CHIT CHAT During ISAS, seniors Maggie Lipscomb, Mackenzie Fain-Parish and Ella Varel take a break in-between activities and discuss their day. “ISAS is my favorite event of the year,” Lipscomb said. “Performing at ISAS is really fun because of how complimentary and supportive everyone is whether they know you or not.” photo by Jiaying Fu
ISAS festival gives seniors one last critique, opportunity to watch other fine arts programs
BY | LIESL SMALL
WShakespeare (Abridged)” for the festival.
Alexandra Everbach Senior “ ”
Art can evoke so much emotion that is different for every person, even when they don’t expect it. My job as a performer is to create that emotion.
hile struggling to wheel a dead character offstage during seniors Alexandra Everbach and Ella Varel’s sophomore year performance at an Independent Schools Association of the Southwest Arts festival, alum Saheel Junaghare ‘17 unintentionally unplugged wires, leading to two full minutes of improv and acapella from the two main characters. That was the last time the theater program ever took a musical to ISAS.
Everbach and Varel have attended ISAS, an arts festival that celebrates the visual and performing arts of independent high schools in the area, all four years. The two performing arts students grew up with supportive parents who surrounded them with arts summer camps.
Everbach is a theater, dance and choir student while Varel participates in choir and dance.
“Because we’ve been going [to ISAS] since freshman year, we know what to expect,” Varel said. “ISAS always has the same vibe, which is why we’ve been going for four years. It’s a very relaxed and chill environment.”
In preparation for ISAS, Everbach and Varel dedicated much of their time in order to perfect their choir and dance performances. Everbach’s theater class brought to life the “Complete Works of William
“In the second semester, almost all of our class time is used to perfect our scenes, monologues and one-act plays,” Everbach said. “For choir, we use songs we’ve been learning all year, as well as add one or two songs.”
Although managing hours of rehearsal is difficult, Everbach and Varel make time for it because it’s what they love to do and has had an impact on their time on campus.
“Art can evoke so much emotion that is different for every person, even when they don’t expect it,” Everbach said. “My job as a performer is to create that emotion, and when the audience reacts to what I’m doing, I know I’ve done well.”
Strings teacher Adrian Demian puts hours of time inside and outside of class into his student’s performances in order for his students to feel prepared.
“I’ve been wanting to do one the past three years.” photo by Jiaying Fu it worked, surprisingly.”
where there is such an emphasis on athletics, some of the art students feel like they are the oddball.”
Although the ISAS festival is non-competitive, it provides encouraging and constructive critiques from experienced professionals.
“
“The choir critiques are always really
When the art students weren’t performing, they attended other student’s performances, as well as exhibits and workshops.
“Being able to meet up with people from other schools around Dallas and Texas is really interesting because we get to see what other students have done creatively,” Varel said. “We usually go to Electric Coffee House, which is a rock concert where a student from another school DJ’s.”
BEING ABLE TO MEET UP WITH PEOPLE FROM OTHER SCHOOLS AROUND DALLAS AND TEXAS IS REALLY INTERESTING BECAUSE WE GET TO SEE WHAT OTHER STUDENTS HAVE DONE CREATIVELY.
ELLA VAREL
“Besides performing or showcasing their art, they have the opportunity to see and meet like-minded people from other schools and see that they are not alone,” Demian said. “Sometimes, especially in a school like ours,
interesting because they tell us different ways to enhance our sound,” Varel said. “During my sophomore year at ISAS, the judge made us push on our arm while we were singing to create a fuller sound. It was random, but
As seniors, Everbach and Varel had been looking forward to their last festival with their classmates.
“It was our last gettogether with all of the art students, so it was really nice to hang out with them for one final time,” Varel said. “It’s also a great time to de-stress from school and be in a creative element with everyone else.”
BY | GARDINER VOSE
Former AT&T executive Pete Heldman was announced as the commencement speaker for the graduating class of 2019 by Head of School David Baad on March 22. This marks a shift in the speaker selection–which was typically an alum or professional speaker–to a parent.
Heldman is the father of senior John Heldman and freshman Annie Heldman. The process of making this decision was different from previous years when students had a say in the graduation speaker.
“It has been my experience in listening to probably 45 or 50 graduation speeches that the most effective speeches are when the speaker has some sort of real connection with the graduates,” Baad said. “I have found that it is most effective when it is a parent of the graduates because they understand the graduates, and they know their experience, and often know many members of the class well, which allows for a deeper connection.”
Although Heldman has a personal connection with some members of the senior class, others feel that the decision will not make the speech any more intimate.
“I honestly don’t like that the speaker is going to be a parent,” senior Luke Stanford said. “It should be the same as how it has been in the past, where we get to elect the speaker—it should be an outside person like a speaker that the senior class is able to vote on.”
Though not a professional speaker, Heldman has experience in the field, and Baad selectively chose him based on the principles that he embodies. Baad hopes that the class of 2019 can learn some of the skills that Heldman has gained throughout his life.
“Mr. Heldman was very interesting to me because I really want people to think, and I want to graduate thinkers and people who are intellectually alive and lead a
life of intellectual achievement,” Baad said. “[Heldman] is in a line of work in which critical and analytical thinking are very important. I also like that his line of work has to do with public service and politics. So to me, he really embodies what the school is about, so I think I made a good choice.”
For some of the seniors, the decision to make the speaker a parent is not a big deal.
“For some people, the past year’s speakers have been controversial, so it is fine that we did not get a vote in the decision this year,” senior Danny Kung said. “Some people have been saying that it will make it more personal, and I know Mr. Heldman pretty well, but it’s only probably like 15 or 20 kids that know him well, so it will only be personal for a small percentage of the class.”
Heldman’s speech is directed to relate to the entire senior class.
“Mr. Heldman and I are in complete agreement that the importance of his address is to try to capture everyone and to try to deliver a message that is going to be meaningful to the entire senior class,” Baad said. “I am confident that he will be able to do that.”
Many seniors wanted to vote on who the speaker should be.
“It would have been nice to have a vote because we could have had the option to make it an actual speaker or a famous person,” Stanford said. “Mr. Heldman will do a great job though.”
For some years seniors have had a chance to vote on the commencement speaker–but not all. Baad did not want seniors voting on each other’s parents.
“It was my understanding that the seniors voting on the speaker is not a tradition,” Baad said. “It has happened once or twice, but it’s not a tradition. I thought that once I had made the decision that I wanted to have a parent do it, it created a difficult dynamic because I didn’t want to have students voting for each other’s parents.”
SPEAK UP Pete Heldman is the first parent chosen by Head of School David Baad to deliver the commencement address at graduation. Heldman had a number of high-level positions with large companies such as AT&T. “I find it more personal to hear a farewell speech from someone who knows me, who knows all of us and has gotten to see us develop into who we are today,” senior Mason Goslee said. “We should get to listen to somebody who knows what we as a community need to hear.” photo courtesy of ESD
BY | LAUREN EGGER
With the Lower School opening this August, the block schedule will change to accommodate every grade’s access to facilities and allow teachers to crossover between Middle and Upper School classes.
Through a two-year process involving teachers from all three divisions and administrators, six variations of Middle and Upper School schedules emerged. Each schedule moved activities like Chapel, lunch and flex.
“With the new building coming to this campus, we had to start a review process last year to make sure that facilities would not conflict,” Academic Dean Dr. Eric Boberg said. “Things like the Dining Commons, the Chapel, P.E. spaces and carpool arrival and departure times [were looked at].”
Those involved in the process provided feedback about a twoperiod crossover schedule, which impacted the class rotation too severely, largely agreeing that the crossover period, or “M” period, needed to move to accommodate Middle School teachers in their role as advisors.
Fahrenbrook has worked with Boberg to ensure that M period doesn’t impact advisory times.
Moving the Middle School schedule to a seven-day rotation will increase alignment and allow for Middle School students to take classes in the Upper School.
“This is a much easier transition [to high school], and it allows middle school students to take a high school class without impacting their other middle school classes,” Fahrenbrook said. “It’s just easier organizationally for teachers, students and parents.”
In order to align M period, high schoolers will now have three classes in a row before chapel.
“We thought about starting at 8 a.m. but thought students would be pretty upset about that,”
Boberg said.
tenets and is important.”
The other major change to the schedule is the placement of flex. After the three morning classes comes Chapel, a small break, then lunch, then another class and finally, flex. The benefit of having flex later in the day is most athletes won’t miss as much school when they are dismissed early.
Junior Ty Johnson plays varsity baseball and is affected by early release times for athletes, making him miss classes.
“It seems like the [new] schedule will help with not missing as much school,” Johnson said. “Usually if we leave after lunch we are going to miss both classes at the end of the day, and now it looks like we will only miss the last class.”
Junior Class Dean Claire Mrozek is troubled about how students will use their time during breaks, but she recognizes that the school must work to ensure all students are accommodated.
WITH THE NEW BUILDING COMING TO THIS CAMPUS, WE DEFINITELY HAD TO START A REVIEW PROCESS LAST YEAR TO MAKE SURE THAT FACILITIES WOULD NOT CONFLICT.
DR. ERIC BOBERG, ACADEMIC DEAN
“[We asked] how we [should] open up some opportunities for middle school teachers to do high school work while also being able to be an advisor,” Assistant Head of Middle School Meg Fahrenbrook said. “The way it works right now is if they teach in the crossover period, it keeps them from being able to be in the advisory period, so we lose an advisor, and we always need strong advisors.”
M period is the only period that is at the same time every day and currently runs through Chapel and advisory in Middle School, which inhibits any middle school teacher with a class in middle and high school from being an advisor.
“The reason we really like 8:45 is [so we can] stagger the number of cars coming to campus at the same time. If we had all three levels trying to come to school at the same time, that would be difficult.”
Another reason there are three classes in the morning is because those making the schedule agreed that upper schoolers shouldn’t start their day with Chapel.
“We are going to be getting the message out that you can’t miss Chapel,” Boberg said. “If you want to go somewhere right after Chapel, that’s okay, but you are not allowed to go to a tutor during Chapel. If there is a pattern of behavior [from a student], we will talk to them. Chapel is a part of our founding
“I have concerns that the breaks aren’t spread throughout the day, which no offense to students that I know and love, but I don’t see [them] using [the breaks] as productively as [they] do now,” Mrozek said.
“Even when [they] have 20 minutes, a lot of [students] can get a great deal done. Bottom line is we are going to have to figure it out, and if everybody is flexible, we will be fine.”
While the new schedule has its benefits and drawbacks, every other option did as well and the school chose the one that will work well with the Lower, Middle and Upper School.
“We are one school—it’s not just one group in the Dining Commons—so we need to be open minded and patient as we grow into this new experience of all of us on one campus,” Fahrenbrook said.
THAT’S A WRAP Yale Professor and Director of the screenwriting program, Marc Lapadula, lectures to a class in the Bray Theater about analyzing films on March 21. Lapadula’s lecture focused on the details of the film, “I Am a Fugitive from a Chain Gang.” “Mr. Lapadula is extremely wellversed in his film theory and film history,” film teacher Bobby Weiss said. “He showed the enthusiasm, eagerness and willingness to look at films in a critical manner.” photo courtesy of Cary
BY | GRACE KNUDSON
Yale University professor Marc Lapadula taught four lectures about film rhetoric to history, English and film classes in the Zachary Bell Theater on March 21.
