V35 Issue 3

wide OPEN EYES

Setting up the future

Head of School leaving in 2018, committee formed to find replacement

By Julia Beckel

After five years at ESD, on Nov. 2, Head of School Meredyth Cole announced her departure to become the Head of School at The Lovett School in Atlanta, Georgia next year.

“I certainly was not looking for a job and was not planning to go anywhere,” Cole said. “But this opportunity popped up, and I was heavily recruited for it.”

Wanting to be closer to family and knowing her long-term goal to retire in Georgia, Cole took the offer.

“I couldn’t say to them, ‘Can you wait a couple years? I want to do this first,’” Cole said.

Her new home will be close to her family’s home on the Georgia coast, her daughter at Auburn and her and her husband’s parents, so the transition, while seemingly sudden, made sense for her family.

“When I think about Lovett, I think about ESD grown up,” Cole said. “They don’t have a formal relation with a religious denomination but have a very strong Judeo-Christian background and have chapel once a week.”

“ ” —Head of School Meredyth Cole

I feel really lucky to have the opportunity, but I love ESD and I’m so proud of everything that’s happening here.

What attracted Cole to The Lovett School was its mission, similar to ESD’s, with a focus on the whole-child, balanced educational experience, where academic and intellectual challenge and rigor are just as important as character development.

“I feel really lucky to have the opportunity, but I love ESD and I’m so proud of everything that’s happening here,” Cole said. “I have an incredible team, awesome faculty and great students, and I’m glad I have six more months.”

Beginning the hunt for a new Head of School, the Board of Directors formed a search committee co-chaired by Laura Boeckman and Don Carty. The committee works with search consultants from strategic consulting service Carney Sandoe, who looks nationally and internationally for candidates for the position. The school might decide that an Interim Head is the best course of action to ensure the perfect candidate is chosen if the timeline does not work out.

“They haven’t made that decision yet, and they are currently focused on finding a head,” Cole said. “It’s a great team, and they will include a faculty team as well.”

Cole leaves big shoes to fill with an impressive legacy of leading the completion of the school’s first five-year strategic plan and launching a $75 million capital campaign with a goal of increasing the endowment, bringing the Lower School to the main campus and completing the Annual Fund.

“I had an opportunity to work with a fantastic group of colleagues, a terrific board,” Cole said.

“There has been such an alignment between the board’s vision and my educational philosophy.”

Being at the helm of ESD’s defining decade, Cole has felt enormously blessed to watch the school mature.

“We are going from being this incredibly successful startup to getting closer to that 50 year

point and being this established, internationally recognized independent school,” Cole said. “We’re not the new kid on the block anymore.”

Coming into the job in 2013, Cole was very cognizant that the school’s founding head, Steven B. Swann, who was here for 30 years, was an Episcopal priest. One of the main things that drew Cole to ESD was the school’s Episcopal identity.

“We have reignited that identity and are very loud and clear about what that means,” Cole said. “It is attracting people to our school. Just about everybody here can express what that means, and we’re living into it and walking our talk.”

Along with staying true to the school’s Episcopal roots, Cole has helped secure the financial stability of the school.

“I’m proud of the financial strength of the school at this point, really ensuring that it’s going to be here 100 years from today,” she said. “Also, our faculty are growing and evolving as 21st century educators. I have to say constantly, I didn’t do this by myself, I was just lucky enough to be the head coach.”

News to Use

Tuesday, Dec. 12

Afternoon: English exams

Wednesday, Dec. 13

Morning: Math exams

Afternoon: History exams

Thursday, Dec. 14

Morning: Science exams

Afternoon: Language exams

Friday, Dec. 15

Morning: Religion and Computer Science exams

Afternoon: Make-up exams

Jan. 3 Classes resume

Jan. 10

Service hours due to earn President’s Volunteer Service Award

Jan. 19

Upper School Film Festival

Jan. 22

College Guidance Deans Panel from 7-8 p.m. in the Bray Theater

**Send us your events! Please email upcoming events to the Eagle Edition at eagle edition@gmail.com.

Film festival to feature student, alumni work

Executive Assistant to Head of School Sylvia Bogard, has worked with Cole for the past four years and has seen the impact she has made.

“She sets high standards for herself and for all of us, so that adds to the richness of the school,” Bogard said. “She has extremely strong leadership. She is a good listener and people respect her. She is always cheerful. She has a great sense of humor. I’m just going to miss her as a friend, and I think a lot of the faculty and students are going to miss that too.”

Reminiscing on her time at ESD, the everyday routines and little traditions such as Wolf Run trips, Lower School carpool and watching students perform in Chapel are highlights of Cole’s memories.

“What I will miss most about ESD is the sense of joy,” she said. “ESD is such a happy place. I know y’all have stressful, hard days, but I feel the sense of joy and love the faculty have for their students and the students have for the faculty. Watching the energy in the commons. The laughter. The fun. People here love this place, and they love coming here.”

Film will host its second annual film festival on Jan. 9 in the Bray Theater.

Last year, filmmakers from other local high schools showed their work. This year, the film department decided to go a different route, focusing more on alumni.

“Since we have so many great alumni, we reached out to Cal Etcheverry [current USC film student], Paty Gomez-Palacio and others,” senior filmmaker Ellery Marshall said. “So [with] them, along with current students, we’re kind of going to show the past and present of our film department.”

Marshall is screening her short film “Transcending Politics,” which is posted on the website Upworthy and has 835,000 views and counting.

END OF AN ERA: Head of School Meredyth Cole sits in her office of five years, where she’s worked diligently to further the Capital Campaign. Photo by Julia Beckel

St. Philips Angel Tree helps children in need for Christmas

The Community Service Council and the Student Vestry are sponsoring the St. Philip’s Community Center Angel Tree, serving over 350 families.

“This project is a great opportunity for ESD students to make someone else’s Christmas brighter,” junior and Social Media Coordinator of Community Service Council Mckinley Lawson said. “Without our help, these kids would probably not get gifts.”

Students can adopt a tween, teen, or senior citizen and purchase a $15-25 gift for each angel, earning one hour per gift, up to three gifts. Unwrapped gifts should be returned to to the angel tree by Rev. Heller’s office by Dec. 14th, with a gift tag.

“The St. Philip’s Angel tree is a great tradition ESD has each year for Christmas,” senior and president of Community Service Council Sarah Kate Massey said. “It’s a great cause and perfect way to celebrate the Christmas season.”

On Dec. 15, all of the gifts will be delivered by ESD sixth graders to St. Philip’s.

—By Sydney Rezaie

Seniors sign to Division I athletic programs

Seniors Chase Toledo, Kristen Leland, Lily Charnes and Matt Jones signed their letters of intent to continue their athletic and academic careers with their respective Division I programs on November 8th.

“Signing with the University of Utah is one of my proudest achievements,” lacrosse signee Chase Toledo said. “It’s a great feeling to know that the hard work has finally paid off and has prepared me for what lies ahead.”

The four athletes were recognized in the Bray with a formal ceremony on Nov. 8, surrounded by their family, coaches and the Senior Class.

“It was like a childhood dream coming to life,” volleyball signee Kristen Leland said. “It felt like I was becoming like the sports heroes I grew up admiring. The two coaches I owe all my success to were there, so I felt like I was making my volleyball dads proud.”

Toledo and Charnes signed to play lacrosse at the University of Utah and the University of Oregon, respectively. Leland signed to play volleyball at the University of Virginia and Jones to play tennis at Villanova University. There are more athletic signings to come on Feb. 1 for football and soccer commits.

By John Kuehne

No shave November extended into new year

A long-held tradition, No Shave November began later than usual this year, spanning from Nov. 27 to Jan. 3.

The dates were pushed back so that students were shaved during Grandparents Day, which was Nov. 17.

Students buy a $10 bracelet to wear free shoes or refrain from shaving in order to raise awareness for cancer patients across the country who lose their hair during treatments.

“I think it is a fun thing for the student body to do, but we are also helping to promote awareness,” senior and Student Body President Emma Cabrales said.

At the end of the “no shaving” period, a contest is held for who grew the best beard.

“While my beard may not be the best in terms of its fullness, it is clear that I wear the beard the best, and thus I should be the obvious winner of the contest,” senior Braden Rhone said. “No Shave November is cool because we get to support cancer [prevention] while displaying our manhood.”

—By Kathleen Hobson

Donations

Private school tuition can bear a hefty price tag, with ESD at a $28,620 tuition bill per year. However, this revenue still does not cover the entire cost to operate the school. Alternate funds such as the annual fund and the endowment make up that gap.

“We have a very healthy checking account at ESD, and tuition feeds that every year, but tuition doesn’t build buildings, tuition doesn’t deal with deferred maintenance, tuition gets used up every year,” Head of School Meredyth Cole said.

“We have an annual fund to cover that gap between what it costs to attend the school and what it costs to actually make it happen.”

The annual fund is composed of donations from the past year, while the endowment is made from long-term donations that people have made since the start of the school.

“The annual fund goes into the operating budget every year––it’s money that we count on to pay salaries, to pay for the programs currently existing,” Cole said. “The endowment is a savings account that we just let grow, and we have a commitment, a policy, that we draw four percent of the earning that it makes. The draw this year is about anywhere from $600,000 to $700,000.”

Beyond donations, the largest amount of revenue comes from student tuitions and auxiliary income, such as summer programs and the Eagles Nest.

Salaries take up 72 percent of the total budget, and they are examined every year and compared with other schools to ensure that every faculty member is receiving a reasonable amount.

“Every year, we look at where our faculty salaries are [to make sure they] are competitive,” Cole said. “We benchmark against other independent schools. Typically, we put a budgeted amount of money towards the salary pool. It doesn’t mean a person will get a two percent increase overall, but that pool goes up that much and then is distributed based on multiple factors.”

“We’re in the business of making money to spend it, and we spend it on providing the best education we can. We’ve got to be mission driven.”

—Head of School Meredyth Cole

The money invested within the Endowment Trust amounts to currently $20,881,000, but the value of property and equipment is $96,032,000, a fraction of the money within the operating budget. The school has hit the pavement running to boost its funding through the Capital Campaign, which provides money for increased endowment and moving the Lower School to the Upper School campus.

“[The endowment] number is a little more than two percent of our operating budget,” Head of the Business Department Robert Buchholz said. “That’s one of the reasons that we have this Capital Campaign. When we compare ourselves to other schools, that two percent number is low–– we would love for that number to be four or five percent.”

Tuition is also something that is reconsidered every year, and the Business Department and administration does the best they can to avoid large increases. While some other schools go up between five and eight percent every year, the tuition has not increased over three and a half percent in the last five years. Much of this tuition is filtered down into department spending.

“There are two ways to look at the way we spend money,” Buchholz said. “One is a department-by-department spending, but another one is, what do we spend on people, versus what do we spend on transportation, or keeping the lights on, sort of the functional view of it. Over two- thirds of the money that we actually spend goes toward people’s salaries. When you operate a school, most of what you do has to do with people.”

Despite the large amounts of money that flow into the school, none of it is kept for profit. Any surplus is always circled back into the campus because ESD is a 501C3 institution, which means it is required to be non-profit.

“We give over three million dollars in financial aid every year, so we’re putting a lot out,” Cole said. “We’re in the business of making money to spend it, and we spend it on providing the best education we can. We’ve got to be mission-driven.”

Graphic and story by Kathleen Hobson

Fine arts programs perform for the holidays

Dance, band and strings finish the year with festive productions

By Melissa Rivera

With Christmas around the corner, the Upper School choir, dance team, strings and band are spreading holiday cheer throughout the week with their annual performances.

This past Tuesday, the choir caroled at Foster Elementary, ESD’s sister school, as well as Mi Escuelita. They ended their day of performances at Northpark Mall.

Having grown in size this past year, choir performed a new arrangement of Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas and Masters in the Home

“The choir caroling trip is my favorite event of the year,” junior Alexandra Everbach said. “It’s kind of like a confirmation of the Christmas season for everyone in choir.”

Heavily involved in fine arts, Everbach participates in choir and dance, in addition to holding a seat on the Fine Arts Network Board.

“I’m so excited to be a part of choir and dance,” Everbach said. “I’m grateful ESD offers such a wide variety of the arts, and I hope to see both of them grow in the future.”

Joining middle school dancers, the team performed their Christmas show on Dec. 5. Out of the four to six recitals throughout the year, the winter performance has become a team favorite because of its involvement with the middle school dance team.

“We started our dance Christmas show two years ago, and it’s so fun to participate alongside the middle school,” Everbach said. The team of five dancers choreographed dances to Winter Wonderland, How the

Grinch Stole Christmas and a rockettes tap number to Twelve Days of Christmas with the help of dance instructor Glen Dawson.

“Ms. Dawson listens to our ideas for the choreography, but she comes up with most of it,” Everbach said. “Later in the year, we perform self-choreographed solos, where we are truly allowed to express ourselves.”

The following day, Dec. 6, band and strings played together at their holiday concert in the chapel. Band performed four pieces, one combined with strings.

