May 2022

CAMPBELL HALL EPISCOPAL

MAY 31, 2022 VOLUME 24

ISSUE 4

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POLITICAL YOUTH In the light of tragic events as well as national political issues, students, teachers and alumni reflect on their power as citizens to evoke political change at the local level.

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PLUS Students and faculty reflect on HB 1557 also known as “The Don’t Say Gay” bill and its ramifications for the LGBTQ+ in the community.

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PHOTO AVA GUGGENHEIM

After the events of the Oscars, students and teachers notice the bias that comes with media coverage of minorities.

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Piper Saken ‘24 expresses frustration at the restrictions the government is imposing on womens’ bodies Page 13

Making history

STORY TAYLOR HUIE, PIPER SAKEN PHOTO PERMISSION SARAHBETH MANEY/THE NEW YORK TIMES

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upreme Court Justice John Roberts, Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer, Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh. Five out of the nine current Supreme Court justices are white men. Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson’s historic confirmation as the first Black female justice on the Court has brought hope and enthusiasm alongside some hesitancy.

Zoe Thomas ‘24 is very excited about Jackson’s confirmation and the representation she brings to the Supreme Court. However, her enthusiasm is tempered by the fact that Jackson’s confirmation, while historic, exemplifies racial disadvantages still woven into the country.

“Joe Biden said that the Supreme Court should look like the country, but it almost took 250 years for the court to look like the country." Thomas said. "That just shows how long equality takes to be achieved.”

The confirmation of the first Black female justice

Campus Highlights

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Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson's confirmation sends waves of celebration through the school when realizing the new Supreme Court Justice's impact on the United States

makes Isabella Napier '25 hopeful in terms of making strides towards equity. However, similar to Thomas, Napier feels the confirmation hearing also served to highlight the prejudices in the justice system.

“It’s amazing having her as representation, but seeing how she was treated [in the hearing] and the way she was being asked her questions was [upsetting],” Napier said. “They should be addressing her with respect. It shows how much power the white community can have and how much they can get away with.”

Thomas similarly felt that Jackson was questioned unfairly during her hearing. However, she also views Jackson’s responses to the questions as a moment of triumph and strength.

“They asked her [biased] questions because they saw a woman, a Black woman, who was overqualified for the Supreme Court and they didn’t like that,” Thomas said.

“There were questions trying to provoke her, they tried to corner her into a box, but they were simply unsuccessful.”

However, others in the community are more wary of the confirmation. Aminda Zou ‘22 is mindful of the fact that Jackson’s confirmation can mean mixed things for many different communities. “[The confirmation is] something that should be celebrated, especially because since the Supreme Court is a lifelong commitment, it's kind of hard to see a change in who's in the position, but also because it's been consistently white men for centuries,” Zou said. “It's important to keep in mind that just because we have one Black woman doesn't mean that this is success for all and it's not the end of the battle for representation.

People need to be aware that just because [Jackson] is part of a racial minority doesn't mean that all of her

views are liberal.”

History teacher Dr. Susie An is hopeful about the confirmation, but feels that amidst the excitement surrounding the confirmation, many are forcing Jackson into the role of a symbolic justice. They recognize the dichotomy between being a symbol of representation and equity and being a human individual.

“Just because she's a Black female justice doesn’t mean she’s going to rule in a way that everyone likes,” An said. “She can't possibly carry the burden of the entire Black community and the liberal community. Tragically for her, this nomination was determined by the public, they decided for her what the nomination meant. But she is her own person, she's a symbolic figure, but also this very real person. Jackson has been tasked with somehow encompassing all Black identity and all female identity.”

An also feels that much of Jackson’s nomination to the Supreme Court was driven by a recent shift towards identity politics that is, a political environment in which communities form political ideologies based on their identities. Because of these circumstances, An is cautious about the nomination, being mindful of the various expectations Jackson is being held to but, may ultimately not fulfill.

“We are beyond 1990s multiculturalism where we cover up difference,” An said. “What we need to do to push the politics of representation forward is to think beyond tokenization, which is something I feared about [Jackson’s nomination]. Although the right I'm sure is accusing the left of inserting [representation], of revisionist history where you simply inject into the present what should have been done in the past. That's why we need to always be careful of carrying our politics in human identity containers.”

Ultimately, Napier hopes that Jackson’s nomination will show the school community that even just one person’s advocacy can make a difference. Similarly, Thomas feels that Jackson’s confirmation will be inspiring to Black women, not just in the community, but across the nation.

“I think the point [Jackson] is trying to get across is to Black women and Black girls everywhere, you can do the same things that white people do,” Thomas said. “That they are extraordinary in a country that was founded on the idea that Black women are less than.”

CAMPBELL HALL

IN COLOR

PHOTO 1 OREN WEISSMAN PHOTO 2 PERMISSION CAITLIN JONES PHOTO 3 MATT ROSE

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ven two years after the start of the pandemic, Campbell Hall continues to experience in-person firsts. Last month’s color wars chapel was a highlight for the entire upper school, reminding upperclassmen of the excitement of school-wide competitions and introducing underclassmen to the tradition. Ethan Eisenstein’s ‘24 first color wars was celebrated with a bang, winning his grade the Name-thatTune challenge. He was excited by the chance to represent his class and bond with the classes he didn't have the chance to know over his first year of high school.

“Overall, I think that my first color wars was a lot of fun,” Eisenstein said. “Obviously my favorite part was getting to beat the seniors as underclassmen. Color wars is a really fun way to just bond as a grade and take time away from the stress of school. It helps the community by providing that bonding space where everyone is going crazy for their grade. However, it can also hurt the community as we saw this year with people being attacked outside of the gym.”

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or weeks leading up to prom, promposals swept through the upper school.

Will Clarke ‘22 was determined to make his promposal to Caitlin Jones ‘22 special with a personal touch, drawing on her love of "Tangled" lanterns to spell out “Prom?” on her driveway using homemade lanterns.

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

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

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

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ince the beginning of the conflict between Ukraine and Russia, the world’s gaze has been fixed on the largest humanitarian crisis since the 1990s according to the council on foreign relations. Matt Rose ‘22 decided he could help, and design creating a shirt with all proceeds going to the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), a nonprofit who provides humanitarian aid to children in Ukraine. He far exceeded expectations, selling over 600 shirts raising a total of $10,000.

Rose wanted his contribution to not only raise funds, but also represent the message of the Ukrainian people. Having Ukrainian family members, the shirt project was spurred by a desire to honor his family and heritage.

“I wanted to start this project because my dad and his family were born and raised in Ukraine,” Rose said. “I wanted to blend together my love of fashion with my heritage and sell these shirts to donate the money in dedication to my family. I didn't want to sell a shirt with just a Ukrainian flag on it because although people might buy those, they're not really getting a product that is unique. The design is of a nightingale, the national bird of Ukraine. The lettering spells 'hope' in English because it sends a strong message but also because in Star Wars they always say 'A rebellion is built on hope,' so I found that fitting.”

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Free to be ME

Local politics

The community reflects on why local elections matter and how national issues tie to local change

Recent legislation against teaching about the LGBTQ+ community in elementary schools prompts reexamination of the importance of queer visibility

STORY LINCOLN WEINSTOCK, MAGGIE CHIAPPETTA-UBERTI

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STORY LEVI HOROWITZ, LINCOLN WEINSTOCK ART NOA SCHWARTZ

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n Monday March 28, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed what is known as the “Don’t Say Gay” bill. HB 1557 bans Florida public school teachers from conducting classroom discussions or providing education about sexual orientation or gender identity, and its consequences are serious. According to the Trevor Project, LGBTQ+ youth face much higher rates of depression and suicide than cisgender/heterosexual youth, but access to education and safe spaces reduce these statistics. So for the estimated 114,000 LGBTQ+ youth in Florida, the new bill holds extreme weight.

Jessica McPherson ‘22 is a member of the LGBTQ+ community and an advocate for queer rights. She attempts to teach her younger siblings about the LGBTQ+ community through her experiences as a queer person.

McPherson is shocked by the “Don’t Say Gay” bill and worried about its potential consequences. As someone who struggled with being open with and embracing her identity, she fears that the bill will make it even harder for queer youth in Florida and other states.

“I wish I knew what the LGBTQ community was [when I was younger],” McPherson said. “Yes, they are very young, but I feel like teaching [young people] about the spectrum of gender and sexuality is very helpful. When I was in elementary and middle school I didn’t feel safe to come out and I wasn’t in an environment that taught me that it’s okay to be who you are and love who you are and exist in your truth. I worry that these kids in Florida won’t feel safe with being their true selves.”

Jason Mills, faculty advisor to Gay Straight Alliance (GSA) and Spectrum, finds the fact that LGBTQ+ people are often oversexualized in frustrating discussions. He feels that many people who are not educated on the LGBTQ+

community immediately reduce non-heterosexual people to their sexual preference, unnecessarily sexualizing them in the context of classroom and social discussions. Mills feels that, contrary to Florida lawmakers’ beliefs, teaching children about the spectrum of gender and sexuality is not at all inappropriate, and is actually very important. “[The Florida lawmakers] are conflating sexual activity with just being when it comes to the queer community,” Mills said. “If a kindergartener is telling a story about a prince and princess or mom and dad, they’re not talking about their sex life. I don’t think there’s any difference if that story was about a husband and husband or princess and princess. So to me, that’s a big concern about the bill. It continues to conflate the mere existence of queer people with sexual activity.”

V Waters ‘24 recently came out as genderfluid to the student body in a chapel speech.

They have always had a sense of fear around the idea of publically coming out, but felt comfortable and safe within the Campbell Hall community and in a liberal state like California. Recently, that fear of being openly queer has been heightened following the outward transphobia within the government of surrounding states that might not be as accepting.

“The recent slew of anti-trans laws have made me extremely worried for the safety of both the trans and gender nonconforming people in those states, but also for myself,” Waters said. “There are laws against my existence. How messed up is that? All I’m doing is existing, and some old rich white people

have decided that my identity is unacceptable.

It makes me so angry. Laws like that just confirm people's biases. They aren’t productive; they’re cruel. I’ve cried over the anti trans laws in South Carolina. I hate how lawmakers are bullying vulnerable trans children for political gain. I can’t stand it.”

As a member of GSA and a strong believer in social justice for marginalized groups, McPherson encourages her peers to be aware of discriminatory systems and laws and how they affect LGBTQ people.

“Everyone should speak out and raise awareness,” McPherson said. “Especially all the cisgender/heterosexual allies, you should use your privilege and try to make a change. It’s tiring as a person of the community to be constantly pushing and pushing and not fully knowing if you have the support of others. Also listen to stories, listen to what’s happening in the world, just listen and be aware of LGBTQ+ issues.”

The process of coming out publicly can be a scary, nerve racking, and a physically dangerous announcement, depending on one’s environment. Recent laws against the queer community leave openly gay and transgender students feeling even more vulnerable. Waters emphasizes the importance of coming out in one's own time and only when it is safe.

“If anyone is being a jerk to you about who you are, they aren’t worth your time,” Waters said. “And never be scared to correct people on who you are. You’re not being rude, they are. Your only job is to be yourself. You don’t have to do anything else for the community.

Just be you.”

ANTI-ASIAN HATE Recent lockdowns in China and a continuous rise in Asian hate crimes spark outrage and fear STORY AMELIE PARK

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asks, protests and fear. Recent Covid-19 surges in China have once again shone a spotlight on the severity of the pandemic. Media coverage has shown tragic events such as intense lockdown procedures, inefficient government interventions and Asian-hate conversations.

Wei Yang, secondary world language teacher, has seen that her friends living in China are impacted by the lockdowns. She feels concerned for her friends in China and notices the differences between life in the United States and life in China.

“It is hard to imagine the living situation in China [as someone living in the United States],” Yang said. “In China, there are a lot of people.

Instead of living in single houses like us, everyone lives in large apartment complexes. My friends who live in Shanghai told me that one of the biggest problems was living through a food shortage. It definitely affected the living situation of everyone. One of my friends who own a restaurant hasn’t had income in a couple of years.”

Yang has worried as she sees and hears her relatives’ experiences through phone calls and media coverage. She tries to do whatever she can to support them from across the world.

“Hearing these stories, I feel so stressed and I worry about them,” Yang said. “However, I do my best and help my family as much as I can. I try to support them with everything and it’s good to hear that people in China are working to help one another.”

Like Yang, Aminda Zou ‘22 has witnessed the rise in Asian-hate crimes has affected the lives of her and her family members. Additionally, she comments on the different methods of protection she and her mother used to try and combat potential danger.

“My mom and I have never been really serious about protecting ourselves even though we probably should have been,” Zou said. “But my mom got really scared at the beginning of the pandemic and [bought me] pepper spray, which I still have on my car keys. This may seem funny because everyone asks why I have a ladle in my car, but my mom's

explanation is because it is something she can use to extend her arms to defend herself with — which is very funny in a way but also really sad and disheartening. [Stuff like this] really raised our awareness a lot more because we just weren't conscious of how dangerous the world is towards Asian people.”

In addition, Zou shares her thoughts on the effects of social media in combination with the recent China lockdowns. She shares how this affects the way people view Asians and what that means for the two countries.

“It is hard for people to see both sides of the situation because obviously people aren't connected to the media in China like I am, and I think what's important is that it's really difficult to find a midpoint because of the language barrier,” Zou said. “ I do think that having more International media and direct phone calls between the two countries will allow us to reach a consensus instead of just putting us against each other.”

Similar to Zou, Lila McNamee ‘23 highlights what being ‘Asian’ is like within the Campbell Hall community. She notes that media coverage does not do justice to the realities of being part of such a welcoming environment, where everyone treats each other with respect.

“At Campbell Hall, you’re in such a bubble,” McNamee said. “There are about 10 Asian kids in each grade, or even less, so you don’t really hear about Asian hate at the school like you do in the news all the time.

The [Asian Affinity Alliance] has grown, coming out of the pandemic, and it creates a safe space for everyone to relate to each other.”

McNamee explains how members of the community can come together and support each other during this time. Not only within the Asian community, she notes how being a part of heart-to-heart talks can bring everyone together.

“Though it’s hard to get rid of prejudices, I think that being part of affinity groups such as DEIJ and AAPI can definitely help make a difference,” McNamee said. “[The Asian community] doesn’t make up a lot of the school, but we are proud and stay strong. Through discussions and other conversations we are learning about these important issues and growing from them.”

he upcoming mayoral race, public health concerns, and LA's homeless crisis. As students become aware of the local politics that permeate the news, they have realized how important it is to get involved in any tangible way that they can.

Lauren Stoll ‘24 recently participated in the walkout for women’s reproductive rights during school on March 19, 2022. She argues that, in order to be involved, students must be taught about the local political issues happening right now.

“It was cool to see how we could bring a national issue to our own city," Stoll said. "However, to get everyone involved in political issues on a local level, it should be more of an open discussion in our community, like in history class or chapel.”

The effects of local politics have come into focus after a recent school shooting in Uvalde, Texas that took the lives of 19 children and two teachers. According to a May 2022 article by Julian Mark in The Washington Post, Republican congressman Tony Gonzalez representing Uvalde voted no on two gun control measures. With his re-election coming up in November, citizens across the nation who have become aware of both the Uvalde shooting and Gonzalez’s second amendment beliefs have spread awareness to vote him out.

High School Chaplain Joseph Courtney feels that there is a responsibility for everybody to contribute positively to society. He argues that the unhoused population is eager to stay informed on local politics but are unable to given circumstance, similar to how students may feel.

“As citizens of the world, it’s our job to effect change, spread love, champion justice and peace and respect everybody on our planet,” Courtney said. “We used to have a lot of homeless people around school, and when I would check in and ask what they wanted, they said they wanted newspapers. So I would bring them a local newspaper for them to read. They want to be involved in local politics. They want to know what’s going on and try to make a change. Everybody has a responsibility, if you are able, to contribute to our society.”

Nicolas Friedlich ‘16, a student at Georgetown Law, participates in politics at both national and local levels.

He is participating in a year-long Practicum through the Human Rights Institute next year advocating on behalf of victims of sexual violence worldwide. Locally, he is clerking for the House Oversight Committee this summer, working under Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney. He has witnessed firsthand how important it is for youth to get involved in local politics.

“The ripple effects that have been emanating from elementary schools to secondary schools at every level and across the country are felt here in D.C,” Friedlich said. “Even if it is a localized walk-out at their high school, the ability to galvanize youth in that way is so essential and really felt here. I would encourage students to keep engaged, even if it feels so far removed from the seats of power, because it is incredible that students are doing this work.”

Matlock Grossman ‘22 has been involved in local politics since he was eleven years old. He started off advocating for bike lanes, and eventually became the youngest member of the Los Feliz Neighborhood Council. He believes in the power of local politics to bring change to cities.

“People underestimate the amount of actual tangible change that comes from local politics,” Grossman said.

“If you look around, every stop sign, speed bump, stoplight, the trees on the side of the street, all of that comes from and is facilitated by the neighborhood councils. Everything you can see in a neighborhood and all the change that you may want to happen is done through local politics. We underestimate how powerful local institutions can be.”

Like Grossman, Friedlich acknowledges the importance of getting involved, and argues that it starts with support from the school community. He feels that the school needs to allow students to engage with the real world.

“Something that Campbell Hall has always stood for is being a community of inquiry and that ethos can only ring true if the school is also fostering students to get involved in the political process,” Friedlich said. “So much of [our school’s motto] comes from students being given the freedom to explore and engage in that political socialization from a young age. The only way to find out where you stand on an issue is to actually get in the room. Campbell Hall has always been a place that wants to foster the next generation of leaders and the best way to honor that is by encouraging this activist spirit.”

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Helping hands

Advocating through art Students use art as an outlet to protest and express social justice issues

Art Activism: Nick Gudis's '22 print imitates Byzantine Orthodox inconography, depicting Gudis themself as both the Virgin Mary and the baby Jesus. Gudis feels that their artwork is a refelction of the developing role that religion plays in current world events.

STORY SOPHIA GOLDBERG, KEELY CHAMBERS ART NICK GUDIS

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hotography teacher, Katie Kline, reflects back on her time as a student at Campbell Hall: the 2016 election was approaching but Kline was too young to vote. She found herself turning to art and looking to visual artists, filmmakers and comedians as they used their mediums to shed light on complex social issues and discuss different sides of them. Kline attended numerous classes in feminism and the experience of being a woman as well as unusual female and LGBTQ experiences. This shaped her earlier art where she honed in how women are silenced and manipulated.

Alongside Kline, Nick Gudis ’22 uses art as a way to express themselves. Although they passionately address social justice topics, that wasn’t always their

Glass half empty How Generation Z navigates an increasingly

original intention. During quarantine especially, Gudis found themselves using art as an outlet no matter how good or bad they believed it was.

“I don't think I intentionally make [art about] social justice, I just make art to express myself as it’s easier than words,” Gudis said. “During quarantine, I found myself with a lot of time and I just needed an outlet to put how I felt and the things that I saw online and in real-life into social commentary, little satirical things and social justice art.”

Gudis hopes to not suppress their emotions when it comes to new issues. Currently, Gudis is working on a collage discussing the Ukraine crisis as a reaction to the news and the ideas swarming the internet.