Lapadula, a playwright, head of the screenwriting program and senior lecturer in Film Studies at Yale University, offered lectures all based around the famous movies “The Godfather,” “The Graduate,” “Citizen Kane,” “2001: A Space Odyssey,” “Psycho,” “Rebel Without a Cause” and “I Am a Fugitive from a Chain
Gang.” As a Yale graduate and former student of Lapadula, Band Director Cary Porter was able to arrange the visit to campus.
“While I was a music major at Yale, I was able to sit in on Mr. Lapadula’s class,” Porter said. “He is such a smart and in-demand speaker. He stayed the whole day, which is very generous. I knew he was special and would be amazing to come
speak here—he proved to be just as special as I thought he was.”
Coincidentally, a junior AP English Language and Composition class was studying the
MR. LAPADULA IS AN IMPRESSIVE TEACHER, AND THE STUDENTS SAID THAT AS WELL—HE KNOWS HOW TO KEEP YOU ENGAGED AND KEEP YOUR INTEREST.
AP ENGLISH TEACHER
rhetoric of film and persuasion techniques to make a thematic
point. Because of Lapadula’s lectures, the juniors were able to receive an example before turning in their assignment.
“One of the offshoots of my assignment, which Mr. Lapadula helped to enforce, is that once students realize they can analyze film, they can analyze literature,” junior AP English teacher Greg Randall said. “Mr. Lapadula is an impressive teacher, and the students said that as well—he knows how to keep you engaged and keep your interest.”
Film teacher Bobby Weiss’
classes also benefited from Lapadula’s lectures. The lectures shared the common techniques of cinematic masters and their visual storytelling by using symbolic imagery and dialogue in films.
“Mr. Lapadula’s presentation really encouraged me to start thinking about how each shot in my films should have meaning and significance to the story and theme, rather than simply being aesthetically pleasing,” sophomore Sam Curtis said. “The next film I create, I definitely want to implement ideas he shared with us.”
Dance recital showcases semester’s
Middle and upper school students performed together at their final dance recital on April 16.
Recitals are held every year to showcase what the dancers have learned each semester. The middle and upper school dancers have performed together since 2013.
“You get a buddy system [with the middle schoolers], and you get to really know them,” senior Alexandra Everbach said. “We get to be their mentors and teach them about high school.”
Seniors Maggie Lipscomb, Ella Varel, Mackenzie Fain-Parish and Everbach have performed in the annual dance recitals for all four years of high school. Dance teacher
The National Honor Society hosted their bi-annual blood drive on March 22 with students, faculty and staff donating to Carter BloodCare.
The requirements to be a donor are: you must be at least 16 years old and receive parental permission, weigh at least 110 pounds and present a valid identification before donating. Donors should also maintain a healthy diet the day before and the morning of and not currently be on any sort of medication. Staying hydrated and eating a good meal prior to donating is also important.
This year, over 80 donations were made.
“Each semester it’s different,” NHS sponsor Lauren Redmond said. “This past year [between both blood drives] we had over 80 successful donations, with many more who tried to donate but were
Thirty-one students attended the Columbia Scholastic Press Association convention from March 20-23.
Students from yearbook, Itinerary and the Eagle Edition, along with sponsors DiAngelea Millar and Heather Cernoch, attended classes to learn how to improve their publications for the upcoming school year.
“We are excited for next year’s book, and we’re going to try to make a memorable, award-winning book,” yearbook Editor-In-Chief Caroline Massey said. “We’re going to experiment with a lot of things next year.”
The Eagle Edition and Itinerary both won Gold Crowns for their 2018 publications. It was both advisers’ first time receiving a Gold Crown.
“We were all really proud when it was announced we won a Gold
The National Honor Society added 62 new members at the induction ceremony on April 8.
Students who met the requirements, which included three leadership positions, a GPA of 3.5 or above and 100 community service hours were officially initiated into NHS.
Alum TJ Frank ‘01 was invited as a guest speaker for the induction to speak on his high school experience in NHS.
“It’s not just [the students] who get the best grades and who has the most club participation, it’s about the whole package,” NHS Sponsor Lauren Redmond said. “[NHS] is something that we can [use] to celebrate the whole student, somebody who’s active in all areas.”
The NHS inductees will receive their blue stoles for graduation their senior year if they complete the
1
ON POINTE Senior Alexandra Everbach practices her performance for the spring recital on April 15. The spring recital was Everbach’s last performance with the program. “The dance team forms a really tight bond, especially when there are people who have been part of the team for four years,” Everbach said. “Even though most of us will likely continue to do some kind of dance in college, it’s sad that we wont be dancing with each other again.” photo by Blair Batson
GO WITH THE FLOW Senior Will Minnis donates blood at the National Honor Society blood drive on Feb. 26. This was the second blood drive NHS held this year, and over 80 students participated. “We are always happy to see people donating just because they want to,” NHS sponsor Lauren Redmond said. “It helps so many people.” photo courtesy of Lauren Redmond
EYES ON THE PRIZE Newspaper, yearbook and itinerary students pose at Penn Station on March 22 in New York. The Eagle Edition and Itinerary both took home Gold Crowns from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association. “It was incredible receiving our award,” junior Emily Delgado said. “Having our hard work acknowledged made it all worth it.” photo courtesy of
Head of Upper School Dockery’s hand as he presents
into the National Honor Society. “I was so excited to be inducted hope to make a positive impact
STORY & GRAPHIC BY | EMILY DELGADO
I’m going to make sure that never happens again.”
After being sexually assaulted while on a run at the age of 18, Athena’s Strategies founder Meg Hinkley dedicated her life to teaching high school and college students sexual assault education, prevention and self defense.
GRAPHIC BY | SUMNER WOOLDRIDGE
hear each other. It exposed some real gaps in [the students’] understanding. One of my biggest takeaways, especially from the guys, was that they didn’t know what terms meant.”
students taken on Feb. 27, 82 percent of the student body believed that the presentation was necessary to have.
I don’t want my former students to be the ones that are brought up on charges. I don’t want my former students to be the ones that are being assaulted. I don’t want our community to be making mistakes out of ignorance.
Claire Mrozek
U.S. History teacher & junior class dean
Hinkley worked with the seniors during a special programming day on April 5 to teach proper self defense methods in case of assault.
“Sexual assault and consent can be very confusing,” Hinkley said. “It’s really important to talk about it and be aware of their own thoughts and assumptions that may be incorrect.”
On the Feb. 5 special programming day, Director of Violence Prevention and Support Services at Southern Methodist University Tawny Alonzo discussed consent, sexual assault statistics and bystanders with the junior and senior classes.
“The word sex is going to come up a couple of times and let’s get the laughter out now if you have to,” Alonzo said at the start of her presentation. “I would make the joke that it’s going to get really uncomfortable here, but I am going to challenge that idea and say we are actually going to get really comfortable.”
U.S. History teacher and junior class dean Claire Mrozek felt an obligation to inform students about consent and sexual assault after it became evident in a class discussion that many students did not fully understand the two topics.
“I didn’t say a word [in class], but it was clear to me that the males and females had absolutely no idea of the other’s perspective,” Mrozek said. “I thought it was productive for those few minutes to let them
Upper School counselor Merredith Stuelpe assisted in planning the special programming day and reached out to Alonzo after hearing about her work informing students at SMU.
“We as a school have the responsibility to teach our students not just about academics but also social-emotional wellness,” Stuelpe said. “I reached out to several college campuses and found out that SMU has a program that is specifically violence prevention. Ms. Alonzo goes to sororities and fraternities and is very active on campus at SMU in terms of preventing or responding to situations involving sexual violence. We had never really done anything that was schoolwide and sponsored by the school.”
“I had a former student come back and she said, ‘I was sexually assaulted when I was a student here,’” Mrozek said. “I don’t want my former students to be the ones that are brought up on charges. I don’t want my former students to be the ones that are being assaulted. I don’t want our community to be making mistakes out of ignorance.”
Although many believe the conversation was necessary, 52 percent said it was ineffective.
“
Following Alonzo’s presentation, the students separated into advisory
to have the conversation start sooner because maybe the juniors and seniors are more receptive about learning about it, but it doesn’t mean [sexual assault] doesn’t happen before. Assaults can happen before junior year, and it is important for people to know how to help their friends or themselves if they are in a situation like that.”
According to another survey of 250 students taken on April 11, 25 percent of girls and 33 percent of boys believe that if two individuals are in a relationship, consent is already established.
“We need to have more education about what consent is because we need to have consent every time before a physical or sexual interaction with somebody,” Stuelpe said.
WE NEED TO HAVE MORE EDUCATION ABOUT WHAT CONSENT IS BECAUSE WE NEED TO HAVE CONSENT EVERY TIME BEFORE A PHYSICAL OR SEXUAL INTERACTION WITH SOMEBODY. MERREDITH STUELPE, UPPER SCHOOL COUNSELOR
groups to do an activity which involved handshaking to represent consent. This activity did not have the impact some students hoped it would.
Because this was the first time ESD has brought in a professional to speak on consent, only juniors and seniors received the presentation.
“We wanted to see how it went with juniors and seniors first,” Head of Upper School Henry Heil said. “We thought they would be more receptive and more mature about it. After reading the feedback, we would agree that everyone would benefit from what the juniors and seniors had. It was a good start, but we still have a lot of work to do.”
According to a survey of 240
“I felt that it made a mockery of consent,” junior Jose Portella said. “Our group devolved into a joking game when shaking people’s hands. Consent is a much larger issue than shaking people’s hands and mimicking that as sexual consent.”
According to the survey, many students believe that discussing consent needs to begin earlier than junior and senior year.
“The basic topic of consent can be taught to younger kids, and it could be really helpful in terms of relationships,” senior Grace Boyd said. “It would be better
“When we hear about consent, what we need to understand is that it is every time and that consent can change. You can withdraw consent at any time. Just because you were okay with something one day or at one part of the evening, doesn’t mean that you’re okay with it at another part of the evening or the next day.”
According to the same April survey, 96 percent of girls and 91 percent of boys believe that consent is important to discuss in high school.
“No matter how people received it, if it educated one person or made someone feel more equipped to help a friend or help themselves in a later situation then it was worth it,” Boyd said. “The most important part is starting the conversation. Even if the talk or the activity wasn’t that effective,it caused people to talk about consent more, so it served a purpose.”
Sstudents think ESD has an excessive tutoring culture*
eventy percent of students say the school has an excessive tutoring culture. According to an April 11 poll of 250 students, 72 percent of students have sought private tutoring guidance with roughly half, spending $100-300 per month.
Students seek tutors to improve their grades and writing skills or to better understand classroom material. The most popular courses students are tutored in is math, with 67 percent of students receiving tutoring, science, with 35 percent and foreign languages, with 20 percent of students using private tutors.
Tutoring can be held off or on-campus during a students’ study hall period with tutors who specialize in a variety of subjects. It is encouraged for students to work with their teachers, but some students prefer the one-on-one time that private tutoring offers.
“I don’t feel very comfortable meeting with my teacher and asking him or her to explain everything we learned in class that day again,” sophomore Neely Krispin said. “I learn better when it’s one-on-one because it’s harder for me to learn in a classroom when you can’t ask all of your questions, especially because there are so many other people that need to meet [with teachers.] I have a close relationship with my English tutor because we’ve known each other for so long, so it’s an easier interaction compared to a teacher you have for one year.”
However, while tutors have proven effective at increasing academic success, some teachers believe that for certain challenging classes, tutors are unable to properly prepare students because they cannot anticipate a teacher’s lesson plan.