Junior William Hargrave was eager to showcase the ensemble pieces at their second performance of the year.

Hargrave has been an active member in band since the seventh grade. The band teacher at the time had the students choose an instrument so Hargrave picked the euphonium and stuck with it.

“I think music is very fascinating, and I don’t know of anyone who doesn’t enjoy it even if they don’t play an instrument,” Hargrave said. “I was excited to perform to spread the Christmas spirit.”

Strings followed band and performed Silent Night and Christmas Time is Here from A Charlie Brown Christmas

“Performing during the holidays gives me Christmas vibes,” Freshman Ali Sparrow said. “This class helps me de-stress.”

Sparrow began strings in the eighth grade because she wanted to try something new.

Both the Middle and Upper School choirs will perform again today at Lessons and Carols along with the middle school strings.

MR. GRINCH: The Middle School dance class busted a move to How the Grinch Stole Christmas at the holiday dance recital. Photo by Julia Beckel

HOLIDAY HOOPLA: Juniors Alexandra Everbach, Maggie Lipscomb, Mackenzie Fain-Parish, freshman Claire Everbach and eighth grader Mary Grace Altizer perform a dance choreographed to the 12 days of Christmas. Photo by Julia Beckel

Debaters place in competition, learn valuable skills

Tournaments at UT Austin, Hockaday further public speaking abilities

By Gwyneth Zogg

The debate team may not be overflowing with membership, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in heart and talent. No one knows this better than freshman member Jiaying Fu. Going undefeated in preliminaries at Hockaday on Nov. 12, Fu diligently prepared for the debate at the University of Texas on Dec. 1-3. As a first-year member, Fu’s first tournament at the Princeton/Lamar Dual Invitational made the intense preparation that goes into the art of debate a reality.

“I did a lot of research, but I honestly still had no idea what [debate] was,” Fu said. “I thought I did, but debate isn’t really the kind of thing you can learn from reading an instruction manual. It definitely correlates a lot more to just getting hands-on experience.”

“I used to be terrified of public speaking, but debate has really helped me gain more confidence and become a better speaker,” she said. “I used to have trouble finding key points in things, like articles or answering questions, but debate has helped me improve that skill because since you’re short on time, you don’t want to say more words than you have to— you want to get rid of all that extra fluff.”

Debate sponsor Dr. Eric Boberg agrees with Fu that some skills cannot be obtained by reading a chapter or taking a test but through the interaction of people and speaking.

“Debate has taught me a lot of critical thinking skills, argumentative reasoning and has been crucial to my improvements in public speaking.”

—Junior Sriya Dodda

Fu recognizes the time commitment involved with debate, and that luck and natural talent will only get a debater so far.

“Research is definitely a really important part of preparing for debate,” Fu said. “Not only do you really have to know your topic, but you also have to know a lot of history.”

Fu strives to absorb as much information as she can. She practices with her teammates in her free time and attends as many tournaments as possible to acquire the necessary experience. Not only has her involvement on the team earned Fu first place prizes and numerous honors, but it has also provided her with skills that cannot be learned in the classroom.

“Debate is highly competitive and takes a lot of work,” Boberg said. “Debate relates to speaking, presenting and performing. Pretty much in any walk of life, your ability to put forth your ideas and support them effectively can help you in any area.”

Boberg stresses that debate is not aimlessly arguing hot button topics. Instead, debate is helpful in achieving opportunities post-graduation, because many professional pursuits benefit greatly from partaking in the club.

“The most helpful part of preparing for me is talking to my teammates,” Fu said. “They have all been so supportive and helpful. My teammates have taught me different types of arguments in debate, different strategies, how to cut cards, how to write a case––my team-

Wendy Krispin Caterer

mates have basically taught me how to debate.”

Three-year debater junior Sriya Dodda has found that debate has taught her valuable lessons she will take with her outside of her club participation.

“Debate has taught me a lot of critical

thinking skills, argumentative reasoning and has been crucial to my improvements in public speaking,” Dodda said. “I feel these are important skills that go beyond a debate and can be applied to various different aspects of my life.”

TROPHY TRIUMPH: Sophomore Nick Harapanahalli and freshman Jiaying Fu hold their best speaker and quarterfinals trophies at the Pumpkin Spice Invitational in Keller, Texas. Photos courtesy of Dr. Eric Boberg.

I like how, instead of calories, it shows you whether the food classifies as red, yellow or green. That way you know which foods are healthier than others, but you’re not counting calories.

”

—Senior Shelby Stansbury

A touch of

Dining service provides meals from scratch with locally sourced ingredients

By Margaret Smith

Senior Shelby Stansbury stands in line for her favorite Sage meal, pasta. She looks to see what else is being offered, deciding what she will eat. She chooses based off of which food selections look the most appealing—not by the amount of calories.

Sage does not post calories next to food because it promotes unhealthy habits of counting calories. Sage’s main priority is providing good food in a healthy, safe environment.

“[Not posting calories] makes me feel better about what I’m eating,” Stansbury said. “I like how, instead of calories, it shows you whether the food classifies as red, yellow or green. That way you know which foods are healthier than others, but you’re not counting calories.”

Posted by each food selection is either a red,

those items.”

Sage cooks mainly from scratch in order to control what is going into the food being served and eliminate hidden ingredients often found in prepackaged foods such as wheat, soy product, corn syrup and allergens.

There are a variety of food providers including Hardies, Labatt and a local meat processing company called Crystal Creek. Most of the bread comes from either Empire or Flours Bakery. All of these companies source local foods, which they deliver to Sage.

In the past three years, Sage has worked on becoming more involved in school functions. This year Sage helped with French week and gave the Food Science class a tour of Sage’s kitchen.

“It was a great experience to see what really

said. “Sage puts in so much work for us every day. Their work should really be recognized and I was surprised by how much food they actually have to store.”

The Sage team spends hours preparing the food and working out how much is needed. They have to work around the amount of manpower available and the technology at hand.

There is a dietitian for Sage who checks over the menus of multiple schools, including ESD’s. Sage has a core nutrition expectation, which every school they provide for has to abide to. The dietitians also work on the criteria for what foods they classify as red, yellow and green dots.

“Our concept of the dots is that all food is good, but we do need to respect the nutrition that our body needs and create a balance of it,” Ticomb said.

Tonight Lady Gaga will perform at American Airlines Center for her Joanne World Tour at 7:30 p.m. Tickets range from $51 to $468+.

Today - Dec. 27

Vitruvian Lights in Addison are a group of brightly colored trees which is prime for a good Christmas picture. The park is open from 6 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. and makes the perfect holiday place to exchange gifts.

Dec. 14

Tickets are already sold out at most theaters for “Star Wars: The Last Jedi.” The journey of Rey continues after “Star Wars: the Force Awakens.”

Dec. 16 - Jan. 3

Main Events

Christmas break is finally here. After studying hard for weeks, there is two and a half weeks off relaxing our brains and making resolutions for the new year.

Dec. 16

Dallas Pets Alive!, a pet fostering non-profit organization, is coming to Klyde Warren Park with dogs to adopt from 12:00-4:00 p.m.

Dec. 24

The boys are hoping to give all of Texas an early Christmas present by defeating the Seattle Seahawks on Christmas Eve at AT&T Stadium. The game starts at 3:45 p.m. and tickets start at $71.

things but still keep the basics. Finding that balance

For New Years Eve the Reunion Tower will shoot fireworks in celebration of 2018. For those not able to make it downtown, the show will be broadcasted on KXAS-TV called Lone Star NYE: Countdown to 2018 at 11:30 p.m.

“I’m looking forward to spending my New Years Eve in downtown Dallas,” Senior Grant Connelly said. “I plan on going to see the fireworks at the Reunion Tower this year since I’ve never been and this is my last year living here.”

Tickets went on sale Dec. 2 for $250 for dinner, a private concert and the firework show.

Firework show at Reunion Tower

Graphic By Gillian Campbell

Up in Smoke

Senior Nate Humphrey* started vaping on a vacation in Colorado the summer going into his freshman year. Ever since, he’s been hooked.

“I would say that because of [vaping], I’ve gotten addicted to nicotine,” Humphrey said. “I vape around every two and a half hours.”

Smoking cigarettes, especially among teenagers, has dropped off significantly in recent years, but with that decrease has come the rise of vaping. In a recent poll conducted of 219 students, over 48 percent

Increased vaping culture has led to smoking on campus, health risks

By Meredith Moran

“I’ve never smoked a cigarette, but I started to vape because of peer pressure,” freshman Noah Clifton* said.

Although it is viewed as a “healthier” option to traditional smoking, there is still risk involved.

“I took like seven hits of my JUUL when I was in bed, and then I ran into the bathroom and threw up, but that didn’t change anything,” senior Zoe Steinfeld* said. “So I went to go get back in bed, and it’s the worst feeling ever, so I threw up again. Then I just forced myself to go to sleep so my stomach

working in buttered popcorn plants.”

Because students are addicted to something they don’t even truly understand, the side effects for vaping can do more harm than good in the long run.

“Vaping is new, so we don’t know all of the health effects,” Atkinson said. “However, it is becoming apparent that use over a long period of time increases the rate at which people pick up smoking. It may be as simple as somebody is addicted/attached to nicotine getting delivered through the vaporizer, and then when they don’t have

relieve anxiety––pleasure distracts, but the question is where does the anxiety go after the distraction has ended. Secondly, nicotine is an addictive drug, and its physical withdrawal syndrome includes anxiety as a symptom.”

Senior Ivy Addams* smokes cigarettes on occasion, but doesn’t see vaping as a way to curb cravings.

“I have smoked cigarettes, but I don’t vape because I’m addicted to nicotine or anything; I just think it’s fun,” Addams said. Addams vaped for the first time the

Sound bites

Students

share holiday traditions, multiple ways to celebrate the “most wonderful time of the year”

“My extended family gets together and we make latkes, which are potato pancakes, from scratch. We have a big dinner, light the Hanukkah candles and say the prayers.”

“We don’t celebrate the religious aspect of [Christmas], but [celebrate] the holiday itself. We have a tree at home and give presents but don’t attend the church services.”

“I celebrate Hanukkah. We have a big dinner with my dad’s side of the family and we open presents together. My favorite part is spending time with my family.”

“My favorite part [of Hanukkah] is lighting the candles. Hearing the prayers and watching the lights flicker is something I look forward to every year.”

“I gather around the fire place on a nice cold night during Hanukkah and I light the menorah, spin the dreidel, eat some candy and open presents with my family.”

More than Christmas

Celebration of holidays not just about a tree, incorporates other cultural festivities, works toward equal representation

By Emily Delgado

Finishing touches are added to Christmas wish lists as Mariah Carey’s “All I Want for Christmas is You” is played on repeat: the holiday season has finally arrived.

For many, the holidays are about spending time with family, opening gifts on Christmas morning and celebrating the birth of Jesus, but this isn’t the case for all students.

Different cultures in the community have unique ways of celebrating during Christmas time, whether it be traditional or nontraditional.

“We have a goal that every student who lets me know they have a religious tradition that they would like exemplified throughout the holiday season [gets represented].” —Director of Diversity and Inclusion Elizabeth Goatley

“Christmas is my favorite holiday because I get to see all of my cousins, aunts and uncles during a tradition called Las Posadas,” sophomore Alan Benitez said.

Las Posadas is a tradition celebrated in Mexico from Dec. 16 to Dec. 25, each day representing a month that Mary was pregnant with Jesus. After praying, extended family and friends eat traditional Mexican food such as tamales and pozole for dinner at a different house each night.

To many students of other religions, this time of year has a great significance in their lives, even if they do not celebrate Christmas for the religious aspect of it.

“It was a decision that was made before my birth, but [my family] decided to celebrate Christmas,” sophomore Nick Harapanahalli said.

Harapanahalli’s family is Hindu and celebrates the holiday, not religiously, but for the feeling of giving that it celebrates.

“It’s an interesting season because it is not about my own faith—it’s about me putting myself in the shoes of others,” Harapanahalli said. “It’s more so of me embracing this love, this tradition, this feeling of happiness and seasonality and just pure joy. That feeling doesn’t have religious connotations, not for me. It’s a feeling that’s universal and that’s what I love about the season.”

Although nowadays the idea of Christmas is flooded with the thoughts of receiving expensive gifts and eating festive food, many students find it as a time to recognize the significance of their faith.

“Since I’ve been going to a Christian school all my life, Christmas has always been a pretty big part of my life,” sophomore Amanda Park said. “But not everyone in my family is Christian. On my mom’s side, my grandparents are Buddhist, but my extended family on my dad’s side is Christian. Both my parents never really pushed me to be one or the other—they stayed kind of neutral, which really

helped me discover my faith.”

To celebrate Christmas every year, Park’s family and close friends come together to enjoy a dinner of traditional American holiday food as well as Chinese food.

“Overall, even though not everyone in my family is Christian, we all love celebrating the holidays,” Park said.

