V35 Issue 4

Photo by Taylor Robertson

With honor?

Campus cheating raises questions about how the Honor Code is implemented, upheld

By Kathleen Hobson

Heat rises to junior Annie Sawers’ head as she notices a nearby classmate pulling up class notes to cheat on an online Schoology test. The cheater submits his assessment, possibly earning a higher score than Annie, with none of the effort. The crime was committed unnoticed, and the only loss is Annie’s. She wants to tell the teacher, but she won’t. Rather be a sucker than a snitch.

Despite the great pride that the school takes in its Honor Code and student-run Honor Council, the culture within the student body has shifted to a “don’t see, don’t tell” attitude.

I’ve taken it upon myself to make the decision to not cheat and actually do the work. “ ”

—Junior Annie Sawers

“Not being a snitch is ten times more culturally acceptable than not cheating,” Sawers said. “Everyone hates the snitch, and you just get destroyed.”

The ideal situation is one in which students can trust the system, not having to worry about reporting each other because the teacher will have already caught the cheating.

“I don’t want students here to rat on each other—I want students to trust each other,” Head of Upper School Henry Heil said. “If a student sees cheating that’s egregious, they’re going to turn it in, but nine times out of ten, the faculty are going to be the ones who turn it in because they are the ones paying the most attention to it.”

Although a Jan. 4 survey of 298 faculty and students revealed that 39 percent of students have cheated on either a major or minor assignment, the Honor Council has reviewed an extremely low number of cases this year, which has raised concerns about how students are avoiding trial.

“I’m hopeful that there’s less cheating going on, but I’m not really sure what is contributing to that [lack of cases],” Honor Council adviser Maggie Ferris said.

The lack of cases may be a combination of both not catching cheating, and students talking their way out of getting reported.

“Most teachers are unaware of [cheating] going on,” Sawers said. “When someone does get caught, you hear of them getting out of

it. I think ESD kids have kind of developed that ability to make themselves look good when they do something wrong.”

Ferris believes reporting minor offenses may help to recognize patterns of dishonesty.

“Teachers need to report every case, even if it’s something that seems really minor,” Ferris said. “It may not end up going in front of the Honor Council, but at least we have a record of little things that may be happening.”

Despite the amount of students who admitted to cheating, 96 percent of faculty and students admitted that they did value the Honor Code.

it’s necessary because of how much of a workload we have. If no one in the class understands it, that’s when [cheating] usually happens.”

The Honor Council has taken concrete steps to help teachers prevent cheating. On Jan. 10, the Council spoke during a faculty meeting. They shared the results of the poll that they issued and suggested the use of the Schoology lock down browser, which makes it impossible to search information or look at notes during an online assessment.

“I want people to talk about [the honor code] and think about it. I worry that it doesn’t happen enough here.”

–Head of Upper School Henry Heil

“If you pinned anyone down here on this campus and said, ‘Do you want a place that upholds honor, respect and integrity?’ Every person would say, ‘yes,’” Heil said. “Those 30 percent of people who are apathetic right now about the Honor Code are the ones who we have to bring on board.”

Some students who have resorted to cheating believe that it is necessary in order to keep up with work.

“One time for a language quiz, I had my vocab words written down, and I was looking at them during the quiz,” senior Milo Robins* said. “Some people think

News to Use

Feb. 3

AP art show & reception from 6-8 p.m.

Feb. 8

President’s Volunteer Service Award ceremony for juniors and seniors, 1:05-1:35 p.m.

Feb.12

President’s Volunteer Service Award ceremony for freshmen and sophomores, 1:05-1:35 p.m.

Feb. 15

12:35 early release, winter break begins p.m.

Feb. 20

Classes resume

Feb. 24

Sadie Hawkins Dance from 7:30-10 p.m.

Feb. 28

Parent-Teacher Conference Day

March 1-3

“Cinderella” Upper School Musical opening night 7-9:30 p.m.

March 3 ESDPA Auction

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

Getting reluctant students to follow the Honor Code is a pressing issue, as cheating continues to affect those students who refuse to participate in it.

“I’ve taken it upon myself to make the decision to not cheat and actually do the work,” Sawers said. “And then [other students cheat] and get away with it and make better grades than me. It’s like they’re being rewarded for thinking the rules don’t apply to them.”

When students who do cheat begin to shift the culture toward one that supports cheating instead of honor, it fosters a dangerous situation that encourages others to join.

“There’s not a lot of actual punishment, so the pros kind of outweigh the cons,” Sawers said.

“Cinderella” hits the stage in March, features newcomers

Although the Honor Council is strict about its privacy policy, it can occasionally give a false impression that punishments are not occurring.

“I’m not sure that every student believes that [the Honor Code is] working the way that it should,” Ferris said. “That’s something that we need to continue to work on within the community, to make it very clear what our expectations are.”

Entering the Honor Code into more conversations can help to ensure that it holds a larger presence on campus.

“We have to educate the community without talking about specific cases,” Heil said. “[The concept of honor] is not talked about very much here, at least not that I’ve seen. I want people to talk about it and think about it. I worry that it doesn’t happen enough here.”

Students have many options before they succumb to cheating, and teachers are available to offer help.

“The faculty wants to meet with students, and we want to help them be successful,” Ferris said.

Teachers uphold and support the Honor Code in the hopes that it will ultimately lead students to carry high standards with them after graduation.

“We also want to teach them to be self-advocates,” Ferris said. “So as they get older and go to college, they will know how to ask help.”

*names have been changed to protect the identity of students

“Cinderella,” the upper school musical, premieres March 1 in the Bray theater, starring senior Braden Allen as Prince Charming and sophomore Cambridge Bender as Cinderella. The musical will begin at 7 p.m. on March 1 and 2, and at 2 p.m. on March 3.

“I’m having a great time getting to work with such talented people and teachers,” Allen said. “Learning new acting techniques, dance moves and great music everyday from incredibly talented people like Mrs. Redmond and Mr. Schneider is truly a blessing.” Theater doors open at 7 p.m. Thursday, March 1. Tickets are $5.

THE HONOR SYSTEM: Sophomore staffer Emily Delgado imitates a student using a cellphone to cheat on a test, as the “Honor, Respect, Integrity” sign is posted ironically in the background. Photo by Kathleen Hobson

Band, strings head to workshop at Universal Studios

Band and Strings, chaperoned by Band Director Cary Porter, Instrumental Music Teacher

Adrian Demian and Upper School Fine Arts Teacher

Charlotte Chambliss, will attend the Universal Studios Education Workshop at the Universal Orlando Resort in Orlando, Florida from Feb. 9-11.

The Universal Orlando Resort is a resort complex featuring the Universal Studios Florida theme park. Students will have the opportunity to enjoy the park in their free time. At the conference bands and choirs will score an actual movie scene aiming to give students hands-on experience for performance career paths.

The members of Band and Strings will be guided through the process by playing, then syncing, music played by them to a Universal animated film like “Despicable Me” or “The Lorax.”

Freshman Jiaying Fu is excited for the trip.

“This is a unique opportunity to be able to showcase musical skills,” she said. “It really shows how musical skills can be used in the real world.” —By John Calvert

Six athletes sign to play competitive college sports

Six student-athletes will commit to play their respective sports at the collegiate level Feb.8.

Seniors Brandon Meaux, Gillian Campbell, Izzy Harrington, Braden Rhone, Nick Greenberg and Sophie Saland will sign their National Letters of Intent at a ceremony during flex in the Competition Gym.

Meaux will play Division I lacrosse at Georgetown University. Campbell will play Division III soccer, at Sewanee: the University of the South.

Harrington will row next year at the University of Pennsylvania at a Division I level.

Rhone and Greenberg will both attend Washington and Lee next year but participate in different Division III sports. Rhone will play lacrosse and Greenberg will participate in track and field.

Saland will play Division III tennis at John Hopkins University. —By Melissa Rivera

Seniors to present AP art portfolios in show “Meraki”

The first half of the seniors from the AP art classes—3D design, 2D design and drawing—will present at the first show on Sat, Feb. 3 in the Frank building from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m.

The theme of the show is “Meraki,” meaning from the soul, creativity or love, and each student chooses their own concentration that ties back to this theme. For over 25 years the seniors in AP Art have put on a show and exhibit displaying their works for the whole school to come see. The students meet up beforehand to pick the theme of the show and design the invitation to the exhibit.

Senior Sophie Holland, AP ceramics student, chose centerpieces for her concentration.

“In wheel throwing you have to do what’s called centering the wheel, and my connection between the two is you have to center yourself,” Holland said. “You have to find your own center and stick to that. In my family it’s a big deal to sit around a table and talk together, so that’s why I chose centerpieces.”

The exhibit, which opened Jan. 22, will remain for a month in the Frank building for students and faculty to see. During the art show, each AP art student puts the art they are displaying on a slide and talk about it and what inspired their concentration. Senior Carly Weisberg, an AP photography student, chose song titles as inspiration for her photographs as her concentration.

“I think it’s important to show off the hard work and to show that the entire art department is producing incredible pieces of art,” Weisberg said. “Hopefully it will inspire other students and middle schoolers to want to produce art and to want to take these classes.” —By Margaret Smith

Net neutrality could prove detrimental to learning, limits access to information

With Washington’s recent move, control over internet waved in hopes businesses see growth in profit and breadth

Story and graphic by Julia Beckel

Asimple google search such as “ice cream” pulls up about 371,000,000 results in .8 seconds. Each of the sites suggested provide free and fast information, readily available for the 88.5 percent of the US population that uses the internet, according to Internet Live Stats.

Thanks to the repeal of net neutrality, these tools that many have grown accustomed to, may become less accessible. Net neutrality requires internet service providers to facilitate access to all content and applications on the web without favoring or blocking any websites or products.

“The basic idea of net neutrality, in terms of what would be important to a student, is that you can basically go to the websites you want to without any sort of interference from the companies,” Computer Science teacher Jerone Mitchell said.

On Dec. 14 the Federal Communications Commission voted to overturn net neutrality regulations put in place during the Obama administration. These guidelines allowed internet users to access websites and content of their choosing without their internet service provider discriminating against services or websites. Slowing down internet speeds for certain websites and preventing users from reaching sites was prohibited under the former policy.

“The whole point of net neutrality is to basically play referee for the companies and now we are saying there is no referee,” Mitchell said. “No matter what your favorite sport is, I think we can all agree we need a referee.”

FCC Chairman Ajit Pai began working to remove the internet regulations in November. He, along with other net neutrality opponents, argued that it was excessive government control and hindered business development.

“My understanding is that the idea here is that the companies can enforce themselves, so that level of regulation is not needed and the money can go someplace else,” Mitchell said. “It’s all going to come down to money in some way.”

Supporter of Net Neutrality, senior Cameron Johnson felt that the deregulation was an unnecessary fix to an imaginary issue.

“If I pull up my phone to use Google it takes two seconds to pull something up,” Johnson said. “There isn’t a problem and it just feels like a money grab. Why would you not want to equally distribute the internet?”

Internet service providers no longer have to provide consumers equal access to all content, smaller business and startups will be hurt.

“In America, freedom of speech is a big thing along with Capitalism, everyone being able to build their own businesses,” senior Wesley Banks said. “Without net neutrality, you allow these bigger companies to take over the entire market and censor whatever they want to make their business look better. Not only does it censor the people, but also those who may want to start up their own companies.”

ing fees for premium social media packages in which Facebook and Instagram could cost consumers more. Providers can also charge for higher-quality delivery or give preferred treatment to certain websites.

“It’s not helping any consumer,” Johnson said. “It’s helping companies.”

Many users are worried that internet companies will slow down consumers’ internet speeds in order to force them into paying a fee for faster connections.

“The whole point of net neutrality is to basically play referee for the companies and now we are saying there is no referee.”

—Computer Science teacher Jerone Mitchell

“AT&T could say we don’t want consumers watching Netflix, and we want them to watch cable,” Banks said. “They could slow the access to Netflix to where you couldn’t even use it just so that you’re pretty much forced to watch their content.”

According to a University of Maryland poll, 83 percent of Americans are in support of net neutrality.

“I don’t initially think changes will be made but broadband companies will start integrating [changes such as slower wifi] or slowing down certain sites,” Johnson said. “For example, they can slow down Netflix unless you pay premium, so if you want everything faster, [you have to] get this package and it leads to [companies] charging people more for no reason.”

While many believe that net neutrality may not be a real threat, broadband companies have tried to slow down websites before.

“A few years ago Netflix had a difficulty with Time Warner Cable and as a person who was watching Daredevil on Netflix, you would notice it slowing down,” Mitchell said. “Because AT&T were having difficulties with Netflix they wanted to incentivize people away from that so they slowed it down. Without net neutrality, these companies get to have more control over which websites you get to go to.”

Over 93 percent of teenagers 12-17 and young adults 18-27 use the internet and social media according to The Pew Research Center. Students have become dependent on the internet for information, entertainment and school.

“It will make a big effect on teenagers who use a lot of social media,” Banks said. “With net neutrality being repealed, these things that are free for everyone can become monetized. Not through the social media themselves, but through the internet service provider who will take certain media sites and make them super slow to where you won’t be able to use them unless you pay a certain amount of money.”

“Net Neutrality is really important, especially for students. If you’re a student in college you don’t have the money to pay extra for internet services that you would need.”

—Senior Cameron Johnson

Other fears include putting more financial pressure on students as well as less accessibility to an abundance of sources and information.

Without the regulations, broadband providers such as AT&T, Verizon and Comcast can sell sites in bundles requir-

“Net Neutrality is really important especially for students,” Johnson said. “If you’re a student in college you don’t have the money to pay extra for internet services that you would need. You’re already in debt, so if internet providers charge you extra for any sites you might need [it] will obviously hurt you.”

Second annual film festival finds success

Alumni, community gather for showcase of student work featuring original movies

By Lauren Egger

The highly anticipated film festival, put on by students and film teacher Bobby Weiss, showcased current and past students’ work, as opposed to last year when it featured films from schools across the Dallas area.