“Humanities classes are a little bit different because the writing and the assignments are more idiosyncratic, and the best person to explain how to do
5 percent of students have had their tutor do their homework for them*
the assignment is the person who made the assignment,” U.S. History teacher Claire Mrozek said. “There are students who work with tutors in my classes, but they will touch base with me. It’s hard for a tutor in a history class to know what [questions] I’m going to ask. The tutor can drill a kid, and they can help them understand the content but not necessarily the larger ideas.”
A frequent issue that can arise from the long-term use of a tutor is a student’s continual reliance and excessive dependence on them. Mrozek encourages students to seek other alternatives, such as teachers, as a helpful resource for outside help.
“One of the issues and problems with the school’s tutor culture is the tremendous unfairness, where some people have access to the help and some people don’t,” Mrozek said. “Students who do not have unlimited access to tutoring are at a disadvantage. Tutors are really helpful for short term, fundamental study skill issues and for kids who have substantial learning challenges, where they need someone with some level of expertise. [However,] my job is to work with students outside of class, and that should be an expectation at a school like this. ”
2 out of 3 1 in 5 students spend $300-500 per month on tutoring*
Henry Heil said. “Tutors are in a tough spot because that’s their livelihood— they’re getting paid for it, so they’re interested in what the customer wants. It’s more on the parents and the students to communicate what they need and what they should be asking for.”
In the eighth grade, Krispin noticed that her grades were dropping, so she sought a private tutor. Currently, she works with two tutors who specialize in helping students with English and Geometry. She meets with them twice a week.
“Normally, the routine goes like this: my math tutor teaches me all the sections that we’re learning, again, and then, if we have extra time, he helps me with my homework,”
28 percent of students have never had a private tutor *
* according to an April 11 poll of 250 students
“I want my students to become focused, independent thinkers, and with high school students today, there is so much stress, so my goal is to help students put things in increments that are not overwhelming,” Charber said. “For a student to feel comfortable enough with me to know that I’m not judgmental, they can [properly] get the help that they need.”
Those who don’t use private tutors believe the high price attached to tutoring is not worth it. According to the same poll, 12 percent of students have needed a private tutor but could not afford one.
“I’m doing fine in most of classes, so I don’t really need [a tutor,] but it’s cheaper to just use a teacher because I don’t want to have to pay someone for help,” junior Frank Colton* said. “It’s just easier to go talk to your teacher.”
I WORRY ABOUT OUR STUDENTS WHO ARE GOING TO COLLEGE WHO HAVE RELIED HEAVILY UPON [TUTORING] AND HOW THEY’RE GOING TO FARE IN COLLEGE AND BEYOND. HENRY HEIL, HEAD OF UPPER SCHOOL
In some cases, students have used tutors inappropriately to their own advantage, with tutors helping more than they’re allowed to, resulting in honor code violations.
“We have had honor council cases that arise when tutors have been too helpful, but it’s difficult because teachers have to be clear with their students about how much help they can receive on assignments,” Head of Upper School
Krispin said. “My English tutor, [Charlene Charber,] will proofread or help me brainstorm ideas for any papers. It rarely happens, but if [they’re unavailable,] I just struggle through and attempt to do my homework myself, but it forces me to meet with my teachers more to help me understand assignments.”
Charber has been tutoring at ESD for over 30 years and is a certified academic language therapist. Because both her children had dyslexia and also attended ESD, she decided to go back to school for her certification as an academic coach. She believes support from a tutor provides students with the confidence they need to succeed.
In the end, Heil believes having a private tutor puts pressure on many students to attain higher grades and he wants students to become independent individuals who are capable of managing their own time and developing study habits without a tutor.
“I worry about our students who are going to college who have relied heavily upon [tutoring] and how they’re going to fare in college and beyond,” Heil said. “If you’re being tutored, there’s a lot of pressure and expectation to get better grades. Probably unfairly, students are putting a lot of pressure on themselves by thinking, ‘I’m being tutored, I better do well.’ As a parent, if you can imagine having the ability to help your child and choosing not to, that’s a very hard decision, so it comes down to what’s best for your child.”
*Name has been changed to protect the identity of the person interviewed
With outbreaks of formerly eradicated diseases popping up nationally, private school vaccination policies raise concern
BY | VICTORIA WILLOX
The growing anti-vaccination movement recently perpetuated a nationwide measles epidemic, threatening the weakest members of society and putting private schools in a tough spot.
vaccinators have the right to choose what they want, but they really need to do the right thing, vaccinate their children and listen to doctors.”
Texas is one of 18 states that allow parents to decline vaccinating their children.
According to the Texas Department of State Health Services, all but three out of the 30 schools with the highest vaccination rates are private schools.
“Not taking medications and endangering the population is most definitely hazardous,”
In 2000, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention declared measles eradicated. Since then, outbreaks across the United States have continued to plague citizens. In 2014, a total of 667 cases were recorded nationwide, the largest number since 1994. As of April 4, 465 cases of measles have surfaced. According to the Washington Post, if this trend continues, the number of cases this year will surpass those in 2014 by June.
I DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY YOU WOULDN’T GET VACCINATED. THESE VACCINES HAVE BEEN AROUND FOR YEARS AND YEARS. IT’S NOT NEW. MARCIA BIGGS, NURSE
“I don’t understand why you wouldn’t get vaccinated,” nurse Marcia Biggs said. “These vaccines have been around for years and years and years. It’s not new. My mom had polio. It is devastating, she almost died. So why would I not want to protect myself from that if I can?”
This year ESD’s policy on vaccinations changed. Previously, students could get a waiver for “conscientious exemptions.” From now on, the only exception will be given to students who have a medical waiver from a doctor because they have had a transplant or are immunocompromised.
“Vaccines should be mandatory because while vaccinations are a choice for parents, the sickness resulting from not being vaccinated can really affect kids in the long run,” sophomore Christopher Hess said. “Anti-
freshman Paco Gómez said. “The main argument against vaccines should be [about] possible health side effects. Regardless, I would rather have my child get a minor health side effect than contract an easily preventable disease and die.”
The anti-vaccination movement promotes that vaccinating children can lead to autism and other brain related diseases. However, there is no scientific evidence backing up these claims.
A survey issued by the American Academy of Pediatrics reported a 13 percent increase in doctors experiencing vaccine refusals from 2006 to 2013.
“A lot of the risks aren’t proven and they lack a solid medical data background that says ‘If you do this, then that will happen,’ instead, it’s a lot of maybes,” Forensics and Biology teacher
Dr. Donna Hull said. “When it’s your child, you don’t want to risk anything. That makes [vaccinations] an emotional decision instead of a practical, logical decision as it should be.”
Among the Texas private schools with high vaccine exemption rates is a Waldorf school where they believe in “non denominational spiritual development” and a holistic education. According to the Texas DSHS, the Austin Waldorf School has the highest percentage of unvaccinated students in Texas, which totals 41 percent.
“My mom is not into vaccinations but that doesn’t mean I think that,” senior Chloe Raines said. “For health reasons there should be set requirements about getting vaccinations [to protect] against really dangerous diseases like smallpox. However, at the same time you should not be able to force someone to do something [they don’t want to do].”
In New York, the center of the current measles outbreak, public health officials have banned unvaccinated children from attending school. This prompted 42 parents of the Green Meadow Waldorf School to sue the Rockland County health department for a junction allowing their students to return to campus.
Although the anti-vaccination movement doesn’t have any scientific backing to support their accusations of the harmful nature of vaccines, there are still some risks.
“You can be allergic to something inside the vaccine, which is very often the case with the flu vaccine,” Biggs said. “It is usually a preservative in the vaccine that people are allergic to as opposed to the actual vaccine itself, which is attenuated, which means it’s dead. For example, with the chickenpox vaccine, we aren’t injecting you with live chickenpox.”
Measles is a
WHEN IT’S YOUR CHILD YOU DON’T WANT TO RISK ANYTHING. THAT MAKES [VACCINATIONS] AN EMOTIONAL DECISION INSTEAD OF A PRACTICAL, LOGICAL DECISION AS IT SHOULD BE. DR. DONNA HULL, UPPER SCHOOL SCIENCE TEACHER
“Vaccines should absolutely not be mandatory,” senior Walker Lay said. “However, I am a strong supporter of schools and [public places] refusing service to unvaccinated people. People should have every right to do whatever they want, but they have to face the consequences. If you refuse an anti-vaccination mom entry to her favorite liquor store, she’ll get her kid vaccinated real quick.”
97
percent of students do not support the anti-vaccination movement *
97 percent of parents do not support the anti-vaccination movement*
79 percent of students think vaccinations should be mandatory*
highly contagious disease that includes a rash, fever, runny nose and red eyes. According to the CDC, children under five years are at an increased risk for complications, which include pneumonia and brain swelling. This can lead to deafness, mental disabilities and death for every one to two children out of 1000.
“Vaccinations are a risk worth taking,” Hull said. “As a person who has lived overseas, I had to take a lot of vaccinations for a lot of crazy stuff. Some of it is risky. I know that up front, but I also know what the risk is to myself and to others if I become sick.”
* according to an April 11 poll of 250 students
CULTURE CRASH is a compilation of significant pop culture events made by life editors Emily Delgado and Victoria Willox that highlight tech news & other short snippets of info regarding important people and events from around the globe.
1
2
Astronomers revealed the first picture captured of a black hole on April 10. The Event Horizon telescope captured the picture of the phenomena. Computer scientist Katie Bouman developed the key algorithm that allowed the photo to be taken.
Amber Rose and her boyfriend Alexander “AE” Edwards announced that they are expecting their first child together on April 3. The couple have been together since October of 2018. The baby boy is expected in October.
3
The Rolling Stones announced on March 30 that their North American tour would be postponed due to their lead singer Mick Jagger’s emergency heart surgery. Jagger received heart valve replacement surgery in New York and is expected to make a full recovery before the tour begins. The tour, originally scheduled to start in April, will begin in July.
4
Billie Eilish released her new album “When We All Fall Asleep, Where Do We Go?” on March 29. The album quickly skyrocketed to No. 1 on the Billboard 200. At the age of 17, she is the first artist born in the 2000s and the youngest woman to achieve this milestone.
5
Justin Bieber received criticism after joking that his wife, Hailey Baldwin, was pregnant on April Fools’ Day. Bieber posted a picture of an ultrasound before posting a picture on Instagram of Baldwin in a doctor’s office with the caption: “If U thought it was April fools.” Many believe that the prank was insensitive to couples dealing with infertility.
ON VACATION?
After leaving the hospital, junior Brooks and freshman Gabbi
continued their vacation, hiked and kayaked. Because of his condition, the family drove rather than flew around Alaska. “When we ziplined, we drove nine hours to get into the back country of Denali National Park,” Brooks said. “I was away from civilization for four days, and help was several hours away.” photo courtesy of Brooks Butler
BY | LAUREN EGGER
Unable to breathe, junior Brooks Butler fights rising panic as his hands and feet go numb during the last 15 minutes of his flight from Seattle, Washington, to Anchorage, Alaska. It’s Aug. 10: his 17th birthday.
Arriving at the terminal, he feels too weak to walk and is transported in a wheelchair to the paramedics, who were actually police officers with certified Emergency Medical Services training. Unable to wait for the ambulance, Brooks and his mother take a cab to the hospital.
“[The hospital] checked me in and checked my vitals, but they had no idea what was going on,” Brooks said. “[The doctors] then did a CT scan, and they saw my entire left lung had fallen from my shoulder all the way down to the bottom of my stomach.”