Along with Christmas, Hanukkah is also celebrated in the month of December, beginning on Dec. 12 and ending on Dec. 20 this year.

“Sometimes [Hanukkah] falls on Christmas, and that’s really fun because everyone is celebrating,” senior Carly Weisberg said. “We normally have all my family that’s in town come over to my house, and we light the Hanukkah candles and make latkes.”

In the Upper School, representation of traditions such as Las Posadas is student-led, allowing for students to share their experiences during a Chapel presentation or through the display table in the Commons.

“We have to be very mindful of how to celebrate in ways that are honoring to the holiday and the tradition,” Director of Diversity and Inclusion Elizabeth Goatley said. “I want to do it in ways that are most honorable.”

Although efforts are made to include diverse students, often times, students feel as if they are underrepresented or left out during the holiday season.

“Being Hindu, I just don’t feel as a part of this community religiously as someone else would,” Harapanahalli said. “I wish the school would open up the doors for a lot more representation. For example, a Hindu student union has never existed here, and now that we have a lot of Hindus here, it would be nice to have an organization like that.”

“It’s more so of me embracing this love, this tradition, this feeling of happiness and seasonality and just pure joy. I think that feeling doesn’t have religious connotations, not for me. It’s a feeling that’s universal and that’s what I love about the season,”

Goatley encourages students to visit her office if they are feeling left out or not represented. She sits with her door open so that students can go in and feel comfortable talking about how they are feeling as part of the community.

—Sophomore Nick Harapanahalli

“We are always shooting for total inclusion, but we miss that mark sometimes,” Goatley said.

After hearing student’s individual holiday traditions, Goatley will work to make each one equally represented.

“We have a goal that every student who lets me know that they have a religious tradition that they would like exemplified throughout the holiday season, [gets represented],” Goatley said.

Senior Carly Weisberg

ILLUMINATE THE NIGHT: Senior Carly Weisberg celebrates Hanukkah last December by lighting menorahs with her two brothers and cousin. Photo courtesy of Carly Weisberg

Senior Aly Molubhoy

Sophomore Sofia Weinstein

Sophomore Abby Brand

Junior Adam Bland

THE LIST

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Sorry to all single (and taken) ladies... Prince Harry is officially off the market. Harry dropped on one knee in November to ask “Suits” actress Meghan Markle for her hand in marriage. She said yes and plans on sealing the deal in Spring 2018.

Liar, liar, pants on fire... Michael Flynn pleads guilty to lying to the FBI about speaking to Russia’s ambassadors during the election.

3

Deny, deny, deny... Trump continues to deny allegations of saying “Grab ‘em by the p***y.” Billy Bush insists that he heard the President say it.

HEY! You don’t say that! Trump fires back on Twitter to Kim Jong-un calling him “old” and says that he would never call him “short and fat.”

5

4 Hopefully fake news… Korea announces that they made a missile capable of striking the US mainland.

6

7

Not today, Matt Lauer… After multiple women complained of inappropriate sexual behavior, Matt Lauer was fired from the “Today” show.

Can’t keep model Xi Mengyao down... Mengyao fell on the runaway with six million people watching at this year’s Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show, but immediately got back up with grace.

8

Beyonce’s irreplaceable, Jay-Z... Jay-Z finally admits that he cheated on the Queen, Beyonce, because he “shut down all emotions.”

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Game on

By Amanda Warren

Studying for a test, senior Rowen Brown is reviewing diligently at his desk, until his phone lights up with a text reading, “Get on Fortnite.”

“It is definitely a time suck,” Brown said. “Sometimes, you will trick yourself and say you will study after [the game ends], but then it’s two o’clock in the morning.”

Video games, played on both consoles and computers, have found massive markets in America. According to a 2011 survey done by the National Product Diary, 91 percent of U.S. children, ages 2-17, play video games.

“We don’t think about video games as social activities, but they are,” computer science teacher Jerone Mitchell said. “You get sucked into it as you would anything else. All your friends are doing it, so why wouldn’t I do it?”

Growing up in the New Orleans housing projects, Mitchell’s parents felt that “playing outside” was not a healthy environment for him. Video games provided a safe outlet for Mitchell and sparked his love of computers.

“I wasn’t really in a situation where going outside and playing was an option, so sitting inside and chilling was more enjoyable for me,” Mitchell said. “Video games kind of opened the door to my life path.”

Sixty-six percent of students spend two to five hours per week playing video games.

Kendall Jenner tops Gisele Bundchen to becomes the highest paid model in 2017, earning $22 million this year.

Eli Manning, quarterback for the New York Giants, announces he will not start on the game on Dec. 2 against the Raiders, breaking his 210 consecutive regular-season starts.

Video games offer break from school, but excessive hours lead to unhealthy behaviors

Mitchell said. “You can’t see violent images over and over again and not have any effects. Psychology just doesn’t work that way.”

Fifty percent of students believe that violent video games have negative effects.

“I feel like it’s up to parents to police their kids,” Brown said. “When I was younger, my mom wouldn’t let me play M [mature] games like Grand Theft Auto. If I was a parent today, I would definitely not allow M-rated games until a certain age.”

Senior Sophia Stener feels that exposure to violent video games can cause users to have a false sense of violence in the real world.

“People interpret the violence in an incorrect manner, contrary to what violence is in reality,” Stener said. “Games cause you to lose a sense of what is real since you are not interacting with humans, which is an important part of life.”

Additionally, concerns for the digitization of communication is evident in the social development of players.

“As with any other social media, we [as educators] have to explain that 90 percent of communication is more than just the words you say,” Mitchell said. “You are having to work together with people who you are not next to, so you can say or do whatever you want to without any repercussions. But in the real world, there are serious repercussions in how you treat somebody.”

“I wasn’t really in a situation where going outside and playing was an option, so sitting inside and chilling was more enjoyable for me. Video games kind of opened the door to my life path.”

“It is a good way to connect and unwind from school and have fun,” senior Campbell Smith said. “I can relax and enjoy myself and not have to worry about tests, projects, etc.”

–Computer science teacher Jerone Mitchell

While there are some negative side effects, video games offer cognitive benefits like reaction time, hand-eye coordination and creativity.

BY THE NUMBERS

47

Although video games provide an outlet to connect with friends and an opportunity to step away from hectic schedules, copious amounts of hours gaming have negative side effects.

According to the medical journal “Frontiers in Neuroscience,” studies show that excessive amounts of game play can lead to reduced attention span, health issues due to a sedentary lifestyle and more aggressive behaviors because of exposure to violence.

“I really think that there is a lot internalized in the games you play,”

“You really learn the basics of lots of engineering in playing games like Minecraft,” Mitchell said. “A lot of these games are like that. Any game that has a level editor, [a designing platform], is hugely beneficial from an educational standpoint.”

Mitchell and a group of students are starting a competitive video game team, an E sports team, that will practice and compete together in team games like Counterstrike.

“It’s another way for students who are more strategically and mentally competent to have an outlet to compete,” senior Wesley Banks said. “Players can potentially even earn scholarship money since there are recruiters from colleges, like Rice, at some of the tournaments.”

86

percent play video games percent agree that people can get addicted to video games

50 percent agree that violent video games have a negative effect on kids

VIRTUAL REALITY: Junior Walker Lay plays the new “Call of Duty WWII” game on his Xbox. Having sold over $500 million worth in copies, this version is the most successful of the franchise. “I like it because it is kind of a throwback to the World of War issue,” Lay said. “Depending on how much school work I have, I probably only play about five hours a week. Video games are a mindless way to spend time.”

Photo by Madison Willox

It’s beginning to taste a lot like Christmas

By Peyton Jeter

Rise nº1 Salon de Soufflé:

5360 W. Lovers Lane #220, Dallas, TX 75209

Rise is my go-to restaurant to treat myself. The home-y, French feel of the restaurant is a classic for the holidays. For dessert, the holiday specials include the $12 mint chocolate and champagne cranberry soufflés. As a complete chocolate junkie, I had to try the mint chocolate. Its deep chocolate flavor wasn’t too dominating, but the mint overpowered just a little. A lot of chocolate sauce wasn’t necessary for this warm, creamy soufflé, as the soufflé itself is decadent enough.

Various treats spark holiday spirit

Emporium Pies:

2708 Main Street #101, Dallas, TX

Emporium Pies has seven different options, all rotated by season. The “Drop Dead Gorgeous” pie seemed like the right pie to try with pumpkin filling and a gingerbread crust. The filling was thick and had a cinnamon kick to it. However, when I finally ate my way to the crust, I was disappointed by the lack of gingerbread flavor it possessed. All in all, this pie gave what I think is the perfect combination of Christmas flavors. Not willing to give up $40 for a whole pie? Compromise by purchasing the reasonable $6 slice, enough to fill up any craving stomach.

Williams Sonoma:

327 N. Park Center, Dallas, TX 75225

Peppermint bark: the classic holiday snack. It is suitable for a gift to a teacher, family friend or even as just a treat for yourself to munch on throughout the holiday season. I purchased this box from Williams Sonoma in store, but it can be ordered online as well. With a chocolate base and peppermint layer, I could not help myself from grabbing more. The freshness of the peppermint really put me into the Christmas spirit. Although a little pricey at $29, the box comes with a decent amount of bark to last throughout the new

WHAT’S THE BUZZ

@The Episcopal School of Dallas

“Film student Ellery Marshall ‘18 had her short film chosen and posted by mega-site Upworthy in honor of the UN’s International Day for Tolerance. Congratulations, Ellery!”

@Tollyllamamama

Breadwinners:

5560 W. Lovers Lane, Dallas, TX 75209

My family decided to try something new this winter. Just a short drive away, Breadwinners has tons of holiday options. Going for something I’ve never tried before, I risked the eggnog cheesecake. Greatly overpowered with rich nutmeg flavor, I couldn’t even come around to finishing the piece I had sliced from the cake. It was topped with berries for a nice presentation, but for a $45 dollar cheesecake to share, I wouldn’t go so far as to say the eggnog was the right choice. Other holiday cheesecake flavors at Breadwinners include peppermint and Christmas red velvet.

Society Bakery:

6025 Royal Lane, Suite 127, Dallas, Texas 75230

This cookie was better than I expected. Its charming snowman presentation made me think I could be easily reeled into buying it. I can see it being too easy to mess up a classic sugar cookie with simple icing on top, but this one was perfect. Not too bland with just the right amount of icing, this thick cookie makes for the ideal little gift at just $4.75.

“Love spending almostShabbat with my JSU kids! @EpiscopalDallas #shabbat”

@esdfieldhockey

“ESD’s Team One Love is changing relationship abuse stats one Yard 4 Yeardley at a time! 250 friends walked 700,000 yards and raised $2K for @Join1Love! Best day ever!”

Not-so-great starts to the New Year

By Gwyneth Zogg

SENIOR Braden Allen

“Last New Year’s, I was leaving senior Brody Baird’s, and when I was leaving, I went out a different way I came in. I didn’t see a gate to get out, so I decided it would be a good idea to hop the fence. The fence had spikes on the top, so when I stepped on the top bar and between the spikes, I swung my leg over and slipped. It ripped a hole in my jeans and a hole in my leg. I had to get eight stitches and the scar hasn’t gone away. I had to pay half of the $2,000 bill.”

Hopeful expectations for an accident-free new year take a turn for the worst

“For New Year’s two years ago, my family and I visited Dubai. On the night of New Year’s Eve, we went to the beach to watch the fireworks. I decided to ride a camel. At the spark of the first firework, the camel got spooked and ran down the beach while I held on for my life. The owner of the camel came sprinting behind me to save me. When I returned to the spot where my family was, they were nowhere to be found, so I walked back to the hotel to find them covered from head to toe in sand.”

JUNIOR

Grace Inglis

“My family went skiing in the backcountry of Steamboat, Colorado, last New Year’s Day. There were no chairlifts, and you’re in the middle of nowhere. I went down last, and completely ate it, losing both my poles and skis, and no one was around to help me. Since it had just snowed, it took me forever to get my stuff back on. My family didn’t realize [I wasn’t there] until they were at the next run. So I was stranded in the middle of nowhere with no cell service for at least thirty minutes until they finished that run, then came back to get me. To make things worse, it was so cold, snowing really heavily and I had snow everywhere because of my fall.”

POPTOPIC Texas MADE

SOPHOMORE Kerrm Ahsan

“On New Year’s Eve a couple years ago, my family and I went to a fancy dinner at Fearings. We all sat down, and I took a sip of my water and the water glass shattered in my hands. [The glass] was all over my hands and mouth and I was bleeding everywhere. I had to hurry to the restroom and run past all of these fancy people looking at me, bleeding. I got blood on my dress and was sitting in a white chair. It was really bad, but I still ate my meal. When I got home, my mom had to sit me down and put ice everywhere while pulling out little pieces of glass.”