“The film festival is the chance for us to show, in the format it should be shown, the films that we have made,” Weiss said. “I mean a large screen with beautiful sound, in a quiet theater, with other people who love watching films. This is our chance to show the films in an admirable atmosphere and an environment that is conducive to film watching and celebrating film.”

“ESD has one of the best high school film programs. We have tons of students who create films on a diverse variety of subjects and compete nationally every

Jan. 19 featured original works. As this was the second year the film festival took place, Weiss and his students changed the format to incorporate only current or past students because they see it as an opportunity to bring people together under the arts.

year.”

—Senior Ellery Marshall

Organized by film students, the festival on

“Last year, ESD was more like the host of a film festival for all schools in our area, but we didn’t want to showcase our films too much or have them up for any awards because we were choosing who would win,” senior Ellery Marshall said. “This year, we realized that ESD has one of the best high school

film programs. We have tons of students who create films on a diverse variety of subjects and compete nationally every year.”

Alumni were invited to submit films, short clips and attend the event. Four alumni were present, and those who did not attend recorded messages for the students to see. This was considered a huge success considering these four alumni are pursuing filmmaking.

“We have fantastic alumni who are both still in college and out in Hollywood, so why wouldn’t we show these films they’ve worked so hard on,” Marshall said. “I was really excited to show everyone what we’ve been working on this year.”

Over 200 people attended the film festival, which was a dramatic increase from last year’s 50 people.

“The amazing amount of support from all the students, teachers and parents that came was felt by all of us and it really makes us and our films feel validated, and all the hard work we put into this,” Weiss said.

After the event, students met with Weiss and discussed possible changes to be made for

next year’s festival.

“In the future, we hope the entire school considers this a landmark of places to be and that everybody will come next year, and [the festival] will keep getting bigger and bigger,” Weiss said. “Our hope is that we make this so big, we have to show it on the football field.”

AWARDS

Best Producer: Grace Boyd

Rising Star: Sam Curtis

Best actor: Lilly French

Rising Star: Sabrina Gies

Film Leadership Award: Ellery Marshall

Rising Star: Preston Moderi

Best Editor: Gerrit Parker

Best Cinematography: Chloe Williams

Rising Film Star: Kelsey Wittmann

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION: Film teacher Bobby Weiss, junior Grace Boyd and the Bell family walk the red carpet at the Film Festival Jan. 19. The theater is named after the prominent family’s late son. “The theater was packed and a ton of the audience were students and faculty supporting the film program, which means a lot to the film students,” Boyd said. Photo courtesy of ESD

FILMSPIRATION: Film makers pose alongside film teacher, Bobby Weiss after receiving awards at the ESD Film Festival Jan. 19. Gerrit Parker 20,’ received the best editor award. “I was really excited to see what we produced on the big screen in front of an audience,” he said. “I had a great time editing and learned a lot from the experience.”

Photo courtesy of ESD

Botany club gives space for avid gardeners

Passion for plants leads junior to start new club on campus

By Melissa Rivera

Junior Chloe Raines has always enjoyed gardening, but it wasn’t until this year that she decided to bring her dream to life and create a botany club on campus. Her love for plants began in Pre-K and has only grown since. It all started when the end-of-the-year project for her class was to plant sunflower seeds. For some reason, Raines could not get her seeds to grow, no matter how hard she tried. That is when Raines decided that she was going to keep at it until she was able to grow a plant by herself.

“I liked the idea of a club allowing the students to take a break throughout the long school day to do something outside that is calming,”

A much more timid person then, Raines originally had the idea to start the club freshman year but waited until now because of her fear that people wouldn’t listen to her as an underclassmen if she ran the club.

—Junior Chloe Raines

Growing up, Raines’ parents didn’t have anyone to maintain or garden the plants at their house, so she was the one who always watered and trimmed them.

“I wanted to make a club that was hands-on and relaxing,” Raines said. “I liked the idea of a club allowing the students to take a break throughout the long school day to do something outside that is calming.”

Dr. Donna Hull, biology teacher, had agreed to be the sponsor of the club when Raines mentioned it to her two years ago after giving a chapel talk about gardening but had to withdraw.

“I said, ‘Sure I’d love to,’ but I was still in my previous job as Head of Upper School,” Hull said.

“In administration I can’t always sponsor things because I don’t really

Junior Chloe

trims dead leaves off

started the club to provide a relaxing place for people who enjoy gardening. “Making a club has helped me and other people who enjoy gardening and going outside take in the fresh air and have breaks from the day,” Raines said.

Photo by Melissa Rivera

know when I’m going to be able to do it. So I emailed Chloe at the beginning of last year and said, ‘I’m sorry, I can’t do it, but maybe next year,’ because at that point, I was thinking about stepping back into the classroom.”

At the beginning of the year, Hull had officially returned to the classroom. The two began planning and decided to start the club.

At the club’s first few meetings, the members discussed what they wanted to do and what they wanted to name the club. They discussed possible field trips to the Arboretum and taking on projects around the school, like improving the butterfly garden. They also decided to change the name of the club from

gardening to botany club.

“We want everyone to feel like they could come and just enjoy a combination of growing things, being outdoors and learning more about things that grow, so they came up with the name botany club,” Hull said. The club currently has one raised bed in the back near the greenhouse that is specifically for them. In it, they have grown carrots, radishes, lettuce and peas and are currently deciding on what to grow this spring.

club was created and joined to learn more about gardening.

“It would be nice if we could do more in terms of service. We could take some of the food we grow and donate it,”

—Junior John Heldman

Junior Anna Winkeler is glad the

“I’ve always wanted to grow peppers or strawberries to use in a meal,” Winkeler said. “I have cacti at home that I take care of, although that doesn’t require much.”

Junior John Heldman looks forward to what the future holds for the club.

“It would be nice if we could do more eventually, in terms of service,” Heldman said. “We could take some of the food we grow and donate it to organizations.”

GREEN THUMB:

Raines

Parisian carrots. Raines

W“ ”

I told my friends that I didn't want to live anymore, and that was hard to tell someone other than just myself. They were terrified of losing one of their best friends, and they put things in perspective for me, which helped.

— Senior Tanner Starks*

Sunday At 5:30 p.m. the New England Patriots play the Philadelphia Eagles in the Super Bowl. If the Patriots win they will have six Super Bowls under their belts, tying the Pittsburgh Steelers for the most wins.

Feb. 8

From 4-7 p.m. twenty percent of anything sold at the Kendra Scott store in Preston Center will be donated to The Hope Center's mission, which benefits more than 40 Christian nonprofits.

Feb. 9

The new movie "The 15:17 to Paris" is released about three Americans who figure out a terrorist attack is about to take place aboard a train.

more than the blues

Depression in adolescents is increasing, but the topic of mental illnesses and suicide remains taboo

Story and graphic by Amanda Warren

hy am I even alive? Why do I feel the way I do? Junior Monica Arryn* thought to herself after going through the mechanical motions of school, feeling emotionally drained and utterly empty inside.

"When I got home, I would make my room super dark and just sit there watching Netflix,” Arryn, who was diagnosed with depression during her sophomore year, said. “I felt like I was alone, and even though I have friends and they always asked me to hang out, I still had a sense that I was alone.”

The number of adolescents suffering from depression is increasing. According to a study published in the medical journal Pediatrics, the prevalence of teens who reported a major depressive episode in the previous 12 months jumped from almost nine percent in 2005 to nearly 12 percent in 2014. This generation’s dependence on social media, and higher academic and athletic expectations, can explain this increase.

“Society pushes you to do more and more, but the reality is that we, as humans, have not evolved that much,” Dr. Catherine Karni, Professor of Psychiatry at UT Southwestern and Director of Outpatient Services at Children’s Medical Center said. “Technology is great, but some of those things can be pretty toxic, and you have to say, ‘I need a break.’"

Suicide is still the second leading cause of death in teenagers, yet the topic is not often treated with the severity it deserves. Jokes about suicide are loosely thrown around in everyday conversation with phrases like "kill me now" and gun-to-the-head gestures. Famous YouTuber Logan Paul's, recent video of him in the Japanese Aokigahara Forest, also known as the suicide forest, made waves throughout the world. The video featured Paul making jokes about the suicide victim. As a result, Paul was banned from YouTube, but the incident raised serious questions about

Feb. 17

desensitization, cultural awareness and how active a role internet companies should play regulating content.

“The video tells society that suicide can be seen as a joke, and that it’s not a serious subject matter,” said senior Tanner Starks* . “Internet companies should regulate videos like that.”

According to the World Health Organization, depression is the leading disability in the world, and its impact is clear in the ESD community. Depression is a medical illness that affects the brain’s serotonin levels. Some of the symptoms include feeling down, not finding pleasure in everyday activities, lack of sleep, loss of appetite and even suicidal thoughts.

For Starks, injury upon injury prohibited him from playing the sports he loved, causing a major lifestyle shift.

“I was isolated from my friends and family,” Starks said. “I was super quiet and kept to myself. I had trouble sleeping because my mind was filled with thoughts.”

taboo. Students are often too afraid to tell their friends that they are suffering out of fear of judgment or further isolation. Like with all mental illnesses, there is an attached stigma with depression, but awareness and education among teenagers can lead to conversations.

“I told my friends that I didn't want to live anymore, and that was hard to tell someone other than just myself,” Starks said. “They were terrified of losing one of their best friends, and they put things in perspective for me, which helped. I never felt judged by them.”

84 percent were hesitant to seek help

63 percent have attended therapy

There is no “one size fits all” treatment for depression. In most situations, treatment begins with therapy, and in more severe cases, patients undergo bouts of therapy coupled with medication.

78 percent say there is a stigma with mental illnesses

* according to a Jan. 23 poll of 209 students

Depression is very debilitating to the body, especially once it begins to affect a person’s sleep, appetite, behavior and judgment. This, in turn, weakens the body’s ability to fight, only amplifying the crippling symptoms of depression. It can also lead to dangerous behaviors.

“I started using and drinking a lot more, and it started to weigh me down because I was trying to find something to make me happy, which made my depression a lot worse,” Starks said. “I drove recklessly so many times, because if I crashed, I wouldn’t care if I died.”

Despite 39 percent of students having struggled with depression, the subject remains

Main Events

The Crow Collection of Asian Art is hosting a Chinese New Year festival at Klyde Warren Park from 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. There will be music performers on stage, food, art activities, demonstrations and fireworks.

Now — Feb. 19

The Mourning a President exhibit is on the seventh floor of the Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza. It is based off of the funeral and burial of the late President John F. Kennedy.

Feb. 24 - Apr. 8

Dallas Arboretum presents the floral festival A World of Flowers presenting over 500,000 spring blooming bulbs and an abundance of azaleas.

“Depression affects how we are thinking about ourselves and the world, so it becomes a vicious cycle because your thinking gets distorted, and then the way you are behaving gets affected,” Karni said. “Therapy is helping reverse this cycle. We do not expect people to be on medications for the rest of their lives—we want to give you techniques you can use for the rest of your life.”

Medication is not the only solution. Arryn could already sense improvement after her first therapy session, giving her the confidence that she could overcome it. She continued her therapy.

“A huge weight had been lifted off of my shoulders, and I could feel it,” Arryn said. “I was prescribed different medications, and two months later, I was off of [them]and depression-free.”

*names have been changed to protect the identity of students

10th annual Mardi Gras parade

Oak Cliff celebrates their 10th annual Mardi Gras parade on Feb. 11 which will start at the corner of Windomere Avenue and Davis Street.

The parade winds through the Bishop Arts District and will end at Melba street. Senior Braden Allen has been four times.

"It's always a really fun experience. There are tons of intricate floats and people in festive dress," Allen said. "I even caught beads that Will Ferrell threw at the parade in 2013."

This year an estimated 10,000 people are expected to attend, making Mardi Gras the largest and most diverse event in Oak Cliff.

The Next Chapter Homework, unrelatable

material make

Generation

Z turn away from reading for

fun

After a stressful hour in her honors math class, sophomore Jade Donahue sits at one of the wooden tables in the Commons, quietly reading a new fantasy book on her laptop.

“That’s so weird.” “You’re lame.” “Stop reading.” Her friends said. Unbothered by their words, she kept reading, an activity that has served as a de-stresser since a young age.

Although several students find comfort and relief in enjoying a book of their choice as they take a break after a busy day at school, many do not find that same feeling in the activity. According to a survey of 208 students taken on Jan. 23, only 47 percent of students report taking time outside of school to read for pleasure.

“Traditional reading is competing for time, just like sports, studying and jobs,” librarian Mary Jo Lyons said. “It tends to fall down on that list because we can get information other ways.”

Because reading does take more time than watching a movie or television show, students are less inclined to fit it into their busy schedules.

“Reading is very time consuming,” sophomore Christopher Moon said. “I like that movies take around two to three hours to watch, whereas a book takes several days to weeks to read. I’m also not very good at it. I’m not going to do something that I’m not good at.”

homework, sports and other extracurricular activities. Eighty-five percent of the student body feels that they do not have the time to read outside of school because of the amount of homework assigned.

“I feel like reading so many books in the structured way English classes teach turns people away from reading,” junior Allison Herring said. “If you’re reading a book where you have to read a certain number of pages per night and annotate, it makes you not want to read because there is so much effort going into it.”

The manner in which English classes are structured may affect why some students dislike reading. Many classic books are incorporated into the curriculum, which often contain difficult language or references from a different generation which students don’t understand as easily.

“Traditional reading is competing for time, just like sports, studying and jobs. It tends to fall down on that list because we can get information other ways.”

–Librarian Mary Jo Lyons

Usually little to no time is left to engage in leisure activities such as reading as high school students struggle to find time to manage

Eighty-three percent of students believe English classes should incorporate more modern and relatable works into the curriculum.

“Many of the books we read in English are classics and they’re beautiful, but they are boring to me because I can’t relate to them–not to the language, not to the examples in their stories,” Donahue said.

English classes also tend to teach students to annotate and look into little details rather than allow students to enjoy the book as they’d like. Often times, students interpret a book one way, but it isn’t always what the teacher wants them to take away from it.

“Ms. Lyons and Ex-Libris are trying to get more books in the library that appeal to the high school crowd, rather than the young adult books for middle school and research books,” Herring said.

