CAMPBELL HALL EPISCOPAL
Feb. 28, 2022 VOLUME 25
ISSUE 2
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SAY IT RIGHT As Fauvé Balugo-Ramirez ‘22 experiences everyday encounters with people who mispronounce her name, students and faculty look to convey the importance of getting a name correct and what names mean to a person’s identity.
PLUS
As students and faculty members move into an increasingly uncertain world of new COVID-19 variants, they learn to cope with the stress of a new normal. Page 2 Individuals reflect on their stories in dealing with sexual assault, and faculty reiterate the importance of fostering conversations and sharing stories with others. Page 12
PHOTO LUCY KENNEL
More than their accomplishments while participating in sports, professional athletes have influenced students and faculty alike in their own lives through sports and their character and personality. Page 18
Feb. 28, 2022
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COVID ANXIETY
STORY NOA SCHWARTZ, TAYLOR HUIE ART NOA SCHWARTZ
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s stores shut their doors left and right and teachers frantically organized virtual lessons in early 2020, Camden Allvey ‘23 felt her anxiety levels skyrocket. After getting vaccinated, she began to feel safer and allowed herself to slowly return to normalcy. Soon after, as more and more pandemic restrictions were announced, Allvey
Campus Highlights
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Students grapple with new COVID-19 restrictions and the uncertainty of the future
was pulled into yet another emotional roller coaster leading to nothing but anxious exhaustion. For secondary human development teacher Julie Scurry, part of the “new normal” with regards to the pandemic includes a different level of anxiety. She argues that the seeming omnipresence of the virus has brought constant feelings of uncertainty that students and teachers alike must face. “We’ve adapted to a base level of anxiety being a part of our lives,” Scurry said. “School work, issues at home, sports stress, those were the classic stresses. Now, we have this layer of COVID stress that sails along with us and whatever else happens that week that is out of the norm. It’s even harder to deal with because our stress is already boiling over.” Dion Simmons, high school English teacher, believes that beyond the baseline stress the pandemic has brought, students have also struggled with the constant changes of the pandemic. He feels that students were just getting used to normalcy, which exacerbated the toll new variants have taken on students’ mental health. “[There was] a light of victory, of people trying to live life like [the pandemic] didn’t exist anymore,” Simmons said. “All of [a] sudden, that dream came crashing down. We’re obviously still dealing with illnesses, so hopefully going from the high to the crash won’t be too much of a burden, but I think that might be a lot to ask.” Furthermore, a growing number of students have found themselves having to balance schoolwork on top of a COVID diagnosis, like Aidan Disney ‘22. Disney found his days of sickness to be particularly isolating, however, he attributes much of his current worry surrounding the pandemic to the potential for his friends to get sick. “My mental health definitely hasn’t gotten better since last year,” Disney said. “I just had COVID, so I’m not too worried about getting it again. I’m more worried about people in my life who are more
FACTS 25.2% of children and adolescents polled were diagnosed with depression in 2021. 20.5% of children and adolescents polled were diagnosed with anxiety. Pooled estimates in the first year of the pandemic show that 1 in 4 youth globally are experiencing clinical symptoms of depression and 1 in 5 experience clinical symptoms of anxiety. sources: The JAMA Network
at risk of being harmed by having COVID if they get it.” For Allvey, as the student leader of the Mental Health Education Club, the biggest reminder she has for students is to be kinder to themselves. She hopes that with the club, she can create an environment where students are not afraid to reach out for help and can recognize their struggles. “My main goal this year [for the Mental Health Club] is to break the stigma [of mental health],” Allvey said. “It’s okay to not be fully mentally here right now. The last two years have been a roller coaster and it’s okay to take it easy. It’s okay to take it one step at a time and really acknowledge what you’re going through and ask for help.” Similarly, Simmons advises students not to let preoccupation with schoolwork take over their lives, stressing the importance of balance. “My advice for students [is to remember that] this is only school,” Simmons said. “In the long scheme of the life that you will lead, that one assignment means nothing. Forgive yourself. Do anything that brings you joy. I believe that I have to fuel myself before I can give to anybody else.” Ultimately, Scurry hopes the school community learns that nobody is alone, that everyone is experiencing the pandemic together. The simplest acts of gratitude and kindness can help build systems of support and empathy, something Scurry believes is crucial to navigate the turbulence of a changing world. “We forget the power of giving,” Scurry said. “If we’re feeling terrible, chances are our friends and the people around us aren’t feeling so good either. Sometimes we forget how fun it is to do something for other people. Even if it’s just writing a note to a friend or telling a parent how much you appreciate them, spreading that gratitude really does help the mood. Do something kind or special for someone else if you can.”
FINALLY
CENTER STAGE
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PHOTO 1 PERMISSION FROM THE YEAR BOOK PHOTO 2 PERMISSION FROM NICK GUDIS PHOTO 3 PERMISSION FROM LUCINE OHANNESSIAN
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pcoming high school musical production, "Urinetown," takes place in an alternate universe where there’s an extreme drought that causes everyone to pay in order to use the restroom. Last year, the musical was recorded from home, making this the first live theatrical performance in almost two years. The actors and crew members collectively worked long hours daily to put on the show. Presley Panaro ‘22 plays the character Hope in the musical, and is eagerly anticipating performance week. The musical will take place the weekend of March 17, and she encourages everyone to attend for a spectacular performance. This will also be Panaro’s last performance at Campbell Hall, which makes her emotional but she is still extremely excited. “In weeks leading up to the show, the cast grows so close because at this point we are done learning and we finally get the payoff of all the long hours and hard work,” Panaro said. “People should come watch ‘Urinetown’ because it has an amazing cast, phenomenal music, and a hilarious plot. Don’t let the title discourage you, it's so fun to watch and be a part of.”
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or the first time since February 2020, the Campbell Hall Winter Formal returned. This year, the theme was Campbell Royale which consisted of casino themed games like roulette, blackjack and craps, with dazzling decorations. Jessica LeBlanc, the advisor of the activities committee, is responsible for creating, designing, and coordinating the dance. She hopes this was a time for the students to reconnect and have a night together with fun activities, music, and attractions. “The committee wanted to have a theme that was incredibly inclusive, so that lots of students would want to attend the first high school dance in a long time,” LeBlanc said. “We chose to go with a casino theme so that people who don't love to dance would also have something fun to do."
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he Math Counts Club is collaborating with the I Have a Dream Foundation, bringing underprivileged third and fourth grade students on campus to teach them math lessons in an engaging way. Arjun Danna ‘23 founded the club and is taking his love of learning to a new level by teaching others. Danna and his club will reinforce the basic education that kids are familiar with using fun lessons that will stick with them. He realized many kids don’t understand the importance of education which inspired him to pursue this idea. “It's really cool to be working alongside our Creative Writing Experiential Workshop (CREW) who teach the kids writing because now through English and math, we are really fully giving them a supplemental education where a lot of these kids in under-served schools wouldn’t have been able to have it,” Danna said. “My goal is to enforce these concepts while they’re in early elementary school and make math fun for them so that they might love math just as I do."
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Stepping Down
LIFE LESSONS photo of LeGaly and Kheel
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PHOTO PERMISSION MARINA KHEEL STORY MADISON DAMUS
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Looking Back: Tom Phelps, Dr. Marina Kheel and Carolyn LaGaly pose for a photo at a graduation Looking Back: Carolyn LaGaly and Dr. Marina Kheel stand at graduation ceremony.
have more time for,” LaGaly said. “Being a principal is a role with such a wide range of responsibilities that are interesting and different every day, and it's a really exciting and rewarding way to serve the school. Now, I find myself ready to narrow my focus just a bit." Rio Hanson ‘23 came to Campbell Hall in seventh grade, giving him the time to meet and form relationships with both Kheel and LaGaly. He has found them to be very caring principals and has learned immensely from them. In 2019, Hanson took LaGaly’s creative writing class, which made a profound impact on his school experience. “[LaGaly] has impacted me so much as a student and as a person,” Hanson said. “Her non-fiction creative writing class was such an experience that really transformed the way that I write and think about things. I would for sure not be the same person without that class.” LaGaly has gotten to work in various departments of teaching which has granted her a unique perspective on how the school operates. Through her work she has gained a better understanding of people and has found it gratifying to work in partnership with so many different people. “I would say the thing that has been the most rewarding has been working collaboratively and thoughtfully with a whole range of people in the various leadership roles I've held here whether that's been a dean, assistant principal or principal,” LaGaly said. “In being a principal, you get a real opportunity to work with in order to plan and move the school forward in its mission, and
CAROLYN LAGALY "I miss having more one-on-one interactions with students and that's what I'm looking to have more time for."
HIGH SCHOOL PRINCIPAL
that's been incredibly meaningful.” Through her time at Campbell Hall, Kheel has gained a newfound perspective on teaching, learning and fostering caring human beings. She has found her work challenging, yet immensely fulfilling. “I'm really proud of the culture in the middle school,” Kheel said. “Whenever I’m hiring someone or we are doing professional development, we always go back to ‘We are people who know, understand and care about this age group’ so everything we do is designed based on what young people need at this point in their life.” Hanson has found LaGaly and Kheel to be virtuous principals. He appreciates the great efforts they have put into the school to make it a better place. He hopes that the new principals can strive for the same excellence as LaGaly and Kheel. “Both Ms. LaGaly and Dr. Kheel set such a high standard for how principals interact with students both on campus and in classrooms,” Hanson said. “They also balanced their roles of being an authority figure as well as feeling personable and not intimidating so I hope the new principals can do that too.”
Importance of discomfort, disagreement classroom. She appreciates the candid approach An takes with discussing issues like eugenics, sex work and disability. She values how An introduces topics in a manner where no one is targeted but instead, shares perspectives. Gonor, in this course, has been taught that opinions can change when new information is presented that hadn’t been discussed in the past. She acknowledges the need for an integration of ideas. “I have learned that it’s okay to change your mindset when presented with more information,” Gonor said. “Discussion allows you to strengthen your opinions because they are challenged and force you to readjust your thoughts.” Dr. Kelly Kawar, similarly to An, sees English class as a place where perspectives come together and students dive into the text and learn history. As Kawar reflects on the past year, she acknowledges that COVID-19 affected the conversations that were able to occur in that there was a lack Heated: Lauryn Varnell '24, Lucas Debolt '24, Ella Duncanson '24, Téa Maltzman '24 have of physical proximity and trust, which halted the an intense discussion about politics and other controversial topics. ability for honest and supportive conversations. As she goes into this year, she focuses on the need for trust and her role as a teacher. STORY, PHOTO KEELY CHAMBERS “Last year, political discourse became so central while our social founonversations revolving around politics can be taboo or lead to yell- dations were chipped away at,” Kawar said. “I’ve been thinking a lot ing, tears, hurt feelings and a change in relationships. However, Dr. about trust and physical proximity, especially how we communicate and Susie An makes the history classroom a place of respect where students build trust with each other without words. I'm more conscious about are open-minded. In An’s CHAI Government and Politics class, students that as a teacher and I can even feel the school realizing how schools are are introduced to current issues that are fundamental to being a United one of the only places that we have a captive audience. [We have] this opportunity to model how to build relationships and how to speak to States citizen. In order for there to be respect, An believes students need to be one another.” An finds that students often feel uncomfortable when they have a stake open-minded and have an understanding of the numerous factors that play into every topic. Through conversations, An wants students to under- in an issue — all the more reason to challenge themselves to discussion. She works to show history as a critique instead of a debate, involving the stand systemic nature and how debates don’t all need a resolution. “What I [want to] do throughout my history classes is provide the con- need for students to be open-minded, even when discussing subjects they text, not just historically, but sociologically, and press my students to under- feel passionate about. “Discomfort comes from a place of feeling personally attacked or when stand the systemic nature of everything,” An said. “For students, over time they see that there are so many factors playing into these binary questions you attach a personal stake to a structural issue that you are embedded that are posed and these age-old debates won’t have a resolution. They start in,” An said. “People shouldn’t just be taking one side. You can be flexible and incorporate aspects of the other side that are still in line with your realizing these questions don't stand anymore in coherency and capacity.” As a student in An’s class, Shaye Gonor ’22 has the opportunity to ethics and morality and then use that to edit your own ideas, even when attend a course that brings in the topics discussed on the quad into the discussing subjects they feel passionate about."
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How school prepares students for the world beyond the classroom STORY ELLA DUNCANSON
Middle and High School Principals Dr. Marina Kheel and Carolyn LaGaly prepare to resign, reflecting on their time at Campbell Hall
r. Marina Kheel and Caroyln LaGaly have been the respective middle and high school principals for decades. They have watched their students grow and have helped shape students into the people they are today. Next year both Kheel and LaGaly will be stepping down as principals. In her decade of serving the school community, Kheel has served as middle school principal as well as the associate head of teaching, learning and strategic initiatives for the past two years. Next year, she is stepping down from her role as middle school principal. At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, she was offered the position of associate head of teaching, learning, and strategic initiatives by Head of School Julian Bull. However, she decided it was time for someone else to step into the role. “I've [been] both [middle school principal and associate head of teaching and learning] for two years and it felt like it was time to focus on only one of those roles and provide someone else with the opportunity to run the middle school,” Kheel said. LaGaly has worked at Campbell Hall for 33 years as a teacher, dean, assistant principal and principal. LaGaly sent her children to Campbell Hall and watched them grow up as part of the community. Over the years, her husband and children have also served the school in various ways. Her life has been intertwined with the school both professionally and personally. While LaGaly has loved her years as principal, she misses being more connected on a daily basis with her students. “I miss having more one-on-one interactions with students and that's what I'm looking to
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question often thrown around is the wonder if school actually prepares students for real life and if it’s necessary for “success.” Many people share stress around this topic and wonder if school actually will prepare them for real life, if what schools are doing is enough, and if the curriculum are teaching students important subjects that could be applied later on. These questions along with if civic engagement and politics should be taught in schools are thought about a lot by many including Dion Simmons, high school English teacher. Simmons believes that the meaning of success is different for everyone. Simmons believes that a general education is essential for real life but depending on what a student wants to do with their life after high school, it really depends on the person. “School being necessary for success depends on what success means to you,” Simmons said. “If you define success by dollar amounts then school doesn't guarantee that but it makes it more likely. If success is defined by happiness, it doesn’t guarantee that as well, but it can make it more accessible. If success is defined by the impact on others and a duty to help and change the world, again school doesn’t ensure that but it can give a boost in achieving them.” Olivia Campos ‘22 believes that college isn’t necessary for everybody and will be jumping right into her career after graduation. With all the resources provided to students today, Campos has found that it’s a lot easier to selfteach or even take online courses. This being said, Campos believes high school is important for the growth of students as people and helps prepare them for life. She believes it teaches basic life skills such as socializing and working as a team. “School is where you learn social skills, dealing with all types of personalities,” Campos said. “You also learn how to be disciplined and organized in your work which should apply to all aspects of life. School can be high pressure however it helps prepare students for meeting deadlines and certain expectations in whatever career they choose.” Ellen Pilon, middle school history teacher, believes that school helps prepare students for meeting deadlines. Pilon feels that this should be one of the duties of the school, to prepare students for the strict deadlines of the working world. However, she believes schools often fail to do so. She maintains that lenient teachers allow bad habits to form, which could affect students’ future careers. “Real life is much harder than school,” Pilon said. “In real life, your bosses are not going to let you turn in stuff late. You will just get fired.” Controversy often surrounds what should be taught in schools and what is or isn’t important for students to learn. While learning how to solve equations or memorize chemical bonds may be beneficial for students in some regards, Campos believes that certain classes focused more on life skills such as cooking or doing taxes may be more beneficial. “Schools should absolutely be teaching real life skills, or add a life skills class to the curriculum,” Campos said. “We live in a world where you can just press a button on your phone to get things done and people are not learning basic life skills, [like] cooking, changing a tire, sewing a button, etc.” Simmons believes that civic engagement and politics should be talked about in schools. He doesn't think there is a particular way to “teach” politics, but he thinks that political discussions should be more welcomed. While the power dynamic of the teacher-student relationship can be problematic in certain instances, Simmons knows there are ways around it. Simmons also believes that besides civic engagement and politics, schools should try to figure out what is missing in the curriculum. “If a school were to create a new focus on preparing students for the world after high school, it would have to start with an honest conversation about what gaps are created by the school,” Simmons said. “In focusing on certain skills, tools, and wealth of knowledge, what is being ignored, left out, untaught. Campbell Hall has also done this with a renewed and invigorated focus on Diversity Equity Inclusion and Justice work in the past few years.”
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Feb. 28, 2022
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SENIORITIS
Seniors and teachers question the validity of senioritis
QUALITY OV E R QUANTITY Seniors and college counselors feel that the pressure of a rigorous workload can change the quality of a student's experience STORY KEELY CHAMBERS
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Distracted: A student stares at his T.V screen, ignoring the mountains of undone homework around him.
