going into this year’s SPC tournament, our goal will be to score early and then to maintain our lead for the remainder of the game. We will rely on our strong defense to give offense plenty of opportunities score. Winning the title during Hockaday’s Centennial year would be a great way to celebrate the athletics cornerstone, and we would love fans to support us at SPC in Fort Worth to help us achieve that goal!
In the fall of 2011, cross country won SPC. Now, we are ready to take back the crown. Every team member, whether they are running or not, participates in SPC by encouraging and challenging their fellow teammates. Cross country takes a lot of heart; not many people run three or four miles for fun. My goal for the team is that each person running at SPC will cross the finish line feeling like they have pushed themselves to their limit. HXC is a team sport, and all I can ask is that every member to do their best. compiled by Avita Anand Sports & Wellness Editor
FOURWARD Field Hockey SPC Nov. 8, 11 a.m. All Saints Episcopal School Field #2 Nov. 8, 4 p.m. All Saints Episcopal School Field #2 or Stevens Field Nov. 9 Check SPC website for details
Volleyball SPC Nov. 8 All Saints Episcopal School Nov. 9 Check SPC website for details All Saints Episcopal School Cross Country SPC Nov. 9, 10 a.m. Trinity Valley School
Winter Tryouts Basketball pre-season Nov. 4-7, 4:30-5:30 p.m. Soccer pre-season Nov. 5-6, 4:30-5:30 p.m. Swimming pre-season Nov. 11, 4:15 p.m.
hockadayfourcast.org
THE FOURCAST
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ILLUSTRATION BY JULIA CORSI
STAFFSTANCE Saved by the Bell (or not?)
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t the beginning of the year a panic erupted when it was announced that having no bells between classes was not going to change. It became a common concern among Upper School students of having the responsibility to travel between classes without signals. But, with the first quarter already behind us, we’ve reflected that having no bells might be a good thing. Sitting in class at its start at 8:30 a.m., there is no rush to start class exactly on time. Instead, as stragglers make their way into the classroom, the rest of us talk about current events, the reading from the night before, even the finale of Breaking Bad. The worry of ending class on time has diminished. For students that like scheduling their lives to the exact minute, a class extending five minutes late will rarely happen without rebuttal. Still, teachers have been lenient with no bells and end class almost always on time, even a few
UEZ A RODRIG
Chocolate and Vanilla
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Senior Amy Tao remains a true Miley Cyrus fan despite her new image p23
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I am so excited to be connected to my community again.
USTRATIO PHOTO ILL
The Fourcast asked readers “What is your favorite cafeteria frozen yogurt pair?”
NOVEMBER 8, 2013
minutes early if they’re finished for the day. The luxury of being immersed enough in a class to lose track of when it ends is new to us, and we’ve grown to appreciate its worth. The elimination of bells has contributed to a more relaxed school environment without sacrificing the rigor of classes, an ideal tradeoff. This detail, though small, could lead to less stress and subsequently
healthier students. Having no bells also gives us a small idea of what college will be like. After we leave the HockaBubble, there will be no bells to let us know when classes or events start and end. It becomes our responsibility to get to class on time and schedule meetings and other events, knowing that classes might not end exactly on time every day. Having no bells teaches us time management.
The mornings no longer start with a gunshot and a sprint to class discussion and no longer end with a loud siren, finalizing discussions and forcing teachers to yell their final thoughts as students run out of the classroom. Instead, the lack of bells has created a more casual start and end to each period and added much more fluidity to an otherwise chaotic day.
Dulce de Leche and Snickerdoodle
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THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID EAT YOUR OWN FEELINGS
Strawberry and Pineapple
NEXT ISSUE: Where’s your favorite place to study?
Senior Hannah Matheson, while defending her chocolate cake from senior Katya Lopatko
A) US Library (171044) B) Outside (171982) C) In the hallways (172135) D) A teacher’s classroom (172594) Text the code of your answer to 72223 by Dec. 6. Standard data and text messaging rates may apply.
This isn’t “She’s the Man,” I’m not gonna help you practice before the season. You’re obsessed with me already, I can’t be sending mixed signals.