In order to try to increase the number of students who read, Lyons wants to work with student groups to purchase and create collections of books that more students would be interested in reading.

Twenty senior girls have started a book club with several other seniors from Parish and Highland Park, which will meet weekly.

“The idea of a book club was pitched out in a group text and everyone thought it would be fun to get together and read mystery and murder books,” senior Shelby Stansbury said.

English teacher Tolly Salz believes reading allows people to develop compassion not only for other people, but also for oneself.

hardcover,” Donahue said. “I buy books online on Amazon for cheaper and read on my computer..”

Technology can be useful in terms of obtaining books, but it also can also provide distractions such as social media and television that can turn students away from reading. Such distractions have decreased the average student attention span to about ten minutes.

“I feel like people don’t dedicate their full attention as often anymore,” Herring said. “If you’re watching a TV show, you can put it in the background and do homework or eat dinner, but you can’t multitask with reading.”

“It’s because I got into it so young, it’s been kind of like a lifeline through whatever emotional things I may go through. So I read consistently, but I notice that a lot of other people don’t do that.”

–Sophomore Jade

“If students could just curl up with a book, we would see reading comprehension increase, writing skills increase and empathy increase,” she said.

Technology does play a role in affecting the number of students that read. Kindle Fires and various reading apps allow students to purchase and carry hundreds of books on their devices instead of hauling heavy novels in their backpacks.

“Although nothing can really match the soothing feeling of opening a paper book, they are really expensive, especially

Donahue

Donahue’s love for reading started in the Lower School when a teacher constantly encouraged her to read whatever book she desired.

“It’s because I got into it so young, it’s been kind of like a lifeline through whatever emotional things I may go through. So I read consistently, but I notice that a lot of other people don’t do that,” Donahue said.

To Donahue, reading is like dreaming while awake; it’s an escape. To Salz, reading is like breathing–something needed for survival.

“Books show us the ugly, but they also show us the beautiful,” Salz said. “When you finish a book and the experience is over, it is now another piece of you that is simply beginning.”

Story and graphic by Emily Delgado

BEST in show

PREDICTED WINNER: “Three Billboards Outside Ebbing, Missouri”

Outraged with the stalled investigation into the death of her teenage daughter, Mildred Hayes, played by Best Actress nominee Frances McDormand, creates a catalyst for closure. Hayes pays for three massive billboards to be covered in red with black lettering. Each one prods police Chief Willoughby (Woody Harrelson), with the details of his shortcomings and of the crime in big, bold letters. The message is dauntless and fiery just like protagonist Hayes. This movie is stellar. When the ending arrives, you want to yell at the screen and beg for more. The best movies end without the satisfaction of closure or spark fear for your life.

“Three Billboards” does both. This masterpiece will win Best Picture for its complex plot, superb acting and storytelling of very topical issues in America.

“Dunkirk” is either a hit or miss for viewers. Some people can appreciate the historical story set to a fantastic Hans Zimmer score, and others cannot. The story is about the evacuation of the French city, Dunkirk, during World War II. If history is your favorite subject, watch and appreciate Dunkirk. Its lack of dialogue ensures that it won’t take home the Oscar. Despite this, the actors brilliantly tell the story in actions. While critics love the film, casual moviegoers struggle to see the art because it lacks conventionality.

“Lady Bird” tells the raw and pure story of high school senior Christine, Lady Bird, McPherson. “Lady Bird” is about a California teen who goes to a Catholic school where she begs to be heard. McPherson, played by Best Actress nominee Saoirse Ronan, struggles through relationships with her mother, friends and lovers in her senior year. The only female nominated for Best Director, Greta Gerwig, got everything right and deserves to be recognized. Gerwig is brilliant and cuts the sugarcoating movies do to real life. “Lady Bird” won “Best Motion Picture, Musical or Comedy” at the Golden Globes, but it’s not special enough to win the Oscar.

In “The Shape of Water” the cinematography is broody and the acting is sharp. A young woman falls in love with a sea monster. The monster can’t talk and neither can the main character, Elisa, played by Best Actress nominee Sally Hawkins. The most cringe-worthy scene of all is when the creature and Elisa flood her bathroom for a romantic encounter. Despite a few oddities, “The Shape of Water” is truly a beautiful love story. After similarities between Pulitzer Prize winner David Zindel’s 1969 play “Let Me Hear You Whisper” were drawn to “The Shape of Water,” plagiarism allegations have commenced. Despite its many nominations across all Oscar categories of the it may not win one.

“Call

Me by your Name”

Nine movies vie for the Oscar, but “Three Billboards Outside of Ebbing, Missouri” should win

By Gillian Campbell

Obsessive, meticulous and ornate, “Phantom Thread” is the story of a man’s thirst for perfection. For Reynolds Woodcock, played by best actor nominee Daniel Day-Lewis, every single stitch of his life has been carefully sewn. Woodcock is a dressmaker for Europe’s elite. He discovers a new obsession, Alma, and the spool of thread unravels from there. The film is glamorous but with glamour comes danger. “Phantom Thread” is Day-Lewis’ final film. He could win Best Actor as a farewell present, but I doubt this movie will win Best Picture. This film was released almost too late in the season and flew under the radar for most moviegoers.

“Darkest Hour” is about the good, old man-across-the-pond, Winston Churchill. Churchill is played by Best Actor nominee Gary Oldman. Oldman’s performance is supreme and worthy of praise. However, historically, Churchill has done both superb and detestable things. If you’re not a Churchill fan, do not waste your time with this movie. Is it good? Yes. But, all of the nominees are. “Darkest Hour” is simply not special enough to win an Oscar. It is just another boring biopic.

It was not until I watched “Get Out” a second time and read articles on the foreshadowing Jordan Peele hides in the beginning that I understood. Peele portrays racism in society and makes jokes that are witty and sharp. The symbolism in this film is smart. He also writes so many hints for what is to come for protagonist Chris Washington in the beginning that are easily missed without knowing what to look for. The best part of this film is not the acting or the cinematography. It is the writing. Jordan Peele should win Best Original Screenplay. However, despite its relevance and poignant social commentary, this satire will not win Best Picture. “Get Out” is too outside the box that seems to house Oscar-winning movies.

Filmed in Italy, “Call Me by your Name” is visually stunning. The opulence of this Italian summer dream flows abundant and provides a sunny love story. Seventeen-year-old Elio Perlman,

by

nominee

with

intellectual PhD student Oliver, who is closer to 30 than 20. A heavy love ensues. The novel takes place in 1987 while the film takes place in 1983. Director Luca Guadagnino made this deliberate change to allow for the planned sequel to circle around the AIDS epidemic. Though good enough for a sequel, “Call Me by your Name” won’t win.

“The Post” is based on the true story of the Washington Post’s battle to publish “government secrets” related to the Vietnam War. It shows an important struggle for freedom of the press. Best Actress nominee Meryl Streep plays Kay Graham, the Post’s first female owner. An important ethical dilemma envelops Graham when the documents, known as the Pentagon Papers, are copied and published in the New York Times and the Washington Post. Graham fights for the first amendment and to be heard as a female. “The Post” delivers an important story that Americans need to hear in the time of fake news, but it did not leave me with the same energy that some of the other nominees did.

played

Best Actor

Timothée Chalamet, falls in love

his father’s

“Lady Bird”

“The Shape of Water”

“Get Out”

“Dunkirk”

“Darkest Hour”

“Phantom Thread”

“The Post”

THE LIST

1

2

A large majority of the women attending the 2018 Golden Globes wore black to protest sexual harassment and raise awareness to the Times Up organization.

After releasing her much anticipated album "Rainbow," Kesha failed to get the acknowledgment she deserved from the Grammy's, losing out to Ed Sheeran.

3

4

Khloe Kardashian turned to Instagram to announce her pregnancy with NBA player, Tristan Thompson. You’re up, Kylie.

The comment from President Trump, “Why are we having all these people from s**thole countries come here?” caused an uproar in the country.

It's a match

Use of dating apps increases as students seek fast hookups, potential relationships

By Taylor Robertson and Ellery Spencer

Swipe left. Swipe right. On to the next one.

After purchasing a $2,500 domain for his website, Gary Kremen drafted ideas for a cyberspace where people of all kinds could meet, connect and fall in love. In 1995, Kremen’s idea, match.com, set the precedent for other coupling sites, and the online dating world was born. Users are matched together for potential dating purposes, but many utilize the sites as a means of locating an instant and easy hookup. With more than 50 million Tinder users, two million Grindr users and 40 million match.com users, instant connections are created all over the world.

It is questionable how many real committed relationships result from these sites, because so many people use them for hookups.

Senior Max Humphrey* openly uses dating apps and actively uses his account once every two weeks.

“Normally it’s just a hookup,” Humphrey said. “But some things have turned more serious.”

5

6

Grammy's president said that women needed to "step up" after recent awards ceremony gave most of its honors to men.

Ballistic missile threat sent to everyone in Hawaii after someone “clicked the wrong thing on the computer.”

People fled in panic while emergency sirens wailed.

7

8

The number of NFL concussions are continuing to rise. Last season broke the record with 281 reported concussions.

Larry Nassar, former USA Gymnastics doctor, is facing life in prison for molestation of more than 150 victims. He complained that listening to victims' statements was mental cruelty.

Having been in one serious relationship via a dating app, Humphrey has had a positive experience that has led to his continued use of dating sites.

“[The guy and I] spent the entire afternoon at the W Hotel pool with his friends, then afterwards, he surprised me by getting us a room at the Ritz-Carlton hotel for the night,” Humphrey said.

“It’s just a trendy thing,” Humphrey said. “They’re a good time passer.”

According to a poll of 208 students on Jan. 23, less than 35 percent of the student population would use a dating app as a means of finding a serious relationship, while less than 50 percent would be open to using a dating app at all. The error in these apps is that it is nearly impossible to get a true feel for what each individual is like. Instead of character and merit being the basis of the relationship, it is easy for attractiveness to become the sole focus.

“I’m interested based off looks mainly and if they’re not sketchy,” Humphrey said.

Because dating apps take away the opportunity of meeting via real human contact, the likelihood of meeting someone serious through dating apps is slim. Senior Vivian Matheney* began using dating apps two years ago when her boyfriend went off to college. When the couple agreed to an open relationship, Matheney joined a dating app, at first as a joke. Although she has never been in a serious relationship with anyone

“Normally it's just a hookup, but some things have turned more serious.”

—Senior Max Humphrey*

As dating apps like Tinder, Grindr and Bumble have popularized, people of all ages and backgrounds have begun to join.

“I made my Tinder account my sophomore year, and I've used it since then,” Humphrey said.

More apps are targeting minority groups to fill in gaps created by ever evolving culture. Hinge and Grindr were made for the LGBTQ+ community; ChristianMingle.com and FarmersOnly.com have become prominent sites that minorities can feel safe and comfortable using, knowing that they will be paired to people with similar backgrounds.

“[I began using apps] because it’s harder for gay guys to find other gay guys in high school,” Humphrey said.

In recent years, teens and young adults have become more attracted to Tinder over apps such a Grindr and Bumble, simply because Tinder tends to be easier, quicker and has more users. When online dating began, people joined for the reason each site advertised: to “find a relationship,” but dating apps have taken another direction. For many, online dating isn’t as reliable as normal dating. Humphrey rarely goes on real dates with the people he meets on his dating profiles.

was being asked to be paid to give lap dances.” Matheney has used multiple dating sites, including Tinder and Fling. Like many others, Matheney and Humphrey use these sites as a vehicle to find quick hookups.

Freshman Dennis Vasser* joined six sites including Tinder, Yubo, and ChristianMingle.com. His friends signed him up as a joke.

“The guys are weird,” Vasser said. “Some guys use dating apps. I don’t use mine seriously.”

Although he mostly uses these sites to “troll” people, swiping right on everyone, he said he didn’t anticipate using them as he gets older.

“I want to meet people the normal way,” Vasser said. “I’m not a weird 20-year-old, so I don’t expect to use them for real."

*names have been changed to protect the identity of the students

9

10

On Jan. 23 the 11th US school shooting of 2018 took place in Benton, Kentucky. Two 15-year-old students were killed and 18 more were injured.

Thirteen siblings were found abused and chained to beds by their parents in Perris, California on Jan. 18. The siblings ranged from ages two to 29.

percent would use a dating app for a hookup over a relationship

percent would be open to trying a dating app

percent think meaningful realtionships can be found on dating apps according to a poll of 209 students, Jan. 23

Design by Kathleen Hobson and Julia Beckel

Burger nation

Local restaurant’s burgers offer tasteful

By John Kuehne

Bandito’s Tex Mex 4.4/5

Having enjoyed this burger countless times, I knew exactly how to order it and got what I expected. Bandito’s, known for their Tex Mex in Snider Plaza, also secretly serves a killer cheeseburger. Full of flavor in a relatively small patty, it stands out with a substitute of American cheese and the addictive fries. It’s served hot. Really hot. Which is both its stand out and its downfall. The temperature it’s served at gives the patty all the flavor in the world, but also leaves the bottom bun feeling soggy after a few minutes of eating it. Despite this, Bandito’s serves a consistently rewarding burger that will leave anyone wanting more.

Off Site Kitchen 3.8/5 Keller’s Drive In 2.5/5

WHAT’S THE BUZZ

@The Episcopal School of Dallas

“Upper School Outdoor Education students learned how to safely rappel in ESD’s Quarry today.”

Off Site Kitchen offers more than just a good burger, but also just an old fashioned fun time. Covered with nostalgia posters and playing Pink Floyd and Jimi Hendrix while you dine, Off Site offers a more home-style burger in comparison to the others on this list. The environment is half the time packed with outdoor games and TV’s, I enjoyed it just as much as the burger. A firm bun and a smokier tasting patty is sure to leave anyone satisfied. This burger feels like the wiser and older relative of the Bandito’s burger, it’s built similarly yet it doesn’t pack quite punch like Bandito’s. They offer plenty of drink options to go with your burger, a whole portion of the wall is filled with Mexican sodas and even candy bars if the burger isn’t enough. While Off Site offers a really strong burger, it’s simply not good enough for the amount of time it takes to get there.