ART AUSTIN JANAVS STORY CAROLINE REHDER
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he clock on her computer strikes 2:00 a.m. and Elianna Zeichick ‘22 finally slams her computer screen shut for the night. She knows she will only get a few hours of sleep before the next school day, because she does not let the fact that her high school years are coming to an end stop her from pursuing good grades. Zeichick does not believe in the idea of senioritis, nor does she let it take over her study habits. She believes students are overworking to stay on top of schoolwork. Zeichick cares about her grades just as much as previous years, despite already being accepted early into college. She feels mental and physical exhaustion when taking rigorous courses, and finds it harder to stay focused towards the end of the year. “Students get burnt out,” Zeichick said. “[The burnout] doesn’t really have anything to do with having already gotten into my dream school or my grades; it has more to do with being tired from having taken so many challenging classes throughout the past four years. I am no longer forcing perfection upon myself and I have been procrastinating a lot because the more hard classes I take, and the more time I spend studying, the less I sleep.” For Rose Greer ‘22, senioritis is a result of working extremely hard for four years straight and needing a break. Now that she has finished college applications, Greer has stopped pushing herself and has found more time to relax. After the start of trimester two, she noticed herself start to lose motivation. She also wishes teachers would understand that towards the end of the year, a more moderate schedule would be ideal because she observes her classmates are collectively losing stimulation. “I’ve been much less stressed out about studying for tests and quizzes; instead I get an extra hour or two of sleep, go out with friends, or watch TV,” Greer said. “The importance of staying focused when it’s tough is to remember that you’re only in high school once, and that this hard work will bring benefits in the future. I hope that my teachers think that senioritis is a normal and acceptable part of senior year, because it is inevitable after finishing all of the hard work we have been through.” Like Zeichick, Jackson Bass ‘22 hasn’t felt the impact of senioritis to a debilitating extent, but he knows that feeling is a natural tendency for
seniors. Bass is empathetic towards his classmates who are struggling with senioritis, but he is grateful he only experiences small amounts of senior-related fatigue and is still able to focus. “Senioritis has impacted my motivation for school because sometimes when I have a lot of homework, it’s hard to find the motivation to complete it all since I’m in the final stretch of high school,” Bass said. “I prevent senioritis by remembering that my college acceptance isn’t finalized until my end of the year grades, so that motivates me to still try very hard in school and to do my best.” Unlike the students, Jessica LeBlanc teaches seniors in CHAI English Literature and Composition and does not believe senioritis is an excuse that should be used. LeBlanc often reminds students that even if they feel burnt out and have been accepted into college, it doesn't mean they should disconnect and stop caring about their work. She notices that when seniors no longer want to be in class, the energy diffuses and the classes become harder and more discouraging to teach. “If the student doesn't have an incentive to finish out a year strong, they don’t have personal integrity,” LeBlanc said. “The root of the feeling that seniors have is an excitement of moving on combined with fear of something ending, a fear of change, and also the mountain of work that you have to do to apply to college, on top of keeping up with academics. When a lot of seniors don't want to be in school anymore, the classes become a bummer because no one wants to be there.” Zeichick wants younger students to know that although it is hard to stay focused once they are admitted into college like she is, they have a responsibility to continue to try their best. There is also a notion that grades don’t matter the second semester of senior year, which adds to the influence of senioritis. Although she has settled and started to take more time for herself, Zeichick has not given up on schoolwork and is trying to push through the year strongly. “I try to stay driven and self-motivated,” Zeichick said. “I've worked incredibly hard throughout high school so this is my one opportunity to slow down and take time for myself.”
Gender 101
Community members recognize the importance of educating students on the nuances of gender STORY LUCY KENNEL
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ndia Griffin ‘22 walks into class on the first day of school with a new gender identity, having discovered that they wanted to go by all pronouns. As students make their rounds, saying their name and what pronouns they go by, Griffin instantly feels more comfortable with sharing their identity. As a child, Griffin never had the resources to learn about all of the different kinds of gender identity and expression, including pronouns. Griffin finds it important and necessary that kids have the opportunity to learn who they are as a person, just as they did. “Gender and pronouns never really came up in my education before high school and it did make it really hard for me to actually figure out who I am because I never even really let it cross my mind,” Griffin said. “I've been so stuck on to the idea of what I was [that] I couldn't really think about who I wanted to be.” Ben Enright ‘98, seventh grade United States history and middle and high school choir teacher, recently participated in a training with all teachers about gender and pronouns. However, he felt that he had already known a majority of the information, crediting the diversity coordinators for informing him. En-
right feels that it is important to get to know his students and make sure that they are comfortable regardless of their gender identity. “Because I teach a lot of kids from seventh grade through 12th grade, it’s really [about] getting to know the students and allowing them to be who they really want to be, which sometimes changes,” Enright said. “For my history students, it’s [about] getting to know them in a genuine way by talking to them before and after class and asking about themselves.” Enright gives all of his students a questionnaire asking what pronouns students would like to use and makes sure that the students are comfortable with their identity being shared with other people, including their classmates and parents. As a teacher, Enright takes on the responsibility of teaching people the value of their voice and of helping them find their identity. In choir, instead of grouping students by gender, Enright identifies high and low voices to provide flexibility for students. “I feel like [the teachers] have done training and we have so many students who are on such a spectrum so we know about the diversity [of identities],” Enright said. “Students know about the diversity but the challenge for some is being able to accept it. That’s part of our job
INDIA GRIFFIN "Gender and pronouns never really came up in my education before high school and it did make it really hard for me to figure out who I am."
TWENTY-TWO
[as teachers] to make sure that people’s voices are heard and to support kids who want to live their truth.” Griffin recognizes the improvements in inclusivity of teachers in recent years and sees that progress has been slow and hard-won. They are grateful for teachers they can talk to about queer issues and gender spectrums. However, they often feel that queer history has been erased from a lot of textbooks. “[The progress] involves unlearning your biases and speaking in binaries with all of the things that are coming in our new society,” Griffin said. “There’s a lot of community here, even if you don’t see it on the surface, that you can go to for help and support. Our history classes are so great at delving into our traumatic past as a country, which was founded on such harmful ideals. It’s really important to see where we come from, where we are today and how we can improve.”
s students anxiously stared at Jennifer Simpson, the director of college counseling, while she discussed the start of the college process with her new group of students, she found herself bombarded with questions about the types of awards and activities that are impressive to colleges. Others wondered what exactly would get them into their dream school. As she recognized these common questions, she began explaining that the essence of a memorable college application is that every person has their own story to tell. Simpson works with students to reflect on what they have put their time and energy into throughout high school, how they have been affected by these experiences and how they inform what they envision for their future. Simpson hopes to remove the idea of doing something "for college" and reframing why students are making the choices they make. She believes that this will allow students to reflect on why they were involved in specific activities or took on leadership positions and how they grew as a result. “What if you took college out of the picture entirely and said your job is to talk about making smart and mature decisions that come from reflecting on what is meaningful and brings you joy. That will more likely open up doors for you because it reflects the thinking of an undergraduate who is taking initiative from an authentic place,” Simpson said. “I am trying to communicate to students that certain activities don’t generate specific desired outcomes in the college process. Their mindset does.” Emma Goss ‘22 feels that she has found her unique passion. Through her high school experience, Goss has focused on writing, as she partakes in the fellowship, literary publication, and numerous other writing electives. Even though writing is Goss’s main passion, she also brought in her participation as co-president of Girls Learn International and in sports such as volleyball, basketball, and softball into her college application. When she started the college process, she made sure to reflect on what she has participated in these past four years and which of these diverse interests she intends to bring to college. “My passions have a dual emphasis on creative arts but also on interdisciplinary approaches because I don’t want to be ‘tied’ down to any one academic domain,” Goss said. “I want to be able to write creatively wherever I go, but in a way where I can also explore the intersection of writing and say, psychology or other topics that can easily interconnect with literature or writing.” According to Anemona Hartocollis's Dec.16, 2018 article in The New York Times, due to the most selective schools admitting only four to five percent of applicants, there has been an increase in the pressure to exaggerate, embellish and cheat on an application. As Goss finishes up her college applications, she reflects on what she believes is the comparative nature of the process. She has found that there is an increase in the competition, which has made her feel like she was not good enough throughout this process. “There’s this need to sound extraordinary which is only further fueled by peers, self-doubt, and comparisons,” Goss said. “This pressure affects mental health in a cyclical way because it’s this ever-present thought of ‘I don’t stand out, I look too ordinary.’” Simpson’s guidance has affected many students just now entering the college process, including Grace Greer ’24. As Greer watches her sister in 12th grade, Rose Greer ’22, she sees the importance of knowing what she is interested in while trying everything that interests her. “I’m working on being well-rounded and joining a bunch of clubs so I can see what I am passionate about,” Greer said. “Even though I want to be a STEM major, that doesn’t mean that I can’t be on the soccer team and do other things without overstretching myself. It’s quality over quantity. [Making sure to focus on] what I’m really committed to and care about will showcase who I am and the special parts of myself.”
Shot Stigma As more students become vaccinated, those who remain unvaccinated struggle with feelings of isolation and judgement
* Names were changed to protect sources' identities
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urrently, 98 percent of the high school student body and faculty, and more than 80 percent of elementary school students, are fully vaccinated against COVID-19. In the upper school, this leaves another two percent of unvaccinated students with varying reasons for their decision, facing ongoing changes in their academic and everyday interactions. Many students like Callie Anderson* didn’t have a say in whether or not she would get vaccinated because she is a minor. In Anderson’s case, her parents made the decision for her. With one older sibling who chose to get vaccinated against her parents’ wishes, Anderson struggles with the assumptions created based on her vaccination status. “It feels a little frustrating because it’s not my decision,” Anderson said. “Even if my parents have a point that it is a little experimental and scary, I find it more important [to get vaccinated] than [my parents] do to make other people comfortable. It feels a little like I have to swim upstream because everything is about vaccine mandates now and a lot of the restrictions are getting lighter on the assumption that people are vaccinated. It feels like I am fighting for something, [being unvaccinated], that I don’t necessarily believe in.” Head of School Julian Bull shares that families who choose not to have their students vaccinated and have no viable medical or religious exemption have to face the difficult reality of possibly enrolling in an online school or finding alternate non-independent schools that are not mandating vaccinations. He understands the challenges that arise for these students, which is why he has not yet mandated the vaccine for elementary school. However, he plans to mandate the vaccine for elementary school students for the 2022-23 school year, trying to take parents’ anxiety into account as much as possible. “The more vaccinated our community is, the
Road to Robotics
Redefining SAFETY In an increasingly unsure world, students and faculty reevaluate what it means to feel safe
STORY JESSICA BAZEL, MAGGIE CHIAPPETTA-UBERTI
STORY LUCY KENNEL
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ART NOA SCHWARTZ
fewer disruptions we’re going to have,” Bull said. “At a certain point, you’re either getting vaccinated or you have an exemption. Being someone in a position of leadership, not making a decision is a decision. Not mandating vaccines is itself a decision.” Jamie Rollins* remains unvaccinated for health reasons, however, she feels that she is in a constant state of anxiety thinking about the various reactions of students who may find out that she is unvaccinated. “For a lot of people, it is a very volatile topic,” Rollins said. “It is a mix of medical science and politics and stuff that is so difficult for us as students to be faced with on a daily basis that I try to just let it lie when brought up.” Despite Rollins’s hopes to stay silent in class settings surrounding her vaccination status, she decided to tell her friends. She made the decision knowing that she would be spending extended time with them and wanted to respect their choices and opinions. “I feel like it would be disingenuous to not tell my friends if I wanted to hang out with them outside of school,” Rollins said. “Whether or
not I agree that the vaccine is necessary, if some people feel uncomfortable that I don’t have it, I think it is my obligation to tell them. When I told my friends, we didn’t really get into an indepth conversation [and] it hasn’t changed the way they view me or act towards me.” Bull also notices this stigma that unvaccinated people face and the fear they have to be honest with their peers. He takes both sides of the issue into account, acknowledging being wary of the unknown while also feeling confident in the resources he uses to make decisions. Ultimately, Bull feels that it comes down to trust. “It’s so interesting to me how [mandating vaccines and the pandemic in general] raise critical questions about who we trust, because if you don’t trust any authorities, it’s hard to get through it,” Bull said. “I think of it as a test case of the Campbell Hall mission. When we talk about being a community of inquiry, a lot of what community is about is trust and we’ve got to trust each other somehow. It’s been a little bit painful the way people have sort of shamed other[s]. There’s definitely tension [and] we could have done better at being kinder to each other.”
The Robotics Team's students and teachers reflect on their robotics journey and their love of STEM
STORY MATT ROSE
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Feb. 28, 2022
n a typical robotics meeting, Sara Hightower ‘22 works tirelessly with her teammates to piece together extremely complex and functional machines for competitions. Trial and error, intense scrutiny and a love of creation are all facets Hightower believes that a team member must have. Hightower wanted to pursue her love of science and added robotics to her STEM resume as a sophomore. She aims to utilize her experience in robotics to help her career as a physicist in the future. “I started doing robotics after taking Dr. Dye’s physics class,” Hightower said. “I enrolled knowing that she was one of the mentors of the team and that the program was really highly spoken of by the people doing robotics already.” Dr. Amanda Dye, the mentor of the robotics team, had to accommodate for the switch in process during remote learning. In fact, the team had to change the type of robots they were building altogether. It was important to Dye to continue the work remotely. “When we went into remote learning, we switched over from First Robotics to VEX Robotics, meaning that we were building smaller robots and using set material kits that were sent home to students,” Dye said. “This allowed for robotics to continue and for the kids to keep building over quarantine.” A large part of robotics are the competitions and whilst the team was still building over remote learning, the competitions continued. However, the structure and judging was entirely new. “The competitions were now more skill based,” Dye said. “You would Zoom in to a panel of judges and complete certain tasks with your robot in a certain amount of time. The coaches had a new role too, we usually helped the students with strategy and gameplay, but over Zoom we also helped judge the competitions. It was definitely interesting because us mentors were now judging our own students, based definitely on the honor system.” Claire Lesher ‘24 is currently within her first year on the robotics team. Her interest in robotics started in Kindergarten and her love for math and science as well as a longstanding relationship with Dye pushed her to join. “I’ve known for pretty much my whole life that I have been wanting to do something with STEM when I grow up,” Lesher said. “I truly love
going to robotics every week, it’s a place where I can feel like I belong.” The first in-person competition in over a year for the robotics team was on Feb 6. For senior members like Hightower, it’s been an extremely busy last few weeks leading up to the competition. She enjoys collaborating with her younger classmates and is learning to step into her role as an upperclassman. “[We created] multiple different robots at once, with probably only one of them going to the actual competition,” Hightower said. “It’s really interesting to have all of the new people come into robotics with a lot of new ideas, and help advise them on implementing those innovations.” Building complicated robots with an entire team of people comes with a lot of moving parts and speciality. Dye has learned that the organization involved is a key aspect to the success of the team. “There are not just programmers or builders on the team,” Dye said. “There is a lot of student-led planning that happens, such as making sure we have the parts we need, meaning that some students take up more of a management role on the team. We also have strategizers that help look at the teams we go up against, so in all robotics isn't just about building the robots itself, there is much more to it.” Lesher knows through the intricacies of robotics that taking the leap into engineering or other STEM fields can be a daunting task due. However, she knows that putting a little work to something she is passionate about can lead to a lifelong obsession. “I’m a visual learner so my grandma bought me coding kits when I was younger,” Lesher said. “Doing that showed me that this was my path, so if you seem interested in something, if you like science, just go for it”. The robotics team started out in eighth place for the first couple rounds, then were knocked back to 20th, but in the end, finished third in total points out of 33 teams in their first competition in over a year. It was also their first time in a VEX competition, and navigated against more experienced teams and tough competitors. “What we used to see before in First Robotics competitions was much more adult involvement, whereas in the VEX Robotics, there was a lot more intense student energy,” Dye said. “It was nice because I think everyone was amped up because of what has happened over the past couple years. There haven't been many opportunities to be in a space with so much student leadership and energy.”
ccording to YouthTruth Student Survey, an April 2018 survey shows that nationally, fewer than half of students feel safe at school. Andrew Shaw ‘98, director of secondary counseling, believes that safety is one of the most important aspects that affects a person’s mental health. He believes that not feeling safe can lead to stress, anxiety, sadness, and depression and can affect students’ performance in school. “Safety is one of our most basic human needs and if we don't feel safe then it's difficult to feel at ease or comfortable,” Shaw said. “At school, it can affect our ability to show up, to be present and to learn. If we don't first feel safe, it can be really hard for us to give energy to all the other things that we need to do in our life.” Ellie Phillips ‘22 blames social media for contributing to the rise of anxiety over safety. Social media connects real life disasters to her own life, making her aware of the possibility of [disasters like gun violence] inhibiting her own safety. “When I scroll through social media and see news of a devastating event, it makes me realize that it could happen to me as well,” Phillips said. “I feel safe going to school, but [the thought of the possibility of danger] is still in the back of my mind after seeing violent crimes on social media.” Shaw also recognizes the impact that global issues that are brought to students through social media have on a student’s safety. Shaw believes that it's important for teachers to think about all of the factors that can alter a student’s feeling of safety. “There’s so many major issues facing the world and our country’s pretty polarized,” Shaw said. “Unfortunately there’s a lot of deep issues of ignorance, of hate and racism. These are all things that are deeply unsettling and have affected this sense of safety for all of us.” Shaw feels that schools need to be a resource for students and something students can have trust in to keep them safe. However, he feels that Campbell Hall is a great example because of how much the adults on campus care about students. “What’s wonderful about Campbell Hall is how it is such a safe and loving place,” Shaw said. “There are many people that care, many people that you can go to if there’s a problem or if you’re feeling unsafe. We also have specific services and resources for students in the event that they are feeling unsafe or a problem occurs including advisors, the dean, the counseling office, and the Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ) Team.” Phillips feels lucky that she goes to a school that makes her feel safe, however she recognizes that this is not the same for everyone. According to the YouthTruth Student Survey, only 60 percent of students feel that adults at their school intervene with bullying and harassment at school. “I know that [lots] of students across the country do not have the same experience as me, [the difference] being how safe I feel at school,” Phillips said. “I appreciate that the school has things like lockdown and fire drills that help ensure that students know what to do in the possibility of danger.” Shaw and the counseling office are resources always available for students who may be struggling with their safety or anxiety about safety. Shaw wants students to feel comfortable with reaching out if they need help. “My best advice would be to know that you’re not alone, to not be silent about it and to know that there are people that you can speak to and get support and the resources that you need,” Shaw said. “The counseling office is one of those spaces, it’s a safe place to come and talk about if you’re feeling unsafe for any reason. My main advice is to know it’s okay to reach out and ask for help and support.”
Feb. 28, 2022
THE PIPER
Why getting names right matters Students and teachers share their frustrations and struggles at having their names mispronounced and acknowledge that the community must have more open conservations about correcting names. STORY MAGGIE CHIAPPETTA-UBERTI
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s Quilatzli Partida ‘24 sits in class on the first day of school, anxiousness builds in the pit of her stomach. She scans the room, knowing that her fellow classmates will inevitably butcher her name, as will her teacher. She sighs, wishing that she had a “normal” name. For many, like Partida, in the Campbell Hall community, and after years of repeatedly correcting others, telling people how to properly pronounce their names can feel like a hassle. But names are crucial to identity, especially when the names carry meaning - repeated mispronunciation can compromise that sense of identity. So, though it can be exhausting, many feel it increasingly important to take ownership of their names. “I just want to live a regular-name life,” Partida said. “A lot of people get turned off with the pronunciation of my name, so at school, I really dread saying it. It just gets upsetting sometimes feeling like I’m ‘that’ person who has the uncommon, difficult name that is sort of a mouthful. So sometimes it does get me down.” Partida’s name is of Aztec origin from the Nahuatl language. Her name was inspired when her mom saw a mural in the missions of the deity Quilatzli. According to Partida, the name itself means “Where the green things grow and keeper of the Temescal,” so she feels her name holds a lot of meaning. Although Partida has dealt with the difficult challenges of people mispronouncing her name on a daily basis, she still feels that her name is a big part of her identity. “I am an Aztec dancer, so I practice those Aztec traditions, and my name is Aztec so it really plays into a whole part of myself,” Partida said. “I have cousins that also have the same name types as I do, so it is easier to connect with them where the name isn’t such a hassle with my family which is nice.”