Brooks’ condition was diagnosed as a spontaneous pneumothorax, which he learned was a result of a growth spurt he had when he was around 13 years old. His organs, specifically his lungs, didn’t have enough time to develop, and the pressure on his lungs during his flight caused his left lung to collapse.
“It felt like a stomach cramp, but instead of in my stomach, it was in my chest,” Brooks said.
“After the CT scan, the doctor started putting me on oxygen, and I was freaking out.
6
Stevie Nicks is now the first woman to be inducted twice into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Nicks was inducted as a solo artist on March 29 and was previously inducted in 1998 as a member of Fleetwood Mac.
my mom went with [Brooks] to the hospital,” Gabbi said. “It was scary not being with him at the time. I didn’t even know if he was okay because it all happened so quickly, and he was just gone with my mom at the hospital.”
In Anchorage, there was only one pulmonologist—a respiratory systems doctor. The doctor decided to put a 12-inch tube through Brooks’ rib cage to inflate the lung. He was awake when the doctor cut a hole big enough for the tube to go through. Because of the procedure, he could not fly for 14 days.
“I was in the hospital for two days, so I eventually got [the] tube out of me, and then we did the rest of our trip,” Brooks said. “Alaska is big, so we had planned to fly in small planes to all these different places, but we had to drive and ride the train [instead].”
The family continued their trip and participated in activities like mountain biking, hiking and kayaking.
However, the thought of being at a high altitude location caused Brooks to panic.
“When I got out [of the hospital] I felt weak, but then the day after that, I felt normal,” Brooks said. “I was worried that if I pulled the tube out too early, my
AFTER THE CT SCAN, THE DOCTOR STARTED PUTTING ME ON OXYGEN, AND I WAS FREAKING OUT. I [SAID], ‘WHAT’S GOING ON?’ AND HE SAID, ‘YOU HAVE A 43 PERCENT CHANCE OF LIVING.’ BROOKS BUTLER
I [said], ‘What’s going on?’ and he said, ‘You have a 43 percent chance of living.’”
Freshman Gabbi Butler was with Brooks when the incident occurred.
Watching her older brother in pain was terrifying.
“I was with my dad because we had to get the luggage to the hotel, and
lung was going to collapse again. There was a hotel [that we stayed at] where you had to take a lift up to a restaurant, and it was 1000 feet up, and I was freaking out because I didn’t want my lung to collapse.”
Brooks, an advanced open-water scuba diver, was scared that the collapsed lung would keep him from
which inflates his collapsed lung. Brooks was rushed to the hospital after leaving the airport. “I was happy to finally be in the hospital and felt safe as I was with my family,” Brooks said. “But I was also uncomfortable with the tube and was upset that I could ruin a trip of a lifetime in less than an hour.” photo courtesy of Brooks Butler
doing what he loved. He wanted to be able to carry on with his normal life and be able to travel and dive.
“Now, I have a fear of going anywhere [with an] elevated altitude,” Brooks said. “I was very nervous [that] I [wouldn’t be able to] scuba dive because of the pressure, but since I have gotten to Dallas, I [have gone] to a pediatric pulmonologist, and I have been cleared [to scuba dive].”
Brooks feels changed by the experience.
“It is a crazy thing to think that you could die in a matter of minutes, and you don’t even realize it,” Brooks said. “You have no idea if [there could be an incident] that could be detrimental to your life and prevent you from doing what you absolutely love.”
What was the most challenging part of the trip?
It was the language barrier, but most of the guides and leaders of the trip knew Spanish, so they could help us communicate with [the locals].
Why did you decide to go on a trip with Moondance Adventures rather than another organization?
I researched online. [Moondance Adventures is] more intimate than [other organizations] with trips that [allow] a wider age range. I liked the service that we were doing. There are these families living in a small town called El Humo De Turrialba, and we helped refurbish their houses [that] haven’t been worked on in 30 years.
School credit received for international programs, feedback gives insight into organizations
STORY & PAGE DESIGN BY | JIAYING FU
What was your favorite part of the trip?
Half of the time, we played with the kids. We brought five soccer balls and volleyballs. It was awesome to see how happy they were.
What did you do on the trip?
Every day, we had a different agenda. We rebuilt a school garden so [the students] were able to eat at school. The primary thing we built was a bonda, which is a meeting place that can be used as a school house, a church or a place where the women can sell their jewelry. We raised the money for it in Dallas, and broke ground on the project.
percent of students have been on a community service trip
*according to an April 11 poll of 250 students
What did you do on the trip?
Each day, we would do something different. We went to two different orphanages, and we played with the kids and donated stuff we brought from Dallas.
Why did you decide to go on a trip with Orphan Outreach rather than another organization?
One of my friends told me about it, and I thought it was really cool. I love playing with kids and I like being social, so it seemed like a really good opportunity.
What was the most challenging part of the trip?
One day, we went to the town dump. There were people living there. They would work there and pick out trash to sell for pennies every day. It was tough to see that because you don’t really think about that—in Dallas, that doesn’t really happen.
Who would you recommend this program to?
I would recommend this program to anybody that wants to help outside of the community. It’s a really good opportunity to help kids and families that are in need and learn more about the culture there and how people are impoverished.
Will Beck, senior Students Shoulder-to-
What was your favorite part of the trip?
My favorite part were the evenings. After we had finished work for the day because of the earthquake, we stayed in guest rooms at the Hope Home instead of with locals, which allowed us to spend the time to play games and build friendships with the girls. At the end of every day, after all the girls got back from school, they always looked forward to dancing or playing games with us. It was a highlight for everyone in my group each day.
Why did you decide to go on a trip with Shoulder-to-Shoulder rather than another organization?
I chose to go with Shoulder-toShoulder because of what Mrs. Fahrenbrook said about what a great experience it was. I like that they concentrate on learning about the culture. You spend time working alongside the locals.
What did you do on the trip?
On my trip, we spent nine days working on a new building at the Hope Home, which is an all-girls orphanage. We cleared debris from the 2015 earthquake. It was a great experience to feel what it’s like to build without common machinery.
From punk rock to pajamas, students and faculty share their quirky outfits for themed student body week
BY | GRACE KNUDSON
freshman STELLA
“Each grade had a travel location theme, and I knew for the freshmen, it was jungle day. I definitely wanted to wear a onesie. I either wanted to be a zebra or a cow—I looked it up, and a cow can be in the jungle. People told me a cow wasn’t a jungle animal, so I had to prove to them that it was. It’s important to dress up during student body week because it’s for the school, and [it’s] fun.”
sophomore KATE
“I decided for PJ day to aim for comfort. I had my comfy t-shirt and my fluffy pajama pants that are Christmasthemed because why not? And to top it all off, I went with ducky slippers that I took from my sister. It felt like I was being wrapped up in a blanket. I’m going to be honest, being in my pajamas made me sleepy, and I almost fell asleep in class.”
junior WILLIAM TURNER senior LAILA KHARRAT French, Arabic teacher
“I love the U.S. and how interactive our democracy is. I chose to dress as Election Day because it’s such an important day for our country. Plus, I love Joe Biden, so having an excuse to make a Biden 2020 shirt was a plus. Overall, people liked my outfit. I got a lot of compliments, only a few glares and shared a nod of mutual respect with a student in a Make America Great Again hoodie.”
“I decided, since it was my last student body dress day for school, I should go all out. I put the most effort into punk rock day, but I had decent costumes all week. I already had some of the outfit such as the denim vest and the black jeans, but I then had to buy accessories. The only problem was that most of the accessories were spiky, and I kept stabbing myself with them.”
“I’m obsessed with school spirit. Being a part of a school community, everyone should to some degree get into it when we have special things like student body week. We had a dodgeball tournament, and all students and faculty were welcome to play. I feel like for a faculty member like myself to play dodgeball, it shows the kids that we care about being here. I try to get other teachers to dress up as well because the more, the better.”
ACT, College Board determine need for extended time on college entrance exams, standardization comes into question
STORY BY | LIESL SMALL, AVA BRENNAN & BLAIR BATSON GRAPHICS BY | BLAIR BATSON & KARA DROSS
Sitting in a loud, distracting classroom, senior Jenna Conn scrambles to finish her math test sophomore year. The clock strikes 10:45 a.m. She has to finish the test by 10:50 a.m., but she still has two entire pages left. This incident led Conn to take a learning specialty test her junior year, where she discovered that she had dyslexia and was eligible for extended time—an accommodation that
declined [my request], they told me that test anxiety doesn’t qualify [me] for extended time. I never mentioned test anxiety in my report, so it was as if they never even read my application.”
While 39 percent of the student body has extended time for schoolwork, only 30 percent of students have it for standardized tests, such as the SAT and ACT, according to an April 11 poll of 250 students. Receiving extended time on standardized tests requires a separate, additional process.
In order for students to be eligible for extended time on school assessments, they must receive a diagnosis from a doctor after taking an eight-hour learning assessment administered by a qualified professional, such as a psychologist or educational diagnostician. Students must present their results to their Learning Support Counselor— Ashlyn Hudson for freshmen and sophomores and Dr. Hilary Hodgson for juniors and seniors—who, after consulting with teachers and administrators, either approve
When the SAT or ACT comes around, Hodgson submits a
“It is imperative that accommodations, including extra time, be made on high-stakes testing for children with disabilities impacting their performance,” pediatric psychologist Alexis Clyde said. “This is the equivalent of building a wheelchair ramp to allow a student access to a
It is seemingly more difficult to receive extended time for the SAT or the ACT because it is up to the College Board or the ACT to determine one’s need for extended time. Their decisions are based on multiple factors, such as when a student received their diagnosis and prior
“The main issue is documentation,” Hodgson said. “Finding the proof and documentation that a student needs [extended time] is hard. It’s easier if the student grew up [at ESD] because we have all of the documentation, such as standardized tests and teacher’s comments, that we can go back
When a student is denied for extended time on the SAT or ACT, the College Board or the ACT reports back to the family and the school’s Learning Support Counselors to let them know why they denied the student’s request and what they need to see more of, whether it be teacher feedback, history of the student’s diagnosis or a certain test score.
“For the ACT, it seemed that the people who really need extended time couldn’t get it, which I found really weird,” Conn said. “It’s just a matter of timing because I found out my learning
percent of students believe extended time makes the SAT & ACT somewhat unstandardized*
specialty test results later than I should have.”
Similar to Conn, junior Biz Newsom received extended time for school work at the beginning of junior year, got denied extended time for the ACT and received extended time for the SAT.
“If I could redo [the process of getting extended time], I would probably try to get extra time earlier,” Newsom said. “I have had problems with time management since the beginning of high school but didn’t do anything about it until this year. Applying for extended time [on standardized tests] takes a lot of time, and a year was too little time. I am taking the SAT now since I got extra time for that, so hopefully, it’ll be okay.”
Senior Ale De La Cruz also got denied extended time for the ACT and approved for the SAT.
“I thought [getting denied] was unfair because the questions on the ACT seemed easier than the SAT, but I didn’t get to finish the ACT,” De La Cruz said. “If I had more time, I would’ve gotten a higher score on my ACT. It’s unfair how [the ACT and College Board] call who gets [extended time] and who doesn’t because if you’ve been using [extended time] throughout high school, you’re used to it.”
Though extended time is essential for some students with learning impairments, such as dyslexia, ADD or ADHD, the process of testing is costly, ranging from $1,500 to $3,000 for a private psychoeducational evaluation.
“The purpose of standardized testing is so students have an equal opportunity to perform,” senior Annie Sawers said. “When having money can increase your time limit, this purpose is lost.”
students believe the process of receiving extended time for the SAT & ACT is unfair*
Mulford doesn’t view the ACT or SAT as a truly standardized test because of extended time.