Angry Dog 4.2/5

Formally a bar and dead in the center of my favorite part of Dallas, Angry Dog lived up to it’s high expectations being previously named best burger in the city…twice. Great service and a fantastic Coke were delightful highlights. The burger itself was a hearty grill burger with fresh lettuce, onion and pickles. The bun was big, but not overpowering. It’s not a flashy presentation, but the flavor speaks for itself. The grill burger is a refreshing explosion of flavor in comparison to the other burgers on this list. The cheese was the only downfall. It felt cheap and downgraded the burger tremendously, but the flavor of the patty was so great it felt like a silly complaint.

@hollywoodjd2001

“ESD Comp Cheer - First Place and HS Intermediate Grand Champion!!”

One of the few places that offers a drive-in around the area, Keller’s is a quick and easy alternative to fast food with a distinct poppy seeded bun. Unfortunately, these are the only perks that Keller’s has to offer. At first glance, the poppy seeds seem like a little overkill, but they don’t make too much of a difference for an otherwise mediocre bun. The cheese was strange because it seemed like I could only taste the texture and not the actual cheese. The patty tasted cheap and probably came from a frozen box; the lettuce had nothing to offer and simply holding it in my hand made me feel bad for such a poorly put together cheeseburger. The onion rings save this trip from being a total waste of time, but if you’re looking for a quick and easy cheeseburger just go to McDonald’s.

The Grape 3.7/5

The hype surrounding this burger was almost criminal. Nothing can be that good right? Only served on Sundays and voted by Texas Monthly to be the best burger in the state was enough to get me excited. Though it was more than an average burger, I found it to be without the flavor that some of the other burgers had on this list. Certainly the biggest burger on this list, it was daunting to even pick up and a challenge to finish. The pickles were a little intense and crunchy, but all other condiments held up well. Reviewing this burger reminds me of the dreaded phrase you heard as a kid, “I’m not mad, I’m just disappointed.” It doesn’t really leave me wanting to come back or even recommend it to anyone else.

@peoplenewspapers

“Did you know that students at the Episcopal School of Dallas are learning about the benefits of algae and its potential as an energy source? #algae #environmentalscience #girlpower”

Rather questionable reasoning

By Kathleen Hobson

MIKE BEIDEL, Mathematics Teacher

POPTOPIC

“I insisted that everyone who had a homework assignment hand it in folded, and [one student] decided to put it in a way that it could not be folded. He gave me an angle iron with the assignment carved on that, thinking that I wouldn’t be able to bend it. I picked it up from him during the class and walked out, put the angle iron on the curb, took my hammer out and beat it until the thing was folded, and then I gave it back to him. I think he gave up after that.”

KIMBERLY ROGERS, Religion Teacher

“My first year of teaching, I had a student come in to take the test, with a Ziplock baggie full of the charred remains of her notes. She said that the power went out, so she was studying by candlelight, and the candle caught her notes on fire, making her unable to study. I loved that she brought me the charred remains, the shriveled crumbs of her notes that went up in flames. I did move her test. It was really the most creative excuse I’ve ever heard.”

Attempts to get out of homework, tests prove better stories than excuses

AMY HENDERSON, Science Teacher

“They were having their stoichiometry test in chemistry. He was sitting toward the corner, and only five or ten minutes had passed when he got out of his chair and got in a little ball by the cabinets and started shaking and rocking. I went over, and he said, “I think I’m having seizures.” But that’s not what you do when you have a seizure, so I was like, “No, I don’t think so.” He continued to convulse, and then I asked him to get up and he did, and we walked to Mr. Laba’s office. I think he got in trouble with Mr. Laba and then had to take a different test from me the next day.”

RICHARD WILLIAMS, Science Teacher

“I had a student one time, on the day of the test, come in and indicate to me that he felt like he was dying. When I asked him what was going on, he said that he mistakingly ate his cat food for breakfast. He had self-diagnosed that he was extremely sick and couldn’t take the test because he had to go see a doctor as soon as possible. He acted like it was a poison, emergency thing. And I was like, ‘You’re not going to be poisoned from eating cat food.’ He ended up going to the doctor and it was fine.”

INDIVIDUAL COUNSELING FOR TEENS & PARENTS

Anxiety - Depression - Family Conflict - Learning Disorders

MARY GRACE MEWETT

Licensed Professional Counselor marygrace@mewettcounseling.com 214-546-2569

SPEAKING OUT

Yearning for words to come out, but left paralyzed and unable to speak, junior Kim Reed* and senior May Ward* each remained silent while being sexually harassed, when all they wanted to say was, “Stop.”

With her parents out of town, Reed had close friends over. When most had left, three people remained: her friend Carla*, who was planning on sleeping over, and two close guy friends. The boys asked to sleepover, too, and although hesitant, Reed agreed. Later, Reed walked into her bedroom to find Carla and Noah* sitting on her bed.

“I was like, ‘Get out, you can’t sleep in here,’ but I just ended up falling asleep,” Reed said.

Hours later, Reed awoke to Noah groping her, assuming she was asleep and therefore wouldn’t resist. Although she was in close proximity to Carla, Reed was too in shock to call for help.

“I told myself, if I was ever in that situation, I’d beat the guy and be like, ‘Get off of me,’ but it’s so different when you’re in it,” Reed said. “Your body literally freezes, and you can’t move. I was best friends with [him] and trusted [him].”

Reed pretended to wake up and Noah stopped, acting asleep. She moved to another room and woke up again to Noah groping her.

“I was so scared [my boyfriend] would think it was my fault,” Reed said. “Dating someone made it so much harder because I had to justify it.”

In a similar experience, Ward was groped, but unlike Reed, it was by a stranger on public transportation during a vacation.

“I was three people away from my friend,” Ward said. “[It’s] scary because I could’ve reached out my arm and [said], ‘Help me,’ but I didn’t. So many thoughts [were] going through my head like, ‘This is an accident,’ ‘This isn’t happening.’”

Even though both Reed and Ward were near friends, they were unable to muster the words to seek help, their bodies left frozen out of shock.

“People freeze up when they’re getting sexually assaulted [because] they’re terrified,” Emotional Wellness Counselor Mary Ellen Davison said. “[If] the assailant is a friend, they’re trying to make sense of it, that someone that they trust is now assaulting them. Speaking out afterwards, people are intimidated by not knowing how it’s going to be perceived or if people aren’t going to support them.”

On top of internally processing their harassment, victims have to deal with the stress of whether or not to speak out––forced to re-open the trauma of what happened to them, as well as risking disbelief from their peers.

“I buried it super deep,” Ward said. “It was like when you push a water bottle into the pool and eventually it’ll pop back up, but it stays down for a little while. It wasn’t until the summer after that I started talking about it.”

Each had similar experiences, but the two had different responses from their peers, as one was with a stranger and the other from someone in the school community.

told that it was my fault,” Ward said. “Everyone said I could come to them at any point. I never got any backlash from any guys.”

In a Jan. 25 poll of 189 Upper School students, 78 percent of females and 44 percent of males think the school doesn’t do enough to educate on sexual harassment.

“There’s a lack of a safe space for women to come out and feel like they have the right to [report],” junior Jenny McLaughlin* said. “[If I was sexually harassed], I would honestly question if I was making too big of a deal out of things.”

Victims of harassment deal with repression, shame and long-term effects, including depression and cardiovascular issues.

“I buried it super deep. It was like when you push a water bottle in the pool and eventually it’ll pop back up.”

—Senior May Ward*

“When people started finding out, guys in my grade would b*tch me out, thinking that I was lying,” Reed said. “Even though he did that, I wanted to protect him. I didn’t want everyone to hate him. I went through this long period of time where I [had] to justify it, for something I had literally no control over. He would lie to people and [say], ‘That didn’t happen,’ but then would admit to me that [it] had.”

Ward, harassed by someone not in the ESD community, had a much more supportive reaction from her friends when she revealed her story.

“Everyone was insanely accepting—I was never

“I used to think about it a lot and get chills,” Reed said. “It makes me feel dirty thinking about it. Now I’ll be watching something that has to do with sexual harassment or hear something about it, and I will get that pit in my stomach again––it doesn’t go away. That’s the thing with sexual harassment: It’s so scarring and makes you feel so disgusting––disgusted with yourself.”

Fifty-one percent of females in the Upper School report having been sexually harassed, which isn’t limited to groping, but is any inappropriate, unwanted sexual advance or obscene remark.

Junior Fiona Abio* found out that photos were taken up her skirt and sent around to male students in a place she thought of as safe.

“When he took it, we were having a conversation, talking normally,” Abio said. “That’s the thing that’s scary: You think you’re friends with someone, and then they do something like that.”

Not knowing how to react to one of her socalled-friends taking photos up her skirt, Abio

struggled to remain composed and focused when approaching her harasser.

“I’m not a very confrontational person,” Abio said. “I felt bad for him. When I came up to him, I was laughing because I was extremely uncomfortable, and he was like, ‘I’m so sorry,’ and tried to hug me, which was just not OK.”

While many associate sexual harassment with women as victims, it happens to men as well, with 13 percent of Upper School boys reporting to have been sexually harassed.

Senior Abe Heck* was sexually harassed his sophomore year when he was passed out from intoxication and a peer took advantage of him.

“I remember waking up in the morning and having people tell me what happened,” Heck said. “I wasn’t mad—I just felt embarrassed. People still talk about it [to this day].”

Agreeing to kiss, give or receive oral sex isn’t the same as consenting to have sexual intercourse.

“If [a person] isn’t in the correct state, then that’s [their] fault,” junior Tanner Romo* said. “[They] put [themselves] in that situation.”

Ninety-three percent of Upper School females and 82 percent of males say it isn’t OK for someone to advance sexually if their partner doesn’t say yes.

“Hook-up culture in society makes it acceptable to get drunk and have sex with people,” senior Brandon Meaux said. “I don’t believe it’s realistic to hear “yes” in every situation, but sex should never be assumed by anyone. Both girls and guys should be honest with each other about what they want.” Consent isn’t in the absence of a no, but the presence of a yes.

“If someone is drunk or incapacitated and not able to make an informed decision, even if they say yes, it’s not a yes,” Davison said. “You need to be very careful that the person is in the state of mind that they can say an informed yes. [If not] it’s best to walk away.”

Oct. 5

New York Times op-ed piece is published, exposing allegations against Oscar-winning director Harvey Weinstein.

Anthony Rapp’s accusation of actor Kevin Spacey sexually harassing him spurs 30 more of his victims to share their stories.

Ex-”Today Show” host Matt Lauer is accused of sexual harassment. NBC fired him five days later.

TIME magazine names the women of the #Metoo movement as their Person of the Year.

Dylan Farrow shares her story about her adopted father, Woody Allen, who sexually abused her at the age of seven.

Oct. 16

Alyssa Milano ignites the #MeToo movement, encouraging men and women to share their stories of sexual harassment.

TIME’S UP

*names

Sexual harassment victims share their stories in hopes of a change in policy, culture

Senior Iris Granger* agreed to hook up with a peer, and she made her limits clear up-front. Still, she was taken advantage of because of her lack of prior sexual experience and sex-ed in general.

“Before we did anything, I said, ‘I’m not having sex with you—I don’t want to lose my virginity,’ and [he] was like, OK,’” Granger said. “We started hooking up and it escalated quickly, to a point where I was pretty sure we were having sex, and I panicked. He told me it wasn’t sex, so I believed him, but then after, he [said], ‘You need to take a Plan B pill for safety.’”

CULTURE CHANGE

Seventy-seven percent of Upper School females feel as though porn negatively affects males’ view of females, while only 20 percent of males think it has a negative impact.

often overlook [discussing sexual harassment] because it’s a hard subject to talk about.”

When sexual harassment is spoken about, it’s important that it be related back to the community, so that people can’t assume that the issue doesn’t relate to them.

“Now I’ll be watching something that has to do with sexual harassment or hear something about it, and I will get that pit in my stomach again—it doesn’t go away.”

—Junior Kim Reed*

“[Porn] doesn’t encourage men to consider a female perspective at all, and that’s terribly dangerous,” Junior Dean Claire Mrozek said.

On average, children are first exposed to pornography at the age of 11, according to the Huffington Post. In addition, 88 percent of porn depicts aggressiveness or violence.

According to lead researcher Alyssa Bischmann at the University of Nebraska, Lincoln, the younger that men watch pornography, the more likely they are to want power over a woman.

“Boys will be boys” is a common phrase used throughout childhood to excuse ill behavior.

“When you’re raising a girl, you teach them how to be a homemaker and a good friend, but never how to defend or speak up for yourself,” Ward said. “That’s something I wish I knew. Parents

“Although [sexual harassment courses] are required across all levels of employment, it still happens,” Head of Upper School Henry Heil said.

“People, particularly males, watch this training and they can articulate it, but they don’t think it applies to them.”

The #MeToo movement was triggered by an exposé in the New York Times that shed light on sexual harassment allegations against Harvey Weinstein. This was only the beginning, as many prominent men are exposed for harassment almost daily.

Putting these allegations into actions, 300 women in the film industry started the “Time’s Up” initiative to fight sexual harassment. The initiative includes legal defense, financial resources and a push for legislation that creates harsher punishment for harassment and discrimination in the workplace.

“I had a friend [who] had an unwanted [sexual] experience,” Ward said. “He texted her, ‘There’s no point in saying anything. We all know that it’s going to get put back on you. People will say you blew it out of proportion.’ It’s important that people [see] strong influential women putting these men down.”

Though #MeToo and “Time’s Up” continue to gain steam, many feel that their communities remain untouched by sexual harassment.

“Things like this do happen, and it’s not

just what you read,” Ward said. “You would be surprised at the amount of people at and who have graduated from ESD that have been sexually assaulted or harassed.”

Fifty-six percent of Upper School females and 16 percent of males believe sexual harassment is prevalent at ESD.

With the surge of other survivors coming forward, victims are coming to terms with the fact that they aren’t alone.