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Fauvé Balugo-Ramirez ‘22 got her name after her mom read a book called “Mistral’s Daughter” about a French painter during the French Renaissance who was also an activist. In the book, he has a daughter named Fauvé. Not only was her mom touched by this book, but additionally, from the meaning of the French word: wild and uninhibited. Balugo-Ramirez feels that her name provided her a foundation of confidence to stand up for herself. “When I was young, I would confidently and proudly correct my classmates if they mispronounced my name,” Balugo-Ramirez said. “I feel like it helped me when I was growing up because it allowed me to gain this sense of self-advocacy, standing up for myself at a young age. It was nice to just have the confidence to be like, ‘Oh, it’s actually Fauvé,’ and just going along with my day and not taking it personally.” Dr. Valeria Jiménez, CHAI US History teacher, was named after actress Valerie Bertinelli, whom her dad wished to name her after. However, growing up in a bilingual household, her mother wanted her to have a name of Spanish origin, and thus, Jiménez grew up being called Valerie and Valeria. In college, however, as she was meeting new people, she decided to reclaim Valeria. “I reverted back to Valeria in college because that was my preference,” Jiménez said. “And so it stuck. Most people from college or grad school will call me Valeria and for me it became really important because there were so few people with Spanish names in those schools and programs that I was in that it was a way of sort of claiming space.”
Cha Cha Matcha Cha Cha Matcha is a cafe that specializes in matcha and soft serve ice cream. After you order you have the ability to lounge on the many couches and green scenery outside the cafe.The colorful drinks sold there are unique and have amazing tastes. There are two locations in Los Angeles: one in Santa Monica and another in West Hollywood, both no more than thirty minutes away from Campbell Hall. A must-try is the Purple Drink, smooth matcha and infused lavender, mixed with a milk of your choice that results in a delicious drink. In addition,
FAUVÉ BALUGO-RAMIREZ "I think there should be a responsibility on the speaker to respect the importance of a name, but I also think that we need to have more discussions about the beauty of non-traditional names.”
TWENTY-TWO Balugo-Ramirez argues that there should be more responsibility on the speaker to learn to say someone’s name correctly. She also feels that a step forward is normalizing the ability to speak freely about having non-traditional names and celebrating them. “With somebody’s name, that is their confidence and tells them who they are and when people don’t have that regard for them, that can really hurt a person,” Balugo-Ramirez said. “I think there should be a responsibility on the speaker to respect the importance of a name, but I also think that we need to have more discussions about the beauty of non-traditional names. Oftentimes, people don’t even pronounce their non-traditional names correctly themselves in fear of being ridiculed and because they are insecure about it, especially with longer names. So I think we need to learn the importance, as a community, of calling someone by their full name, not just bailing out with a nickname.”
Oversized fashion
matcha has been a vital part of what people in Japan drink. It is full of antioxidants that give consumers clean energy that will keep people alert and awake throughout the day.
The Grove
PHOTO PERMISSION THE GROVE
The Grove is a Los Angeles icon. Established in 1934, the Grove consists of a multitude of dining options in the historic Farmers Market, is home to 51 shops, entertainment and more. From the Pampas Grill Churrascaria to Maggiano’s Little Italy, and Nike to Nordstrom, the Grove has all the amenities one could ask for. The 575,000 square-foot complex is nestled between La Brea and Melrose and makes the perfect afternoon activity.
With live events frequently performing, one can hear the soothing sounds of the fountain while sunbathing on the grass; it’s easy to lose track of time, get lost in the maze of restaurants at the Farmers Market and spend your entire day there, riding in the trolley and looking at the ingenious architecture! Whether you are buying, simply window shopping, grabbing a bite to eat, or taking a relaxing evening stroll, the Grove is sure to not disappoint.
Billie Eilish rose to fame in 2015 with breakout song “Ocean Eyes.” Then Eilish became the youngest person to win a Grammy in 2020. With Eilish’s fame, her baggy clothes have inspired teens across the world. Baggy Clothes on the surface may seem lazy and low effort, almost pajama like, however they have the perfect amount of cool street wear mixed with comfort. If you’re stressed on a free dress day, fear no more. All it takes is to throw on your favorite pair of light wash and a graphic tee one size too big, and your name is on the list for “fit of the day.” If you want more comfy, swap out the jeans for sweatpants and throw a hoodie on. These lazy day outfits are just as popular with Kanye West often rocking a monochrome pair of sweatpants and a hoodie. The takeaway is that the comfiest is often the coolest. Find graphics that you find cool, pants you find comfortable, and be sure to never be afraid to wear some shorts when it's smoky.
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Young love: What does it teach us? WRITER SOPHIA GOLDBERG
man said. “When our relationship continued on and started becoming ccording to more serious, we Kate Fogarty’s had conversations Education. about things that com article, "Teens high schoolers and Dating," less don't have to have than two percent of conversations all marriages are to a about, like future high school sweetheart. things and comParker Messana ‘22 munication and has been in many rematurity. I think lationships throughout the most importhigh school and has ant thing is that realized that relationbefore my current ships only work when relationship, I had one is emotionally [other relationavailable to be in a ships that] taught one. Additionally, he me a lot about argues that when one what it means to is not emotionally availbe in a relationWRITER OLIVIA FOXMAN able it can be harmful Healthy Relationships: Olivia Foxman '22 and Bo Davis '22 have been dating for 11 months. ship and the reand not worthwhile. Foxman touches on the maturity required for having a serious relationship, and how past sponsibility that When in a relation- relationshps have taught her valuable life lessons. comes with it. It's ship, Messana believes made me a great practice in viewing the world learning experience,” Kelley that, especially in high communicator.” school, both people have to from a different perspective said. “If you have a serious relaFoxman also sees that even be mature and have to want a and empathizing with others. tionship you can sometimes lose when relationships do end, genuine connection to be suc- While this is true in friendships out on a lot of high school expe- people still have so much to cessful and happy for everyone. as well, there is an element of rience because you spend all of learn from the breakups. She “People in high school are uncertainty and insecurity in your time with your partner and feels that relationships renot mature enough to be in a a romantic relationship that is then if your friends don't have volve around communication relationship yet because they largely absent in a friendship. partners, it might not be the and being mature which in Kevin Kelley, high school most fun thing to be the third high school is difficult, howrely too much on social media interactions and society's stan- mathematics and economics wheel or the fourth wheelers?” ever, someone can still learn Olivia Foxman ‘22 similarly so much that will benefit dard of love in order to live up teacher, agrees that high school to those standards,” Messana relationships are beneficial if believes that being in a relation- you in future relationships. said. “There's a whole idea of both parties are ready, but can ship teaches the skills needed “My first breakup was diffilove and relationships which also be time-consuming and in the future, regardless of if it cult because I really liked havis seen as being fake and not lead to missing out on the high ends in a break up. She knows ing a person to be there but genuine with another person school experience. He sees that that they teach people ear- codependency is one of the and they're not focusing on the kids in high school are just not ly on about how they can be worst things you can do espebonds that they're making with mature enough to be in a seri- better to others. Foxman has cially in high school,” Foxman other people. They're really fo- ous lifelong relationship yet. learned from her prior rela- said. “You should be spend“Everything you do as a teen- tionships so she has been set up ing time with your girlfriends, cusing on being like the movies on Snapchat and Instagram.” ager is practice for your future for success in her current ones. learning about yourself and “I started dating my current learning about things you like In a February 2018 arti- life, and it's important to praccle from Bold.expert Eveline tice relationships because they boyfriend at the end of junior to do. Breakups are so hard but Von Arx stated that adoles- are hard and you have to learn year so we already knew go- sometimes even though they're cents learn to relate their own how to navigate them, so if you ing into our relationship that hard you have to do them for needs and desires to those of can do it in a healthy way it's there wasn't going to be a lot the right reason to benefit a romantic partner. They gain amazing and it's a really great of time before college,” Fox- both you and your partner.”
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What has being in a highschool relationship taught you?
BARON BELLAMY "It has taught me how to care for another individual in a way that I have not before."
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ANTHONY TORYBAN "I have learned how to be the most mature version of myself, which has helped me thrive in all aspects of my life."
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ELLA GAZZALE "Being in a relationship for seven months has taught me how to be more responsible, make good decisions, and it has created a great balance in my life"
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Remembering Mrs. Rose A librarian's legacy
PHOTO PERMISSION TONY ROSE STORY MAGGIE CHIAPPETTA-UBERTI
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or almost 30 years, Chris Rose, known to her students as Mrs. Rose, worked in the Ahmanson Library. She greeted every person with a smile and watched kindergartners grow into young adults ready to embark on their own journeys past Campbell Hall. With her recent passing after battling cancer, friends, family and everyone she encountered recall her quiet, yet lively and kind spirit. Jennifer Lutzky worked alongside Rose for 16 years in the library. She admired Mrs. Rose’s goal to make the library a safe, welcoming place for students and faculty. Additionally, she believes that Rose worked hard to foster meaningful relationships with students and faculty. “If she could do any tiny thing to make it more
enjoyable for the students, she would do it,” Lutzky said. “Once she figured out that the kids liked to tell her jokes, she made sure to have a new joke ready every time that class came in to tell them a new joke. She would really maintain a rapport and a friendship with kids who had gone to school in kindergarten through 12th grade and she was so proud of them. They would tell her when they got into college and she really developed these long-term friendships with kids. With teachers and faculty, she remembered little things about their lives that mattered, asking them how their kids were or how their move to their new house went. She always remembered the details about their lives.” Mrs. Rose and her husband, Tony Rose, were high school sweethearts. When first meeting her, Tony feels that he knew right away there was an instant connection. This rare, beautiful connection lasted for the entirety of their marriage. “I first saw her as she was coming into the gymnasium at Grant High School to register for classes,” Tony said. “I was with one of my close friends and she walked in and I nudged him in the side and said, ‘I’m gonna marry that girl.’ I had almost a chemical reaction to Chris. I was addicted to her. That lasted for 55 years and I’m still addicted to her now, she just isn’t around anymore.” Katherine Rose ‘10 believes that, as a mother, friend, and human being, Mrs. Rose’s love language were acts of service. She noticed the ways in which her mother was there for her through everything, but also for the kids and teachers that walked into the library. “She was at every game, every event,” Katherine said. “She worked all day with kids, which I think all parents know is exhausting, and then she came home to cook dinner, help us with our
homework, and get us to bed. Our friends’ wins and losses became her wins and losses. If a friend of ours needed a place to stay, my mom opened her doors, without question, and she did it over and over. My mom had a way of brightening the tough moments for people, without even knowing she was doing it. At her core, when all else was stripped away, she was someone who wanted to give and share love and brightness.” Tony agrees with Katherine in the sense that he feels Mrs. Rose never fully knew or understood the love and kindness that she shared with the world. He felt that it was simply a part of who she was. “It is quite possible that she had no idea about the impact she had on the library program and school community,” Tony Rose said. “She didn’t do it for impact. It was just natural to her.” In sifting through floods of kind emails and notes sent to her following her mother’s passing, Katherine was particularly touched by a message sent by a former Campbell Hall alum that she feels embodies her mother’s spirit. “[The message I received] was so touching and I want to share it with you because I think it shows how much she truly cared for each of the students,” Katherine said. “[The alum said] ‘I remember there was this one boy a couple years older than me who was a library loner and I saw her bring him balloons and a cupcake on his birthday once. He literally cried. She noticed everybody, especially kids who didn’t want to be noticed, and she was so encouraging. She would let me check out extra books past the library’s limit, and she was always recommending different things. She had the best sense of humor too. Really, at a time when I was at my absolute lowest, she was a consistent, supportive, and generous presence.
JENNIFER LUTZKY "At her core, when all else was stripped away, [Mrs. Rose] was someone who wanted to give and share love and brightness.”
LIBRARIAN
Whenever I think back on people who helped me survive high school, she’s always at the top of my list. She had a sincerely positive impact on so, so many of us, and I hope you know how grateful we were." Katherine recently learned that, during the pandemic, Mrs. Rose took the time to make sure the library was still accessible. She feels that acts like these illuminate the kindness woven into the very essence of Mrs. Rose’s personality. “One of the parents at Campbell Hall told me that during the COVID lockdowns when kids had to transition to remote learning, my mom selected and hand-delivered books to students’ homes,” Katherine said. “She found books that were specific to these kids’ interests, and then she drove around leaving books on their porches.” Tony hopes to shed light on the way in which Mrs. Rose viewed the world. He believes that her optimistic outlook is a lesson for everyone. “Her sense of optimism was that glimmer of light in people’s lives that they needed to get through to whatever was next,” Tony said. “Chris attracted people because of her underlying aspirational value that was this idea of impact. I hope all of the students at Campbell Hall are aware of what their aspirational values are and to know that everyone who lives their life giving their community the best they have has lived a very fruitful life.”
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Feb. 28, 2022
THE PIPER
While difficult, discussing current events can both inform and lead to moments of connection
C o m p l e x conversations
Difficult Discussions: As students are consumed by the severity of the various current events happening in the world, teachers try to maneuver having these hard conversations without overwhelming students.
STORY GEORGIA BROWN
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arlos Castellanos, high school English teacher, remembers back to online learning when the insurrection on Jan. 6 took place and how he and his students didn’t quite know how they were supposed to show up to class with remote learning already being such a challenge. He gave students different options of taking time for themselves to process, talking about it in small groups or talking about it with him in the main Zoom room. Castellanos has worked to discuss current events in a way that respects students’ feelings and doesn’t leave them with a hopeless view of the world. “Students responded really well to the different options offered [to process the information on the day of the insurrection], and they really appreciated it,” Castellanos said. “And I was surprised to see more students that wanted to stay in the room with me and chat it
out. By giving them the option and acknowledging where they might be just invites them to be more vulnerable with me.” Poppy Silverman ‘24 finds current events having a large impact on her moods for the coming day and even week. Although when certain events take place in the community that may disrupt the moods of students, Silverman tries to find the light through these events. “There is definitely a sense of sadness and somberness at times, though I think it can be nice to know that everybody is thinking about the same thing,” Silverman said. “Although there is a darker mood, which is not a bad thing, but it’s still nice you’re going through it together.” Mercy Richter ‘24 believes it is crucial to introduce current event topics in the classroom as much as possible. Richter also sees the toll certain events take on her and her fellow classmates. Despite the difficulty of discussing such matters,
she believes that conversations need to take place in order to fully understand certain issues. Especially when dealing with darker topics, Richter notes that it is important to talk and learn about these events rather than sit and bottle up one's emotions. “I used to be horrible at handling my emotions toward worldscale events and I’d go into days of depression about them,” Richter said. “It’s easy as a high schooler to displace your emotions about issues so big and it’s sometimes hard to find other young people to talk about them with. We need to learn how to talk about things without them being fluffed beforehand. I think that one of the ways to help those feelings of hopelessness is to actually discuss the issues and confront that sense of hope lost. That’s really the thing that helped me ground myself in how I feel about the world. Just talking about it.” Joseph Courtney, high school chaplain, tries to implement
current events in chapel to make students aware of them. Courtney also notes that when darker events occur in the community, he carefully incorporates them into the prayers, making sure to take into consideration students emotions and making them aware. “I try to factor in both introducing certain topics and how students will react to them, while making them aware,” Courtney said. “It's a hard balance, but what I would want is students to come to chapel and see it as a brave space.” Silverman also notes that many students may feel uneasy in the moment when discussing difficult topics but through reassurance and time, discussions will improve. “Trying to approach difficult topics at a time where the community has cooled off and discussing them in a respectful, thoughtful manner,” Silverman said. “Also repeating the fact that while it seems scary in the moment everything will end up okay.” Richter argues that even though talking about certain current events can be difficult to talk about, the most important thing is that those conversations are encouraged and had, rather than suppressed. Richter also feels that introducing difficult topics is where things get difficult, though discussing the future and how to help the conversations get better. “I think that it’s just an uncomfortable conversation, whatever is done,” Richter said. “It won’t not be. I think we just need to start talking. Nothing can be helped without just talking about these things. The only way to make people feel hope for these topics is if everyone knows they are going on. Also just having conversation about [current events] with peers will alleviate some of that hopelessness and anxiety.”
Being a religious school
CREATIVE O L "Song of Diversity" U M N STORY EMMA GOSS
This world begs for it. She knows it in her strange, blue heart, From the way trees dance effortlessly When people from every sea Stand beneath them. Or from the way Dragonflies hum When they are surrounded With languages.
It is these differences that Make the most courageous song. A worldwide lullaby Of origin, race, Jokes passed down from mother to daughter To daughter’s daughter. Different ways to pronounce Tree, Bloom, Wing.
The innate righteousness of Cultures brushing shoulders. Of babies holding mixed stories in their bodies. This whimsical evolution made by The way one person can love another, Despite the three seas that separated their births.
Reminding us: The commonality of being alive, Together, Now.
