Fourcast December 2012

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Palladium Ballroom Restrictions Page 2

Young Athletes Page 18

Color Blind Photographer Page 15

TURNING YOUR BACK ON RELIGION: Why Some People are Calling it Quits In light of the increasing number of Americans identifying with no religion, The Fourcast examines the state of faith at Hockaday and in the wider community. continued on page >12

THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL DALLAS, TEXAS 75229 VOLUME 64 ISSUE 3 THURSDAY DECEMBER 20, 2012

CONTENTS news features city slicker in focus arts & entertainment sports & wellness perspectives photo essay

2-6 7-10 11 12-13 14-17 18-20 21-23 24 PHOTO ILLUSTRATION OF MICHELANGELO’S “THE CREATION OF ADAM” BY KATIE PAYNE

Chief Financial Officer Departs Hockaday to Lead Holocaust Museum

Assistant Community Service Director Sarah Satinsky and science teacher Anne Ojeda are one of many pairs of teacher best friends. The Fourcast spoke with four of the duos. Page 7

www.hockadayfourcast.org @fourcastnews facebook.com/fourcastnews

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hough most students may not have daily contact with Chief Financial Officer Mary Pat Higgins in their classrooms or in the hallways, her presence has affected the lives of Hockaday girls for 22 years.

“We all owe more [to her] than we could possibly understand,” Eugene McDermott Headmistress Kim Wargo said.

Though she will leave in January to take the position as President and CEO for the Dallas Holocaust Museum/Center for Education and Tolerance (DHM/CET), Higgins has put Hockaday in a position of financial stability to continue into the next century.

She spearheaded the growth of the Hock-

aday budget from $9 million in 1990 to $34 million at present, the growth of the endowment from $20 million to $128 million and $40 million in completed construction projects.

Before these accomplishments, however, Higgins’ career at Hockaday had an auspicious start.

Back in 1990, Higgins was a young certified public accountant working at Arthur Andersen, the accounting firm that had conducted Hockaday’s audit.

When Higgins’ predecessor resigned precipitously, Hockaday requested that the firm send someone in to stabilize the situation

and keep the finances in order while Hockaday searched for a replacement.

Higgins, who would have travelled to Bismarck, N.D. in October of 1990 to conduct a coal mining audit, was detained in the office because of a blizzard.

The firm sent her to Hockaday instead, and after a couple of weeks, ’04-’11 Eugene McDermott Headmistress Liza Lee hired her as CFO. “I did a search, but we didn’t turn up anyone who was as special as Ms. Higgins,” Lee said.

Higgins possessed all the traits necessary for an effective CFO: financial expertise, the Continued on page >5

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unfourseen Ahuja Wins Science Essay Contest

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Junior Shreya Ahuja placed second in the Dartmouth Science Essay Competition, sponsored by the Dartmouth undergraduate school, and her paper was published in Dartmouth Undergraduate Journal of Science’s fall issue. Ahuja received a copy Dec. 1. The competition directed students to write about current scientific research. Ahuja discussed the traumatic brain injury research she performed in a lab over the summer.

She traveled with junior Emily Weschler to the University of Iowa for two weeks to perform the lab. Science teacher Katie Croft helped them perform the lab. They also worked with Dr. Melissa Duff, the principal investigator of the summer lab. Ahuja’s essay outlined the lack of support for traumatic brain injury patients and why their unique condition inhibits quality research and funding for their injury. “I was genuinely interested in the work they were doing as well as the condition, so I decided to delve deeper into the topic,” Ahuja said. “I entered because I was truly invested in the topic.”

Habitat for Humanity Build Expands to Two Houses

The Hockaday and St. Mark’s community will build and sponsor an additional Habitat for Humanity house this year. Instead of one, there will be two simultaneous builds this January and February. One house will be located on Homeland Street, where the Habitat houses are normally situated, and the other house will be directly behind it on Bickers Street.

The build will begin in January and continue for eight weeks. Construction occurs once per week on Saturday from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Ten boy and 10 girl volunteers will work on each house each day. Satinsky encouraged students to volunteer and to bring parents or even teachers. The Saturday of the final week of construction will be the dedication of the homes to their new owners who are yet to be determined.

Szelc’s Home to be Set for the TV Show “Dallas”

The home of sophomore Camille Szelc and her family was chosen as a set for the popular TV series “Dallas.” It will be featured in the first episode of the second season of the show “Dallas,” which will premiere on Jan. 28. Searching for a set for the character Sue Ellen’s home, location scouts selected several potential houses and left flyers in their owners’ mailboxes with a request to call. Ultimately, the Szelcs’ home was selected. Filming began on Oct. 1, and three episodes have been recorded at their house since (each on a different day). Rebecca Szelc, mother of Camille, said that approximately 75 people arrive at their h o m e fo r a typical day of filming, including one to two people assigned to pet the Szelc’s dogs and keep them quiet while the cameras are rolling. Both “Entertainment Tonight” and “Extra” filmed interviews with the cast’s stars at the Szelc’s house.

Courtney Le Staff Writer

PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY EMILY YEH

Palladium Ballroom Bars Minors from Electronic Concerts

UNDER THE INFLUENCE After several minors were suspected of consuming alcohol during the Ghostland Observatory Concert on Oct. 27 at the Palladium Ballroom, the venue managers have decided to ban minors from future electronic concerts.

THE FOURCAST DECEMBER 20, 2012 GENERATION Y Students and teachers consider the defining characteristics of the generation of current Upper Students.

» 4 PET SHARING Faculty members have begun to bring their pets to school to share with » 5 boarding students.

TEXAS SECEDE! The Upper School History Department examines the possibility of Texas secession and its potential to affect » 6 the state.

The Palladium Ballroom, a Dallas concert venue, hosted the techno group on Oct. 27. While this evening received notable press, it was not the first event at the Palladium to see the extremes of underage drinking.

servatory

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Ghostland Ob-

fter several events involving underage consumption of alcohol were reported and publicized in The Dallas Morning News and other news outlets, Palladium executives began to question whether or not electronic concerts are an appropriate environment for minors.

Numerous Hockaday Upper School students have witnessed out-of-control events at the Palladium Ballroom. In a poll of 70 Hockaday students who have attended a Palladium concert, 76 percent said they have witnessed underage drinking and drunken behavior throughout the night.

For senior Lexie Hood, a night at Palladium Ballroom in 2011 ended when she had to carry out an unconscious stranger for immediate medical attention.

“Some of my friends and I decided to leave the concert because we felt like it was getting out of control, but on our way out, we realized that there was a boy about our age passed out on the floor,” Hood said. “We took him to an adult that could get him medical attention and eventually found someone who started caring for him.”

Hood said she later found out that the boy had been evacuated from the venue in an ambulance for emergency care.

Stories like this are numerous, but Palladium concerts

have rarely seen critique like that received in light of the 2012 Ghostland Observatory concert.

“People weren’t just drunk, they had left the building. Typically at these concerts you can tell who’s intoxicated in comparison to those who aren’t, but I legitimately felt like one of the only sober people there,” said junior Abby Agwunobi, who attended the concert that evening.

After such negative public attention from the accounts similar to Agwunobi’s about the night of Oct. 27, the Palladium Management stated to the Dallas Morning News that no one under the age of 18 would be admitted into electronic concerts in the future.

“As a member of the five percent of the crowd who could actually understand and rationalize words throughout the night, I feel the new rule is incredibly justified,” Agwunobi continued. “I remember uncomfortably laughing when Ghostland actually came on and asked everyone to calm down because they had already seen three people pass out in the five minutes they had been on stage. It was unreal.”

For parent Monica Pimentel, mother of junior Regina Pimentel, Alina Pimentel ‘09 and Andi Pimentel ‘06, this new regulation doesn’t change much. Pimentel always had concerns about these concerts because of the underage alcohol abuse, but she doesn’t believe it will incite change.

“Younger kids seem to be drinking more frequently and more heavily than 10 years ago [when Andi was in school],” Pimentel said. “Anything that they can do in order to refrain very young patrons from attending is a good idea. The fact that the events were reported shows us that there is concern, but we still haven’t reached a solution to the bigger problem.”

Pimentel also commented that she feels more reluctant sending her daughters into these environments which hold more potential and severe consequences for teenage girls than they do for teenage boys.

Upper School Counselor Dr. Margaret Morse ‘93 further explained how an environment such as the Palladium is particularly hazardous for girls.

“Not only can girls physically become more intoxicated more quickly than boys, but if they lose control of their bodies and their actions, it can be very dangerous,” she said. “With a boy there is the fear that they might get in a fight, or potentially even take advantage of a girl, but it’s another, greater fear to worry about a girl being on the reciprocating end of these actions.”

Even though the decision to exclude minors could potentially negate a portion of revenue from their concerts, Palladium manager Larry Fontana reported to the Dallas Morning News that “we will reiterate to our staff the principal importance of enforcing the rules and regulations. We take security and safety of our patrons at our concerts very seriously.”

But security of patrons is exactly that, and doesn’t apply to those outside the walls of the Palladium.

As venues like the Palladium shift to stricter policies against minors, some question whether or not it will truly benefit minors’ safety in the long run or whether it will just push minors to a new situation, potentially a more dangerous one.

“There is a little bit of dilemma. There can be a dual nature of the concerts, while it’s bad that kids are exposed to strangers and are therefore more vulnerable, it is a positive that they aren’t driving around while under the influence,” St. Mark’s senior Henry Woram said. “I do think it’s harder to be victimized as a guy and that girls can be put at risk at these concerts, but teenagers are prone to overdo it regardless.

It’s just a matter of whether Palladium is more dangerous than driving around under the influence and why.”

Woram is not the only one who believes that venues like Palladium are just a portion of a bigger issue.

“I don’t think Palladium is really doing much good with this new rule,” said Hockaday’s SADD (Students Against Destructive Decisions) president and senior Natalie Sampson. “Not allowing minors at a concert helps with the darker, rape side of the issue, but teenagers will continue to drink and it won’t eliminate the dangers that exist with it. The rule protects Palladium more than it protects people.”

But for Dean of Upper School Meshea Matthews, the underlying drug element is the greatest danger that these concerts bear.

“People might be surprised to hear this, but electronic concerts were around when I was in High School and they have always been associated with drugs like ecstasy,” Matthews said.

“You’re in there with thousands of people, so it really is a frightening idea that teenagers go to these concerts and lose control of their faculties because of the underlying sub-culture that comes to these venues to prey on those who have done exactly that.”

To Matthews, these gateway environments that lead to more intense, seedy practices are an alarming piece of the underage substance abuse puzzle. She added that trusting a stranger could prove detrimental to personal safety.

According to Hockaday self defense teacher Meg Hinkley, 90% of sexual assault victims are attacked while the victim is under the influence.

“It’s hard to be in a mindset that you might be in danger when you’re just there for a good time,” Matthews said, “and to me, while drinking and driving are very serious, this still might be the greatest danger at these concerts afterall.”

Molly Montgomery Perspectives Editor

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2012 Year in Review

London Summer Olympics

As 2012 comes to a close, memories are tucked into mental file cabinets.

Like all other years, this year was scattered with both ups and downs: not only at Hockaday, but on an international scale as well. Web Editor Tiffany Le presents a review of major events in 2012, with perspectives of each event from faculty and students at Hockaday.

Supreme Court Rules ObamaCare Constitutional

The U.S. clinched 46 gold medals, winning first place overall. Women made history because every participating country had a woman competing at the Olympics. Swimmer Michael Phelps became the most-decorated Olympian after winning a gold medal in the 4x200-meter freestyle relay on July 31. Junior Sara Pant attended the London Olympics.

June 28 July27-Aug.2

The Supreme Court ruled in favor of the constitutionality of Congress enacting provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, colloquially known as ObamaCare. Young Democrats member senior Nguhi Muturi described ObamaCare’s effect on Hockadaisies.

“As seniors, we will be the first students to benefit from ObamaCare when we graduate Hockaday and go off to college—we will continue to receive health insurance on our parents’ plans. This will expire when we turn 26 and when we presumably have jobs that provide health insurance. But, if we are in graduate school, or our job does not provide health insurance, we will still have access to healthcare through the government system. You might have heard the term “preexisting condition.” If you develop any significant medical conditions, insurance companies cannot deny you coverage or charge you any higher because you have this condition.”

Pete Lohstreter Passes Away

Aug. 6

Curiosity Rover Lands on Mars

“A few months ago, NASA’s Curiosity rover landed on Mars successfully. The last 14 minutes of the expedition, however, were completely controlled by computer codes. This can only mean that science will be increasingly dependent on computers and technology. The landing has opened up a new frontier, so the world will need more scientists to cover the uncharted territory. Of course, people will also be looking for the possibility of extraterrestrial life.

All of this only means one thing for science in the future: the field will expand, and it will continue to do so as we uncover what Mars has to bring us.”

Aug. 15

ILLUSTRATIONS BY TIFFANY LE

“We went to Florida to watch the last space shuttle launch. Going to NASA and wandering around together—seeing all the stuff PHOTO BY CHARLOTTE HOSKINS we always talked about—all of it was great. The last time I saw him, he was in the hospital. He couldn’t talk very well. I was there, and so was Rachel Zabierek, who was a former physics teacher here. So it was us three physics teachers together. We just talked. He was on the computer so he got email from Hockaday, and he had watched the 2012 graduation on his computer, so we talked about that. The three of us actually went to see the shuttle launch together, and we went to his daughter’s wedding in June 2011. At her wedding, he walked his daughter down the aisle, but it was not an easy thing. Yeah, I really miss him. We did a lot of stuff together.”

Aug. 18

LLARC Renovations Completed Over the summer, the publications room, debate room and photography lab were constructed. Senior Christine Chen, co-president of the Hockaday Debate Team, describes the usefulness of the new debate suite.

“I remember walking into the debate suite at the start of the year and being blown away by its modern, open feel. An entire wall of windows floods the room with ILLUSTRATION PROVIDED BY MARY PAT HIGGINS natural ambiance, which is a far cry from our cramped, cluttered old debate room in the fine arts hallway. I was also amazed by the amount of space we had—in addition to the main area, we also have three study rooms complete with soundproof walls. The study rooms are perfect for splitting into smaller groups or holding practice debate rounds. At the same time, the spacious main room allows us to regroup and fosters a cohesive atmosphere. I see the debate room as setup to allow our team to grow on a group and individual level, and I’m excited to keep utilizing it.”

Nov. 6

After months of campaigning, President Barack Obama was reelected for a second term, defeating former Mass. Gov. Mitt Romney with 303 electoral votes and about 51 percent of the popular vote. Junior Emily Yeh volunteered at the Dallas County Democratic Party Office on Nov. 2, some days before the Presidential Election on Nov. 6.

“I was given a packet of phone numbers, and I called people who had been identified as Democratic citizens within the neighborhood—I had South Oak Cliff, I think—to get them to come to phone banks for the weekend because it was the weekend before the election. I first made sure they were in support of Obama, and if they weren’t I hung up. Because I called people within only a certain neighborhood, there was a church in the neighborhood that was hosting a phone bank where they would call voters in Florida to try and get the vote out. It was rewarding because it’s nice to realize that you don’t have to be able to vote in order to contribute. Volunteers were really a major basis for his reelection, and it’s fulfilling knowing I played a crucial role even though it was small. One of the names on the list was actually Sherri Mixon, the head of TR Hoover Center, and it was really cool to see people I knew, and it felt more personal to be able to call her.

Now that Obama’s been re-elected, I am eager to see what he can do now without the pressure of re-election.”

“I definitely think it’s better that some of the Middle-Eastern countries managed to bring women this year. That’s definitely showing progress in gender equality, specifically in sports. It was really awesome to be in the same room as Phelps, but honestly I think it was even more awesome to be in the same room as Tom Daley when he was practicing diving. The crowd— mostly the girls, of course—was screaming like crazy. But I was there when Phelps won the 4x200-meter freestyle relay. It was really difficult to tell what was happening while it was happening, and it got really loud because everyone was so excited. It was also really cool to meet Elizabeth Beisel, who won silver 200-meter backstroke. She was actually just coming into the stands to show her medal to her dad. She was really sweet and said ‘Yeah, I’ll take a picture with you!’”

NASA’s 19th mission to Mars landed the Curiosity Rover, a space exploration vehicle. Senior Shirley Zhang, co-president of Science Olympiad, recalls the significance of the landing.

A beloved science teacher at Hockaday for 12 years, Lohstreter passed away after succumbing to Lou Gehrig’s disease or also known as A.L.S. Upper School science teacher Richard Taylor was a close friend of Loh.

Presidential Election

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December 20, 2012

Nov. 16

Twilight Saga Ends (It’s Finally Over!)

Breaking Dawn Part 2 was released in theatres nationwide, marking the end of the Twilight Saga and goodbye to Bella and Edward.

Sophomore MaryFrances Dagher said she is glad the Twilight Saga has reached its end.

“I’m excited “Twi-hards” will be gone. I’m glad that that’s over with. I read the books and I liked them, but then the movie came out and it was really poorly-made, and the acting was terrible—I think “Twilight” was the only movie I sat through in its entirety. I saw “New Moon” on DVD and sat through it for 10 minutes at most—and that’s all I’ve seen.

I don’t plan on seeing “Breaking Dawn.” I’m really happy that it’s over because it’s a really bad movie and a poorlywritten book. “

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Generation Y

An investigation of what defines the generation of Upper School students and how the factors impact their lives

Generation X’s Children Members of Generation Y, have been defined, at least in part, by the characteristics of their parents, members of the Baby Boomer Generation and Generation X (people born between 1946 and 1984).