IMPACT

ON CAMPUS

The more often an action happens within a community, the more acceptable it eventually appears. It’s necessary to step back and consider whether these actions are normal behavior.

“Because sexual harassment has been so a part of our culture, a lot of times people see [it] as normal,” Davison said. “It’s important as a culture to know that [it’s] not just a normal part of adolescence [or] the work environment.”

In incidents like Abio’s involving violating photos, female students have had talks about lengthening their skirt and wearing spandex, but boys have never explicitly had a talk about not looking or taking pictures up girls’ skirts.

“We need to help people control their responses, not tell people how to dress,” Mrozek said.

Heil finds skirt enforcements to be offensive to females and males, as it assumes that boys regard girls as nothing more than sexual objects.

“I had an email from a parent early in the year about girls’ skirt length in the context that it impacted boys,” Heil said. “That made me angry, because I think that’s an insult to boys, and also a major insult to girls that the only conversation about the dress code is sexual in nature.”

Teaching students about sexual harassment is an integral part of the education that the administration is attempting to offer.

“We care so much about inspiring [you all] to live lives of purpose and to be your best selves,”

Head of Upper School Meredyth Cole said. “And if we aren’t opening [sexual harassment] up and dealing with this stuff, we’re not doing that.”

The Code of Conduct, despite previous incidents, fails to mention anything about sexual harassment.

“[Sexual harassment not being addressed] is misguided,” Mrozek said. I think we have to go back and make corrections.”

The lack of policy regarding sexual harassment leads to a gray area, leaving some students to feel as though they aren’t protected.

“[Students] should have a required meeting about the signs of sexual harassment and that it’s not limited to just rape,” Rita Roberto* said. “The administration should be a space [where you] feel safe, because when I went to the administration, I was told that since it was during exams, they didn’t want to ‘affect the boy’s grades.’ I had no voice and I want no [one] to ever feel like that.”

Heil insures that this issue is not being kicked under the rug.

“I am looking at ESD with fresh eyes and want us to get better,” Heil said. “Education is paramount. We do a good job of educating our faculty but need to find more ways to educate our students. While we can’t solve this problem tomorrow, it’s on our minds and we care deeply about how it impacts our students.”

The Women’s Studies Organization on campus works to educate students on healthy relationships and equality issues. On Jan. 30, sponsors from the Genesis Women’s Shelter came to promote awareness and prevention of sexual harassment. While the event wasn’t required, it was a step forward in enlightening students.

“Female and male students need to be educated on this,” WSO sponsor Cathy Civello said. “We’re at the beginning of exploring this issue, so the more we become educated in it, the more

understand it.”

Jan. 1

Hundreds of women in Hollywood join as a united coalition, “Time’s Up”, to fight sexual harassment. Jan.

Kesha’s Grammy perforamce of “Praying,” a song in response to sexual harssment by her former producer, Dr. Luke, provoked a standing ovation and tears throughout the audience.

Story by Meredith Moran and Gwyneth Zogg Graphic by Julia Beckel and Gwyneth Zogg

Life of a modern-day princess

Daughter of Nigerian chieftain reflects on heritage

By Sydney Rezaie

Junior Hannah Nwakibu wakes up in her house in Nigeria to the sound of her family’s chef knocking at her door, asking for her breakfast order. She replies with her usual— an omelette.

Hannah Nwakibu is a princess of one of the most prominent tribes in Nigeria, located outside Owerri, the capital of Imo State.

“Being a princess isn’t really a big deal in my day-to-day life,”

Hannah Nwakibu said. “I only really notice it when I am in Nigeria.”

specifically her cousins, since she only sees them once a year.

“We play games, swim and sometimes go to the market in the nearby town,” Hannah Nwakibu said. “It is like being in Dallas, except more rustic. ”

Hannah’s family has a house that is protected by a couple of guards for their safety, in addition to several maids and a chef who prepares each person’s breakfast, lunch and dinner.

“In Nigeria, most of the clothes are tailored for you A designer comes with their materials, and then we choose a pattern and tell her what we want. They can make anything.”

–Junior

Hannah Nwakibu

Once a year, her family visits Nigeria, either during Christmas or the summer. In 2016, Hannah’s father, Vitalis Ugochukwu Nwakibu, was appointed chief of the tribe after his father’s death.

“He and his five brothers are on a ranking for the tribe’s chiefdom,” Hannah Nwakibu said. “Over there, royalty is through blood but not necessarily age.”

As chief, Hannah’s father travels back and forth between Dallas and the tribe to complete his duties two to three times a year. Along with being a chief, he owns several companies in Nigeria dealing with international trade, causing him to travel to the Nigerian cities of Abuja and Lagos.

“He’s usually gone for three to four months at a time,” Hannah Nwakibu said. “Since he has been gone for so long since I was little, it doesn’t affect me as much now. I have learned to accept it because I know he is doing something good to help our tribe.”

“Usually I just tell the chef what I want, and he makes it,” Hannah Nwakibu said. “Most of the time, he makes me eggs or some type of omelette, just depending on what I am feeling.”

For special occasions, such as weddings, a seamstress is brought into their Nigerian home to make Hannah a custom-fitted dress.

“In Nigeria, most of the clothes are tailored for you,” Hannah Nwakibu said. “A designer comes with their materials, and then we choose a pattern and tell her what we want. They can make anything.”

Hannah’s father, Ugo, and mother, Amaka, met each other at Northwestern University, where they studied banking. After being acquainted with each other, they discovered they both were royalty from neighboring tribes in Nigeria.

“It was beneficial for them because they both were required to marry Nigerians,”

“Being a princess isn’t really a big deal in my day-to-day life. I only really notice it when I am in Nigeria.”

–Junior Hannah Nwakibu

In the village, Hannah Nwakibu spends most of her time with her dad’s family,

Hannah Nwakibu said. “It is a cultural custom there, out of respect for your tribe and legacy, to marry another Nigerian.”

Once Hannah and her siblings, Shalam and Emanuel, grow up, they’re urged to marry someone from Nigeria, just like their parents.

“It’s so far away that I don’t like to think about it,” Hannah Nwakibu said. “I know it will all work out in the end.”

Streaming giants sweep award shows

By Madison Willox

What do shows like Game of Thrones, Stranger Things, Big Little Lies, The Crown and The Handmaid’s Tale all have in common?

They are produced by steaming networks instead of major broadcasting networks such as NBC, ABC, Fox and CBS, which have dominated the TV industry for so long. Networks such as Netflix, Hulu and HBO, which allow viewers to stream episodes with little to no commercials, are the new powers in the industry.

While watching the Golden Globes this year, most of the shows nominated for major awards were from streaming networks, something almost unfathomable only five years ago.

I remember seeing Netflix come out with its first shows and thinking that it was a recipe for disaster. Who would ever want to watch a show made by Netflix, which was just a tool to watch shows from a variety of networks?

Instead of watching highly regulated TV shows that have strict restrictions forced upon them, shows are becoming much more graphic with nudity and violence. They’re more inclusive, with characters from different backgrounds. Uncensored shows like “Game of Thrones” don’t hold back on showing the graphic details of their characters’ lives. The

show is infamous for its graphic violence and somewhat disturbing sex scenes that would never be allowed on regular networks censored by the FCC.

By making their own shows, Netflix and Hulu cut out the middleman by not having to pay for content from traditional broadcast. All the money they earn comes from subscriptions, which the viewers appreciate as well because they have to watch few to no commercials during their binge watching sprees.

Because these shows are available to watch anytime, instead of scheduled programming times shown on cable networks, it is much more convenient. People want content, they don’t want to wait for one episode at a time. The reason for streaming network’s shows growth in popularity is likely because of their

huge following.

For viewers, streaming networks are a much better deal than regular cable networks. Instead of having to pay something absurd like $120 per month to get all the channels with shows you might not even like, viewers have the option to pay for subscriptions to streaming services that give them availability to all their shows, anytime they want, for relatively low costs such as $7.99 per month for Netflix and Hulu, $8.25 per month for Amazon prime and $14.99 per month for HBO.

It was only a matter of time before streaming giants Netflix and Hulu began producing their own shows, realizing the profit it could make them. Most people want options, and that is what streaming services give them that cable networks will never be able to fully provide.

DANCING QUEEN: Amaka Nwakibu, Hannah Nwakibu’s mother, arrives to their house in the village after her husband is made chief, in December 2016. “That day we spent partying and enjoying our time together as a family,” Hannah Nwakibu said. “In the picture, the people of the village had just come to congratulate my father.”

FAMILY MATTERS: The Nwakibu family— Hannah, Ugo, Amaka, Shalom and Emanuel— pose for a picture in December 2016.

Photos courtesy of Hannah Nwakibu

STAFF STANCE

Increase use of tutors poses threat, culture shift

Aquick scan of the library reveals that many people working there are accompanied by a hired tutor. Students of all ages have began turning to tutors to help them with their school workload. Although tutors are vital for students who may struggle in certain classes or in conceptualizing certain material, it is possible that students have started to take advantage of their tutors, and are, in fact, not learning the information as well as they would by struggling on their own. When used correctly, tutors do offer substantial benefits. According to the U.S. Government Publishing Office, tutoring programs can produce improvements in reading achievement and can also lead to improvements in self-confidence regarding reading. According to David Reinheimer, a distinguished professor and director of the university-wide tutorial program at East Stroudsburg University, and Kelly Mckenzie, a professor of the undeclared advising program at East Stroudsburg University, the nature of tutoring creates a learning environment where knowledge is socially constructed. Tutors and students interact on an informal

On the

basis and material is clarified with contributions made by both parties.

These kinds of benefits have lead to more and more students turning to tutors. However, an issue arises when tutors begin doing the work for the students. If a tutor is practically doing the homework assignments themselves, the student is not actually absorbing the material and ends up doing poorly on the test.

Although this is not the case for every student-tutor pair, it is still an issue that has raised concerns among administration. There has been talk of having tutors who work on campus sign the same Honor Code that the students sign in the beginning of the year, to remind them that they are bound to the same expectations as their students.

As the tutoring culture gains steam, it is important to remember that some students cannot afford tutors and do not have the privilege of working with one. The tutoring culture on campus can put them at a large disadvantage.

For students who grow accustomed to having their tutors clarify material after class, it is easy for them to not pay attention and cause distractions during class.

EDGE

Do students who have tutors have an unfair advantage?

This may not greatly affect their performance, but for those who do not have tutors and rely solely on their teacher to explain the material, class time is precious.

If that culture continues, it has the danger of escalating. If the majority of students during class carry the attitude that learning during class is not important, it will begin to convince teachers of the same thing.

The reality is, the large majority of teachers are very devoted to offering extra help before and after school, but if they begin to assume every student is turning to a tutor, it undermines that effort.

Given the amount of money students pay in order to go to school with teachers who are available for extra help, it would make sense to take advantage of that instead of assuming that getting a tutor is the only option.

If a student feels that they simply don’t align well with the teaching style of their teacher, and can afford an out-of-school tutor, there’s nothing wrong with seeking that alternate form

“I don’t think people having tutors gives them an unfair advantage because if they have one, it’s probably for a reason. I’ve never heard of a specific time when a tutor has done all the work.”

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Julia Beckel

Kathleen Hobson

MANAGING EDITOR

Gillian Campbell

COPY EDITOR

Anastasia Sotiropoulos

DESIGN/PHOTO

EDITOR

Madison Willox, Amanda Warren

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 John Kuehne, Taylor Robertson, Sohaib Raza, Amanda Warren

ADVISER

DiAngelea Millar

of help. It is just important to keep in mind that a tutor is not the only option for out-of-class assistance.

If students continue to hire tutors, simply because it seems to be the thing that everyone else is doing, it could seriously endanger the culture on

be unfortunate if teachers were reinforced to believe that students will rely on their tutors regardless of other options.

“Some kids need help in certain subjects and they have a harder time grasping it. Others don’t understand the way the teacher teaches it, so having a tutor can help certain people.“

Eagle Edition

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:

“Some people do need tutors because they truly need help with understanding a subject, but I’m sure there are some tutors who do all the work.“

“Tutoring is not bad. It is essential for people who actually need it. The only time I have a problem with it is when it comes to ACT tutoring and people end up getting extended time.”

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

Clay Watson, ‘21

Kerrm Ahsan, ‘20

Will Beck, ‘19 Izzy Keene, ‘18

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

Dangerous liaison?

Dear Editors,

When I moved to Dallas this summer, I was anticipating oppressive heat, incredible tex-mex, and lots of pick up trucks. On those fronts, the city hasn’t disappointed!

What has been discouraging, however, is the area’s amazing tolerance for cold. It is shocking. I mean, we actually held school in 15 degree weather? Gut punch! Don’t we all have better things to do here than worry about getting a seat next to a fireplace during our hours of free time? Surely I could be doing more than just keeping up with my toasty wool blanket? And, do we seriously consider attending school when there is precipitation forecasted somewhere in the state? It could come this way and create a slip hazard for goodness sake!! I have 420 children in my care, not to mention the three at home whose #safety is my main concern! I say that we should just forgo school during these treacherous times. Why risk injuring the one part of our body that we are trying to grow in these frigid classrooms? Our future just isn’t worth the risk.

— Head of Upper School Henry Heil

Sex-Ed is taught at ESD Dear Eagle Edition Staff, I read with interest your opinion article on the necessity of a more encompassing sex education curriculum at ESD. I have a couple of questions in response to this article. First, why didn’t anyone visit with me to share these thoughts and perhaps gain a better understanding of the sex-ed scope and sequence at ESD? As someone who is involved in the planning and implementation of sex-ed in grades 5,6,8 and 9, I could have shared what we teach, why we teach it, and when we teach it. Wouldn’t this be valuable information? And wouldn’t this visit be valuable to me in my future planning? Secondly, I am curious what information you feel you have not been taught that you feel you need. The unit in ninth grade is student driven and should cover every issue of interest. You want a comprehensive curriculum that allows you to approach sex and relationships with knowledge and maturity. It is my feeling that the four units of sex ed give each student at ESD the opportunity to learn and think about each of these important topics so he/she can make intelligent and healthy decisions. — Coach Schneider

LETTER FROM THE EDITORS

This issue’s center spread, which covers sexual harassment, highlights a pressing problem within our community, and we greatly encourage everyone to read it carefully and reflect on the stories.