With students and faculty practicing a multitude of different religions, including those who abstain from practicing, the school aims to create a community that incorporates religion as a whole STORY LINCOLN WEINSTOCK
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ampbell Hall, upon its initial founding, was established as an Episcopal school. Today, while still maintaining that Episcopal identity, the school strives to create an environment accepting of students from any religious background or lack thereof. Chapel is a key part of that environment, blurring the line between religion and spirituality to make its lessons applicable to any aspect of a community member’s life. While that ambiguity does help tie the community together, it has left the school in a vague state between secularity and devotion. Head of School Julian Bull does not consider Campbell Hall a strictly religious school. He distinguishes between religion and spirituality, believing that chapel is a gathering place of spirituality more than religion. He hopes that students can find meaning and purpose through religion without feeling pressure to conform to a specific set of beliefs. “We are religiously diverse, including people with no religious affiliation,” Bull said. “Religion is not common ground, but our hope is for something more ecumenical, or something broader. Spirituality is about love, ethics and trying to make the world a better place. That’s our common ground, and that’s what we strive for in chapel. We love when students present in chapel because they can give their own version of that spiritual vision from whatever
background they come from.” Despite being Christian, Jamieson Park ‘23 has found it difficult to get in touch with his religious identity while on campus. While the school’s diversity is something that appeals to him, its equivocal spiritual teachings don’t quite create an environment where he feels entirely comfortable practicing his faith. “I’m a Christian, but I don’t really feel that religious when I come to school,” Park said. “Even though some aspects of school try to promote religion, I don’t really connect with that part of my life when I’m here. It just doesn’t feel right.” Bull is a firm believer in the importance of chapel, and has faith in its ability to unite the school community. He believes that while Campbell Hall’s unique approach to religious and spiritual teachings may take some time to get used to for someone new, the school is a much more comfortable environment because of it. “For people that are new, it can take a bit of time to find your balance,” Bull said. “And that goes for a new teacher, a new chaplain, or a new student. But I find it’s not hard to issue an open invitation [to religion] that doesn’t have any sort of expectation. All you have to do is show up in chapel. That’s a pretty low bar. But some great things happen in chapel, from people talking about their projects, to their heroes; it’s pretty inspiring stuff.” Charlotte Papa ‘23 first started speaking in
JULIAN BULL "Spirituality is about love, ethics and trying to make the world a better place."
This song is necessary. Urgent. Must be sung Until children can read to one another, About different cultures, And realize their stories are gorgeous either way.
HEAD OF SCHOOL chapel in seventh grade because one of her sister’s friends told her it would be a good way for people to get to know her. Now, as a junior, she loves speaking in chapel as it gives her a unique opportunity to speak about what’s important to her through religion. “A lot of the scriptures and poems have a much deeper and more universal meaning,” Papa said. “It’s like how if someone who isn’t religious goes to church, they can still find meaning in it by separating the religious aspect from the spirituality and lessons that it teaches.” Bull applies this belief, that something can represent much more than its surface level value, to chapel as a whole. He sees chapel as a metaphor for common humanity, which makes it crucial to the Campbell Hall community identity. “We’re all in this together.” Bull said. “And even just the discipline of sitting quietly in the gym for 30, 40 minutes and considering something together with an attitude of respect is really important. I think its influence is very strong, if subtle.”
This is the song of diversity. With a chorus that sings our differences. A melody that sounds like What we believe in. And instrumentals that are Who we become.
And until justice blooms, And we are all together singing, This song never stops Until it is heard.
9
THE PIPER
Feb. 28, 2022
Isolation With Covid
Many students have struggled after testing positive for COVID-19 and dealing with the loneliness it causes
STORY SAMANTHA SHER, IZZIE DIALLO
J
oely Granatt ‘23 spent her sophomore year doing school online, feeling a sense of isolation from her community. She missed the feeling of togetherness that she would experience while being with her peers at Campbell Hall and did not want to be isolated. Now, after quarantining and receiving a negative test, Granatt has been able to return to the social scene and be with friends and family again. Granatt had to be isolated from family over the holiday season for nine days with COVID-19 to protect them from getting sick. While she knew what she was doing was necessary, that did not make isolating herself any less difficult. “It was pretty lonely and I didn’t have much to do,” Granatt said. “It was sad to face my family and see them all together while I was upstairs alone in my bed, especially since it was during the holidays.” Lily Goldberg ‘26 also had to isolate herself from her family, but it was to protect herself from getting COVID. After a vacation, all of her immediate family tested positive for COVID-19, and being the only one that tested negative, she had to be isolated for two weeks. Goldberg found that isolating from family was a very hard thing to do, but she also saw positives from that moment. “I think it could definitely make teenagers more depressed in a way because you're not with your family, and your family is together and you’re just alone,” Goldberg said. “I definitely got sad when they watched a show together and I wasn't there, but I learned a couple of new songs on the guitar so I did things for myself so it was fine.” Campbell Hall Director of Counseling Andrew Shaw has seen a surge of anxiety cases in teens related to COVID-19, especially during Zoom school. He feels that although there may have been positive hope for COVID-19 to slow down in the fall, the recent wave of Omicron has been unsettling and people are afraid to isolate themselves from their classmates and school community.
ART NOA SCHWARTZ
Left out: A family watches their favorite show together, while the daughter who tested positive is isolated to protect her family.
“The unknown understandably creates a bunch of anxiety and stress and there's so much uncertainty right now,” Shaw said. “It is valid to feel this way and it's something we are all feeling on some level. No one wants to go into isolation again. There's been quite a bit of research and studies about the impact of COVID on mental health. For example, one study from Kaiser Family Foundation discusses 60 percent of teens experiencing more anxiety and depression during the pandemic. This is a significant impact.” While quarantining is necessary for public health and safety, Grannatt believes that it can be especially difficult for teenagers that rely on friends and family as a support system for their mental health. “Isolating can have bad effects on teenagers be-
Teacher trivia A little more about Jeremey Grossman Jeremy Grossman teaches 9th and 12th grade English
If someone narrated your life, who would you choose? Kristine Bell, because she narrated Veronica Mars, a show I loved in high school. She narrated that and the Good Place, so there is a lot of versatility in her ability to narrate stuff. Not that she speaks to my life, but I think she’s a good narrator. What is the most expensive thing you've broken? I once broke a TV. I lived in an apartment that was very small and I was coming into the house with bags from the trip and basically knocked the TV over and then had to go out and buy a new one because I felt bad for my roommate. But it was also really difficult to get rid of the TV, I had to find a very specific dump that would take electronics. It was a whole ordeal. What is your favorite sushi roll? Usually, for me it's tempura, and then it’ll often have negi on the top, and some avocado on the top, double avocado, some sort of eel sauce that’s not too sweet. But not a spicy mayo although I would do a mild spicy mayo. Are you a morning or night person? Definitely a morning person. I get to school at 7 in the morning because seven to nine is my sweet spot. I am the most productive, my brain is working at the best.
cause you don’t have the opportunity to go out and experience life,” Grannatt said. “For me, isolating was not fun, but I kept telling myself it was only temporary and everything would be back to some sort of normalcy soon.” Similarly, Shaw believes that isolation has a major impact on teens and their mental health. During the stay-at-home order, he noticed that due to lack of extracurriculars and in-person school, depression and anxiety increased. “Mental health experts have already spoken about how mental health issues in teens is sort of the next public health crisis and the impact of isolation has been a big part in that,” Shaw said. “It's also a major reason why schools have made every effort during this recent surge to stay in person for the social and emotional benefits.”
Shaw understands the importance of taking care of oneself physically and mentally when they have to isolate. He identifies that being without loved ones physically is extremely difficult, but nowadays people can stay connected virtually. “I think the important thing to remember is that even if you have to quarantine or physically distance yourself, it doesn't mean you have to be disconnected. I think we have seen throughout the last few years all the ways you can stay connected digitally. Making sure that you make phone calls to your friends and your family and keep in contact with them can help. It's helpful to remember that quarantining is short and time-limited. It's also important to focus on things that you have control over during that time, such as taking good care of yourself physically.”
Chasing clouds Aidan Rosenblum '22 strives to achieve his lifelong dream of being a pilot, bringing this love to the whole community STORY OREN WEISSMAN
A
i d a n Rosenblum ‘22 stares into the clear sky on a bright, sunny day in Los Angeles. However, the sky wasn’t empty Take off: Aidan that day. A large, Rosenblum's almost rectanguC172 S prepares lar shaped object for takeoff at Van soared through Nuys Airport on a sunny the air almost as Sunday if defying graviPHOTO PERMISSION AIDAN ROSENBLUM morning. ty on the way to its destination. Rosenblum's passion for planes has lingered ever since that dreams.” day when he was eight years old. Last year, Rosenblum founded the Aviation Club to share Rosenblum loves to fly planes, a love which began in his his love and knowledge for flying with the school community. childhood. He believes that it simply felt natural the first The club has slowly grown into something more than just talk time he stepped on a plane. His confidence within the aircraft of planes, but extended to fundraisers. Recently, he organized shined through and still carries him until this day. a bake sale with aviation-themed baked goods. “My number one joy when I was younger was to watch “This week, we held a fundraiser for a non-profit called Pet planes soar through the sky, and I wanted to be the one con- Rescue Pilots which flies animals from shelters here in Los Antrolling that someday,” Rosenblum said. “It fascinated me geles to rescues and forever homes in the Pacific Northwest,” how something could literally take off from the ground and Rosenblum said. “As sheltering of animals is up 70 percent fly through the air at such high speeds. So once I started flying from this time last year, we felt that supporting pets was cruI really couldn't believe it. I got up there and the world just cial.” had such a different feel. I got to see the world with a different In the future, Rosenblum hopes to start his own airline. He angle that I had never seen before. You can’t even describe how feels that this would allow him to continue his love for aviabeautiful it is 10,000 feet in the air versus the ground. It is tion beyond just his club. reflective and memorable. You will never forget it.” “The airline would be a small, more of a member-ship inRosenblum also expresses interest in going to flight school. clusive type of deal,” Rosenblum said. “I want to create someHe has applied to multiple schools and has been accepted to thing that [currently] doesn’t really exist. Flying used to be so one so far. fun and enjoyable in the 50’s and 60’s. Flying was vibrant, a “I have applied to some schools and have gotten into some nuance and something that would be considered an experiprograms that feature airline management and operations,” ence. Nowadays it’s very stressful, there is so much rushing Rosenblum said. “That’s something I have wanted to do since and no one stops to enjoy the moment while flying anymore. I was 11 years old, and now I am trying to pursue that long- My goal is to make flying stress-free, you get picked up and term dream. I really believe that you should do a job that you dropped off, you don’t need to worry. You would be in the best love. It will bring you happiness in life. So I am chasing my hands, in the best plane with no stress involved.”
THE P
10
HONORING BL
PHOTO PERMISSION HILLARY REHDER Gospel Celebrations: Landon Richardson ‘20, Jonny Garnett ‘19, Chris Garnett ‘19, Connor Woods ‘20 and Chaz Cotton ‘19 dance in the 2018-2019 Gospel Choir performance.
The importance of
Celebrating heritage STORY TAYLOR HUIE, NOA SWARTZ
A
dmissions Associate Patrice Chanel stands before the high school student body, preparing to begin her annual Black History Month Chapel presentation. She shares a part of African American history, emphasizing that it is synonymous with American history as a whole, and carefully watches the faces of the crowd. She slowly begins to see that many had never heard this information; she realizes that Black heritage education is not up to par. Karryne Wilson ‘22, a member of the Black Student Union for Girls (BSUG), recognizes that Black History Month too often overlooks the success and incredible strides the Black community has made. Although she acknowledges the importance of recognizing the hardships of her community, she also believes that it should never come at the cost of what a heritage month’s main objective should be: lifting the voices of the voiceless. “The goal [of a heritage month] should definitely be to highlight voices that are usually not highlighted and to get people intrigued in my culture, to do everything possible to get people to learn as much as they can,” Wilson said. “A lot of Black History Month is focused on the struggle, and even though that is important, I think it’s also important to celebrate our achievements and what we’ve accomplished in the past and what we can accomplish in the future. Black History Month should be about celebrating what we’ve done.” Like Wilson, third grade teacher Tamara Dillon sees Black History Month as a chance to raise awareness of the vibrancy of the Black community. She finds it particularly important for her young students to see the achievements of African Americans throughout history, giving them a glimpse into what they are capable of.
VIKING VOICES
“The purpose of any heritage month, including Black History Month, is to honor those people who came before us who made strides for American citizens and to give them a space to be recognized for their contributions,” Dillon said. “[Heritage months] are also there to teach our students who those people are so that they can also aspire to do great things in their lives, especially those children who share the same heritage of the people we’re celebrating.” For Chanel, who organizes the annual Black History Month chapel presentation, struggle must be acknowledged as without it, the successes would not exist. She argues that struggle is unavoidable when exploring Black history. She believes that without acknowledging struggle, Black heritage cannot truly be celebrated. “If they didn’t have the moments of strife, they couldn’t have had the moments of triumph - because of the strife, the triumph exists,” Chanel said. “[There’s this] expression: ‘if you don’t know your history you’re bound to repeat it.’ That for me is the importance of any heritage month assembly. The current history books are woefully lacking. There’s so much in history that still hasn’t been tapped. So many stories left untold. [I hope] to shed light on a part of our history that’s been kept in the dark.” Part of Dillon’s celebration of the Black History Month comes in the form of the Gospel Choir. Singing traditional hymns taken largely from the church, music that embodies celebrations of hope and faith. She sees this connection as crucial to her personal celebration of the journey African Americans have made, marking it as part of her identity. “I don’t equate Gospel Choir so much to struggle because for me, it’s a part of my religion, it’s a part of my culture, it’s a part of what makes me who I am,” Dillon said. “Although some of the songs are entrenched in struggle, they were made to help you get through the
How do you honor Black
history?
TAMARA DILLON “Education and sharing of history, personal family histories, personal ethnic histories, [is] the bridge to understanding, if we don’t keep putting the bricks on that bridge, they will fall down and then all of that history will be lost.”
TEACHER struggle. When I think of Gospel Choir, I think of it as a celebration of heritage, a celebration of being able to gather so many people of so many backgrounds together to celebrate Gospel Choir, not as a way to commemorate any type of struggle. There’s a connection [between Gospel Choir and Black History Month] because Black history and gospel music go together. Our celebrations include gospel music, so when you’re celebrating Black history, you’re celebrating how far we’ve come. Those songs speak to all of that history.” Similarly, Chanel’s focus for this year’s chapel is on the untold stories of the past. She recognizes that when an issue has no overt personal connection to someone’s life, it can be difficult to see the relevance. She hopes that by educating through the sharing of stories, she can help foster empathy in the community. “Education and sharing of history, personal family histories, personal ethnic histories, [is] the bridge to understanding,” Chanel said. “If we don’t keep putting the bricks on that bridge, they will fall down and then all of that history will be lost. It’s important to keep reminding everyone, all of us, of who came before us, [of ] what they did to allow us to be here. [We have to] honor those people who shed the blood, who marched, who made a difference and who put their lives on the line.”
SY M P H O N Y S M I T H “I celebrate Black history every day through the media I consume, because a lot of popular culture is either started or perpetuated by Black individuals. When I consume it every day, I feel myself celebrating the culture and the people that I am proud to call my own.”
T W E N T Y-T W O SA D I E S C H WA R TZ “I pay attention in chapel to learn aspects of Black history that I don’t learn about in the classroom. It’s always good to learn about all cultures and races so you understand people’s backgrounds and where they come from. You need to understand how history influences someone’s perspectives.”
T W E N T Y- F O U R
JADEN WILLIAMS “When I celebrate, I’ll go to heritage parties and at school I’ll attend 42 where we discuss Black history. Us Black people don’t get a lot of love, so having a month dedicated to celebrating us is really nice.”
T W E N T Y-T W O
11
PIPER
LACK HISTORY Spotlight on Black alumni Teaching the power of c h o i c e Jeremy Clark ‘05, strives to inform people about the impact of their choice
PHOTO PERMISSION JEREMY CLARK STORY JESSICA BAZEL PHOTO PERMISSION HELENA SELKIRK
Changing the track Helena Selkirk details the challenges with discrimination of her past and how they have shaped her current career and how she never saw her race as something that makes her “other” in running STORY MAGGIE CHIAPPETA-UBERTI
H
elena Selkirk, head coach of track and field and cross country, is the only female — not to mention only Black female — head coach amongst the other track and field and cross country coaches in the league. Embracing her identity comes both with challenges and a sense of empowerment for Selkirk. Selkirk grew up in an all-white neighborhood in Ohio and attended an all-white school, which she feels has helped shape her identity and ability to overcome obstacles in her life. She also feels that growing up as the only Black student at her high school has defined her experience and perspective as the only Black female coach in the league. She recalls that her mom taught her to never hold grudges against people despite instances of mistreatment towards her, to view everyone as people and not see gender or color. “There were [certain] discriminative experiences [I went through as a child], like when it was raining outside, I would have to stand outside in the rain while my white classmates faced different treatment,” Selkirk said. “I teach students of all races, ethnicities, wealth, and because of my background and the hardships I’ve faced, I think it’s given me another layer of empathy with my athletes and even my fellow colleagues. It’s about being human. Beneath us all is a person, and that’s what I practice with all of my athletes and amongst the other coaches we compete against.” Halfway through her high school career, Selkirk enrolled in a primarily Black high school. Though she was nervous to enter a new environment, Selkirk credits the change with giving her the opportunity to start her running career. She found that, in a way, being unafraid to face hardships as she did at her new school enabled her to be where she is today. “When my new high school was all-Black, [it] was a culture shock,” Selkirk said. “I was teased and chased and beat up because I was ‘white talk’ but my skin was Black. But what separated me was being a superior athlete. I would get chased every day which is probably why I run so fast. Had I been too afraid to transfer from an all-white school to an all-Black school and experience this drastic change, I would have never gotten the platform and support to thrive in track and field. If I looked at life that way, seeing color as an obstacle, I would have stopped my opportunities for a college scholarship and never made it here.” Selkirk attributes her success both in life and in running to the way she views life, never seeing race as a barrier despite facing discrimination. Being a woman of color is a strength and motivation for Selkirk, not a hindrance. “To me, [my experience coaching] is about not seeing myself as ‘other than,’” Selkirk said. “I see myself as just as able, if not more. Being a woman of color motivates me to be a better coach because I am in a different kind of atmosphere when it comes to coaching amongst my colleagues of different gender and race. It makes me want to train even harder for my athletes to succeed because I want to be able to represent the strength of a woman and woman of color amongst a field of men.” Reflecting on her time coaching at Campbell Hall, Selkirk acknowledges the support and love she has received from the community. In turn, she hopes to share this equal love with her athletes. “Campbell Hall always has my back,” Selkirk said. “This school has been such an unbelievable foundation in my life. They accepted me and embraced me. I feel inspired and empowered to be the only Black woman that is a head coach at the school in the track and field and cross country department and amongst the coaches in our league. This school trusts me with all of these little lives in my hands and I just hope to always treat these athletes with respect and love, regardless of racial, economic, or social backgrounds. I want to give back to this school to the best of my ability until the day I can’t give anymore. It’s the joy of my life being here teaching to my athletes.”