Due to their parents, Generation Y’ers are among the first to (typically) have two working parents and who began having children in their 30s. Generation Y’ers have few or no siblings.

Out of these characteristics, according to parentingstatistics.org, the term "baby proofing" was born; covering sharp corners, plugging outlets and placing baby fences around the house became the norm.

In addition, unstructured outdoor play dropped by 40 percent between 1980 and 1995 as parents began to put more pressure on children to excel academically, athletically and socially.

“We do not get as much time to admire or be as aware of the world around us,” eighth

Generation of Change Seventy percent of the Upper School students believe this generation, their generation, is the Generation of of Technology.

But 100 percent of those surveyed also remembered watching VCRs, before DVDs were used in homes, and 95 percent played with a Gameboy or Nintendo, before iPads and iPhones.

Generation Y was born in a world with little to none of the instant gratification that is available to us now. The children of the 80s and 90s have grown up in the largest technology revolution the world has ever seen, Long confirmed.

“The [technology] that has been harnessed could not have been dreamt about five years ago,” Long said.

The job world, as well as the skills required for current occupations, is constantly changing too, Long said. Jobs now require the ability to change and grow as the job does.

“They are preparing for jobs that will have changed by the time they get there and that all has to be in the mix of preparing,” Long said. “The thing they have to deal with is change, and one of the most adroit aspects of being a Hockadaisy at this point is knowing, understanding, fulfilling and finding power in change.”

Morse said that because of this new requirement the Hockaday curriculum and schools across the country have shifted to teaching in such away that

ION B Y

Generation All About Me Generation Y, said Morse, is being educated in a school system that emphasizes encouragement rather than discipline. Participation trophies and gold stars for everyone was the norm growing up.

“Generation Y was raised with ‘everyone is special and everyone is unique,” Morse said.

According to NAS Insights, a recruitment and statistic developer, Generation Y is, for the most part, overly confident, a consequence of a richer, overindulgent parent generation that instilled in their children a sense of optimism.

Employers, as the oldest members of Generation Y began to enter the workforce, are finding it difficult to accommodate and utilize its newest members.

“Generation Y thrives in an informal setting, “ Morse said.

“They do not appreciate the formalities that came with previous generations.”

According to Morse, eight to five structured work days with required formal attire won’t produce the best results. Generation Y requires creative freedom and flexibility to perform at their best.

Generation Y is more cautious in their spending and will search for more financially secure jobs, a result of growing up during the worst economic recession since the Great Depression.

“There is a lot more anxiety because you don’t know where the world is going,” Morse said.

In a much more global world than in previous generations, competition for college

cial acceptance has changed.

“I think our generation is defined by an era in which the world was learning to be accepting of everyone and every idea. I feel that the ‘90s and early 2000s were not so much about ‘blending in’ but rather being yourself,” Ahsan said.

“The last time I checked this diamond-speckled watch my gay boss bought me without his consent, it was 2012. Now why don’t you take your Callista Gingrich hair-do and your racist mind back to the past where they belong,” character Rocky on the NBC show “The New Normal” said in response to a racist comment.

A show about a gay couple adopting a baby from a white single mother, “The New Normal” and shows such as “Glee” and “Modern Family” portray Generation Y’s normal.

Generation Y is also the generation of the 51 percent. The United States has a population of 51 percent women and 49 percent men.

“That’s [the] norm that women will work,” Morse said.

Since the Women’s Liberation Movement in the late 1800s, the role of women has constantly changed, but until the 1960s very few women worked outside of the home, and the number has continued to grow since then.

According to the Society of Human Resource Management, in 2016, it is estimated that women will make up 49 percent of the workforce, the highest percentage it has ever been.

“The world is constantly changing around us,” said Morse, “and we can only look back when we are old to see what truly defined us.”

EVI SHI AKOLAS

learning itself become easier and students are able to adapt to whatever changes.

“A student has to be resilient, adaptive, problem solver. You don’t need content you need process,” Morse said.

TRAT

grader Neha Kapoor said.

Terms such as "hyper parenting", "tiger mom" and "helicopter parents" were invented to describe the extremists of this new type of parenting.

Head of Fine Arts Department Ed Long, who has been teaching at Hockaday for over 40 years, has taught two different generations of girls and sees a rise in expectations for both parent and children.

“The parents I taught were going to a list of more demanding colleges and taking more and more difficult majors,” Long said, “ and now are having that expectation of the children I teach now.”

ILLUS

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ockaday’s Student Diversity Board deemed race, religion, ability, age, gender, sexual orientation, socio-economic class and ethnicity as the eight identifiers that define an individual.

There is one other identifier, however, that transcends all of these, that every current Upper School student has in common: their generation.

Members of a generation, however else divided, share a time period—a life span.

This year marks the final one in which the Upper School will consist exclusively of Generation Y’ers, people born between the years 1980 and 1999.

Dr. Margaret Morse, Upper School counselor and member of Generation X, said that experiencing things together as a group is one of the many unifying factors of a generation.

“A person is created by the world around them,” Morse said.

“There is always this dialogue between the individual and the context in which they exist.”

The United States has 70 million generation Y’ers, including everyone in the Upper School. So what defines Generation Y?

THE UNDEFINABLE GENERATION While prior generations typically had a single unifying feature, Generation Y is defined by several aspects of the past and present.

and jobs is much higher, and the pressure to succeed and gain a competitive edge is a prominent and universal theme within the generation.

Because of all the added pressures of this generation Long says lack of time is what he notices most.

“Comparatively, they have less time for everything. They have less time to ruminate and wonder about things,” Long said.

“They are multi-taskers and they should be proud of that but they should also be wary of what sacrifices they have to make.”

Generation the New Normal One in three people of Generation Y are Caucasian, an estimated 4 million Americans are openly gay and 35 percent of Generation Y were raised by a single parent. The world is a different place than 20 years ago.

Junior Raheela Ahsan said that the definition of normal in the sense of family and so-

Avita Anand Staff Writer

Robotics Team Advances to State Competition

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s Larry Gewax, Vicepresident of the Board of Boosting Engineering Science and Technology (BEST), announced the 14 teams that would proceed from the regional competition to the state championship, senior co-presidents of Hockaday Junior Engineering Technical Society Mackenzie O'Brien and Megan Neal held their breath and waited for "Hockaday" to be called.

And, for the first time since 2009, JETS was announced as a state robotic team. Just six weeks ago, O'Brien had debated how to tweak the 14.6 lb robot so that it would be capable of lifting five more pounds of weight up a pole.

During the six-week preparation period before the Regional Texas Boosting Engineering Science and Technology Competition, O’Brien and her teammates pondered such dilemmas.

Their efforts paid off at the Oct. 26-27 competition. The team won second place and advanced to the Texas State BEST Competition which was held at a Garland Convention Center

on Nov. 10.

This year’s theme, Warp XX, challenged Texas high schoolers to defy gravity. Rath-

faced the challenge of choosing the “right strategy,” Neal said.

The team had to frequently figure out the most feasible strat-

IN THE PAST, I HAVE BEEN MORE LIKE AN ONLOOKER. THIS YEAR I HAVE A LOT TO SAY. RUNNING THE WHOLE THING HAS BEEN VERY DIFFICULT BUT FUN AT THE SAME TIME. MACKENZIE O'BRIEN, SENIOR CO-PRESIDENT OF JETS

er than simply navigating flat surfaces, robots were expected to transport objects such as one liter bottles and whiffle balls up and down a 10-foot pole.

O’Brien said that adapting to Texas-size competition while balancing other school work as a major challenge for the team.

“The level of the competition is very high,” she said.

“People are really good at what they do. Some have a lot more time than we do.

The robotics team also

egy to carry out through the project among many different choices of approaches.

In addition to facing intellectual challenges, the team spent time bonding and celebrating successes along the way. Team dinners, according to Neal, gave the team opportunities to learn about each other outside the lab.

O’Brien said she enjoyed having more influence over the design and building process this year as a leader of the team.

“In the past, I have been

more like an onlooker,” she said. “This year I have a lot to say. Running the whole thing has been very difficult but fun at the same time.”

In addition to designing, constructing and attempting to perfect their robot, the team compiled a project engineering notebook to explain their design process and constructed a booth to share their work with the judges and other students at the competition.

Leon de Oliveira, Upper School Science Teacher and JETS sponsor, said that every step, including the design, documentation and the fabrication of the robot, was the students’ work.

“I am their adviser and resource to ask about how to figure out how to design something and teach them some more physics they already know,” de Oliveira said.

De Oliveira pointed out that The Upper School robotics experience helps everyone find a place and enjoy working with a team.

The team's qualification for the state competition this year encouraged O'Brien to contin-

ue pursuing robotics. O’Brien said that robotics has allowed her to experiment with her passion for engineering, which she plans to study in college.

“I’m interested in doing mechanical engineering or something engineering in college,” she said. “JETS is real world application of engineering; it allowed me to see what engineers do.”

Neal added that robotics also prepares students to pursue fields other than engineering by allowing them to practice the fundamental skills required in various careers.

Neal commented that in both engineering and medicine, one needs a problem solving mindset.

As her time on the robotics team comes to an end, O’Brien said she hopes that the team can become increasingly more innovative in future years.

“In the past we have designed robots that are quite basic,” she said. “I’d like to see something more out of the box in the future.”

Cassie Yuan Staff Writer

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December 20, 2012

Boarding Students Enjoy Pet-Sharing Program Faculty and staff members have begun bringing their pets to play with boarding students

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swift scurry and a bark, unusual sounds echo in Tarry House, drawing a group of boarding students downstairs from their dormitories on a Saturday afternoon. There, the boarders find themselves immersed in love, laughter and—puppy fur.

The Hockaday Residence Department has set up a regular program through which faculty and staff are invited to bring their dogs to share with board-

ing students.

The idea of a boarding pet program arose from several requests for a boarding pet last year. Director of Residence Danielle Ferguson said that these requests were denied due to allergy and hygiene reasons.

In order to “make up the missing element from home” for boarders, however, Ferguson said that she thought of having faculty members bring their pets to boarding to share with PHOTO BY CASSIE YUAN

FUN WITH FUR Freshmen Sophi Mira (left) and Anne-Marie Gingery play with pets brought to the boarding department by faculty and staff.

the girls.

“The program has created a sense of home and additional ties between faculty and staff and boarders,” she said.

This year, Associate Director of College Counseling Courtney Skerritt, who has established residence in the boarding department along with her husband and son, volunteered to organize the pet sharing program.

“I love dogs,” she said. “I am a big dog fan, and it’s a nice component to have in a community.”

Skerritt added that she has witnessed this “hour of furry love” make a boarding student’s day.

“It’s a little bit of home, a little bit of community, and it’s just comforting,” Skerritt said.

“I do [the pet program] because it’s nice for the community.”

Besides pausing for fun, boarders can also establish a closer relationship with their teachers during the evening activity.

“What I’ve heard from the faculty is that they enjoy bringing a piece of their life to the students,” Skerritt said. “In a boarding school, so much of the relationships center around sharing with each other. And the faculty enjoy the oppor-

tunity to share their pets and families with the boarders.”

Skerritt said she encourages faculty and students to attend the activity not only for the sake of enjoying some time with furry friends but also to bond with one another.

“It’s not about the dog. It’s about the conversation,” she said. “When you are sitting down, it’s an equalizer. It’s a common experience.”

Second-grade teacher Kelly Turner, owner of a 125-pound great dane named Leoindas and a lab mix named Izzie, brought her dogs to Tarry House on Oct. 29.

“The girls got really excited,” she said. “They couldn’t believe the dogs were that big.”

Big dogs are only occasionally seen in countries like China and Korea where some of the boarders came from because they are hard to keep in apartments.

“I don’t often see big dogs at home because they are less convenient,” senior boarder Rebecca Yoon said. “People usually either have no pets or choose smaller pets.”

A new teacher at Hockaday this year, Turner said she appreciated this chance to join the residence family for an hour.

“It’s good for me because I

got to know the boarders a little bit,” she said. “When I see them out, it’s just nice to see that familiar face.”

Yoon said that she spends the school day looking forward to playing with the pets.

“Everything is happy with them,” she said. “It’s good for people who have pets because it allows them to cope with their longing for home. But it’s also good for people who don’t have pets because it is a moment to kick back and play.”

According to a National Institute of Health Technology Assessment Workshop, researches found that pets “prevent heart disease, lower blood pressure, fight depression, provide a sense of security, improve psychological stability and even increase levels of oxytocin, aka the love hormone.”

The pets have not only brightened up boarders' days but also added another element to what a true boarding school is like. Ferguson and Skerritt, on behalf of the residence department, give thanks to all faculty and staff who have allowed boarders to share their joy with pets.

Cassie Yuan Staff Writer

From Page 1 ability to work with people and the ability to juggle a lot of balls in the air at once, Lee said.

“It was very brave for Ms. Lee to ask me to take the job,” Higgins said in reference to her lack of experience at the time.

But Higgins learned quickly and presided over the school’s growth in size, facilities and endowment. Her compassionate heart combined with a clear vision of Hockaday’s mission drove her to success, Lee said.

With secure finances, two of Lee’s initiatives were realized: greater financial aid and increased student diversity.

Higgins also presided over the school financially through the economic downturn in 2008.

“She led us very thoughtfully and responsibly and helped me establish some budgetary safeguards,” ’04-’11 Eu-

gene McDermott Headmistress Jeanne P. Whitman said.

In Higgins’ opinion, however, one of her most important contributions to the school was the building of the Child Development Center.

Higgins was attuned to the plight of the working mother because she was raising two sons, now ages 17 and 19, while working at Hockaday. She started the CDC after her children entered school.

“It didn’t benefit her personally, but she had the foresight to see how it would dramatically impact our faculty,” Controller JT Coats said.

Coats, who has one daughter in Kindergarten and two other children enrolled in the CDC, will succeed Higgins as acting CFO. Coats said that the CDC is instrumental to her ability to manage being a working mother and will allow her to

take on the job of CFO. Higgins main legacy, however, is not about the buildings, Business Office Manager Jennifer Knott said. Rather, her legacy is the atmosphere she has created at the school.

“She embodies what Hockaday wants for our girls: having a career, being driven, but being compassionate, being involved in the community, having a solid family life and taking time for yourself,” Knott said.

Twenty-two years and three headmistresses later, Higgins will leave her post as CFO to take the helm at another worthy organization as President and CEO of the DHM/CET. Having been on the board at the museum for the past two years, Treasurer during 2012 and a member of the Executive Committee, Higgins has experience working for the museum.

“We have been so impressed by her leadership skills, her very sound judgment, the way she conducts herself, deals with people, her financial experience and the advice she has been giving us,” Chairman of the Board of the DHM/CET Hylton Jonas said.

According to Jonas, these skills along with her reputation at Hockaday made Higgins the ideal candidate for the position.

Though Higgins will be leaving her post at Hockaday in January, she will remain a consultant for the Centennial Campaign construction project.

“I firmly believe that people are never done with Hockaday,” Wargo said.

The offer was so sudden and surprising, however, that Higgins could not pass up the opportunity.

“I am very loyal,” Higgins said. “It almost had to be slapme-in-the-face to make me do it.

It’s like jumping off a high dive, which I happen to be afraid of.

I’ve just taken that leap.”

Amidst the whirlwind of new responsibilities, Higgins has

PHOTO PROVIDED BY MARY PAT HIGGINS

Higgins to Grow Holocaust Museum's Infrastructure Base

LITTLE HELPERS Higgins brought her sons Sam (left) and Jack (right) to work with her in 2000. Twelve years later, she will begin a new career at the Holocaust Museum.

the full support of her family.

“The upcoming challenges and adventures are going to be energizing for the family,” her husband Lance Higgins said.

“I think the museum goals are very lofty, but I have very little doubt that she will be able to accomplish them.”

Lee, Whitman and Wargo agree that Higgins is taking the job at the museum for all the right reasons.

“She is so strongly moved by a sense of mission. She is a person who is so called by the significance of a cause,” Whitman said.

The job opportunity was so compelling to Higgins because the museum has a mission in which she believes.

“It’s in my blood to come to work every day to do something that makes a difference, and the museum definitely does that,” Higgins said.

Though she said her new job will be challenging, the museum needs her to help it grow.

“It’s hard to encounter places that don’t run as smoothly and don’t have all the financial wherewithal that Hockaday has,” Lee said.

Higgins will be tasked with the planning and execution of growing the museum’s infrastructure base, the museum’s capital campaign in 2013 and the construction of a new Holocaust museum in 2014, Jonas said.

Higgins said she is passionate about educating the public about the horrors of the Holocaust and creating a community with greater tolerance.

“I think there’s a good opportunity to broaden the scope and to address other acts of hatred and prejudice that happen every day,” Higgins said. “If there’s a way for me to impact the kids that visit the museum, to help them be kinder people, I will have done my job, and it will be worth all the hard work.”

Mary Clare Beytagh Web Editor

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If At First You Don’t Secede, Try Try Again The Hockaday history faculty explains what secession would mean for Texas

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magine a nation with ubiquitous bluebonnets, an abundance of pecan pies and endless southern hospitality.

No one knows what Texas secession would look like.

But that doesn’t keep people from guessing.

Government teach-

er Colleen Durkin said she has high hopes for Texas as its own nation.

“If Texas were to secede, we’d be the greatest country in the world,” Durkin said.

Junior Tai Massimilian said she believes Texas would flourish as its own nation.

She said that she believes Texas could sustain itself as a nation.