RESHMAN Niko Bass

Beth Ryan Hockaday School

William Paredes Jesuit Dallas Casey Bowden Highland Park HS Ella Kelly Episcopal School of Dallas Bryn Klingaman Highland Park HS Alec Dewar St. Mark’s School of Texas

Co-Chairs (Left to Right):

percent agree that heavy school workload is the root cause of their sleep deprivation*

percent sleep fewer than the recommended eight to ten hours a night*

percent claim to pull an all-nighter at least once a month*

85 18

Hastily

*according to a Dec. 2 poll of 219 students

so long,

scribbling down another sentence, he gazes up at the oversized countdown clock. Junior Clayton Mulford struggles to regain his train of thought, fruitlessly attempting to chip away at the wall he’s hit. With every paragraph, his brain feels murkier, the fog of sleep deprivation thickening. After a hazy two hours of drifting in and out of alertness, Mulford turns in his English final on four hours of sleep.

“During exams last year, I drank [a Red Bull] at 11:30 p.m. because I thought I was going to have to study a lot more, and then I realized I should just go to bed,” Mulford said. “What ended up happening is that I just sat until 3 a.m. and couldn’t fall asleep.”

With midterms looming, students turn to espresso shots and multiple energy drinks a day for the wings needed to soar through to break. But now chugging caffeine and working past 3 a.m. isn’t just for semester exams.

According to a Dec. 2 poll of 219 students, 85 percent of students report sleeping less than the doctorrecommended eight to ten hours a night. Mulford rarely gets to bed before 1 a.m.—one of the 15 percent of students who consistently sleeps three to five hours a night. “I’m used to functioning without sleep,” Mulford said.

falling asleep in classes at least three times a week.”

Mulford is not the only one to have crashed on standing desks or to have teachers ask them multiple times a period to wake up.

A glaring 69 percent of students recall having fallen asleep in class before.

“And it’s not that I’m not engaged, but I just get no sleep at all,” Mulford said. “I try to catch up on weekends, but it catches up with me.”

“It’s incredibly miserable, and symptoms can affect your daily life in a lot of ways. Sometimes, it can be hard to keep up normal social habits on those little hours of sleep.”

—Junior Maddie Tong

“But this year, I’ve been

Playing Catch-up

Although staying up a couple extra hours the night before a big test may seem harmless, the idea that people can “catch up” on sleep is a myth.

Dr. David Brown, sleep psychologist at Children’s Sleep Evaluation Center, advises not losing that sleep in the first place.

“If you are really sleep deprived over one school week, it’s going to take a lot longer than two days to catch up,” Brown said. “When I say sleep is cumulative, you are two hours sleep deprived the first night, but by the end of the school week, you have missed 10 hours of sleep—an entire night’s worth, even though you’ve slept seven hours every night.”

Sleepless Nights

All-nighters may take weeks to fully recover from, yet 69 percent of students have pulled one at least once, with 18 percent doing so at least once a month.

“Sleep deprivation does affect everything,” Brown said. “It affects your attention, your concentration, your memory, your mood.” Mulford and those around him have detected changes in his attitude.

“I feel like I’m not even myself a lot of times,” Mulford said. “On the weekends, when I sleep, I feel like a totally different person—excited and happy. I’m usually a happy guy, but at school, people tell me, ‘You seem depressed now,’ because I’m in a haze.”

Dangerous Dozing

What may just appear as a generation of tired teens with poor time-management is actually spiraling into an epidemic with long-term

long, sleep

Chronic sleep deprivation plagues teens, risks performance and health

consequences that extend beyond irritability. According to Brown, suicide is the second leading cause of death among teens, trumped only by car accidents.

“I did a study many years ago, where I looked at driving-age teenagers,” he said. “We found that during the school week, close to 80 percent of these kids were getting nowhere near enough sleep. The scary number was that 17 percent of these kids had already fallen asleep at least once while driving—both a near-death experience and a near-homicidal experience. If you are traveling 60 miles an hour, in just five seconds, you can go off the road, kill yourself or maybe someone else.”

Before a teen’s head begins to bob or their eyes begin to close, they microsleep, during which they are cut off from the environment for five to even 30 seconds.

“If you experience a microsleep while engaging in some dangerous activity, you are at very high risk of accident and death,” Brown said.

For a driving student body of which 65 percent report feeling sleep deprived on a regular basis, microsleeping poses a serious threat that can’t be overlooked.

“Usually, by the end of the school day, I hit a wall,” Mulford said. “It gets to the point where I’m so tired, I almost feel unsafe driving home. It’s like being in a dream. I don’t know what’s going on around me—I’m just getting through the day and checking the boxes.”

Clock Crash

At a school as demanding as ESD, 89 percent of students attribute their chronic sleep deprivation to an outrageous workload. Mulford admits unwise use of time does play a part in his chronic sleep deprivation, but “just going to bed earlier” is not as simple as it may sound.

“I can guarantee you that the last, best night of sleep you ever had was the night before you entered puberty,” Brown said. “When you go into the teenage years, everything changes. There is a physiological shift of when you are able to sleep—most people your age probably feel better around 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. than they have the entire day. What has happened is the natural timing of your sleep has shifted much later than the demands placed on you.”

In addition to circadian rhythms slipping later into the night, Brown cites a 40 percent drop in Stage 3 sleep just during the teenage years. A reduced amount of deep sleep influences the production of growth hormones, which relate to bone density and muscle mass. But the physiological effects don’t end here.

Story and graphic by Anastasia Sotiropoulos and Lauren Egger

“People don’t realize that when you’re not getting an adequate amount of sleep, two hormones—one called leptin, one called ghrelin—get thrown in the wrong direction, making your brain think you need far more carbs than you actually need and diminishing your ability to metabolize them,” Brown said. “You can actually put somebody in a prediabetic state in as little as four nights by not getting an adequate amount of sleep.”

Caffeinated Consequences

The negative health effects of sleep deprivation are drilled into students by parents and pediatricians for years, but these consequences are aggravated when caffeine is thrown into the mix.

“I got into that cycle of trying to supplement sleep with other things,” Mulford said. “There was a point where I would literally have a Red Bull every single morning. It became a daily part of my routine, and I couldn’t really wake up without one. One day, I was working out with Coach Rooney, and I started feeling like my arm blood vessels were popping out. Is [my health] worth it to feel alert all day?”

With a culture promoting partying on Friday nights and weekends, caffeine isn’t the only thing deteriorating teens’ health.

“We have found that people do get progressively sleepier over the course of the week,” Brown said.

“They then go out and stay up late Friday night.

hallucination.

She sat on her bedroom floor, blankly staring at the wall, unable to muster the motivation to even stand. Hours later, she passed out.

Although consecutive sleepless days are not the norm for Tong, because of her sleep-onset insomnia, it isn’t uncommon for her to sleep only one to two hours a night.

“I have experienced irritability, lack of focus, more stress, fatigue, difficulty in motivation,” Tong said. “Sometimes, it can be hard to keep up normal social habits on those little hours of sleep.”

Tong is one of the 24 percent of students who live with insomnia, a common medical condition where the brain’s sleep cycle has too much wake drive and too little sleep drive.

“Most people your age probably feel better around 9 p.m. or 10 p.m. than they have the entire day. What has happened is the natural timing of your sleep has shifted much later than the demands placed on you.”

—Dr. David Brown, sleep psychologist at Children’s Sleep Evaluation Center

Alcohol and sleep deprivation play on each other, so that with even modest sleep deprivation, one beer becomes the equivalent of two beers, three becomes a six-pack. You can be functionally drunk with very little alcohol if you are also sleep deprived.”

In addition to sleep deprivation heightening the effects of alcohol, it also exacerbates other sleeping disorders.

Inflamed Insomnia

A slight ringing echoed, an occasional bang sounded, the muffled sounds of a crowd murmured—or so she imagined. Junior Maddie Tong hadn’t slept in over 48 hours, and she was now experiencing an auditory

“It’s incredibly miserable, and symptoms can be really bad and affect your daily life in a lot of ways—irritability, difficulty focusing, difficulty in motivation, and if you have other mental illnesses, it can aggravate it a lot,” Tong said.

Out of Power

Today’s online overload is partly at fault for teens’ chronic sleep deprivation.

“The hundreds of channels you can choose from, cellphones, social media—all of this is trying to vie for your attention,” Brown said. “If you are exposed to blue light at bedtime, it’s very similar to drinking a cup of coffee. It is unavoidable at your age because you probably have to be on a computer late some nights, so you should block the blue. Either get blue blocking filters or apps—the easiest thing to do is wear yellow shooter’s glasses.”

Growing up in a world where every corner is littered with a Starbucks, work precedes health and sleep is undervalued, teens’ nights once they leave the halls of ESD don’t look much better.

“Americans have added 160 hours to our work and commute year—an extra month,” Brown said. “We are, as a society, giving up our sleep.”

I got into that cycle of trying to supplement sleep with other things. There was a point where I would literally have a Red Bull every single morning... Is [my health] worth it to feel alert all day? “ ”

–Junior Clayton Mulford

Shelf Life

New books offer an escape over the break

After having great success with her bestseller “The Girl on the Train,” Paula Hawkins is back with another graveyard mystery. But this time, Hawkins failed to captivate my attention or establish a well-rounded plot. The story is set in the small town of Beckford, which is home to treacherous cliffs, bridges and the infamous drowning pool, which lures women to their icy deaths. The book begins with the story of Libby who is murdered. It is later revealed that she is a witch from the 17th century, but this plot point leads nowhere and does not contribute to the story. The other portion of the book commences with the death of Nel Abbott. As the story progresses you meet Sean Townsend, a detective investigating Nel’s death; Helen, a secret keeping Head of School and Mark Henderson, a lying high school teacher. The characters changing plot lines obscure the actual story and they lack depth. This book is challenging to keep up with, but if you are up for solving a mystery and piecing together a confusing plot, then this book is a good choice.

–By Victoria Willox

Natalie C. Anderson now has a new young adult murder mystery book, “City of Saints and Thieves.” Tina, the protagonist, lives in the shadows of Shanghai City, working as a master thief before she embarks on the task of avenging her mother’s murder. For an author to spark her career with a detailed novel, spiked my interest. Anderson displays vivid verbs, catchy lingo and an enticing plot. Although dull moments filled some of the pages, my hands still gripped the ends of the cover until the last page. I definitely recommend this book to readers interested in exploring social diversity and self-empowerment.

–By Grace Knudson

“Astrophysics For People in a Hurry” by Neil Degrasse Tyson 4 out of 5 stars

Astrophysicist Neil Degrasse Tyson’s latest book, “Astrophysics For People in a Hurry,” is the essential guide for any aspiring astrophysicist or anyone looking for a book to pass the time. Full of major facts and essential concepts, but presented with humor and simplicity, this novel helps unpack confusing concepts in a simple way. Tyson describes the complex subject that is the universe in a way any “person in a hurry” could easily understand. He immediately delves into The Big Bang, Dark Matter, aliens and other seemingly huge concepts. He describes them in great detail while still retaining his characteristic humor and expressing serious knowledge of each topic. Those who have little knowledge of astrophysics would have no issues with reading this, but even professionals could learn something from Tyson’s prose and knowledge of the material.

–By Zander Knight

“Into the Water” by Paula Hawkins

3 out of 5 stars

“City of Saints and Thieves” by Natalie Anderson 5 out of 5 stars

A more encompassing sex ed is needed

Sex ed. It’s a taboo topic that no one wants to talk about, but it is an integral part of every teenager’s education. Once defined as informing students about reproduction, puberty and sexual health and behavior, sex ed is evolving to be more encompassing. ESD should provide more effective and comprehensive sex education. Explaining the basic biology of sex to groups of giggling fifth graders who aren’t able to fully comprehend what’s happening, and listening to a vague presentation from classmates in health class about the risks of sex, is not enough. At ten years old, a child can not fully understand the gravity of safe sex or what sex really means. Sex ed should be taught in eighth or ninth grade when students are beginning to mature and have a better understanding of physical relationships. The course should include learning about contraception, safe sex, healthy relationships, sexual values, sexual identity and consent.

According to a survey of 220

students on Dec. 1, 74 percent of students believe that it is the school’s responsibility to teach sex ed. While some argue it is the parents’ job to educate their child and establish their own values, not all students’ parents give the “the talk” or know how to have those conversations, leaving their children in the dark. ESD students will have sex, whether it be right now, in college or later in life, so our curriculum should ensure that students are prepared.

Statistics from Advocates for Youth report that 46 percent of all high school age students and 62 percent of high school seniors have had sexual intercourse. While it’s important to teach the health risks related to sex and how to prevent them, the school needs to be realistic in teaching safe sex instead of discouraging it. Seventy percent of the student body believes that the school should not teach abstinence. Successfully taught sex education can reduce risky behavior and support positive sexual health outcomes among

On the

EDGE

How should the school improve its sex ed?

teenagers, such as reducing teen pregnancy and STD infection rates.

Sex ed is more than discussing sex itself. As teenagers start to become sexually active, other issues arise such as, sexual identity, healthy relationships and consent.