J
eremy Clark ‘05 walks up to the podium gazing out over the sea of students. Looking into the crowd, he sees a mixture of anticipation and mild disinterest. He clears his throat and begins with a rousing call for the students to give themselves a round of applause, a small moment of self-appreciation. Trying to gain the students’ attention, he speaks of his own time at Campbell Hall, sharing when he was sitting in the same bleachers, staring at the same podium he was speaking at now. As a motivational speaker and owner of fitness business, Grind Tour, Clark has found himself in a very different place than he expected himself to be when he graduated high school. He stresses that it’s all a result of his choices. After being fired from his job and going through COVID-19 pandemic setbacks, he relied on his ability to follow through with the choices he made, focusing on self-confidence “There’s going to be a number of situations where you’re going to have to choose between what you
want to do and what you have to do,” Clark said. “Sometimes those choices are one and the same, sometimes not. Just know that whatever choice you make, at the end of the day, everything happens for a reason.” After Clark learned the value of perseverance and began to understand the power of intention behind his choices, he started helping others to discover the power of owning their choices. Throughout his career journey, he’s found that his one true passion where he felt the happiest was when he was helping people be their best selves. He’s found that his life as a motivational speaker fulfills this dream, and hopes that his work will support many as they work to achieve onward. “The most impactful part [of my work] is making people realize that they’re actually in control [of their lives],” Clark said. “[I like to see them take] control of their own futures by doing what they’re really passionate about. Using positivity as a weapon to combat times when it gets tough, digging deep inside to look at the end goal, and knowing that there’s a bigger purpose for what I’m doing that allows me to get over obstacles and find the answers and keep going.”
From art class to animation Christine “Cece” Jones ‘15, shares about feeling deserving and belonging in the workplace as a women of color
PHOTO PERMISSION CHRISTINE “CECE” JONES STORY TAYLOR HUIE
A
nimation has always been special to Christine “Cece” Jones ‘15. It helped her process emotions and complex current events and gave her an escape. But it wasn’t until later in high school, after taking figure drawing and art classes at Campbell Hall, that Jones understood that she could pursue a career in animation. After graduating from high school, Jones went on to attend the Pratt Institute of Art and Design and now works as a production assistant at DreamWorks Animation. Working in animation, she’s grateful for the opportunities in the various shows she’s worked on in the past, and especially values the diversity work she’s done at DreamWorks. “I’m proud of the teams that I get to be a part of on the shows [that I work on], and I’m also happy to be a part of Dreamworks Black Employee Network Group and their Equity/Alliance committees,” Jones said. “It’s been really fulfilling to work on activities to help people feel seen, represented and appreciated in this digital space, [even] when none of us are meeting in person.” For Jones, part of the work she’s doing to support representation in the media is simply offering her advice as a person of color. She is appreciative of the fact that executives recognize that she can offer feedback and expertise, that her lived experience is, in and of itself, valuable and should be heard. “A couple of times on one of the shows I was working on, I was pulled aside and asked: ‘We just wanted your feedback on this character, is it feeling racially insensitive? We don’t want to do anything that could be harmful or detrimental to any kind of community,” Jones said. “It was kind of nice, because even though
I’m not a consultant, even though I’m not a specialist, the showrunners acknowledged that I have experience that they don’t.” However, Jones also notes that there is still much work to be done. Despite strides having been made with regards to diversity and equity, Jones believes that there are still many who are resistant. She stresses the importance of shedding light on all of Black history, the contributions, the successes and the struggles. “It’s really important to highlight the work of Black people, because we, as Americans, have a really dark, shady history,” Jones said. “Especially in this current climate, there are some people that get frustrated by those who speak up asking for equality, and those people who are getting frustrated and impatient don’t fully understand the history and all that the African American community has contributed. It’s important to remember our past and our history and current contributions as a counter argument to some people who are really eager to say that there is no racial discrimination, no gender discrimination. We need to acknowledge that the system is rigged against us.” Jones hopes that going forward, people of color especially can learn that they are deserving of just as many opportunities as everyone else. She reminds those in the school community that hard work done in striving for growth and success, even in spite of struggle, should not be discounted on the basis of race. “Specifically for people of color, it’s very easy to get into a company or get a job and feel like the company’s doing you a favor, taking a risk with you,” Jones said. “Don’t fall for that trap. Don’t ever second guess [yourself], thinking ‘I’m just here because they needed a diversity hire’. You’re there because you are skilled and you deserve to be there.”
12
Feb. 28, 2022
THE PIPER
Sexual assault and its aftermath Community members speak about the trauma they experienced and how it affects them
ELENA MALONE
"The inability to come forward about sexual assault we know for sure has strong psychological impacts, and a woman has to [understand] what they sadly have to sacrifice by coming forward.” TEACHER
ART INDIA GRIFFIN
False Perception: Sexual assault victim fears the reactions from society if she speaks out about her experiences
STORY CAROLINE REHDER, MADISON DAMUS, ELLA DUNCANSON
“
I’m in the process of unlearning my self hatred because I completely self-destructed after I was raped,” Maya Thomas* ‘20 said. An estimated 736 million women, almost one in three, have been subjected to sexual violence, according to UN Women article written by on Jul. 12, 2021. Thomas was raped during the summer before her junior year. She immediately felt confused and couldn't process what had happened for a long period of time, because of the emotional trauma it would have forced on her. Thomas felt this way because she did not report it. In the instance where she were to tell anyone, she feared they would not understand the intricacies of her experience and they would question why she did not cut her rapist out of her life. She was scared to hear what people's reactions would be and how they would perceive her.
“I liked him so much, and even though I said no over and over, I couldn’t accept that someone I loved and who I thought cared for me would hurt me,” Thomas said. “I think my loneliness stemmed from feeling like people wouldn’t understand the complexity of my emotions about what had happened. I refused to feel any anger towards him, so I think I turned a lot of the pain inwards instead.” Like Thomas, Jane Hemley* took a long time to fully be able to open up about her trauma. Hemley was molested over a series of months by someone that was close to her family. She felt alone and did not know where to turn in fear of embarrassment and a confusing feeling of guilt. Although her experience happened around 30 years ago, a week does not go by that she doesn't think about it. When opening up to her friends about the experience, she felt relieved and started a new chapter of recovery. “I recently told one of my closest friends [about my experience], which was easier," Hemley said. "It’s a fact — I was molested — and she heard it with compassion. It felt good to finally tell my friend [about what happened] and to recognize that sexual trauma happens often and that as a society we need to be more open to hearing about people’s experiences so that they report and get support,” Hemley said. “I am still trying to get through it and reflect on how this trauma has impacted the relationships I have, my comfort with sexuality and closeness, and my self-worth.” Thomas never reported her experience and wanted to avoid legal action. While he was not a Campbell Hall student, her perpetrator was 18 and she was a minor, therefore her biggest fear was getting him in deep trouble and being a spectacle or subject of public outrage. She fell into a state of looking for affection from people around her in hopes of control and numbness that she wasn’t permanently ruined. “I was much more concerned with what could happen to him, how destroyed my parents would be, and how long and awful the reporting process would be,” Thomas said. “It seemed way easier to just re-write what happened to make it seem like the romantic experience I imagined, or, conversely, to pretend I didn’t care about my first experience at all.” Elena Malone, a high school history teacher, understands how hard it is to open up about sexual abuse because of the critique one
How people can get help and offer support Q: What do you think is the best way to address and spread awareness about sexual violence and would these things have made it easier for you to heal? A: “I always had issues with the way that sexual violence/assault was represented by the media. This mentality was really stressful for my own experience. I felt like any notions of support would be lost to retribution against my rapist. I never wanted him to get in trouble, I just wanted to be told that I wasn’t disgusting and that it wasn’t my fault." — Maya Thomas* Q: How can Campbell Hall, as a community, better facilitate discussions about sexual assault and help students deal with the reality and aftermath of experiencing sexual violence? A: “I’m obviously not a student anymore, so I don’t really know how CH is handling these situations now. I remember feeling really weird about the mob mentality that the students had, if anything. At least in my experience, CH seemed to provide a really safe and respectful environment. It’s really important to remember how much happens behind closed doors and how private these situations are." — Maya Thomas* Q: How long ago was your experience and how has it affected you in your day-to-day life? A: “My experience was about 30 or so years ago, but I can safely say that a week doesn’t go by when I don’t think about it. This might partly be because I only recently began to really examine it with a therapist. She has a great saying — you don’t get over trauma, you get through it. So, in many ways, I am still trying to get through it.” — Jane Hemley* Q: Were you able to come forward about what happened to you? A: “I also recently told one of my closest friends, which was easier. It’s a fact — I was molested — and she heard it with compassion. It felt good to say it and to recognize that sexual trauma happens often and that as a society we need to be more open to hearing about people’s experiences so that they report and get support." — Jane Hemley* Q: Being a survivor, do you feel that sexual violence is being adequately talked about/portrayed in the media, and political atmosphere? A: “It’s definitely not. There is still some kind of taboo about talking about sexual violence, and about sexuality in general. I think the more people who come forward, the more we can progress and actually help victims. Most importantly, victim shaming has got to stop. A person who experiences sexual violence is most likely already going to wonder what they did to incite what happened to them — they don’t need society to affirm those questions." — Jane Hemley*
is exposed to receiving. She acknowledges how heavy it can be to relive the moment and share such a personal story. She observes that for students and society as a whole, people are hesitant to talk about it because of its stigma for being an unpleasant subject, yet it is very relevant in our world. “The inability to come forward about sexual assault we know for sure has strong psychological impacts, and a woman has to [understand] what they sadly have to sacrifice by coming forward,” Malone said. “We also know that in general, a survivor coming out is going to stop the cycle because in these kinds of systems it takes more than just one person. But overall, it does put so much responsibility on the woman to decide what to do.” Malone hopes to teach her students that it is okay to be open about uncomfortable topics and how it is important to have them in order to prepare for real situations in life involving consent and sex. She finds these conversations to be crucial in order to better establish a more authentic and safe environment for all genders and types of relationships. In addition to this, Malone notes how some kids can be stubborn about these topics and wants them to learn how to be okay with speaking out. “Hopefully, the goal is that you are willing to communicate with your partner openly, and then have sex with them, versus the opposite where you end up having sex and then realize you did not feel comfortable or want to [participate],” Malone said. “I think also, there's a sense that when teaching juniors, students believe for some reason that they should know the answer to everything, so nobody wants to ask a question and make it look like they don't know.” Thomas wishes that people would have approached her in her experience with less anger about what happened and instead simply asked how she really felt about it, because often her support was lost to vengeance on her rapist. She never wanted him to get in serious trouble, she just wanted to be reminded that none of it was her fault and it did not affect how people viewed her. Thomas feels that it is important to remember that survivors of violence are people and not just statistics. “Having this deeply personal and physical experience be at the forefront of political and public conversation always felt confusing because it's hard to separate my personal experience from public perception,” Thomas said. “It’s just important to not hold assumptions about how survivors feel about their experience. Always listen first.” Hemley believes that in order to adequately address sexual violence more conversations need to be had about sex and sexuality. She believes that she could have been helped more if she was given access to helpful resources and better sexual education. She has found that adults willing to have conversations about sex can create a safe environment where children have the ability to both question and engage. “Having an adult close to you is key, [when you are a teenager] like I was,” Hemley said. “If there had been someone I was comfortable talking to, I might not have stopped what happened initially, but I could have shortened the length of time I was being molested.”
Turning her back on the world
Lena Rohan '22 looks back on her winter break after a COVID-19 diagnosis caused her to miss out on important events
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Students from all grades come together to put on a performance of "The Nutcracker." "The memories and the people made it worth while," Oliver Goldberg '23 said.
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Ethan McConnell '22 guesses the daily wordle.
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With winter sports ending, students bid farewell to their sports. "It was fun being a leader on the team and getting to know the younger guys," Auggie Mazzara '22 said.
Shaye Gonor '22 and David Eick '22 commentate the competition.
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Students wore an array of themed outfits and engaged in friendly competition, although they hoped to all be together in the gym. "It's an excuse to wear free dress justified by a false sense of spirit," Wyatt Nash '23 said.
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Students gather to cheer their fellow classmates on at a soccer game.
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The Nutcracker and the Rat King perform the battle dance.
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imon from the "Lion King" once said “When the world turns its back on you, you turn your back on the world.” If I could have truly understood this quote as a kid it could’ve saved me from a lot of sadness and frustration that would later occur. I live by the philosophy that if bad things happen, something good eventually will come. If I get rejected by that person I like, I will get an A+ on my tests Watching from a distance: After a positive COVID-19 result, Lena Rohan is forced to watch from her home as her friends experience what she was looking forward to. that week. If I am in a fight stabbed in the heart when my dad talks about the “most with a friend, I will become LENA ROHAN closer with my mom. If life keeps going badly, something incredible trip” of his life. I die every time people talk about "I reflect back on my favorite kid's movie and their breaks and New Year's kisses. I have stopped waitgood is bound to happen. ask one very, very important question: Timon, And this is all true, because if I get rejected, I have more ing for something good to happen. In this terrible period how do I turn my back on the world?" of boredom and a loss of a childhood, I reflect back to my time to study. If I am mad at my friend, I will have time on the weekends to hangout with my mom. My philosophy has favorite kids’ movie and ask one very, very important quesTWENTY-TWO tion: Timon, how do I turn my back on the world? worked. I can’t punch the world, cursing doesn’t do anything, the But my philosophy doesn’t apply to all situations. Recently, I had the worst week at school. I was flat out rejected Earth I am looking for can’t be hurt. I can set the world on get rid of my instinct to stick to what I know, and what feels from my first-choice college, got COVID, had to quaran- fire and that won’t leave a mark on the world of fate I need comfortable. Instead I need to push myself to go outside of tine in a house alone, broke my dad and cousin’s hearts by to talk to. I need to make the creator of my story understand the reality that I have created, and try every adventure that missing the boat trip we had planned a year in advance for that they have led me to my Act II break at the age of 18. I can. winter break, spent New Years alone, attended Zoom school, A year where my parents split, isolation, and a year of hard Because few good things are in my fate the world would experienced friend drama and so much more. Since then, no truths (plot twists if you will), was ended by standing on a like me to follow. Luckily for me, Mr. World, I have one balcony seeing distant fireworks and hearing my neighbors thing you don’t: I have control of myself. So keep throwgood has come; my philosophy has failed me. Throughout that dreadful winter break, I was looking out party. Fate led me to that balcony, because I let it. ing your boulders at me, maybe reject me from every single The only way to turn my back on the world is to not let college and put me on online school till I graduate. But you for anything slightly good to come: no symptoms, a friend to call or FaceTime me, to wake up and everything was a it run its fate on me. Fate won’t lead me to where I know I can’t keep me from screaming underneath the boulder. dream. But I woke up for 10 days in a house by myself with belong: happiness. So maybe what Timon is saying isn’t to Soon enough the world will be writing an angry diary entry my dog giving me a look of pity. The world turned its back destroy the indestructible and instead, it is to make a right at midnight about how some teenage girl named Lena Ameevery time people push me left. Saying yes when I want to lie Rohan has cracked its code and won’t fall into the traps. on me that break, and it has continued to. I get a slap in the face every time I open Instagram to peo- say no, saying no when the answer is yes. In order to truly Revenge Ivy League, antibodies, redemption sail week, wait ple post about their college acceptance. I feel like I have been go against the world, I need to go against myself. I need to up a second, I just turned my back on the world.
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Students battle daily over getting the word in the least amount of tries. "My favorite part is that there are new words that I learn after looking them up," Aidan Michaels '22 said. Senior girls party it up on the dance floor at the Cambell Royale.
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High school students dance, eat, and hang out at the winter formal. "It was fun to celebrate my senior formal on the dance floor and watch my friends run the poker tables," Caitlin Jones '22 said.
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Belittled, broken by the college process
Are the Grammys
R E L E VA N T ? STORY LINCOLN WEINSTOCK
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he Grammys claim to “represent the voices of performers, songwriters, producers, engineers, and all music professionals.” However with each passing year, artists and fans alike seem to have more and more issues with the awards show. Personally, I don’t think the Grammys hold any sort of real value or weight in music. But I do think some of the anger from artists and fans is somewhat misplaced. Artists have been steadily calling out the Grammys more and more often each year. In 2019, Tyler the Creator’s win in the category of “Best Rap Album” was a big controversy as his album Igor contained much more pop and soul than rap. In 2020, The Weeknd made headlines for having a fit of outrage when his album After Hours didn’t receive any nominations (he probably should have been nominated, but his over-the-top response on social media made it seem more like a temper tantrum than a level-headed criticism). And now in 2022, Drake, an artist who has criticized the Grammys before despite winning the award several times, has withdrawn all nominations without comment. Yes, a Grammy is the most high-profile award an artist can receive from critics. But the ceremony represents a bigger problem in the music world, which is that people take any sort of public criticism seriously. No critic matters more in the music world than an artist. There have been just as many snubs on Pitchfork as there have at the Grammys;, people just get especially mad at the Grammys because of its popularity. Even people who aren’t particularly passionate about music pay attention to the ceremony, so controversial moments get blown out of proportion. Even smaller operations, like YouTtube critic Anthony Fantano, can have a negative influence on music. His fans seem to value his criticism more than the actual music, agreeing with every review he publishes, no matter if it is valid or not. Fantano has inspired a generation of entitled internet dwellers who feel the need to rate every song and album out of 10 and frequently harass artists online. The dilemma of criticism is that popularity magnifies it by such an extreme degree. Some would argue that the same goes for positive reviews, with which a small artist can develop a fanbase, but oftentimes those fan bases tend to create more toxicity. Flooding a small artist’s community with hungry music fans who have the same attitude of the critic who sent them often ends poorly for the artist. An example of this is the group Black Dresses, a band comprised of two transgender women, who were forced to disband after their critical acclaim led to abuse from “fans.” One of the two members wrote on Twitter, “Entitled fans have been behaving in a very hurtful and frightening way towards Devi (the other member of the band) including extended invasion of privacy and harassment for some two years now, only going to further and further extremes.” I’m not saying that you can’t hold or express your opinions on music; in fact, I think that it’s a great thing that can build happy communities in person and on the internet. But with recognition as a critic comes a certain degree of responsibility that can’t be ignored. In the case of the Grammys, the responsibility now lies in the hands of the viewers and artists. You can either ignore the almost definitely corrupt ceremony, or you can let it ruin your experience with music. I know what I’d prefer to do.