“I think with the amount of export Texas produces, its growing oil industry, and with its rapidly growing economy

in contrast to the recessive parts of the United States, Texas could thrive outside the union,” Massimilian said.

The secession movement even inspired Arlington native Larry Scott Kilgore to change his middle name to Secede and announce plans to run for governor of Texas in 2014.

Upper School history department chair Steve Kramer offered a more technical view of the secession process.

“When the South tried to secede in the 1860s, they argued that the Constitution was a compact, an agreement among the states,” said Kramer.

“When the North wasn’t doing what the Constitution said, they [the South] thought they had the legal right to leave.”

In the end, the North won and the secession failed.

“The court ruled five to ten years after the Civil War that secession was illegal. It was such a nebulous decision that there are some people today who think that you could still secede.”

With a less optimistic view of possible secession, Middle School history teacher Darin Jeans said he thought that history might end up repeating itself.

“It would be the third time we would have attempted to secede,” Jeans said. “The

first time it didn’t go over so well—10 years and we were done. Second time, we got our butts kicked in the civil war, so I’m guessing the third time wouldn’t be as good either.”

Jeans and Kramer agreed that the third attempt to secede will be our last—strike three and we’re out.

Kramer pointed out several difficulties that arise with secession.

“Texas has a huge number of federal facilities. How would you divide all of that up?” He said, “What part of the national debt is Texas?”

Travel poses another problem.

“You’d have to have a passport to get into Arkansas, or Louisiana,” Kramer said.

“Which seems kind of weird.”

However, Jeans said he thinks that Texas should have their own freedom to decide.

“If they want to go,” Jeans said, “let ‘em go.”

Elie MacAdams Staff Writer To purchase Texas secession apparel, scan this QR code with your smartphone.

ILLUSTRATION BY KATIE BOUREK

New Year, New-trition

Healthy alternatives to the junk food prevalent in the Hockaday community

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fter trudging to school, having slept a mere four hours and sitting through an 80-minute class, nothing seems to help more than advisory food, more specifically, advisory junk food.

And during the holiday season, eating junk food isn’t just encouraged, it’s expected.

Although some students are very cautious about the food they eat, whether in advisory, during the holidays or throughout the entire year, sophomore Ariella Stromberg said that most Hockadaisies do recognize the benefits of healthy eating, even if they choose to ignore them.

“Everyone knows that if you eat healthy it’s good for your brain, and it’s better for you, but I think we are just too lazy to make any effort to change our habits,” Stromberg said.

The students and teachers interviewed cite three main reasons for the junk food phenomenon despite common knowledge that these items negatively im-

pact their health: freedom, stress and habit.

Health Curriculum Director Rebekah Calhoun said she has noticed that her advisees’ tendencies towards food have varied little throughout her time at Hockaday.

“Coming out of our Middle School, which is so controlled, there is that sense of freedom,” Calhoun said. “They can bring in food, so they do.”

Freshman Evan-Michelle Miller affirmed that suddenly being granted so much freedom after experiencing such a controlled environment prompted her and her classmates to bring in an excessive amount of food.

After years of walking past the aroma of popcorn, junior Alexandra Villareal finally experienced this freedom two years ago during her freshman year and the food that came with it, but said that after ninth grade, the purpose of junk food changes.

“As you get older, it turns into a stress thing,” Villareal said.

Seniors Marzia Zendali and Saniya Mohammad attributed the majority of her advisory’s eating to stress also to “mindless eating.”

“If you have a box of goldfish right there, you just keep taking a couple, and you just continue to eat. It’s mindless eating,” Zendali said. “But I could do the same thing with pomegranate seeds or carrots.”

Calhoun said she believes that not only stress but also comfort, joy, sadness and boredom cause students to eat the way they do.

Whatever the purpose, the end result is always the same.

Registered Nurse Erika Herridge said these junk foods might help energize for 10 minutes or so because the glucose level shoots up, but an hour later after the glucose has been digested, the sugar crash hits.

“Especially if you didn’t have a balanced breakfast, which I know a lot of girls don’t, the crash can come sooner and the end result can be even worse. You may think the sugar is helping, but in the long run, it’s not.” said Herridge.

According to an article

by David Zinczenko, former Editor-in-Chief of Men’s Health, there are several specific snacks that should be banned from the classroom, including Cheetos, doughnuts, Skittles and Coke. And, as Villareal confirms, all of which are commonly found in a Hockaday advisory.

Herridge said that, in her years as a nurse, she has noticed something that she calls the “vicious cycle.” It consists of four steps: staying up late, being tired in the morning, drinking coffee and eating sugary snacks to stay awake and, finally, suffering from the sugar crash.

“I’ve seen one too many girls here suffering from this cycle, but it can be prevented,” said Herridge.

Students and teachers have examined ways to cut back on junk food and focus on being healthier in order to stop this “vicious cycle.”

Calhoun said she thinks it won’t be easy to cut back, but it is definitely possible.

“Really, it’s about habit, and if our habit is junk, it’s easier to stay with junk,” she said. “So let’s make our habit not junk.”

Some great alternatives to the unhealthy foods commonly seen in advisories and around campus can easily be replaced by healthier options, such as crackers and peanut butter, hummus, pita bread, granola/fruit bars and, of course, water.

Personal trainer and dietary consultant Didi Coker said that water is sometimes exactly what your body needs.

“Sometimes hunger pains can be confused with being thirsty, and most people do not drink enough water during the day,” Coker said. “If you ever start feeling sluggish during the day, you should try drinking a glass of water first before reaching for a cookie, candy bar or caffeinated beverage.”

Coker also adds that portion control can be the key to leading a healthy lifestyle.

“If you are craving something sweet or “junky,” have what you are craving, but only eat a portion,” Coker said.

Cutting back doesn’t mean cutting out completely; in fact, that is unrealistic.

“In a perfect world, everyone would eat healthy all the time, but that’s not going to happen,” Villareal said.

And both Herridge and Coker affirm that doesn’t need to happen.

“As long as you are not eating this junk food all the time, it’s not necessarily bad for you,” Herridge said. “Everything is fine in moderation.”

Alexis Espinosa Staff Writer

Eat This, Not That!

Seventy-nine percent of Upper School students polled said they think that their advisory’s eating habits are unhealthy.

When it’s your week to bring food and you take a trip to the grocery store, keep these tips in mind to keep you and your advisees healthy and alert.

Eat five Ritz Crackers and two tablespoons of Jif Peanut Butter instead of four Double Stuff Oreo Cookies (560 calories) for six more grams of protein.

Replace one package of Lay’s Potato Chips (240 calories) with one tablespoon of Hummus and half a bag of Stacy’s Pita Chips (127 total calories) for two more grams of protein.

Increase your water intake and stay away from sodas.

Twenty-one Sour Patch Kids have 29 grams of sugar and no protein. Instead, have your choice of a granola bar or fruit bar. Popular options include Kind Fruit and Nut Bars, such as the Almond and Apricot bar which has 170 calories, 13 grams of sugar and 4 grams of protein, or Nature

Valley Dark Chocolate Granola Thins, with 80 calories, 6 grams of sugar and 1 gram of protein.

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justfourfun Gingerbread Men

Chocolate Mint Marvels

Submitted by Aly Berger

Ingredients:

features

1/2 cup molasses 1/4 cup sugar 3 tbsp butter or shortening 1 tbsp milk 2 cups flour 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/2 tsp salt

Directions

Submitted by Berkley Wood

1/2 tsp nutmeg 1/2 tsp cinnamon 1/2 tsp cloves 1/2 tsp ground ginger 2-3 tbsp water, if needed Icing

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and butter a couple cookie sheets.

Heat the molasses to a boiling point, then add the sugar, butter or shortening and milk. Mix the flour with the baking soda, salt, nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and ginger. Add this to the first mixture and blend well. Add water if necessary (enough so that the dough holds together and can be handled easily). On a very lightly floured surface, roll or pat out the dough about 1/4 inch thick. Cut into large or small gingerbread men, using special cookie cutters or a very sharp knife. Bake for 5-7 minutes. When cool, frost with Confectioners Frosting and decorate with candy.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup butter 1 1/2 cups brown sugar 2 cups chocolate chips 2 eggs 2 1/2 cups flour

1 1/4 tsp baking soda 3 or 4 packages of Andes Mints

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Melt butter and brown sugar in saucepan over low heat. Add chocolate chips and stir to melt; put mixture into a bown and let cool. Add eggs, and then mix in flour and baking soda. Chill dough for 1 hour. Roll into balls and place on baking sheet. Bake for 9 minutes. Remove cookies from oven and place an Andes mint on each one. As the candy melts, spread it across the top of the cookie with a butter knife. Makes 3 dozen.

Compiled by Sydney Yonack Staff Writer

Students often see certain teachers together eating lunch in the cafeteria or walking through the hallways. The Fourcast asked these four sets of for a little more insight into their friendships.

teacher best friends

PHOTOS BY ANISHA ANAND AND TIFFANY LE

THE FOURCAST DECEMBER 20, 2012 JUST GOOGLE IT Google may be changing the way Hockadaises approach their schoolwork »8 ALL I WANT FOR CHRISTMAS Suggestions for well-priced »4 holiday gifts KEEPING UP WITH THE YOUNGBLOODS A look at a family whose six children have had great and » 10 varied successes

Downey and Moreland

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nglish teachers Dr. Kathy Downey and Department Chair Dr. Deborah Moreland are close friends and have known each other since graduate school when they worked on their doctorates at the University of Texas at Dallas.

Moreland joined the Hockaday community in 1998 and hired Downey in 2006.

They live just two blocks away from each other, take frequent walks around White Rock Lake, attend concerts, listen to lectures, shop and sometimes even share clothes.

When not discussing literature or their English courses, the two enjoy conversing about other deep matters and even share motherly advice.

“We talk about politics, what’s most important to us in life, where we’re vulnerable and where we need help,” Moreland said. “We talk about our dreams of the future.”

They have parties with mutual friends outside of school and have taken trips together to Florida and New York.

Downey said that Moreland technically being her boss at school could have potentially caused friction in their friendship, but that she does an amazing job of managing that with their close relationship.

“I have a deep respect for Dr. Downey,” Moreland said.

Walder and Stimpson

U

pper School History teacher Tracy Walder and Middle School science teacher Jennifer Stimpson quickly became best friends after meeting each other at a new teacher orientation in 2010.

Walder said she liked Stimpson’s energy and was drawn to her.

“She had such a positive attitude, and she was so excited about everything and wanting to try everything,” Walder said.

Because of their different schedules, eating lunch together is not possible, but their advisories visit each other.

“I think Tracy has a very outgoing personality, and I just naturally bonded with her,” Stimpson said.

Both Walder and Stimpson share a love for American history and frequently discuss historical events in addition to the Real Housewives of Atlanta.

“The thing about Ms. Stimpson is that I just totally trust her,” Walder said. “She always makes me want to be a better person, and she makes me think differently about things.”

Over the summer, they often ate dinner and hung out.

The two have also met each other’s close family.

“Tracy’s my role model,” Stimpson said, “She’s always good to me.”

Satinsky and Ojeda

A

ssistant Community Service Director Sarah Satinsky and chemistry teacher Ann Ojeda, both new to Hockaday last year, met at faculty technology training and instantly clicked.

Since then, for the past two years, they have eaten lunch together, sat at faculty meetings together and frequently emailed each other during the school day from the two separate buildings.

Ojeda often helps with community service art projects and the two make fun arts and crafts such as wall hangings in their free time. In addition, Satinsky teaches Ojeda ballet while Ojeda helps Satinsky with volleyball.

“But neither of us are good at the other,” Ojeda said.

They watch movies, have dinner, go on walks and have cooking nights on Sundays with Ojeda’s husband, Eric Ojeda.

The two also spend quite a bit of time at each other’s houses when not at school.

Ojeda helped Satinsky a lot when she moved and Satinksy also helped plan and organize Ojeda’s wedding this past summer.

“Sarah was always ready and willing,” Ojeda said.

Gallegos and Mariel

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allegos and Mariel were both new to Hockaday in 2010 and met while setting up their classrooms the week before school had started.

“It was easier to walk into the dining hall with someone that you knew rather than walking into a room full of teachers you didn’t know,” Gallegos said.

Other commonalities include driving sports cars, loving the theatre and enjoying Latino culture.

In addition to seeing dance performances and plays at the Wyly Theater and the Winspear Opera House, Gallegos attends each and every performance of Mariel’s theatre company.

“He’s been to every single play since he’s been here, and that’s really special to me because I know I’m always going to see his face in the crowd, and it’s like, ‘Luis is here, this is great!’” Mariel said.

The two make up half of the “quartet” of teacher friends that also includes Middle School Spanish teachers Martha Maldonado and Orlando Greene.

“We like to get together every couple of months, have dinner, put some music and even dance,” Mariel said.

Gallegos said meeting Mariel and the other teachers was a perfect outlet for him, having been new to Dallas.

Anisha Anand Business Manager

8

THE FOURCAST

features

December 20, 2012

Hockaday’s Hidden Treasures

HOCKADAYFOURCAST.ORG

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Fine Arts Department Lead Chair Ed Long explains a few strange Hocka-objects

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histling to himself, Fine Arts Department Lead Chair Ed Long winds his way along the sidewalk outside of Hoblitzelle Auditorium and onto the grassy lawns, stopping only when he stops at a diminutive white tree, bare of any leaves. The tree is easily overlooked, for it is significantly smaller than the surrounding 50-year-old Live Oak trees.

1) Chinkapin Oak

Very few hockaday students know that the white Chinkapin Oak tree was planted in memory of those who died in the catastrophe of 9/11, Long said. On the first year of 9/11, the tree was planted in a ceremony in memoriam of the tragedy.

As is to be expected at a school steeped in nearly 100 years of history, there are many objects lying about that have seemingly always been there.

Students and teachers alike

1

don’t know where they came from, why they’re there, or sometimes even what they are.

Long seemed to know about nearly all of them.

2) Cardboard Sculpture

Paintings and pictures line the administrative hallway— many appear to be common objects that a Hockaday student could pass hundreds of times without even noticing. Among them, encased in a cubed frame, is a woman dressed in a blue patterned shirt and black skirt, lounging on a flowery pink sofa.

The cardboard sculpture was made by Red Grooms, an artist from an offshoot of Pop-Art; the art movement of the 1950s which used popular culture imagery including celebrities, advertisements and news. Long said Grooms is most widely recognized for his “cardboard cut-outs and trademark garish colors.”

The cardboard sculpture was donated by Patricia Patterson ‘57 as a “gift to the remarkable people of Hockaday in honor of Liza Lee, Founder’s Day, 2001.” In addition, the subject of the sculpture is Gertrude Stein, a noted art collector and writer who Ela Hockaday knew personally. There is even a photograph of Ela Hockaday with Stein and her infamous poodle in the Archives room.

The message was a reference to the play “Waiting for Godot” by Samuel Beckett. In the play, two characters, Vladamir and Estragon, meet at a tree and wait for a character named Godot. Two other characters arrive—Pozzo and Lucky—but Godot never shows.

Vladamir and Estragon wait and wait for him that day and the following day though Godot himself never comes.

“It said ‘Back in five minutes,’” Long said. “But for those who understood the reference it was funny because it said he will be back in five minutes when in fact he probably will never be back.”

ever, plans to create another time capsule for centennial year, though it will most likely not be placed in the hole.

5) The Certificate

On the front of Penson Gym, there is a rather random piece of plywood covering a hole in the wall. The hole was intended as a time capsule, but the idea was abandoned and the plywood is still there decades later. It was most likely put there around when the Penson Gym was first built, Long said.

Thus far there are no plans to replace the piece of plywood or fill the hole. There are, how-

Hanging on the wall outside the headmistress’ office, there is a certificate for Allison Campfield. Some may disregard the certificate—some may not even know it is a certificate—but it holds significant meaning.

Allison Campfield ‘89 was the first female winner of the metroplex Davey O’Brien athlete/scholar award in 1989. The awards were given to the student who excelled in the academics with formidable athletic talents. Long said the majority of these awards were handed to quarterbacks in the Dallas area.

Campfield, however, was a triathlete.

“It was a very big deal,” Long said. “For a committee, which I presume was practically all-male at the time, to adjudicate this and declare that it was a Hockaday girl that had won it against all the entire male competition in the metroplex, it was very big deal.”

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4) Hole in the Wall

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6) Impressive Impressionist Piece

In Memorial Living Room hangs a painting by William Merritt Chase and it is perhaps the school’s most important painting, Long said. Chase later was one of America’s most distinguished Impressionist painters and helped found the Parsons School of New Design in New York City.

The painting was owned by Ela Hockaday and hung in her cottage on old Hockaday Campus on Greenville and Belmont.

Hanging above the fireplace, bathed in a light from a spotlight, the painting shows a portrait of a woman wearing a white blouse and yellow scarf, her distant gaze almost forlorn.

Long said that, because the painting is highly admirable and representative of Chase’s style of painting, scholars visit it and even request to study it.

“One of the reasons I remember it is because it is so evocative of the Ether Horton summer reading books,” Long said. “I was struck how the portrait may have been a character straight out of Horton’s book.

It’s a magnificent piece.”

From the Chinkapin Oak tree near the auditorium to the hole in the wall in front of Penson Gym, Hockaday is teeming with seemingly random objects and peculiar oddities. Objects that we pass everyday. Objects that we don’t glance at more than once or think of twice. Objects that are wrapped in history from different ages in Hockaday’s near one hundred years of existence.