Accidentally bought scented expos. If I’m not in class tomorrow I’m passed out in Mrs. Smith’s room, call a fumigator and/or medical professionals. Senior Evie Peña
Senior Dalton Youngblood, in response to senior Allie Freeman asking her to help train before the start of the soccer season
not a good day to be a freshman
Freshman Grace Embrey (@graceembz) tweeting about the annual senior Halloween themed “A Haunted History” decorations
100 Years, Still No Vote Villareal asks if the way St. Mark’s handles Homecoming is outdated
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Senior Alexandra Villareal Guest Writer
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aturdays in October present some Hockaday girls with nights of dresses, pictures and dancing, while others do homework, take the SAT and watch “Saturday Night Live.” Why? The reason: Homecoming. Getting an invitation to this traditional dance freshman year is like winning the
Hunger Games, and the battle for one is no less competitive. Not changing my prof pic or posting a plethora of photos on Facebook the day after St. Mark’s Homecoming is like a virtual walk of shame. So why is this dance so dramatic? To understand, it’s best to compare the different ways St. Mark’s, Jesuit and Cistercian handle the event. First, St. Mark’s, is our official “brother school.” Without a date, students can’t go, whether they’re a Daisy or even a Lion. Each year, Homecoming Queen nominees are five Hockaday senior girls selected by the St. Mark’s Student Council and voted on by St. Mark’s Upper School. Hockaday girls have absolutely no say in the Homecoming Queen. That’s just how it works. Second, Cistercian. Because
the all-boys school has no official “sister school,” the cheerleading team is open to both Hockaday and Ursuline girls. For Homecoming, all senior cheerleaders are Queen nominees, and the whole squad is invited to the dance, either with or without a Cistercian date. But like St. Mark’s, only the Cistercian Upper School votes on the Queen. Lastly, Jesuit. Ursuline’s official brother school, Jesuit allows all the Ursuline girls to go to the dance without a Jesuit date. The girls can even take their own dates from schools other than Jesuit. In contrast to St. Mark’s or Cistercian, the dance doesn’t have a Homecoming King and Queen. So who handles it best? Personally, I like Jesuit’s approach to invites. We need to think about the benefits
of inclusivity and how events like Homecoming break us apart rather than bring us together. A brother and sister school should celebrate their bond by opening events to one another, and I think St. Mark’s Homecoming and even Hockaday’s Winter Formal are such events. This change would alleviate the stress of getting a date and inviting a date for both schools. To the benefit of St. Mark’s, it could bring the focus of Homecoming back to football, since many students care more about scoring a date than the Lions scoring a touchdown. And for us, it could allow us the ground to tackle the controversial subject of the Homecoming Queen vote. After all, if the Queen goes to Hockaday, we should have a say in the vote.
perspectives
THE FOURCAST
NOVEMBER 8, 2013
WE LOVE IT, WE LOVE IT NOT
Assigned SENIOR PARKING is sure to showcase our p’14inting skills
SPC this weekend has daisies ready to compete and cheer for our teams to take home the trophies
It took longer than usual, but FALL WEATHER is finally here
STAFFSTANDOFF
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Do High-School Sports Kill Academics?
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Elie MacAdams Staff Writer
Gretchen O’Brien Projects Manager
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ust to be clear, I’m not against being healthy. I’m a Hockaday athlete, and I love it. But I do think the educational system’s focus on sports could use some tweaking for several reasons. For high school sports, there’s winning and losing—nothing in between. Our banners hang proudly in Penson, marking our past SPC victories. When we win, it’s great. But what happened to just having fun in sports? The constant stress on winning, whether it be brought by coaches, peers or faculty, has got to stop. Most of us won’t even continue with our sports after high school. For me, sports have become an unwanted distraction. When I’m worried about winning the race I have on Saturday, I can’t focus on anything else. Even during the week, all I can think about is the formidable cross country practice I have waiting for me after school. My schoolwork becomes second in importance—all I care about is the pain I’m about to endure. And if I lose a meet or have a bad practice, I end up feeling worse about myself for the rest of the week. Injuries are another major reason why our focus on sports should be lessened. I know from experience that when a player gets an injury, it’s both emotionally and physically painful. Concussions are serious cases and can leave the player with setbacks in all parts of their life. Even with minor injuries, the player can still end up feeling guilty. Last year during track season, I had shin splints that just wouldn’t go away. I would miss some practices due to impromptu physical therapy sessions. At school, I would hear about the track workouts I missed. Instead of feeling thankful for getting to miss a tough practice, I just felt guilty—as if I was letting my team down. For a while, I felt useless and weak for not being able to work through the pain. This feeling permeated not only through my athletics but also through my academics. I compared myself to other people in sports, which led to comparing myself to others in school. If other people can run through shin splints, then why couldn’t I? I agree that sports are rewarding, beneficial and team-building. However, there has to be a happy medium somewhere between the carefree P.E. class “fitness walking” and stress-inducing cross country races. Rather than focusing on winning, why not focus on staying fit and living a healthy life? After all, learning vital fitness techniques will lead to a healthier lifestyle more than learning how to run a 400 meter relay.