Age-appropriate and medically accurate information about sexual orientation and sexual identity would eliminate myths and stereotypes and encourage acceptance of all students. Not all ESD students are heterosexual, and only teaching straight sex would leave some students feeling unvalidated, insecure and unprepared, trying to find answers in the wrong places. Also, teaching students sexual consent and mutual respect for one another’s bodies needs to start early.

One in four women are sexually assaulted in college, and this behavior can be combated with education about boundaries, not treating others as objects and nipping “locker-

“I like the idea of it being taught in health. When we were given the class about sex ed, we were young and nobody payed attention.“

room talk” in the bud. The recent #MeToo social media campaign encouraging women who have been sexually assaulted or harassed to speak out has showcased how often women are targeted. Teaching appropriate behaviors to students while they are young will help to combat rape culture. ESD students need to be provided with transparent and comprehensive sex ed to allow them to approach sex and relationships with knowledge and maturity.

“We should spend a few days, or however long teachers decide, learning about it in health. The last time the school talked to us about sex ed was in seventh grade and it was for 30 minutes.“

Eagle Edition

“I think it should be covered in health. I came to ESD in the ninth grade and haven’t learned about sex ed since I’ve been here.“

“The school can improve sex ed by actually giving a class about it instead of summarizing it in health.“

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Julia Beckel

Kathleen Hobson

MANAGING EDITOR

Gillian Campbell

COPY EDITOR

Anastasia Sotiropoulos

EDITOR

DESIGN/PHOTO

Madison Willox

NEWS EDITOR

Meredith Moran

asst. Lauren Egger

OPINIONS EDITOR

Melissa Rivera

LIFE EDITORS

Margaret Smith Gwyneth Zogg

SPORTS EDITOR

Sydney Rezaie asst. Emily Delgado

BUSINESS MANAGER

John Calvert

STAFF WRITERS

Ellery Spencer, John Kuehne, Sohaib Raza, Peyton Jeter, Amanda Warren

ADVISER

DiAngelea Millar

MISSION STATEMENT

The Eagle Edition is a student-produced newspaper published seven times a year with the intent to educate in a professional manner and provide a voice for the Community. The Eagle Edition earned Gold and Silver Crowns from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, Pacemaker Awards from the National Scholastic Press Association and Gold Stars from the Interscholastic League Press Conference. Circulation is 1000 copies, and the student population is 667.

ADVERTISING POLICY

The Eagle Edition is partially funded through advertising. The editorial board reserves the right to refuse ads not in the best interest of our readers. Ads are sold in 1/8 page increments. Please contact the Business Manager: calvertj @esdallas.org.

EDITORIAL POLICY

The staff abides by the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics. The opinions expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily reflect the views of the adviser, faculty or staff. This is a student-run publication and a forum for student voices. All images in the Eagle Edition are student produced, republished with permission, are in the public domain or fall within fair- use practices for criticism and news reporting.

BYLINE POLICY

All articles, graphics, photos, art, columns, page design, reviews or other material produced by Advanced Journalism students carry the creator’s byline with the exception of the Staff Stance, which is the official, collective voice of Eagle Edition

CONTACT INFORMATION

For editorials, letters, story, photos or subscription information, contact the newspaper: 214-3535899 or email us at eagleedition@esdallas. org. We also accept letters to the editors in response to content or school decisions. These letters will be edited for content and space.

The school address is 4100 Merrell Road, Dallas, TX 75229 Subscriptions to any continental US street address are $25 per year.

FOLLOW US ONLINE Twitter: @eagleeditionesd Instagram: @theeagleedition

Reece Breaux, ‘19

Taylor Robertson, ‘18

Caroline Massey, ‘20

Matthew McCoy, ‘21

Graphic By Madison Willox

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

No-Shave forever?

Dear Editors, I love November! Not only is it a month for giving thanks and eating lots of delicious fare with family and friends, but it is also a time when the young men at The Episcopal School of Dallas have an opportunity to freely display their manhood. For some (cough, cough Garrett Johnson), it is just a break from shaving twice a day. For others, however, it is a real leap of faith. What will happen if I don’t shave this week? It is a nerve-racking and anxiety producing proposition for anyone not named Thomas May. Well guess what: patchy necks and dirty upper lips are in! More importantly, they are fun! In fact, I don’t understand why we don’t have this tradition more often. At the simplest level, it would save Mr. Laba a ton of time. But, this is really about freedom of expression. If someone wants to demonstrate that they can grow facial hair better on the left side rather than the right side of their face, let them do it! If direct sunlight at the perfect angle unexpectedly reveals a stealth mustache, what is the harm? Is it time we talk about No Shave Forever?

— Head of Upper School Henry Heil

Nurse missing Dear Editors,

Sitting in her AP English IV class, a senior felt a sharp pain in her head— another migraine. For this student, her body shuts off whenever she has migraines. She made the trek all the way to the wellness center only to be greeted by an empty nurse’s office—typical. Then she had to call her mom, who then called Mrs. Skalniak, who then found the student unable to walk in the Wellness Center—all of which could have been avoided if the nurse was consistently in her office.

The nurse not being in her office has become a controversial issue this year. However, the unavailability of the nurse is not entirely her fault. Along with being a nurse, Nurse Biggs is also employed as a Middle School advisor. Being a Middle School adviser requires a significant amount of time out of the day: chapel, advisory time, lunch—all times when Upper School students may need the assistance of a medical professional. The unreliability of the nurse actually being in her office has left countless sick, hurt or in need of medical attention, without help.

There have been some alternatives the school has attempted in order to solve this problem yet nothing has seemed to stick. An emergency number is attached to the office door, but the students don’t know what is considered an emergency: Is getting Advil an emergency? What about grabbing a tampon? Also middle schoolers are not even allowed to have their phones during the day, therefore they wouldn’t be able to contact the emergency number. If the school is going to employ the nurse as a Middle School adviser, then they also need to hire an additional nurse designated to middle school students.

— A concerned senior

There we were: my parents and I around the kitchen counter, my dad clutching the envelope up to the light as he always did with mail before making the first incision.

Whether my mom’s flinging the remote in a match of Wii Tennis or scratching a lotto stub, I know it’s coming before she does:

“Don’t jinx it.”

And so it came.

“Don’t jinx it,” my mom said firmly, more so than usual. She meant it this time.

For it being my school acceptance or rejection, I was the calmest of the three of us.

My dad lowered the envelope from the fluorescent bulb and slit it open.

“She’s in,” he said.

“Don’t jinx it.”

“No—I don’t know how, but she’s in!”

I was officially on the track to a degree.

A second grade degree, that is.

I’m closing 10 years at ESD this year, and as an Ambassador, I’ve found myself in the admissions office once again. If there’s any advice I can give a prospective family, it’s simple: apply. Don’t underestimate luck—you never know where it may land you a decade later.

Flashback to 2004, when the time had come for me to enter preschool. We hit the jackpot: Holy Trinity Academy, the tiny Greek-American day school of my church.

And in November of 2007, my family and

The luck of the Greek Admissions process promotes risk-taking

I enjoyed a Thanksgiving like any other—cornucopia of spanakopita, baklava and the like overflowing. Life was good. Then it hit us.

Upon my return to school, I was sent home with a letter reading,

Holy Trinity Academy families:

We regret to inform you that we will no longer be offering second grade and above come the 2008-2009 academic school year.

Hold up. “We will no longer be offering second grade.” As in, the second grade I was entering? Surely, we must have misread. Surely, they wouldn’t tell us mere weeks before every private school in the metroplex’s application deadline. We were surely mistaken. And so, the madness commenced.

My mom went into hysterics of, “Don’t jinx it.” She was aware of the harrowed deferrals and three-year waiting lists of these places, and starting so late made her question why start at all. She and my dad filled out forms in a frenzy. They penned answers to questions like, “What makes your child unique?”

Unique? Maybe the fact that she’s currently not enrolled anywhere for second grade— that’s sure unique.

I hopped from Greenhill to Lamplighter to Hockaday so much that spring, they all became mush in my six-year-old mind. Placement tests (yes, six-year-olds take them now)

With the recent wave of sexual harassment allegations toward well–known figures in the spotlight such as Harvey Weinstein and Charlie Rose, the often misunderstood feminist movement has been brought to the media’s attention.

“Feminazi.” “Misandrists.” “Radical.” “Manhating.”

False, false, false, false.

I am a feminist. I am proud and not afraid to say it. When I say that, I usually get some strange looks, mostly from boys and sometimes girls, almost as if they were saying, “Oh, she’s one of those.” A lot of people make the mistake of thinking that feminism is the idea that women are superior to men because of the “femin” portion of the word. And this saddens me because it shows that a majority of people don’t truly understand what feminism is. Based on a poll by the New York Times, eighteen percent of Americans identify as feminists while 82 percent are unsure or do not identify as

left me leaving testing rooms wondering what that fancy sign with the line and dots above and below meant.

My parents had determined from the start of the ESD admissions process that we were the Augustus Gloop of the bunch—without a chance and the first to go. Their presumption was made with good reason, too.

First, there were 25 applicants for a slot fitting just one, four-foot incoming second grader.

Second, my mom tread paint down every hallway and right into the dean of admissions’ office. You read that right: vibrant, Crayola-crimson acrylic. Twelve-by-twelve feet paper murals drying down hallways and a sleep deprived mom don’t mix. Her trail was glaring—down the side entrances, round every corner—contemptible coral footsteps spotted on the pristine admissions carpet. See why we were the Augustus Gloop? But if there’s anything I’ve learned from my decade at ESD, it’s this: Try. Apply. Audition. Things will work out—maybe not the way you envisioned, but they will. The only sure way to jinx something is to not do it at all. Because when it’s the right fit—when that shiny, golden ticket is held out to you—you’ll know.

–Anastasia Sotiropoulos

Stop making excuses for boys, the feminist movement is misunderstood

By Emily Delgado

To clear things up, I do not hate men. Feminists do not hate men. Feminists do not believe women are better than men.

Intersectional feminism is the movement for equality for all sexes, regardless of race, religion, sexual orientation, class, etc. This is what I support, not white feminism that only supports white, straight, cis-gendered women, which some white female celebrities have advocated for.

For the longest time, women were seen as inferior, fragile, helpless creatures. Just look at any history book. Society saw women only as housewives, whose primary duties were to take care of the children, the home and most importantly, satisfy the every need of their husband. Times have changed. We are in 2017, yet women are often belittled by misogynists such as those in politics who try their hardest to limit women’s rights. In a study conducted in 2012 by the Association for Psychological

Science, 83 percent of college students around the age of 21 associated photos of sexualized women as objects. Women are not objects. Men, such as Harvey Weinstein and Donald Trump, can not be excused for inappropriately touching a woman without her permission or catcalling women. “Boys will be boys” is not an excuse. Boys will be held responsible for their actions just like the rest of us.

As a person who stands for equality, I do not tolerate jokes or “edgy” memes that degrade people because of their gender, religion, sexual orientation, race, etc. I just don’t find that funny at all. As a feminist, I believe that no one is superior to anyone else–we are all human beings just trying to survive in this world. And usually when I speak my opinion on the matter, I get responses such as, “chill, it’s just a joke” or “don’t get triggered.” These issues are definitely not jokes, and it is because of intolerant, uneducated people that there is still a need to fight and protest for the rights of other human beings.

feminists.

Political initiatives and global concerns prompt debate on climate change

PRO: Climate Change is a pressing issue, needs attention and political action

By Sohaib

The human effect on climate change is a pressing issue that has generated all sorts of responses. Certain people simply choose not to believe in the science of the human effect on climate change, including members of the current U.S. government and, ironically, the head of the Environmental Protection Agency. Climate change is a central issue that will destroy human life as we know it if left unchecked. The evidence that we are living in the face of a deteriorating environment is there. So, why isn’t more being done?

According to NASA, the planet’s average surface temperature has risen about two degrees Fahrenheit since the late 19th century, a change largely caused by increased carbon dioxide and other emissions into the atmosphere. The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere is at an all-time high, and oceans have warmed 0.302 degrees Fahrenheit since 1969. Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets have decreased in mass. As a result, animals such as the polar bear and Adélie penguin are in danger because their habitats and food are located on the receding sea ice, and they cannot adapt to the rapidly changing conditions of the environment.

According to Justin Gills of the New York Times, the rise in earth’s temperature has led to a rise in ocean levels. Without any intervention, the temperature will rise by up to eight degrees Fahrenheit, making it uninhabitable for a large human population. Although natural factors unrelated to human activity contribute to climate change and the rise in levels of greenhouse gases like carbon dioxide, these changes are very slow without contributions from humans. Environmental agencies such as NASA, the Environmental Protection Agency and famous scientists such as Neil Degrasse Tyson believe in human actions as the most significant factor in climate change. According to NASA, 97 percent of scientists believe climate-warming trends over the last century are very likely because of human activities. In the absence of global climate initiatives, we can expect rising greenhouse gases and ocean levels.