Courtney Le Staff Writer

3) “Godot”

For many years, there was writing on the stage manager’s side of the proscenium, the arch around the theater of the auditorium. The message said: “Back in five minutes, Godot.” Though it has since been painted over, very few appreciated the joke of the message while it was there, Long said.

Just Google It

Googling, the Internet and Technology and their effects on the classroom environment.

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order to think analytically and put the facts together. You need to be able to think for yourself,” Kramer said.

The difference, Brown said, is that students should memorize from repetition of concepts—not necessarily by sitting down and memorizing how to do a slew of different problems.

“It is more about learning the concept and applying it,” Brown said Offering a student’s perspective, Kwon, junior representative on the Technology Board, agreed and said “simply memorizing facts doesn’t help with application later.”

Kramer said that we probably rely too much on Google, so it is important to keep students involved and constantly questioning, defining and asking why.

This accessibility is not only utilized by students for research but also by teachers.

“We all google too much,” Upper School English teacher Janet Bilhartz said.

But even with easy accessibility to looking something up one “can’t just google something in the middle of a conversation,” said Bilhartz.

It is also more important

to focus on understanding than to simply have information.

“The Internet is a great source of knowledge but it does not create a source of thinking,” Bilhartz said.

She added that from advances in technology are born many more possibilities and a myriad of ways to integrate technology in the classroom.

“The key to remember is that technology is a tool,” she said. Technology is only here to help—not to replace—all other forms of teaching and learning, such as memorization or class discussions.

Alaina Rodriguez Photography & Graphics Editor

To take the New York Times quiz of knowledge, scan this QR code with your smartphone.

ILLUSTRATION BY EVI SHIAKOLAS

unior Jennifer Kwon googles 15 to 20 different facts or questions everyday: from NASA and mars to Kate Middleton’s pregnancy.

The verb “Google,” which came into existence in 1998 and was added to both the “Oxford English Dictionary” and “MerriamWebster Collegiate Dictionary” in 2006, has assumed a place of prominence within the plethora of verbs commonly used.

But Google, the Internet and technology have impacted far more than day-to-day vocabulary.

Technology has provided the potential for a reduced need of memorization and traditional learning, sparking debate among teachers.

Even with the influx of information at students’ fingertips, memorization has not lost its place in the classroom, said Upper School math teacher Andrew Brown.

“Memorization is still important,” he said. “There are certain things that a student must know.”

History Department Chair Steve Kramer concurred and highlighted the need for having a core knowledge of certain facts.

“We need a passing reference to certain things. We have to memorize certain things in

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December 20, 2012

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All I Want for Christmas Tis’ the season to skimp on holiday gifts. (You never know when we might jump right off that fiscal cliff.) Hanukkah has passed, but Christmas and Kwanzaa are approaching at an alarming pace. Editor-in-Chief Hailey Winston presents gift ideas to help you keep up—all for under $25.

ret r Sec nge u o Y a For ta Exch San

our For Yend Fri $15: iPhone Case Although phone protection doesn’t typically cost less than $15, it should. Zazzle.com has an extensive collection as well as kiosks in the Galleria.

$10: A Chocolate Caramel Apple from Whole Foods This one always goes over well as does a Starbucks gift card, homemade fudge or frosted cookies. It wouldn’t be the holiday season at Hockaday without a little over-indulgence.

$15: Not a Gift Card Let’s be honest, no one really likes getting gift cards. Not only does this say “I was too lame to think of an actual gift,” it makes the giftee go out and spend time buying her own present. This option is a last resort.

$20: Tervis Tumbler Tis the season for Tervis Tumblers. The Bed, Bath and Beyond at Central Expressway and Park Lane has one of the largest selections in Dallas. You can buy them customized with your friend’s initials, favorite team or color.

$25: Anything Urban Just head over to Urban Outfitters and start sifting through the tables laden with books, mugs and accessories. It’s entertaining for you, and you’ll surely find something that turns out to be a hilarious hit.

$20: Earrings from Francesca’s Economics teacher Joni Palmer thinks Francesca’s is cool and you should too.

Pick up a pretty pair at the Mockingbird station location. Most earrings run between $17-$20.

$25: Chanel Lip Gloss Every girl loves a little Chanel in her life. You may not know your Secret Santa well, but you know she’ll like (or at least graciously accept) lip gloss. Purchase it at Neiman Marcus.

PHOTOS AND GRAPHICS BY HAILEY WINSTON

$10: Personalized Christmas Ornament Nothing says “Happy Holidays!” like an ornament with your face on it. Just pick up a doit-yourself kit at Walmart, print a photo of you (and possibly your buddy) and compile.

our For Yriend Boyf

our For Yents Par $10: Photo Memories Head to Walmart or Staples for an SD card and fill it with family photos. This is a particularly useful gift if your parents already have a digital picture frame lying around somewhere.

$15: Flowers and Balloons Moms in particular always love the age-old surprise. Whole Foods Market might be your best bet for both purchases.

They’ll surely be up for a giant Chistmas, Hanakkah, Kwanza and/or Diwali balloon.

$10: Movie Night It’s a bit of a bold move to skimp this hard on your boyfriend. But, if you’d like, you can buy a bag of popcorn and print out an “I’ll watch your favorite movie/sports team” pass for well under $10.

$15: Miniature Cactus He can keep it on his nightstand as a nice reminder of you! It’s a great way to teach responsibility to that special someone. For a little extra dough, you can get him an entire cacti family!

$20: Movie Tickets Buy your parents a gift card to cover two tickets. They’ll enjoy a night out, and you’ll get the house to yourself. It’s a win win situation. The Angelika at Mockingbird Station is particularly cozy and popular with the middle-aged folks.

$25: Dinner from Holy Ravioli Everyone loves pasta, and parents love not having to cook.

You can buy the whole dinner for under $25 dollars. Just grab a pound of ravioli, a container of sauce and a breadstick.

$20: Magazine subscription It may not be the most romantic gift ever, but it is a gift that keeps on giving. You can supply six or 12 months of his favorite magazine for a shockingly low fee. And it’s a low effort endeavor—it just takes a trip to the magazine’s website and clicking a few buttons.

$25: Concert Tickets Buy his ticket for an upcoming concert or sporting event. (Make sure to buy yours as well—just don’t consider it part of the $25 price range.)

Everyone loves a nice night out on the town.

Self Defense: Teaching ‘em the Moves Self Defense Instructor Meg Hinkley spoke to students at the Nov. 13 assembly about methods of preventing and defending against assault.

Her tips ranged from regularly locking one’s front door to remaining alert in parking lots.

“The most important thing is that whatever you do, you do it with 100 percent commitment and to remember that you are fighting for your life,” Hinkley said at the assembly, “The term self-defense is a misnomer. You

are really attacking. They don’t expect that.”

Due to time constraints, Hinkley did not have the opportunity to demonstrate defensive moves for use in the case of an attack.

The Fourcast sat down with her to discuss the most effective selfdefense maneuvers. With all of these moves, remember to make a lot of noise and draw attention to yourself and your attacker.

GROIN

EYES

EARS

THROAT

PINNED TO THE GROUND

The groin is commonly mistaken as the end all be all target, but it is not. Trying to kick the groin is often ineffective and can throw you off balance. It is important to get underneath and hit from below not just in the front. The knee to the groin is often very effective or even an elbow if pinned on the ground.

When going for the eyes, it is important to remember to not worry about technique. Just get a finger across the surface; gauge and claw with your fingers and thumb. The eyes are one of the primary targets because they are a great equalizer, and it requires very little strength or power to damage someone’s eye. It takes about the same amount of effort to get a finger between someone’s eyelids as it takes to get your thumb into the skin of an orange.

The ear clap is basically a big clap on someone’s head. You forcefully smash your cupped hands over their ears. It ruptures their eardrums and is very painful, causing them to possibly lose their balance and, in turn, allows you to escape.

The throat is another primary target, because once an attacker can’t breathe, he or she will often give up. The most effective area to strike on the throat is near the Adam’s apple. Form your hand into a V-shaped position and forcefully strike the throat or grab the trachea and squeeze. This will cut off their breathing and give you the opportunity to run.

If pinned on the ground, it is best to fake submission and wait for an opening. You need to make the attacker think you are his victim and wait for him to drop his guard.

Then, forcefully attack. Driving your elbow into his groin is a good option once you have found an opening and are no longer fully pinned.

Alaina Rodriguez Graphics and Photos Editor

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December 20, 2012

@FourcastNews PHOTO COURTESY OF DALTON YOUNGBLOOD

Keeping Up with the Youngbloods A look at the interests and accomplishments of the Youngblood family

C

onner Youngblood never watched Grey’s Anatomy—until one of his songs was featured in a recent episode.

Conner, older brother of junior Dalton Youngblood, graduated from Yale University this summer. He currently lives in Nashville, Tennessee, where he writes, plays and records music.

When he heard his song on TV, he said it was “cool,” especially when “a few surprised friends texted me ‘did I just hear “Australia” on Grey’s Anatomy?’”

Conner’s song “Australia” was discovered by the show’s music supervisor, who sent an email to Connor asking him for permission to use the music in an episode. The episode they picked was “Beautiful Doom,” episode five of season nine.

Conner’s parents, Dr. Sharon and Dr. Kneeland Youngblood, said they were overwhelmed when they heard the news.

“As parents, you’d always like to think that your children are talented,” Sharon said. “But having recognition from an independent outside source was reassuring that it’s not just a parental thing.”

Conner started recording music during his senior year of high school, when he first began to realize his passion for music.

“I got into music through playing the instruments first,” Conner said. “I started picking up how to learn different instruments along the way.”

Conner has also had songs featured on other TV shows such as Ringer on CBS, Teen Wolf on MTV and Roadtrip Nation on PBS. His songs have even reached across borders and were featured in a commercial for an Australian department

store called Myer.

He has written 40 to 50 songs, though not all of them were released.

His parents expressed their pride in Conner’s accomplishments.

“We’re proud of our children like all parents are. We hope that we did a good job as parents,” Sharon said. “But we can’t take all the credit.”

Kneeland added, “It’s a collective effort. Every child is unique in his other own way. We’re fortunate they’re in a community where they’re around high-achieving people.

It makes them achieve that much more.”

Conner has five siblings, four of whom attended Hockaday: Devon, Arden, Avery and Dalton. His half-sister, Nina, the oldest of the six Youngbloods. All of the Youngbloods have very different interests and plans for their futures.

Their parents explained how they supported their children to find their talents.

“Part of helping our children find their passions was just exposure to different things.

You can’t find what they have a passion for if they’re not exposed to it,” Kneeland said. “We didn’t know Conner had a passion for music until one day he started playing the piano.”

Devon, like her brother Conner, also takes interest in the arts, but she prefers painting.

After graduating Hockaday in 2006, Devon attended Harvard University, where she studied in the Special Concentrations Department for independent study as a visual studies major.

“It was a study of how people see and how that connects with how people create in archi-

FAMILY FUN The Youngblood’s are a family with numerous and varied talents. Left to right: Nina, Avery ‘12, Arden ‘10, Devon ‘06 and Conner. Front: Dalton. Conner’s music was recently featured on the popular television series Grey’s Anatomy.

tecture and the artistic visual world,” Devon said. “I’m a very visual person myself. I think that’s why I’m drawn to art.”

After graduating from Harvard in 2010, Devon travelled on a fellowship in Egypt for a year. There she studied the contemporary cultural identity in Egypt through the arts and worked at a contemporary art space during her time there.

Now, Devon is working in New York at Sotheby’s, an auction house which specializes in selling fine art, decorative art and jewelry.

“I deal with the [finances] for purchases, help organize the delivery of property to clients, and facilitate any purchases that could occur after an auction is complete,” Devon said. “I like art, but it’s interesting to see the business side of it and the financial components involved.”

Just as Devon is experiencing the business side of art, Arden, a junior at Princeton University, is also interested in business, but in a more general way. This semester, she decided to study abroad in Salamanca, Spain.

Over the summer, she interned at the Boulder, Co. Office of Crispin Porter & Bogusky, an

advertising agency. She went on to attend a training program at Bain & Company, an American global management consulting firm.

Arden has developed an interest in fashion organizations and clubs on campus such as the Fashion Speaks publicity committee. The club is a student-run fashion show devoted to helping Autism Speaks, an autism research organization.

Also an athlete, she continued fencing after leaving Hockaday and, once she returns to school next semester, will fence on Princeton’s varsity team for a second year.

Avery, the next sister, currently attends Stanford University where most of her time is taken up by being part of the fencing team. She got involved in the sport because her older sister fenced in high school.

“I wanted to follow in my sister’s footsteps and be just like her,” she said.

Avery said fencing takes up a lot of her time so she is unable to be involved in lots of clubs at her school. However, she does find time to help teach a fencing class for children.

Although she has not gotten the chance to travel abroad yet, she interned in Colorado last

summer at an advertising agency.

A third athlete and the youngest of the six Youngbloods, Dalton plays soccer on a travel team that has placed second in the nation for three consecutive years. She also plays for Hockaday’s varsity soccer team.

She is involved in choir and is part of the community service and athletic boards.

Once in college, she hopes to study bio-chemistry or history.

Their parents explained how they helped their children find their passions.

“I think it was certainly helpful having a school like St. Marks and Hockaday where there are lots of choices in terms of athletics as well as academics,” Kneeland said. “It gives them the opportunities to take risks and see their interests.”

Sharon said that they supported their children in whatever activities they chose, sportsrelated or otherwise.

“We let them try different things and, in the end, they focused on one select sport because they wouldn’t have time for more,” she said. “They chose something that they love and stuck with that.”

Paige Goodman

nukkah and several more on the last day.

“My favorite part is spending time with my entire family because we are only all together a couple times a year,” Goodman said.

Each year, one of her grandparents cracks a joke about decorating a “Hanukkah bush” since “Christians have their Christmas trees.”

with her extended family each year. They put up lights outside of their house, and she said she and her family enjoy a large meal and a variety of Indian sweets at home.

They also send sweets to relatives and friends. To end the night, she, her family and close friends enjoy fireworks and sparklers outside their house.

“My favorite part is just having fun with family friends while lighting and playing with the sparklers,” Atluri said.

Charlsea Lamb and Courtney Le Staff Writers

Holiday Habits

A collection of stories about students’ holiday traditions Luda Grigoryeva

S

ophomore Luda Grigoryeva, a boarder from Russia, watches “A Christmas Carol” at home with her mother in Russia every year for Christmas. They have both read and enjoyed the book adaptation. They watch it in English so that Grigoryeva does not lose touch with the language while away from Hockaday.

“We really like the story and think it’s very cute,” Grigo-

ryeva said.

More uniquely, she and her mother write down wishes on slips of paper and slide them under their pillows. On Christmas morning, they pull out one piece of paper, revealing the wish that will eventually come true.

“One of my wishes that we pulled out was that I would get into Hockaday,” she said.

That is one wish that really did come true.

J

unior Paige Goodman celebrates Hanukkah with her family at her cousin’s house each year by eating Jewish food such as latkes, lighting the menorah and opening presents each night.

Goodman’s family does not follow the American traditional present-giving ritual, which suggests saving the biggest present for the last day. They open presents every day of Ha-

Meredith Burke

E

very year, one of sophomore Meredith Burke’s four brothers plays a prank on Christmas morning. One of the presents he gives to a family member is a box wrapped in another box, wrapped in a another box, and wrapped in another box about eight more times.

Whoever receives this present eagerly unwraps the numerous layers, leaving a messy trail of paper behind, and are only left to discover a single dollar bill or coin once the last layer of wrapping paper has finally been ripped off.

“It is always hilarious to watch, especially that first time when we didn’t know that it was going to be, and because we don’t know who will get that present,” Burke said.

Rajya Atluri

F

reshman Rajya Atluri celebrates Deepavali, the Hindu festival of lights which commemorates the return home of Deity Rama from exile,

Cathy Ma

J

unior Cathy Ma, also a boarder, said she misses celebrating Christmas at home with her friends in Taiwan, since she doesn’t have the opportunity to go home over the break.

To cope with the distance, she and her friends send each other pictures and diary accounts of the year. They save their gifts for each other for the summer so that they can give them to each other in person.

“Exchanging letters and pictures are better than presents because I can see what my friends are doing,” Ma said.

“Even though I’m living abroad, I feel as if I am participating in their lives more.”

Anisha Anand Business Manager

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11

City Slicker Goes to Brunch

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s the holiday break approaches and stress levels begin to die down, try out a couple of brunch spots around Dallas. Grab a group of friends or go with your family and try these six destinations in the Dallas area: Odd Fellows, Café Brazil, Al Biernat’s, Blue Mesa Grill, The Grape and Kels. Each restaurant offers diverse drinks and appetizing foods, ranging from hearty pancakes to migas to lobster tacos. Although the price range differs from place to place, the food will excite your taste buds.

Kels 5337 Forest Ln. 972.458.7221 Built in 1963, Kels, located just one minute away from Hockaday, provides a convenient breakfast stop on a late start day. With an old-timey, country café feel to it, Kels is known for their home cooked biscuits and award winning chicken fried steak as well as their fluffy pancakes and hearty cinnamon rolls. In addition to providing seemingly home cooked meals. Kels serves most items on the breakfast menu for under $8. Grab a group of friends and carpool to the friendly restaurant which opens as early as 6 a.m. to as late as 9 p.m. on Mondays through Saturdays and open on Sundays from 7 a.m. to 3 p.m.

www.kelshomecooking.com

Café Brazil 6420 N Central Expy.