“For tests like the ACT, [extended time] is such an advantage,” Mulford said. “The hardest part about the ACT is finishing on time, so when you have extended time, it’s like you’re taking a different test. Some people need it more than others, but it definitely is an unfair advantage. Still, it’s not bad for a student to apply if there’s a chance of them getting a possible advantage.”
The ACT and College Board evaluate student’s extended time applications based on different criteria, which is why many students get accepted to one agency and denied from the other. According to Hodgson, the ACT is more accepting of a diagnosis that is over a year old while the College Board will accept a recent diagnosis. In certain cases, the ACT will accept a more recent diagnosis, such as ADHD if there is earlier evidence indicating hardship.
“ADHD is a developmental disorder, and there should be signs of struggles before the age of 12,” Hodgson said. “You may not have needed accommodations because other things were allowing you to compensate. For example, when you were younger, teachers being more actively involved in letting you manage your time, but as you get older, you find that you’re having difficulty. That would be a case where you suddenly got accommodations because you may not have actually had the diagnosis, but if you go back and look at report card comments, they were always there.”
[EXTENDED TIME] IS THE EQUIVALENT OF BUILDING A WHEELCHAIR RAMP TO ALLOW A STUDENT ACCESS TO A BUILDING ON CAMPUS IN ORDER TO LEARN.
There are inexpensive alternatives to a private evaluator. Public school districts perform free evaluations for students who live in their district, regardless of whether they attend the public school or not. What draws many to a private evaluator is higher quality customer service and the fact that public school evaluations take longer.
ALEXIS CLYDE, PEDIATRIC PSYCHOLOGIST
“Finding an evaluator that fits your needs is what is most important,” Hudson said. “It is not about if they are a private hire or work at an agency.”
According to Hodgson, the number of students receiving extended time for schoolwork has increased by 20 percent in the past three years.
“[The numbers have increased because] people are more concerned about their scores and their ability to get into college,” Hodgson said. “Anxiety about [test scores] is rising, so families are pursuing testing more frequently. The kinds of difficulties that students are having are unchanged from [the kinds of difficulties] students had in the past.”
Senior Clayton Mulford got approved for extended time on school work the summer following his sophomore year.
Mulford’s ACT tutor told him that he had a chance of getting approved for extended time because he was having trouble finishing the math portion of the test. Mulford got approved for extended time on the ACT.
“I don’t actually have ADD or anything like that,” Mulford said. “I had not finished tests in mainly math and science for all of high school, but the thing that was weird was that they gave me extended time for every subject—not just math. I never had trouble with writing essays, but I still got extended time for it. It gave me a huge advantage. I did well on the PSAT without extended time, but [ACT] still gave me extended time, so I guess they thought I needed it.”
Though she was diagnosed with ADHD and a reading rate disorder, senior Anisa Noor was declined extended time from the ACT after applying four times because the ACT claimed she did not have enough evidence supporting her need for more time.
“When I was in kindergarten, all of my teachers did not write in my report card that I have ADHD, so I guess [the ACT] was implying [that I faked it] by saying I have no proof from my childhood,” Noor said. “However, my teachers would write stuff like I was distracted, so I don’t know what [my teachers] would have had to write except ‘this person has ADHD.’”
Noor did not officially receive extended time for school work until the middle of her junior year.
“[Before receiving extended time], I never finished tests,” Noor said. “My teachers would always either pity me and let me finish later, or I would just fail. My teachers had been saying ever since I was little that I definitely had ADHD, but my parents didn’t really want to [get me tested] because they don’t really believe in that stuff. However, ADHD was badly affecting my grades junior year, so my advisor told my mom that I needed to get tested for extended time.”
Noor agrees with Mulford in that extended time discredits the ACT and SAT as being a truly standardized test.
“I’m lucky because since I go to this school, I had a lot of adults trying to help [me] and tell my parents I needed to be tested,” Noor said. “But a bunch of people [outside of ESD] don’t even know [testing for extended time] is a thing. There’s so many more people that need it and don’t have it than people who don’t need it and have it. Because of the bubble that we’re in, it seems different.”
percent of students with extended time believe they probably don’t need it more than regular time students*
The purpose of standardized testing is so students have an equal opportunity to learn. When having money can increase your time limit, the purpose is lost.
Annie Sawers senior “ “
Smoothie spots offer cool treat as spring heats up, but some juices fall short
BY | SYDNEY REZAIE
PHOTOS & DESIGN BY | SYDNEY REZAIE
18204 Preston Road #E2, Dallas, TX 75252 8403 Pickwick Lane, Dallas, TX 75225
Jamba Juice makes over-processed smoothies that are sugary, but they’re okay. There are too few “low sugar” options, yet Jamba Juice advertised to people that drinking their “juice” will help with weight loss. If you are into the taste of artificial sugar, then this is the place for you. Personally, if I was going to eat something with this many calories, I would choose a Ben and Jerry’s ice cream carton instead. Their Strawberries Wild smoothie mixes a juice blend, nonfat frozen yogurt, strawberries, ice and bananas to make a disaster of a smoothie. I will never be back here again.
Nekter is a great place to stop for a quick, healthy snack or meal— whether you need an acai bowl, smoothie or a juice to detox. My first time trying a real smoothie was here, and I feel like my life has truly been changed. The Pink Flamingo is something special. The texture of the smoothie with the taste of coconut water and fresh fruit really compliment each other. Made with pitaya, strawberry, pineapple, agave nectar and coconut water, it is blended together to make an immaculate combination. Unlike the other smoothies, this smoothie did not taste overly sweet.
I’ve finally found a “gem” in Dallas where fresh organic juices and smoothies are made to tasty perfection. Although the parking is awful, I don’t mind stopping my car in the middle of the street and running inside–trust me it’s worth it. I ordered their Cameo smoothie made with kale, spinach, strawberry, coconut water, orange and coconut manna, which was a perfect combination of fruits and greens. Although the consistency was thick, the smoothie had a lighter taste. After drinking it, I felt amazing because of all of the healthy and allnatural ingredients.
Although The Juice Bar clearly specializes in juice, they also make decent smoothies that are fresh and low in added nonsense. The facility is nice but small, so I would recommend grabbing your smoothie and leaving because there is not a lot of space to sit down. I ordered the Purple Haze with blueberries, Greek yogurt, almond milk and protein powder. Overall, the smoothie is average. Compared to the other juice spots in town, The Juice Bar is expensive. My smoothie was $9, and it wasn’t worth it. Would I come back? Yes, maybe to try a different flavor but definitely not on a regular basis.
editors-in-chief
Anastasia Sotiropoulos & Madison Willox
copy editors
Jiaying Fu & Evelyn Zhao
design & photo editor
Melissa Rivera
news editors
Blair Batson & Grace Knudson
life editors Emily Delgado & Victoria Willox
sports editors
Lauren Egger & Lauren Weber
views editor
Alan Benítez
business manager
John Calvert
digital relations
Blair Batson
staff writers
Ava Brennan, Smith Cochran, Luke McCabe, Liesl Small, Raleigh Toledo, Gardiner Vose
photographer Riley Breaux
cartoonist Sumner Wooldridge
adviser
DiAngelea Millar
MISSION STATEMENT
The
School lunch has a plethora of pressing problems, but lunch lines are at the top of the list. From the swarm of students cutting the line to the crowds of people taking their sweet time, the lunch servery is a battleground. When over 400 hungry high schoolers are let into a cafeteria at the same time, the result is catastrophic. However, this problem isn’t difficult to solve.
First of all, why are there only four lines in the cafeteria for the entire school, and why is one whole line devoted to faculty? Is adding one more line so difficult? One would think the school could afford to make the experience in lunch lines less stressful for all. With the creation of a new block schedule for next year, now is the perfect time to change the lunch times for high schoolers and fix this problem. We all know that the school lunch system has been a concern for a few years. Everyone would benefit from having separate, set lunch times.
We know that many faculty value their line greatly because it makes getting their lunch quicker, but many do not even utilize it. And, if only a handful of faculty and staff use the line at any given moment, is it really beneficial? Every day, students see an almost empty faculty line overflowing with food, yet they still have to wait a long time for a plate. We believe the benefits of opening the faculty line up to students outweigh the costs.
According to an April 11 poll of 250 students, 34 percent of students agree, despite the fact that it may disappoint some teachers, that the faculty should
not have their own lunch line.
At the very least, the faculty could have a smaller, separate line so that students can have a larger line. This could ensure that students spend the maximum amount of time in advisory lunch, bonding with each other.
Eighty-six percent of students, according to the Eagle Edition poll, believe the lines are too long and need improvement.
Long lines discourage kids from eating, and many skip lunch because of the long wait time. Seventy-two percent of students have not eaten because the lines were too long, and they could not get food in time. Additionally, many students with gluten allergies are left hungry when others become impatient and take
the food prepared for those with dietary restrictions. Especially with mandatory exercise, eating lunch balances metabolism and is crucial to maintain steady energy levels. Not eating because of a poorly-managed system is disastrous and a concern that should be prioritized, particularly at a school with more-thanadequate resources to finance a solution.
We believe a long school lunch line is not something that should warrant a dispute, but this problem has grown steadily worse. The solutions are manageable, and can easily be solved by opening up the teacher’s line, changing lunch periods for different grades or even adding an additional line.
34
72 percent of students believe that teachers should not have their own lunch line* percent of students have not eaten lunch because the lunch lines were too long*
*according to an April 11 poll of 250 students
“I bought $2 lashes from CVS and I wanted to put them on but they didn’t come with glue.”
– Anna Baranski, freshman
“I’m spitting into toilet paper right now.”
– Charlotte Esping, sophomore
Five overheard conversations, five funny statements
“Anyone have my blazer? Big Boi Size. Please return.”
– Jesús De Santiago, junior
“You’re not allowed to question me. I am sensitive.”
– Will Minnis, senior
“A pair of silver, high heel shoes were left at the prom. They really don’t go with any of my outfits, so if they are yours, please come and claim them.”
–
Jeff Laba, Assistant Head of Upper School
DearEagleEdition,
Lunch is an essential meal that fuels every student with nutrients and energy to perform to the best of their abilities. Skipping lunch would be equivalent to not refueling ones car with gas. It’s as silly as trying to paint a large painting without ever dipping your brush back in your paint. What’s the outcome? A finished product that doesn’t reflect the full capacity each person could achieve. So why are more and more students lingering in the Cook, courtyard, commons and library instead of venturing to the dining room for a scrumptious lunch?
They either are studying or finishing homework, or the lunch lines are just too long for food–much of which doesn’t sound appealing to most. If a student needs to study for a test last minute and has to decide whether or not to wait in a line for food they don’t even like, many usually choose to just not eat at all. Students shouldn’t be forced to make that decision. If more attention were given to fix these problems, more students would eat lunch, creating a healthier and more energized student body.
The classic “I have too much homework” excuse is used too often by those skipping lunch. Considering we only have about an hour of lunch and flex combined, if you need to finish homework or study, there isn’t that much time to do it. If we were to make flex longer, maybe take out our morning break and add it to flex or shorten chapel, people would have plenty of time to get lunch, enjoy it and then complete unfinished work.
But we also can’t ignore the problem we have with our lunch lines. They’re too long.
The reason people have little time for lunch is mainly attributed to a twenty-minute wait to eat, if you play by the rules, which means no cutting. On days where seniors and juniors don’t have off campus, the lines are even longer, if that’s even possible. Many people just skip lunch all together instead of waiting.