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s Hockaday students, we push ourselves to be better than the best, whether it is at sports or academics. This is a great thing because research shows that exercise makes you smarter. I could end the argument here and some of us would go on a run with just that fact, but I’ll elaborate. In Dr. John J. Ratey’s book “Spark,” he writes that for the past five years the California Department of Education has studied the correlation between physical fitness and academic achievement. The department’s results show that those who had higher fitness scores also had higher test scores. Ratey states that fit kids, those who work out at least twenty minutes four times a week with a maximum heart rate at 60-70 percent , score twice as well on academic tests compared to unfit students, which was proved in 2001. Rately states in his book that “among California’s 279,000 ninth graders...those who scored a six on the FitnessGram ranked, on average, in the sixty-seventh percentile in math and the fortyfifth percentile in reading on the Stanford Achievement Test.” The students are not only working their muscles but also their brains. When we workout and get our muscles moving, our body produces proteins that travel through the bloodstream and into the brain, boosting our thought processes and memorization skills. Why does this matter if you are already doing well in school and/or are not obese? Well, it is affecting you right now. As you read this sentence, your brain is firing signals about what you are reading, and how much of it you’ll remember is due to a proper balance of neurochemicals and growth factors bound together. “Exercise has documented dramatic effect on these essential ingredients,” Ratey wrote. So, if you are able to work out for at least 30 minutes a day, your brain will do a better job retaining the information you learn in school because of the amount of protein you feed it. Plato once said that “in order for man to succeed in life, God provided him with two means, education and physical activity…With these two means, man can attain perfection.” The evidence provided by Ratey and other research proves that exercise can make you smarter. If you are still struggling with this concept, Hockaday has its own SPARK club that walks almost every Friday morning before school. Try it out, and see how awake and alert you are during your classes. I guarantee you will see a difference.
Boarding Bridge Opens Though we know it’s for our safety, getting LOCKED OUT of the building between classes isn’t our favorite
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Sophomore Vivan Armitage
We thought the new skirt regulations were a bummer, but the BAN ON GENERIC SWEATERS is a much greater evil
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s a boarder, living on the island that is Morgan dormitory during the construction of the sky bridge created some navigation issues walking to school. Rather than walking across the bridge and into the admissions hallway, our path took us behind the Health Center and the cafeteria before finally arriving in the main building. Seven months into the remodel, the entire Residence
Department anticipated the reveal of our new viaduct. With fall setting in, facing the outside stroll in the brisk weather seemed more daunting than ever. Some felt the pain in the form of the daily irritation of walking down the stairs and outside to school. Others were upset about the rule prohibiting girls from returning to their dorms during the day. Everyone counted the days until we escaped the construction that began just before spring break last year. Finally, after the long hiatus, and a premature reopening, the bridge is back and better than ever. The doors are now open, as of Oct. 24. Gone is the mere walkway that funnels boarders into school. In its place is a three story, modern, and sophisticated tie between the residence department halls. Along with these incredible new additions for the
boarding students, everyone at Hockaday will benefit from the connection between Tarry House and the Health Center. This link will make it easier for Day Students to access the Health Center in a convenient manner. These changes will also help connect boarding to the main building. The new bridge offers more than just an easier path to school. The new design includes an elevator, musical practice rooms, study rooms, a common space and suites for dorm moms. In the new-andimproved bridge, we have a walkway and new places to study and play instruments. Chairs, in thoughtful groupings, encourage us to sit and talk, while the lack of a large lounge area reduces the noise the former bridge created. Some of my friends cannot wait to practice their instruments with privacy; others boarders cannot wait to uti-
lize the comfortable rooms for late-night studying. The new design of the bridge creates a modern feel, which is a perfect addition to the campus for its centennial year. Windows from floor-to-ceiling line the bridge; everything is visible now, from the entrance to the Hockaday campus to the soon-to-be grassy courtyard in-between the dorms. A cluster of mailboxes on each side of the bridge now help us stay in touch with friends and family. And finally, the recent addition of an elevator will definitely be helpful when moving in and out of the dorms. The re-installation of the new bridge will definitely make Hockaday boarding even better. I am so excited to be released from the isolation that was Morgan dormitory and connected to my community again.
