Age appropiate discussions on a K-12 campus

When traumatic events occur, there are different ways in which conversations are approached within different age groups

Joseph Courtney, high school chaplain, must balance a line of sensitivity and impactfulness when selecting the prayers of the community. For Courtney, chapel represents a place for community and prayer. When traumatic events occur, he knows that they must not be ignored.

“I always try to listen to the community the best I can,” Courtney said. “A good example of this is how we prayed for Ukraine and Russia. Balancing a prayer for both people of Russian and Ukrainian descent was a fine line but after hearing from members of the community and taking suggestions from my peers I think we found a good way to word it.” selves is ‘is there a group on campus that will be hurting because of this,” Bull said. “Sometimes issues can be controversial and it is hard to decide what to say. Like in political instances, sometimes people want the school to take a stance and that's dangerous territory because of the variety of viewpoints at Campbell Hall. The line can be blurred because politics affects people personally and directly. So, we try to focus on what we call the pastoral needs of the community.”

Elementary and middle school Chaplain Norman Hull understands the weight and impact that certain events can have on young students. After difficult events take place in our community, Hull must carefully balance his language in order to safely create a space for reflection and prayer.

Mercy Richter ‘24 agrees that it is important to talk about current events in the community, in order to keep everyone educated on such emotional subjects. Richter wasn’t aware of the recent earthquake in Turkey until it was brought up in chapel, and she was glad that students had another opportunity to learn about it in a school environment as well as in the news.

“Not knowing about the earthquake until I heard about it in the chapel was very enlightening,” Richter said. “Talking about this tragedy within the community helped inform me on it, and definitely makes people more aware of current events in our world.”

Mcnamee also believes that though conversations surrounding current events may be difficult, they must be had. Especially in a community of inquiry such as Campbell Hall, these conversations, even ones that are controversial are important.

“Any time there have been in-class discussions about current events, I always walk out of the conversation more knowledgeable,” Mcnamee said. “Difficult and sensitive conversations help students understand better. I see nothing wrong with having these conversations as long as it is in a respectful way.”

Gun violence, natural disasters, hate crimes and war. These are just a few of the pressing current events that weigh heavily on the minds of high school students.

Lila McNamee ‘23, president of the student body, has been affected by current traumatic events such as the Monterey Park shooting. Though, as much as the events may be difficult to discuss, she believes that value lies within conversation.

“When traumatic events close to our community occur, there should be a space where students, teachers and faculty can reflect and discuss these issues,” McNamee said. “School is our place of work where a majority of our interaction comes from and having the opportunity to both learn about and express current events would be conducive to our educational atmosphere.”

“There's nothing we exclude from the prayers in middle school chapel,” Hull said. “Though in elementary chapel we rarely talk about tragedies, because it's hard to talk to younger kids about such difficult events while also giving context on what happened. Even things like hurricanes where people lose their homes, that is really scary for a kindergartener. We just always have to remember that chapel is K-6th and if there is something really important to address we will go into the classrooms of the upper levels and address it.” Many times when heavy current events take place, emails from the school are sent to members of the community. Head of School Julian Bull, along with the communications team, works to send thoughtful, informative and caring messages to the community though it can be difficult to decide under what circumstances to send the message.

“Before sending a message, the first question we should ask our-

For Bull, maintaining a community of respect for everyone is a very important quality of Campbell Hall. Although part of this respect comes with talking about all events that could be close to the hearts of community members, Richter also believes that we need to be sensitive on bringing up certain topics in a K-12 community.

“I feel like it depends on the topic, but overall we should be in the know of what’s happening. However, I don't know if going into super deep discourse about a particular event or tragedy is comfortable for everyone, or if it’s going to overstep some sort of boundary for certain people,” Richter said. “It really depends on the type of conversation or event, whether you need to bring up something uncomfortable in such a big community.”

Mcnamee also believes that though conversations surrounding current events may be difficult, they m

Hallelujah!

On Mar. 4, 2023 the Campbell Hall gospel choir had its 22 annual concert. Students from fifth through 12th grades worked together to put on a world-class performance. What initially started as a family affinity experience has grown into a school-wide event. The Gospel Choir not only honors African American heritage, but it also pays homage to Campbell Hall’s Episcopalian roots. Comprised of novice and veteran singers, the choir welcomes all students no matter their singing ability.

Gus Jacobellis ‘25 has taken part in gospel choir for the past five years. Jacobellis, while loving to sing on his own, is drawn back to the choir year after year due to the joy he gets from singing in a group. Jacobellis has come to feel that the choir is more like a family than a singing group, and recommends it to anyone as a great way to make friends.