214.691.7791 Located in Upper Greenville and other various locations across the metroplex, Café Brazil was nominated for the Best Breakfast Award in 2004 and 2006 by Dallas Observer’s Reader’s Choice. The café is known for its incredible coffee and the serve-yourself coffee bar featuring a large selection of flavors. Its signature dishes include Pancrepes—four homemade crepes, dipped in cinnamon egg batter, grilled and topped with crème anglaise, raspberry sauce, walnuts and powdered sugar. All for $5.49. Also worth ordering are veggie migas, which include zucchini, tomatoes, onions, bell peppers and sliced jalapenos, tossed with scrambled egg whites and crisp tortilla strips, topped with melted jack cheese and served with rosemary potatoes, two wheat tortillas, homemade salsa and a jalapeno for $7.99. On Fridays and Saturdays Cafe Brazil is open 24 hours and on Sundays from 7 a.m. -4 p.m.

www.cafebrazil.com

Al Biernat’s 4217 Oak Lawn Ave. 214.219.2201 It may be pricey, but every last penny you spend at Al Biernat’s is worth your while.

The service is impeccable and the food reaches (or exceeds) expectations. The Sunday brunch, offered from 11 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., features a two page menu filled with a variety of dishes. One of the favorites, Lobster and scrambled egg tacos, consists of two flour tortillas filled with lobster chunks and fluffy eggs, served with chips and salsa, priced at $26. Two other favorites include the pancakes or the French toasts such as the brioche French toast with caramelized bananas, blackberries, and chambord cream for $11. On the lighter side you can try one of their soups or salads.

www.albiernats.com

OddFellows 316 West 7th St. 214.944.5958 With its farmhouse-chic atmosphere, Odd Fellows serves breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinner.

Open on Fridays from 7 a.m. to 11 p.m. and Saturdays from 7-10 a.m., it is known for having tasty “food for all,” meaning it will satisfy everyone who walks through its door. Serving thick, fluffy red velvet gingerbread or buttermilk pancakes for only $4, Odd fellows is famous for its coffee: Cuvée Coffee from Austin. The barista prepares the coffee using La Marzocco Strada espresso machine, only four of which exist in the country.

www.oddfellowsdallas.com

Blue Mesa Grill 7700 Northwest Hwy. 214.378.8686 The widely-acclaimed Blue Mesa Grill serves a buffet brunch every Sundays from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. For $17.95, you are given complete access to a long table with dishes ranging from omelets, to chicken and mushroom enchiladas with Chipotle cream sauce, to all you can eat meat like brisket, sausage, bacon and glazed ham. Their signature dish, however, is the black bean adobe pie, a sweet corn cake which is stuffed with cheese and black beans. But save room for desserts; their homemade chocolate-chip cookies, seasonal flan bites and cinnamon churros are divine.

www.bluemesagrill.com

The Grape 2808 Greenville Ave. 214.828.1981 A sunday brunch haven, The Grape is known for its burgers, which are served exclusively during brunch and dinner on Sundays and Mondays.

Texas Monthly Magazine named The Grape the Best Burger in Texas in 2009 and the Observer recognized it as the Best Brunch place in 2011. The famous burger is made up of a freshly ground patty, homemade peppered bacon, Vermont white cheddar, Nathan’s horseradish half-sour pickles, all piled together on a pain au lait bun. If you are not a big burger fan, pick-up the bistro steak frites for $18 or the blueberry cornmeal griddle cakes for $9. Here a reservation is not required but highly suggested. The tiny dining room and patio can fill up quickly. On Sundays, brunch is open from 10 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.

www.thegraperestaurant.com

Gretchen O’Brien Projects Manager

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The Rise of the Unaffiliated American »» Ask any citizen to recite the Pledge of Allegiance, and the eighth to last word they’ll say is “God.” Ask another for a one-dollar bill and on it, “In God We Trust” will be written in large, green capital letters across the top.

KATIE PAYNE STRATION BY PHOTO ILLU

info

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he idea of “God” has been ingrained into the politics and culture of America since the country’s Quaker, Puritan and Protestant beginnings, and many Americans believe that there it should stay. But ask one of the 46 million citizens who identify with no religion, and they’ll tell you differently. “[The phrase “In God We Trust”] is basically a generic recognition of God and suggests that it’s traditional that every American should have at least some belief in a creator God. And I don’t think that’s right or true,” National Atheist Party President Troy Boyle said.

For the first time in the history of the United States, this irreligious demographic has now become large enough to make a real change in the religious makeup of the country.

In a study conducted by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life, a project of the Pew Research Center (“a nonpartisan fact tank that provides information on the issues, attitudes and trends shaping America and the world”) this year, researchers found that one in five Americans does not affiliate himself with an organized religion.

These numbers show a significant five percent jump from 2007 and an even larger 13 percent increase from 1972.

Pew Research Center associate Jessica Hamar Martinez said that the numbers resulted from a culmination of two separate studies conducted this summer, the first being a survey taken for a “representative sample of the population.”

“We took all of the surveys that we’ve done from 2007 through July of this year, and we amassed all of that data so that we could have large enough numbers from one year to the next to examine the unaffiliated population,” Martinez said The second part of the report comes from publicly available “general social surveys” conducted each year by the Pew Forum since 1972, all in all creating a highly extensive report of religious affiliation in the country, allowing the researchers to see the changes from decades ago.

While Martinez and other researchers cannot say for certain which factors contributed most to these changes, some results suggest a more widespread tolerance of beliefs not seen before in past decades.

“We saw that people who generally don’t attend religious services [are] more likely to say that they do not affiliate themselves with any religion,” Martinez said. “It could just be that they are becoming more comfortable with saying they’re not affiliated with a particular religion. It’s not necessarily that people are becoming less religious, but that they are less likely to say that they are with a particular religious group.”

This growing number of unaffiliated Americans could also be attributed to the amount of different belief systems placed under one term, increasing the number of people who fall under the “none” category. In this particular survey, all atheists, agnostics, “nones” and those in between fall into the “unaffiliated” group.

This may have caused the numbers to grow rather rapidly, considering that often the terms or labels for non-affiliation get confusing.

“It’s totally based on self-identification…We offer the terms, but we don’t define them,” Martinez said. “It is possible that people don’t have the same understanding of those terms as other respondents, but we base it on what they tell us.”

However, the breakdown of these separate and very different groups offers more insight into the religious makeup of the country.

“If you are talking specifically how many people are atheists or

agnostics, that number is probably in the mid-single digits, like four or five percent,” said Hemant Mehta, independent atheist blogger and author. “But if you go to people who are not religious, that number jumps up dramatically.”

The Pew study found that approximately nine million Americans declare themselves “atheists,” meaning they hold no belief in any sort of God, as opposed to the majority of the Americans who answered “none” and still believe in a higher power.

To accompany these new numbers of increased unaffiliation, the Pew study also showed a 73 to 60 percent drop in religiousness. While these new numbers may seem drastic, America is, in reality, one of the last countries to catch on to a growing international movement toward religious unaffiliation.

Fifty-eight percent of Americans still identify religion as a very important aspect of their lives, which is double that of most European countries according to the Pew Global Attitudes Project, which conducts international polling.

Professor Martin E. Marty of the Divinity School at the University of Chicago attributes this American “religious intensity” to mostly history rather than culture.

“America is among the more religious countries of the world in part because of religious freedom and the absence of a legally established church. Religious groups have to hustle to gain and hold members, to offer much, to lure people, to satisfy them,” Marty said. “In nations where religion is established (as it was in Europe), everyone can be relaxed and non-hustling, so yields and loyalties are low.”

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To many atheists like Mehta and other religiously unaffiliated individuals, the ost shocking aspect of this budding population is the quick nature of its growth. In ss than five years, the number of unaffiliated Americans has grown by five percentage ints, and no movement can grow this rapidly without burgeoning culture.

Since the publication of Sam Harris’s book “The End of Faith” in 2004, the atheist d “none” culture has exploded with publications, speeches and even more books critizing dogma and faith.

“When I was in High School, 10 or 11 years ago, there were not sections in Barnes & oble dedicated to atheism. Now there are. There wasn’t a huge atheist book selection nline. Now there is. There weren’t blogs, and now there are,” Mehta said.

For the first time in the early 2000s, unaffiliated individuals yearning to explore eir options could find information on “none” beliefs through books. And suddenly, e authors of these new “atheist bibles” soon became the “rockstars” that all atheists, nostics, and “nones” rally around today, the most notable being Richard Dawkins and hristopher Hitchens.

Dawkins, a biologist at the University of Oxford, wrote “The God Delusion,” offerg a thorough argument for atheism. Similarly, Hitchens wrote “God Is Not Great,” a itique of organized religion and faith. Both books are considered the most influential d popular of the “atheist bibles” mentioned earlier.

“People look for leadership, and it is a normal thing to look around and see who is lking about it: ‘what are they saying and do I agree with it?’” Boyle said. “And 30, 40, 50 ars ago we didn’t really have outspoken advocates the way we do now.”

Mehta even compares the unaffiliated groups to the gay community in the way at celebrities have helped aid their cause, explaining that “when celebrities come out, helps make you realize that it is okay to be an atheist” or any individual who chooses ot to identify with an organized religion.

Celebrities like Ricky Gervais, Bill Gates, Daniel Radcliffe, Brad Pitt, Keira Knightley d Bill Maher all fall under the unaffiliated category as atheists and agnostics. Famous ures such as them have helped communicate that it is okay to “come out,” as Boyle d Mehta put it.

But Mehta still gives most of the credit to technology, not people. To him, the Intert “single-handedly” caused the rising popularity of this rather new population. Mehta monstrates the magnitude of this development through the example that a person an basically now fact-check [their pastor] on [their] phone while sitting in church.”

“I think the biggest change that has happened is that you realize that you’re not one,” Mehta said. “And before the Internet, it was very hard to find other people that dn’t believe in God in your community or people that you could connect with without e Internet.”

Boyle said he believes in more of a combination of the two, suggesting that the lebrities have aided the Internet and vice versa.

“We have very prominent people again because of the Internet. Their opinions are cessible to everyone immediately in a way that they weren’t before,” Boyle said. “You on YouTube, and you can watch a speech from Richard Dawkins; you can watch a vidfrom me or the National Atheist Party; you can watch a debate with Sam Harris.”

As a teenager and an agnostic, junior Kellen Weigand said she believes this has also been particularly instrumental in the growing number of young unaffiliated Americans.

“I feel like it’s part of being connected to other places from such a young age.

The Internet has been around my entire life, and I’ve never experienced the world without it,” Weigand said. “Our generation has been more connected and in that, you tend to see other people’s perspectives a little bit more.”

Certainly, the “none” culture, the atheist leaders and the Internet have all contributed. However, there is some notion that this population is a result of organized religions failing to keep up with the societal changes of the day.

“I think it’s because traditional religions are not keeping pace with progressive social issues, like abortion, same-sex marriage, legalization of marijuana. Traditional religions are very slow to change,” Boyle said.

However, Chinese teacher Dr. Justin Rudelson, who practices Judaism, sees it differently. To him, most believers understand that they may not agree with everything their religion might require of them.

“A congregation is like a family.

Every week there might be something that bothers me a little bit, but the rest of the experience is so fantastic that I attend services every week anyways,” Rudelson said.

“You don’t leave your family if your uncle says an offhand comment. I think a lot of people find it easier to give up on religion because of a particular issue rather than struggle with the demands of being part of a faith-based community.”

Regardless, these unaffiliated individuals have unaligned search of lifestyles more in sync with their personal views. And for those 46 milon Americans, the “none” culture fills that void.

»

When looking at the wide variety of people who make up this group of 46 milon, it’s easily assumed that this is a far-reaching movement that resonates with all pes of Americans.

Though many may believe that this switch to being religiously unaffiliated is evalent in certain groups, such as liberals or the youth, Pew actually found that this ange can be found in all demographics, except when it comes to different races and hnicities.

“The rise is very much across the board, except for maybe when it comes to race. mong whites in particular, we see this incline in the religiously unaffiliated, but not cessarily in minorities,” Martinez said. “But other than that…it’s a phenomenon at’s shared by most of the country.”

However, the biggest increases are in the 18-30 age demographic, which now rests around 32 percent unaffiliated.“ Generally speaking over time, younger people tend to be less likely to be affiliated. However, this current generation is less affiliated an older generations were when they were in this age bracket.”

This pattern is common in other controversial issues, Martinez said, in what she lls “generational replacement.”

“As the younger cohorts are coming of age and replacing older cohorts, the raw rcentage of people who are affiliated with religion is going down.”

THE FOURCAST December 20, 2012

Junior Channing Tucker attests to this and believes that, oftentimes, younger generations are “more critical of the older” ones when it comes to their elders’ more traditional views.

“Any sort of heavy adherence to religious values, especially in regards to government, is really not looked well upon by our generation because we are quite a bit more open-minded,” she said.

The second group in which these irreligious individuals dominate is the Democratic Party and the liberal population. This also means that these religiously unaffiliated Americans are more progressive, more gay-friendly, as well as more pro-choice compared to their fellow citizens.

Together, they comprise 25 percent of registered voters who are Democrats or lean democratic.

This matters when it comes to elections. In the 2008 presidential race, 75 percent of this unaffiliated population voted for President Barack Obama.

Out of any demographic, “they are one of the largest groups that lean most Democratic when it comes to religious groups and their partisanship,” Martinez said.

In addition to being mostly Democratic, Caucasian and young, it’s a group that is highly educated.

“If you go down the line of who has the most education if you measure it by degrees, as you go down that line to a Ph.D., the number of people who don’t believe in God goes higher and higher,” Mehta said.

He added that this is not to say that believers are unintelligent, but that the trends suggest that people who have accomplished higher levels of formal education tend to be less religious.

As Martinez stressed earlier, though it influences some more than others, the trend of religious unaffiation is a sweeping change that affects all groups. The Pew study found increases in every single demographic regarding age, marital status, region, socioeconomic status, gender and education. Not one showed a decrease from 2007.

For a country that has remained mostly Protestant for the entirety of its history, »» this could mean momentous changes to the fabric, culture and politics of America.

“I think we’ve already seen what effect that has on the country because 76 percent of the polled ‘religiously unaffiliated’ voted for Obama in the re-election campaign, so I think we’re very influential as a voting bloc,” Boyle said.

While it is easy to predict the political effects of this group, seeing as most relate to the Democratic Party, Boyle said he believes that “as a consequence for the country, when it comes to religion, that’s harder to say.”

However, Mehta said he predicts that the country will be more secular, but not anywhere near atheistic. Politicians will move away from hyper-religiousness in the future, but will still keep “God” as part of the country’s overall religious identity.

Martinez agreed with this based on the fact that most of these individuals still believe in a higher power and do not hold the belief that there is no deity.

“While they are less likely to affiliate with a particular group, many of them are still religious in various ways, so it is not an entirely secular group. Many of them believe in God or universal spirits for example,” Martinez said. “So as far as what consequences this group will have for religion in the U.S., that’s a little bit harder to speak to.”

In Mehta’s opinion, the U.S. has changed the demographics many times before.

He believes that the question is “what is your foundation in?” This question could result in a divide between those who believe in the Protestant beginnings and those who believe in the constitutional foundation.

“I think the other side would say our foundation has something to do with what the Bible says. And that is not going to go well when you have a country that is at least half not Protestant,” Mehta said. “Protestants are now in the minority. That doesn’t look like that is changing anytime soon. So what do you lead by? Do you lead by the Constitution or do you lead by the religious documents?”

When it comes to policies and legislation, decisions are based on the U.S. Constitution and other important papers. But often, the beliefs behind the documents are fueled by religious beliefs. Whether their effects can still influence America in this new era is yet to be seen.

“I would be happier if [religion] had less of an influence going forward, but I think its immediate effects will not be apparent,” Tucker said. “It will have to be when our generation, or even a few generations ahead of us, finally cycles into power. It’s always really hard to break away from the way things are.”

»»

Here at Hockaday, 18 percent of the students surveyed identified with atheism, agnosticism or no religion, together forming the unaffiliated population in the student body. Pew found that the national unaffiliated group made up precisely 18.6 percent of the country.

The statistics are uncannily close, but the teachers and students believe that the situation at school is very different from the rest of the country.

Rudelson said that this difference might arise from students’ young age and lack of experience in life, having worked and interacted in the same sort of school community for their whole lives.

“It’s such a phenomenal experience to be connected with people from all different ages and backgrounds. I don’t think students realize this until they start their professional lives,” Rudelson said. “First of all, once students leave college, it takes effort to be a part of diverse communities or even have friends of diverse backgrounds.”

The difficulty comes from the fact a person may not always have a community to partake in.

However, this is different for students, who are still living under their parents’ roofs and going to school. Already belonging to many different communities, high school and college students may not feel the need to join another as of now. Later in life, Rudelson said he thinks that unaffiliation can be potentially “alienating” for many people who need that sense of belonging.

“It was more a sense of feeling that unaffiliation was a dead end,” he said. “You can have friends and go out and do stuff, but if you want a meaningful sense of community, it’s really about joining a religion or an organization where others are devoted to a cause greater than yourself.”

In addition, beliefs change throughout life, and what one thinks in high school is likely to change. Or, as junior Nicole Joseph suggests, views may not even be developed at this point.

In the Upper School, “I think it’s more that people are just starting to realize it. I feel like people don’t really change their views. They might have not known them just yet. I do see a pretty good number of people devoted to their religion, and it’s a very respectable thing,” Joseph said, but she adds that while some clearly know, others do not.

Although there may be differences between the two groups (affiliated and unaffiliated), some students and experts believe constructive, educational experiences can arise from conversations between the two.