perspectives
hockadayfourcast.org
THE FOURCAST
NOVEMBER 8, 2013
In Defense of Miley
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Senior Amy Tao
f America had a sweetheart in the past decade, it was Miley Ray Cyrus. Born and raised in Nashville to famous country artist Billy Ray Cyrus and his onagain-off-again wife Tish, Miley represented the idyllic American girl, complete with the down-toearth personality and southern drawl. When she became Hannah Montana at the tender age of 11, she also became an honorary sister and friend to many teen girls. Her subsequent success was unparalleled; tickets to her concerts sold out within minutes, and her face became a ubiquitous icon on television screens, posters and Tshirts.
For a while, she behaved, releasing songs like “If We Were a Movie” and “Nobody’s Perfect” to send positive, kidfriendly messages to her fans. A worldwide teen sensation, Miley Cyrus couldn’t keep her reputation spotless for long. Her first scandal took place at 15, when she covered herself only with a sheet for a Vanity Fair photo shoot. According to a spokesperson for the publication, the photos, shot by worldclass photographer Annie Leibovitz, were thought to be “a beautiful and natural portrait of Miley,” but that didn’t matter to parents. To them, she committed sacrilege. Not of Miley Cyrus as an adolescent, but of Hannah Montana as a role model deserving the scrutiny of a celebrity twice, maybe even three times, her age.
ILLUSTRATION BY KATHARINE LIN
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
“I apologize to my fans,” Cyrus released in a statement, “who I care so deeply about.” But over the years following the Vanity Fair fiasco, photographs of her drinking beer and smoking bong were leaked to paparazzi. Accordingly, in 2011, she departed from Hannah Montana five years after the franchise began. It was evident that she had already bid farewell to its goody-two-shoes image long before. But this wasn’t a case of a good girl gone bad—it was a case of a girl growing up. Don’t get me wrong. As a fifth grader, I idolized Hannah Montana as much as the next tween. Even now, I find myself crooning “The Climb” and “One in a Million” along with the Miley Cyrus I knew and loved six years ago. Thus, when I saw her controversial MTV Video Music Awards performance in late August of this year, I was appalled. But let’s talk about that specific performance. For the readers who live under a rock and don’t know about it, Cyrus showcased her single “We Can’t Stop,” a song all about partying with drugs and alcohol. In a tight leotard, she put her face to and slapped a backup dancer’s bottom. Singer Robin Thicke stepped out on stage to perform “Blurred Lines” with her, and she grinded on him, using a foam finger to accessorize her performance. The media publicized criticism similar to that of actor Kevin Hart, who suggested that “Miley better go get a pregnancy test after all that grinding.” I thought the backlash was a little excessive at the time, given the fact that I thought her performance was quite comical. I assumed she was just trying to have fun by breaking away from her Han-
nah Montana image. Kids really shouldn’t be watching the VMAs, anyways. But we couldn’t stop there. When she released her music video for “Wrecking Ball,” in which she belts out raw lyrics about lost love, we didn’t comment on the quality of music or the vision behind the actual “wrecking ball” she was perched on top off. We commented on her nudity and short hair, without pausing to understand the significance of going bare and axing her long locks. There are a couple of reasons why America regards Miley Cyrus in such a negative light now. First, we compare her to other Disney Channel stars like Hilary Duff who didn’t churn out inappropriate songs or stick their tongues out at music performances. Second, we still have the ingrained image of an innocent and naïve Hannah Montana in our heads. And for the record, she knows what people think about her now, and, frankly, she doesn’t care. “Times are changing,” she announced in the September 2013 issue of Rolling Stones. If there’s anything to take away from her recent singles, music videos and performances, it’s that Cyrus is an adult now, and it’s unrealistic to pretend that she isn’t. Some would argue that she put herself in a position of such scrutiny when she became America’s wildest teen sensation, but to be fair, she was still a child when she began her road to fame. Think back to when you were 11; would you want a decision you made at that age to control the rest of your life? People see Miley through tinted glass, and until they release their set-in-stone bias against her, she’ll always be subject to disappointment, because it’s clear she isn’t changing her ways for anyone. I would therefore suggest that Miley Cyrus is in some lights a better role model than she was before. Sure, she isn’t Hannah Montana anymore, but she speaks her mind and isn’t afraid to be herself, and isn’t that something more valuable than corny songs and cheesy plots? I’ll give her props; it took guts to pull off her VMAs performance, and she did it well. Plus, I have to admit: “Wrecking Ball” is actually kind of catchy.