“I prefer to be productive with my emotions and not to let it bottle up inside,” Gudis said. “Art is a way to process and react to what I see going on in the news around

STORY NOA SCHWARTZ ART AUSTIN JANAVS

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ildfires, earthquakes, hurricanes, police brutality, systemic racism, political divides, climate change and a global pandemic have all changed the lives of young people across the country. Many students find it difficult to maintain hope in a world they’ve already seen shut down. This pessimism has led some students to become disillusioned and distrusting of what’s around them.

12th grade dean and high school English teacher Louisa Levine is well aware of students’ concerns about the future. Having taught at every grade level, she notices a change most prominently in 11th grade when students mature enough to think critically about global issues and gain a sense of understanding of the world, both the good and the bad. “[High schoolers are] discovering their own minds in a really wonderful way,” Levine said. “That sense of meaning that you didn’t know was there before can extend in all kinds of directions and when you see things about the world, it’s sometimes really hard to think about when you’re in that state of mind, especially now. It’s really hard to be anything but cynical.”

With constant deluges of news about natural disasters, pandemics and police brutality, Ari Brigman

me.”

Kline sees the value of art and how it allows people to express their humanity in creative ways. She also values its ability to reveal truths and aid in the sharing of perspectives that is necessary for equity.

“As I understand it and teach it, art allows human beings to express parts of their humanity and communicate emotions in a powerful, direct, and complex way,” Kline said. “There's something more visceral about art which allows it to reveal truths and create equity by seeing where people are coming from and what their perspective is. I think this experience is how art is just innately intertwined with issues of social justice.”

In her art history class, Allison Shrage introduces students to the meaning behind the famous paintings they have seen throughout their lives but never understood. When discussing 20th and 21st-century art and with that, the modern and postmodern movement brings forth how artists have raised awareness throughout history.

“Students, before going into the course, sometimes have a narrow understanding of the paintings they have seen so I discuss what they are trying to communicate,” Shrage said. “At the end of the day artists are simply mirroring what's going on in society and their art is a reaction to it. I hope to get students excited about recent periods and how artistry allows artists to use their voice to raise awareness about social and political issues and look at how artists attempt to break away from some of these standards.”

Kline and Shrage work to teach art as a tool for their students to express themselves. During quarantine, they found the value of art shining through even through their devices.

“I've seen how art can be a powerful tool for providing a voice especially as students were isolated,” Kline said. “I found in my classes, although in remote learning, that it was very rare to have a student that just didn't participate because they had a safe space and didn't have all the eyes of their peers on them as they were making art at home so it felt very genuine.”

‘22 believes that pessimism may be inevitable. To an extent, they maintain that their generation has been brought up to expect the worst, and that being cynical has become a reaction to disappointment.

“We’re growing up in an era where we feel like nothing good is ever going to happen again,” Brigman said. “[Cynicism] is a defense mechanism.

You’ll hear this from any psychologist you ever talk to because if you have low expectations, then when something goes better than you think it will go, it makes you happy. If we look at everything like it’s terrible, we feel good about any little victory. Something as simple as brushing your teeth in the morning or remembering to eat at lunch time makes our day that much easier.”

Ava Stefan ‘24 believes social media has also impacted how Generation Z views world events and their own lives.

The rise of social media has its positive impacts, but Stefan feels that it also contributes to students’ negative focus on small details.

“There are a lot of positive things about social media,” Stefan said.

“You can connect with so many people, have fun and it opens a whole new world of creativity. However, a ton of people are concerned with it, and all they care about is social media. It makes people self conscious about things that they shouldn't be self conscious about, and that aspect of it makes our generation more pes-

Building a strong connection with sister schools in Haiti STORY MADISON DAMUS

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aiti remains among the poorest countries in the world.

According to the World Bank, in 2021 schools have felt the bulk of COVID-19’s effects as they lose funding, making them unable to pay teachers. Campbell Hall's sister schools in Haiti, Saint Aidans, Saint Jaques and Holy Innocents, are devastated after a global recession that has demolished economies around the world.

Many in the Campbell Hall community are working to help combat the rise in poverty.

Johnny Rodgers, advisor of the Hands for Haiti Club, has found Campbell Hall to be an invested community in the past. He has found that he needs to work even harder tp change their current trajectory. “[The school] has only helped enough to keep things [in Haiti] afloat,” Rodgers said. “We haven't been able to send enough money down there to make a really serious difference in terms of their resources, buildings and staff."

David Eick ‘22, president of Hands for Haiti Club, has been a part of the club since 10th grade. Eick is determined to help provide better learning opportunities, resources and school lunches to the children of Haiti.

This year the club reached its goal of raising $25,000 for the school.

“While the primary goal of the Haiti Club fundraiser was to raise money to continue financing our sister schools in Haiti, what I found most valuable during the event was the opportunity to educate members of the Campbell Hall community on our sister schools, what the Haiti Club does, and generally strengthen our relationship to our friends in Haiti,” Eick said.

David Kern ‘24 has cherished the time he's spent working with the club and appreciates the efforts of the fellow members. The Hands for Haiti Club completed a big project in which they held a large fundraiser with live music performed and Haitian art being sold off in an auction.

“Being a part of the Haiti Club is being able to make a big difference for a community that is in dire need of help,” Kern said “I wish that the community knew more about the struggles that our sister schools go to as they do not have as many privileges that we do. We can help them out by directly donating to them so that they can continue to fund their schools and grow. We have a responsibility to care about the well being of our sister schools and help them as much as we possibly can.”

simistic.”

Levine does not attribute students’ attitudes to pessimism, but to worry.

Levine believes that although most students would like to stay positive, recent events make it difficult to look on the bright side.

“When I talk to my students, I get a sense of anxiety about the future,” Levine said.

“It’s not necessarily cynicism, but it’s not hopeful. The impulse of their hearts is to really enjoy life and love the world around them and think about the future with optimism, but it’s always being stepped on. It’s really hard to feel those things being squashed at every turn. But I think underneath it is this hope that not all people are like that.”

Middle school dean Gina delgado feels that pessimism is an oversimplification of what youth feel today. Instead of worrying, Delgado believes that students are more likely to take matters into their own hands and spread awareness about uncomfortable topics, something that is often misattributed as pessimism.

“I don't know if it is really about pessimism or optimism, but what I do know is that there is a much more realistic understanding of how the world is working,” Delgado said. “We are seeing what is actually happening in the world, and we are seeing younger and younger kids become protesters for great causes. So I believe there is a greater appreciation for the actual real-

GINA DELGADO We are seeing what is actually happening in the world, and we are seeing younger and younger kids become protesters for great causes. So I believe there is a greater appreciation for the actual reality of what's happening, and not necessarily optimism versus pessimism.

TEACHER ity of what's happening, and not necessarily optimism versus pessimism.”

Levine still finds it important to have hope. It may seem overwhelming at times, she encourages students to take time in their day to enjoy themselves and do something small to create positive change, however insignificant it may seem.

“It sounds cheesy, but when I wake up in the morning I try to go outside just for a second,” Levine said. “I really try to enjoy small moments. I think it’s different because I’m not thinking about my future in quite the same way.

You can’t singlehandedly change the world, but you can do a small thing.

That is what I think is really meaningful. Maybe you can’t stop climate change, but you can get out of your head and do something to make a difference for someone else.”

THE PIPER

May 31, 2022

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The hidden cost of fundraising

The raised cost of attending the Bagpipers Ball causes concern that the event has become exclusive

Adding up: Accumulative costs of tickets and extra expenses at the bagpiper's ball worries some families

STORY LUCY KENNEL, MAGGIE CHIAPPETTA-UBERTI ART NOA SCHWARTZ

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t the 2020 Bagpipers Ball Glenna Shen, high school parent, scans the room of people, searching for her friends. She sees people wearing long gowns, decorated in diamonds, standing with their peers and partners as they engage in small talk. She stands in the midst of the crowd at Campbell Hall’s annual gala event, feeling misplaced. As much as she admires the work put into the event, she can’t help but think about her friends who were unable to attend.

Shen feels that fundraisers, such as the annual Bagpiper’s Ball, can be overly extravagant. She has found that many of her friends cannot afford to spend $300 per person to attend and argues that the school should create more inclusive forums that put an emphasis on community through fundraising.

“The Bagpiper’s Ball is seen as a key fundraising event, but it is also meant to be a community-building event, so you miss the mark when you aren’t able to be inclusive of the entire community,” Shen said. “There is an irony [present at this] event: dress up fancy and raise all of this money for those who cannot attend. This year’s Ball took a step towards being more accessible in that it was clearly communicated that it was not black tie, and people should come dressed for a ‘night out.’ So I think that the school is trying to create an opportunity for everyone to give collectively.”

Christopher Dennis, associate head of community engagement which oversees the diversity, equity and inclusion, and justice work at CH argues that the community can become more inclusive by raising important questions, more specifically, to address who is left out of the picture and who remains at the forefront. Dennis feels that the school needs to have a broader perspective to address issues of inclusivity.

“Inclusion really asks, ‘Do I have a seat at the table?’ and ‘Do I have the proportionate amount of things on my plate as everyone else?’” Dennis said. “In some cases, we have people who are at the table, but are not actu-

ally expected to contribute to the conversation. When we are being inclusive, we are saying that not only are you here at the table, but we’re all gonna reset our expectations of what this table used to look like before you got here instead of just saying that ‘You’re here now, adjust to this space.’”

While Head of School Julian Bull values the Bagpiper’s Ball as a fundraiser and finds it important, he acknowledges that barriers still do exist for low-income families who aspire to be involved. He feels that it might be challenging to address this issue of economic inclusion, but has taken steps towards improving past criticisms.

“The message needs to be that if you want to be there, we will help you find a way to be,” Bull said. “What we tried to do this year that we haven’t done in previous years is to make tickets available to families on financial aid at a discounted rate, so if you are on full financial aid it is a free ticket, or if you are on 10 percent financial aid, you get 10 percent off on the tickets. A fifth of the attendance fits into this category.”

Shen acknowledges the importance of fundraising; however, she still feels like the Ball in previous years has had other expenses aside from the ticket price that may go unnoticed.

“These galas are formal, and sometimes themed, so after you make the commitment to attend, especially if you don’t usually go to galas, there is likely the additional cost of preparing,” Shen said.

“It adds to the overall ‘cost’ to participate and adds another obstacle to being inclusive.”

Bull argues that the solution of lowering the ticket cost at events like the Bagpiper’s Ball is a double-edged sword, for it allows more people to attend, but due to the current cost of holding the event, doing so simultaneously loses an aspect of the fundraising ability.

“What we have begun to do, and will continue to work towards, is to re-envision how our community-building events can better serve to meet our fundraising goals. Doing so will make sure that the school both raises money, but also includes all members of our community,” Bull said. “Currently, fundraisers, including the Ball, the golf tournament and party book events, cost money to run and generate money for financial aid, either directly or through endowment.

Ironically, the events would then raise less money for aid by increasing reimbursement costs, but that is a trade-off we made this year.”

In previous years, the Bagpiper’s Ball was run by one chair, when it is now run by a team of people working towards making it as inclusive as possible. Although Dennis feels that there has been a great deal of change made, he recognizes that there is always more that can be done.

“This year, we went to the DEIJ Board and said ‘our ticket prices may be a barrier for people to come,” Dennis said. “However, the real question is, ‘Did you include me in the concept of the party?

Are there things there that I am going to enjoy? What was unique about the adjustments we made this year was that the dress code was changed. Instead of black tie, people could wear whatever they would like. Another thing that we implemented was that you could indicate in your RSVP whether you wanted to sit at an affinity group table. People spend time in the community in unique ways, so we wanted to configure the room in a way that was inclusive. But there is always more that can be done. The more opportunities that we have to exchange our experiences in a way that doesn’t require a different level of membership will be helpful in the future.”

LIVING IN A

World of hate STORY MAGGIE CHIAPPETTA-UBERTI, TAYLOR HUIE

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ass shootings, anti-Asian hate crimes, war. Living amidst a world of divisions, of hatred and of violence toward one another, students and faculty alike have reflected on what it is like to grow up in a world of hate.

For Sophia Mevorah ‘24, living in a world where it feels like danger is around every corner has shaped how she has grown up.

She feels that many of the problems she faces every day are a result of societal power dynamics, causing her to feel that her entire world is out of her control.

“You feel very vulnerable in certain instances when you have no control over yourself or others,” Mevorah said. “You have no idea what men or other people can do just because of the power we give them as a society.”

Recently, many teens have had to grapple with the reality that nobody is immune from the harsh realities of the world. Sascha Briller ‘23 argues that tragedies can happen to anyone, anywhere, which has made growing and maturing all the more frightening.

“As a student, hearing about events [like shootings] is definitely unsettling,” Briller said. “I know that nothing has happened near us per say, but being a student and hearing about school shootings makes me nervous and insecure, even in [my local] environment.”

Existing in a world full of hate also holds implications for parents who are preparing to send their children out into the world.

History teacher Elena Malone is acutely aware of the issues her children are facing when they leave the house. However, she is also cognizant of the privilege she and her family hold. Despite the lack of immunity from tragedies that privilege offers, it can change how we interact with the world.

“I think about what my kids will be fighting for when they are of voting age, but I don't necessarily think about violence against them and their own safety,” Malone said. “I don't [need to] have the talk with my kids about getting pulled over by the police [also because] my kids are young, but - and I can’t speak for a Black parent - but I think if I were [not as privileged as I am], I would have already had that conversation.

For parent Andrea Douglas, raising children in a world full

of discord means raising children that are activists and have an ambition to drive change. However, as the mother of Black children, she lives in constant worry for her children’s safety and wellbeing.

She struggles to balance feelings of pride with anxiousness.

“It’s wonderful to see your children involved and passionate about social activism and about racial justice, but the reality is that raising Black children in America presents certain risks,” Douglas said. “It’s terrifying to think that while you’ve raised them to speak their minds that one day they will get into a situation where the only objective is to survive the encounter, but all the training and education will kick in and then they’ll want to tell a police officer, for example, why the police officer is wrong, rather than acquiesce and deal with it later. There’s a very real possibility that the outcome would be horrible for my child and that’s very scary for me.”

Lyla Dintzer ‘22 feels a responsibility to address the current state of the world. She feels that to develop as productive citizens, we must continue to stay informed and educated, uncomfortable as it may be.

“We’ve inherited a pretty screwed up world and the people

who’ve come before us,” Dintzer said. “It’s our job to educate ourselves. We can’t just close ourselves off from the bad things happening around us because that allows it to continue happening.

We need to understand the political climate and we need to be looking at making a change.”

Parker Messana ‘22 also argues that education is the way to maintain hope. He acknowledges and is grateful to have resources to stay informed. “[We] need to grow up learning the important and hard stuff in life,” Messana said. “Thankfully, Campbell Hall does a great job of explaining to us what is acceptable, appropriate, and what cannot fly at all. Our generation can help make a change to stop these terrible tragedies from happening.”

Although Messana has found hope, Karina Shahinian ‘24 argues that often, it is hard to have a positive mindset when there is so much negativity in the world.

“When tragic things happen around me, when they pile up on themselves and one thing after another keeps happening, it’s hard to maintain hope. But, I have tried to share kindness. When I see people do things, I also want to make change, and that brings me hope.”

IMPACT OF NATURAL DISASASTERS

Students reflect on economic privilage when responding to the impact of natural disasters STORY TAYLOR HUIE

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ccording to John Henley’s 2020 article in The Guardian, 1.2 billion people could be displaced by climate destabilization by 2050, less than 30 years away.

Wealth and socioeconomic status play a large role in how people are impacted by natural disasters, according to high school science teacher, Karl Frank. For many of lower socioeconomic status, they don’t have access to resources like healthcare, insurance, or a safe place to evacuate, resulting in a disproportionate effect of natural disasters, compared to those with more wealth.

Within the school community, David Eick, president of the Haiti Club, feels that though many within the community are aware of how wealth impacts a community’s response to natural disasters, substantial action to address it is not being done.

“People may know that less developed countries are going to not be able to actually respond to a natural disaster, but there's not a lot of action to combat that because we're used to living in our higher financial status bubble,” Eick said.

“In chapel, we pray for our sister schools in Haiti every day, but their survival is really left up to one student-run club. We know that we're supposed to be praying for them, but there's very little actually done for them in terms of tangible material wealth.”

History teacher Ellen Pilon notes that though the school community often utilizes privilege to fund raise, there is still the potential to overlook these issues because of the privilege that permeates much of the school community. This is a privilege many who are directly impacted by events like natural disasters are not afforded.

“I'm always amazed by the generosity of many at Campbell Hall and the activism that I see among the students, but another thing that we all are guilty of is burying our own heads [in the sand],” Pilon said. “It's much easier for us to ignore [natural disasters]. That is a sign of privilege. You could choose to not pay attention.”

Eick believes that empathy is crucial to provoking self-driven action. For him, forming more personal connections will help dissolve the separation from natural disasters, and those suffering, something the Haiti Club aims to achieve.

“In Haiti Club, we're trying to facilitate real connections,” Eick said. “In order to understand these problems, it's important to understand the people who are experiencing them and what they're going through so it’s easier to empathize. A good understanding of what the situation is in places that have experienced natural disasters is key to start making change, because that's what drives empathy, which will then drive further action.”

Beyond an emphasis on building personal connections, Pilon believes that understanding the interconnectedness of global and local issues alike forms the strong foundation for driving tangible change. In the classroom, Pilon emphasizes this to all her students, designing activities to instill within students that no issue exists on its own. “[It’s important to] point out with any global issue, that none of these issues are isolated,” Pilon said. “A natural disaster is not an isolated thing. It also touches socioeconomic class, infrastructure, renewable energy, so many things. What I try to teach is that problems and solutions are interconnected. You can do something locally within your own domain, and it will make change.”

With programs like Corazon and the hydroponic lettuce growing on campus that is donated to MEND, Frank hopes that the community will do even more in the years ahead to develop meaningful connections outside of the classroom.

He stresses the importance of recognizing privilege and actively using it to help others with fewer resources.

“Even though we read a lot about natural disasters [and] see it a lot in the media, a segment of our school can be insulated from reality and maybe naive to some of the real world scenarios that are out there,” Frank said. “[The US] needs to be actively getting ready for what's coming as the global ocean and atmosphere continue to warm over the next several decades, because if we don't take steps now to get ready to help people, it's going to be very much more tragic and difficult than it already is. We as a country, and certainly Campbell Hall, as a microcosm of the US, always have room to do more.”

THE PIPER

May 31, 2022

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Re-building family roles Students and faculty share their understanding of gendered familial roles and living with an untraditional family structure STORY LEVI HOROWITZ, AMELIE PARK ART NOA SCHWARTZ

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Food Fashion Fun

race Chiappetta-Uberti ‘22 steps out into her backyard, seeing her two moms rebuilding their outside steps. Her mom calls out to her asking, “Grace, can you pass me my Girl Bag?” When she hears this, she initially thinks that her mom is joking. Why would they label a tool bag, associated with fathers?

But this Girl Bag is a form of empowerment, rather than an insult. This Girl Bag is just a glimpse of her two moms defying gender roles in the household, something that Chiappetta-Uberti has been surrounded by all her life.