Students beg teachers to let them out early the period before lunch in desperate attempts to evade the dreaded lines. What’s the solution? Add more lines, either by making the teacher line a student line and creating a new teacher line somewhere else or provide more premade sandwiches and wraps that students can simply grab and go.
Something needs to change. Whether that be adding more lines, extending breaks or improving food so that students actually have a reason to eat, this is a dire situation that needs attention.
Sophomore Lucy Sinwell
Non a field together each day after school or get in tight, sweaty group huddles, the Eagle Edition staff is as much a team as any other.
ext up, we have the Eagle Edition, a print newspaper from Dallas, Texas—Gold Crown.”
Walking into the journalism room, the first thing you may notice are the carefully lined up Macs or the scattered, grey-blue chairs and the giant table in a constant state of disarray. However, the first thing we notice when we enter this crowded classroom is the long wall lined with frames— frames filled with 13 years worth of awards.
Most of you have a pretty good idea of what we do up here in room 235. In room 235, we spend hours frantically typing stories, silently screaming at our computer screens as the “death spiral” appears in place of our mouse cursor and eating a dinner meant to sustain us until every page is sent to press. Until deadline nights are over, we are prisoners to room 235.
What sometimes isn’t clear is why we spend so many hours trapped in this room, staring at screens and turning the space into a cesspool of germs everyone on staff has fallen victim to. Yes, we do strive to inform the student body about important issues and events going on around campus—we are a newspaper, after all—but that’s not all that drives us.
There is something addicting about holding an award in your hands, knowing that all those long hours of hard work have finally been recognized. When you join a sports team, you spend weeks practicing together, preparing to win future games. Winning takes dedication—not just from one person or the captains but the whole team. Each individual plays an integral role in the formation of one cohesive unit—a team.
Although we don’t run around
We practice writing by crafting stories and submitting them to editors, graphic design by challenging ourselves to create original layouts—many of which fail before they’re halfway finished—leadership by holding each other accountable for our work and business management by selling ads and subscriptions to patrons in the greater Dallas community.
When the Columbia Scholastic Press Association presenter announced our Gold Crown award in March, we rushed to the stage together—as a team—because we all respect the amount of work it has taken each person on staff to make this a possibility. Each person is a writer, designer and leader in
their own way.
When explaining this award to people who have never heard of it— which most people haven’t, since high school journalism awards are not widely publicized—our adviser describes it as the Pulitzer Prize of high school journalism, the pride in her voice clear. Sure, that may be a slightly dramatic way to put it, but she’s not wrong.
In this school, isn’t winning the Southwest Preparatory Conference about equivalent to winning the Super Bowl? As journalists, our wins can sometimes be questionable. No story is ever perfect; a well-written story usually displeases at least one person. However, this time, we know we won. We didn’t just win the game, we won the entire conference. We won as a team—and we’re proud.
The 2020 presidential race has already seen a plethora of democratic candidates, 17 in total, while the only declared republican candidate is Donald Trump.
This number has already surpassed the amount of democratic candidates in the 2016 election, six, and is only going to increase, raising a crucial question: when is enough, enough?
With all of the policies Trump has implemented regarding the environment, taxes, military and immigration, it comes at no surprise that a mass of
Democrats are eager to take over. However, having a horde of them run is not the answer.
A similar incident happened in the 2016 election, which at its highest point saw 17 Republican candidates. This makes sense because Democrats had a hold on the presidency for eight years.
But our current situation is different. If the Democrats really want to take back the presidency, they can’t have a sea of candidates. What they need are a few strong, qualified candidates that people can focus their time and energy on by volunteering for and donating to their campaigns. The party needs to avoid turning on each other.
A crowd of candidates creates many issues. Firstly, it is harder for the people to decide who to vote for. Secondly, it takes votes away from the most qualified
candidate and might possibly even impact their ability to receive the nomination even if they are the best person for the job. We saw this in 2016, and Trump, who wasn’t the most qualified or dignified won.
On top of the controversy a crowded Democratic Party creates, not all of the candidates have experience in politics. While it is a great freedom of America that one is not required to come from a political background in order to run for president, I would prefer the person who possesses the most powerful role in our country to have experience. You can’t ride a bike without first practicing on training wheels. For example, entrepreneur and democratic candidate Andrew Yang admits on his campaign’s website that he does not have a career as
a politician, but rather, he is “an entrepreneur who understands the economy.” The economy is not the only crucial aspect of American politics.
Trump jumped into the presidency with no political background and has demonstrated to the public countless times that he is immature and unfit to be president; do we really want to repeat this?
As someone who is going to be able to vote in the next election, it’s too early for me to determine if I will swing right or left. However, I do know that I want a qualified individual as president, and in order for that to become a reality, both parties need to band together and show at least some degree of support for each other rather than create division amongst themselves.
PRO: More honors courses would benefit freshmen
College admissions grow increasingly competitive every year, which means it is more important than ever for students to demonstrate their strengths and set themselves apart from the crowd as soon as possible.
Cutting back freshman honors classes to include only math and science puts students geared toward literacy at a disadvantage.
When applying to college, the university looks at the courses the high school offered and the ones the student elected to take. Providing only honors-level math and science courses excludes students who excel in world languages and English courses, highlighting their weaknesses in math and science instead of their strengths like a literary honors class would. Students gifted in literacy could also feel pressured to take an honors-level course to stay competitive with their peers in honors math or science courses. Since there is no option suitable for them, they may opt to take a honors math or science course they are unprepared for and do not stand out in. This choice early on could harm them come college.
Because all freshmen have to take the same level English and world language class, many students thrown in a class with accelerated individuals could feel behind, and their thoughts may go unheard. In contrast, higher-level students won’t be given material to challenge them and will be put in a class that seems monotonous, thus, creating a disadvantageous learning environment.
Students who are put in classes that are able to challenge their intellectual skills are given the opportunity to grow and learn to contribute thoughtfully as a member of their high school classes and beyond.
Giving only math and science-focused students the option to challenge themselves is unacceptable and unjustly treats linguistically-gifted students whose learning paths are hindered by being forced into classes that are unengaging and by pressuring them to take honors math and science classes they are unfit for. Reincorporating honors English and world language courses into the schedule would remedy this injustice and allow all students to participate in a learning environment that showcases their strengths.
percent of students believe that freshmen honors courses should be available, according to an April 11 poll of 250 students
CON: Regular courses create an even playing field
English and world language honors classes were removed from the course selections for incoming freshman, sparking debate over whether or not these classes truly benefit students. Especially in subjects like these where classroom progress is much less statistically measurable, separating students into classes based on ability is difficult. Also, with risks of misevaluation and diminishing student confidence, the maintenance of these honors-level courses is simply not worth it.
Both English and world languages are complex in the way that they cover a wide variety of topics: speaking, grammar, reading comprehension and more. Unlike math and sciences, language classes include more material that includes analytical thinking of broad concepts and subjective material. A student who struggles with a simple idea in math, like exponents, for example, simply cannot continue before mastering this concept because math classes build upon each concept and eventually integrates the culmination of years of math work. However, in an English class, students can struggle with the concept of complex sentences and still excel in reading and writing, despite their grammar mistakes.
These courses are more destructive than constructive because they create an academic rift between students. Giving all students a year in the same courses gives everyone the opportunity to eventually challenge themselves and become AP ready, especially with the influx of new students with a less measurable academic record.
The removal of these courses was meant to raise the overall rigor in the courses for all students rather than just a portion, which provides many with the confidence that they can succeed in higher-level courses. According to Academic Dean Dr. Eric Boberg, with these removals, more students are choosing to take more honors and AP classes by their senior year.
Freshman year is too early for students to take a full load of honors courses. With issues concerning scheduling, how to assess progress and balancing academic rigor, freshman honors courses are not the move.
percent of students do not believe that freshmen honors courses should be available, according to an April 11 poll of 250 students
Insurance coverage of contraceptives benefits women, shouldn’t be revoked for “religious convictions”
by insurance, making them more easily available to women.
After Donald Trump’s election in 2016, women became concerned after he promised to overturn the Affordable Care Act.
BY | EMILY DELGADO
In Nov. 2018, the Trump administration proposed a policy allowing employers to exclude contraceptives, such as birth control, from being covered by former president Barack Obama’s Affordable Care Act if it went against the employer’s “religious beliefs or moral convictions.” Although these efforts were set back in Jan. 2019, the possibility of birth control not being covered has raised concern among women across the U.S. Under the Affordable Care Act, birth control and other contraceptives are covered
Women feared the inability of receiving contraceptives, leading many of them to rush to obtain them before they became unavailable.
According to a research letter published in JAMA Internal Medicine, the demand for long-acting birth control, such as intrauterine devices, increased by 22 percent and appointments for IUD insertions by Planned Parenthood increased by 900 percent after the election. Although one of the most common reasons why women take birth control is to prevent unwanted pregnancies, many use it for other reasons. According to the
Guttmacher Institute, approximately 1.5 million women rely on birth control for non-contraceptive reasons.
Women use birth control to treat serious illnesses and disorders, such as polycystic ovarian syndrome, endometriosis, amenorrhea and primary ovarian insufficiency.
These are medical conditions that should not be taken lightly. They can cause extreme pain in the abdominal region and take a toll on women mentally and physically.
In many cases, women have been prescribed birth control, not for its contraceptive properties but rather, for its ability to relieve hormone imbalances and symptoms such as pelvic pain and excessive bleeding.
Birth control can also be used to relieve excruciating menstrual cramps and treat
hormonal acne for thousands of women.
According to the Guttmacher Institute, 33 percent of teenage girls in the U.S. take birth control for non-contraceptive purposes.
Teen pregnancy reached its peak in 1994, but under Obama’s Affordable Care Act, it decreased by 44 percent according to the Pew Research Center.
If the Trump administration’s proposal had gone through, more than 70,500 women would have lost coverage.
The ability to have birth control insured should not be denied because of one person’s beliefs. Just because it is a contraceptive does not mean it is less important or relevant than other medications. Birth control should not be taken away from women. Women should not be judged because of the medicine that their body requires to remain healthy.
The best and worst of the month, graded
We need to look at international interference with a critical eye
In it to win it
On March 27, students redeemed their basketball loss last semester against the faculty team by winning a dodge-ball game during student body week. Other student body week activities included bubble soccer, a school wide rock, paper scissors tournament and snack shack.
Better late than never
After a three year losing streak, the varsity softball team won 21-14 against St. Augustine on March 25. If the team wins another game, they are guaranteed a spot at the Southwest Preparatory Conference tournament, which they haven’t gone to in four years.
Alumni advice
Four alumni spoke to juniors and seniors on April 12, giving advice on work ethic and how to be successful after high school. The alumni’s careers varied from lawyer to professional MMA fighter. This is the second alumni panel this school year. The first panel in the fall consisted of alumni from the class of 2018.
BBoxed water is better
The environmental club gave a chapel talk about ways to save our environment. That same day, the Eagle’s Nest began selling boxed water, which is better for the environment–a change requested by the club to improve the school’s environmental impact. DD F
Construction madness
These past few weeks have caused confusion and traffic issues. Part of the walkway to the Swann Athletics Wellness Center was blocked off. Part of Merrell Road was also blocked, making it difficult to leave campus.
You don’t even go here
This year’s prom theme “Rock the Night” was very random and didn’t surpass last year’s. Not only did the theme not fit with the venue, but two students that don’t attend our school won raffle prizes, which isn’t fair.