Tiffany Le
MANAGING EDITOR
Katie Payne
WEB EDITOR
Mary Clare Beytagh BUSINESS MANAGER
Anisha Anand
PUBLIC RELATIONS DIRECTOR
Molly Montgomery COPY EDITOR
Emily Wechsler NEWS EDITOR
Amy Tao
ASST. NEWS
Charlsea Lamb FEATURES EDITOR
Courtney Le
ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
Alexis Espinosa
SPORTS & WELLNESS EDITOR
Avita Anand
PERSPECTIVES EDITOR
Molly Montgomery
PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR
Alaina Rodriguez
GRAPHICS EDITOR
Sydney Yonack
PROJECTS MANAGER
Gretchen O’Brien VIDEO EDITOR
Catherine Jiang STAFF WRITERS
Noor Adatia, Vivian Armitage, Austria Arnold, Kate Clement, Claire Fletcher, Faith Isbell, Elie MacAdams, Inaara Padani, Megan Philips, Manisha Ratakonda, Sunila Steephen, Erin Thomas STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS
Shelby Anderson, Miranda Helm, Audrey Kim, Dominique Sung, Emily Yeh, Grace Zacarias STAFF ARTISTS
Sarah Chan, Luda Grigoryeva, Anna Herbelin, Anne-Marie Hwang, Audrey Kim, Cathy Ma, Katherine Magee, Sofia Mira, Lily Sumrow, Mary Zhong ADVISER
Ana Rosenthal
LETTER TO THE EDITOR
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e encourage anyone from the Hockaday community—alumnae, parents, faculty, staff and students—to submit Letters to the Editor. Selected letters will be published each issue in regards to the previous issue. We regret we cannot acknowledge all submitted letters, but we sincerely appreciate them. Letters to the Editor must be signed. Please email letters to tle@hockaday.org or mail to The Hockaday School, attention: The Fourcast, 11600 Welch Road, Dallas, Texas 75229. All of the letters must be typed, double-spaced and must not exceed 200 words in length. The Fourcast will not alter the meaning or intention of any letter to the editor, but may edit for grammar, spelling and space.
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EDITORIAL POLICY The Fourcast is written primarily for students of the Hockaday Upper School, its faculty and staff. The Fourcast has a press run of 1,200 and is printed by Dallas Offset, Inc. It is distributed free of charge to the Hockaday community. Businesses who wish to advertise in The Fourcast should contact Anisha Anand, Business Manager, at aanand@ hockaday. org. We reserve the right to refuse any advertising which is deemed inappropriate to the Hockaday community. Opinions will be clearly marked and/or will appear in the perspectives section. Commentaries are the expressed opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect that of The Fourcast staff, its adviser or any member of the Hockaday community. Unsigned editorials that appear on the opinions page will reflect the official position of The Fourcast, but not necessarily the position of the Hockaday community. The Fourcast staff may cover student, staff, faculty or alumnae deaths as the staff is made aware. We reserve the right not to cover a death based on relevance, timeliness and circumstance. Corrections and clarifications from previous issues will be found as designated in the news section. Any questions or concerns should be taken up with Tiffany Le, Editor-in-Chief, at tle@ hockaday.org.
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THE FOURCAST
NOVEMBER 8, 2013
Where’s Ela? One hundred years later, and our founder is still around... Find her on Graduation Terrace! ILLUSTRATION BY SOFIA MIRA