I was, only better. So why did I feel so trapped? Why was I the only one who felt like we’re expected to go back to normal after over a year of social isolation and then be expected to perform at our best? It all felt like too much, but it couldn’t be. It wasn’t the system, it was clearly me. I choked another sob. I’ve lost two of my teen years and I was spending the remainder of it like this, working my months away. It’s all about to be over. I put my face in my hands and wiped at my tears. Then a thought came to PHOTO PERMISSION NOA SCHWARTZ me I had never Looking back: Noa Schwartz '22 is changed by the stress of the college process had before in my life: “If these are what the last few months of my childhood are STORY like, then maybe growing up isn’t so bad.” NOA SCHWARTZ That stopped my crying. I sat back in shock at y breath myself. What happened to me? This isn’t who I h i t c h e d . am or what I think. It’s never been. I’ve always I inhaled. been an optimist, a hopeless daydreamer. I’ve alIt hitched ways wanted to see the best in the world. I would again. Tears streamed have long conversations with my dad, promising down my face and onto my computer keys. I to never grow up, to always remember that life struggled to slow my breathing silently, afraid of is about living. It was a promise I’d been making waking my sleeping family. It was late. I just want- since I was five. I haven’t even crossed the threshed to sleep. My left eye had been twitching for old into adulthood yet and I’m already breaking two weeks. But I needed to get my work done. I it. I’ve always looked back on high school posineeded to be productive. What was my excuse for tively, even during the darkest days of the pancrying? All my peers were doing the same thing demic. But now, all I can see is a waste of time.
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In short, college has made me a pessimist. Or at least, it did at that moment. I realize I’m not the only one. All we talk about is college, how we’ll never get into our dream schools, how much better everyone else is doing. We can’t help it because it’s been drilled into us. We’re told it’s “our process” but shamed if we don’t take the most rigorous classes. We’re constantly corrected, constantly told to do everything possible to be perfect candidates because at least then we’ll have a chance. All the while we’re told that it “doesn’t make a difference” and that this “doesn’t have to be stressful”. Not only is it incredibly confusing, but it’s emotionally exhausting. They’re right about one thing. The college process doesn’t have to be as stressful as it is now. It’s the way we’re taught about it that makes this process so daunting. It isn’t to force you to grow up, it’s to help you grow as a person. That is what I have found it did for me. It didn’t ruin my childhood, it was simply a chapter in it. So, what should the freshmen be told when they start their college process? Simple: we should be telling them that it isn’t about the school or the end result. It’s about what applying to college teaches you about yourself. I’ve grown immensely since I’ve started this process, not as a college applicant, but as a human being. I’ve learned to trust myself, to know that I am capable of doing difficult tasks and that I can come out of it more self-assured. That journey is why students should want to go through it, not for any one school or a false idea of perfection. Above all, it should never come at the cost of your childhood, it should support your growth through it. Don’t let it get to you. I know that’s much easier said than done, buy you will be tempted to fall into the trap I did. Know that by the end of this, you don't really care about the college. You’ll just be excited to go somewhere, to leave and start the next chapter of your life. I know it’s been said a hundred times before, but don’t get caught up in the statistics or what your friends are saying. Just smile and nod, because you know something they don’t: you don’t have to be perfect, or get into a top tier college or graduate at the top of your class. All you have to do is try your best and, if you’re lucky, you’ll enjoy the ride.
Taylor's tote bag
Taylor Huie reflects on the items in her tote bag, their uses and how they represent different aspects of her life.
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second hand film camera, the viewfinder weathered by the single squinted eye of owners past. "Love in the Time of Cholera". "How to Hide an Empire". "Tomie". An Invisalign case: the result of an unfortunate overcrowded bottom row of teeth that decided to emerge, not in middle school, but in my senior year of high school. Too many stamp cards. Even more spare masks. The vaccination card that likes to play hide and seek whenever someone asks to see it. Hues of deep blue and iridescent milk - a handful of crystals entrusted
to me by my grandmother, and a rogue moonstone that happened to catch a ride after a trip to Cambria. Headphones, tangling through the vacant space; the decorative stickers faded from fingertips caress them like a worry stone. And holding captive half-moon smiles, crinkled winks, and laughter that sings: a collection of polaroids. A seemingly bottomless container, my tote bag catches the bits of life that spill over. And, like a witch’s familiar, it has become a reflection of myself, a piece of my soul stitched into the embroidery. Everytime I rummage through it, it’s like catching a passing glimpse of myself in the mirror. Things get messy sometimes… that’s just how it is when a tote bag has no compartments, but it's reliable. No matter what I toss into it — my laptop, the yearbook, a dumbbell - my tote bag’s stitching stays strong and taught. And, when the occasion calls for it, my tote bag has no problems with flexibility. Its shapelessness lends itself to evolution, innovation. It bends and wrinkles to accommodate, or rather, support all that it holds. My tote bag represents one of my favorite Goethe quotes: “We are shaped and fashioned by what we love.” The polaroids, weathered by the crystals that knock around, leaving behind barely-there scratches. The books, corners blunted from bumping up against the camera as I ran to class. The splotches of pink and purple that freckle your base, stains from when hand sanitizer spilled and dissolved some of the plastic camera filters. The hole in the strap, far too wide now after I repeatedly swapped pins: a jellyfish from the Monterey Bay Aquarium, Beidou from “Genshin Impact” and Jiji from “Kiki’s Delivery Service.” Nothing within my tote bag exists in a vacuum of selfish existence. Yet the things it contains don’t just simply co-exist with one an-
TAYLOR HUIE "No matter where I go, no matter what it contains, I can feel everything that’s been imbued in my tote bag. It holds everything precious to me. It tells my story. "
TWENTY-TWO other. The various stories and experiences my tote bag has encountered have intertwined to create a story of its own. Not simply a vessel, more than the sum of what it contains, my tote bag is an entity in your own right, one as interconnected as the world around it. When I look into my tote bag, I see the representation of how I want to be remembered: someone who has integrated her understanding of the world, brimming with curiosity, eager for more and who can’t wait to pursue the complex ecosystem of humanity, its people, their stories and her place within it. My tote bag has developed an incredible talent for carrying the intangible. In fact, it would be the one I’d bring to a deserted island, my plus-one to the Oscars. Because it’s not just a bag that serves to bypass the 10 cent plastic bag fee at the grocery store. No matter where I go, no matter what it contains, I can feel everything that’s been imbued in my tote bag. It holds everything precious to me. It tells my story. I can’t wait for my tote bag to continue to change right alongside me, my companion as I continue to discover how my identity and story intersects with those of others around me. We’ll grow together and learn how to develop a world in which we are not so selfish and isolated as to believe we are truly alone.
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Stuck in the mirror
ART INDIA GRIFFIN STORY LUCY KENNEL
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struggle with looking in the mirror. Seeing a photo of me in a group makes me cringe and want to cry. My mind forces me to weigh myself after every meal, sometimes even after a snack, just to see if I have gained any weight. I sigh in relief if the number has stayed constant since that morning. After every soccer practice or workout, the scale is the first place I go to, hoping to see the number go down. I try to force myself to eat salad, even though it is probably my least favorite food. I see my friends making trips to the student store and when they invite me, I make an excuse because I know a snack will make me feel even more guilty than I did. My relationship with my body is difficult. I can go from one day being confident to the next feeling like I can’t step out into
the world. After looking in the mirror I regress into a slump, not having motivation to leave my bed. I’m stuck in a constant loop of shifting moods and confidence. I blame my visit to the emergency room for this haunting thought. Ever since my first serious knee injury, I became self conscious about my looks. My injury forced me to take months off of sports, something I had never experienced as I was constantly playing soccer and volleyball. This meant that I did not know how to eat properly, since I never had to care about what I ate. However, this injury began my awareness about eating and body image. I became self-conscious about the way my body looked, but I was still satisfied with the way I saw myself and I had confidence. Even though I sometimes hated the way I looked, I didn’t have the urge to know exactly how much I weighed, I was unaware of that number. I didn’t even notice that I had gained weight after my surgery, because I was at least satisfied with how I looked in the mirror and in pictures I saw of myself. I remember coming back from my first volleyball tournament after my surgery, curious to see if I had lost any weight from the four-day long activity. I was hopeful, naively expecting the number on the scale to disappear. I remember seeing the number and immediately crying. From that moment, I lost all confidence in myself. I still don’t really know what event triggered this reaction, but I remember it completely destroying me and my confidence. I became anxious constantly and tried to find a way to decrease that number. And for a little while it worked, as I started becoming active again. Sophomore year I was confident, feeling like me and my body were finally working together instead of against each other. I didn't check the mirror after putting on a new outfit, I could just leave my house with no worries. Quarantine was a blessing and a curse for me. It meant I didn’t have to worry about what to eat at lunch or when eating out with friends; it meant that I could choose what to eat. There was no eating out, just at-home dinners. I could have a balanced meal and work out when I wanted, but there were some really bad days. For me, quarantine normalized skipping meals, and I justified this with being too busy, even though all I had was Zoom school. I would go from skipping breakfast, to having some chips for lunch, to going to a soccer practice where I would burn 800 calories. At the time, I didn’t see anything wrong with this; I was happy because the number on the scale was dropping rapidly. I liked the way I looked. But I was weak, my energy was low and soccer became a task that seems sisyphean, impossible to accomplish. For a while, this seemed to be working. I was somewhat happy with my appearance, but I still strived for more. I wouldn’t feel guilty going out to eat, because I had never been at this low of weight before. My happiness and confidence relied on that number. This confidence was short lived, lasting a solid six months before I regressed into my old habits. Habits that consisted of eating all the dessert in my freezer at midnight. The number started to increase rapidly, putting me in the same place I was my sophomore year, except this time I am lacking that confidence that came with it. I am happy that I am nourishing my body, but everyday is filled with guilt. I see people who look like me on social media, and I think that they look perfect. But when I look at myself I am filled with disgust. My TikTok is filled with fitness girls with six packs who preach exercising excessively and eating basically nothing, making me feel guilty of my habits. I start to wonder why I don't look exactly like them, I start to feel bad about everything I do. I go to bed already planning out my meals for the next day, making sure not to eat too much. I am trying to find the right balance that works for me, but the thoughts don’t go away. It's not that I don't feel beautiful, but I feel like I could be doing better, like I was before. Someday I hope to finally have confidence in myself, able to wear and eat anything I want.
Extending kindness STORY MAGGIE CHIAPPETTA-UBERTI
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’ll admit — I didn’t have an idea for what I was going to write in this article when I first pitched it. In a list of many things I hoped to do my senior year, one of them was to write an opinion article for each issue of The Piper, which, I now realize, is much easier said than done. Writing an opinion article for this issue wasn’t like the last, in which my words seemed to just pour out of me and onto the page. But I had set this goal for myself—I had promised myself for God knows what reason—that I would write this article. I was already overwhelmed with schoolwork, with the end of my cross country season, and just with life in general, yet this opinion article consumed my thoughts. And so I drafted and revised and crafted new ideas, but ultimately, nothing worked. It felt like more of a task than a genuine passion to write. I was willing to sacrifice my time, my energy, and my mental strength simply because of a standard I had set for myself. And in that moment—when I thought writing this article would come so easily to me and then it didn’t—I came to the realization that this simple, seemingly-insignificant challenge that was self-imposed made me understand the little grace
What I learned and how I changed from history Sophia Goldberg '22 explains why history is worth learning and important to her STORY SOPHIA GOLDBERG
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distinctly remember the first time I realized that history repeats itself, that history is more than just what we read in our textbooks and that it is so important that we understand what has happened in the past to better our future. I was in CHAI United States History when Dr. Jiménez spoke about past leaders, the Black Plague, and the Spanish Flu. Connecting all of what happened to the COVID-19 pandemic was truly eye-opening. I would have never thought that something almost identical to a disease that happened years ago would come back now and teach me both about today’s history and past history at the same time. If I wasn’t exposed to history, then I would not have been interested in so many topics that I am today, such as journalism, film, and traveling. There is history in everything: Newspaper class and my AP Psychology class, learning and sharing past events and research that affect us now. History is a part of everything. Unpacking current issues is such an incredible experience, for I get the unique opportunity to deeply research in a creative way. With any issue I have written about, I have seen how it was prevalent hundreds of years ago and is now repeating again today. History surrounds me daily, so why would I not want to learn as much of it as possible? Understanding the past has helped me learn about the present and I would not have the same views on the world otherwise. I have also learned to appreciate other countries' history as well due to being inspired by history. Watching movies such as “Unbroken,” where we learn about the war in the Pacific, and even “Battle of the Sexes,” where we see how gender inequality in sports starts to dissolve, are both interesting ways anyone can learn about the past. I am a very visual learner so the fact that there are movies and videos about history makes the learning of history accessible to anyone of any learning style. I have learned about other countries' pasts by traveling to Rome to see the ancient ruins and learn about how and why it looks how it does. One of the main historical landmarks, The Colosseum, taught me how sports have evolved throughout history, like gender equality, safety, and entertainment, which all have been updated. There are so many ways to experience history, traveling is just one of them. From walking around my neighborhood, thinking about what could have happened here in the past, to learning about wars and movements that have happened to make the world what it is today, history always inspires me and I will always continue to learn as much as I can. Sure, math and science might be your favorite, but in the end, history is what has got us to where we are today and in order to move forward in the future we have to understand the past to grow and be better.
Maggie Chiappetta-Uberti '22 reflects on the importance of self-love, recognizing the selfless acts made by those around her
I give myself. I think what makes me so eager to extend kindness to others is the fact that I rarely give it to myself. I take time to listen to others, hearing their stories, but I don’t listen to myself when I need a break or a moment to breathe. When my friends make mistakes I don’t view them in the same light as I view my own. Especially amidst college decision season, I’ve noticed that, no matter whether my friends get into their top choices or not, my perception of them doesn’t change. Yet, it’s hard to have this same mentality with myself. I have realized that this is something so many of us are faced with. It’s the way my environmental science teacher worked hard to keep us on task, putting up with our individual questions and concerns as we prepared for our upcoming test, all while his son was in the hospital. It’s the way my physics teacher took time out of her day—using up her free block—to give me advice before a big cross country race, and when I asked her about how she was doing, she turned the conversation back onto me to focus on my needs. It’s the way my history teacher shared difficult stories of her own childhood, being vulnerable, simply to help me with my own struggles. It’s the way my newspaper teacher, with a concussion, is at our deadline, guiding us through designing pages and helping us every step of the way in order for it to be published.
MAGGIE CHIAPPETTA-UBERTI "I hope whoever is reading can take a moment to step back, to reflect, to see how far you have come and just appreciate yourself and your accomplishments."
TWENTY-TWO
It’s through these moments that I’ve noticed the relentless efforts of those in my life to extend kindness, despite their individual struggles. It’s these beautiful acts of kindness that have opened my eyes to the kindness that we all need to give ourselves in return. Although I’m still working on extending kindness to myself—on taking moments out of my day for self-care—I now understand its importance. I hope whoever is reading can take a moment to step back, to reflect, to see how far you have come, and just appreciate yourself and your accomplishments. We sometimes get stuck going through the motions or striving to achieve a goal we have set for ourselves and forget to pause and give ourselves this time for self-care and self-love. And it’s not a simple fix; it’s an ongoing process. But taking those little moments out of our days to extend that same kindness that we extend to others will truly go a long way.
PHOTO LEVI HOROWITZ Spreading the Love: Maggie Chiappetta-Uberti '22 hugs her physics teacher, Amanda Dye, in gratitude of her acts of kindness
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EDITORIAL
over heard
Learning to respect substitute teachers
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ften, substitute teachers have to endure rowdy classroom behavior and students using them as scapegoats for a day off. But it is important for students to realize that substitute teachers deserve as much respect as any of the full-time Campbell Hall staff. Students associate them with teachers-in-training or taking on a side job, but they are taking time out of their day to allow our education to continue in the absence of a teacher. Often underappreciated, substitute teachers are integral to Campbell Hall — they are the inner workings of the machine that are taken for granted. It is time for that to change. Some may argue that students can’t form lasting relationships with substitute teachers because they only substitute for one or two classes a year. However, in each class it is important to try and cultivate a relationship as students and to show mutual respect for each other. This is nothing new, as students tend to form an especially tight bond with substitute teachers. Certain substitutes have achieved legendary status amongst students. Mr. Behlendorf ’s infamous horoscope readings are a highlight of every class fortunate enough to have him. Mr. Verdi’s late class debates never fail to spark controversy over what ice cream flavor is best. Mr. Smith’s serenely quiet study-classes give students a chance to catch up on homework and unwind. When students graduate from Campbell Hall we will realize how much we miss Mr. Verdi’s contagious smile and hearing our daily horoscope read by Mr. Behlendorf: Those simple acts of spontaneity transform the atmosphere of a classroom, into a space more than just for learning, but to relate and understand to our substitute teachers more. Each substitute teacher has their own place in students’ hearts, but often their spontaneous contributions to their classes are taken for granted. This lack of respect reflects not out of disinterest or out of dislike for substitutes, rather students feeling entitled to have classes be more lenient or more forgiving than they would be with a full-time teacher. Once students enter a classroom with a substitute, they immediately pump their fists in excitement. They exchange excited glances and murmur under their breath, ecstatic to have a break, a free class. Finally, they often feel that they are free to disregard classroom etiquette, to talk over their peers and teacher, to act seemingly free of punishment. It seems that if the teacher isn’t there to set the rules, then the rules don’t exist. This is not true. As students, we shouldn’t be disrespectful simply because we think we can get away with it. Respect is about more than a teacher’s part-time status; it's about decency and basic regard for fellow human beings. Fewer-clocked hours shouldn’t have an effect on our ability to treat others with respect. More than anyone, we should be thanking our substitute teachers. They aren’t afforded a class of their own, an office, or even a place on the faculty directory.
"Can I pay in Starbucks gift cards?" T W E N T Y- S E V E N Distracted: Fauve Balugo-Ramirez '22 takes advantage of having a sub and decides to do some online shopping.