We would like to emphasize that we are not generalizing men by telling these stories, but instead attempting to shine a light on the harassers who are getting away with their offenses. We encourage all students who agree that the “Time is up” to play a part in altering our culture for the better.

— Julia Beckel and Kathleen Hobson

Have you heard about Aziz Ansari?”

Yes, I’ve heard about Aziz Ansari. He’s Tom Haverford on the NBC hit “Parks and Recreation,” the funny guy, “Modern Love” author and self-proclaimed feminist. Also 2018 Golden Globe recipient, the man strutting onto the stage to receive his shiny sphere statue, black “Time’s Up” lapel pin—a reference to the #MeToo movement— glistening. Yes, I’ve heard about Aziz Ansari. And I liked him.

But what I hadn’t heard, not until my friend read it to me as we were mindlessly scrolling through our phones on my couch a couple weeks ago, was this Babe headline: “I went on a date with Aziz Ansari. It turned into the worst night of my life.”

My friend’s sister had forwarded her the article with a text reading, “This one really stings.”

My blood boiled at the irony. The thought of it was disgusting: a man who had spoken openly in interviews about his feminism—the same man who had worn that black pin and tie and shirt in a public display of support, of respecting women in every sense, in the Hollywood industry and in life—now allegedly sexually assaulting one.

Within a second, I snapped into a mode of denial. Not Aziz. It just couldn’t be.

“No way,” I heard myself say. “How do we know it’s true?”

“You can’t pick and choose who to believe,”

my friend responded.

Time’s Up— for everyone

Joining movement against sexual harassment involves more than donning a black pin

I immediately caught myself. She had a point. The fact he’s a charismatic comedian I’ve spent hours laughing to, a public figure who, during stand-up, addressed catcalling and other ways women are harassed daily, doesn’t mean I can dismiss another woman’s 3,000word allegation against him.

Every woman (or man—let’s not forget that nine percent of sexual assault victims are male, according to a National Sexual Violence Resource Center statistic) deserves to be listened to. Completely. Fully. Just because the guy is famous (ahem, Harvey Weinstein), or even widely-respected like Ansari, doesn’t mean he’s in the right.

I’m not here to make a statement on what to think about the anonymous woman’s allegation. Read up on it, and you’ll find that there have been numerous articles regarding the controversies involved in the allegation against him, such as that the way it was written left the story open to too many interpretations, or that, as some put it, Ansari wasn’t a “mindreader.”

It can be easy to say these sources are victimizing the woman, or the exact opposite. The Washington Post published that, “bad dates—including terrible ones that leave one person feeling humiliated—aren’t actually newsworthy, even when they happen to famous people.”

Social media exploded.

“There’s going to be another Powerful Hollywood Man accused of something grotesque, and the most recent Getty photo of him will be from tonight, with his Time’s Up pin on,” one person tweeted.

Harassment is being re-defined, more actively defined. As cited in a New York Times article, an Economist/YouGov survey reports that over one in three American millennials think that a man complimenting a woman’s looks is harassment. There’s a fine line between complimenting and catcalling, but what the general population is perceiving as harassment is changing. For example, that same survey found 25 percent of men to view asking someone for a drink as harassment.

I could write a lengthy exposé in response to this whole situation, but what I don’t want to happen is for the Time’s Up movement be derailed or a woman’s story invalidated because of one allegation.

According to a Jan. 23 poll of 209 students, 86 percent of students support the #MeToo movement. I’m one of them.

Wearing black in solidarity was a way for women to address questions other than, “Who are you wearing?” but rather, “Why are you wearing that?”

The answer? They wore black to mourn the fact that some pin-donning men think the time of mistreating women is finally up— except for them.

–Anastasia Sotiropoulos

My plaid skirt will live on forever

Senior laments parting with her favorite school uniform

By Gillian Campbell

An ode to my navy green-gold plaid skirt. Not an ode to the set of septuplets all hanging in a row in my closet, but just to my favorite.

You will always be my most treasured skirt. You may look like all the others, but I can tell you apart. To me, you hold a special place in my heart.

I have many skirts, but none roll at the waistband so perfectly like you do. Just one time does the trick.

You are a renaissance skirt. A short one at all times and a slightly longer one when going up for communion. I thank you for helping me skirt out of demerits, or whatever disciplinary actions we receive now in a flash. You have helped me roll through high school without getting scolded and reprimanded for your length.

Unlike some of the others, you have a pocket. What kind of a skirt has pockets? You. Because you are perfect in every pleat. Pockets make every item of clothing ten times more practical. I appreciate that you do not have fake pockets the way most women’s pants do.

I love the way you have matured with me. As I have gotten taller, stronger and wiser, you’ve gotten shorter, softer and duller. No one keeps me warmer. Your seven inches in length may not cover below eight inches from the top of my knee, but, somehow, you manage to succeed. I never get cold—not even during my brisk morning trek from senior lot to senior hall.

I love the way you smell after I douse you in my perfume. It is a last minute attempt by me to make you smell fresh, because you are too holy for a bath in water and suds. You only deserve a frantic perfume spritzing before I run out the door on Wednesday mornings.

When the time comes for seniors to decorate their uniforms in their future college’s colors, I will not choose you. You have never hurt me, so why would I hurt you?

Do not compare yourself to others, my dear skirt. Unlike the traditional loose-fitting navy dress slacks, you are not to be worn with a dark belt. You do not need anyone to pull you up. You are strong and fierce on your own.

I will choose you to come to college with me instead. I’ll need you. I know I can count on you whenever I need a last-minute costume for Halloween.

Please do not take it personally that I will not wear you every day next year. I’m sorry, but I just cannot be an outfit-repeater for another four years. Do not confuse the frequency of how much I use and abuse you with how much I love you.

And when I graduate from college, do not feel like your reign as my favorite navy greengold plaid has ended. You will, like ancient relics do in a museum, be displayed in my closet on a hanger. This says a lot, considering most of my wardrobe spends its life on my floor.

I will even write you up a placard. It shall

read, “Here hangs the favorite navy greengold plaid skirt of Gillian Campbell while in Upper School in the years 2014-2018. The only skirt allowed to be worn during high school years according to ESD uniform requirements , written and revised each year. Brought out of retirement from 2018 Fall to Spring 2022 for collegiate events.”

Social media posts, conservation efforts prompt debate on hunting

PRO: Hunting helps conservation efforts, is a deep-rooted American tradition

By John Kuehne

The scrutinization of hunting is ridiculous. This past time should be encouraged because it is a tradition for many families and is regulated by conservationists and game wardens alike. Going out to the ranch, getting up early for a 6 a.m. hunt and coming back to watch football for the rest of the afternoon is as American as it gets.

Populations are kept in check and a certain number of animals can’t be killed during a specific season, so any concern about any cruelty is thrown out the window. Often times, hunting is used to regulate populations on a ranch. Ranchers will calculate how many of any specific type of animal they need to kill during hunting season and aim to kill only that amount.

As far as exotic hunting goes, there is a line that shouldn’t be crossed but are plenty of instances where I would be glad to go on an exotic hunt. First, all these hunts aren’t easy or cheap. Often requiring miles of hiking and thousands of dollars, you’re getting out what you put in when you hunt exotic animals. Most of these African hunts are legal and regulated, and the real enemies are poachers. A poacher hunts animals illegally and is often referred to in the context of land rights.

In 2014, a Texas Tech cheerleader faced controversy after posting pictures on Facebook of her hunting lions, rhinos and zebras, causing quite an outrage among the wildlife preservation community. I sided with her then and I side with her now. What she did was in a controlled environment and totally legal. It’s often times that the hunters spark the conversation about wildlife preservation because they want to continue to hunt, and that’s exactly what that cheerleader did. The hunters hunt these animals because they want to continue to hunt them, which sounds like it contradicts itself, but it doesn’t, because the money profited from the hunts is used to help fund conservation efforts. She was using her negative press to her advantage and continued to carry out the conversation of preserving wildlife.

Now sure, hunting an animal that’s in extinction’s waiting room won’t pay for any conservation efforts because the whole point is that its population is endangered, but I have no problem hunting big game animals that have a more acceptable population number. Hunting a rhino with less than 1,000 left in population is undoubtedly wrong, but lions with around 20,000 left in population is fine. And, of course, the regular deer or duck hunt is acceptable and encouraged because they’re not at all endangered.

percent of students think hunting is a sport according to a Jan. 23 poll of 209 students

CON: Hunting kills endangered animals, harms populations and economies

By Victoria Willox

Hunting: a noble “sport” that protects defenseless towns from primitive animals, regulates wildlife and generates tourism. Nevermind the dangers this “sport” presents to civilians and economies, or the permanent damage hunting has on the delicate ecosystem of wild animals. One more trophy on the living room wall is well worth any form of destruction.

Every year in the United States, around 100 people die in hunting accidents, but unlike other recreational sports, hunting endangers the entire community. Studies show that car and deer collisions increase dramatically during hunting season because hunters scare the deer out of the woods and onto roads, which results in over 200 deaths per year.

Many hunters promote population control to justify hunting. However, state wildlife management agencies purposely keep the deer population high, for hunters, and the removal of deer from the population results in more food per deer, which leads to the births of more twins and triplets. Lands managed for hunting are often purchased and maintained with tax dollars.

Texas is home to a significant amount of big game hunters who spend roughly $200 million each year on hunting in Africa, but only three percent of those funds go to local villages. Also, the majority of tourists come to observe Africa’s wildlife, not shoot it, and if big game hunting continues, it could kill off a portion of Africa’s tourism income, which depends on exotic animals.

Unlike nature, which preys on the weak, big game hunters target the strongest members of their population. For lions, that means the male pride leader, and for elephants, the oldest elephant with the most prominent tusks. Killing these animals, who play a crucial role in their societies, puts the rest of their families at risk.

Lions have lost 95 percent of their population since the 1940s, and today, there are only 20,000 to 35,000 wild lions left in Africa. Big game hunters legally kill around 600 each year. The African elephants face a similar fate with their population dropping from the millions in 2000 to a minuscule 500,000 today. Even with this knowledge, trophy hunters kill about 105,000 animals in Africa every year, including 600 elephants and 800 leopards.

Hunting is not a sport that can be played or won. The ability to wipe out another species is too much power for any group. Humans have misused this power before, which caused multiple species to go extinct.

percent of students are against trophy hunting according to a Jan. 23 poll of 209 students

Hollywood prioritizes profit over production

By John Calvert

Did you know that “The Emoji Movie” made a net profit

$167 million?

Despite holding the title for the worst reviewed film of 2017, despite being universally panned and ridiculed for weeks after its release, the picture was a financial success for Sony.

This is both depressing and indicative of larger trends.

The entertainment industry has always presented itself as focused on the bottom line, and low quality rubbish looms like a specter over the entirety of cinematic history. For every “King Kong vs. Godzilla,” however, there was always a “Lawrence of Arabia.” Back then, film companies put, at the very least,

effort into making their products.

In recent years, however, studios seem to have become more focused on profit than producing content that is of high quality, or even enjoyable. Every month sees a slew of belated sequels for forgotten films, inferior remakes of popular classics and adaptations of poorly written romance and sci-fi novels. Of the few original scripts written nowadays, the majority are watered down as per the request of the producer, or were simply trash to begin with. Dialogue is unnatural, plots are predictable and characters are wholly unlikeable.

A few decent films manage to arrive in theaters every few months, though they are few and far between, and simply don’t sell as well as schlock like the latest “Transformers” movie.

That is the root of the problem.

Why would a studio spend the time and money to make good movies that might not

sell, when they can instead make garbage that’s guaranteed to make millions? Marvel, for example, releases multiple superhero movies every year, and is slated to do so for decades to come. Every one of these picture’s plot is the same—some hero would encounter a villain from a forgotten comic book written back when “golly” was considered a swear, then defeat them by the end of the movie using nothing but plot conveniences, all the while teasing the next 170 “Avengers” films. They may be bland and predictable, only really good at killing time, but they fill theaters, so why make anything else? Sure, there are always Oscarbait indie movies, but they receive little, if any, exposure. Most run for about a week at some hipster theater, watched only by snobs and the elderly. The lucky ones, the few that manage to catch the public’s eye, get the honor of being shown on domestic American Airlines flights.

People need to stop going to the movies in order to stop supporting the theaters that display this trash. Stop throwing your money at the companies that make it. For God’s sake, stop wasting your precious time on Earth watching terrible movies.

But, let’s be honest.

People are awful when it comes to making decisions, nobody doubts that, so they will continue to go out and spend hours at a time stuffing their faces to the sounds of lightsaber duels and exploding helicopters.

Americans, albeit in shrinking numbers, continue to spend billions at cinemas annually. The Chinese and Japanese love this garbage, ticket sales overseas more than compensate for lost earnings over here. Studios are still making money, and actors still rake in millions.

Let’s just hope the apocalypse comes soon, lest we be cursed to forever sit through awful movies.

Moments with Margaret

Accutane destroyed my health, confidence

Severe acne can have serious social and psychological consequences—I know this, because I suffered from acne most of my teenage years. I’d ingrained into my mind that coming to school without makeup and exposing my acne to the world was social suicide.

Even though the makeup I caked onto my skin caused me to break out even more, I was convinced it was better than looking ugly. I wanted an easy fix, a magic cure that would grant me perfect, glowing skin, so when my dermatologist suggested Accutane, I thought I’d finally found it.

The six following months were hell—taking Accutane was one of the worst decisions of my life. My physical and mental health crumbled, and it didn’t even work. Hair loss, nose bleeds, chapped lips, flaking skin, eczema, depression, liver damage and bloodshot eyes just to name a few. The best part? Most of them don’t go away! Accutane is notorious for causing lifelong side effects. It’s been three years and I still suffer from hair loss and eczema. Bottom line—don’t take Accutane.