I would be willing to make some minor changes in my life in order to help create a better environment. Millions of people across the nation are willing to or have already changed their lifestyles in order to aid in the fight against global warming. Yet, in the face of all this evidence, why is nothing being done by the federal government? The federal government has withdrawn America from the Paris Climate Agreement, making the U.S. the only country in the world to do so, with even Syria signing off on Nov. 7. State governments, business groups, local governments and nonprofit organizations have made an effort to fill the void left by the U.S. government’s inaction to participate in any meaningful climate change. Yet it is up to each of us individually, as American citizens, to play our part in creating a better, more sustainable environment. By recycling more, cutting down on energy, reusing materials and refraining from wasting water and other resources, each of us can be a small step in creating a better future for our children and Earth in the process.

percent of students believe global warming is real, according to a Dec. 2 survey of 219 students.

CON: More research needed to confirm global warming, we don’t know all the facts

By John Calvert

Has anyone ever sat down and pondered of the sheer absurdity of the phrase “the science is settled?” Science, a dynamic field dedicated to investigating the truth, regardless of how outlandish it may seem, does not simply declare something unequivocally true. Sure, it might notice a certain concept like evolution or gravity and accept it as fact, but the causes and effects of said idea are still up to debate. Why is it, then, appropriate for such a phrase to be uttered in relation to climate change?

I am not, of course, denying that temperatures are, on the whole, rising worldwide. Indeed, between 1880 and 2012, the average worldwide temperature rose by about 1.4 to 1.53 degrees Fahrenheit, depending on who you ask.

This rather tame figure helps to illustrate the first issue with the climate change narrative—that it is profoundly overblown. A February study by Oxford research fellow Richard Millar, among others, found that the majority of projections are, in fact, higher than the actual warming. This should not be surprising. Climate change is sensationalized, touted by the media as the single greatest threat to humanity’s existence. Politicians, most of which located fairly left of center, use it as an excuse to wage war on businesses and institute new taxes, while many academic careers have been built and sustained by the unending gravy train of research grants and public exposure this issue offers. Opinions of global warming are not just one’s scientific opinion, but a near fundamental part of a person’s entire world view, serving as one of the best methods of determining what someone’s political ideals are. A consequence of this is that many exaggerate the scope and effects of it. Meteorologists can barely predict next week’s weather, so why should we believe the numbers we are given? If the abysmal record of past estimates is anything to go by, climate change is a much smaller threat than it is chalked up to be.

According to Global Climate Scam, since 2014, there have been record ice levels, record snow, cold records, oceans rising less than predicted, polar bears thriving and moose making a comeback. As well, NASA launched a satellite that measures carbon dioxide levels around the world and found out that the most carbon dioxide was coming from South American rainforests rather than the industrialized North America. As well, the data that years are getting warmer on average is false, for the ground-based measuring stations that measure yearly temperatures are influenced by the Urban Heat Island effect, which is when urban cities are significantly warmer than surrounding rural areas due to population density. The convoluted data that has been gathered to prove climate change is due to human action and is influenced by several natural factors in our environment. Therefore, no reasonable conclusions can be made.

In the face of all this evidence, why do most people and world-renowned scientists believe in climate change? We have seen that the data that climate change is because of human activities is false and has no basis, so why are these politicians raging on about the same issue? It is time for us, as Americans and enforcers of the world, to take a stand against this ridiculousness and put an end to the debate on climate change.

percent of students don’t believe global warming is real, according to a Dec. 2 survey of 219 students.

Social media posts increase chances of depression, anxiety

I can’t stand these people.

They go around posting pictures of their parties and various get-togethers as if their lives are perfect. In fact, their sole purpose is to bring others down who don’t have the privilege of attending their parties. People who view their posts continue to feel sorry for themselves because they don’t get to have as unrealistically good lives.

According to a study done by Psychology Today, scrolling through happy status updates,

exciting vacation photos, party photos and beautiful family moments leads users of social media to compare their lives with their online friends. Because of these social comparisons, people assume their friends have better lives than they do, which increases their chances of developing depression.

University of Pennsylvania student Madison Holleran committed suicide on Jan. 12, 2014. While she was depressed and on the verge of suicide, she was posting bright and happy photos of her life on Facebook. She posted an image of a happy, enjoyable life, when, in reality, she felt sad enough to take her own. Social media has become a refuge for people to hide their internal feelings and life situations. We, as viewers, feel envious of the people

who continue to glorify their “amazing” and “active” lives and are sucked into their facade, wishing our lives could be as great as theirs. These people not only feed off attention, but they also take the value out of their experiences. They miss the whole point of having fun with friends and enjoying themselves.

According to Psychology Today, users of social media predict that going through various social media will boost their mood and give them a break from stress, when, in fact, it does the opposite. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services declares that 94 percent of teens who go online using a mobile device access social media, and 92 percent of teens report going online almost constantly. This creates a risk for cyberbullying and other

aggression online.

Not all people who post about their fun experiences are necessarily attempting to make others feel worse. If in moderation, it is perfectly fine to post about something you would want others to know about you. But it’s the people who feed off the attention and envy caused by their seemingly incredible lives who enrage me, because they excessively post of all the happy and pleasurable experiences they have, without ever taking into consideration how others might react. They get to customize their lives and hide behind screens, while compromising face-to-face conversations. If you want to be recognized and envied, do something worthwhile, instead of glorifying yourself in a false light.

Raza

By Sohaib Raza

Graphic by Madison Willox

Moments with Margaret

Holiday haters cause unnecessary drama

Why is it that the closer it gets to Christmas, the more aggravated people become? As stress accumulates, the three weeks before Christmas break never fail to be the worst three weeks of my year. I always try not to let the anxiety of school get the best of me, but once exams start looming it isn’t just school that gives me constant anxiety—it’s the way everyone treats each other.

Lately with social media, it feels like I’m constantly scrolling through Finsta posts attacking people. Since a Finsta is supposed to mean a “fun insta,” it should be used as one. Some people believe their Finsta is a valid place to get out their anger, but social media should be the last place to let off steam. That’s just cyberbullying.

I’m not a sassy person. I hate confrontation, and if I am angry at someone, I’ll usually just keep it to myself to avoid unwanted drama. But the past few weeks, it has seemed like no one cares about other people’s feelings.

Everyone is snapping at each other, making rude comments and almost every conversation I walk into is just about how much everyone seems to hate each other. People shouldn’t have to feel like they are constantly being attacked at school or on social media.

Last Wednesday, I’d had enough of constantly being nice. I left school exhausted, angry and instead of going home, I headed straight to Chick-fil-A. This was supposed to be the best part of my day—the reward I felt I so clearly deserved for suffering through another day of school.

The drive-thru line was long, extending out to the street. Before I pulled into the line, I noticed a woman in a car opposite to mine, who I thought was stopped at a stop sign. Directly after pulling into line, she aggressively honked at me. I glared at her in my rear view mirror. Ignoring her, I pulled up to order.

“What can I get for you today?” The Chickfil-A worker said through the speaker. “Can I get the Chick-fil-A sandwich meal and—”

I noticed the woman who honked at me approaching my car. She was an older looking blond, mom wearing a green vest. She proceeded to cut me off mid-order.

“Excuse me,” she spit out. “You can’t just cut people in line.”

I looked at her in shock. This was a mom, an adult. But in that moment it didn’t matter.

“I didn’t cut you in line,” I said. “You had a stop sign.”

She tried to argue with me, but I cut her off, “I’m trying to order.”

She was clearly appalled, and before stomping back to her car, she said, “Next time, try being more considerate.”

I finished ordering, and instead of parking to eat my food, I zoomed off before the mom could see me again. Pulling over on a neighborhood street, a wave of guilt hit me.

I didn’t feel better after being rude to that woman like I expected I would. I felt so much worse. To that woman, I am just another rude teenager, and I’ll never be able to prove to her that I’m not.

Her advice to be more considerate stuck with me. It doesn’t matter how bad of a day I am having or how much pressure the holidays bring—being rude and inconsiderate won’t help anything.

Even though stress levels are high, that shouldn’t give people the right to treat others like their doormat. There are other ways of dealing with stress. Take a bath, walk your dogs, go on a run, but don’t be rude to a random mom or post a picture saying how much you hate the people around you.

–Margaret Smith

Top five albums of the year

The best year of music in the last decade offers a diverse line-up of stand-out albums

By John Kuehne

After a five year hiatus and change in drummers, Fleet Foxes bounced back with their most complex work to date. This is not an album to pick and choose tracks to drop in on a playlist. Each track is carefully placed to take you on a folk-rock journey at a time when nobody wants to hear another folk-rock album. The best voice on this list, lead singer Robin Pecknold, keeps listeners guessing by changing tempo and blurring where one song ends and another begins. “Crack-Up” left me feeling like I was sailing through a dark haze, and I walked out of the album feeling musically cleansed.

Angelic harmonizing and layered bouncing instruments make up Grizzly Bear’s most listen-able album to date. Grizzly Bear retain what makes them so great on “Painted Ruins”: a sound that feels like controlled chaos. There are moments on this record where the drummer feels like he’s about to fly right out of the room, all while piecing together some of the best melodies of the year. The album moves like a waking giant, slowly rising to it’s peak with the track Aquarian, then steadily descending to Sky Took Hold. Grizzly Bear solidifies themselves as the best band in America with “Painted Ruins.”

Having already produced hits like Too Much by Drake and Don’t Touch My Hair by Solange, British singersongwriter Sampha Sisay breaks through to the British pop scene with the most powerful debut album in recent memory. Sampha gives his listeners two takes of his songwriting when he electronically pilots through borderline club hits or takes a step back and croons about his love for the piano in his mother’s home. Sampha positions himself to become one of the biggest names in hiphop, and while he hasn’t hit American charts yet, it’ll only be a matter of time before his soft voice is running through your headphones.

K-dot, Kung-fu Kenny, King Kunta. Call him what you want, but Kendrick Lamar is the best rapper in the world right now. He breathed life back into the genre with “DAMN.” Rap had seemed to turn into lifeless prolific songwriting over the same boring beats. Lamar gets radio plays with hits like HUMBLE and DNA, but he finds new life on FEAR as he raps about different times of trauma. Lamar has hit a point in his career where these incredible verses are expected. This is the best rap album of the year and maybe the decade, only to pass “To Pimp a Butterfly”, Lamar’s 2015 jazzinfused hit.

After making waves with their breakout album “Lost in the Dream”, The War on Drugs perfected an already perfect sound with “A Deeper Understanding”. Synths and guitars pack a punch on each track, never drowning the other out and playing off of each other beautifully. “A Deeper Understanding” is an album to put on when the windows are down and you’re in the middle of nowhere, but you’re OK with it. Containing arguably the best track of the year with Holding On, The War on Drugs’ latest leaves me with the same level of satisfaction that eating Babe’s fried chicken gives me.

OR HIT MISS

Seniors give back

The class of 2018 wrapped stuffed animals for three hours at the Children’s Hunger Fund on Saturday Dec. 2, giving back to the community.

Fuel up for finals week

SAGE has planned a new breakfast menu for next week. Breakfast additions include smoothies, pancakes and a waffle bar.

Yards for Yeardley

Staffers

take on school issues, local events that were either successful or need improvement

Lessons and Carols schedule

The Lessons and Carols service was pushed back again to the end of the day this year, upsetting students. In years past, the service was earlier, giving students the rest of the day to study for finals.

No hours for donating blood

Students were not given hours for participating in the blood drive, unlike previous years. Many find this change unfair as students are giving their time and a life-saving resource.

Exam scam

The OneLove team hosted a walk at the Gene and Jerry Jones Stadium on Dec. 2. Thirty percent of the student body participated in the walk and helped raise awareness to end relationship abuse.

The new exam schedule has received negative feedback from students, who would rather have two exams on the first day and one on the last so their break starts sooner.

“A Deeper Understanding” by The War on Drugs

“Crack-Up” by Fleet Foxes

“Painted Ruins” by Grizzly Bear

“Process” by Sampha “DAMN.” by Kendrick Lamar

Soccer starts season with one goal in mind

Record number of underclassmen fill roster for varsity mens and womens soccer

By Sydney Rezaie

This season, the women’s soccer program implemented roster management because of an abundance in players. In past years, many girls showed up to soccer in hopes that they would have a bad winter and practices and games would be canceled, giving an easy sports credit.

“In the past, many of the girls signed up for soccer as the ‘easy’ option to fulfill an athletic credit,” varsity womens soccer coach

Mike Renshaw said.

“These girl’s know that basketball does not cancel practices/ games due to ‘bad weather.’ I am hopeful

many of these girls will now sign up for basketball and thus help our basketball program.”

However, due to lower number of girls trying out, no girls were cut from the team. The junior varsity team consists of 24 players, in contrast to 30 last year.

Dec. 8

Mens varsity soccer will take on Cistercian for the first time this season on the turf at 6:30 pm. JV, 5 p.m.

Dec. 19

Mens and womens varsity basketball hope to defeat Dallas Thunder in the Competition Gym. Womens is at 5:30 p.m. and mens is at 7 p.m.