Chiappetta-Uberti feels that the stereotypical way a mother and a father are supposed to act has been ingrained into her mind. For example, when she initially thought the Girl Bag was a joke, she associated doing yard work with men. But her moms have tried to push back these stereotypes, affecting the way she views gender roles within a family.

“I was influenced by the outside world [and its gender roles],” Chiappetta-Uberti said. “It is a hard thing not to be influenced by as a child. [Gender roles are] what you see in children's books and TV shows and what you see all around you. You know what the stereotypical role is for a father and a mother, but it doesn't translate into your household. I am fully aware of gender roles and it has impacted me just because they are everywhere outside of your family, but I never believed that a father had to be this and a mother had to be that because my mothers were all of it.”

Similar to Chiappetta-Uberti, Leticia San-

Teaching new standards: The mothers of Grace ChiappettaUberti '22 teach her that women can do anything men can as they do housework commonly associated with the roles of fathers.

chez McPherson, middle school administrative assistant, raises her four children as a single mother who has learned to embrace her differences of being a part of a non-traditional family dynamic. She has learned to take on a strong parental role with the help of her family and friends around her. She acknowledges that raising four kids by herself is not an easy task, but something that she does with love. Raising her own kids without a traditional father figure, McPherson acknowledges that she and her children are not dependent on having a dad in their family to make them feel whole or complete.

“It is difficult, but all I can do is my best every day,” McPherson said. “Most of the time you have to decipher, as a single parent, ‘What do the kids want and what do the kids need?’ It’s difficult because there is that typical ‘father figure’ that everybody thinks of, but when you’re in a nontraditional family and there’s no father there—it’s just your

a thing where you're with it and stuck with it.”

"You know what the stereotypical Unlike Grace, Chiappetta-Uberti doesn't role is for a father and a mother, but mind if she can’t directly relate to other famit doesn't translate into your ilies. She is grateful for her family and the household." differences they have from others. In her TWENTY-TWO eyes, having a non-traditional family is not parent. And so there’s the question of, ‘What a struggle and comes with more pros than can a dad give them that I can’t?’ I give them cons. Having two moms is a dynamic that she advice, I give them food, I give them a home wouldn’t change for the world.

“Some people talk about [their family] and and I give them discipline when they need it.”

Ayden Grace ‘23 has been living with her they're like ‘Oh I have dad jokes’ or ‘My dad mom for the past three years and her dad is does this,’” Chiappetta-Uberti said. “I think now absent from her life. As she talks with that a lot of times I'm like ‘Yeah I can't repeople who have a stereotypically traditional late to that,’ but it doesn't phase me that I can't [relate] because, honestly, what I have family, she feels like she can’t relate to them. “[When] people have that ‘perfect’ family is great. I would definitely say that there have with the mom and the dad and the big house, been instances where my friends are relating it's hard to relate,” Chiappetta-Uberti said. “I about what their families do, [and I say in can’t help but feel a certain way, like jealousy. response], ‘Oh okay, yeah, I can’t relate but It's not out of hatred, it's more of questioning oh well.’ It's not something that impacts me; I why I was picked to go through this. Family is wouldn't change [my family structure].

GRACE CHIAPPETTA-UBERTI

Dave's Hot Chicken

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f you are a fan of chicken tenders, Dave's Hot Chicken is an essential spot. Dave's started as a small shed in a parking lot by two men who shared a love for chicken. They put together $900 to purchase frying equipment and gained immense popularity from then on. Their menu contains strickly tenders or a chicken slider, with spice levels ranging from "no spice" to "reaper." People describe the reaper chicken tenders as lava in their mouth, and if you are a spice lover this is a must have. Their first restaurant opened on Hollywood Boulevard and now they have locations in North Hollywood, Glendale, Sherman Oaks and across other states. The closest location is only one mile from Camp-

PHOTO PERMISSION DAVE'S HOT CHICKEN

bell Hall! Dave's has a modern and upbeat atmosphere, and the juicy chicken will blow your mind. Their sides of mac n' cheese and french fries are famously delicious.

L.A. flea markets

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Timeless sneakers

f you are looking for a fun place to visit on the weekends with your friends or family, local flea markets in Los Angeles are a jackpot. You will find unique items such as decor, clothing, jewelry, art, antiques and more! Flea markets bring a different energy than your regular shopping mall, and have a much more eventful environment with music playing, bright colors of the different stands and signs, the smell of delicious food and all different

kinds of people. Many flea markets sell second hand items which offers sustainable consumption. The most popular ones are the Rose Bowl Flea Market, the Silverlake Flea and the Melrose Trading Post. There is often live music and the great weather of Los Angeles makes it an enjoyable experience in any season. There are street vendors with tons of homemade snacks and refreshments.

PHOTO PERMISSION PINTEREST

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he perfect pair of timeless sneakers can elevate any outfit. Right now, Converse creates shoes in a variety of colors and styles, from high tops and slip-ons to platforms. You can pair Converse with a dress or nice pants for a night out, or with jeans and casual outfits for an everyday look. Converse are comfortable and are an everlasting classic. The company started manufacturing shoes in 1910, and began by designing shoes to be worn in basketball games. Since the beginning, these shoes have been a wardrobe staple for their simple design, and are worn by people of all ages and backgrounds.

A recent fashion staple are Nike Dunk Lows which are available in tons of colorways and designs. They have blown up in the past years for their comfortability and sleek style. When skating culture took off in the nineties, many people wore old dunks that they found in second-hand stores. Nike then noticed the demand for these shoes as they came back into style and reintroduced the Nike Dunk SB's.

It's a long-running favorite of sneaker fans and is now popular in many generations.

THE PIPER

May 31, 2022

Social media fueling eating disorders STORY JESSICA BAZEL, TÉA MALTZMAN

If you asked me 5 minutes ago I would say I’m chasing a lion No, a cheeta Who doesn’t stop Doesn’t know your behind it The cheeta just keeps running I scream

ART AUSTIN JANAVS

and don’t fit that beauty standard.”

During quarantine, there was a trend about gaining the “Covid 15,” similar to the “freshman 15,” which references gaining weight during the stay-at-home period of the pandemic. Weisman feels that this trend rooted in diet culture was incredibly triggering to teens and sparked more urges to engage in eating disorder behaviors. She acknowledges that society has emphasized this idea of living a healthy lifestyle where fit bodies are beautiful bodies and people are frowned upon for straying from that norm. She also notes that these trends are not new and that there has always been a societal right and wrong way to have a body.

“People will go online and hear about this weight gain and feel like it's not okay and feel like they need to do something about it, and it tailspins from there,” Weisman said. “Every generation has their ideal body, and this generation is just hit with extenuating

Fear of imperfection

PHOTO CAITLIN JONES STORY ELLA DUNCANSON

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CREATIVE O L "I think I know myself now" U M N STORY LENA ROHAN

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8.8 million Americans will have an eating disorder in their lifetime.

According to the Kelty Mental Health Resource Center, eating disorders can affect people of any age, race, gender, or sexual orientation. Many people are first diagnosed in later adulthood, but adolescents are extremely vulnerable to eating disorders as well.

During puberty, bodies change, and teens’ dissatisfaction with their bodies can turn into a form of disordered eating. These symptoms can be amplified by other external factors like social media.

An Oct. 2019 study by Kings University found that 87 percent of women and 65 percent of men compare their bodies to images they consume on social and traditional media.

Natalie Weisman, an eating disorder therapist from an outpatient program in Glendale, notices that social media has caused a rise in distorted body images because of the lack of identity development that social media allows. She argues that teenagers are creating an ideal world for themselves based on others’ social media posts.

“It’s really hard to develop that sense of identity and have a really firm self-image that is positive and compassionate and loving toward themselves when there is so much comparison left and right on social media,” Weisman said.

Kacie Penn ‘23 has experienced a decline in her self-worth since the COVID-19 pandemic, specifically due to social media. Looking in the mirror, she struggles with feeling good enough, and the toxic comparison with people that she’s seen on social media has deeply affected her body image.

“Seeing the perfect girls on Instagram that have society’s [ideal] body type is really hard to look at,” Penn said. “I look at myself and wonder why I don’t look like

7

oday’s youth have grown up in an era of intense competition, comparison and instability, resulting in a warped sense of reality and a fixation on what is considered “normal.”

According to a September 2019 Washington Post article by Miranda Sachs, as a result of films as well as social media, from a young age, children have been exposed to idealistic portrayals of what a childhood should look like.

Sadie Schwartz ‘24 believes that everyone puts on a filter when in the company of others. She argues that this is because people never want to show their true emotions, especially

circumstances.”

This ideal body” that Weisman mentions is also, the majority of the time, not even achievable.

Weisman acknowledges how destructive this comparison can really be, and how much of what teens see online is fabricated.

“If you are comparing your body to people on social media and you believe that a heavily doctored up image is someone's reality and the correct way to be, your relationship with food will change,” Weisman said.

Some teens have even noticed how social media can be fake.

Lindsey Tessman ‘24 who struggled with Anorexia Nervosa throughout quarantine started to recognize that the content she is consuming online is very rarely real and authentic.

“I would see people online post pictures of themselves, and then I would see them in person, and they would not look the same,” Tessman said. “They only show what they want you to see.”

Olivia Campos ‘22 adds that

on social media, users are not just looking at people’s bodies, and many people also share their own eating habits in detail. She sees that there is a constant debate on what the “right way” to eat or be healthy is and feels that it’s very easy to lose control. She herself felt victim to the negative spiral that social media caused which made her think negatively about her body and the foods she was consuming.

“There's just so much noise out there about what the right thing to do is, how to have a good body, [and] how to be healthy,” Campos said. “There's so many toxic tips and things you can learn on social media about how you can unhealthily change your body, [and] it can be so misleading. It got so overwhelming where I just wanted an easy way, which is probably why I resorted to restricting my food intake by so much. You can go down this really deep hole of comparison which is probably the biggest thing that sparked [my disorder].”

In a society obsessed with perfection, students and faculty reflect on being their authentic selves with one another

due to how she feels that society has created this idea that people have to be okay all of the time.

“If someone comes up to me and I’m having a bad day, I feel like it’s uncomfortable for others to see me like that,” Schwartz said.

Masking It seems not normal.” mirror: Ani Adell '22 has found that peoCaitlin Jones '22 ple's actions are ultimately stimucreates lated by societal expectations and an those around us. She has seen a outward persona, fear of imperfection manifest itself smiling into her everyday life, including at at those school. around her while “Since it is such a major part of shielding society to hide our imperfections, the world from her there is such a pressure to do well in inward school and show that you are doing persona. well,” Adell said. “Even throughout the day there is a pressure to show that your mood is perfect.”

Jesse Filgo ‘24 feels that a lot of the time he holds a part of himself back and doesn’t always open up to people because of the uncertainty of how others will judge him. Filgo acknowledges that he has observed others having similar insecurities based off of the way they act when he first meets them.

“I feel like most people, including myself, have a wall up and they wont show their true selves,” Filgo said. "This is something I've noticed because when I start to get close to someone, then they start to show who they really are rather than this outer version of themselves.”

Adell feels that society's fear of imperfection is facilitated by social media, which promotes

one way to appear, dress, eat and behave. She argues that when more and more people have this mindset of needing to post what fits the social standard, the cycle keeps going.

“In the past, I’ve been manipulated to believe I must appear the same way the [influential people in society] appear,” Adell said. “As I’ve gotten older, I’ve learned to block out those that make me feel this way and instead surround myself with those that promote realistic depictions of everyday life.”

Adell believes that people often do what they think will help them fit into society’s standards the most even if this isn’t what they want for themselves. She feels that this not only can be harmful to those around them, but also to themselves.

“I think this is very harmful [to do things based off of society’s expectations] because people can lose sight of what’s actually important to them,” Adell said. “We feel the need to show our best selves and that we are happy in our everyday lives, like when people ask ‘how are you?’ we are trained to say ‘good’ when it’s not always true. Because there is such a stigma around mental health and not being okay, I think it is hard for people to show their more vulnerable sides and show that they are not okay.”

Although Filgo feels that we are living in an ever-changing world where we are redefining what imperfections mean and learning to accept and love the idea of imperfection, he argues that there is still change to be made.

“People judge others on their imperfections but I believe that we can get better as a society,” Filgo said.

Stop Please Stop Wind in my face Dirt in my mouth Now it’s 10 minutes later I’m diving through cold water With a whale shark Gliding The shark tells me It was never about the ground The sweat dripping off my face 15 minutes later and I know I didn’t want my legs to move That trail wasn’t a trail at all And a cheeta doesn’t run forever I cried I lied I died And I tried I tried I tried And tried again Tried a few more times after that And then died, cried and lied while trying once more 20 minutes later and I’m flying I met an eagle We call him Henry He and I soar Hunt small things along the way Hitting my beak a few times I screech at the valleys and monsters Feathers fall one after another Floating swiftly To their death I check my watch and it’s 30 minutes later A mountain I stand Roots growing into the core I watch Henry, whale sharks and the cheeta They all go With intent I didn’t go with it Not until now Now. Now is a mountain Snow around Horses grazing Romance movies projected on each hill Barbies working their way up The ocean All it’s mystery Beneath me With me 10 minutes into the future We will all melt Every creature will join the whale sharks I will too Floating into the rolling waves Asking Wondering Considering Hoping Thinking That maybe Just maybe I know myself now

THE PIPER

May 31, 2022

STORY JESSICA BAZEL,

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Why do teachers teach?

VIKING VOICES

TÉA MALTZMAN

PHOTO PERMISSION DANNY BAKER

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ate nights grading, coming up with lesson plans, not knowing if all the hard work is even impacting students. With all of the burdens and difficulties that come with the career, it can be difficult to understand why teachers continue to teach.

Isabelle Picalause, French teacher and online student program coordinator, has been teaching throughout her entire career. Her teaching has allowed her and her husband to travel the world and teach many languages in different countries. She feels that she wouldn’t ever be able to experience such a life with another occupation. Picalause always knew she was going to be a teacher.

“It was like a calling,” Picalause said. “I was always interested in French and literature since a young age, but I discovered that the way my own teachers were teaching was not completely satisfying. I always had dreamed of when I could teach and do things my own way. When I went to college and I studied romance languages and education, I knew this was the path that I was meant for.”

When Picalause started teaching, it was much different than she imagined. Being in the classroom was a lot more challenging than she had expected. Even so, she fell in love with it. She has now been at Campbell Hall for 25 years. She feels grateful for her time here and the way that it has positively impacted her life.

“I've seen this school change and evolve,” Picalause said. “I've

Joys of teaching: Teachers elaborate on the positive and exciting impact of working daily with students. noticed that because of the school changing, I’ve changed a lot as a person as well, [and] I have developed so much as a teacher.”

Teachers impact students more than they think, according to Sabrina Morovati ‘22. She acknowledges the hard work that comes with teaching and greatly appreciates how dedicated her teachers are to the school and their students.

“I feel specifically at Campbell Hall that the teachers truly enjoy their jobs and they are excited to teach their students,” Morovati said. “Over my four years here, I feel like I have built a connection with every single one of my teachers.”

Music teacher Jason Goldstein ‘12 notes that he’s currently living his dream career, teaching music with students during the day and playing music professionally as a second job in the evening. He finds that there’s barely anything that he dislikes about teaching, and his overall goal is to be able to pass on the love he has for music to his students.

“My favorite thing about teaching is [seeing] that everybody is on their own journey of discovering themselves,” Goldstein said. “[I] feel like it’s my job to be able to get people [playing music] so they can keep on discovering. [I want] to create incredible humans and even better musicians. There are a lot of people out there who seem to be misguided in the professional realm, and I want to create awesome people who cherish helping [others].”

Though teachers find much inspiration in their jobs, there are always difficulties that come along the way. Choir and seventh-grade history teacher Benjamin Enright ‘98 has been teaching for 19 years and greatly values the community that comes with being a teacher at the school. Although finding it to be an overused term, the community is what he finds brings him back, considering he, his sister, his nephew and niece have all either graduated from or are currently attending Campbell Hall. Despite loving the impact he has on students with his teaching, he finds

ELENA MALONE Teaching keeps my mind sharp and its creative. It is challenging but I like how it allows for personal growth.

TEACHER

that a difficulty that comes with it is the mental toll from the yearly rotation of students.

“One of the most emotionally challenging things [about teaching] is it’s new every year,” Enright said. “You have a different group of students and the emotional drain is that they leave, especially [when I’ve taught some of the] kids for sometimes six years. You have to guard your heart a little bit because they’re leaving and going on to better things, and you’re going to miss them.”

Another difficulty Goldstein has found is the feeling of being lost in his teaching, unsure if there’s a way to do it correctly. However, seeing the impact that he has on students and being part of a community that welcomes him makes him feel more included and secure in his decision to teach.

“I felt impostor syndrome in the very beginning, like most teachers do,” Goldstein said. “Seeing [my students] become better people and musicians in front of me lets me know that I’m doing something right.”

AMANDA DYE I love teaching because every day is unique. I interact with many students each day, therefore I never get bored.

TEACHER

JESSICA LEBLANC I teach because I value human connection and education is just one small part of living a fruitful and meaningful life. I feel like I’m part of something vital when I’m with my students.

TEACHER

Impact of chapel speakers

Moving past binaries

STORY CAROLINE REHDER

C

STORY LEVI HOROWITZ ART NOA SCHWARTZ

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igh school Spanish teacher Sabrina Pozzi looks around before stepping into the women's restroom. Many of the women are sure she's a man. As she walks in, she is greeted by stares of concern. When alone, she is confronted by security guards questioning her, escorting her out of the bathroom simply due to her appearance.

Due to encounters like these, Pozzi now always walks in the women’s bathroom with a friend so that the other women there feel comfortable. Pozzi feels that she has always gone against society’s “normal,” by simply being herself. She embraces her sexuality, gender identity and self-expression, but still struggles with having to always explain her identity.

“Ever since I cut my hair, it has been a little bit challenging for me, [especially] in using women’s public restrooms,” Pozzi said. “[However], I take the change of myself [and the way I outwardly present myself ] as an understanding. My [greatest] fear is making women uncomfortable. The bathroom is a safe place for women and when I have security called on me or I see women freak out I just [remind myself ] ‘It's ok, I am a woman.’”

Charlee Corra ‘09, high school environmental science and biology teacher has not always been comfortable with their gender identity.

They didn’t start coming to terms with their identity until they were in graduate school. As Corra started to come out, they felt nothing but love from the community around them; however, they still feel like they have been put in certain boxes, forced to fit stereotypes.

“I think that I have a lot of people in my

What is your favorite part about being a teacher?

Finding comfortability: Members of the community who identify as LGBTQIA+ discuss their experiences with exploring their identity.

life who see me in the way that I want to be seen and understand me, [but] I feel like for the most part, I tend to confuse people or they just assume [how I identify],” Corra said.

“People make assumptions about other people; our brain wants shortcuts. Our brains want to assume things about this person that we don’t even know. I think it is just an exercise in patience and definitely resiliency and being able to brush things off.”

Similar to Corra, Mathilda Zappa ‘23 has felt a lot of support from the people around them after coming out. By being surrounded

by LGBTQIA+ people, they found where they fit in the community instead of forcing themselves to conform to society's expectations.