Leave it to the adults
On April 3, juniors led a grade-wide talk about relationship abuse.
Although those who led the discussion were said to have had a presentation on the topic, some students felt that adults should have led it instead because of the serious nature of the conversation.
Call security
NetRef, a program that allows teachers to monitor what students have open on their browser, caused concern amongst students after some began to worry that their activity could be monitored at home, which isn’t true. Some also have concerns about their data being shared with third parties.
Countries, including the U.S., have overstepped boundaries
BY | JOHN CALVERT
While President Trump was cleared on all charges of “collusion,” we now know for a fact that the Russian government did attempt to influence the results of the 2016 presidential election. This should not be a surprise— since the start of the Cold War, Russia has consistently meddled in our affairs. That being said, as far as the public can tell, this interference in the last election was limited to buying Facebook ads and such, despite conspiracy theories regarding WikiLeaks and voting machines.
In an attempt to criticize Trump, some jumped on the chance to attack any Russian who had any opinion of or influence on American politics, screaming that they threaten “our democracy” and are turning us all into Putin’s slaves. In their fervor, the media dangerously overlooked the tremendous sway other nations have on our government.
And if one country’s influence is criticized, all countries’ influence must be criticized.
China is incredibly unscrupulous in its dealings with the U.S. The country is notorious for copying American patents and intellectual
properties, its factories churning out millions of bootleg products every year. Many Chinese operatives have been caught stealing business and government secrets. In fact, according to the Washington Post, one of Senator Dianne Feinstein’s key office staffers had been sending information to Beijing for over 20 years. The Chinese government puts considerable time and resources in global public opinion campaigns, influencing mainstream media sources and, at times, even donating to political parties. For example, a recent investigation into Chinese interference in the Australian government revealed that Beijing was trying to, in the words of Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull, “infiltrate all levels of government.”
Saudi Arabia has given millions and millions of dollars to political campaigns and lobbyist organizations. During the 2018 midterm election, Saudi interests paid over $24 million to influence policy and public opinion, according to the Center for Responsive Politics. Since the end of World War II, the U.S. and Saudi Arabia have been fairly close for one reason alone: oil. We receive oil at a consistent
and fair price, and in turn both willfully ignore the kingdom’s human rights abuses and help pursue its various aims. This rather unpleasant setup inevitably encourages corruption.
And don’t get me started on Israel. The American Israel Public Affairs Committee, or AIPAC, is arguably the most influential and successful lobbyist organization in Washington today. There have been countless cases of Israeli spies caught stealing business, government and even nuclear secrets. The most famous of these is former intelligence analyst Jonathan Pollard, who in 1987 was convicted by the U.S. after giving Israel copious amounts of top-secret, classified information. According to the BBC, he is considered a national hero in Israel, and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spent years personally lobbying the U.S. government for his release. I do appreciate the news media’s coverage of Russia’s interference, for it gave me the opportunity to talk about other nations.’ Perhaps, in the future, we can supersede our emotions and begin looking at all our relationships with other countries with a more critical eye.
BY | SUMNER WOOLDRIDGE
The good thing about that is that next year, we will be able to have a full [junior varsity] and varsity team without having to have players back and forth, unless we want to.
BY | LAUREN WEBER
With ten freshmen playing baseball this season, the baseball program has expanded to incorporate a junior varsity team for the first time.
The JV baseball team is composed entirely of freshmen, six of whom also play on varsity occasionally.
“Everyone was really excited that we were able to have two teams,” freshman and first baseman James Click said. “It allows the varsity team to get work done without less-developed players hindering their practices, so it’s been really helpful.”
The JV team has players with varying levels of experience. Freshman captain Adam Russell plays at a competitive level on a select baseball team outside of school.
“My role as captain is to make sure that the rest of the players are doing everything they can to get better and grow as baseball players,” Russell said.
Russell was elected as captain by his teammates.
“Whenever we are confused or don’t really know what to do, we all resort to Adam [for] help,” freshman and second baseman Mason Link said.
Link has played with Russell for four years on a select baseball club team called “Thunder.” Freshmen James Wharton and Click also play select baseball.
“[The team has] interesting dynamic because you have all different backgrounds of baseball players,” Click said. “The more-experienced guys help the lessexperienced guys improve their skills by giving them some pointers. It’s easier to be coached by a fellow player than a coach because [when] players [give you advice], it’s seems like they are looking out for you, but coaches sometimes come across like they are disappointed in you.”
There are six coaches overall for the middle school and high school baseball programs. The coaching staff is led by head varsity baseball coach Albert Najera. Once a week, Head of Upper School, Henry Heil, also plays with the team.
“All of our coaches are willing to help everywhere, so it really helps us,” Najera said. “There’s times when we’ll have four coaches in the dugout during a game, which is really good because some can focus on the game and others on players. At the end of the day, it’s all about teaching and helping them grow.”
Najera believes that one-on-one interaction with players is extremely beneficial, and the program is interconnected with all coaches lending a hand to each other.
“[The coaches] have been extremely influential to us because in the past, baseball hasn’t been looked at the same way as other sports, such as lacrosse,” Click said. “Building up the program and hopefully increasing the popularity of the sport is our mission.”
The high school program will expand further next season with eight incoming freshman joining the squad.
“I’m even more excited about the years to come,” Najera said. “The good thing about that is that next year, we will be able to have a full [junior varsity] and varsity team without having to have players back and forth, unless we want to.”
BY | AVA BRENNAN
After playing lacrosse at Sam Houston State University during college, security guard Crystal Wiley never expected that she would coach the junior varsity womens lacrosse team this year.
She began playing lacrosse in college because the sport wasn’t offered at her high school and she wanted to try something new.
“I like the way lacrosse exercises different muscles of your body when you play,” Wiley said.
“Lacrosse works out different parts of the body [because] you are running and using your arms at the same time. It is a different workout and game than other sports.”
Wiley wanted to coach the junior varsity lacrosse team in order to bridge the gap between security guards and students. The athletics department has encouraged faculty and staff to coach so that athletic coaches are on campus full-time, making it easier to communicate
and built rapport.
“I am a security guard, [and] we are a little disconnected from everyone,” Wiley said. “This job allows me to show [students] that I’m human too, and I enjoy sports just like them. I knew that coaching would help me build a better relationship with the students.”
While helping players improve their lacrosse technique, she has also learned a few things about herself.
“Coaching this sport has taught me a lot about patience,”
Wiley said. “It has also taught me how to [become more] mature. I’m a lot younger than most people who work here, and in a sense, I’m a lot less mature than they are. [I’ve learned] how to teach
and deal with different situations in different ways.”
Sophomore Charlotte Esping has seen Wiley’s love for lacrosse first-hand.
““She is very engaged in our practices and encourages and pushes us all to reach our full potential,” Esping said. “She has changed lacrosse for me because I’ve learned many
team and the school’s junior varsity team.
“These students are what make [the school’s team] different than any other teams out there,” Wiley said. “The rapport between the kids [makes the team] different. Watching these students play lacrosse is one of the best things— they remind me of my team in college.”
Wiley hopes to continue coaching next year and forming new relationships with the players.
I AM A SECURITY GUARD, [AND] WE ARE A LITTLE DISCONNECTED FROM EVERYONE. THIS JOB ALLOWS ME TO SHOW [STUDENTS] THAT I’M HUMAN TOO, AND I ENJOY SPORTS JUST LIKE THEM.
WILEY, JV COACH
new plays and more stick skills.”
Although Wiley misses playing lacrosse in college, she sees a lot of similarities between her college
“I hope I can impart some wisdom onto the [students] because I’m not much older than any of them,” Wiley said. “I also hope they learn what it is like to really work as a team, support each other and create new friendships.”
19
players on the junior varsity team
12 games this season
1
junior varsity coach
Smith Cochran Staff Writer
Picture this—you’re the best high school dual-threat quarterback in the nation and can play football at the college of your choice. You narrow down your choices to two schools.
One of them has a sophomore quarterback that has led the team to a national championship but lost, and he has three more years of eligibility. The other school has a loaded roster, but they’re
missing a solid quarterback. Common sense would tell you to go to school number two.
Former University of Georgia quarterback Justin Fields committed to play in Athens, Georgia. However, the problem was that they already had a young, solid quarterback. Fields played in five games in 2018. He went from the top player in the country to a backup, forgettable player. The solution—to transfer.
The NCAA transfer portal became his savior. After he announced he was planning to transfer, his college recruitment began again. Powerhouse football schools got in touch with him, and just like that, he was out of the University of Georgia and on his way to Ohio State University.
The transfer rule has received criticism because it is seen as a
solution to avoid competition—but that’s not the point. If a former five star recruit is not seeing the field but has an opportunity to play elsewhere, why stay?
Oklahoma State University head coach Mike Gundy strongly condemns the transfer portal. According to him, the mindset of possible transfer players should be “let’s bear down, and let’s fight through this.” Getting through adversity is a part of life if you’re a DI athlete, but is it better to fight through adversity on the bench or head-on, by receiving a chance to beat your old team?
A college athlete’s goal is to get better all the time. Taking half the reps as the first and second string and watching practices doesn’t help any player get better.
I get that football is about competition, and shying away
from competition is seen as weak, but what good is a potentiallygreat player doing if he’s on the sidelines every game? Sometimes you have to do what’s best for you, and college football is no exception.
Fields is just one of the many top players to transfer recently. Jalen Hurts transferred from the University of Alabama to the University of Oklahoma after Tua Tagovailoa took over the quarterback position for the Crimson Tide. Tate Marshall transferred from Ohio State University to the University of Miami. Former Clemson quarterback Kelly Bryant decided to leave and go to the University of Missouri after freshman star quarterback Trevor Lawrence established his greatness. The problem for transfers
is being eligible to play immediately. All the players above are deemed eligible to play in 2019, but that’s not always the case. The normal NCAA rule requires transfers to sit out for one year—and this rule needs to be changed. Changing this rule is not a hard process, but it makes it easier for unhappy players to move schools. Making them sit out a year doesn’t make sense anymore, and the NCAA needs to recognize that.
Overall, the transfer portal has very likely saved several players’ careers and given them an opportunity to play in the NFL. It has provided frustrated players an outlet for change, and even though the coaches may not like it, the NCAA transfer portal is making the athletes happy for a change.
CAUSING A RAQUET Preparing to hit the ball, freshman Rider Yeaman plays in the mens tennis match against St. Marks. He made varsity his first year. "I joined [tennis] this year because I've never really gotten to play on a team for tennis since it is an individual sport," Rider said. "We have a lot of amazing players with great team spirit." photo by Jiaying Fu
Team could break school record at SPC with a possible first-place trophy at stake, players work to defend current ranking in conference
BY | LAUREN EGGER
Running back and forth, SMACK SMACK, as the ball flies back over the net, sophomore Josh Chabria refuses to be the player that lets down his team and ends their winning streak.
Chabria and junior captain Brian Jones were in the final match of their third set. Their win would make the mens tennis team undefeated 10-0.
“So far, the St. Marks match has been the most fun because it is our biggest rivalry,” Jones said. “All of our people went in and were really positive, cheering and supporting each other.”
Mens varsity tennis coach Mark Oglesby says the players have grown in ability since last season, during which the team finished 6-8.
hadn’t shown before.”
The team has two games until the Southwest Preparatory Conference, which starts on May 2. Captains Jones, senior Cameron Goldstein and junior Callaway Clark aim to keep up the winning streak.