Jan. 9

Varsity womens basketball will face the Trinity Valley Trojans in the Competition Gym at 5:30 p.m.

Tyla Tolbert. There are about five or six freshman starters, and six sophomores on the team.

“This change has definitely impacted the team, but not negatively,” junior captain Emma Viquez said. “They still need to mature and become more developed, but all the underclassmen have very strong potential and determination. I think we will be fine—it might just take a little while.”

Last year, there were twelve underclassmen and eight upperclassmen on the team, six of the upperclassman being senior starters. The loss of these players created room for the incoming of many freshmen to earn starting spots.

“Since our team is really young, we have to work even harder than last year,” junior Jenna Conn said. “Most of our competition has a majority of older players, making it a disadvantage for our team.”

“[The freshmen] still need to mature and become more developed, but all the underclassmen have very strong potential and determination. I think we will be fine...it might just take a little while”

“It looks like the numbers coming out for girls soccer will be substantially down due to ‘self cutting,”’ Renshaw said. “In the past we have had as many as 60 girls out for soccer, this season it looks like we will have about 35 or so.”

The mens varsity team had ten underclassmen and seventeen upperclassmen last year, but they have 14 underclassmen, four freshmen and ten sophomores. The team’s roster consists of 23 members.

This year has been different because the level of skill that the freshmen bring is crucial to the team, especially when cleaning up the field or setting up goals.

—Junior Emma Viquez “ ”

“This year has been different because the level of skill that the freshmen bring is crucial to the team, especially when cleaning up the field or setting up goals,” junior Trey Brooks said.

After Christmas break, the mens and womens varsity teams will play Trinity Valley on Jan. 1 at 5 p.m. and 7 p.m.

Junior Trey Brooks

Although the JV womens team size has decreased, the men and womens varsity teams have a record number of underclassmen.

Two years ago, the womens varsity team only had four underclassmen starters, Emma Viquez, Lauren Marks, Gillian Campbell and

On Deck

“The Trinity Valley game is always a difficult one,” junior captain Lauren Marks said. “They are the team that often gets overlooked but is really good and potentially could make it far in the SPC tournament. As the team comes together we are discovering what the starting line up is. Hopefully we will develop and fill all the gaps needed to handle this match up.”

Mens and womens varsity soccer will take on the Trinity Valley Trojans on the turf. Womens is at 5 p.m. and mens is at 7 p.m.

Jan. 11

Varsity womens soccer will take on Ursuline on the Bear’s home turf at 6:30 p.m. JV, 5 p.m.

Jan. 20 Mens Wrestling will compete in the State Duals at 9 a.m. at Bishop Lynch.

Varsity basketball at Mustang Classic

The varsity mens basketball team participated in the Mustang Classic tournament from Nov. 30 to Dec. 2. The team won three out of five games. After competing, senior Saxon Thompson and junior Keller Casey qualified for the All Tournament team.

“I felt that we improved as a whole because we were able to play some solid teams,” Thompson said. “I was playing at a high level because my teammates kept me confident throughout the tournament.”

1. Senior Gillian Campbell stops the ball on Nov. 30.

2. Junior Arturo Pozo dribbles towards the goal on Nov.30.

3. Freshman Ali Sparrow guards the ball from a Grapevine Faith player on Nov. 30.

4. Senior Landry Shive runs to retrieve ball from a defender on Nov. 30.

Cutouts created by Gillian Campbell, photos by Sarah Smith and Savannah Troutt

EAGLE EYE

MENS BASKETBALL

NOTEABLE:

The varsity mens basketball team crushed the Greenville High School Lions, 72-53, on Nov. 20 in the competition gym.

“It was one of our best defensive games of the year,” junior Keller Casey said. “We had 25 steals and everyone contributed. It was a great team win that gave everyone confidence.”

WOMENS BASKETBALL

NOTEABLE:

On Nov. 21, the varsity womens basketball team lost against Parish Episcopal School, 15-42, on the Panther’s home court.

“The game made it clear of what our strengths and weaknesses are,” sophomore Lily Jackson said. “We now work on defense every day in practice, and the improvement has been substantial.”

MENS SOCCER

NOTEABLE:

With a final score of 2-0, the mens varsity soccer team defeated the Grapevine Faith Lions on Nov. 30 on the turf.

“We played with a lot of energy and kept possession throughout the game,” sophomore Ned Dockery said. “That way, we created lots of chances, and we were able to convert them.”

WOMENS SOCCER

NOTEABLE:

The varsity womens soccer team lost for the first time in four years against the Grapevine Faith Lions on Nov. 30. The game ended with a score of 1-2 on the turf.

“The game was an early-on wake up call about how much improvement we need to make over the course of the season,” junior Lauren Marks said. “It showed what specific things we need to focus on to ensure that we make it to the SPC championship.”

WRESTLING

NOTEABLE:

Junior Christopher Talbot won two of his wrestling matches, while senior Rowen Brown and freshman Judah Powell won one match each at the Eagle Duals on Dec. 2.

“We did better than our first scrimmage, but we still have a lot to work and improve on as the season progresses,” senior Chase Toledo said.

By Sydney Rezaie and Emily Delgado

Back on the court Q&A

Krystel Henderson takes on womens coaching position after retiring from playing professionally

By Madison Willox

What are your past basketball experiences?

I started playing basketball when I was five years old, so I’ve been playing for 20 years. I started at Skyline High School and then left to play at Wichita State. I spent two years there and then transferred to Trinity Valley Junior College and played a year there. Then I went to the University of Texas, which is where I graduated and played my last two years. Then I went on the play professionally overseas in Morocco, where I played for about a year to a year and a half.

What are your strategies for winning games?

We’re still getting acclimated. Six games into the season, we only had two practices, and then we started into the season, so we’ve really been adjusting, but we’re starting to get the flow of things. Our strategy moving forward is to make sure we improve every day, every game and every practice. We learn from our mistakes. This year is a building year, so we just want to get them acclimated to our standards and what we want them to bring to the table.

What awards have you received?

I’ve had quite a few awards. My greatest accomplishment I would say is winning the national championship at Trinity Valley. It was 36-0, which was a big deal to me. I finally got a ring. I’m the second leading scorer in high school, and they plan to retire my jersey soon for that. I got offensive player of the year, a lot of academic awards, Honor Roll, Dean’s List.

Is basketball now your hobby?

[Basketball] is a part of me, so I would never describe it as a hobby. It’s within me, so it can’t be a hobby. Now, moreso, I play for fun. Being a coach at ESD has been a great opportunity for me to get back on the floor. When I retired, initially I didn’t play basketball for a while, so this gives me a chance to get back on the floor and get back into the flow of basketball.

How would you describe your coaching style? I feel like I’m a down to earth coach. I think it was because I’m a player and I’m young, so I can relate to everything that they’re going through. I can tell when they’re really into it. I like to ask them how their day was to get a feel of what they’ll give. When we get between the lines, whatever is going on in the outside world doesn’t come on the court, so it’s kind of a way of escaping everything. I like them to use basketball as a tool to escape everything and be their outlet, because it’s hard being a student-athlete. I was successful with having a coach that was open with me so I like to be open with the girls. I joke with them. I play with them. And then when it’s time to get serious, we have our moments. I just try to be a good role model for them and let them know if they need to come talk to me, they can, and build that rapport with them.

What did you major in?

I majored in applied learning development with a minor in kinesiology, but I’m going into medicine right now. I’m at UT Dallas doing a biomedical science program, so I’ll be done with that in the spring, and I’ll take my MCAT in June of 2018. I want to be a heart surgeon. I’ve got a lot of time left in school, but it’s worth it. This is what I’ve wanted to do since I was nine years old, it’s not something I just woke up and decided to do. It’s always been that the pursuit of medicine was kind of overshadowed by the basketball.

What is the most effective method of coaching?

The most effective method is just being honest with them. As a player, I can tell you when my coach genuinely cared about us, so just having that open door policy and letting them know that we’re human, too. At the end of the day, we want them to have fun.

How do you prepare your players for games?

The day before a game, we’ll normally have a light practice, do our usual warm up and then we’ll just walk through some sets. We let them know what the opponent will do and what to do on offense and defense. Hopefully, the girls are paying attention and listening. The day of the game, we have a walk-through probably about two hours before the game, where we’ll shoot free-throws and go over our plays again.

What do you hope to achieve at ESD?

What I hope to achieve at ESD is just to change the culture, first and foremost. I know in the past years, we haven’t had a great basketball program, and it hasn’t really been acknowledged for winning or being a great program overall. I really want to change the culture of basketball in terms of getting more student athletes to actually devote their time and effort into basketball and actually loving the game as much as I love it. Hopefully, making it fun for my girls. They’ve had a lot of new coaches, so I just try to bring a different spin to things, share my experiences with them and just give positive feedback. I try to prepare them for life, too, because sports really does prepare you.

What are your strengths and weaknesses?

I would say my biggest strength is being able to connect with my players. I really have a relationship with my girls. I think one of my weaknesses would be just realizing that everyone’s not me. I hold a high standard for myself, so I hold a high standard for my girls, too. Everyone’s not on the same skill set as me, everyone hasn’t been playing as long as me, not everyone wants to pursue basketball. Just dealing with the different personalities. I’m directing them forward in life, not just basketball, so I try to focus more on building their character and their skills. I try to understand that everyone’s different.

HOOK ‘EM: New basketball coach, Krystel Henderson, finishes a game playing for UT Austin. “This was my last home game of collegiate basketball,” she said. “Although it was bitter–sweet, it was a great feeling that I had set to do something and accomplished it. All the love from the UT family, the fans, the coaches and my teammates helped me tremendously along the way.”

By Gillian Campbell

Injuries come with the territory when you’re an athlete.

“I went up for a block and someone hit the ball and landed under the net and I landed on their foot,” sophomore Hadley Smith said.

She sprained her ankle at a volleyball practice according to trainer Crystal Carrizales. Ankle sprains are not a rare occurrence in the training room.

“Overall, if you want to combine all of the sports injuries, that would be the most common,” Carrizales said.

Immediately, Hadley Smith went to the training room for an evaluation from athletic trainers.

“They said it was a little worse than a twist, but about a sprain,” Hadley Smith said.

Ankle sprains can stem from what type of shoe you are wearing to performance level of an athlete. Sleep deprived or improperly fueled athletes are more likely to get hurt.

“Depending on the severity of the ankle sprain, we evaluate and see how bad the sprain is,” Carrizales said. “You want to control your swelling and your pain so you go through the whole Rest, Ice, Compression, Elevation Protocol.”

our games did not count toward our record,” Hadley Smith said. “They wanted me to be healthy for the rest of the season.”

Hadley Smith appreciates the training room but still occasionally avoids it.

“If I pulled something, I just like stretch it out instead of having them look at it, because I would not want to be out [of a game],” she said.

Athletes avoid the training room in fear of being forced to sit out of their sport. Some still go in for treatment, but then disregard the trainer’s’ instruction in attempt to keep playing.

Senior Caleb Harris failed to report his concussion symptoms of concussion in fear of missing a game in his final season of football. He also did not want to miss taking the SAT the following morning.

“I wanted to play in the next one,” he said. “I was a little fuzzy the next day but I was like, I’ll just go through it because I know I’ll be fine.”

Harris never sought treatment.

Concussions are common sports injuries.

Senior Kathryn Smith was smacked in the middle of her forehead in a varsity softball game freshman year.

Athletes think mind over matter despite injuries

computer. It consists of cognitive exercises like word recognition and pattern matching. If an athlete gets hit in the head, they can take the test after to see if their reaction time, memory and brain processing is hindered. Smith’s baseline test was much higher than her post injury test, proving she had a concussion.

“After that we will read it and see if any red flags come up,” Carrizales said.“If there are some red flags, depending on how bad they are, we either refer you out to our concussion doctor or have you go back to our symptom check.”

Kathryn Smith sat in a dark room while her brain healed. She missed school for four days, then began to attend class without taking tests and quizzes. Smith did not exercise for three weeks and never returned to her sport.

Trainers are constantly pressured by coaches for athletes to return sooner than expected. Once an athlete is finally cleared, they can begin a four day cardio progression the training staff created specifically for athletes preparing to play again.

“You’re always going to get the frustration from the coach,” Carrizales said.

Injury prone 66 60

percent of students have injured themselves in a school sport

If the injury is severe enough, the training room refers athletes to a specialist. Hadley Smith received her official diagnosis from a doctor and was out for three weeks.

Once swelling in the ankle goes down, the focus of Carrizales and the training staff shifts to rehabilitation. Athletes do physical therapy exercises to help them regain their strength and mobility.

“It is more important for the athletes to compete in more games later in the season than risk it for a game with no weight to it. ” —Trainer Crystal Carrizales

There is no rush for athletes to get back to playing their sport immediately. The training staff often has to explain this concept to coaches.

“It is more important for the athletes to compete in more games later in the season than risk it for a game with no weight to it,” Carrizales said. “You really need [an athlete] this one game, but you need them for the next game kind of thing.”