I believed Accutane was an elixir for my acne, it was the only action I took to take care of my skin. I wouldn’t worry when I accidentally fell asleep in my makeup, forgot to wash my face, or ate junk food nonstop. I was certain that Accutane was going to clear my skin for me, but there is no quick fix to glowing skin.

Accutane works by shrinking your oil glands, slowing down your cell production inside your pores and killing acne bacteria. The drug has been sold in the United States since 1982 and technically should only be used on recalcitrant nodular acne—red, swollen, painful lumps—on your skin.

Most will take up Accutane the second they spot a pimple. Mild acne can be cured by a simple cream, but people like to take it to extremes. Dermatologists should only prescribe Accutane to patients with severe acne who are using it as a last resort—that is what it is made for.

The drug is ranked in the top ten of the US Food and Drug Administration’s database of drugs, which is associated to depression and suicide attempts. It can also severely impact your liver. I had to visit a hospital once a month to get my blood drawn in the morning before school in order to make sure my inner organs weren’t destroyed.

When my acne didn’t go away my dermatologist was astonished.

“Wow—you’ve got acne and you’ve got it bad,” she said. My heart dropped as I stared down at my dangling feet. I knew she was going to suggest raising the dosage, but my wellbeing couldn’t survive that.

Accutane did not clear my skin, so I switched dermatologists and took an entirely different route which did not involve any drugs. What worked best for me was the Eclipse MicroPen which is a needling device that creates microinjuries in your skin forcing it to quickly heal creating an improved skin layer.

I commonly hear people claim that Accutane is the best and only way to cure acne, but by the amount of harm it causes, it should be illegal. It has become such a widespread drug that more and more people are taking it who don’t even need to. This is absurd. Accutane ruins people’s lives, so why take it if you don’t even have serious acne? Even for those with severe acne, no matter how terrible you believe your skin to be—there are other solutions.

Overcoming struggles with Dyslexia leads to writer’s success in school

By Gwyneth Zogg

Voyaging through Barnes and Noble as a first grader was like scaling Mount Olympus, probing the unknown and unseen. The recommended starter chapter books for my age were like exposés of the human body. I was not intimidated, though. I chose the biggest chapter book with the smallest text. Every night past curfew, I would slip out of bed, not to read, but to study letters and words. I was fascinated. When attempting to read long paragraphs, however, I was left in confusion. This was my life as a dyslexic seven-year-old.

Reading and writing were ironically some of my favorite activities; little did I know that I ranked “below average” on both. This came as a shock to me because people naturally enjoy doing things they are good at. Still, steps needed to be taken to get me back on track. Placed in “Jumpstart” (a speech class) in first grade was no punishment at all; writing words in shaving cream was the Holy Grail for a first grader. Every other day I got to miss

30 minutes of class to go work on skills I loved. I was in that class until it got too full in fourth grade and I suddenly “graduated.” Of course, I still could not read efficiently by this point, so my parents transferred me to another school that could assist me.

The June Shelton School is where I experienced a full turn around in my academic life. I was placed in two English classes, one to focus on speech and the other to focus on reading. Every day, I sat around an oval-shaped table with my class, going over the pronunciation of letters. It sometimes felt redundant and unnecessary, yet, I began to understand that words fit into different categories, like verbs, nouns and prepositions. I learned that in forming a sentence, one must have a subject and an action, all of which were lost in translation before. Walking from class to class, I always studied the same wall of photos, admiring all of the successful people with learning disabilities like Einstein and Whoopi Goldberg. My fear of this “disability” holding me back in life was never a worry again, and instead, it became a characteristic by which I felt encouraged. Each spring, when testing came around, I

OR HIT MISS

Cookie Monster

Sophomore Selam Gillet sold over 450 boxes of girl scout cookies to the upper school. Thanks to her, students don’t have to hunt down Girl Scouts.

Bring it On

Competitive cheer won first place in the high school intermediate division at the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders National Competition this past weekend.

Cherub’s JSB

was again reminded of how I could actually succeed.

Determined to overcome this learning disability, I read every night out loud to hear myself and catch any mistakes made. I met with my English teacher outside of class and made hundreds of Quizlets for spelling tricks. Over time, this disability became a strength, as I was uniquely qualified to dissect language and interpret it.

After years of stumbling over words, I now raise my hand to read in class and write as the Life Editor for our school newspaper. I have the knowledge of understanding myself as a learner, my weaknesses and strengths and how to improve those weaknesses and exploit those strengths. Taking my time reading through my history textbook, making smart sheets of key information for a test and re-reading all essays has proved extremely beneficial. When I heard “learning difference” as a child, I pictured an old man whose weakening eyesight kept him from reading the newspaper successfully. This, of course, was wrong. Dyslexia isn’t always easy to work with, but in the grand scheme of things, I am able to look at this “disability” as a strength.

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

We Want Snow

Students hoped for a snow day Jan. 16 but despite the icy roads, school was not canceled. The start of the new semester has provided many challenges; we could have used the extra sleep.

The Big Sick

Neighboring private schools, Jesuit and Bishop Lynch, canceled two days of school last week because of the overwhelming amount of flu cases. On campus, students and faculty have slowly started getting sick, yet school remains in session.

This year at the Junior Symphony Ball, electro-indie duo Cherub performed their hit songs “Doses and Mimosas” and “Heart.” It was a refreshing change from the usual country bands that perform.

Cough drops needed

Students obnoxiously coughed during chapel on Jan,31. It got so loud that Rev. Heller had to ask on the microphone for students to stop and remember where they were.

BOOKWORM: The avid reader spends an afternoon in the Gill Library reading about the English Philosopher Socrates.

Photo by Julia Beckel

SPORTS

Mens soccer rebuilds program

Underclassmen step up, comprise over half of the team after losing

By Melissa Rivera and Lauren Egger

After losing three starting seniors, four weeks into the season, mens varsity soccer still hopes for a success.

Seniors Mark Minissale, Nick Greenberg and Campbell Smith quit the team on the same day, right before counter games began.

“We didn’t want to hurt the team, so we initially decided to play at the beginning of the season,” Smith said, “But then we all decided we didn’t want to play anymore when we weren’t made captains.”

Although all three were hesitant to come out to play this year, they were caught off-guard when Coach Mark Gardner announced this years captains.

“One of the reasons I did come out to play was because I thought I would be a captain, since I made and contributed to varsity since I was a freshman,” Minissale said.

“But when I didn’t, I didn’t feel valued.”

captain thing. But, if somebody tells you they are thinking about not playing before the season starts, you want people to be there who want to be there.”

The current captains are senior Landry Shive, junior Arturo Pozo and sophomore Brodie Burke.

“We have such a young team, so we, [the coaches], felt it was really important to have a young captain, and that’s where Brodie came in,” Gardner said. “Brodie works really hard. Then Arturo was almost elected unanimously, and Landry provides upperclassmen leadership.”

“[Losing the seniors] is going to be challenging, but I think it’s going to make us stronger in the end.”

–Sophomore Brodie Burke

Gardner and the rest of the team were disappointed when the players decided to quit, but ultimately, they agreed that every player should want to be on the team and to be fully committed.

“If a player is not in it all the way for a sport, they probably shouldn’t play,” Gardner said. “I know they are not happy about the whole

Burke feels ready for the responsibilities of captain and is ready to prove himself as a right fit. His goal is to bring the underclassmen together and gain their trust on the field.

“[Losing the seniors] is going to be challenging, but I think it’s going to make us stronger in the end,” Burke said. “The younger kids that are going to play now will be even more prepared in the future because they are getting more playing time.”

This season, the mens soccer team is made up of mostly underclassmen. Out of the 19 players on the team, 14 are underclassmen and nine of them start.

“It’s a challenge [having mostly

underclassmen], but I have to give them a lot of credit because they are stepping up,” Gardner said. “We have a lot of things to work on, obviously, but that’s the way it is—you take baby steps.”

The team has lost three of their counter games and tied one, but they are working hard to ensure a spot in SPC.

“This team has definitely faced its fair share of adversity this season,” Shive said. “But if we can improve the chemistry between the players that are still on the roster, hopefully we can win a good amount of games against SPC competition.”

Starting midfielder junior Trey Brooks is excited to see what the future holds for the team.

“Although we may not want to admit it, losing such key players has caused us to struggle a bit in terms of our team’s dynamic and passing on the field,” Brooks said. “Of course, we’ll miss them, but I still have faith that the underclassman will grow tremendously during these couple months and come back stronger next season.”

The Eagles will take on Cistercian tonight, Friday, Feb. 2. Although Minissale and the other seniors won’t be on the field, they still wish the team the best.

“I do not regret my decision, [but] I miss playing in games and going to SPC,” Minissale said. “Even though I quit, I still want them to be successful and I will still support them.”

On Deck

Feb. 2

Mens varsity soccer and varsity basketball will take on the Cistercian Preparatory School on the Hawk’s home court and field. Soccer is at 6 p.m. and basketball is at 7 p.m.

Womens varsity basketball and varsity soccer plan on crushing the Daisies at Hockaday. Basketball is at 7:30 p.m. and soccer is at 5 p.m.

Feb. 3

The wrestling team will travel to Houston to compete in the State Championships at the Episcopal High School and St. John’s. The first match will begin at 9 a.m. at the Episcopal High School.

Feb. 6

Mens and womens varsity basketball will play against Oakridge in the competition gym. Womens is at 5 p.m. and mens is at 7 p.m. JV, 5 p.m. in the Haggar gym.

Womens and mens varsity soccer will take on Oakridge on the turf. Womens is at 5 p.m. and mens is at 7 p.m.

Feb. 15-17

Mens and womens varsity basketball, soccer and wrestling will travel to Houston to compete against rivals in the winter Southwest Preparatory Conference.

three seniors

“ ”

It’s a challenge [having mostly underclassmen], but I have to give them a lot of credit because they are stepping up. We have a lot of things to work on, obviously, but that’s the way it is—you take baby steps,

Coach Mark Gardner

Another victory for womens soccer

Womens varsity soccer crushed the Casady Cyclones on the turf on Jan. 19. The Eagles scored four points in total and blocked all score attempts from the Cyclones, resulting in an overall score of 4-0.

“The weather was cold and windy which is always difficult to play soccer in, but I noticed that the girls were able to adapt and work well together to win the game,” junior Emma Viquez said.

GET’CHA HEAD IN THE GAME: The mens soccer team huddles up at their game against Grapevine Faith on Nov. 30 at home. “Our captains gathered us all before the start of the game to give us some motivation, “ sophomore Max Duffner said. “They also took this opportunity to explain how we were a young team and that the underclassmen needed to step up.”

Photo by Savannah Troutt

EAGLE EYE

NOTEABLE:

With a final score of 43-41, the womens varsity basketball team defeated the Casady Cyclones on Jan. 19 in the competition gym.

“Our team really came together and bonded from the experience,” junior Lauren Shilling said. “We were able to share the excitement and adrenaline together, which pushed us to become a better team.”

MENS BASKETBALL

NOTEABLE:

Mens varsity basketball crushed Fort Worth Country Day, 44-27, on Jan. 23 on the Falcon’s home court.

“We played with high intensity the whole game,” senior Saxon Thompson said. “We were tenacious defending the ball and it ultimately helped us win.”

MENS SOCCER

NOTEABLE:

On Jan. 25, the mens varsity soccer team lost against the Home School Athletic Association, 1-3 on the turf.

“We were passing well and holding the ball, but we [were] creating chances and not finishing them,” sophomore Henry Isom said.

WOMENS SOCCER

NOTEABLE:

The womens varsity soccer team defeated the Falcons on Jan. 23 at Fort Worth Country Day. The game ended with a score of 8-0.

“Coach Renshaw switched almost everyone around to different positions during the game so it took some getting used to,” sophomore Catherine Blaylock said. “It was cool to do well and win by so much even though we were playing in different spots.”

WRESTLING

NOTEABLE:

Juniors Reece Breaux and Samy Dar won their first matches at the Eagle Invitational on Jan. 27. Senior Ken Zhang and junior Kennedy Banks also won one of their matches.

“I stayed in position and caught him out of position and took advantage,” junior Reece Breaux said. “It feels good to have my work pay off.”

Team unifies in spite of defeat

Mens basketball looks ahead to game against Cistercian Preparatory School

By Sydney Rezaie

After a close game against St. Marks, ending in a score of 55-48, the varsity mens basketball team faced their eighth loss of the season.

“It was an upsetting game to lose because we knew we were better than them, and we knew we should have beat them,” junior Hank Parsons said. “We knew exactly what we did wrong, right when we did it in the game, which made it extremely aggravating when we failed to fix our mistakes, ultimately costing us the game.”

This season, six of the 11 players on the team are seniors, and four are juniors. There is only one underclassman on the team.

“When we are playing a close game, the seniors always guide the younger players by using their experience from past years,” Sutter said. “Next year, as seniors, hopefully Keller, Hank, Evan and I will help the younger players, like how they helped us.”

“It was an upsetting game to lose because we knew we were better than them, and we knew we should have beat them.”

—Junior Hank Parsons

At the start of the first quarter, the Eagles hit the court with a bang. However, as the game went on, the team didn’t look to pass the ball enough and got too absorbed with the crowd.

“As a team, we didn’t get many negative stops on defensive in a row to keep them tight,” junior Davis Sutter said. “We also didn’t capitalize on offense when we needed to.”

By Sydney Rezaie and Emily Delgado

Similarly, the Lions have eight seniors and four juniors on their team of 17.

They have two underclassman on the team. How-

ever, St. Mark’s sophomore Andrew Laczkowski, and freshman Harrison Ingram, are two of the team’s best players.

against Arlington/Grand Prairie Texas International Charter school on Jan. 6 winning, 74-48.

“Even though Saxon was out because of an ankle sprain, as a team, we came together,” Connelly said. “We moved the ball well and Keller and Antonio picked up the slack for Saxon not being there.”

Senior Antonio Lapeyrolerie was the team’s leading scorer with 20 points and 12 rebounds. He was followed by junior Keller Casey with 19 points and 18 rebounds and senior Ben Taber with 11 points and 5 rebounds.

“Next year, as seniors, hopefully Keller, Hank, Evan and I will help the younger players, like how they helped us.”