“I think it’s really just a matter of being candid and listening to what other people are saying,” Tucker said. “To talk about it, there needs to be a comfortable atmosphere to encourage that.”

And experts like Boyle agree. Real change and real tolerance in a changing world will help make this a smoother transition for everyone.

Boyle thinks, “It’s a national discussion...that kind of polarization is necessary before a change.”

Katie Payne news editor

For side by side comparisons of religious affiliation at Hockaday versus the rest of America, visit www.hockadayfourcast.org.

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RINGING IN THE NEW YEAR Need ideas for what to do this New Year’s Eve? The Fourcast provides them. » 15 GIRL POWER Hockadaisies respond to the Miss Representation screening » 16 in November.

REVIEWS Movie: “Skyfall” Music: Ke$ha’s “Warrior” Restaurant: Main Street Bistro & Bakery Staff Pick: Angelika » 17 Film Center

well as the Christmas Celebration Children’s Choir.

Tickets can be purchased online at www.dallassymphony.com.

Dec. 14-23 at the Meyerson Symphony Center

Les Miserables This movie is a film adaption of the world’s longestrunning British musical drama. “Les Miserables” tells the story of an exconvict who agrees to take care of a factory worker’s

Dallas Symphony Orchestra Christmas Celebration Inspired by “It’s a Wonderful Life,” this holiday tradition is now back with a new concert. It features the Dallas Symphony Chorus as HIGHLAND PARK VILLAGE illuminated by holiday lights.

young daughter in 19th century France. Starring Anne Hathaway, Russell Crowe and Amanda Seyfried, this movie is a must see for Christmas Day. For more information and advanced ticket purchasing, go to www.lesmiserablesfilm.com.

Releases Dec. 25 Ed Sheeran Concert Already well known in the U.K., Ed Sheeran’s music is becoming increasingly popular in the U.S. In 2011, Sheeran released his own independent play as well as signing with record company. The English singer and songwriter broke through commercially that same year with his single

“The A Team.” This holiday season, Sheeran will perform in Dallas. Tickets can be found online at www.stubhub.com.

Jan. 18 at the Palladium Ballroom Snowman Shuffle This 5k and 10k run has been an annual event since 1977. Both races begin at Winfrey Point at the White Rock Lake at 9 a.m. and head towards the east shore of the lake.

Registration and packet pick-ups are available at the RunOn! store on East Mockingbird Ln. Jan. 19 at White Rock Lake Elie MacAdams Staff Writer

The Start of Something New

Hockaday and St. Mark’s Upper School students collaborate to stage “High School Musical”

Last May, interested Upper School students from Hockaday and St. Mark’s gathered in Clements of finding out what the 2012-2013 annual musical would be. After it was announced, the room was For a few moments, at least.

completely silent.

I

“

nitially shocked, but afterwards enthusiastic” is how senior Charlotte Gunn, who has participated in the production since her freshman year, described her and her fellow classmates’ after it was revealed that the annual Upper School musical would be “High School Musical.”

According to the cast and crew, what sets “High School Musical” apart from previous years’ musicals is its notably more modern aspect that reflects changes in the styles of costumes, such as cheerleader and basketball uniforms, and the set, which the set crew will build as a typical high school from scratch.

“There’s not a lot of the stuff in the closet already that we can actually use,” set crew member junior Maricka Bennett said. With the exception of “Seussical,” previous musicals, such as “Mame” and “Fiddler on the Roof,” have followed older plotlines. However, this year’s “High School Musical” is the first one set in the twenty-first century.

“Teenage audience members will actually be able to relate to [main characters] Troy and Gabriella, whereas I don’t think many people could speak for surviving early twentieth century Jewish pogroms [in Fiddler on the Roof],” St. Mark’s senior Taubert Nadalini said.

Nadalini plays Troy Bolton, the show’s protagonist, alongside Gunn, who plays Bolton’s girlfriend Gabriella Montez.

Last spring, the musical directors, after much consideration, decided to venture down a new route and adopt a musical with a more recent style and plot.

“We knew [‘High School Musical’] could work, and we thought the students would like it,” Performing Arts Chair and musical director Beth Wortley said. “Judging from the fact that we had almost 100 [students] try out, I think we were right.”

But staging a more modern musical, which is based off of the movie that first aired on Disney Channel in 2006 and includes a plot that the audience is perhaps already familiar with has come with its own challenges.

With the song “Get Your Head in the Game,” for example, musical dance choreographer Christie Sullivan has had to combine both artistic and athletic skills.

Rehearsals for this specific number include basketball drills.

“Guys in the musical are not athletic. And we have to produce a whole coordinated team. It’s the biggest challenge we’ve had to face in four years,”

Nadalini said. “Good thing we have some time.”

Overall, the musical’s dance component will, according to Sullivan, demonstrate “more of what today’s kids are doing.”

“Get Your Head in the Game” is one of the many songs that students in the audience will be able to recognize and sing along to.

“We definitely have some big shoes to fill,” Gunn said.

“People will know if we mess up!

You only get one weekend, one

shot, to ‘win.’ Most of us have been in this since freshman year, so we’ve seen each other grow up and change over time.”

But what Gunn and Nadalini look forward to most is the close bonding that they enjoy during nightly rehearsals while the show is in production.

“Never have I experienced so many funny, kind, odd and exciting people in one place,” Nadalini said.

Amy Tao A & E Editor PHOTOS BY EMILY YEH

THE FOURCAST DECEMBER 20, 2012

Highland Park Carriage Rides The Highland Park Christmas Light Tours give guests the chance to admire the Highland Park Christmas decorations at a comfortable pace in a horse-drawn carriage. The Brazos Carriage service stand is located at 4539 Travis St. Reservations and more information can be found online at www.brazoscarriage.com/Christmas.

Throughout December

PHOTO BY MEGAN PORTER

arts&entertainment

14

looking fourward

CREATING “HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL” Top: Musical cast members Will Altabef, Reagan Martin, Michaela Cortes, Charlotte Gunn, Natalie Pasquinelli and Taubert Nadalini rehearse after school. Bottom: Sophomores and set crew members Nishali Malik, Victoria Almanza and Laura Nagy paint a chalkboard for a classroom scene.

HOCKADAYFOURCAST.ORG

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THE FOURCAST December 20, 2012

15

Ringing in the New Year If you’ve been guilty of sitting on the couch alone on New Year’s Eve and watching the ball drop in New York’s Time Square and an endless number of couples kiss at midnight on TV, never fear. Be prepared to add a of fun and a of crazy to your New Year’s Eve celebrations.

pinch dash

DO IT YOURSELF Loved 2012? Hated 2012? Who cares! Make a scrapbook of all your 2012 memories while waiting to make more memories in 2013. It’s an enjoyable way to reminisce on your year. Plus, make other DIY crafts: party hats, noisemakers, “Happy New Year” garlands, silvery streamers and, of course, 2013 sunglasses. Don’t forget the confetti, and have it all ready by midnight to celebrate. At least you’ll be throwing some kind of a party in front of your TV.

GIRLS’ NIGHT IN Have a slumber party. Build a blanket fort. Do you have running list of movies you want to watch? Watch them. Munch on popcorn (Orville Redenbacher’s Pop-Up Bowl is highly recommended), make an ice cream

milkshake and roast some s’mores. Play typical sleepover games like Truth or Dare, complain about your failing love lives and throw popcorn at the screen every time a couple kisses on TV. New Year’s with your gal pals is so much more fun.

HAVE A BALL Literally. You get to be just like Cinderella! She partied till midnight and then left. Honestly, what other holiday involves a celebratory (or not, at least for Cinderella) strike of midnight?

Hang up lights, maybe a disco ball and dance the night away.

It’s the perfect excuse to splurge on a frilly ball gown—don’t forget the sparkling crown—and force your boyfriend into a tuxedo and bowtie. Drink sparkling apple cider from champagne glasses and nibble on some caviar. Company is optional.

CHOCOLATE FONDUE Justin Bieber likes “Chillin’ by the fire while we eatin’ fondue” and so will you. You can dip almost anything into chocolate fondue and it will taste good.

Try fruit (strawberries, bananas, apples, pineapple chunks, maraschino cherries, coconut balls) but also try dipping pretzels, marshmallows, popcorn, pound cake and macaroons into the chocolate. Indulge because this is guilt-free. Bieber will definitely want to be your boyfriend now.

A NEW YEAR EVERY HOUR Dallas isn’t the only city on earth! Starting at 9 a.m. Central Time Zone on New Year’s Eve, it’s already New Year’s in Tokyo.

Throw confetti, blow your noise horns and gulp down another glass of apple cider at the strike

of every hour. Print out a giant map of the earth, color it with crayons (welcome back to PreK) and as the day approaches Jan. 1, 2013, mark off each city’s New Year you celebrate. Now you have a reason to party all day long, and of course you should celebrate: it’s 2013! No 2012 apocalypse!

JAR OF THOUGHTS Most people don’t follow the New Year’s resolutions they set for themselves at the beginning of every year. Instead, try this: beginning at midnight on New Year’s Eve, fill an empty jar with scraps of notes about good things that happen over the course of the oncoming year.

On New Year’s Eve next year, empty the jar and read all the great things that happened in 2013.

Tiffany Le Web Editor ILLUSTRATION BY KATIE BOUREK

Seeing Black and White

Colorblind students discuss their adjustments to their condition

A

member of the varsity volleyball team, junior Shelby Anderson had just arrived at The Oakridge School for a match during her sophomore year in high school. Surveying the gym, Anderson made a comment about how confusing it must be when Oakridge plays ESD because “their colors are the same.”

A teammate quickly pointed out that Oakridge’s school colors were green and blue, while ESD’s school colors were red and blue.

Clearly not the same colors. At least to to most of us.

Not until she began learning about color blindness during a freshman physics class did Anderson realize why she often confuses reds and greens and “some colors turn to gray.”

“We were studying light and ‘cones’ [in the eyes] and [Mr. Taylor] was showing us an example of what color blind people would see,” she said.

The diagram used as an example of visible light included different symbols in different colors. Anderson could not see certain symbols, which meant she could not see certain colors.

Physics teacher Richard Taylor elaborated on Anderson’s diagnosis.

“People who cannot tell the difference between red and green have weak red ‘cones’, [or nerve cells], in their eyes,” he said. These cones usually help distinguish colors from one another.

“It’s not very common in girls.” Taylor said.

According to the National Center for Biotechnology Information, about 0.5 percent of females have red-green color blindness.

Sophie Cohn, a junior with purple-blue color deficiency, explained a common misconception among color blindness: “A lot of people think that if you’re color blind, you can’t see colors at all.” Cohn said that most color blind people can see colors, but “it’s hard to distinguish between them sometimes.”

Once Anderson realized that she could not see one of the symbols, she “advanced to more tests to see what [she] could see.”

Anderson said that being color blind affects her primarily in photography class, the fine art she has taken since freshman year.

“We were doing a critique [in class] where half of someone’s project was in black and white, and the other half was in color, but I thought the whole thing was in color. Red and green are such important colors in the spectrum, so it’s kind of hard to tell [while editing] if they are in my black and white photos.”

Hockaday photography teacher Janet Yoshii-Buenger said that she has not seen any problems in Anderson’s work regarding colors. Anderson has gotten her color management somewhat under control, resulting in fewer problems.

But being color blind not only affects Anderson’s photography career.

“It definitely explains a lot of clothing issues,” Anderson said with a laugh. “When I was little though, things that I would draw were in pretty different colors than everyone else.”

Anderson also admitted to

frequently having to ask people if certain colors are correct.

The only time she recalled color blindness affecting her was on the Fourth of July.

“I wore a purple shirt, red

shorts and white accessories. I thought I was being patriotic,” she smirked. “I guess I wasn’t.”

Reflecting on how recently she discovered her color deficiency, Anderson said, “It’s

weird to think about what I missed because I only found out freshman year.”

Sydney Yonack Staff writer

16

THE FOURCAST

arts&entertainment

Girl Power

HOCKADAYFOURCAST.ORG

pproximately 250 Upper School students flooded Clements Hall on Nov. 2, pizza in hand, to watch the “Miss Representation” documentary. The screening was hosted by seniors Ashley Deatherage, Laura-Brynn Neuhoff and Megan Porter, all of whom attended the National Coalition of Girls’ School Conference hosted by Hockaday, where they watched the film together for the first time.

Director and producer Jennifer Siebel Newsom, frustrated and tired of unrealistic images of woman being plastered across the media, wrote, directed and produced “Miss Representation” in the hopes of empowering women and girls to challenge limiting labels.

Many students who attended the screening said they were not acutely aware of women degradation by the media.

“The only thing I knew would be in the news about a [TV] anchor who made a ridiculous comment about a woman politician about what she was wearing and not about her knowledge,” said junior Grace Gilker.

Gilker said she left shocked by the statistics on how the media fuels anorexia.

“I left the movie completely energized and furious and wanting to change the world,” she added. “There is a war to be fought… preferably before the next generation.”

The screening educated and changed many students’ views of the media.

“It really opened my eyes to just how misogynistic our society still is,” senior Laura Harvey said.

After hearing about the screening from her friends, senior Hannah Bush decided to attend the screening to support her friends. Bush said she walked into the screening knowing little about the cause, but left with an entirely different outlook on the media.

“I was pretty horrified,” Bush said.

“The movie talked about things I never thought would be offensive or should be. Men, and some women, were talking about women in such rude terms, especially female politicians, commenting on what she was wearing instead of her thoughts. It was offensive that they were focusing on her appearance.”

Although she does not see herself as a feminist, Bush said she was taken aback by the response some women portrayed in the film had to media’s portrayal of women.

@FourcastNews

Keeping Warm in a Texas Winter

Students gathered to watch a documentary about empowering women and girls to challenge limiting labels and sparking millions of small actions that will ultimately lead to large-scale change.

A

December 20, 2012

“I don’t think a lot of girls feel like they have any value because of how the media portrays them,” she said. “I want all women to watch [Miss Representation] so they know how much power women can have that we aren’t given credit for.”

Gilker said she believes that, although women across the nation should watch Miss Representation and become educated about the matter, men should watch it as well.

“We love them, they are great, but there are definitely moments when they say something hurtful or degrading,” Gilker said. “I would really like to see St. Mark’s run a screening that they were all required to watch.”

Senior Renee Cai said she believes that watching movies and TV shows in which women are portrayed as physically flawless perpetuates the cycle of misrepresentation of women.

“We’ve been telling the media every day that we’re fine with men being the protagonists, because we watch 90210, Gossip Girl, Vampire Diaries,” Cai said. “ Our favorite shows are of beautiful, objectified women.

We watch this stuff and they make more. We don’t watch it, they don’t make it. It’s a waste of resources.”

Upper School Counselor Dr. Margaret Morse ‘93 said that the only way to change the image of women in the media is for women to “get angry and say enough.”

And that is exactly what “Miss Representation” and the “One Tweet Campaign,” a club created by Porter, Deatherage, and Neuhoff, are striving to do: to empower women to rise up and fight for less submissive advertisement and for TV shows with strong, independent women.

“My mom always says that she can see me being a politician,” Bush said. “If I end up as one, I will have the opportunity to end the problem by just trying to put down negative comments about women, slowly trying to get people to see that women have a strong place in society.”

Gilker also can see herself as a politician or a writer for Saturday Night Live, a comedy show that mocks politicians. If either ones work out she believes that she can change something.

“I have this brilliant idea,” Gilker said, “‘Miss Representation’ with men.

It would be like switching our society with theirs–what if we lived in a society where men were the victims.”

Gretchen O’Brien Projects Manager

Oversized jackets, knitted scarves, hats and comfy sweatpants are just some of the ways to accessorize and recreate the Hockaday uniform to stay warm during the winter. Although not all of these additions are allowed during the school day, they may be worn before and after school. Next year, Hockaday is switching to a new provider, Mills Uniform Company. There will be new options for uniform accessories, as well as a change in the clothing material. The process to fully switch from Parker to Mills is planned to take four years, said Bookstore Manager Dara Williams.

MORGAN HURST Sophomore Morgan Hurst models accessories for the winter season. She bought her ear warmer in the Hockaday bookstore and wears it while practicing for winter sports, as well as after school when it is especially cold outside.

She purchased her black, North Face fleece from Mountain Hideout located on Lovers Ln. The black, athletic leggings are from Lululemon. This specific style is called Run: Top Speed Crop. According to Hockaday uniform procedures, students are not required to wear socks with their leggings or tights as long as they cover the ankle.

Hurst’s colorful blue and green ski socks are from St. Bernard Sports. They are made to be worn with ski boots, but Hurst said they are very comfortable and warm for the winter.

Hurst also wears a sterling silver monogrammed ring from Swoozies, although it is covered by the North Face fleece. On www.swoozies.com, rings may be personalized with a name or initials.

“I like the new North Face-looking black and white jackets the bookstore has,” Hurst said.

PHOTOS BY CHARLSEA LAMB

MIRANDA HELM To stay warm before and after school, sophomore Miranda Helm said she enjoys wearing scarves and hats and bringing blankets.

“I think that it’s good to let us accessorize a bit to let us have our own individuality in our uniforms,” she said.

Additionally, she is wearing her dress uniform: a white, collared button-down Oxford, tucked into a plaid skirt, complete with her Parker green blazer and Saddle Oxford shoes. On Day Six, no sweatshirts, kilts, solid green skirts or colored socks may be worn.

Her sister, senior Emily Helm, actually knits the scarves that she and her sister wear.