The training staff advocates for athletes missing a couple games to recover faster and be able to play in the postseason.

“It was early enough in the season that

DOUBLE TROUBLE

“This chick hit the ball really hard and it hit me in the face and I fell backwards,” she said.

Immediately concussion symptoms after the blow, she sat on the grass for 10 minutes.

“I didn’t feel pain. I just didn’t know what was going on,” Kathryn Smith said.

Immediate symptoms of concussion are loss of memory, nausea, extreme sadness or anger. For Kathryn Smith, her memory was wiped.

The first 48 hours after the injury are most critical.

“We give you a symptom sheet, and we have you record through the symptom sheet morning and evening. You report back to us daily,” Carrizales said.

If the scores are high enough, the training staff requires the athlete to take an Immediate Post-Concussion Assessment and Cognitive Testing test.

An athlete takes an ImPACT test on the

Junior basketball captain Anna Winkler is the team’s leading scorer with 84 total points. She also has the highest FG percent of the team, averaging 42 percent from the past six games.

“Anna is such a strong leader of the basketball team and knows how to lift the team’s spirit, even if we are down, 0-20, in the first quarter,” junior Lauren Shilling said. “I’ve never seen that girl miss a shot, and she’s the first to say, ‘You’ll get it next time.”’

In sports like soccer and football special headgear helps reduce brain trauma. However, it does not always work.

“We have seen it both ways, where even a person with that specific [football] helmet still gets a concussion. It’s a toss up,” Carrizales said.

Lack of sleep and malnutrition can lead to a loss of focus in sporting events.

“If you’re going out there and not hydrating well and drinking more sodas as opposed to more electrolytes and fluids, you are more susceptible to cramping, spasms, muscle strains, and to injure yourself more,” Carrizales said.

Kathryn Smith’s lack of sleep most likely lead to her injury.

“Lack of sleep can mess with somebody’s concentration, energy level, performance level, if they’re out there on the field and they’re tired they can be not in the game and kind of miss a play,” Carrizales said.

Concussions can continue to affect an athlete if the brain never fully heals. Kathryn Smith still suffers problems in result of this accident.

“My speech has been impaired, I can’t think anymore, I have a hard time telling time—I don’t even get it,” she said. “I feel stupider.”

*According to a poll of 219 students

Defender Campbell Smith has been on the varsity mens soccer team since his freshman year. So far throughout this season, the defensive line has let four goals in the St. Mark’s and Grapvine Faith games.

“Campbell has always been a team player and lifts the team up whenever we are down,” junior Trey Brooks said. “We can always rely on him to clear the ball out of the back field whenever it is needed.”

Anna Winkeler, junior

Campbell Smith, senior

Wrestling team grows, welcomes two girls

By Ellery Spencer

This year, for the first time, two girls, freshman Lily Yandell and junior Kennedy Banks, are members of the wrestling team. Although there are no girls on any other wrestling teams in the Southern Preparatory Conference, both of them are excited to participate in the sport.

“I just love being a part of the team,” Banks said. “I love being able to train, get stronger and improve my skills.”

Back in seventh grade, Yandell was dissatisfied with the fact she had to take P.E., since it was the only other winter sport option for girls besides soccer and basketball. Yandell decided to walk into the wrestling room and ask to join the team. She was immediately welcomed and is now going into her second season on varsity.

“Everyone is very welcoming, and I am not treated any differently,” Yandell said.

Villarreal emphasizes repetition in practice so when players are in a match, all of the moves and techniques they need come naturally.

“The worst thing to do in the middle of a match is try something you have never done before,” Wesley Banks said. “That is how you get hurt and get pinned.”

Now, with a few competitions under their belts, the team has a sense of what this season will be like.

“Most of the members on the team were able to experience their first wrestling matches ever,” Toledo said. “The new wrestlers got a chance to see what to expect and what they need to improve on. I believe this season will strengthen the wrestling program as a whole because we have so many new wrestlers who strive to get better every day.”

“I believe this season will strengthen the wrestling team as a whole because we have so many new wrestlers who strive to get better everyday.”

—Senior Chase Toledo

Wrestling is the only sport with mixed genders, but according to senior Chase Toledo, this doesn’t change the dynamic of the team at all. As a new season begins, the team is nearly full with 14 of 15 spots filled—the most participants they have had in over four years. With an increase in wrestlers, the team hopes to win their first dual, where different schools compete against each other instead of one person competing for himself.

“With only five people on the team last year, we had to forfeit so many matches within a dual that we never had even a small chance at winning,” senior Wesley Banks said. “But, this year, we have nearly tripled our size, so I think we actually have a shot.”

The SPC and Prep State rankings begin after each competitor certifies their weight. Each member must take a hydration test as well as a body fat measurement in order to determine how much weight they can lose on a week-to-week basis. These tests determine the lowest weight class each wrestler can compete in.

The wrestling team’s next competition is Dec. 16, beginning at 9 a.m. at First Baptist Academy. On Jan. 6 at the Arlington Lamar Invitational Competition, Yandell and Kennedy Banks will most likely get the chance to compete because there are public school wrestling programs with girls as well.

G13747.SPORTS ads (3).pdf 1 10/27/17 3:32 PM

With such a reinvented team, Coach Riqui

“Wrestling is rewarding every day, whether you win or lose,” Yandell said. “As long as I go out there and try my best, I feel successful.”

Freshman Judah Powell faces his opponent at the Eagle Duals on Dec. 2. He won one of the matches at the first home tournament. “In that moment, I felt locked in to what I was doing,” Powell said. “I wasn’t thinking about anything else besides what was happening at that current moment. I felt excited for the fact that this was my first match, and I enjoyed it.”

VICTORY: Junior Christopher Talbot is declared winner of his match at the Eagle Duals on Dec. 2. “At the moment of victory, you don’t really think about a whole lot,” Talbot said. “Winning is great, obviously, and you know that you just beat someone with just your own ability. It’s very empowering.”

GAME FACE:

Photo by Sarah Smith

ANOTHER

Photo by Sarah Smith

Competitor finds new passion

Sophomore takes up new sport, hopes to play at collegiate level

By Emily Delgado

Sitting on top of a horse with two others on his right side and another two on his left, sophomore Jake Carrell leads five horses onto the track. To his surprise, the horse he rides pauses and begins to gallop backwards, but as the other four continue, Carrell is yanked forward onto the gravel path. Startled, two of the horses run from the rest, and Carrell is left in shock with scratches, deep bruises and three remaining horses.

Polo, a fast-paced competitive team sport, is played both indoors and outdoors on horseback. The objective of the game is to score goals against an opposing team, using a long wooden mallet and a white ball that varies in size. Indoor polo is played with three players on each team in a riding arena, while outdoor polo is played with four players per team on a grass field.

Although Carrell has played polo for only a year and a half, he has experience riding horses from a very young age.

“I went from Western, to show horses, to riding on my own and then to polo,” Carrell said. “I decided to play polo mainly because my mom said, ‘You need a team sport.’ I really didn’t like soccer and I didn’t like lacrosse, but I really liked horses, so I looked for a team sport with horses, and polo came up.”

Carrell now plays indoor and outdoor polo at the Willow Bend Polo Club in Little Elm, Texas. The indoor team, Interscholastic, consists of only high schoolers, while outdoor polo is played by high schoolers and adults. Carrell’s indoor team is composed of himself, a

Parish sophomore and freshman Max Beuck.

“Jake is always positive and always has a smile on his face,” Beuck said. “He has very good skills for someone who is as new to the game as he is.”

Polo’s ranking system is known as a player’s “handicap,” and is based on the number of goals the player can score during the course of one game. Games are arranged and known based on the handicap of the players. A player can have a handicap as low as negative two or as high as ten. Teenagers can start out with a negative two or negative one handicap but can raise it to a four or six if they play against professionals. Carrell’s handicap is four as he currently plays in four goal games.

During the summer and outdoor season, Carrell practices three hours a day about four times a week, whereas during the winter season he practices two to three times a week. During the weekdays, Carrell practices on Tuesdays or Wednesdays, occasionally Thursdays, returning home around 8 p.m.

“I don’t think of it as that hard to balance both polo and school because polo is usually Saturday and Sunday mornings,” Carrell said. “I don’t play a school sport and I have a study hall, so I have time to do homework.”

Carrell’s favorite aspect of polo is playing alongside horses, and he looks forward to tacking up his horses before practice because he believes it builds the bond between himself and the animals.

“It’s really amazing because it’s such an aggressive and exciting sport,” Carrell said.

“It’s fun, especially when you get your horse excited to play and you get them running

so that the horse is safe and you're having a good time,"

after players, riding off and hitting the ball. It’s really fun to watch, even playing. The horses are complete athletes–they’re beautiful.”

Carrell currently owns two horses, Atlanta and Cyclone, that he plays with. Atlanta was gifted to him for Christmas while Cyclone was a gift for his 16th birthday in April.

“I don’t have a favorite, but they do have their good days and bad days,” he said. “I just love both of my horses.”

Although Carrell has not participated in polo with his horses for very long, a strong bond has developed between them.

“It is very obvious that Jake cares a lot about his horses,” Beuck said. “He takes very good

care of them. He likes to groom them and uses the best tack to keep them safe.”

Carrell’s greatest achievements have not been the number of games and tournaments he’s competed in and won but is rather the progress he has made over the brief period he has been playing the sport.

“It’s hard to find a polo community that you can grow into, and in the community that I found, I was able to go from someone who was only able to ride a horse to someone that plays in four to six goal tournaments,” Carrell said. “Although I see polo as more of a hobby, I would like to play for a college team and maybe even get committed for polo.”

SADDLE UP: Sophomore Jake Carrell poses alongside horses, Atlanta and Cyclone, at the Willow Bend Polo Club before riding in October. "It's difficult getting to know the horse you're on and playing correctly

he said. Photo courtesy of Jake Carrell

1. BEAT ST. MARK’S: The Eagles defeated rival, St. Mark’s, 34 to 17 on Nov. 3. The Class of 2018 went all four years without losing a football game to them and plans to do the same in lacrosse this spring. “The St. Mark’s game was my favorite game of the year,” senior Patrick Skalniak said. “A perfect way for Team 20 and the seniors to end the season. Also, proving yet again that their “New Era” is still the same as the old one.”

Photo by Grace Knudson

2. BEST BUDS: Senior Luke Crowe and his fifth-grade buddy, John Willingham, pose for a quick picture before getting their hands covered in glitter and glue. Seniors and their fifth grade buddies decorated Christmas ornaments on Wednesday, Dec. 6. “My buddy and I made Santa Claus and a stocking,” Crowe said. Photo by Gwyneth Zogg

3. WE’RE ALL IN THIS TOGETHER: The cast of the fall play, “Anatomy of Gray,” performs on Nov. 2. The play focused on a doctor in a small town and two women who were interested in him. “Once the light went up and it was time to [perform] for real we knocked it out of the park,” senior Alexa Lutz said. Photo by Rachel Morrow

4 WORK HARD, PLAY HARD: With exams right around the corner, junior Elizabeth Konradi and senior Stefanie Melgar study for a precalculus exam on Monday, Dec. 4. With flashcards of important information, they quizzed each other to make the studying more bearable. “I expect the exam to be really hard so I think I will need to study a lot,” Melgar said. Photo by Gwyneth Zogg

5. SWEETS FOR SALE: Senior Carly Weisberg takes money from sophomore Grant Blake as he claims his treat made by NHS members. NHS raised $635 from their tasty treats. “The bake sale was a success and the rice krispies and cookie sandwiches were best sellers,” Weisberg said.

by Savannah Troutt

6. PUMP IT UP: Senior Emilie Owens donates blood through the NHS blood drive on Nov. 15. With no community service hours given this year, 48 people still participated. “I’m terrified of needles so the hype was worse than the actual pain,” Owens said. “I got super dizzy in the middle so they gave me powerade so I was good.”

by Lauren Levy

7. ELF ON THE SHELF: Student Council started a new holiday game to put people in the Christmas spirit by hiding elves around the school. When found, the student must post an “elfie” posted to Schoology to receive a gift card. “I looked up and saw [the elf] in the clock and yelled ‘omg I see the elf,’” senior Ellery Spencer said. “Emma found me right after [I posted on Schoology] and gave me a Torchy’s gift card.”

by Gwyneth Zogg

8. WALKING FOR LOVE: Presidents of One Love, juniors Story Langston and Jay Browne, organized a walk on Dec. 2 benefiting One Love. They went into the walk with a goal of 100,000 yards and exceeded that goal by over 600,000 yards. “It was really cool to see all these people coming to support this rising cause,” Browne said. Photo by Peyton Jeter

9. ALL IN THE FAMILY: Nancy Zogg joins her granddaughter senior Gwyneth Zogg after a business management class. Grandparents day was reinstituted this year, which included coffee and pastries as well as visits with their grandchildren. “My grandparents and I went to a business management class and my grandparents loved analyzing Porsche’s new Passport subscription,” Zogg said.

by Gwyneth Zogg

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