“In middle school I started thinking about [gender] and was trying to find a label for myself that also fit into sexuality,” Zappa said. “I had other queer friends and I knew other nonbinary and trans people, so that environment helped me realize that I relate to a lot of that stuff and there is a label and a name for that. It

is a gradual process from feeling a certain way, to labeling and identifying it, to finding out that there are a ton of other people that went through that exact same experience.”

Now working with teenagers, Corra observes how the perception of the gender binary has begun to change in society. They feel they have been able to see a different perspective of the gender binary through the younger generations.

“I find the binary to be so difficult, especially at this age where things are often separated [into] boys and girls, there doesn't seem to be space for anything else,” Corra said. “I have been really blown away by how quickly students and young folks have welcomed me and have just accepted me for exactly who I am. It was never even a conversation. It has just made me feel more comfortable in my own skin just being around younger people who are also pushing the binary. To see other students who are nonbinary and know that that energy is around is really helpful, empowering and comforting.”

harlotte Papa ‘23 steps up to the podium in front of her peers, ready to speak. While public speaking in front of the student body terrifies most people, Papa is thrilled to gain the opportunity to share stories. By speaking in chapel, she creates a vulnerable space with her peers and can truly be open while inspiring classmates. For Papa, this experience encourages spiritual, social and emotional development.

Like Papa, Sydney Sohn ‘24 signed up in her eighth grade year to be a chapel speaker because she wanted to push herself out of her comfort zone to try something new. She feels that more students should share personal stories in chapel so that everyone can learn more about each other on a deeper level. She has to share parts of her culture and identity, contributing ti a diverse community of various perspectives. Sohn hopes everyone feels safe and respected in chapel because, while it is a place to have fun, it also should be a space where students can be vulnerable in telling individual stories.

“I really enjoy sharing personal stories in the chapel,” Sohn said. “In eighth grade, I shared a story about Yom Kippur. It was cool to share about some of my Jewish traditions with my classmates. I wanted people to not only learn about me, but also to learn how everyone can admit what they have done wrong and move forward from it. I believe chapel has become a more cohesive space by making room for students to share what they have been doing in classes, not just by speaking about it but also by sharing artwork, videos and musical talents. ” Student speakers have inspired Nicolas Gertler ‘23 to speak in the future. Gertler values hearing student speakers share stories and unique perspectives. He wishes students spoke more often because it is a valuable way to become closer with peers and make chapel more personable.

“I feel most comfortable in chapel when students speak honestly and authentically instead of adults.”

Gertler said.

9

THE PIPER

May 31, 2022

Looking through the lens of white privilege Following the 2022 Oscars and the Will Smith scandal, students and faculty reflect on the ways in which people of color are represented in the media versus their white counterparts

ART NOA SCHWARTZ STORY LEVI HOROWITZ, MADISON DAMUS, ELLA DUNCANSON

F

ollowing the 2022 Oscars, Cami Curry '23 noticed how her white peers villainized Will Smith, while others on the news deemed his actions the worst thing to happen in Oscar history. She couldn't help but think about the ways in which white people have received standing ovations and have been continuously nominated even after being accused of things like sexual assault. She realized that the Oscars is just one of many instances in which race dictates how events are discussed and broadcasted in society.

When scrolling through social media, Curry notices that many of her white peers tend to villainize people in the Black com-

FACTS Over 77 percent of newsroom employees identify as non-Hispanic whites (1) White Americans feel that they are covered more fairly in the media than Black and Hispanic Americans (2) SOURCES: (1) PEW RESEARCH (2) REUTERS INSTITUTE

Teacher trivia A little more about Isabelle Picalause

It’s not what he is doing, it's the fact that he isa Black man.”

Elena Malone, high school history and media matters teacher has explored different ways the media is used, and how it can frame people's viewpoints about certain topics/issues. Malone believes that the interNarrow view: Media casts a net is a powerful tool that needs to negative and be used correctly in order to portray violent light on issues in their most authentic light. people of color, In analyzing the media, she has using race to found that race has been weaponized dictate what is said in the to attack Black people in the media. news without When teaching, she makes it a point considering the to call out these targeted portrayals. full picture.

“Race can be used in the media when we see the exploitation munity when raising awareness about cer- of fear and unease for profit. Media compatain topics. She feels that somehow various nies want our clicks and likes. It's beneficial cases always get tied back into race rather for them to have us come back to their site. than solely focusing on the situation itself. Fear seems to be an effective way to get peoProjecting accurate narratives is key as the ple to come back.”

Christopher Dennis, associate head of Journal of Humanistic Psychology found in 2016 that the philosophy of existential– community engagement, believes that there humanistic psychology can be utilized to are both good and bad sides to how race better understand protests and movements is depicted in the media. He feels that dewhile also providing different ways to cir- pending on the genre, race is used in many cumvent potential problems that halt the ways. Dennis believes that the best way to discuss race in the media is through permovements progress.

“I feel like all white people have privi- sonal truths and stories. He has found that lege, privilege to not be looked at for the racializing experiences for history, and to afcolor of their skin and not be discriminated firm people's accomplishments is beneficial against,” Curry said. “When a white person in breaking down race barriers in media.

Dennis also acknowledges that there are is choosing to cover a news story, they are going to choose a news story that is scary differences between the ways that news mefor them, not other races. To a police offi- dia, social media, and film, depict race. He cer, to the person watching the news, or to feels that particularly in the news, exaggerwhite students, a Black man is what is scary. ation and omission of information exist in

a way that often validates racial stereotypes.

He adds that, when discussing topics like Blackness and race or ethnicity, many people will subtly stereotype without directly referencing race in unnecessary situations..

“There's a huge erasure of specifics, when we talk about race and the media, especially in the news,.” Dennis said. “The way they talk about neighborhoods, the way they talk about citizenship, the way they talk about people. The [news writers] are really coding different ways to frame who they're trying to talk about because they assume that the listener or the viewer can pick up on those codes as well.”

This harmful characterization of minority communities is exacerbated by the lack of positive representation in other forms of media. PBS News found in 2019 that for many students the way the media depicts minorities affects the way they perceive minorities and how they view themselves.

In contrast to the narratives of POC that news sources push, wWhiteness is often portrayed as the epitome of American life.

For Curry, she has felt a lack of representation of her Bblack identity throughout her life. Specifically in advertisements, she sees a lack of people of color that would represent her and her race.

“Everyone is advertising white people, [sending the message that] white is right and white is elite,.” Curry said. “White is what is marketed to other people. The media is so accessible and brands are trying to make this image that they prioritize whiteness like it's the all-American, American dream thing. Whiteness isn't what the world is like.”

Appropriation vs. appreciation

The line between appreciation and disrespect can be challenging to recognize

Isabelle Picalause teaches French and is the Online Study Program Coordinator

If you could switch lives with anyone for a day, who would it be?

I would be Golda Meir. Golda Meir was one of the first female Israeli [prime ministers]. I don't know why I end up considering her as such a hero, but I would be her for one day.

If you could only speak one language, what would it be?

It would have to be French.

If you could be immortal, what age would you choose to stop aging?

Probably 45 because when I see myself at 45, I considered myself as young but my children weren't. [I liked] being comfortable enough to have children who grew up already and at the same time intellectually I could be challenged and do my own thing, and be a little bit wiser than when I was 25.

If you could teleport anywhere,where would you go?

Right now, I would go to the hometown of my mother, which is Trieste in Italy. I haven't been for a while but I want to go.

Would you rather be the funniest or smartest person in the room?

Smartest.

What is your best idea for a new invention?

If I was able to invent something, I would invent just like in Harry Potter when you teleport yourself to a place in one second.

STORY ISABELLA DIALLO

“

You know it when you see it.”

That is what History Department Chair William Cullinan says about the difference between cultural appropriation and appreciation. Finding the difference between cultural appreciation and appropriation can be hard when hearing about it, but Cullinan believes it is crystal clear when one sees it in their life.

Similarly, Associate Head of Community Engagement Chris Dennis sees appropriation as mocking the significance of where something comes from or renaming an aspect of someone else's culture and taking credit for its creation. Dennis feels that appreciation, however, is acknowledging what group or culture is responsible for bringing something to the forefront or popularizing it.

“An example [of cultural appropriation was when] cornrows [were] being called boxer braids,” Dennis said. “They [already had a name] and once the person [that first called them boxer braids] was informed of what they really were, all they had to do was reattribute it in the proper way. If you make a mistake, correct it. I think just assuming that you're the first person to discover something and renaming it is really appropriation at its best.”

Zoe Thomas ‘24 believes it is important to educate about the difference between appropriation and appreciation because she argues that today’s students are the country’s future. She feels that understanding the two helps the current generation learn, grow and keep from making the same

mistakes that older generations have.

“Knowing the difference between cultural appropriation and appreciation is going to affect all of us and not just in a political sense, but in an everyday life sense,” Thomas said.

“Just doing things differently than previous generations so that a positive change can be had and a change that [will] accommodate people that are part of certain cultures, especially if those cultures are tied to a group that has been historically oppressed.”

Cullinan thinks it is very important to teach about cultural appropriation and appreciation in schools because he argues that most people who culturally appropriate don’t even know they’re doing it, and they usually have no ill intent.

“There are so few people who appropriate cultures out of disrespect,” Cullinan said. “Almost everyone does it out of a place they believe to be respectful. So I think it's one of the places where, if we're talking about intent versus impact, one of the most common stumbling blocks is in the intent behind appropriation.”

Like Cullinan, Dennis believes that the way to maneuver through potential appropriation is to have a meaningful conversation and try to see where the person is coming from. Cultural appropriation, he feels, is a matter of intent versus impact, especially asking someone what their intent behind their actions was.

“In some cases more recently, it can come across in jokes, or the way people use different party themes,” Dennis said. “[For example,] if you're trying to use a theme for a party and you're calling it something that's culturally

WILL CULLINAN So I think it's one of the places where, if we're talking about intent versus impact, one of the most common stumbling blocks is in the intent behind appropriation.

TEACHER insensitive, well then we have to have a conversation like ‘Why are you going there?’ So sometimes it can just be really simple and subtle. But it's always good to have a conversation and bring it to somebody's attention. And if you have a good relationship with somebody, they usually receive it in the right way.

So we just try to assume nobody made any ill intent unless they declare that they don't care about your perspective.”

Cullinan believes that cultural appropriation has to be taught in history because the most important part of humanities classes is that raises future generations to be good people. The classes educate people about the past so that the same mistakes aren’t made in the future.

“If a history education is worth anything, it's worth empathy, not knowledge” Cullinan said. “You can have all the historical scientific or mathematical or whatever knowledge in the world and be a terrible person. A humanities education builds empathy.

So I do think if my time as a history, teacher, and race teacher, has afforded me anything; It's more patience and understanding with people you know.

I think also just aging and being on this planet for longer, gives me a pretty settled view of right and wrong.”

THE P

May 31, 2022

AFFIN GRO WITHI COMMU

IMPACTS OF AFFINITY GROUPS Community members reflect on their involvement in different affinity groups and how it developed their senses of identity, formation of a community at school and their responses to prejudice

STORY TAYLOR HUIE, LENA ROHAN ART TAYLOR HUIE

A

s an elementary student, Toby Lim ‘22 would see his classmates recoil in disgust at the Korean food he would bring to school for lunch. He watched as they pulled at their eyes, mocking him. His classmates would insist that all of their actions were “just jokes,” so Lim simply shrugged them off as normal. Later, in high school, Lim joined the Asian Affinity Alliance (AAA) and began to hear his peers share similar stories of prejudice and racism. Only then, surrounded by others who had experiences similar to his own, did Lim understand how harmful some of the comments he’s grown up around are.

For Symphony Smith ‘22, joining the Black Student Union for Girls (BSUG) gave her the opportunity to find other Black students who could connect with her experiences. This year as a senior mentor, she’s taken on more responsibility in the affinity group, creating an environment that allows her peers to speak openly.

“I decided to join this group to find a community at Campbell Hall and be able to meet with

like minded people,” Smith said. “I enjoy BSUG very much and it’s nice because I get to facilitate and give some of the girls room to speak the truth.

BSUG has given me a voice and a space to talk, which I didn’t know I needed.”

It took Ani Adell ‘22 almost all of high school to build the courage to join Spectrum, the queer affinity group. She was terrified of joining, especially because she had difficulty fully accepting her identity. Joining the group, however, has allowed Adell to explore various facets of her identity in a queer-dominant environment she can’t find elsewhere on campus. “[Spectrum] shaped me massively,” Adell said.

“Joining the group in itself was a really huge step in me accepting myself but also, before this year, I never fully embraced my identity and felt that was something that was missing from my life. I always thought I didn't need to be surrounded by queer people but later realized that was something that was important to me. Spectrum

was the first time I was around only queer people and in a queer space and I felt like I found a community.”

As a part of AAA, Lim is a senior mentor, like Smith, and responsible for a small group of freshmen. He feels that being a mentor has given him the opportunity to guide younger students as they explore their identity, but also allowed him to expand his perspectives. He believes that his worldview would have been more narrow had he not been able to experience the opportunities available to him in the affinity group.

“It's been really interesting for us seniors to see ourselves in these younger students,” Lim said. “It's been really great having such a close connection with these kids.

Especially [without the affinity group], I would have been a little more secluded to my own experiences. After talking with some of these kids, I realized how much they also face [because of their culture]. No matter how young or innocent I think their outlook on life may be, [the affinity group] really does show how much we all face and it's good that we're able to be there for them. In turn, they're able to be here for us.

Leticia McPherson is one of the faculty advisors for Latinos Unidos. She feels that much of her responsibility as an advisor is to create a safe and welcoming environment where students can be authentic, vulnerable and sincere. She recognizes that there is a tendency to want to fit in and cover parts of your identity, and hopes that affinity groups are a space where students can accept themselves and feel comfortable with their identities.

“I want the kids to feel more comfortable being here, and I want them to know we are here to mentor them through the process,” McPherson said. “When a lot of kids get to Campbell Hall, they want to assimilate and want to hide who they are. I definitely wanted to come into the group and [tell them] they didn’t have to hide who they are. When they come to the group I want them to show all sides of themselves.”

Affinity groups also offer students a space to highlight parts of their identity that their peers may never understand. Smith feels that a large part of being a part of BSUG is having a community that is open and willing to listen to any

ANI ADELL I always thought I didn't need to be surrounded by queer people but later realized that was something that was important to me. Spectrum was the first time I was around only queer people and in a queer space and I felt like I found a community.

TWENTY-TWO and all of your experiences without judgment from White peers, for example discussing the difficulty and frustration of not being able to put your hair into a ponytail for cheer.

Within the AAA, topics like growing anti-Asian sentiment amidst the pandemic and underrecognized racism, like the model minority myth or making fun of a culture’s food, are often discussed. Though it can be uncomfortable and difficult to talk about, Lim feels that the affinity group provides a safe environment to freely share any thoughts - positive or negative - that some may not feel comfortable sharing outside the affinity group.

“It’s really comforting to know that we all share the same kind of experiences and we all go through the same kind of things,” Lim said.

“We're all able to be there in support of and encourage each other. It’s a space for everybody to talk about their emotions and their feelings and their experiences because we know that we’ll be understood. We all watch out for one another as we go around campus.”

Similarly, Adell feels that being around those who have experienced similar things as her has been helpful, especially in validating her feelings. Although there can be uncomfortable feelings and discussion that takes place in Spectrum, Adell feels that the shared growth and support that develops in these instances is invaluable.

“It's good to be around people who are different, but it's also helpful to have people who can understand you and have gone or are going through what you're going through so you can feel heard and less alone,” Adell said. “It's a very joyful experience, being around people like you and celebrating the things about your identity that make you happy. There are definitely deeper experiences where we're talking about our struggles, but while it's often heartbreaking to hear these struggles, it's also a beautiful moment because you hear everyone empathizing and listening and caring. The sense of empathy in the room is very powerful.”

PIPER

11

NITY OUPS N THE UNITY

Feelings of invalidity

Izzie Diallo ‘22 discusses the impact of affinity groups on her identity and how she broke away from harmful sterotypes that took away her character

STORY IZZIE DIALLO

I

have a lot to say about affinity groups at Campbell Hall, which makes it exciting but also extremely overwhelming. I don’t want to say the wrong thing or make any of my comments come off as though I don’t love being Black or being a part of the Black Student Union for Girls (BSUG). My affinity group is amazing and I love getting to bond with younger girls struggling with some things that I know I struggled with in terms of my race. But sometimes, BSUG just felt like a reminder of everything I felt like I wasn’t.

When I was in eighth grade, at the beginning of the year, I had braids, but they were blonde. Someone called me whitewashed, so I took them out and wore my hair curly for a while, until one day I straightened my hair and was called whitewashed again.

Anything I did to my own hair, someone found a way to attack me and make me unsure of my identity. I was called whitewashed for the way I wore my hair, the way I dressed, the way I spoke, the friends I chose, the school I go to, anything and everything I did, I was called whitewashed for.

People decided that this was funny, and the next thing I knew, almost everyone in my grade had implied or even said to my face that I was not actually Black. I had teachers say it, friends and kids in other grades attacking my identity, basically saying that I didn’t deserve to be Black and that I was abandoning my culture and ancestry. To some people, this was a joke, but for me, it was extremely harmful.

It led to me resenting myself and my life. I wanted to change to fit a stereotypical portrayal of a Black person that was expected of me by my peers.

Because of this resentment, I stopped going to BSUG because I felt like I didn’t deserve to be a part of it anymore. I felt like I had no claim to Blackness, and therefore it was almost ironic for me to be there.

But then, I was told that not only was I whitewashed, but that the reason for my so-called whitewashed self was because I wanted to be white, and resented being Black. The truth is, I’m not white Source: Campbell Hall DEIJ

AFFINITY ANECTDOTES Students share what makes affinity groups in the community special to them

and I’ve never wished that I was. But, at this point, I started to internalize what had been said about me and believed that I truly wasn’t Black enough. I got to a point where I felt like I was nothing, like I had no identity and therefore belonged nowhere.

The thing is, affinity groups and student unions are meant to make you feel more included and connected to your race, but when you’re being told that you don’t belong, they feel like they’re taunting you. The group feels like a representation of everything you’re not. After hearing that I wasn’t Black for almost a year, it took me a long time to realize that was completely untrue. There’s no right way to be yourself, there’s no wrong way to be your own race. I used to think I had to fit every stereotype to be Black properly. Being Black looks different for everyone.

As I’ve grown and realized who I am, I’ve realized that for me, being Black is caring about civil rights, it’s fighting for equality and liberation for everyone that doesn’t have it, it’s educating other people, it’s writing about what I’ve been through so that fewer people have to go through it as well. This experience was the single worst of my life, it left me questioning every part of my identity, feeling worthless and excluded everywhere I went. While my eighth grade year was terrible and heart wrenching for me, it was also the most educational experience of my life. It taught me who I am and helped me to love my race.