“I’m not a very religious person,” Jacobellis said. “But it’s still a great time to sing with the group. I find it very powerful to sing with all these people that I’ve known for so long. Everybody is so energetic, and the experience as a whole is just magical.”

For weeks leading up to prom, promposals swept through the upper school. Will Clarke ‘22 was determined to make his promposal to Caitlin Jones ‘22 special with a personal touch, drawing on her love of "Tangled" lanterns to spell out “Prom?” on her driveway using homemade lanterns.

“For the longest time, it’s been [Jones's] dream to see a lantern festival on her 18th birthday, but they’re illegal in California,” Clarke said. “I decided to make my own. It took me days to make them all.”

Jones’ response was a resounding yes. She was shocked at Clarke’s thoughtful proposal.

“I’m a biased party, but I think it was the best [promposal this year],” Jones said. “It had a lot of emotional meaning behind it and a lot of thought and effort.”

Dr. Amanda Dye, robotics team coach, feels that the Campbell Hall robotics team has come a long way from their one-tournament, one-robot starter team during the 2021-22 school year. The team recently qualified for states after their last VEX competition, being one of only 40 teams in the region to qualify.

Dye has so much pride in her team’s improvement in the past year, and very excited for the success so far.

“It was a huge step forward from just building the team last year, and now this year making it to states,” Dye said. “I’m just really proud of the team and how far they came this year.”

Considering it was only their fourth competition ever, and they qualified for states, Dye commends the team for how hard they’ve worked within the last year to get to this point. The team now has three robots, and Dye believes that the entire team truly enjoys the process of coming together to create something really cool.

Allure of dating apps

STORY PIPER SAKEN

Jillian Green, mother of Riley Green ‘25, finishes college and begins her job in an unfamiliar environment. Craving excitement interesting people, Green finds herself venturing into the world of online dating. When Green first discovered Jdate, an online Jewish dating site, she had been looking for excitement and adventure. However, what Green ended up finding online was her true love.

“I did not think I would meet my husband on Jdate,” Green said. “I thought I would just have a lot of fun and go on a lot of dates. I knew I could look online, you know, find the people I was interested in, and reach out to them on my own time. I didn't have to sit and wait at a bar. And you know, if there was somebody on there that I didn't like, I didn't waste my time talking to them.”

*Henry Brelin ‘23 is an eighteen year old man who signed up for dating apps in the hopes of finding a fun fling, or more. Brelin finds that for a high schooler who has recently turned eighteen, the dating possibilities and experiences are endless. By joining different sites and meeting people who share his hobbies and interests, Brelin believes that online dating offers a more diverse pool of potential partners. He perceives online dating as a convenient alternative to traditional dating methods. With the ability to browse and communicate with others from the comfort of his own home, Brelin feels that online dating is a practical way to find a suitable partner and build meaningful connections.

“After watching all my friends go on dating apps like Tinder or Eharmony I was curious to see what all the hype was about,” Brelin said. “When I turned eighteen I went on my first dating app and started to meet people that just liked what I liked and then felt easier. I really enjoyed talking with these people online and it felt like we were just on the same page. I felt really limited to girls at school or like outside friends, but with online dating apps, I joined because I knew I could meet people with just a swipe to the right.”

Green feels that online dating is a very different concept than dating in person, whether that be meeting someone in person or already knowing them. Although Green also acknowledges the perks of dating online, she believes that there are certain precautions and steps to take while being entranced in the fun world of online dating. Ultimately, Green believes that online dating can be a fun and rewarding way to meet new people , but it is important to approach it with caution and a willingness to learn.

“It was different [meeting someone online rather than already knowing them],” Green said. “But I think it was good, because I got to know him through writing to each other. We talked on the phone for a very long time before we actually went out. We really got to know each other that way. We didn't waste anyone's time. I knew that this was somebody that I might be interested in, and so I gave them a chance and went out with them.”

Gwen Raub ‘23 decided to partake in online dating the moment she could. As a young woman part of the LGBTQ+ community, Raub is aware that dating will not always be easy. With the difficulty that comes with dating in general, Raub acknowledges the appeal of online dating and all that she has learned from her dating site experiences.

“I think it’s important to reach out to people, and have an open mind to the people you reach out to online,” Raub said. “Dating hasn’t always been the easiest but through online dating, I have met people that I never would have otherwise met. Those people I have met have taught me so much about the world and about myself. Without online dating, I never would have discovered my sexuality, I never would have discovered myself.”