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ikTok. Hate it all you want, love it all you want, it does not matter. An app that was originally started for dancers back in 2016 has turned into an attention-eating, mind boggling, trend-setting epicenter for teens all over the globe. Don’t lie to yourself, and come with me on a journey. It’s 9:30 at night on a normal Tuesday evening, and you are ready to embark on a journey through math, science, and English, the holy trinity. But as the computer comes out of the bag, your brain spots a rectangular device on the sheets of your bed. But hey, 10 minutes of TikTok never hurt anybody, right? Wrong. It’s now 12:37 a.m., and the only productive thing you have done all night is learn a dance to Megan Thee Stallion and give your right thumb the greatest workout of its life. And because trends come and go with the blink of an eye, it can be hard to point out your favorites, but I'm here to help. Let’s start out with the trend known on TikTok as Pushin P. Does anyone really know what this means? This trend originated from the young rapper “Gunna” and is used in many different forms. So here are a couple of examples I could find for
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They come to work every day because this is what they want to do, what they love to do. Despite the rowdy kids and the lack of praise, they brighten our days and give our classes just a little more joy. They have their own goals, their own accomplishments, their own unbelievable commitment to their jobs as educators, a fact that students often forget. They work work tirelessly to use what little time they have with us to establish strong interpersonal connections with students. Substitute teachers, recognize that they will not see us each day, three days a week, for some nine months out of the year. In the face of all that, substitute teachers often connect with us the way any other teacher would. No matter if we see substitute teachers once our entire school careers or every day, they’ll always say “hi” with a smile and greet you by name. Substitute teachers will always take time to get to know who you are as a person beneath the grades and the essays. Because they care, just as much as any teacher. But what do they get in return? Nothing but being reduced to invisibility, like a phantom in the corner of the classroom. However, this doesn’t mean it has to stay this way. We have the power to change how substitute teachers are viewed. Simple gestures like a wave in the quad, a compliment after class, a “Thank You” on the way out the door, or an attentive glance can make all the difference. It doesn’t take much to give back. We can all work together to pay forward the kindness, commitment and respect substitute teachers have so often given us. In a world that so often turns to selfishness, building community and understanding is even more important. Of course, it’s crazy to ask high school students to build a community and solve world peace, but these small acts of gratitude towards substitute teachers are the first steps toward making change. Because at its core, what we’re building is an intention for kindness, understanding, and above all, empathy.
someone who is indeed “Pushin P”. If you are a good friend and never leave their side you are “Pushing P". If you hit a game-winning shot to send your basketball team to the finals you are “Pushing P”. And if you worked up the courage to talk to your crush that you always walk by, say it with me, you are “Pushing P”. This trend combines a weird vagueness which I really like, but also leaves a lot to be desired. I do think it lacks a clear audience and an elite dance move. Pushin P is a 7.9 out of 10 for me. For our second review, we move onto something that isn't classified as a trend, but more of a side to TikTok that has become a driving force for young kids getting into music: Raptok. In theory, Raptok is a side genre to TikTok, where the only thing on its hashtag is conversations about music, album reviews, artist reviews, top 10 lists, music reactions and more. However, in the lead up to this article, I have devoted some of my own time to Raptok. Unfortunately, the discovery has been made that not everyone has their own opinions over there. The big creators construct a narrative that you have to like an artist or you’re weird or trying to be different and can’t like other music. In all actuality, people's
T W E N T Y-T H R E E
"Pull up your Gucci mask RIGHT NOW." TEACHER
"My inner voice of you is a gremlin." TEACHER
"Which of these are culturally appropriate emojis?" T W E N T Y-T W O
T W E N T Y-T W O
PHOTO OREN WEISSMAN
Going Viral: Oren Weissman makes a TikTok to the newest trend hoping to gain views
music tastes can be different and that's totally okay. That is why Raptok gets a score of 5.2 out of 10 in the Oren Weissman rankings. Its vibrant colors, different genres of videos, and its overall attention to detail makes it an addicting app. Its trends give TikTok almost a whole new app every week or so, and these are just some of the ones that have shined over the past month. So as you're reading this, I challenge you to not go on TikTok tonight, and maybe, just maybe, you can call that “Pushin P.”
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Oren's Likes and Dislikes: TikTok Trends STORY OREN WEISSMAN
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Tension, excitement, support For many athletes, working to be recurited affects their sport in different ways
PHOTO PERMISSION BLAKE COTTON
Geared up: Blake Cotton '22 stands in his UC Davis jersey after committing.
STORY AMELIE PARK
A
s junior and senior athletes prepare for their futures, this is the time when schools reach out to the star players to be a part of their college teams. The recruitment process has many effects on a team’s dynamic as well as the individuality of the player themself. This includes aspects such as tension, excitement and the utmost support for one another. Football player Blake Cotton ‘22 has been on the team for four years and has committed to UC Davis.
The roundup: sports briefs
sports
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Feb. 28, 2022
Participating in the recruitment process has shaped him and advanced his football career. He feels that it has also taught him valuable lessons that have made him a better player in the long run. “For me, the recruitment process has been really stressful and I’ve had a little bit of anxiety from it,” Cotton said. “It was a long process and I’m happy with the result from it, especially since it was a [division one] offer. I feel so grateful and extremely blessed to have gotten this far. One thing that the recruitment process has taught me is that I need to stay positive. When I was able to do this,
only good things came as a result.” For Cotton, the recruitment process was difficult, but he was able to achieve great things with his team and coaches by his side. Their synergy created an impactful environment for everyone and he appreciated his team when he needed them the most. “My teammates always have good energy, even though some of them aren’t getting recruited,” Cotton said. “This makes me play better and I think that it’s unselfish of them, which is really nice. They support me by saying positive things and keep congratulating me on my accomplishments. They also tell me I deserve [being recruited] and it is really nice to hear and makes me feel happy.” Similar to Cotton, Matteo Malchar ‘22 has played football all throughout high school. He has committed to Chapman University for the sport. He values his experience in the recruitment process and is happy with the hard work he put into it. For Malchar, the recruitment process has been an eye-opening experience and he was glad to be a part of it. “I was really excited when I found out that I was recruited,” Malchar said. “I kept thinking to myself, ‘Wow, this is crazy and everything is going according to plan. Sometimes you also have to prepare yourself for the worst, and that was what I was
doing. But, thankfully everything worked out the way I wanted it to and I got to meet some amazing people in the process so it felt really cool. ” Malchar put his effort into the recruitment process and was always finding ways he could improve. Although he initially prepared himself for the worst, everything worked out according to plan and he picked up important lessons along the way. “The recruitment process has definitely taught me to present myself in the best way possible, especially since first impressions make or break an entire experience,” Malchar said. “I feel like if I didn’t present myself the way I did to the coaches the first time I met them, it would have been a little bit different. Being on your A-game is really important and just staying focused. I went out in all my games and performed the best I could, even though it could be nerve-wracking.” Kian Salehi ‘23 is a football player who is now being introduced to the college recruitment program. Along with the success and overwhelming happiness, there is also a stressful aspect to the recruitment process that many athletes are familiar with. Salehi works hard and puts all of his effort into every game he participates in. He plans to elevate his skill and use his passion for football as a driving force in his life.
Boys' Soccer
Matt Rose '22 and Brandon Schlesinger '23 celebrate a goal against Windward, final score 1-2.
Girls' Basketball
Baseball
Captain Paige Kamemoto '22 shoots a free throw against Sacred Heart, final score 68-21.
12-9 overall record
4-10-1 overall record "We have a really talented team and we're going to achieve a lot this year," Auggie Koskoff '22 said.
Girls' Soccer
“The recruitment process will always create some stress in my gameplay,” Salehi said. “But that stress forces me to work hard and go 100 percent on every play. In other words, the stress from recruitment makes me work harder and play better than ever before. I play football because it is my passion and I absolutely love to play it. The fact that I can add recruitment to that sentence is truly a blessing and I am so beyond grateful for that. I want to take football as far as I can while also using it to earn a great education at the next level.” With his team, Salehi maintains a healthy relationship with his friends and he appreciates the support he receives from them. He is happy that there is no tension, allowing for space where his team could grow together and bond with each other. “My teammates show me the most love when a college shows an interest and vice versa,” Salehi said. “When seniors Jaden Williams, Blake Cotton and Matteo Malchar received their offers this past year, the whole team was there to congratulate them and show them love and support. The football program is a family. When someone gets an offer, the only thing that changes is now the respect we have for them is even higher than where it was before which was very high. It shows they put in the hard work and we admire that.”
"This is my first year playing basketball and the team was so welcoming including coaches. I learned really quickly from my teammates," Anessa Powell '23 said. Charlie Satenberg '22 goes up to bat against Providence final score 4-5.
Boys' Basketball
1-1 overall record
Abby Satenberg '24 dribbles the ball against Bishop Conaty, final score 9-1.
5-8-1 overall record "It was tough because people were injured but we played well and we got really close doing Secret Santa and team dinners," Sabrina Morovati '22 said.
"It's going pretty well. The team chemistry has never been higher and I think as the season progresses we're going to get even better," Tanner Mahon '23 said.
Chris Hammond '22 dunks against Providence, final score 65-71.
10-12 overall record "The season was a lot of fun. It has been great getting close to a new group of kids on the team. We have built our team chemistry a lot," Oliver Gorin '23 said.
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THE PIPER
More than an athlete
Students and faculty reflect on the lessons they've learned from their favorite athletes and the influence these stars have on their fans
ART AUSTIN JANAVAS STORY LEVI HOROWITZ AND AMELIE PARK
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ebron James, Serena Williams and Jackie Robinson are all considered successful athletes in the sports world and they have used their platform to lead social movements and inspire younger generations to create change. Barry Bonds is a San Francisco Giants baseball player who has made a big name for himself within the sport. He grew up in San Francisco and has prioritized his city and his community for his entire life. Bonds is one of the baseball players who pushed Caden White ‘23 to be passionate about baseball. “I think that people should think about how their actions influence others,” White said. “Every player has a huge impact on young kids' lives everywhere. Without Bonds, I don't know if I would love baseball as much as I do and I can’t emphasize enough how much baseball has taught me about life. Baseball is like life. You fail nine out of 10 times but you learn from your mistakes. You're not defined by your success, but your ability to learn from your failure. Bonds brought the city together. Bonds has broken so many records and he made sure he did it at home. You can’t walk very far in San Francisco without seeing a giant flag flying above. Bonds created a
love and brought the city together” Hakeem Olajuwon, nicknamed “the Dream” is a former basketball player for the Houston Rockets. Human development teacher Steven Wachs feels very connected to Olajuwon for his authenticity and openness while being in the eyes of the public. “I am a big fan of [Hakeem Olajuwon],” Wachs said. “At the peak of his career in the 90s, he was actually a very dynamic and very fun player to watch. He was a devout Muslim and he would always credit his faith with his performance. Though we have different religious beliefs and though I might not think religion may not take first place in society he was transparent in who he was as a person and was authentic. I responded to the genuineness of his character.” Like Wachs, Katarina Vayser ‘23 views her favorite tennis player, Naomi Osaka, as someone who stays true to herself as well as raises awareness of prevalent issues in today’s society. She admires Osaka’s professionalism and overall personality as one of the best tennis players in the world. “I am very inspired by her achievements and success in tennis, and I also strongly admire her personality both on and off the court,” Vayser said. “She’s the first woman representing Japan to win a major award in tennis, and this has influence me by wanting to have a successful career like her.”
Lights! Camera! Where is the action?
PHOTO PERMISSION RISA BASTIEN STORY LEVI HOROWITZ
Dancing for five hours a day, Natalie Yu 23’ physically and mentally drains herself sacrificing her time and energy to the passion of dance. She puts in all of the work to prepare for a performance, all for it to be abruptly postponed takes an emotional toll on her, as well as the dancers of Campbell Hall’s production of “The Nutcracker”. Yu has been a part of the dance world within competitive dance and with the school program since she was little. She has performed in “The Nutcracker” every year since seventh grade and this is the first year she is not performing. This is the first time she has ever had a break from dance, other than an injury in early 2021. Yes, dance has been a lot, but Yu is grateful for the experiences dance has brought her. “I am glad that ballet has been a part of me,” Yu said. “It has taught me many many things, good and bad. [Dance has taught me to be] a tougher person. I get criticized so much, even in competitions all the judges do is criticize you, point your feet, turn out your feet, and they score you on how well you do as a dancer. I have learned to take criticisms and apply them to my daily life or my ballet.” Lee Wilhoite, a secondary dance teacher, feels a large sense of stress when it comes to Nutcracker season. Coming out of online school and filming “The Nutcracker” in people’s homes, Wilhoite was anxious to be able to perform this year. Having the performance ripped out from under her there is more work than she
thought she had to take care of. “We were right there, [about to do the show], right at the top, right getting ready,” Wilhoite said. “I was clawing my way to the top to get us to the show and we lost our grip and fell. I mentally prepared for a stressful week and then a wonderful show, and it’s joyful but extremely stressful. Knowing that I was gonna have to go back through that all again but at the same time it was gonna be different. Everyone is prepared for that week. It is deflating and I noticed that in the students as well.” As “The Nutcracker” crept closer and closer to show day, Annabel Bastien ‘23 started to have a gut feeling that it wouldn’t happen. The day of the first dress rehearsal and email got sent out informing everyone of the postponing of the performance. “I was expecting [“The Nutcracker” to be canceled],” Bastien said. “You could feel that something was up. I just had that vibe that we weren’t gonna do a dress rehearsal. Usually the night before I am very on top of it in terms of packing my makeup, my costumes, getting dinner sorted out, and I had done nothing. Something subconsciously inside of me was like ‘You’re not gonna do this’.” The reactions to the postponing of “The Nutcracker” was unanimous throughout the dancers. Many were frustrated, unmotivated, and disappointed. Wilhoite saw the outcomes on the dancers' faces throughout class that week. “There were a lot of tears from many,” Wilhoite said. “They understood that it was not gone forever but that initial let down, that drop, and it is not before the holiday anymore. They were disappointed. The next week in class everyone was okay, just kind of low energy. It changed my motivation in class.” “The Nutcracker” was performed later after Christamas break on January 23rd, 2022. They performed for an audience of 11th and 12th grade families live on the sports court. The dancers were happy they got the chance to perform and had a sense of accomplishment to be able to finally show off their many hours of rehearsal to their friends and family. “As long as we would eventually perform I was emotionally ok, so I took the postponement pretty well. Bastien said. “I had other responsibilities, like school work and the start of the musical, so I just kind of moved on.
Cristina Sepulveda ‘24 admires basketball player Steph Curry’s humbleness and always follows suit in his role as a teammate. Though he was an underdog, she takes his story to heart and applies his messages in her own life. She uses his lessons and influences her team for the better. “He really stands out to me [as] he didn’t go to one of the top colleges because they thought he was small and didn’t believe he was going to make it, so I think where he is now shows how he has broken those expectations, which In awe: A child is really important to me,” Sepulveda watches his favorite athelete said. “I see him as a leader and that is and social really influential because I try to be a justice figure, leader to my own team.” LeBron James Being a professional athlete comes win the NBA with a lot of responsibilities, whether championship and is inspired. it is keeping their body healthy to play or using their voice and platform to promote a message. Most athletes are expected to use their voices to support political movements no matter their comfortability with speaking out. Wachs believes it should truly be a choice. “Athletes are just like everyone else,” Wachs said. “Some athletes are not comfortable with being a part of a social movement and they should not be forced to be. Some are much more comfortable with using their voice that way. Naomi Osaka was I think athletes should reflect what is normal for people. the first Japanese Some people want to be activists, some people are not woman to win a comfortable with it. I think it is about being your true self Grand Slam Title (1) and not as much of you have to use your voice if you are not comfortable with it.” Vayser notes that Osaka is an advocate for important social movements and how touched she is knowing that her Steph Curry broke favorite athlete uses her voice to campaign against prejudicRay Allen's NBA es. She also is thankful that popular athletes are not only 3-point record (2) playing the sport but also fighting for a cause. “Naomi Osaka is also very inspirational in social movements,” Vayser said. “She consistently uses her platform to SOURCES: raise awareness about the Black Lives Matter movement (1) tennisworldusa.org (2) sfchronicles.com and various other social justice movements. By watching her play and speak out on these issues, I am grateful that other people can benefit from their icons and learn about issues that are affecting us today.”
FACTS
Asked & Answered
Cross country runner Piers Pozil '22
PHOTO PERMISSION LAURA CHIAPPETTA Lining up: The cross country team smiles before their meet at Paraclete on Nov 3rd.
Q: How do you feel about your final sports season? A: “I have absolutely loved being a part of our team whether that be because of the incredible camaraderie or because of the challenge of running itself. Despite being incredibly sad about leaving the team after this year, I know that they’ll be in good hands with the rising seniors.” Q: Do you plan on continuing your sport in college? Why or why not? A: “I plan on running cross country in college because I love the exercise and community that comes with running. I’ve found that runners tend to be very accepting and kind, and I want to continue to surround myself around people that appreciate those values.”
Q: What is it like being a senior on the team compared to other years? A: “I’ve been running cross country for the past four years. I’ve truly loved my last cross country season as a senior and have enjoyed every last minute of taking on a leadership role in our team."