It gave me a connection and attachement to myself, it gave me a sense of me. Because of everything I went through in eighth grade, I found a position as diversity, equity, inclusion and justice liaison at Campbell Hall, which gave me a voice to talk about who I am. In a way, being taunted and ridiculed for a year helped me find who I am and learned what being Black is for me. Everyday since then, I have learned more about my identity and myself and stopped letting people control how I feel about my identity. Because it is just that: mine. My eighth-grade experience taught me that being Black is defined by whatever I want it to be because it is who I am. My race is not defined by what someone else says, it’s not defined by going to BSUG or my hair, or the way I speak or what I eat, it’s defined by me.

ANNA YUNG

JESSICA MCPHERSON

“When I was younger, I brought noodles to school, they were my favorite recipe from my grandma. It had oyster and sesame sauce and it has always been a very comforting smell to me, but all my friends around me said it ‘it smells like farts!’. Because of that, I never brought that food to school again. After meeting more Asians when switching from a very predominantly white school, I met people who were like me and who enjoyed that recipe. I didn’t feel as isolated as before. I just found it hard to find my ‘group’ until I came to Campbell Hall.”

“I didn’t realize how much queer support there was until I joined Spectrum.

When I joined I quickly found a home and I know I can confide in them whenever I feel unsure of myself and who I am.

It’s helped me open up to the possibility of struggling with and ultimately accepting my identity. The first people I told that I was bi was the Spectrum group. I was used to the hesitant response, but when I opened up to them there was this outpouring of congratulations and that gave me the confidence to come out to more people later on.”

TWENTY-FIVE

TWENTY-TWO

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THE PIPER

May 26, 2022

Separating the art from the artist

On the college track STORY JJ HOFFMAN

Artist in question: Controversial artist Woody Allen is one of the many cases in which the public comes into question of whether they should separate the art from the artist.

ART AUSTIN JANAVS

STORY JESSICA BAZEL, JACOB SILVERSTEIN

M

ichael Jackson, Roman Polanski, Woody Allen, and Bob Fosse have all produced many acclaimed works of music and film. However, behind their successes are countless accusations of crimes and scandals, leaving many to wonder if it is ethical to continue to support them.

Despite this, performing arts teacher Josh Adell acknowledges that an artist’s influence extends beyond their own work. For Adell, there’s a way to recognize the influence of an artist and the way they have shaped pop culture, without approving of their actions. Adell uses Bob Fosse, an American dancer, choreographer, and filmmaker, as an example of this.

“It’s possible to say the art is worth doing, [but] the artist needs to be scrutinized," Adell said. "When Fosse is taught, all of Fosse has to be taught.”

Gabrielle Ferrer, secondary art teacher with music experience, also notices how certain artists are so popular that they are embedded into daily life. She grew

up listening to Michael Jackson’s music, whose scandal resurfaced in the 2019 documentary “Leaving Neverland,” and now must face his controversy regularly. She thinks it’s important to acknowledge these artists’ pasts rather than just brushing past them.

“Jackson’s influence is so pervasive, to a point where you can barely go a day without hearing his music or a reference to him,” Ferrer said. “After the documentary and his controversies re-entered the conversation, it didn’t feel good to hear his music. You would hear it in a grocery store and be caught off guard. Everybody knew [about Jackson’s past] on some level and decided to look past that, but today that’s not an option anymore.”

Jason Goldstein ‘12, secondary music teacher, studio musician, and producer, deals with controversial artists by linking the art to the production team behind it, making it easier to listen to.

“With Michael Jackson for example, he couldn’t have done anything worse and the music can’t be any funkier to dance to,” Goldstein said. “But, it's not [just] Michael Jackson’s music; it’s the team of people involved in producing the music.”

Roman Polanski, who was convicted of statutory rape and is living in exile abroad, is another example. CHAI English literature teacher Suzie Stevens recently presented Polanski’s movie “Chinatown” in her class. Because the film’s subject in no way concerns or exonerates Polanski’s crimes, she is able to look past them to focus on the content of the film and how that will benefit her students.

“Roman Polanski inflicted tragedy,” Stevens said. “But the film represents the work, not just of the director, but of hundreds of people. My hope is that by watching the film, my students experience Raymond Chandler's noir writing through the added richness of film, and now recognize how noir, as both literature and popular culture, exposes important truths about our history.”

Adell has personally stopped watching director Woody Allen because he doesn’t support Allen’s life choices. However, similar to Stevens, he thinks that it’s acceptable to use the works of these controversial artists in an educational setting. “[Both sides] have to hold equal value,” Adell said. “You can’t just rush past [the] life. These are the relationships they had, these are

the crimes they committed, and these are the people they hurt.”

Nathaniel Friedman ‘23 doesn’t necessarily “rush past life,” but he knows human nature to be flawed. He finds it possible to acknowledge someone’s past and mistakes, but still admire their work.

“Recognizing human imperfection and also taking a note that terrible people can still make incredible work is always necessary to appreciating any form of art,” Friedman said. “Artwork is an extension of human creativity, so you need to take into account the flaws of their own persona, however ugly those flaws might be.”

Goldstein stresses the harm that comes with canceling artists.

Although Goldstein doesn’t advocate overlooking controversies, he finds it important to acknowledge all perspectives and experiences.

“Cancel culture is very dangerous and not in line with humanity,” Goldstein said. “Many of the most important composers throughout history have not been the best of people. In fact, one could say [that] it’s harder to find a wholehearted wonderful human being in an artist, because art is an expression outlet. If it was all gorgeous, it would not be honest.”

Parent volunteering STORY TÉA MALTZMAN

S

abrina Starkman ‘24 walks into the quads decorated with bright Christmas lights to grab a fresh krispy kreme donut and smiles as she is greeted by the friendly parent volunteers of the Campbell Hall community.

According to August 2018 information from the CDC, the connection between schools and parents is essential to building a strong community. Alex Grane, president of the parents association, feels that the school welcomes a collaborative relationship between students, administration, and parents. Grane acknowledges the value of parent involvement in schools.

“It was always important to our family that our children be at a school that welcomed parent volunteers and collaboration,” Grane said. “I have loved every moment of being on campus and getting to know the community better. I love seeing all the exciting ways the school is growing.”

Similar to Grane, Lélia Maltzman, a member of the Campbell Hall Parent Association, feels that being on campus gives her a better sense of life at school. Volunteering regularly has enabled her to meet and interact with staff and parents of all different grades.

“I enjoy getting to know the administration and learning more about the intricacies of the school organization,” Maltzman said. “I get a greater appreciation of the entire staff seeing how hard it is to run a school.”

The students appreciate seeing the parents on campus as well. Starkman is always happy to come across parents during the day. She feels that it brings the school closer together.

Parent Involvement: Parent volunteers gather at the teacher appreciation lunch

PHOTO TÉA MALTZMAN

“[Parent volunteers] bring life to our community by decorating for the holidays, bringing yummy treats, and helping everyone out,” Starkman said. “I am always so excited to see parent volunteers because they are all so kind and friendly. Seeing their dedication to the community and their positive attitudes are really inspiring and show how much they truly do care about everyone.”

Grane sees how the school is always trying to find innovative ways to engage the parent and student community. She recognizes the challenge that the past two years have brought them, with parents not being allowed on campus and having to come up with new, virtually accessible ways to stay involved.

“We created incredible connections for new families by hosting virtual parent check-ins, creating Zoom parent social events, and holding book clubs every month,” Grane states.

“A fond memory from last year was parents gathering at my house to put together gift bags for Christmas and Halloween. Many of these special moments that normally would happen on campus allowed us the opportunity to connect and feel some normalcy when nothing felt

normal around us."

With the decrease in COVID-19 cases, the school is slowly starting to allow parents back on campus. Recently, Maltzman’s favorite event that she has been able to bring back is the staff and faculty appreciation lunch. She loves organizing this event because it connects the parents and the teachers on a different level.

“Parents share their special recipes, cook, and bring in their favorite foods,” Maltzman said. “The parents get to serve lunch and talk to the staff. Teachers get to feel appreciated and have something to look forward to a few times a year. It’s always a very happy and positive event.”

Grane feels that it's a privilege to be at a school that welcomes such a collaborative relationship between the administration and the parents association. She sees that they are still evolving in many ways.

“Our continued growth is the result of all of our incredible volunteers and voices that are able to show up and dedicate their time in support of Campbell Hall,” Grane said. “I'm excited for the school to be returning to parents being on campus regularly. It feels so good.”

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s Chloe Woods-Harris ‘23 peruses the course offerings for the next school year, she heads to the science department. She signs up for CHAI Physics and the new neuroscience course and proceeds to add sports psychology to her schedule as well. Though she feels that the process was initially stressful, Woods-Harris knows that signing up for these classes will help her succeed in the future, while cultivating her interest in these science-based courses now. However, she also feels compelled to take certain courses outside of the sciences in order to be more well-rounded for college and beyond.

“Since I [can] enroll in more science classes, I want to take them,” Woods-Harris said. “I know what I like, [and] I want to become a doctor, so [taking these] STEM classes [will help me achieve that]. I would say CHAI English has been more pushed upon me for my goals than the sciences because I do still need to show strength in those humanities areas in addition to science.”

Antonio Marroquin ‘22 prefers to have a more well-rounded schedule. As an aspiring business major and film minor at Chapman University, Marroquin feels that taking different classes in a variety of subjects will ultimately benefit an individual as, oftentimes, the nature of classes is interdisciplinary and can be applied to multiple areas of study.

“A lot of people at a young age don't fully know what they want to do in life yet,” Marroquin said.

“They don't have that one goal in mind. So I like to experience everything and taking classes of all types introduces you to new opportunities and gives you just the opportunity to find what you like and what you want to do.”

Similarly, as an aspiring psychology major at Colorado College, Aidan Disney ‘22 believes that taking a variety of classes allowed him to fully discover his passion. When completing his college applications, he didn’t center them on one ‘theme’, instead loosely on social justice and outreach. His biggest advice for others’ in a position where they don’t know what to do yet: expand your horizons.

“I'm interested in studying so many different things and I want to also develop myself as a more well-rounded person and be knowledgeable in multiple different subjects and areas,” Disney said. “I think with the amount of experiences I've had and all the different things that I've done and putting those all on the [college] application, I feel like it helped me decide what I want to do in the future.”

Though she's signing up for more science-based courses, Woods-Harris competes on the Campbell Hall cross country and track and field teams and dabbles in the arts as well. She feels that Campbell Hall’s graduation requirements provide a comprehensive structure that allows her to continue focusing on her interests while getting a holistic education.

“We still have the English requirement for all four years, and I'm still taking a history class,” Woods-Harris said. “I think it's perfectly fine [to focus] my interest on something I actually like, [because] if I enjoy the subject, it'll be easier for me to learn.”

College Counselor Elisa Sagardia believes that most of the time, it is beneficial for students to have more breadth in their high school career as it makes them more competitive in general college admissions, with exceptions in specialized fields such as the arts and engineering. But in general, it is better for students to challenge themselves across the five core disciplines.

“I have seen that students usually are more competitive in an applicant pool when they are not starting to specialize or focus,” Sagardia said. “Because when they get to college, that’s what they’re going to do. An admissions officer [also told me that] they know that most students, when they get to college, are going to change their major at least once. And so they want to make sure that if that student is at that college, that they will be able to handle the work [such as a change in disciplines] if they do change their major.”

Though Marroquin initially wasn’t sure if he wanted to major in film or business, he learned there are many opportunities to take classes at both schools at Chapman. But, more importantly, he learned that making the decision about what to major in isn't necessarily a binding commitment that one has to mull over. Marroquin’s advice for students who are not sure what they want to study in college is to not stress.

"Lots of people are stressed junior or senior year, like ‘Oh my gosh, I don't know what to study,’" Marroquin said. "They think they're not going to be successful. But that is actually not true. College, your first year or second year or however many years it takes you, will give you the [chance] to seek out what you truly like and truly want to do.”

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THE PIPER

perspectives

Keep your laws off my body

Fight for rights: Piper Saken famliy and friends go out to a women's rights march to protest the overturn of Roe v. Wade.

M

PROM

Senior girls pose for a picture at prom

PHOTO SOPHIA GOLDBERG

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Students gather at the Peterson Automobile museum for prom.

"Attending a high school prom is such a bucket list item and this one truly lived up to the proms in the movies." Caitlin Jones '22 said.

Lulu Lemon Collab

VIKING REPORT CARD

y eyes remained glued to the TV screen all day on May 19th, 2021. They seemed to remain there from June, to July, then August… I felt my heart drop as I watched history repeat itself. After years of working, protesting and fighting for rights, basic human

D

body is being debated in a court.

The same court that was founded on the statement “Liberty and Justice for all”. The “Liberty” and “Justice'' that a woman is entitled to, has been and continues to be questioned. How is that possible?

From the beginning of time there have been set groups that were, and still are, considered minorities. One of them being women However, as time progressed, our society saw each and every one of those minorities blossom and continue to

strive for equality. Yes, there were still fights, yes, there were still protests, but there were also set accomplishments.

Abortion being legalized was one of those accomplishments.

Renacting the law that abortion is illegal is setting society back almost 50 years.

Now let's get into those statistics. Embryonic activity normally occurs in about the sixth week of a nine month pregnancy. Six weeks is not nearly enough time to determine a woman or her child’s future. Not to mention the fact that only about twenty three percent of women know that they are pregnant at six weeks. Twenty three percent. How are women supposed to get abortions in a set amount of time if more than half of them are unaware that they are pregnant in the first place?

It is unfathomable to me how a government took the power over a woman's body and once again made their own rules without possibly considering all the different perspectives and situations she may have been in or currently be in. It almost takes us back to the victorian era when women were considered ruined if they dared to have sex in the first place, yet another rule that men made and did not suffer from. From the beginning of time women and their bodies were treated as though they were objects to be toyed with and ruled over by some higher power.

With the progression of society, “higher power” has shifted to come in all shapes and sizes, the most prevalent form being the media.

In the beginning of the trials, I saw as each social media platform lit up, all highlighting the arbitrary law that was being passed in Texas. Different slogans all protesting the new act. This went on for days, weeks, maybe even a month, but then abortion was

Seniors have a meal together at their senior retreat

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Seniors have one last class retreat at Canyon Creek.

"I loved getting to hang with friends and relax while also having a lot of fun" Aidan Disney '22 said .

Campbell Hall's recent collab with Lulu Lemon

Students and teachers alike prepare for finals and the end of the year.

PHOTO IZZIE DIALLO

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Students prepare for finals.

"I think it's really unfair that our first high school final is our junior year. It feels like we're being set up for failure, these grades our critical" Gwen Raub '23 said.

Aggrevated students gather on the field after a student pulls the fire alarm.

Instagram PHOTO PERMISSION

Screenshot from recent @campbellhallvikings instagram.

"I am not a fan of the Lulu Lemon collab, honestly I think it was kind of a cash-grab, I don't think we should've done that."

Rachel Moyer '22 said.

out and some new trend was in.

To some, I’m sure the concept of abortion being banned was still prevalent. However, it wasn’t a huge thing anymore. It wasn’t all over social media. It was hardly talked about on news platforms.

It was as if a monumental movement had dissipated into the sea of laws and rules and regulations, never to be acknowledged again.

A few months later, I saw something truly terrifying. Not only had people stopped recognizing the past abortion laws, but they were oblivious to the new ones being brought up. One by one I researched and surveyed in horror as states belittled a woman's right to her own body.

Ohio, Kentucky, Florida, Alabama, Arizona, Australia, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Georgia, Louisiana and believe it or not many more. Some of these places have stricter rules than others but they all share some idea that a woman’s body should be controlled. Cause the truth is, that’s what abortion laws are: controlling a woman’s body.

When the term “pro life” was added to the scene, it made a sense that banning abortion was saving a life. Which is actually quite the opposite of what these abortion regulations will do.

Banning abortions is just banning safe abortions. Is the woman’s life less important than an embryo that has not lived or experienced? An entanglement of cells and lifeless strings is what a court decided to choose over a woman and her rights. The whole “pro-life” thing, is just a pretty front for a campaign that controls a woman’s life. Banning abortion is not paving the way equal rights, it is choosing a cell’s life over that of a living and breathing woman’s. So, “pro-lifers”, if you’re going to listen to a heartbeat, listen to hers.

PHOTO PERMISSION CAITLIN JONES

Fire Drill

PHOTO Piper Saken

rights, a woman’s right to her own body was still being questioned.

And then it was over. It felt sudden, even though I had been watching for months. Like the final drop in a roller coaster.

On September 1st, 2021 the “ Texas Heartbeat Act” was enacted. This law stated that in Texas, after the detection of embryonic activity, a woman was not allowed to get an abortion. We can get into the statistics of that later, but firstly, it must be addressed that a woman's right to her own

SENIOR RETREAT

STORY Piper Saken

Piper Saken '22 criticizes the potential overturn of Roe v.

Wade which would eliminate the federal guarntee of a safe abortion

FINALS

May 31, 2022

JJ HOFFMAN PHOTO

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Recent false fire alarm leaves studets and teachers annoyed.

"I think it was an immature and impulsive act. It was unfair to other students and a waste of the fire departments time." Ellis Friday '26 said.

May 31, 2022

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THE PIPER

Appreciating words Lucy Kennel '22 highlights the impact words can have STORY LUCY KENNEL

“

You dress too much like a boy. You need to wear more makeup.” I regularly confronted comments like these from my peers. Words are powerful; they can inspire and educate, or they can, like the words quoted above, breed self-doubt and cause a person to question their entire identity. In my case, it was the latter. Words about my appearance made me constantly anxious about how people perceived me.

In fifth grade I found myself at a crossroads: play girls basketball, like I was expected to, or play flag football with the boys. My love for football was simple: I wanted to play football because my dad had passed his love onto me, spending Sundays screaming at the Pittsburgh Steelers in unison. With unmatched confidence, I envisioned myself as a young Hines Ward, naive to the restricting standards of the real world.

“She shouldn’t be playing. She should be cheering,” a parent said one day, his voice piercing my ears. All at once, I realized why there were no other girls playing football: it wasn’t ‘normal.’ These words became stuck in my head, weighing me down; I was unable to prevent haunting opinions from harming my sense of self.

The place where I could find freedom from those opinions was the camp that I worked at starting in seventh grade. I could be myself there: that girl who just wanted to play sports. I valued the campers’ opinions and came to see how their words could so easily reconstruct my confidence. They made me feel content with who I was; I didn’t have the fear of being judged.

The Piper is a place where everyone’s viewpoints — especially opposing ones — are welcomed and even encouraged.

Upon joining in my sophomore year, I started writing opinion pieces, feeling safe enough to translate my voice onto a page. The first article I wrote was about my experience with football. While I had initially set out to write a simple piece about why I liked football as a child, the focus quickly shifted into an analysis of the rooted stereotypes behind my experience. I immediately became aware of how writing about the experience pushed me to understand myself better. The negative comments about my appearance or my penchant for football weren’t about me personally, but about societal norms. This newfound understanding led me to become intrigued by writing, helping me to see it as a powerful tool for understanding myself and my world.

I credit being a member of The Piper with leading me to where I am today. It has taught me to ask questions and to investigate, to never let voices go unheard.