—Junior Davis Sutter

“It’s gonna be tough my senior year playing against St. Marks, since I am the only underclassman on the team now,” sophomore Jake Connelly said. “Our team is going suffer severe losses after the juniors graduate.”

The team played one of their best games

“During the Arlington game, we played upbeat and fast,” Lapeyrolerie said. “I felt really comfortable shooting. It was one of my best games.” Tonight, the Eagles play Cistercian Preparatory School, who have a record of 7-6.

“These next three games are critical for us and we need to start off with beating Cistercian,” Casey said. “We’ve put in the hours and effort, and we are prepared for the upcoming moment.

By the numbers: stats as of Jan. 31

ALL THE WAY: Sophomore Jake Connelly dribbles down the court in a regular season game against St. Marks on Jan. 12. “During this play in the third quarter I was about to get doubled, so I fed to the post inside,” sophomore Jake Connelly said. Photo by Julia Beckel

Fast & furious

By Anastasia Sotiropoulos

Senior varsity soccer captain conquers ACL tears, junior captain takes on World Cup

VIQUEZ center midfielder

#10

As the Costa Rican womens national soccer team’s coach called out the starting lineup for the World Cup game against the U.S., scribbling corresponding positions on the board, team captain junior Emma Viquez froze as she heard her name.

“My face went red, my heart stopped and my stomach dropped,” she said. “I was playing right back.”

Since Viquez was three-years-old, she’s been kicking a soccer ball. Staying up until 3 a.m. one night, her father spent hours compiling and exporting highlight videos of Viquez in action to YouTube.

Changing the course of her soccer career forever, he sent the link to the director of the national Costa Rican team.

A Costa Rican herself, Viquez left for Central America during her freshman year to tryout with the U17 team, ages 13 to 17.

Dozens of hours spent waiting in lines and a dual citizenship later, Viquez received her cedula, a Costa Rican ID, and joined the team.

“They got the initial impression that coming from the U.S., you come from a lot of money and that you are better than them,” she said. “I got the feeling that they were unsure [whether to be] accepting because they had been together for so long, and a newcomer coming in was very difficult.”

But the girls bonded and Viquez officially joined the team, soon going on to play a scrimmage against the University of Miami.

“That was

really tough, playing 20-yearolds,” she said. “Tough be cause the caliber was really high—the body size, the athleticism. But it was a great experience of playing together.”

The game served as practice for the World Cup in Granada.

Viquez was chosen to play in the Cup as one of just 20 players, heading off for two weeks to face teams such as Mexico, Jamaica and even the U.S.

“Everyday, I would get a call from my parents,” she said. “My whole, entire family in the United States would be at my house watching the game, and everyone in Costa Rica would be at one house watching.”

Although Viquez is out this season because of an ACL tear, MCL sprain and bruised patella, she looks for ward to continuing her career with the national team.

“Before I got injured and af ter Grenada, I got moved up to the U20 team,” she said. “Now, my dream is to play with the Senior National Team of Costa Rica.”

#7 TYLA TOLBERT center back

Pop. Center back and team captain senior Tyla Tolbert hits the ground, feeling and hearing a familiar popping in her right leg.

She glances up at her mom on the sidelines, pain radiating from her knee.

“I knew right when I hit the ground,” Tolbert said. “I looked up, and my mom was on the ground, balling.”

Her sophomore year, Tolbert tore her ACL—a player’s worst fear—for the second time. The year before, she had torn it playing for Plano East Varsity against ESD.

“When I found out, I was devastated,” she said. “I cried for about a week.”

With healing a torn ACL taking nine months to a year, tearing it twice meant a lot of time off the field and in doctor’s offices. After surgery in December of her junior year, she entered rehab to re-learn how to walk, run and pass.

“The mental hurdle is the hardest thing to overcome,” she said. “You are always worried, ‘If I step wrong, am

I going to tear it again and have to redo this process?’ I ended up having to go to a sports psychology doctor just to get back on the field for the second time.”

The first time Tolbert tore her ACL, she hit the field again much sooner than estimated.

“I actually came back in five and a half months, which is really hard to do,” she said. “My best advice is, if your doctor says you are not ready at six months, listen. If I had taken the full nine months, I probably wouldn’t have torn it for the second time.”

Tolbert has since fully recovered, made the FC Dallas DA Team (one step below the Women’s National Team), and on Jan. 9, played in her first counter game since her second tear. Through two tears, months of therapy and the mental anguish that came with it, Tolbert’s love for soccer remained unwavering.

“I love being the last line of defense,” she said. “I think I handle pressure very well. I like to battle, being able to make that big save.”

Tolbert’s faith has guided her through this strenuous process, teaching her that she is a lot stronger than she thought she was.

“Mentally, even when your body says I’m done, if your mind is strong, you can do anything,” she said. “God has a plan for each of us. Whether it’s soccer or football or basketball—whatever your path may be—He wouldn’t give you those talents if He didn’t want you to use them. So use them.”

DOUBLE TROUBLE

Senior wrestling captain Rowen Brown has won eight out of his three duals so far in the season. He’s also ranked fifth in TAPS sand SPC combined.

“When Rowen was sick, he still came to practice to support everybody and get them ready for their matches,” junior Kennedy Banks. “He has helped me improve my techniques and become a better wrestler.”

Guard Kelsey Wittmann has played on the varsity womens basketball team since her sophomore year. She leads the teams with a three point percentage, at 23.08, and has scored 20 points this season.

“I’ve really and truly seen an improve ment with communication and being aggressive with the ball within the last few weeks,” Wittmann said. “Not only in practice but also in the games and we’ve really just gelled as a team.”

Rowen Brown, senior

Kelsey Wittmann, junior

Swimmers work to improve personal times

Swim Team hopes to break individual records, prepare for SPC

By Julia Beckel

Despite not having an official swim team, this year ESD athletics has a group of students representing the school in the pool.

Sophomore Isabella Pfister, junior Jackson Mechem and freshman Grace Knudson swim competitively on their own in addition to participating in swim meets for the school. Knudson swims with the Elite Swim Program at the Jewish Community Center pool, Pfister with the Dallas Mustangs and Mechem with the Town North YMCA.

Math Department Chair Maggie Ferris is the team’s sponsor, but team mom Maya Pfister signs students up for meets and organizes the schedule. The team doesn’t practice together, but instead swims separately with their individual club teams and comes together at meets to represent ESD.

“Swimming

ify for SPC, where they will be ranked individually as well as awarded school rankings.

“We have to qualify for SPC, but we’re all fast, so we will qualify,” Mechem said.

The swimmers’ individual points are totaled for a team score.

“Last year, Hockaday won, and since we only have three people, we won’t rank,” Knudson said.

The athletes dedicate around fifteen hours a week to competitive swimming. Morning and afternoon practices consume the players’ time.

“I practice six days a week, two hours a day, sometimes more,” Pfister said.

—Sophomore Isabella Pfister

“I swim butterfly and then anything freestyle,” Pfister said. “We don’t really have a coach so I am able to do what I want.”

Mechem competes in the 50 meters free and 100 meters butterfly. Knudson participates in the 50 meters freestyle, 100 meters freestyle and 200 meters freestyle as well as breaststroke at ESD swim meets.

“You have to have particular times for club meets to swim that race,” Knudson said. “I don’t have a fast enough time for the breaststroke to swim at club meets yet. I’m practicing them at ESD swim meets, so I can work on getting a lower time and start swimming the breaststroke at club meets.”

The team is confident in their ability to qual-

Despite ESD swim being a winter sport, the athletes compete in club swim all year.

“I get an exemption for a sports credit,” Knudson said. “[But] you can be on the ESD swim team and not get a sports credit. You can just go swim at swim meets for fun.”

Knudson has swam since second grade, but began competing in the section level in seventh grade.

“I plan on continuing swimming through high school, reaching the Junior Nationals level and, hopefully, I’ll continue it through college,” Knudson said.

Mechem has swam for the past six years and is continually working to improve his times. Knudson’s goal for the season is to qualify for the Texas State swim meet.

“I hope to go to Sections, so I need to train really hard, get my endurance up and be a team player to achieve those times,” Knudson said.

At the Jan. 29 Greenhill Invitational Knudson won first place in the 25 yard butterfly and 25 yard breaststroke, and Mechem placed first in the 25 yard fly and second in 100 IM and 50 yard backstroke.

The team is looking to improve their skills and performance as swimmers.

“Swimming is a super competitive sport, and so I’m just doing my best,” Pfister said. “I’m really into it, but I don’t put a lot of pressure on it. I try my best and I love the sport.”

MAKE A SPLASH: Junior Jackson Mechem swims at a Greenhill School meet Jan. 27. This was Mechem’s sixth year swimming and he hopes to qualify for SPC.

“Grace and I both got wins and improved our times,” Mechem said. “It felt so rewarding to win after all the hard work I’ve put in.”

Photo by Savannah Troutt

Julie Schiller

New womens’ tennis coach hopes to make change

By Sohaib Raza

What inspired you to take up tennis? Why do you like tennis?

I started playing tennis at a very young age. I didn’t love it at first. It wasn’t until I made my high school tennis team when I really started to love it. There are a lot of reasons now, as I have played in high school, college and post-college, that I love it all the more. One reason was the social aspect of it. When I was playing with a team, we had fun together, supported each other and motivated each other. When I moved place to place and came to Dallas from New Jersey, I made so many friends through tennis. Another reason I took up tennis is the mental challenge and physicality part of it. I love the challenge of battling against somebody when you’re down, and you know you can still come back and pull out of it.

What brought you to ESD specifically?

I used to teach tennis, both at clubs and at the high school level in New

learned about the program and the team, I was interested. Now that I’m here, I’m really looking forward to the season and how I will be able to enhance the quality of ESD’s tennis program.

What are your goals for the tennis team?

My main goal is that we play and practice as a team, and develop both fundamental skills and mental skills and strategies for both singles and doubles. I am really looking to improve both the skills and tactics of the players, as well as their strategy and how they handle themselves on the court.

What other schools have you coached at?

I played Division I tennis at the University of Delaware. I also coached at the high school level for Jackson Township High School. I was the boys and girls coach, so I was able to coach them separately in different seasons, but what was interesting

levels of players.

What are you looking for in students that want to make the team? A lot of what I am looking for in students are things that aren’t actually related to the game of tennis itself. How hard are you working? Are you showing up? Are you mentally keeping yourself positive, even when you get down, and trying to work your way out of it? Those are really big things for me. I think other things can be taught and developed. For me, it’s really about the personalities of the players and what I am able to see in them for the first couple of weeks of practice.

What will the team be doing differently this year from last year in terms of preparation for SPC 2018?

Our practices are going to be a lot more regimented. We are going to be working on skills, match play and mental toughness. Rather than coming out, warming up, and playing,

GAME FACE: New tennis coach Julie Schiller prepares to return a ball across the court during a friendly match. “I am aware that I have different mentality, but I hope to be a positive change to the team,” Schiller said. Photo courtesy of Julie Schiller

GOLDEN RINGS: Seniors shout during the “Twelve Days of Christmas” chapel on Jan. 5. This tradition was started by former journalism adviser Barbara Meier. “The ‘Twelve days of Christmas’ chapel has always been so fun and exciting,” senior Mary Crow Miller said. “Watching the senior classes in the past scream ‘FIVE GOLDEN RINGS’ has been so intense.”

by Rachel Morrow

2. MAGIC SAND: Alumni parent Rob Hull shares his augmented reality sandbox that he created to aid the sixth graders in understanding topography. Their project involved building a topographic map out of cardboard. “What’s taken them weeks to do is something you can do in seconds in this sandbox,” chemistry teacher Anneke Ossorio said. “It’s such a unique opportunity that I brought my class in to see it, too.” Photo by Kerrm Ahsan

3. GAME OF THRONES: Junior Abby Stanford admires senior AP art student Patrick Skalniak’s piece Remnants. The sculpture is oak, steel and pyrography on cedar. “The medieval times inspired me to do the piece,” Skalniak said. “I love Game of Thrones, so I decided to make my own version of the medieval times.”

Photo by Margaret Smith

4 GROWING STRONG: Junior Maddie Tong prunes a vine in Botany Club. The club started this year. “Botany provides an opportunity to do something that’s completely separate from academics,” Tong said. “But I also like that we still contribute to our community and our environment.”

Photo by Melissa Rivera

5. EN VOGUE: Seniors Maddie Esping, Murphy Pressley, William Cooper and Brandon Meaux celebrate the ‘80s on Jan.11. The senior class decked out in themed attire for the rally day. “80s day was one of the better rally days,” Esping said. “It was so funny seeing what everyone came up with to wear, and we nailed it.”

6. WRITE ON: The Upper School English Department hosted Bret Anthony Johnson author of novel “Remember Me Like This” and story collection “Corpus Christi: Stories” on Jan. 11. Senior Ellery Marshall heard him speak during her film class. “He was incredibly thoughtful and honest,” Marshall said. “I read one of his short stories, and it was one of those stories that holds your attention not just while you’re reading it, but it was one that I couldn’t stop thinking about for a week.”

7. CUT IT OUT: Freshmen Ally Jeter, Laura Gillies and Monse Rodriguez dissect a rat in biology to learn hands-on about the digestive system. Rodriguez cut open the rat as Jeter and Gillies observed. “It was interesting to see how the digestive system works in my own eyes,” Jeter said. Photo

8. WHEEL OF FORTUNE: A-period wheel throwing class works on centering their clay on Jan. 18. Junior William Turner squeezes out the water in the sponge he used to work with his clay. “Ever since I was little, I have loved working with clay,” Turner said. “Wheel throwing has given me an outlet to channel my creativity.”

9. POP UP: Sophomores Gerrit Parker and Sabrina Gies pose for a picture prior to the film festival on Jan. 19. “The film festival was a success, thanks to everyone who came to support the film program,” sophomore Gerrit Parker said. “I hope everyone enjoyed our work, and I hope we can do this again next year.” Photo

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Photo by Meredith Moran

Photo by Kerrm Ahsan

by Kerrm Ahsan

Photo by Caroline Massey

by Lauren Egger