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MVP: Teachers on the field
Behind the recruitment process STORY JACOB SILVERSTEIN
STORY JJ HOFFMAN
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wo teams, fifteen members and a track. Roller derby is an intense and competitive sport, but one that history teacher Dr. Valeria Jiménez loves. Jiménez is one cog in the Campbell Hall faculty wheel that participates in sports outside of teaching. After playing roller hockey when she was a kid, and roller skating for most of her adult years at graduate school in Chicago, Jiménez saw a poster for roller derby tryouts and decided to show up. From then on, Jiménez participated, with games twice a month and practices three times a week, finding her community with every lap around the track. “Initially, it was just a way to have an outlet outside of the academic world and build community,” Jiménez said. “But I really grew to love it as a sport. It's fun, but it's challenging and I feel like I'm constantly learning new things and working to improve on it. It's a really supportive team. You also get a lot of oddballs and misfits [which] make it entertaining. [Part of what keeps me playing is that I want my daughter to grow up and be used to the idea of ‘Mom plays the sport and roller skates’ and to hopefully enjoy it.” After playing rugby in college and joining the Santa Monica Rugby Club, 11th grade Dean and history teacher Dr. Ray Lavoie recognizes that, similar to Jiménez, the camaraderie of his time as a defensive lineman in a rugby team is what drew him to the sport. Lavoie believes that the supportive rugby community and enthusiastic spirit separates it from other sports, and still maintains friendships with some of his former teammates. Additionally, Lavoie enjoys the collaborative aspect and teamwork of the sport. “I touched the ball once in the four years of college football,” Lavoie said. “[But in rugby,] I touch the ball every time. I get to run. I get the tackle. Everybody gets to do everything. Everybody can be a playmaker. Everybody has some decision making ability. Everybody has the potential to score.” Science teacher Charlee Corra ‘09 participates in a wide array of activities, including tennis, rock climbing, hiking, mountain biking and skiing. After becoming more involved in tennis at Campbell Hall when they were in junior high, and rock climbing in college, Corra regularly makes time to engage in these sports, partly because they enjoy them and partly because it’s good for their mental health. “It's really important to me to get outside every week, on the weekends, and sometimes in the evenings if I can to do a loose workout or something,” Corra said. “If I don't, my mental health will not do so well. It’s healthier for me to make sure that I’m prioritizing [these sports]. Plus, it's fun and it makes me happy, so it's worth prioritizing.” With the variety of activities they participate in, Corra acknowledges that there are physical challenges in participating in multiple sports. But despite the physically-demanding aspect of these sports, they maintain that the freedom they get from participating in them is liberating. “Right when I was graduating from college, I went to Colorado
PHOTO PERMISSION VALERIA JIMÉNEZ Dominating the court: Jiménez pushes aside her competitors as she competes in a roller derby match.
to visit my grandpa and he paid for me to have a guided rock climbing experience in Estes Park, which is in the Rockies,” Corra said. “The guide took me out and taught me how to climb outside. And it was just really freeing, and we saw bighorn sheep and I got to see a really beautiful view and challenge myself physically outside which felt really good. It was just a really positive and memorable experience.” Though currently playing mostly in senior tournaments rather than league matches, Lavoie now coaches rugby with a former teammate, something he finds is rewarding in a different way from playing the sport itself. He recommends students to come try out rugby, and to contact him if interested. In March, his team will travel to Washington D.C. to kickstart an intense preseason preparation. “[Having coached for four years,] it feels really rewarding to pass down your knowledge to the next generation,” Lavoie said. “Some of the same fulfillment that I get from teaching, I also get from coaching.” Similarly, Jiménez encourages students to see a roller derby game. Additionally, her coaches and roller derby have given her memorable life maxims. “One of the greatest lessons that [roller derby has] taught me is that everyone falls in roller derby and they fall all the time,” Jiménez said. “It teaches you very quickly to bounce back and to be resilient. When you fall, you get back up again and you keep going, and you keep trying. The other [lesson] is that if you’re not falling, you’re not trying hard enough [or] challenging yourself. Sometimes it's hard to fail but when you have those moments we’re like ‘Okay, this is part of learning. This is part of growing, not to be embarrassed by those mishaps that are inevitable as you grow and evolve.’”
From the sidelines
The importance of students making an effort to cheer on their teacher athletes outside of school
PHOTO PERMISSION MAGGIE CHIAPPETTA-UBERTI From the stands: Maggie Chiappetta-Uberti, Auggie Koskoff and Emma Goss '22 support their teacher at the L.A. Marathon.
STORY JJ HOFFMAN
A
s science teacher and Physics Department Chair Dr. Amanda Dye crossed the finish line at the Los Angeles Marathon on Nov. 7, a group of Campbell Hall students cheered in the crowd. After hearing about Dye’s participation in the marathon through weekly emails to her students, Emma Goss ‘22 and her friends hastily looked for Dye after the race. Though ultimately unable to locate her, Goss recognizes the importance of supporting Campbell Hall teachers in their outsideof-school activities, especially reciprocating the support that they show their students. “We wanted to support [Dr. Dye] because we’ve all had her [as a teacher], and getting her [weekly emails] was really one of the best parts of the year,” Goss said. “And so to be able to support her in return just felt like a full circle type of moment. A lot of people
think [teachers supporting students is] a one-way street. Especially after COVID a lot of people are struggling academically and just asking for more support, and [it’s important to] realize that every profession has been equally affected [by] COVID and that [this relationship] is a two-way street.” Similarly, Auggie Koskoff ‘22 feels that it was important to celebrate Dye’s achievement, especially since the teachers support the students so often. He believes that it is meaningful to dedicate some time to do that in an effort to show appreciation for the teachers’ commitment to helping students. “[It’s important for students to] remember that our teachers are sort of similar to us,” Koskoff said. “It's important to give them just as much respect as you give others. I think sometimes students, on occasion, forget that. You have to think
about how much time they put into the lessons and helping us.” Though feeling vastly unprepared for the race due to a family emergency and consequently, a relative lack of training, once on the start line, Dye felt confidence within herself and was ready to race. She beat her goal of sub-4:30, and finished at a time of 4:27:54. After the race, Maggie Chiappetta-Uberti ‘22 sent Dye a photo of her and her friends at the marathon. “I honestly cried [when I saw the photo] because I was so overwhelmed,” Dye said. “It’s a big dedication to run a marathon, but there's also a dedication in going to see a marathon. It's really intense. It's a lot of people. And so it just takes a lot of time and energy to get to a marathon, whether you're running it or you’re spectating it. I realize how much time it took out of [the students’] day.” Dye recognizes that because she didn’t share what she was doing in sports outside of school with her students, this was the first time students came out to support her. As a sign above her desk reads ‘Dr. Dye, It’s Physically Possible!’ she remembers the profound impact these students had on her. Dye encourages other teachers to consider telling their students about any hobbies or activities they participate in, as the students will be able to know them more as a person and cultivate the relationship. “It’s just another way [for teachers and students] to relate, because maybe the topic you're teaching is not always everyone’s favorite topic, in the sense of just naturally not everyone can find common ground in that,” Dye said. “So by talking about your hobbies and your passions, I think it allows your students to find other ways to connect with you. If they don’t like physics, they might connect with me through running or they might connect with me through my favorite show or something of that nature. I think it helps them connect to you and feel in some way bonded to you.”
National tournaments, scouts, coach calls, training, stress, sacrifice. The college recruitment process is an ongoing battle that many athletes have been fighting throughout all of secondary school. Chris Hammond ‘22, a recent Amherst commit, has been playing basketball since he was young. Even from an early age, he and many teammates have had the end goal of playing in college. “College ball has always been in my mind,” Hammond said. “On the youth teams that I’ve played on all my friends and teammates' plans were college, everything was just super competitive and everyone knew that getting a scholarship to a good program was the end goal.” With college athletics being the goal for many athletes, starting young and working hard is not always enough in order to get an offer to play in college. Hammond has taken many extra steps whether it be national tournaments or connections with coaches in order to get his name out there. “Travel ball is great to get noticed, but it’s mostly about connections rather than where you play,” Hammond said. “People are more likely to come and see you instead of people being around at a gym and just happening to see you, it’s really helpful to have someone in your corner and tell people about you.” Dennis Keyes, head coach of the varsity football team, like many other coaches he is an essential part of the recruiting process. Additionally, Keyes stresses even more the importance of a coach in your corner at a relatively smaller school like Campbell Hall. “With the players I’ve had at Campbell Hall, with this being a smaller program most universities aren’t even aware of our school,” Keyes said. “My personal contacts play a large role in [getting students noticed].” Keyes also emphasizes the vital connection between program and student, as well as how easy it is to lose a big opportunity. In his experience coaching he's seen next level talents lose a college offer for seemingly trivial reasons. “We had a couple of kids here who I thought were next level players and had talent, but that was early on in our program so we weren’t able to get a lot of film for those guys, and get them the exposure they needed,” Keyes said. “I had an instance recently with Josh Quavos ‘21 who had an offer from a NCAA school, he called 15 minutes too late to commit and his spot was no longer there. Those kinds of things happen in this process, something like being 15 minutes late might cost you an offer.” While 15 minutes can be the difference between a college offer or not, many athletes, like Hammond, have worked tireless hours and days sacrificing time with friends to be able to get in contact with colleges. “It really is a lot of consecutive smaller sacrifices than one huge one,” Hammond said. “A couple times a month my friends will be hanging out and there's something I want to go to, but I have practice or I have a game or I have a workout or I have something that I’ve scheduled that I can’t miss and I would have to miss a friend's birthday party. I’ve missed a ton of parties throughout middle and high school which has been tough but there's nothing I can do about it and it’s to achieve my goals.” Along with the large time commitment being a student athlete requires, a large part of the process is knowing what one wants outside of a school besides athletics. For Kelly Grossman ‘20, now soccer player at Hamilton, one of the key parts of the process for her was being sure she was at a school where she could also focus on academics. “My first step was finding out early on where I wanted to go and what schools I was interested in,” Grossman said. “With wanting to prioritize academics I knew I wanted to look at Division III schools where I would have more of a school and athletic balance.” Schools Grossman was interested in on the east coast often didn’t travel to local soccer tournaments, forcing her to reach out to the program as well as commit relatively early compared to most of her peers. Hammond committed to a program a lot earlier than his peers. With his commitment, Hammond felt nothing but relief that the process had come to a close. “Committing felt great,” Hammond said. “The whole recruiting process was really long. I think it was at least over a year and a half where I was totally in flux. I didn’t know if I was going to go Division I or Division III. At one point I think I talked to 15 or 20 [Division I] coaches total, some of them came and went, others I talked to for months at a time, some of them I talked to twice total. But to be done with everything and know where I'm going and have the whole experience behind me is very relieving, and I’m just excited that I’m confident in where I’m going.”
20
New season, new team
Changing
RELATIONSHIPS How coach and athlete dynamics affect the game STORY JESSICA BAZEL
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ela Haro ‘23 steps onto the tennis court, confident in the prospect of a successful season. She is comforted by the fact that she has previously met her coaches and has a sense of who she’ll be working with. But, as the season begins, she discovers that what she thought she knew about her coaches turns out to be untrue. She’s surprised and thrown off by the intensity of their coaching styles, stressing about the high standards set for her. Haro has struggled with balancing different coaching dynamics when she’s interacting with her coaches on and off the court. Even though she knows that these changes come with coaching, it still takes time for her to adjust. “They’re [sweeter] off the court,” Haro said. “When they see you, they’ll [ask how you are], but then once you’re on the court there’s a whole other stress level for you and them. It was a lot different when we did tryouts and met them before we started playing. It was definitely a change [and] I wasn’t expecting it. They’re not as nice to you when you’re playing, which can be a little stressful, but it also pushes us to play our best.” While acknowledging this difference, Tanner Mahon ‘23 knows not to take it personally. Playing baseball since 2009, over time he’s learned that the rigidity of the coaching doesn’t reflect how they view him as a person. Rather, he finds that rigor is crucial for coaches to be able to foster a prosperous athlete. However, he believes that there is a fine line in developing a constructive coach and athlete relationship and that both coaches and athletes must find a way to balance on and off-court interactions. “[The tough side is] just a thing that has to happen if you want to be successful because if a coach treated you like a friend, I really don’t think they’d bring the best out of you,” Mahon said. “But, if they’re also not very nice to you off the field, then the relationship and the trust wouldn’t go well.” Similar to Mahon’s way of thinking, basketball coach Steven Tolbert II ‘05 believes that it is not his job to be his athletes’ friend or babysitter, but rather have a relationship dynamic more similar to that of an older brother. According to an NFHS (National Federation of State High School Associations) article by Dr. James Gels, the challenge of coaching is balancing rationale and logic along with empathy and emotional awareness. Additionally, it’s found that coaches hold a place of respect and authority, but still feel reachable enough for athletes to open up to. Tolbert believes that he’s able to balance these two roles of a mentor and an authority figure by bonding with his athletes off the court. He initiates conversations on campus, has lunch with his athletes, and more, in order to create comfortable relationships. This helps him with relaying the message to his athletes that it is both possible and crucial to make that distinction between authority figure and mentor. “I think they understand that there’s a business side and then there’s just the day-to-day side,” Tolbert said. “I try to explain that I was a player once myself, and even as a coach I’m still highly competitive. So, that person can sometimes be different [from] the person off the court or outside of practice. I think [the distinction] just comes with maturity and they’re able to kind of see the switch and know when it is happening. [To help with it, off the court, I try to] cross that barrier and show them this is different than practice or the game. This is me as just a person, not your coach.”
Feb. 28, 2022
THE PIPER
STORY TÉA MALTZMAN
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tar quarterback gone. Key seniors graduating. And a team left to rebuild. As the football team is forced to think about their future seasons, coaches and athletes alike are working hard to continue improving and moving forward after being hit with a tough challenge. The Campbell Hall football team, led by Head Coach Dennis Keyes, made school history with their season’s success. They had an overall record of 10 wins and only one loss against Santa Barbara High School. The majority of the varsity team was made up of juniors and seniors, who have grown into the team since their freshman years. Kian Salehi ‘23, feels that their years of experience playing together allowed the team to mold together and create an unbreakable bond between players and their coach, leading them to victories on the field. “It felt great knowing that we accomplished something that would go down in the books for this school and I was just extremely grateful to be a part of that experience,” Salehi said. “My hopes were to meet that same bar and even raise it a little higher next year as the philosophy for our team and program is to get at least one percent better every single day.” Because he loses essential players each year, Keyes feels like he is constantly rebuilding his team. This year, losing seniors Matteo Malchar, Blake Cotton, Jaden Williams, and junior Isaiah Sepand, among others, puts additional pressure on the team. He feels that they’ve struggled to maintain an ideal number of players in his program where he has felt comfortable with the group that is leaving. “It's part of the process, every year you are going to lose a group of seniors,” Keyes said. “When you look at the players that we're losing and how impactful they were to the team's success last year, it can mess with the mindset of the team. It makes it tough, but it creates opportunities for other guys to step up, be impactful and help the program succeed.” Similar to Keyes, Kamar Mothudi ‘24, sees this loss as positive as it challenges him and his teammates to be better than they ever were before. He feels the pressure to perform and live up to their last season’s success, but is determined to work hard and continue developing as a team. “It impacts us negatively in the sense that it’s unfortunate we’re losing all of those players but positively in the fact that it gives us a challenge and a goal to work towards for next season,” Mothudi said. “My
PHOTO PAULA NUCCI
End of an era: The team stands together one last time as one of the best Campbell Hall football teams, sad over the end of the season on Nov. 5 final score 20-36.
expectations are for everyone to grind and work as hard as they can. We’re a team that has talent and if we work at it we can replace the spots of the players we lost.” Keyes has created a foundation in which his players work hard constantly with the motivation to get better everyday. He teaches them to create value for themselves and instills that players should always be prepared. “At any given time in any sport, your number can be called and you have to step up and be able to compete and play and help your team,” Keyes said “We challenge everyone throughout the year, even before players leave. We preach that we want to always be ready. Players that have been waiting for their turn, hiding behind seniors, now have an opportunity for playing time and should take advantage of that.” The loss of players leaves an opportunity for more guys to step up to the plate and see more playing time on the field. Keyes has noticed that
the returning players are fired up and eager for the challenge. “Players have a sour taste in their mouth from getting knocked out in the first round of playoffs,” Keyes said. “The returning group wants to continue building upon what we started last year. They need to understand that last year’s team success has nothing to do with what we are doing in the future, that we have to earn our own worth. There's a lot for them to prove to themselves and to their teammates.” Salehi sees a bright future for the team next year and the following years after he graduates. His expectations are to go out with the same winning mentality every practice and game and to break more boundaries and records than last year. “There is definitely pressure with the loss of players because they were key building factors in the greatest team in school history,” Salehi said. “But I know our team can handle that pressure. We did it all year. No reason we can’t now.”
For the love of the game
The sports broadcasting club is here to give new coverage to all Viking teams
PHOTO IZZIE DIALLO The announcers: Zack Plotkin '22 and Aidan Michaels '22 announce the Girls Varsity Soccer on their senior night against Viewpoint on Feb. 1.
STORY JESSICA BAZEL
A
s he switched on the TV, Aidan Michaels ‘22 prepared himself to watch another hockey game played by his favorite team: the LA Kings. Hearing the voice of Bob Miller, the LA Kings announcer, bouncing around in his head, 13-year-old Michaels watched and listened in awe as he realized that Miller’s commentary was monumentally enhancing the game and making it more enjoyable. At that moment, he had an epiphany: he was going to be a sports broadcaster, just like his grandfather, Al Michaels. As he neared the end of his junior year, Michaels discovered the next step to pursuing his dream. Emailing Kena Dorsey, the advisor of the Viking News Network (VNN), Michaels proposed
a new club for sports broadcasting. Tanner Mahon ‘23, Oliver Gorin ‘23, and James Buckley ‘23, who were members of the VNN, had been requesting a sports segment on the network. Together, in September 2021, the four of them created the Campbell Hall Sports Broadcasting Club. According to Julia Stoll, a research expert in media and advertising, live sporting events often attract some of the highest TV audiences in the United States. In 2021, approximately 57.5 million U.S. viewers tuned in to watch digital live sports content at least once per month. Although the club isn’t getting millions of views, Michaels is optimistic about the growth of the club and hopes for its continuance. After
showcasing their organization at the club fair, their membership numbers started to grow, and Michaels hopes this uphill trend of participation isn’t temporary. “We didn’t know if we could handle all these new members, [but] it ended up being great,” Michaels said. “[I wanted to] start something new for Campbell Hall and have it keep going for years in the future. Now we’re not just broadcasting games, but we’re also interviewing student-athletes, doing all these side things. It just sort of blew up in a way that we hadn’t thought was going to happen.” As the club grows, co-president of the club, Gorin, reflects that starting the club has taught him an abundance of skills, including learning how to use the resources around him to start clubs, following his passion, and the value of perseverance. He hopes that the club will flourish and he feels proud knowing that he has made an impact in the Campbell Hall community. “The club has taught me to follow my passion,” Gorin said. “It has given me something to truly be proud of because it is something I had a [love] for and [was able to do] something about it. It makes me happy knowing [that] I will leave my mark on Campbell Hall when I graduate.” These broadcasts, according to
Sam Furmaniak ‘22 who has been playing football at Campbell Hall for two years, are beginning to be a part of the athletes’ lives as well. Although there’s not a huge connection between the broadcasting and athletes, he loves engaging in post-game interviews with Michaels and notices that games seem like a bigger deal when they’re being broadcasted. Furmaniak also points out that broadcasting has helped with accessibility to his games, especially throughout COVID. Whether someone can’t make it to a game or they simply don’t understand the rules of football, Furmaniak notes that the Sports Broadcasting Club
can also be incredibly beneficial for viewers of the broadcasts. He suggests the club can grow in the future
by embarking on new endeavors like filming basketball games and interviewing players before games to gain a new perspective. “I think it’s really cool, what they’re doing,” Furmaniak said. “But, with the exception of the post-game interviews, we don’t actually hear a lot from them. Putting good film out there is good, [though], and it’s also great for people who can’t come to the games to see it. If you got COVID, you’re sick, [or] you just can’t make it out to the games, it's a great option to be able to watch it while also hearing some great commentary about the game."