Through this, I have gained a passion for learning about topics that I had never heard of, leading me to finding my passion and what I think I want to do with my life. It has taught me to never leave any questions unanswered, to not be scared to pry for what I want. Writing opinions has led me to finding my identity and uncovering my true self. Room 7203 became my safe place on campus and somewhere where I knew I was welcomed and loved.

When I remember Campbell Hall I will remember the lovely bright green walls of the Piper room and every single person I've met within it.

I have learned to value words and their impact. The words and experiences that had been embedded into my mind, constantly reminding me that I was “not normal,” now are a reminder of my true self, the girl who was unfazed by the words of others. I have regained the confidence of my younger self, accepting that opinions are unable to hurt me anymore. The Piper has taught me to embrace myself, and for that I will be forever grateful.

Documenting the present

Noa Schwarts '22 shares all of the silly stories she has overheard and recorded in her notes as a way to reunite herself with past memories STORY NOA SCHWARTZ hings always sound better in your head.

Thoughts tend to arrange themselves in a way that may make sense in an abstract, unscripted sort of way, but they are completely ridiculous when put into a sentence and verbalized. Nowhere is this more apparent than between the ages of 13 and 18, when your frontal lobe has barely developed enough to put your shoes on the right feet, let alone talk coherently. Luckily for me, and now for you, I used my limited brain capacity for good: to commemorate the weirdest and most hilarious sentences that came out of the mouths of my friends and family.

Rest assured, the following stories are all true and all quotes actually spoken aloud. For their sake, the quoted parties will remain anonymous. Here are just a few of my favorites, and the offenders that now live in infamy at the top of my “quotes out of context” notepad: “It looks like meat.” This nugget was a family member’s first reaction to an overhead picture of Canyonlands National Park, a stop on our upcoming road trip. To be fair to them, it did look like meat, but only after staring at it for a few minutes with a slab of meat in mind. Needless to say I was laughing for a solid minute after this one.

“All this honking is messing with my skinny complexion.” I don’t even think this makes grammatical sense, but I thought I’d include it anyway.

The word of confusion here was “complexion”.

I’m still not exactly sure what their definition of complexion was, or how it related to traffic noise.

They were definitely too old to be this wrong about a word that simple, and too young to worry about anything related to being skinny.

“The moon actually DOES SOMETHING?!?!?

I thought it was just for decoration.” A classic. No explanation needed. Pure wide-eyed stupidity filter free for my entertainment after a backhanded comment about an asteroid. If you at all identify with this, you might want to do a quick google search. You're welcome.

“Why do babies have long eyelashes? Because they’re fresh.” This frightens me now more than anything else, but the longer I look at it, the funnier it gets. It suggests that the older you get, the more unfresh you get. Or, if you prefer, the younger the person, the riper. By this logic, we’re all just spoiled peaches.

“Kidnapping. It’s like borrowing, but with human LIVES.” The emphasis is intentional. And yes, it is exactly how you just read it. Kidnapping is one big game of ‘who stole my pen this week’

T

ART NOA SCHWARTZ

Taking Notes: Noa recounts the funny quotes she has heard through doodles in her notebook.

just with higher stakes and less chewed caps. Conversely, stealing a pen is like kidnapping without the ransom note and the chance of a return.

“So that’s what a tampon is.” A whole story in a mere six words. Humble beginnings. A confusing climax followed by a dazzling finish. A rollercoaster of broken expectations and blown minds before finally arriving at enlightenment. Nirvana.

Poetry.

“In Massachusetts people don’t use their turn signals because it gives away their strategy.” Not only is this a reflection of the poor driving instincts of Massachusettsans, but also a warning.

It’s as if they are saying that in the great game of chess that is life, the residents of Massachusetts play dirty. Never let them know your next move.

“Taxidermy was the photoshop of olden times.”

I wonder if this means that taxidermists were the tech nerds of their time. Or maybe Photoshoppers are secretly skin-wearing serial killers. Either way, unless it was common practice to stitch mix match animal parts together, taxidermy had nothing to do with Photoshop. Then again, maybe they invented the precursor to the merge tool.

13 years of memories

JJ Hoffman '22 reminisces on his journey at Campbell Hall and all that he has learned

STORY JJHOFFMAN PHOTO PERMISSION JJ HOFFMAN

I

’ve been at Campbell Hall since August of 2009, and now that I am graduating 13 years later, it feels strange that I’ll be calling a different place home. Just thinking that I have only a month left of my Campbell Hall career feels surreal. I know not only the campus well but the familiar faces I see on my way to class, and I can’t believe all the new faces I will meet in the fall— ones that aren’t familiar. I’ve watched the campus grow to incorporate the AEC (though, after 10 years, we still call it the new building) and change from when elementary dropoff used to circle through the senior lot. Campbell Hall has provided me with some great experiences that I’ll be able to remember when I leave campus.

I still have the light blue Roots and Shoots shirt from elementary school.

Riddled with patches, it commemorates the time of a wide range of activities, including a visit with police

This has been a study in stupidity, a jaunt through the juvenile thoughts of people just like you and I. Let this be a word of caution. Who knows what tomorrow may bring? Who knows what quotable moments you will never forget?

Pay attention, listen, make the most of every moment. Step back every once in a while and take a mental picture, an image, a smell, a thought, a sentence; these are what you will remember when the moment has passed. Sure, I documented the silly ramblings of my friends to tease them later, or to share with anyone willing to listen, but it was also for me. It was for me to look at from time to time, and giggle softly to myself. It’s for me to remember what I would have otherwise forgotten. It reinforces my belief that living presently is the most valuable skill you will ever learn, and memories are the reward. I’m not saying you have to keep a meticulous notepad to remember your best high school moments, but it certainly doesn’t hurt. If I’ve learned anything, it’s to think about what you say, and no matter how moronic, say it anyway. It’s probably going to make someone’s day. It definitely made mine.

Growing up: JJ gears up for his first day of Kindergarten, in 2009.

officers, reptiles, long hikes and many more after school adventures. Once, I remember a snake being put on my shoulders, and I was too nervous to move, yet that experience was amazing.

I always looked forward to our next meeting, and I’ll always remember this special part of elementary.

Secretly called ‘Long division’ by the Astro Camp staff, the dark maze was one of the scariest and most thrilling

activities. I remember as I crawled into the dark, enclosed space, my claustrophobia was rising. But I had to just take a deep breath and trust myself to find the way. Though somehow, many people started to pass me, I eventually found my way out, making me grateful to have gotten to complete it and try something challenging.

The eighth grade trip to San Francisco was probably one of the most hyped-up trips at Campbell Hall, if not the most. While touring Stanford and walking across the Golden Gate Bridge certainly was exciting, a big part of the trip was the freedom that we were given, specifically at Pier 39. In and of itself, that was a signal to give us more responsibility and prepare us for high school. I remember eating a chocolate crepe with some friends as we walked around the pier, for the first time feeling more independent.

Lastly, joining The Piper. I distinctly remember the day I decided to join journalism. I had the elective transfer sheet printed on my kitchen counter as I perused the course options; I decided to drop out of theater tech (although I did participate in after-school theater tech later) and enroll in journalism.

Why I picked journalism, I don’t know.

Perhaps it was because it was some-

JJ HOFFMAN It feels strange that I’ll be calling a different place home. Just thinking that I have only a month left of my Campbell Hall career feels surreal.

TWENTY-TWO thing new and sounded interesting, and in high school, I wanted to try new classes. But after the first day of class, I felt like dropping out: I just didn’t fit in. My parents, however, pushed me to keep going, and by the end of the semester, I enjoyed it, although I didn’t think I would apply to join the newspaper. And yet, I submitted my application a few months later because there had been a new spark ignited by the journalism class — a spark that would lead me to pursue summer classes in journalism and become increasingly interested in it.

Throughout all of these experiences — and many more — I have learned and grown tremendously throughout my 13 years at Campbell Hall and have gotten to push myself when I normally wouldn’t have. Thank you Campbell Hall; I’m ready for the next chapter.

THE PIPER

May 31, 2022

Drowning in depression

Sinking: Taylor Huie '22 battles with her depression and comes to terms with the consuming emotions she faces everyday.

ART INDIA GRIFFIN

STORY TAYLOR HUIE

I

have depression.

N o t the “oh no my grade in math just dropped, I’m so depressed” kind of depression. Or the “I’m so depressed I just watched a sad dog video” kind of depression.

No, I experience the sinking kind of depression. The “bed opens up and swallows me whole” kind of depression. The “thick, black, syrupy liquid fills my lungs, clogs my ears, blinds my eyes” kind of depression. The kind of depression where I should be desperately clawing my way out of the liquid; I should be frantically trying to cough it out of my lungs, to purge it from my system. I should be struggling to fight it. But I can’t.

On the worst days, the days when I hear a cackling in the background

as I feel myself fall into despair, I go about my day, feeling as though I’m swimming through a fog. Words are muffled, people’s faces are covered by some kind of a blur and everything seems to move through me.

I’m here, physically, but I’m not present. I comprehend and absorb little to nothing, stuck in autopilot.

Greetings and conversations echo around me, bouncing around gently in the vacancy of my mind; but these aren’t tangible. I can’t seem to grasp the snippets of phrases and hold onto them. I’m but a mere observer, watching the conversations float past me.

On the best days, life seems to return to normal, but I know it’s just a matter of time before I’m pulled back down. Down into the dark, down into the sinking. Yet life seems to be fine, at least for the moment.

Laughs are full, no longer hollow.

Making conversation is as simple as allowing a river to float my raft downstream. Smiles come easily, gliding onto my face, and joy and motivation is no longer a memory of the past, it flows through my body like golden ichor through the gods.

I am a teen-aged Sisyphus, rolling my boulder up the hill only for it to come tumbling right back down upon me. Because at the end of the day, the syrupy liquid will always come back. It creeps up my body, starting at my toes, then slowly slithering up my shins. Its slick darkness coats my thighs and crawls up my torso. With each move I make, the liquid gets heavier and heavier, pulling me down. As it slides up my body, I slide down, back into the darkness.

But the liquid that pulls me down like the glue of an insect trap isn’t the worst. Not even the whiplash I experience between the rare moments of normalcy before slipping back down is the worst. What makes it unbearable, rather, absolutely terrifying, is the crushing lonesomeness.

The soil of the Earth sticking to my feet and pulling me down. A hollowness likened to a single linen shirt left forgotten on a clothesline, no number of hyperbolic analogies can articulate my experience. How can I express the fear and simultaneous resignation I feel when I look into the mirror and can’t even

15

recognize myself, when I begin to drown in the growing piles of clothing on my floor, when I feel my very own blood turn to lead, pulling me down.

The same fog I spend each day wading through that distorts time, faces, and conversations acts as a fence that separates me from everyone else. The fog engulfs me, makes me invisible. I can hardly move through the fog myself, how can anyone even try to peer through to see my experience.

I want to clear the fog, blow it away easily with a paper fan, be rid of it for good. I want to drain the black liquid, flick the remaining slick off. I want to be rid of the heavy, weighted suffocation. But I also want to shrink back into the fog, curl up and sink into the liquid.

I’m scared to leave the protection it brings. I live in internal turbulence, bemoaning the struggles my depression drags me through, yet I’m terrified to let go of it. How foolish is this paradox?

See, my lonesomeness can be attributed to two core ideas. One: I’m unable to articulate my experience in a comprehensible way. Two: I push away any hope for relief. I see the sunlight peeking through the fog and turn away, shielding myself from the warmth of its rays. Yes, it’s difficult to understand what depression feels like, but how can I insist that I am alone in this struggle when I run from the hand that beckons me to step out from the fog?

There is no happy ending to this piece, there is no resolution. There is no call to action, no punchy ending.

I long to clear the fog around me, but I desperately work to maintain its opacity, shielding me. I continue to sink deeper and deeper, the darkness enveloping me. This is my depression.

It sounds as though I’m simply complaining without proactively working to fight my depression.

But what I’ve learned in working through it, writing through it, is that it’s okay to struggle. Life isn’t perfect and you can’t be expected to handle every unpredictable obstacle life throws at you with grace. And that is okay.

Viewing life unconventionally

Maggie Chiappetta-Uberti '22 aims to defy societal expectations of life after a meaningful conversation with a teacher STORY MAGGIE CHIAPPETTA-UBERTI

I

have always found the question “How are you?” difficult to answer.

We all know the obligatory response that we learn to say at age five, and so I pause before I answer — take a breath and soak in the freedom of my silence — and then ultimately say “good.”

I say “good” because it’s comfortable, it’s easy for us all. My resistance to responding is because my answer is more complicated than that. It’s because, if it were up to me, we would answer in strings of sentences, perhaps even the occasional made-up word to describe exactly how we feel. I don’t like the idea of being confined to the simple nature of responses, or the way we cover up our feelings as if it shields us from one another. Although we equate simplicity with ease, to me, it makes things harder.

I couldn’t really put to words my relentless pursuit to defy our love for simplicity until I had a conversation with my English teacher. It was amidst the process of applying to college, and I told her about the uncertainty of my future: how I didn’t know where I would get in, and consequently, where I would be living in six months' time. Although the entire population of seniors worldwide could collectively deem this uncertainty as “bad” or “scary” or view this reality through a negative lens, I told her how I struggled — but hoped — to view this process otherwise.

As my anxious feelings surrounding this entire process reached a peak, I needed to look towards

MAGGIE CHIAPPETTA-UBERTI Instead, I will tell them how I actually feel, even if that answer is complicated because being sincere and exploring the nuances of life is the only way to appreciate every aspect of the world in which we live.

TWENTY-TWO something — anything — that would help me extract the positives from this moment.

That’s when my teacher told me a story about a farmer who viewed the world in an unconventional way, the way that I had hoped to view this process. The farmer’s horse ran away, and his neighbors reminded him of “What terrible luck!” he had found himself with. But instead, he just responded, “Maybe so, maybe not. We will see.”

The horse then returned with a number of horses, and his neighbors viewed this as “wonderful luck,” while the neighbor again responded, “Maybe so, maybe not. We will see.” The next day, his son broke his leg while riding one of the horses. The neighbors cried out, sharing their thoughts on how terrible this was, but the farmer responded, “Maybe so, maybe not.” Following this incident, the conscription officers came to draft people in the army, but after seeing the son’s broken leg, they chose not to take him. While all of the neighbors rejoiced, saying “how great” the farmer’s luck was, he still responded “Maybe so, maybe not.”

My teacher continued with this story, adding in moments that were both seemingly good and seemingly bad according to the farmer’s neigh-

bors, yet much more complex in the eyes of the farmer himself. He didn’t view such moments as “good” or “bad” but simply as complex and unpredictable as life is.

After this conversation with my English teacher, I realized that we are taught to see the world as either half-full or half-empty. But really, there are so many different ways to view life, ways that don’t have to be defined. Rather than a glass half empty or half-full, I enjoy viewing life as all of the moments in between: from the moment when my coffee cup overflows from pouring too much creamer to the moment when my coffee is distilled down to the water droplets remaining from melted ice cubes —- a drink well-devoured. I enjoy the everything-in-between about life.

But, as humans, we tend to label things. We place our ideas in confined boxes of plain descriptions simply because it is comfortable and easy. We view our moods, our so-called “friends” and “enemies,” and our world through lenses — through labels — of “good” or “bad” when life itself is so complex.

While most see labels and structure as the harmony of life, I enjoy dissonance. Structure works for those like my twin sister: she thrives off of it.

When I limit myself to such extremities of “good” and “bad”, I limit my experiences. I limit myself from experiencing the everything-in-between: the gray area amidst what is considered simply black and white. The next time someone asks me the question, “How are you?” I resolve to not respond with the expected answer, “good.” I will tell them how I actually feel, because being sincere and exploring the nuances of life is the only way to appreciate every aspect of the world in which we live.

Defined by

dance

Consumed: Keely Chambers '22 performs in the Nutcracker after endless preperation.

PHOTO PERMISSION KEELY CHAMBERS STORY KEELY CHAMBERS

I

have spent my entire life dancing, whether that be around the house or, by the age of seven, in a dance studio. Once I began, I never stopped.

I became first immersed into the world of jazz and ballet, loving the roles of an 80s girl in a music video and a party girl, an angel and a flower in “The Nutcracker.” “The Nutcracker” made me fall in love with ballet. The tradition, the magic behind each dress rehearsal, going late into the night for rehearsals, the excitement that filled the room when costumes were brought in for the first try on and watching the older dancers play the Sugar Plum Fairy and the starring role of Clara, dreaming to be one of them one day.

Dance took over months of my summers and hours after school, and I became known as the dancer of the family. From eighth to 11th grade, most weeks added up to around 20 hours at the studio.

What began as two classes a week turned into competitively dancing throughout the year, flying to New York for finals and auditioning constantly from December to March for summer programs. Dance consumed me, it gave me a purpose, it paved my career path and sense of self.

Right before COVID-19 hit and after months of struggling with the aftermath of being sick, lacking motivation, grasping for the bits and pieces of the aspects of dance I loved and finding more enjoyment in other activities, I came to terms with my true emotions towards dance.

For a while, I tried to move past them, believing this was just another rough patch, but there was a freedom that came with this new perspective, it just felt right.

Once I spoke with my parents and sorted out my thoughts, beliefs that I never wanted to admit, I was faced with the facts of my dying passion for dance and the burnout that comes with that.

Coming to terms with the understanding that I no longer planned to be a dancer as my career was a hard idea to grapple with. Growing up, I was told that my career path in dance had to be decided by 14, I had to know how I planned to train, my future goals, where I planned to train, which companies to audition for, and the way I had to look in order to make it. Of course, I was only 16, but because I had grown up hearing how I had to move forward in life, you could say I had a bit of a freakout.

It’s hard. It’s hard to come to terms with the fact that dance can be an activity but not a career, that dance can be enjoyable without being competitive and that dance is something I do and is not a defining factor of who I am as a person. The stress, the pressure, the competitive side of dance is an all-consuming one in which many dancers have been swallowed by.

For myself, I know that there is a turning point in a dancer’s life when it becomes a reason for why you can’t attend certain school events, why you missed most of your best friend’s birthday and why you can’t even jump on a trampoline.

Although dance was consuming and I missed activities I would have loved to participate in, it gave me passion, drive, a competitive spirit and it made me a teammate and a supporter. Although I am now okay with not having dance define me, it will always be a factor in who I am, my character, my values, and my understanding of myself even, without my identity being dance.

16

THE PIPER

May 31, 2022

CH over heard

EDITORIAL How to deal with an ever-changing world

O

n a daily basis, we are confronted with change.

Some view change as catastrophic, while others gladly welcome change.

Sometimes change is not always a bad thing. Sometimes it’s necessary.

After this long year of adapting to a new, post-pandemic environment on the newspaper staff, we have come to learn this. A year filled with late deadlines and disagreement about whether our new serif font was prettier than our last year’s sans-serif font can lead to a disheartened staff that regards the idea of change in a negative light. But after six attempted issues, we have come to accept that adaptation was, and is, needed sometimes.

We change The Piper design every year, but this year, the problems were rooted deeper. We found ourselves met with a reality in which our staff struggled with motivation, our teachers questioned their roles as both educators and mentors in our lives, and our understanding of life before the pandemic dissipated as we attempted to grapple with the remnants of what we used to have.