Miranda Helm said that she would like for Hockaday to offer a scarf to wear during the school day. Also, since it is difficult to stay warm with just sweatshirts and leggings, Helm said that Hockaday pants in the future would be welcome as well.

SADIE LIDJI Freshman Sadie Lidji wears earrings, necklaces and headbands to accessorize her uniform. During the winter, she wears a large, black jacket from a boutique in Austin, Texas called A-Town. The store offers a variety of candles, jewelry, artwork, cards and clothes for purchase.

Lidji handmade her colorful headband on www.etsy.com, which allows customers to pick fabrics, colors, paper and more for basically any project.

She also added a ribbon to her hair with a pattern like “a pink skeleton from Día de los Muertos.” She found it at City Craft, a fabric and sewing boutique located on Lovers Ln. near Inwood Village.

For next year, Lidji would like to see Hockaday leggings, socks and pants. She said she also hopes for a thicker material for Oxford and polo shirts because they are too thin and not very warm.

ANESU NYATANGA Sophomore Anesu Nyatanga is wearing one of her favorite sweaters—a white v-neck from the Hockaday resale store which she bought for three dollars.

She added a green, patterned bow tie from a website called www.thetiebar.com. Every tie on the website is 100 percent silk and no matter what pattern or color, costs fifteen dollars.

Nyatanga wears her bow tie throughout the year with her uniform and said it is her favorite addition to her uniform.

“I think they are fun and nifty,” she added.

Nyatanga also chooses to wear the Hockaday plaid shorts instead of the typical skirt. Students may also find them at the Hockaday resale store for five dollars.

Off campus, she wears the Nike Dri-Fit Cushioned Crew Socks from Dick’s Sporting Goods. Nyatanga said that layers and warm socks are very important during the winter.

When not wearing her saddle oxfords, she wears blue-and-green plaid Sperry shoes.

Charlsea Lamb Staff Writer ILLUSTRATION BY TIFFANY LE

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THE FOURCAST December 20, 2012

17

December Reviews Main Street Bistro and Bakery

Warrior

7200 Bishop Rd. Suite D - 11 Plano

A

fter a weekend filled with my mother’s cooking or whatever I could uncover in the pantry I craved something different— something not involving peanut butter and jelly or spaghetti (one of my mother’s favorite go to dishes).

Main Street Bakery offers several options for an undecided Monday night dinner: from your usual cold and hot sandwiches, soups, salads, and burgers, to more sophisticated entrees such as wild Alaskan salmon and pecan-crusted chicken breast.

Always a fan of warm paninis, I decided on the French Brie Panini which featured spinach, brie, bosc pear, Dijon mustard and prosciutto, all on toasted pugliese bread. All sandwiches come with a side of kettle chips or you can substitute chips for fruit, french fries or sweet potato fries. There is, however, a catch to the substitutions: a $ 2.50 upcharge (pretty steep for some fries or fruit).

Though the sweet potato fries were a little pricey, I could not deny my love for anything sweet potato (mashed, fries, baked, etc.) and had to try them.

It was a good choice. Biting into their slightly salted and crunchy outside, the inside part mushed out slightly and the taste of the sweet potato engulfed my mouth. While I was

Ke$ha

able to savor the taste of the sweet potato itself, I was able to enjoy the hint of pepper and sea salt, which created an almost roasted taste.

The sandwich was not quite on par with the fries. I’d say yes to the crispy, crunchy pears and melt-in-your-mouth cheese. But no to the prosciutto, which was not really prosciutto at all as it was close to the consistency of beef jerky: tough and chewy. It took more energy to attempt to break into small pieces than it was worth.

While it may not make the best prosciutto, brie and pear Panini in the world, Main Street Bakery exudes a homey feeling.

The staff is polite, willing to bring another ketchup bottle when they see you attempting to squeeze the last little drops out of another and offers up a few jokes while you try to decide what to order.

Main Street Bakery also sports orange walls and a large mural of a countryside home, which compounds the grandma’s-old-kitchen ambiance. And the desserts looked delicious.

Main Street bakery has three locations: Plano, Richardson and Grapevine. It is open Monday through Thursday and Sunday from 6:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday from 6:30 a.m. to 12:00 a.m.

T

hrough tacky lyrics and semi-lame rapping, Ke$ha masters the art of conveying tonal degeneracy— with several lackluster dubstep attempts and other-worldly sound effects along the way.

Yet the dance-inspiring beats and catchy booms add excitement to her dreary vocals.

While the album’s iTunes description aptly labels it “a celebration of all things Ke$ha,” it fails to mention that it’s also a celebration of all things autotuned.

But apart from the surprisingly boredom-infused lyrics and squawking vocals, the al-

bum is really more of the same rebel/misfit/YOLO party that we’ve heard from this self-made bad girl before.

In all honesty, the lyrics are well crafted: her collaborations with seasoned hitmaker Dr. Luke proved worthwhile. It’s her plethora of supernatural/ freaky sounds and lyrics that set her apart from stars such as Katy Perry and Rihanna. In one of my favorite tracks, “Supernatural,” she brings ghosts into her glitter-filled world.

Another notable track, “C’Mon” is a catchy pump-up jam that features a “seize the night” theme. The hypnotic vo-

cal loops, however, can begin to feel plastic-y.

Also a merit of the album, Ke$ha sings more and raps less than we’ve heard before. As with her old jams, however, she celebrates “the beautiful life” in full force.

The more I listen to the album’s tracks, the more I am drawn into the simultaneously mystical and humorous album (re: Gold Trans Am). Once you get past the hideous album cover art, you too just might enjoy the ride.

Hailey Winston Editor-In-Chief

Comic Katie Bourek According to the ancient Mayans, the world will end on Dec. 21 this year.

Alaina Rodriguez Graphics & Photo Editor

Skyfall Sam Mendes

T

he legendary James Bond returns with a bang. Literally. From the opening action scene to the end of the film, the new Bond movie “Skyfall”, the 23rd installment of the franchise, has everything a James Bond movie should: explosions, drama, fancy cars and a shirtless British spy.

Yet it lacked one aspect usually associated to Bond movies: confusion. Unlike the 22 previous Bond movies, the plot, who the villain was and the plan to stop him were clear from the beginning.

Rather than just enjoying the combat scenes in almost oblivion of who Bond was fighting, I was able to follow along.

I could hate the villain, completely understanding his crimes, applaud Q, Bond’s tech support, for his inventions, and fully appreciate the complex ingenuousness that is James Bond.

Director Sam Mendes, new to the James Bond industry, was handpicked by Daniel Craig, who has played Bond for the last two installments, to direct the movie. He said in an interview with the British magazine Timeout, “You know what the givens are: three action sequences, girls and glamorous locations. So it’s like being handed the furniture to a house and being told, ‘Right, now find a house that fits the furniture.’”

And he found the perfect house: Skyfall -- the Scottish mansion in which James Bond grew up and the perfect scene

for the final throwdown of the movie.

By including characters and locations from Bond’s past, the movie established a new facet to the James Bond character, an orphaned child.

My favorite part of the movie, however, was still Adele, three-time Grammy winner and another British icon, belting out her newest song “Skyfall,” during the opening credits. Beware: the song is the also the deadliest part of the movie and will get stuck in your head for at least a week.

“Skyfall” represented the 50th anniversary of the James Bond series. The first James Bond movie, “Dr. No,” was released in 1962. In honor of the anniversary, the James Bond car, an Aston Martin DB5, makes a special and dramatic appearance. Bond’s Aston Martin has appeared in the five most popular Bond movies.

The movie also marked Daniel Craig’s third movie as James Bond and puts him in fourth place for killing the most in the list of James Bonds, with 25 deadly shots.

“Craig has taken full ownership of Bond, not only filling out a tux, but molding the entire production,” Mendes said.

In all, this movie, which continues the legendary James Bond dynasty, is a must see.

Avita Anand Staff Writer

ILLUSTRATION BY KATIE BOUREK

Staff Pick

Angelika Film Center 5321 E Mockingbird Lane

If you’re planning to go see a movie soon, I suggest you forgo the long lines and oversold shows at NorthPark’s AMC this Friday night and drive an extra ten minutes to the Angelika Film Center.

Located in Dallas’ trendy and vibrant Mockingbird Station, the Angelika offers your typical collection of newly released box office movies, but it also promotes and features a few independent films to fuel your artsy, cultured and hip side—it even participates in local film festivals and, in addition, provides movie discussion groups.

If there was a place to attest to the claim that Dallas is becoming more modern, the Angelika Film Center, complete with a casual lounge and mini-café with refreshments such as espressos

and specialty chocolates, is the one.

But if I had to describe Angelika in only a couple, short words, the first words that come to mind are “comfortable” yet “savvy.”

The first time I ventured into the Angelika a couple of weeks ago, I immediately felt at home the first moment I stepped into the actual theater. The room was about half the size of those in the more popular theaters I was accustomed to, but, thankfully, it was also not as jam-packed.

The Angelika as a whole is a relatively small center, with only eight screens, and though the full Mockingbird complex seemed to cater to a younger crowd, the movie-goers comprised of mostly adults.

I watched “Silver Linings Playbook” and noticed that the rest of the movie theater laughed at jokes that I didn’t understand or references made, and I was probably the one of the only ones of the ob-

noxious teenage crowd I assume the attendees aim to avoid.

The Angelika imbibes a cozy and intimate feel, but the modern architecture and overall layout offers a nice contrast.

Additionally, if the café seems too light for you and you’re in for a fun night of more than a movie, the Mockingbird complex offers restaurants such as Urban Taco and Starbucks as well as retail stores such as Urban Outfitters and Francesca’s Collections to spend an evening dining and shopping.

But before you get caught up in all that Mockingbird has to offer, make sure to check out the movie theater that sets itself apart from the rest.

An adult movie ticket is ten dollars but bring your student ID and receive a ticket for eight dollars.

Amy Tao A & E Editor

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WE ARE YOUNG Students are starting their athletic careers earlier and » 18 with more intensity

HOCKADAY VARSITY SWIMMING Those interested in joining the swim team faced a new obstacle this year. In order to ensure a more competitive and committed team, Varsity Swimming Head Coach Bobby Patten required prospective team members to complete a time trial during the first week of preseason. In addition to the requirement of finishing a 50-meter lap under 50 seconds in freestyle, swimmers were required to perform two other strokes. The 34 of the swimmers who stayed through the preseason made the requirement and determined to work hard as a team the entire season.

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fourscore

POINTS VARSITY BASKETBALL HAS SCORED SO FAR

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40

NUMBER OF STUDENTS WHO TRIED OUT FOR SOCCER

NUMBER OF DIVERS THIS SEASON

HOW TO DO A PROPER DIVE 1. Take four steps towards the end of the diving board and hop upwards

2. Bring both legs back down together while circling your arms

This just in: there is someone who runs

more than senior Jackie Choucair. On Nov. 3, the New York Times featured two miniature distance runners, Kaytlynn and Heather Welsch, ages 12 and 10 respectively, and their incredible results in various marathons and triathlons.

The two girls have run over 160 endurance races within the last two years.

In the age of “Helicopter parenting,” this article brought up an age old question: how much is too much for these young children? The pressure to succeed, particularly in sports, exists in society today and pervades the Hockaday community.

Director of Athletics Tina Slinker said she has noticed increased athletic participation at an early age in the Hockaday Lower School.

“I think they’re playing too many hours a day and they are specializing too early,” she said.

Seventh grader Maria Harrison started playing soccer in pre-kindergarten and later joined the select soccer club, Sting, in the second grade. She currently practices four times per week and travels five times per year for tournaments. However, that will increase to traveling twice per month next year when her teams joins Elite Clubs National League.

While soccer doesn’t “take much away from [her] schoolwork,” Harrison recognizes that she does have to miss “a lot of things,” such as parties, because of her intense schedule.

On the other hand, senior Anase Asom, who began club soccer in fourth grade, said it is “pretty hard” to balance schoolwork with soccer, especially during the winter when she goes from “practice to practice or game to game,” she said.

4. Once you hit the water, separate your hands outwards

3. Jump upwards (keeping legs together, arms above your heads, and hands clasped

We Are Young “My grades improve because I’m so stressed but it’s not a very happy time in my life,” she said.

“I always notice that I get really tired around January or February.”

But Asom said that, at the end of the day, she is happy with her decision to stick with soccer though many classmates have quit due to struggles with the time commitment.

“I realize it’s a good way to exercise. It’s fun. I’ve been doing it for so long so I would encourage it as long as you don’t take it to the extreme. Mimi [Anase’s sophomore sister] plays a ton more than me, because I know she likes it a lot more than me,” Asom said. “You’re able to balance everything if you like it.”

This pressure starts at an early age. In order to combat the competition in the Lower School, Lower School Head Randal Rhodus added a new position in the Hockaday’s Parents Association this year: Lower School Extracurricular activities liaison. The position was assumed by Ed Johnson, father of fourth-grader Hudson and third-grader Scout.

Johnson organizes sports teams through the YMCA for each grade, including soccer, basketball and softball, as well as manages the Adventure Princesses and Girl Scout Troops. He also places new girls on the teams to ensure that every girl receives the opportunity to participate.

This position came about in order to preserve a healthy amount of competition in Lower

School. Rhodus said she has noticed a definite change in the competition level since she herself started at Hockaday in the first grade.

“Many of our students are involved in so many activities after school that they don’t get the unstructured play time that girls need,” she said. “That’s a big difference from when I was here.”

Since Lower School sports are not directly run by Hockaday but comprise mainly of Hockaday students, Rhodus said she wanted this position to include all students, especially new ones, and ensure that the Hockaday cornerstones are upheld throughout all ages.

“There was competition among Hockaday teams in different sports that we didn’t feel was healthy since we are a community and a family,” Johnson said. “We just needed someone to handle the situation.”

Johnson has teamed up with Slinker to provide a new message to parents, coaches and children.

“Winning is not on the scoreboard,” Johnson said. “Winning is getting these kids to love the sport so much that they come back next year.”

Slinker has met with each coach, primarily parent volunteers, as well as each grade level in order to cement the philosophy and mission statement of Hockaday sports.

“We want to set the standards now with the Pre-K class going forward,” she said. “Some of the classes have the ingrained culture already with competition. There are parents who are competitive in their jobs every day and it definitely filters down to their children.

We are setting up the culture for sports to be fun at this age.”

Rhodus appreciates the increase in the positive messaging in Lower School sports.

“I think this year there is a really good feeling of wanting to PHOTO BY MEGAN PORTER

MILLON DOLLAR MILES New biking trails are taking » 19 shape in Dallas KEEPING IN SHAPE SPC rules restrict off-season training at Hockaday » 20

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NUMBER OF NEW COACHES THIS SEASON

ILLUSTRATIONS BY KATIE BOUREK

sports&wellness THE FOURCAST DECEMBER 20, 2012

sports infourmer

promote play and sportsmanship as the fundamentals to Lower School,” she said.

There is already pressure to join multiple teams or start club sports. Coaches hope for girls to commit to one sport year round when they are just 10 years old, according to Johnson.

Especially for his older daughter, Johnson is debating whether to stay with the YMCA soccer team or switch to a club team.

“As a parent, you’re in the decision between the environment she’ll improve the most in, which is the club soccer, versus the environment she has the most fun in, the YMCA soccer,” Johnson said.

But societal pressures are influencing his decision. “We’re a society that’s all about improvement,” he said. “Fun is not a priority, it’s all about being the best you can be.”

Johnson hopes to keep the fun in the sports by not allowing his daughters to specialize in one sport, or at least not yet.

“Our philosophy at home is that we allow our girls to do an individual sport and one team sport as well,” he said.

Currently, his daughters both play soccer in the fall and basketball in the winter, while Hudson focuses on swimming and Scout chose to specialize in gymnastics.

Like Asom, Johnson sees the need for a balance.

“In team sports, you have to interact with people, you have friendships,” he said. “In individual sports it’s much more about time with yourself. I think you need a healthy balance of both.”

Johnson said he dreams for his daughters to each find one passion, but not for a few more years. He added that, while some parents are competitive about joining club or academy sports in lower school, varsity letters and college recruitments are off of most parent’s radars at this point.

However, Johnson does fear athlete burnout, which Slinker said contributes to approximately 12 out of 15 kids choosing not to continue a sport in high school.

Johnson said he hopes to reduce this burnout rate by keeping their playtime free and easy in Lower School.

“Kids burn out from playing in structured environments where they’re constantly held in check,” he said. “We’re trying to make it more play and less structure.”

According to Slinker, who hopes these new enactments will maintain the all-important balance, sports, especially in the Lower School, should always be a release and an escape from the pressures of school or social issues.

“We’ve become so outcome based instead of enjoying the journey of playing the sport,” she said. “At the end of the day, no matter what level you play on, it still needs to be fun.”

Megan Porter Managing Editor

CHEST PASS Hockaday Lower School athlete Emma Simons passes the ball to her teammate Sarah Crow in a game against Greenhill.

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Million Dollar Miles

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more reasonable.

“It all boils down to funding.

Trails are not cheap,” Dallas Parks Planning Manager Michael Hellmann said. “They’re about a million dollars per mile to construct.”

Luckily, the Parks and Recreation Department is not developing these parks willy-nilly over Dallas County. Instead, their goal is to focus their efforts where trails can connect, which helps biking become a mode of transportation as well as a healthy pastime.

“The idea is to connect the trail system to DART Light Rail stations, neighborhoods, schools, employment centers, so that the trails can then become an alternative transportation option,” Hellmann said.