“T.E.A.M.—together, everyone achieves more—that is to me what team stands for, and these guys have bought into it,” Oglesby said. “Jones, captain and returning player, is a hard worker with great work ethic. Our
really there, and nobody cared as much about winning,” Chabria said. “This year is different, almost completely thanks to our captains. The team chemistry is great, and our captains help with the energy and level of competition.”
The team has turned their thinking around, and is determined to succeed and continue to break records.
"This team is probably the best ESD mens tennis team in the history of the school," Oglesby said. "We have a goal to be playing for a trophy on the final day. This is something that hasn't been done at ESD and the players would like to be the first to do so."
THIS IS THE STRONGEST TEAM I HAVE EVER COACHED IN THREE STATES AND 20-PLUS YEARS OF COACHING. THESE ARE GOOD TENNIS PLAYERS, AND WE HAVE GREAT LEADERSHIP.
“This is the strongest team I have ever coached in three states and 20-plus years of coaching,” Oglesby said. “These are good tennis players, and we have great leadership. Chabria stepped up against St. Marks with the emotion that he put into that third set, I told him afterwards, ‘I haven’t seen you like this, and this was the best you have ever played.’ He played with a lot of energy and a lot of emotion that he
other two captains, Goldstein and Clark are new to the team, but they work just as hard. They fight for each other and have had great attitudes.”
Two years ago, the tennis team made it to SPC after a decade of missing out. However, the team has not received a first or second place trophy at SPC in all of the school’s history.
“In the past years, the energy wasn’t
Ava Brennan
With two more counter games, the largest being Greenhill on April 18, the team is striving to keep their record.
“We have some really serious players that are willing to show up to the matches and the practices and really just bring a certain intensity and skill level that we previously didn’t have,” Jones said.
The team is focusing on becoming the number one seed of the north division for SPC.
"We are looking to go as far into the tournament as we can and perhaps win it," Jones said.
What made you interested in lacrosse?
In first grade, my parents threw me into all sports. I was a big soccer kid, but I hated basketball. I only wanted to play soccer, but they made me play football and [go to] these soccer camps. I [went to] a lacrosse camp, and I had no idea what it was, but I loved it.
What has your experience on the school’s lacrosse team been like?
[Lacrosse season] is definitely my favorite time of the year. I love the lacrosse team—it means everything to me. We practice together and spend so much time together, so we are a really tight family. I love all of [my teammates].
What is the most challenging aspect of lacrosse?
The all-around skill and pace [will be different]. In college, [playing lacrosse is] hard because everyone is good. In high school, some [athletes] are good, and some are not that good, but in college, every [athlete] is good. A Q A Q A Q A Q
[The most challenging part] is playing together as a team. That is—by far—the most important part [of lacrosse,] since it’s a team game. Once everyone starts clicking, that’s when [the team] gets good, but the team has to get that chemistry— sometimes, it can be hard.
What will be different about lacrosse in college?
What will you miss most about lacrosse at school?
[I will miss] being with my [friends]. I have been playing lacrosse with some of these kids since the third grade, and this is my last year doing it. I [have spent] 10 years playing sports with these guys and forming a team. In college, you only get four years, so you don't have that same bond. It’s the last time I have to spend time with certain people that I’m going to miss. A
Every March, wide-eyed groups of individuals compete for a chance to attain money and eternal fame. It’s the season of frustration, loss, glory and straight-up sadness. The people of America have a special, love-hate relationship with the NCAA bracket challenge.
When the 64-team bracket was created in 1984, the Internet wasn’t the massive abyss of information and anonymity that it is today. When the Internet became a part of daily lives, the bracket challenge took off. Now almost anyone in the world can make a bracket and have a chance to
win money in a challenge between friends, family or strangers.
This year saw one of the most perfect brackets in history, when a man in Ohio picked every game correctly up to the Sweet 16. I was not as smart. My pitiful bracket was 35 percent correct and close to last in all my groups. I picked 13 out of 16 correct Sweet 16 teams, but my champion lost that same round.
Picking the University of Tennessee to win it all may have been a stretch, but I’d pick them again if I could do it over. Being a fan of a good team during bracket season is risky. It worked out for Texas Tech University and Auburn University fans because both of those teams made it further in the tournament than professional analysts had predicted. I never expected Tech to break into the Final Four and win a division with Michigan and Gonzaga. I mean, it’s Texas Tech. Their athletics are mediocre at best.
The disappointing aspect of this year’s March Madness was that there was no Cinderella story like we’ve seen in years
past. Last year, the basketball world was stunned by the Ramblers of Loyola Chicago, stretching their run into the Final Four. A team led by a school nun took out the University of Nevada and the University of Tennessee, which was embarrassing as a volunteer fan.
Not only was this year’s tournament lacking a successful underdog, it was also missing a number of upsets. Everyone wanted to see a No. 16 seed beat a No. 1 seed, since that headlined March last year. Although there were mild upsets, all teams in the elite eight were a No. 5 seed or better besides the University of Oregon, who lost that round.
In terms of superstars, two were watched closely. Ja Morant from Murray State and Zion Williamson from Duke both were fun to watch before they lost. Both are predicted to be top picks in the NBA draft, and being able to watch them dominate in the tournament was a privilege.
Like thousands of others, I put Duke in my championship, only to have them lose early on. Even though the Blue Devils
have only made it to two Final Fours in the past 15 years, every year, they remain a top pick to win the championship. Let me make something clear—I don’t like Duke. I don’t like Duke’s players that stay one year then leave. I don’t like Duke’s players that stay too long like Grayson Allen. The 20182019 Duke basketball team was the most over-hyped team, and seeing them lose brought me great joy. I’m sure the exact same thing will happen next year as well.
Disregarding my bracket, I was surprised Texas Tech made it to the Final Four. They’re the closest any Texas basketball team has come to winning a championship since 2011. The state of Texas isn’t known for their championship teams in our generation. Nevertheless, I was wrong, and I applaud anyone who believed Texas Tech was going to almost win the championship. Bracketology has become a part of millions of people’s lives every year in early March, luring many bandwagon fans. Hopefully, next year, I’ll choose more wisely, but in reality, my bracket will end up around 55 percent correct as always.
BY | LAUREN WEBER
Running from her golf lift in the weight room to the tennis courts, freshman Mary Lou McMillan rushes to make the second half of tennis practice.
McMillan and freshman Isabella Custard are playing two sports this season. McMillan plays tennis and golf while Custard plays tennis and lacrosse. Committed to both sports for eight years, McMillan was unwilling to give up either.
At her previous school, St. John’s Episcopal School, she also balanced two sports during the spring season and played both sports for two years at the Lakewood Country Club.
“It’s actually not that hard [to manage my time] between the sports,” McMillan said.
“The coaches don’t really mind if I miss practices. I’ve only had one actual issue where I needed to choose to go to one of the tournaments, but it ended up being totally fine.”
students’ commitment to both sports.
“When McMillan said she wanted to do both, I reached out to [Schiller], and we looked at both the golf and tennis schedules [to create a more convenient practice schedule for McMillan],” Tollison said. “We just want her to be the most successful at both sports.”
McMillan attends golf practices three times a week and tennis practices five times a week.
““It’s a lot of emailing,” McMillan said. “We’ll set up schedules for the week, and I’ll tell the [coaches] what I can and cannot go to. They’ve also been really understanding of me [missing
I DEFINITELY [RECOMMEND THIS TO OTHER STUDENTS] BECAUSE YOU GET TO BECOME REALLY CLOSE WITH BOTH OF THE TEAMS.
MARY LOU MCMILLAN
practice for] after-school testing because for both sports, we miss a lot of school.”
Their coaches are essential in helping the two athletes manage their time. Varsity golf coach David Tollison, varsity womens tennis coach Julie Schiller and varsity womens lacrosse coach Maggie Koch understand the
Likewise, Custard believes that managing time is imperative when participating in two sports.
“It is [hard] scheduling-wise because [for example], one week I had all tennis matches and lacrosse games,” Custard said. “I
didn’t go to a single practice, and it was stressful.”
Like McMillan, Custard has been playing tennis from a young age and started playing competitively in sixth grade.
“Tennis is my main sport, but I’ve always [enjoyed] lacrosse,” Custard said. “The skills [for both sports are similar], like hand eye [coordination], so I thought maybe I could do [both], so I asked.”
Both athletes are unsure if they want to do two sports again next year.
“If you really want to do it, then go for it, but you don’t want to spread yourself too thin,” Custard said. “I don’t feel like I’m doing too much, but [to be honest], I am kind of treading water right now. Later on, I’m probably going to have to pick one sport, but I’ll cross that bridge when I get there.”
McMillan suggests that students who are passionate about two sports to participate in both of them.
“I definitely [recommend this to other students] because you get to become really close with both of the teams,” McMillan said. “It’s a good social opportunity, but it’s also really fun because you’re always getting to compete. I’m a really competitive person, so it’s really fun to get to do that with different groups.”
Have you had other jobs in the past?
I did a lot of political work when I was younger. In my 10-year break from here, I went to law school at the University of Chicago and I ended up being Dean of Students there for several years. I realized I wanted to get back into secondary education, so I moved to Baltimore and taught at an all girls school for a few years and then [came] back here.
What brought you to ESD?
What made you decide to take a break from ESD?
Well, my children call it my midlife crisis, but it really wasn’t. I’ve always wanted to go to law school, and I just saw it as an opportunity. My kids were out of high school, and it was a time that I could pick up and move, and I took advantage of it. It was in some ways the most exciting three years of my life. I loved every minute of it. I missed secondary school, so I ended up working my way back.
What are your favorite subjects to teach?
What have you learned from your students?
I’ve learned different things from different kinds of students. The best students are those who are intellectually engaged, interested and have really good questions, and they may or may not have the best grades. That’s one of the things from my perspective that has really changed.
Q A Q A Q A Q A Q A Q A
It was in 1988, and I was looking for a beginning level teaching job, and I had a really good friend who was a friend of the head of the middle school then. [I was] introduced, and we hit it off and then here I was. I’ve taught here 20 years, but it hasn’t been continuous. I took a 10-year break between 2000 and 2010.
I love almost anything History and anything English. I’ve taught both. One of the courses that I’ve taught that I’ve enjoyed the most doesn’t exist anymore. It was a sophomore level humanities course. I taught it with another teacher who is retired now, Suzette Carona. We had a double period and met every day, so it was one of the best teaching experiences I’ve ever had.
BY | ALAN BENÍTEZ
What are your plans for your retirement?
I am going to move to Washington D.C. this summer. Two of [my daughters] live there, three of my five grandchildren live there and I’ve always wanted to retire there. I lived there for awhile back in the ‘70s and just loved the city, so I’m getting a condo in D.C. [to] live the urban life, go to museums, do something political and read a lot of books.
BY | EMILY DELGADO
Separated by advisories, the junior class visited eight different nonprofit organizations on April 3 as part of the annual, junior philanthropy project.
This project was started in 2011 and was designed to encourage students to serve local nonprofits. Students visited the Rise School of Dallas, the Ronald McDonald House, Hunger Busters, Brother Bill’s Helping Hand, the North Texas Food Bank, Operation Kindness, Wesley Rankin Community Center and City Square.
“My advisory went to Operation Kindness,” junior Abby Brand said. “I really enjoyed the different aspects of the day. We learned about how their nonprofit works, and we also got to interact with the animals. There were two sets of puppies that we played with, and along the way, our guide introduced us to Operation Kindness’ areas of potential growth such as the new animal hospital.”