The pandemic has altered how flexible every single person has to be. It has disrupted so many crucial parts of our lives, including organization and education. We had to change the way that The Piper was set up because COVID-19 had robbed so many staff of the in-person learning experiences, which included the simple, yet impossible task of designing pages. We had to take bigger roles; we even had to elect an Editor-in-Chief almost a year late, but we were open to everything

PHOTO TAYLOR HUIE

Frozen: Toby Lim '22 stands in place as students hurry by him as he stuck ignoring change.

because we accepted that it was the only way for us to be successful.

There have been many examples of change throughout history, as it is inevitable in our ever-changing world.

Whether it’s moving away to college and changing locations, or changing how you dress and present yourself, change can be beneficial. Change can teach you things that you didn’t even know about yourself, and you may be pleasantly surprised.

For some of us, change meant switching schools for high school. At the time, this was threatening. A new school filled with strangers who had the chance to determine our whole high school experience was scary. But

for most, this fear was short lived.

This change was actually refreshing; it was filled with better opportunities and new relationships. It helped us find ourselves and adapt to a new environment, which ultimately help us be better prepared for the real world.

But it is also important to recognize that change can have detrimental and heartbreaking effects as well.

Change is not always necessary for every single person. To really define this topic, there must be an operational definition of change. Change is a sudden moment where there is loss or gain in one’s life. While that could consist of changing cities to attend college, moving houses or gaining friends,

there is another part of change that is less fun. That is, losing friends, letting go of a past self, and an incredible environment. Or, going even deeper than that, losing a loved one, divorce or even losing political rights.

There is no greater purpose of life, there's nowhere we are all going. We don’t need to change a million times to learn something. Not everything's meant to make sense, though we would like to think it does. Change can be rooted in pain, and pain doesn’t necessarily provide a learning lesson.

There's comfort in having a routine and having a support system — and losing that can be detrimental to a person's growth. And leaving a routine also means leaving the people within that routine. Sometimes it’s nicer to have those loved ones stick around.

As we go off into the next stages of our lives, we have to realize that change is scary. For many of us, Campbell Hall has been an ever present staple in our lives, a rock that we can always turn back to. Soon that will change. But we’ll have to adjust, and though it may seem scary, it is ultimately up to us about how we want to react to it.

This change in our lives is only a minor stepping stone into a life full of changes. Campbell Hall is only a small bubble in the large scheme of the greater world, and by accepting change we will learn to embrace change while exiting the bubble we live in and have been confined to for so long. Change is scary; it brings loss and instability.

But inspite of all, change is what keeps our world moving forward, and until we embrace that. the world will keep running away without us.

Oren's Likes and Dislikes: THE CLIPPERS STORY OREN WEISSMAN

O

h the Clippers. The gift that keeps on giving, in many different ways. Not once, and I repeat, not once, have we won anything.

Yes, I'm a Clipper fan. Go ahead, laugh all you want. I know most of the people reading this are Laker fans, basking in their glory. The Lakers have 17 Championships, one won in Disneyworld, countless hall of farmers, legendary coaches and one of the most loyal fan bases there is. But if you are a Laker fan, or a fan of any other NBA team really, I want you to close your eyes, think about the pain, the agony, the disappointment that all of us Clipper fans go through everyday. Not just because we are historically one of the most losing franchises ever, or a team that has never even made the championship, but also because we have to live in the shadows of the Laker fans that run Los Angeles. And let me tell you, it isn't fun.

When I was five years old, I was a Laker fan. Rocking that purple and gold, I was proud to be a fan of the team that all of my friends were also fans of. It was great; too bad I don't remember any of it and the only proof I have of it is one photo that is lost in the 20,000 photos my mom has on her computer.

Thanks mom, now I can’t show the Laker fans that I was once one of them, that it wouldn't be bandwago-

piper

PHOTO OREN WEISSMAN

Number One Fan: Oren Weissman cheers on the Clippers with his brother and his mom.

ning to return back!

My dad has had season tickets for the Clippers for 30 years. If you wanna talk to a man who doesn’t even care if we win or lose anymore, because he knows the inevitable heartbreak, talk to him. When I was around seven, Chris Paul got traded to the Clippers, and from then on out, I became a die hard fan. God, I can’t believe I didn't know what I was getting into.

Ever since then, I have had to fight for my fandom

Student newspaper of Campbell Hall School 4533 Laurel Canyon Blvd.

Studio City, CA 91607 (818) 505-5325

Sports Editor Lena Rohan

News Editor Noa Schwartz

Issues Editor Taylor Huie

Staff Writers Jessica Bazel, Georgia Brown, Keely Chambers, Madison Damus, Ella Duncanson, Téa Maltzman, Matthew Rose, Piper Saken, Jacob Silverstein, Lincoln Weinstock, Oren Weissman

Editor-In-Chief/Features Editor Maggie Chiappetta-Uberti

Buisness Manager Sophia Goldberg

Photographers Austin Janavs

Assistant Editors Isabella Diallo, Levi Horowitz, Amelie Park, Caroline Rehder, Samantha Sher

Advisor Christine Gaul

Perspectives Editor Lucy Kennel

Copy Editor JJ Hoffman

every time I step out into this city. The amount of times a Laker fan has said “Go Lakers” everytime I wear my clipper sweatshirt is countless. Or a store that sells “LA jerseys” at the airport that only sells Laker jerseys. Don’t get me wrong, the Clippers have had their chances. Lob city, an era of the big three of superstars. The team was destined for greatness right?

Wrong. They never even made it to the Western Conference Finals. But on July 10, everything was bound to change.

The Clippers got Kawhi Leanord! I ran downstairs, breaking the news to my dad who was half asleep. His eyes shot open as my dog, mom, and dad jumped in a circle as if we had just won the lottery. The next year the Clips looked promising. But in classic Clipper fashion, they choked a three-one lead and went out in seven games.

However, as much as the Clippers pain me, they have shaped me into the man I am today. I always root for the underdog. It gave me and my family a bond that will never break. I’ve never understood why Laker fans give the Clipper fans so much hate.

The Lakers have 17 wins while the Clippers have zero, and yet they still get angry at us for loving a team that isn’t theirs. One day, I hope we can live in harmony together, but if that harmony requires me to become a Laker fan again, forget about it.

The mission of The Piper is to

investigate and present the most relevant topics and issues pertaining to the lives of our school community. Truth, objectivity and accuracy are the primary goals of all staff members. Journalists uphold the right to express unpopular opinions or to agree with the majority and will never gather information in an inappropriate or unethical manner.

Furthermore, The Piper is intended to serve as a forum for student voices.

"Is this how you argue with your parents? You are insane."

TEACHER

"You're going on overheard CH." T W E N T Y-T W O

"There are so many red flags on this menu, like limes???"

T W E N T Y-T H R E E

"One of the secrets to life is, you commit."

CAMPUS VISITOR

"I would give you advice, but I don't read."

T W E N T Y- F I V E

"I'm a communist, I don't like slushies."

TEACHER "You know I could've gotten married in chapel?"

Advertisements follow the same scrutiny as all other material in the paper. Advertisements are free of statements, illustrations and implications that are antithetical to our school values, based upon the opinion of the staff.

T W E N T Y-T W O

"How much should the kid cost?"

T W E N T Y-T W O

"Why is the small cheaper than the medium. Oh wait, that makes sense" T W E N T Y-T W O

"Did the bush just laugh?"

T W E N T Y-T W O

to Lucy Kennel kennell@campbellhall.org. Letters should be concise, and the writer may ask to be printed anonymously. Letters may not be printed if deemed inappropriate for print

by The Piper editorial board.

The Piper distributes 1,000 The unsigned editorials that ap- copies, free of charge to the pear in this publication represent Campbell Hall community. the opinion of the editorial staff. The Piper is a member of the Columbia Scholastic Press Letters to the editor are encour- Association and the National aged and should be submitted Scholastic Press Association

THE PIPER

May 31, 2022

Fundamental differences in sports spending

ART AUSTIN JANVAS

STORY AMELIE PARK, GEORGIA BROWN

F

ootball, softball and tennis. Sports funding at schools impact a team’s performance. According to Director of Athletics Juan Velazquez, within the community, sports are funded based on what they need to be successful.

The Piper staff requested information on how individual sports were funded, but that request was denied. Velazquez notes budgeting for athletics is distributed throughout elementary, middle and high school, but points out the bulk of the budget is in high school because of the needs of many athletes. In the high school, funding looks different depending on the sport.

Velazquez highlights that funding works dif-

The roundup: sports briefs

sports

17

ferently for certain teams in the community, but feels they are not divided in an unfair way. He explains that sports budgeting is dependent on what a sport requires in order to be successful.

“Budgeting for these sports is not divided the way that it is to highlight certain sports over others, but it has to do more in regard to what the need is to participate in that sport,” Velazquez said. “With that, sports are funded equally between girls and boys because they play similar matches.”

Velazquez points out that the funding process for sports teams does not drastically change each year. He believes changing funding can be harmful to athletes and may

not allow them to participate in different sports. With this, he also comments on the effect of having budgeting for sports and what that means for different athletes. “[The athletics department] tries not to change any budgeting because we want everyone to be able to play a sport at Campbell Hall,” Velazquez said. “Sometimes it is a hardship to pay a fee per season, which is the case at other schools, so we try not to change anything drastically so kids have a chance at trying something new. Since we are such a small school, we want more kids to come and play different sports during different seasons — ultimately leading us to have a certain budget for each sport and a set fee for athletes.”

Kian Salehi ‘23, a wide receiver on the varsity football team, knows how truly important adequate funding is for his team. With football being one of the highest funded sports, Salehi directly sees the impact that funds have on the sport.

“Adequate funding is very important because it will allow our teams to have better facilities, to develop and become better as not only a team but also as individual players, and help us reach our maximum potential overall,” Salehi said. “Also, better facilities from funding will attract more athletes from outside the school to want to come to Campbell Hall.”

Salehi has seen the difference in treatment that certain sports get. The sweatpants, sweatshirts, backpacks and t-shirts compared to only one sweatshirt for some teams is apparent to many players.

“I think across the board some of the funding is unfair,” Salehi said. “Some sports obviously require more money to keep up with the rest of the competition but I think every team should receive the same treatment in regards to clothing and things that

Baseball

Boys' Volleyball

Track & Field David Eick '22 and Forrest Wheeler '22 celebrate a hard earned point as Wheeler goes to serve

Gabe Williams '23 and Myles Prather '24 discuss after an intense inning as they head back to the dugout

7-13 overall record

12-11 overall record "We had a great season because we balanced our serious competitive spirit with a fun team chemistry," Reza Hall '23 said.

Boys' Tennis

are not central to the sport.”

Riley Eisenstein ‘22, a captain of the varsity cheerleading team, finds the funding across the board extremely unfair. She believes that because the cheer team is not a competing sport, lots of the funding is left up to the cheerleaders and their families.

“It’s infuriating,” Eisenstein said. “Cheer is the only team that has to buy their own uniforms as well as poms. Now, I understand there are reasons for it, like custom fit, but they could buy us poms or bows, but instead it comes out of my family’s pocket.

So when it comes to funding the team has to fight for what we need because not many people care.”

Eisenstein says that these funding problems are nothing new and have in fact been around since she was in middle school. Eisenstein recalls when the cheer team was made up of six members and had been the first middle school team in a couple years.

“When I was in seventh grade, they didn’t even bother to buy us uniforms,” Eisenstein said. “So we just ended up wearing the middle school football jerseys and whatever skirts were found in storage.”

In the future Salehi would like to see changes in different areas of sports funding come into play. He believes that with every small change brings an even bigger impact on not only the teams and players but the community as a whole.

“I would like to see major changes in equipment and enhancement, weight room improvement as well as better trainer facilities and offices,” Salehi said. “I think overall in the future, there needs to be change in the funding across all sports to give everyone equal opportunity. Funding not only improves player potential but also team morale and overall leads to a better team spirit for the future.”

"It was a memorable season, sad we didn't make it to playoffs, but I wish good things for the next year," Diego Velazquez '22 said.

Andrew Goetz '22, Reilly Boyd '24, Aidan Disney '22 and Nickolas Marmershteyn '23 warm up before their race

Softball

Reilly Boyd '24 and Matteo Malchar '22 make CIF and Boyd runs a 4:43 mile at the finals

The boys tennis team pose for a photo after a tough win over Sierra Canyon

4-9 overall record "Overall we had a good season, but I couldn't play for the first half of the year because I transferred schools, but other than that it was super fun," Alex Amini '23 said.

"Being on the track team was a wonderful experience. I loved the new people I got to meet and the new experience I got to have," Araceli Harvey '24 said.

Sophie Janavas '24 makes a stellar catch to end the inning

5-11 overall record "This year was fun because the team was supportive and we bonded very quickly. I'm excited to continue to have another great season next year," Ellie Kugler '23 said.

18

THE PIPER

May 31, 2022

COMMUNITY SPIRIT OF SPORTS STORY LENA ROHAN

I

t’s the end of March and in the middle of the senior patio gathers a large crowd surrounding a small monitor sitting underneath a large, makeshift cardstock bracket plastered on the fence. On the monitor is none other than the NCAA March Madness. Everyone in the grade between passing periods, lunch, and after school watches these intense games, cheering and yelling while they hope their favorite teams make it to the finals.

Lyla Dintzer ‘22 is used to this environment of about 50 people closely watching these basketball games.

However, it surprised her when the senior class went so above and beyond to watch the games. She found that during March, she was able to relate to kids in her grade more so than ever before.

“Sports have always been a way for everyone in not only the grade, but also the school to get closer,” Dintzer said. Sports have been a good distraction for Dintzer when in school. It gives her something to look forward to after a long day of school and work.

During her ​​ most stressful days, Dintzer was reduced to having sports games to carry her through those times.

“I feel like there is a different energy that we all have when sports are involved,” Dintzer said. “It’s more focused on what is happening, because usually we are all distracted with so many different things. I also feel like everyone is just a lot happier when we are in the crowd cheering on our team.

It just makes the day so much more exciting.”

Simon Adell ‘24, loves sports, maybe a little too much. But Adell loves

PHOTO PERMISSION ZOÉ MALTZMAN Geared up: The senior class gathers on the patio to watch March Madness

the ups and downs of his teams, even though sometimes it can go too far.

“I'm a huge Cowboys fan," Adelle said. “Last year when the Cowboys lost to the 49ers in the playoffs, as a Cowboys fan, I was heated. I threw a basketball at my door as hard as I could and I broke the door. That was a moment when being passionate for a sports team hurt myself. I had to help pay for the door.”

According to Statista, 46 percent of Americans are casual sports fans, while 28 percent are hardcore big fans. Adell most defimetly considers himself part of that 28 percent. He loves football

LYLA DINTZER I notice that during football, volleyball, or basketball games, the whole grade shows up. It’s an easy topic of conversation that I can bring up with people that I have never talked to. I have made a lot of friends through talking about sports. There are some people that I would have never talked to if it weren’t for sports.

T WE N T Y-T WO

first, but Adell doesn’t discriminate, he believes March Madness is one of the best competitions the sports industry has to offer. He even uses his sports knowledge to his advantage in the classroom “I love watching March Madness,” Adelle said “It is the biggest bonding experience in America because everyone watches it. Even my math teacher had the games on after we finished our work. He also gave us an opportunity to gain three extra credit points by just submitting a bracket. And depending on how your bracket does, you can gain up to 20 extra credit points. That

really saved my grade, and it was also the most I talked to my math teacher all year. I think I talked to my math teacher more about sports than anything academic. I don’t know if that’s good or bad, but it’s fun.”

James Buckley ‘23 joins Adell in the We dem Boys Club, being an avid Cowboys fan since he was born. However, the Cowboys haven’t had the most success in the decade in a half that these two have been alive. Buckley has had to get used to these losses, and he has even developed a routine to help cope with the consistent losses.

“Rule number one for me, is to put on Drake and sit in my feels,” Buckley said “Step number two is to analyze the game. I watch the highlights. I'm an analytical guy, I'm a stat guy. I go to the box score, I go to the film, and I go to the drawing board and devise plans for us to win the next game. The only problem is that I have literally no way of affecting the team, so I probably shouldn’t be like that.”

For Buckley, sports viewing isn’t just a leisurely personal activity for him; he watches with a plethora of different groups that give a different vibe to the game depending on the each group.

Buckley often watches games with his father. For him, that gives them a special connection through watching sports. “He loves watching sports, we watch all the sports, we don’t contain it to one sport. We are golf guys, basketball guys, football guys, we will even throw some money on UFC if we are feeling in the mood. But when I watch with my friends it’s a totally different viewing experience, but I love both of them. Either way, we all bond over the sports, and that’s what makes it so special. Overall, I love sports, and it brings so many different types of people together on one common ground.”

Day in the life: Kamar Mothudi From an early wake up, to late night homework, we follow one three sport athelete 4:30 a.m. I wake up and throw water all over my

4:00 p.m. after practice, I get on the late bus and listen to music, try to get some of my homework done, chill and play different games on my phone and honestly just try to relax.

face, I do some stretching and make sure that I’m alive.

5:00 a.m. I go in and start my cardio. I do 10 min-

utes of jump roping which goes by pretty fast because I listen to my music. Then I go and walk to the park by my house and do my football workout which is just conditioning and different kinds of drills for linebackers like footwork and ladder. That's from 5 to 6.

7:30 p.m. I will usually get off the bus at around and

get home at 7:45 p.m. Afterwards I will shower and go start my homework at 8:30pm and finish around 9:30 or 10 p.m. Then I do a few different stretches and practice some light yoga for mobility. Then I go do my night care routine, which is just brushing my teeth and washing my face and go to sleep.

6:45 a.m. Then I come back home and get ready for school. I hop on the bus at 6:45 a.m. and get to Campbell Hall at 8:15am.

Striving for Greatness: Mothudi runs for the end zone scoring for the Vikings

8:50 a.m. I go through the Campbell Hall day. I attend my first

two blocks and talk with my friends between our passing periods.

12:05 a.m. At lunch I go and do my basketball workout de-

pending on the day it's usually upper or lower. It might be bench press, dumbbell curls, overhead press, different arm workouts, chest and tricep. Some days I will grab a lunch from the student store, my favorite day being Mexican Monday. That's lunch.

1:15 p.m. After lunch its just a typical school day but if I have free block

I will try to get my homework done before I get home. If I am ahead and I don't have any homework, I'll watch anime in my free block and relax.

4:00 p.m. If I have a football practice after school I' ll go to the train-

PHOTO PERMISSION PAULA NUCCI

D1 Dreams: Mothudi lines up ready to take off for his race

ers and do some rehabilitation stretching. And with football each day we try to target different body groups to build strength and muscle.

After school today I have track practice, we start with a few campus warmup laps. And because I’m a sprinter we work on sprint work. We do 400m repeats where we sprint and take it easy on the curve then sprint. We do some 150m and 200m, and usually finish with a 100m.

Stop, shot, swish: Mothudi banks a clutch shot and hustles back down the court

THE PIPER

MAY 31, 2022

More than a record

PHOTO PERMISSION PAULA NUCCI STORY SAMANTHA SHER

V

BEHIND THE C O U R T Managers’ role in sports STORY KEELY CHAMBERS

arsity baseball team captain Charlie Satenberg ‘22 has spent each of his four seasons going out onto the field and giving it his all. He has put his heart and soul into every game and every practice, with yearly hopes of climbing to the next level: the playoffs.

Making it to the playoffs would prove that his team successfully met their goals for the season and were true competitors. But this was not the case.

Although the varsity boys baseball team won seven games this season, it was not enough for them to make the playoffs. However, Satenberg believes there were still positives to take away.

“Our season, in terms of wins and losses, [was] not great,” Satenberg said.

“But [in the end] I became a better person, better teammate and overall, a better player. For next year, I hope the team takes what they have learned and the diversity they dealt with to fuel their motivation to make the playoffs.

We do strive to make the playoffs and it is what we were chasing, but we grew as a team, which shows improvement.”

Similarly, Sabrina Morovati ‘22 played on the varsity girls softball team for the first time in her Campbell Hall career. Although their season didn’t go as planned and they did not reach the playoffs, Morovati feels that not everything is about winning.

“Although we did make the playoffs, I’m so glad I played,” Morovati said. “I had the best time and made a lot of new friends and memories. Playing softball was something I never thought I would do and I had the best time. I wish that our season wasn’t over and that we still had the chance to play because I miss it so much.”

However, Morovati’s teammate, Alyssa Acosta ‘22, is used to being on a softball team with a high winning percentage. Acosta is going to College of Staten Island to play softball next fall, so she wanted her final mark on her high school team to end on a good

A

0-6: The vikings are down against Sierra Canyon while Max Artz, but that doesn’t stop their efforts.

note by competing in the playoffs.

When this did not happen, she felt disappointed.

“Not making the playoffs this year was really upsetting for me,” Acosta said. “I wanted to win it all, or at least have a chance to. Not having that was sad. Throughout all my years of playing softball, I have been taught how important it is to try my best, but also to win. I loved my team and our chemistry, so I just wish our season did not have to end so early.”

Looking back on her season, Morovati will hold onto the friendships she has made with those on her team. Bonding with her teammates kept her coming to each practice when she knew they would not make the playoffs. She also felt that her team’s growth was important and impressive.

“Sports seasons are temporary, but the memories are long lasting,” Morovati said. “It’s important to cherish the time you have with your team and get better at whatever you do.”

Acosta agrees that the memories she has made for the past four seasons are going to last forever. She believes that despite the outcome of not making the playoffs, being a part of the team has taught her so much and has helped

shape her into the player she is today.

“I feel so lucky to have been on [the varsity softball team] for my high school years,” Acosta said. “I have learned so many tips and life lessons from my coaches and teammates. I am a better person and have grown into the best player I can be. I will take everything I learned and incorporate it into how I play in college.”

Even after his team knew there were no playoff hopes, Satenberg felt that as the captain of the team it was his responsibility to lead by example and keep giving it his all during practices.

He wanted to end his season on a high note by enjoying his final moments with his teammates while doing what he loves.

“The love for the sport and my team kept me coming to practice,” Satenberg said. “I’m not just going to quit because I didn’t make the playoffs. I still had a job to do to finish the season strong and keep showing up. Even if it’s not the results you want, you can’t be a quitter and you have to keep fighting till the end. This team has impacted me greatly and made me realize how much I love the sport of baseball. Being a part of this team makes me want to come back and watch this team next year.”

It’s never too late

Juniors and seniors try out and play completely new sports

PHOTO PERMISSION MAYA NUCCI STORY JESSICA BAZEL

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ntimidation, excitement, curiosity, insecurity. Upperclassmen feel a bit out of place when trying out for a new sport in their last couple years of high school, since there are already established team dynamics and they may not be as skilled at the sport as their teammates. This begs the question, is it ever too late to try something new?

Rose Greer ‘22, who is new to the soccer team, was inspired to join in her senior year because of how fondly her sister, Grace Greer ‘24, spoke about the team. However, because she had never played sports except for one season on the volleyball team, Greer was nervous that her skills wouldn’t live up to the expectations of a varsity team. Regardless, she feels that she has been welcomed into the team despite being new and her skill set not being as advanced as the other players.

“The team bond and how four grades came together and got along was [beautiful],” Greer said. “Yes, [there were feelings of intimidation] because everyone had been playing for four years, and I didn’t learn how to kick a ball until two weeks into the season, but, since I was new [and] some freshmen were new, we were [all] just starting high school soccer.

So, we bonded that way.”

For athletes like Sabrina Morovati ‘22, however, joining a new sport wasn’t threatening because she had a strong sports

background and she knew people on the softball team prior to joining it. Morovati also wishes that she had tried out softball earlier in her time at Campbell On the bench: Rose Hall so that she could have more time to Greer ‘22 experience something she found that she is ready to play during really enjoyed. soccer “[I tried out] sort of on a whim,” Morpractice ovati said. “I [didn’t think] I was actually as a new going to like it, but I love it. I’m really senior on happy with [joining] softball this year the team. and I wish I did for all of high school because I really enjoyed it.”

Morovati’s coach, Shauna Johnson, notices that a lot of girls who join softball are friends with already established team members. However, this doesn’t account for all of the team, so to make sure that everyone feels included, she sends her athletes on an annual picture contest where players are instructed to take creative pictures around campus for prizes. “[Having those contests] creates ways for kids to meet other kids and be a part of something,” Johnson said. “If they don’t have softball experience and they feel like they’re struggling, it’s just something else that isn’t softball related that can make you feel that you’re a part of the team.”

Johnson also recommends that athletes shouldn’t stick to one sport. According to the Positive Coach Alliance, 97 percent of professional athletes credited being multi-sport athletes to a large chunk of their success. Especially because Campbell Hall doesn’t have a feeder program to high school softball, she finds it incredibly important that athletes try new sports, no matter their grade or experience level.

“We don’t have anything in elementary, we don’t have a middle school team, so it’s kind of up to us in the high school to create softball players sometimes,” Johnson said.

“I was a two-sport athlete growing up, so I think the more sports you can play the better. I was never into specialization, obviously kids do that and I totally respect it, but I think the more sports you can play and the more things you can do, the better. It’s more fun that way.”

s a coach, Helena Selkirk gets straight to practice when the clock hits 4 pm. Due to this, her student manager, Grace Chiappetta-Uberti is in charge of taking attendance, helping injured students, and writing emails so that Selkirk can be focused on her athletes.

The student manager holds a lot of responsibilities and allows for practice to go smoothly. It teaches students good communication skills and time management, and it gives non-athletes an opportunity to be in an athletic environment, according to Selkirk.

“There are many links in a chain and in order for things to run smoothly it’s nice to have all the links together,” Selkirk said. “The manager is the main part that connects all of the links.”

August Mazzara ‘22, the boy’s varsity volleyball manager, saw the importance of being a passionate manager who is able to have a positive impact on the team and play an important role.

“I believe sports management is a very underrated aspect of sports,” Mazzara said. “Obviously, the players are by far the most important factor in sports, but the influence coaches and managers have on the team, fans and results is immense.”

Mazzara not only took on new roles, but also gained a sense of comradery and community. He was also able to see the inside of the sport and what it takes to be on a team without being part of the athletic aspect.

“I decided to become a manager because my friends were playing and I didn’t want to take up a spot on the team but I wanted to be invested in their season,” Mazzara said. “I’ve learned that being on the sideline has a bigger impact on players in the game than some may think. The mental aspect of sports is very important and it’s crucial to maintain a positive and headstrong attitude throughout the season, especially for older guys.”

Jessie Reitz ’22 dreams of becoming a sports manager and working in the sports business in the future and is using the opportunity to be the boy’s junior varsity and varsity volleyball team manager as a stepping stone.

“I became a sports manager because it’s always been a dream of mine to manage or market a pro football team,” Reitz said. “I thought this job would be a great opportunity for me to try because it was going to help prepare me for the future I have in the sports business.”

Reitz has played volleyball in the past, and so working alongside her coach gave her a new perspective on the game and a new relationship with her coach.

“It was so fun managing a sport that I play,” Reitz said. “My coach is the same as the boy’s coach so it was also an awesome experience to spend time with her.”

Student managers not only learn important lessons of responsibility but also gain knowledge for dealing with issues outside of the sport. It teaches them how to see multiple perspectives when finding solutions to problems and be open to constructive criticism. Mazzara, on his club soccer team, has learned new ways to navigate being a more open-minded teammate.

“Being a manager has changed my relationships with my peers because I’ve seen them in their leadership roles and how they impact other people rather than just as peers,” Mazzara said. “I have an easier time approaching players when there is a problem or when I, or someone else, has to tell them something they may not want to hear.”

Asked & Answered

Soccer captain August Mazarra Q: How do you feel about this year’s World Cup being in Qatar?

A: “Personally, I am not favoring the world cup being in Qatar. I don’t like the way they treat the people they are employing and I feel the conditions of the climate there are not fit for the world cup. I feel other countries might try getting away with this kind of stuff in later years since Qatar did so easily.”

From the students: August Mazarra talks on the controversial location for the upcoming world cup

Q: Why do you watch the World Cup? A: “I watch the World Cup every four years. I try to never miss a game. I [try to watch every game] because world cup games are the most exciting sport events. They are heavily anticipated for a long time resulting in a bizarre atmosphere that is hard to top.”

Q: Have you noticed an increase in issues of ethics in sports?

A: “Yes. In soccer there has been issues with political involvement.

Recently, Chelsea’s previous owner was forced to step down from his position as he was exposed for owning biggest Russian steel company and supplying Russian military with steel to build tanks, helping them in their attack on Ukraine.”

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May 31, 2022

A few extra steps Though not all athletes go through the recruitment process, that doesn't stop them from dreaming of pursuing their sports at the collegiate level

Looking in: A new college student overlooks the track and field team, hoping to walk on.

ART TOBY LIM STORY JACOB SILVERSTEIN

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cording to ScholarshipStats.com, only seven percent of high school athletes go on to play at the collegiate level. While only a select few get this opportunity to represent their school, many students still choose to pursue sports as so-called “walk-on” athletes, meaning they can join the team at their respective schools if their athletic ability meets the standards. Because of this, they have the ability to enter this class of

players even though they might not have not been recruited.

Aidan Disney ‘22 is an avid runner and part of both the track and cross country team. Although he was not recruited by a college, this did not deter him from pursuing running in college. By communicating with college coaches, he was able to earn a spot as a walk-on runner.

“I made the mistake of not talking to college coaches earlier enough, I waited too long,” Disney said. “So luckily I found a college where the coach was really helpful and nice, and after

MVP off the field Coaches impactful role in their teams STORY OREN WEISSMAN

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he loved basketball. It was her favorite sport. The ball bouncing as it hit the floor with a ferocious intent, the sound the hoop made when you knocked down a three. Nothing could stop her, until someone did. Sierra Starkman’s ‘24 basketball career was cut short when she encountered a coach that was so unfocused on the team's chemistry, he made her forget why she loved the sport in the first place.

While coaches are glamorized in the modern world of sports, the role of a sports coach is often misunderstood. what does it actually mean to be a coach?

ThoughIn the end, the coach can’t actually play for the team. But to Starkman, what good coaches bring to the table is extremely valuable. They can motivate the team, amplify team chemistry, and make it an overall more enjoyable experience especially at this level.

“I think a coach can very much impact a team solely off of their attitude,” Starkman said. “A coach has a very important role on every single team considering that they are the leaders. Without a coach, most teams would never exist. I think for me, I just love to play sports. And when a coach sees that you love the sport, that will instantly create a connection.”

Although Starkman has had many good coaches, she highlighted an experience that shows as an example on how massive a coach can be not only on the team, but on a specific player. “I had a basketball coach that was terrible, and mentally draining, and that is seriously the sole reason why I don’t play basketball anymore,” Starkman said. “Basketball was my whole life, and then I had one coach and one team that made me not want to play ever again. So there is definitely a good side to coaching, and an ugly side.”

Joe Del Pero ‘23 has been playing basketball for 13 years. He has taken in a ton of knowledge, and actually has direct insight on what it is like to be a coach, and how

much credit they really deserve.

“I’d say for every level of sports it’s different,” Pero said. “For highschool, since it’s a rotating roster every year, it’s very hard for a coach to handle so many teenagers. Having new cards dealt to you every year, it’s pretty important to have a great coach. For higher levels, they construct the perfect roster for the coach, but in high school it could be different every game. Not enough credit [is given to high school coaches.”

Over the course of his 13 years, Del Pero has had many coaches, and they have taught him skills on the court that he continues to grow with every year he matures. But Del Perro really resonates with one of his coaches' stories that took place mostly off the court.

“My coach's name was Coach Augusteen.

He’s a very inspiring human being. He was born in Nigeria, played soccer his whole life, but then picked up a basketball at 15 and was invited to a basketball camp. He had never played before, but he grinded and got the support of all his friends to go to the United States and play professionally. His story inspires me to be the best I can be so I can live up to his standards. He pushed us in every drill, and it made the team play so much harder and more together.”

Alex Canty is the varsity women's basketball coach for Campbell Hall. Different from the players, he sees the social issues, and the on-court mistakes. But Canty couldn’t do it alone, his staff is a team within the team. Canty doesn’t believe in just one person getting credit, yet instead, he believes his whole staff should be on an even playing field.

“I get the perfect amount of credit,” Canty said. “But if you have ever seen me coach, you wouldn't just see me, you would see both of my assistant coaches and more, screaming and yelling and clapping. I don’t have an ego when it comes to coaching.

When it comes to credit, sometimes I feel like I get too much credit because most people don't understand the breakdown of my coaching staff.”

talking to her a couple of times she offered me a spot on the team. It was after I had already gotten in, so I wasn’t recruited, but I wish I had spoken to coaches earlier,” With going unrecruited, it’s also vital that one needs to know if they're good enough to be a walk on. According to Champions Everywhere. com, it’s important to also be sure of what event or facet of your sport that you are best at. They add, finding out who to talk to and how to reach out could be a confusing and nerve wracking part of the process for many walk ons. However, Disney was able to find convenient portals to reach out as well as scope out whether he would be a good fit on the school’s track team.

“I had to do the research to know if my times were good enough or if I had the possibility of being recruited,” Disney said. “The coaches from [the colleges] are pretty good, sometimes they’re not, but don’t let that deter you.”

For Disney, college wasn’t always the plan.

There was a lot of hesitation coming from a relatively unknown DIV track school into a larger program at a DIII program. However, after his research and realizing that he was good enough to fit on a college track team he knew it was the next step.

“I didn't think I was going to be able to run in college," Disney said. "I thought maybe I had DIII potential, but I’ve always wanted to run at the next level so now that I have the possibility it’s really awesome.”

Another runner in the class of 2022, Piers Pozil, has recently committed to walk on for cross country at Colgate University. For Piers, his walk-on status doesn’t affect how he will feel on a college team as they all share a love for the sport. His love for running was nurtured at Campbell Hall, and is something that he can’t

Sport SMARTS STORY TÉA MALTZMAN

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issed save. Struck out.

Whiffed. Our mental game challenges our physical game more than one would imagine.

Sports are constantly engaging athletes mentally. Athletes are always thinking about their own game, what their next move will be and how to perform to their best. Their minds are regularly rerunning through highlights and biggest mistakes.

In a 2019 Coach Up article, Scott Hojili writes that although athletic capacity is critical to any sport’s success, it is just as essential that athletes train their own mind, as it plays a fundamental role in athletic dominance and development.

Max Arzt ‘23 feels that the mental and physical aspects of a sport are intertwined. As a baseball player, he constantly feels this clash in training and games.

“If the mental game is off, it makes it extremely difficult to focus on the field,” Arzt said. “In order to hit a baseball, which is known as the hardest thing to do in all of sports, it takes all of your concentration and confidence. If you go up to hit not believing in yourself and not wanting the pitcher to challenge you, you have already lost the battle. There is no room for success in the physical game without the mental game being there ready for action.”

Lotus Landau-Levy ‘24, goalie of the varsity girls’ soccer

live without.

“I’ve developed a love for running even if I don’t get to win races," Pozil said. "I just love running with people, and also being able to run on my own time; I need to do it everyday, and what better way to do it than running alongside a team that enjoys it as well. I’m nowhere close to many of the runners on the team. So they are a lot more lenient when it comes to walk ons, but I know I’ve improved substantially throughout my time on the track team, cutting my 3 mile time by 10 minutes which is a huge improvement. I’m confident with just the support of collegiate coaching and a team that my time will improve further, so the initial gap doesn’t scare me much at all. ” Helena Selkirk, coach of the cross country and track and field teams, has three senior athletes committed to run in college. Preparing students to run in the future she feels is part of her job. She makes sure students are well trained, both physically and mentally, so that each athlete has the means to reach their full potential in running. Not only does Selkirk seek to bring out the best athlete in her runners, but also the best humans they can be.

“My job here is to provide the best opportunities in training possible so that each kid has an opportunity to develop to their fullest potential,” Selkirk said. “If in fact that the kid is going onto college to run, I have reached optimum success of coaching if I got them into college. And for me, since I am a college athlete as well, I feel like I’m laying down the roots of what helped me become successful as an adult as well as an athlete. Even to this day, I feel that it is an extreme accomplishment for myself as well as for the athletes. I’m very proud of them.”

The intellectual along with physical aspects of being an athlete

team, argues that soccer is a very mental game. Besides feeling confidence in herself, she believes that having an understanding of positioning and being able to figure out players’ every move is critical to her game.

“I spend over half the time watching and analyzing the other team, figuring out what type of game they play, fast passes, slow and analytical,” Landau-Levy said. “I pick out the players with strong legs or good ball control, and focus on them so I’m better prepared when they take a shot on goal.”

Ico Palermo ‘22, captain of the varsity golf team, feels that his sport is more mentally challenging than it is physically.

Because it is an individual performance based sport, he feels that it can be really easy to get in your own head.

“Golf is a sport where you need to rely on your own opinions and thoughts about your shots because you do not have a team of players or coaches to help you,” Palermo says. “That’s why it's so important to make sure you are focusing on your own play and shots and if you lose focus, you will stop performing to the best of your ability.”

A sport becomes more mentally challenging when your mind allows you time to think about what you did wrong. Arzt feels that baseball is a constant mental game. For Artz, having an intellectual understanding of a sport is just as imperative

MAX ARZT If the mental game is off, it makes it extremely difficult to focus on the field. In order to hit a baseball, which is known as the hardest thing to do in all of sports, it takes all of your concentration and confidence.

STUD E NT '2 3 as the physical understanding.

“When I’m on the baseball field I’m constantly thinking about what the right play would be if the ball were hit to me,” Arzt said. “If I’m batting I’m always thinking about what I can do to best help my team.

Being able to understand what’s going on and the job you need to fulfill is the first step to actually performing that action.

If your head is somewhere else your game will be too.”

The idea of keeping your head in the game is preached to athletes of all sports. Landau-Levy feels that you can lose track of your mind and your body when you are not in the right headspace. Artz similarly acknowledges the value of staying focused on the field.

“Having your head in the game means you are so focused on what you are doing that every external thing you have going on vanishes,” Arzt says.

“All the crowd noise disappears because your mind is so locked in on trying to complete the job you have.”