Senior Anastasia AlmyashePHOTO BY EMILY WECHSLER

ENDLESS BIKING The extensive Sante Fe Trestle Trail in South Dallas provides a getaway for habitants of the city.

va, who enjoys biking, is looking forward to the connected trails.

She said she would consider using them as transportation when they are complete.

“I have trails next to my house that I bike around, except it’s really annoying because they’re so disconnected and really short,” Almyasheva said.

The trails also aid Dallasites who wish to save money by travelling without cars and, Hellmann said, who are “the future of environmental protection and environmental quality.”

By walking and biking on the trails, the city is giving Dallasites more opportunities to get out and be active. Therefore, the trails serve as recreational amenities for citizen’s general enjoyment and as investments in citizen’s health.

Still, the trails are pricey and take time to acquire funding, plan and build. The city constructs trails in the same manner as a roadway. First, the Parks and Recreation Department must develop a plan that includes acquiring land on easements or right-ofways, surveying it, designing, and constructing it. Then the funding process begins.

To raise capital, the funding for construction, the city depends on capital bond programs.

General taxes do not allocate any money. Instead, the city goes into debt, which is paid off through the small portion of property tax and sales tax revenue it receives.

Sometimes an allocation of money from the city will leverage more money from the county, state, or even a private fund to help finish a trail, since the city usually cannot pay for an entire trail at once.

Remember, a 10-mile trail costs $10 million.

Take the Trinity Forest Trail as an example of a project built in phases. The trail is useful, as just

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TIPS FOR BIKING SOUTH OF DOWNTOWN

The city of Dallas develops bike trails that are exciting prospects for a greener city allas has turned green in recent years, first with envy of other city’s probiking development successes, and now with the ecofriendly pro-biking stance of our own sprawling city. The issue is a complicated and expensive one, but with joint programs guided by the 2011 Dallas Bike Plan, which organizes on-street bike lanes, and various efforts from efforts from the Parks and Rec, the city is on track to be a little more earth friendly.

The plan, whose completion is about 20 years out, is exciting but seemingly slow, especially for young people who can hardly imagine “where I’ll be in 10 years.” However, considering the size--and expense--of the project, the timeline sounds much

THE FOURCAST December 20, 2012

Phase 1 hits three different trailheads, commencing at Loop 12, passing along Little Lemon Lake and ending with the Joppa Preserve. Phase 2 continues over the Trinity River towards the Audubon center. With the recent announcement of a new Dallas golf course, the trail may be extending to Phase 3. The trail is part of a smaller effort to develop the Trinity River which is called the Trinity River Corridor Project Although private funding is becoming more frequent, “It needs to be more common,” Hellmann said. “We’re relying more and more on private funding because the City of Dallas parks system is the fifth largest parks system in the nation.” However, Dallas is one of the lower funded per capita systems, Hellmann said, so private funding and outside partnerships aren’t “a luxury any more, but a necessity!”

For now, the Dallas trails are somewhat confusing since the biking plan is merely part of the way through. Until the projects are completed, the Dallas Parks and Recreation department won’t have funding to create a user guide to help plan a trip to ride.

However, the user guide piece will be something to look forward to from the city.

Even now, however, there’s plenty of biking to be done on Dallas’ 115 miles of trails. Spanning a wide variety of areas in Dallas, the city offers its citizens and visitors alike a view of Dallas not often seen in daily life.

“You get to see parts of Dallas that you never would otherwise off the trails. There’s some neat places. And some neat natural places,” Hellmann said.

Emily Wechsler Features Editor

1.

Make a plan for where you are going and know

how to get there. Unfamiliar areas can be confusing, and since parts of many of the trails are under construction, signage is not guaranteed to be enough.

2.

The connections between trails aren’t complete yet, so if you are looking to ride multiple trails it’s best to have access to a car to travel between them. Additionally, plan on turning around at the end of the trails and riding back the same way you came.

3.

The Santa Fe Trestle Trail and Trinity River Trail

Phase One are complete.

Phase Two of the Trinity River Trail may prove difficult to find, so plan accordingly.

4.

The Santa Fe Trestle Trail has a trail head at a

DART Light Rail Station. DART Light Rail now welcomes bikes aboard, so you can be doubly eco-friendly by riding it instead of driving.

5.

The Fourcast also tried to explore the Trammel Crow Park but found that it closed along with the Sylvan Avenue Bridge over the Trinity River, though there is no indication of this on most websites. It will reopen shortly following the reopening of the bridge, estimated for 2014.

6.

Bring water, sunscreen, maybe even a camera and have fun!

Burned Out

The prominence of athlete burnout at Hockaday raises the question: when is it time to call it quits?

Emily Wechsler Form III

I

have always been a soccer player. A three sport athlete.

I’ve played four sports at Hockaday, plus club soccer. I gave countless hours to hone my skills in lacrosse, field hockey, and basketball, and though I had to choose to give basketball up in high school so I could play soccer, I am still very committed to lacrosse and field hockey.

Okay, who cares?

I tell you this because I am only playing two sports. I quit soccer, meaning I have gone from highly competitive travel soccer to high school soccer to none at all. It might seem like all the time I gave to the sport has gone to waste. It might be hard to comprehend that I wouldn’t just “tough it out” for one or two more years, get my 12 letters, and then be done. But, simply put, I am just burned out.

If you are unfamiliar with the term “athlete burnout,” I am discussing the growing phenomena of Middle and Upper School students who play at highly competitive levels of a sport and suddenly, or over a short period of time, completely quit the sport to which they have given so much.

While there may be many contributing factors to burnout in each individual case, it is helpful to be familiar with a few of the most common.

Sports psychologists now agree that specializing in one sport can contribute to burnout.

I’ll make an analogy with candles.

If we represent an athlete’s commitment to a sport by the length of the wick of a candle, then that candle starts burning down every time they think about, talk about, prepare for or play that sport.

Now let’s say the athlete plays two or three sports.

Sometimes, when they are preparing for and/or playing sports, they have a different candle lit. They still can learn techniques, both physical and mental, that will help them in their primary sport, but they won’t be burning down the wick of their primary sport.

This can’t have contributed to my case, because I do play three sports, but I’ve seen it in my friends before.

According to “Sport Psychology: Concepts and Applications” by R.H. Cox, another contributor to athlete burnout is the feeling of entrapment.

An athlete who pumps time and energy into a sport but ceases to enjoy or experience any rewards from it is like an ironsmith working the bellows on a fire, augmenting the intensity of the flames and thereby diminishing the time until burnt out.

To return to the lessons of our younger years, we might look at Cinderella for guidance.

Cinderella works hard but earns only chastising remarks from

her stepmother, just as an infamous soccer coach from my Middle School years could be heard screaming at his sixthgraders even when they gave it their best. Cinderella feels dejected because not only does her stepmother’s berating hurt her feelings, but also she has no position to rise to, not even a husband to dream of. That is, until her Fairy Godmother help guide her to a better life by taking her to the ball.

Another major cause of burnout is the constant pressure and stress of competitive organized youth sports. Somehow I’m not surprised that athlete burnout occurs at Hockaday, then, since Hockadaisies seem rather magnetically drawn to stressors and competition.

To combat this and other problems, it’s important that you feel in control of your schedule and commitment levels. Returning to our candles once again, we all need to be able to rest, blow out the candle and let off some steam—or smoke—before our wicks burn out.

Given this fact, I have heard a few too many horror stories of Tiger Mom Hockamoms signing their children up for two tennis teams, private tennis lessons, singing lessons, guitar and piano privates, tutors for every class and both debate and AP Studio Art—in addition to suggesting that their daughter earn a community service award and be an active member of a religious youth group.

Whether that is a major cause or not for Hockaday students or even for me, psychologists have worked out several other measures to combat the

burnout that results from all of these issues.

A great way to cope is simply to take a break. If you specialize in one sport, take up another as cross training. Also, be sure to give yourself a few days off. It’s good for the body and the mind.

According to educatedsportsparent.com, an excellent way to stop an athlete from burning out is to “look at their interactions with their teammates.”

Consider that when we sit on the bus for one, two or five hours, we do so with our teammates.

That when we stretch in a circle and share our goals, we do so with our teammates. That when we win or lose, cheer or stifle tears,

we do so with our teammates.

I would think we should look to our teammates to help us through our disenchantment with the sport we previously loved.

On the other hand, sometimes it’s okay to say you’ve just had enough. When there comes a point that it doesn’t matter what you say, you know its really time to give up the sport you used to love. Recognizing that is the most important thing you can do, and everyone else’s opinions come second. My decision was not made in a day, a week or even a month. But so far, it has been the right one.

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sports&wellness

THE FOURCAST December 20, 2012

HOCKADAYFOURCAST.ORG

@FourcastNews PHOTO PROVIDED BY JESSICA CHU

Here be Dragons Math Teacher Jessica Chu becomes Hockaday’s first Dragon Boat Racer

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here is a dragon that lives at White Rock Lake.

She is big enough to eat 22 human beings every weekend. As she approaches her target, her drumming heart thunders across the water and her 20 legs help her glide through the blue-green surface of the lake.

The dragon is an orange and white beauty—a professional racing boat purchased two years ago by the fledgling Dallas DeLite dragon boat club, the only professional club in Dallas. Math teacher Jessica Chu co-captains the team, which had very humble beginnings. So humble, in fact, that the club’s first practices consisted of sitting on a bench and practicing with fake paddles.

Dragon Boating started more than 2000 years ago in China. A respected poet named Qu Yan was exiled for his political poems. When he drowned himself in the Mi Lo River, local fisherman raced to his aid and beat on drums and stirred the water to keep fish from eating his body.

Ever since, Dragon Boat races have symbolized the people’s love for Qu Yan. Over many years the annual festival grew into a popular sport that then spread around the world.

The sport itself also changed. Now the races consist

TO THE BEAT THE DRUM Math teacher Jessica Chu rows in a Dragon Boat Race at White Rock Lake. She has raced for five years and is now co-captain of her Dallas-based team.

of long, shallow boats-similar to canoes-that hold 22 people: 10 pairs of paddlers, 20 total, plus the “sweep” who steers the boat in the back and the drummer whose beats keep the paddlers in sync in the front. The teams now wear athletic clothing, not traditional Chinese garb.

The boats are still decorated with the traditional detachable dragon head and tail and the sides of most boats have painted scales, but the sport has even evolved to hold highly competitive international competitions which require very expensive, specially designed (but still man-powered) racing boats.

Chu and the Dallas DeLite decided to purchase a real dragon boat: a 600 lb, $26,000 investment.

The dragon boat, stored in the White Rock Boathouse when not in use, is moved to the water for practices, which are scheduled from March through October on early Saturday mornings. They add Sunday practices before big races.

Dallas DeLite, whose logo looks a bit like that of the Sprite soda and whose uniforms are dark green athletic jerseys in their races, has grown in members since the team began to enter into competitions.

Total membership is up to

30 now. The extra members, Chu said, are helpful because sometimes team members can’t travel for races.

“It’s hard because all of our races aren’t here, usually,” Chu said, “We can’t always rely on people schedules being free, and people have families.”

Chu first began rowing with Jovin Lim, Dallas DeLite’s coach, in her first experience with dragon boating at the University of Texas at Austin in the spring of 2007. A group called the Chinese Student’s Association introduced her to the sport at Austin’s annual festival.

Tight-knit communities foster close friends, and Chu

said DeLite is no exception.

She said that the friendships made by Dragon Boating are the best part of the experience. Effective teamwork is the building block for racing success and strength actually comes second.

“It’s not all about the youthful thing, it’s about the teamwork and how much you believe in it and in each other,” Lim said. “There’s really no other sport that you can hang out in a boat and go on the water with 20 other people without having to talk to each other.”

Emily Wechsler Features Editor

Keeping in Shape SPC Regulations force athletes to maintain fitness individually

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wice in the fall season, the Hockaday lacrosse team fell to major rival Ursuline in play day tournaments. Some players, such as junior Catherine McGeoch, brushed off the losses as no big deal. But the games “frustrated” senior Mollie Anderson.

“I was really mad after the loss but it just makes me more excited to work hard and beat them during the spring season,” Anderson said.

McGeoch justifies the loss because Ursuline had practiced for two hours per day, five days per week since September. On the other hand, Hockaday’s fall team, Hlax, practices for one hour every Sunday, with a minimal attendance level.

This is due to regulations from the Southewest Preparatory Conference which apply to Hockaday, but not to Ursuline Academy or other schools not part of the Conference. One

regulation states that only two players can be with a coach at any time when they are practicing the specific sport in the offseason.

SPC President and Cistercian Athletic Director Dan Lee said that rules limiting offseason practices have been in place for “15 years or so.”

Hockaday Director of Athletics Tina Slinker said she understands the reasons for these regulations and believes they align with both Hockaday’s and SPC’s philosophies of athletics and competition in High School.

“We want to encourage our girls to play at least two sports instead of specializing,” she said.

Hockaday’s lack of off-season practices, however, causes many girls to join club sports in order to increase individual skills and practice time.

“I joined a club team because I wanted to play in the offseason so I could keep my

skills up and could continue improvement instead of having to start over every season,” McGeoch said.

Instead of playing a winter sport, McGeoch trains in the wellness center almost every day.

“The trainers help if I have questions on how to improve whatever I want to work on,” she said. “But I do wish Hockaday had structured workouts for offseason athletes.”

Slinker said she hears the suggestions for offseason practices, but, as a coach, would prefer for her players to instead play an additional sport.

“I actually believe it’s better for you at your age, unless you’ve really crossed that path that you know you want to be seen for college for one particular sport,” she said.

In contrast, the St. Mark’s lacrosse team hosts practices every day after school for any athletes not involved in an-

other sport. Senior Jay Park said that they work with their coach in the weight room on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays and “play lacrosse and do stick work without Coach Lee” on Tuesdays and Thursdays.

Slinker said she could en-

Hammond appreciates this program because of its flexibility, as the attendance level is generally low in the offseason.

“We tried it in summer but not many people do it. People just go to SMU or Flagpole Hill and we run together,” said

WE WANT TO ENCOURAGE OUR GIRLS TO PLAY AT LEAST TWO SPORTS INSTEAD OF SPECIALIZING. DIRECTOR OF ATHLETICS TINA SLINKER

vision offseason programs being added in the future if other schools begin to follow the same path. She recommended that girls who desire offseason training join McGeoch and the Hockaday trainers in the Wellness Center.

“We don’t really support offseason programs right now,” Slinker said. “We could, and you guys could come in for it at anytime, but it’s not like we create it. You could come in and work with one of our fitness trainers, or six of you could. We have that option, but we don’t organize it as coaches.”

Slinker said, however, that she noticed a difference when Hockaday plays public schools, especially at the beginning of a season. In November, her varsity basketball team played Highland Park. The Hockaday team had held just six practices while Highland Park’s team had been together for months.

The cross country team also holds off campus practices for athletes. Hockaday track and cross country coach Laboris Bean hosts practices at SMU which are open to all of his runners. Sophomores Claudia Hammond and Harper Clouston attend once or twice a week for two hours each.

Hammond. “Only about ten girls came every once in awhile but it was really helpful.”

But Slinker appreciates Hockaday’s and SPC’s philosophy because it decreases athlete burnout.

“You may be behind, but you won’t be burnt out, and you won’t be as injured compared to teams who play year round,” she said.

McGeoch agreed, adding that she believes Hockaday teams catch up quickly when it comes time to play teams such as Highland Park High School, Ursuline Academy and other non-SPC schools during the regular season.

Eight months of daily practice can take a toll on single sport athletes, while McGeoch and other Hockaday athletes maintain a balance between fitness training and one to two other sports.

“I guess it somehow always works out that we are where we need to be when it counts,” McGeoch said. “It can boost their confidence if they win in the offseason, but those games don’t really matter so it doesn’t bother me.”

Megan Porter Managing Editor

21 perspectives THE FOURCAST December 20, 2012 BRING AMERICA BACK Molly Montgomery critiques today’s negative political » 22 environment.

METAPHORICALLY SPEAKING Sydney Wilkins explains why the hypothetical end of the world could be a good thing. » 23 Maybe.

ARTISTIC THERAPY Lizzie Vamos offers an alternative stress relief. » 23

infourmal debate Students choose, Summer or Winter?

Hallie Gu Form I:

Kellen Weigand Form III:

Emma Carr Sixth Grade:

Jessica Savage Form II:

“The lingering charm of winter is given by snow, the dancing fairy in white a gossamer gown. For someone like me who was born in a small town where the winter is ice cold but dry, nothing is lovelier than a night of heavy snow. I love the purity and serenity of the winter, as well as the calmness and cheerfulness the snow brings to me. If I happened to be the first one to leave a trail of footprints on the vast expanse of whiteness early in the morning, I would be in good heart for the whole day.”

“The summer is fun and you can hang out with your friends. You can go to the pool and there isn’t any school, which is always great. In winter time you are always cold and I would much rather be hot than cold. People always say you can put more clothes on but I have a thing, you can have five pairs of socks on but you will still be cold and that annoys me. I also like the summer because you are warm and your muscles are warm whereas in the winter you are always tight and sore and cold.”

“If I were to choose a favorite season it would by far be winter. When the sparkling flakes of joy fall into your backyard, it seems like the whole world is covered with the white blanket of happiness. I also like drinking hot chocolate with white, puffy marshmallows, and spending the day with my family, having snowball fights, making snowmen and relaxing by the fire. That is why winter is my favorite season.”

“Summer wins the in the race for my favorite season by a long shot.

When I inhale the sweet, southern heat, my lungs expand with joy and pride for my 110 degree days. The sound of the crickets chirping in the scorching morning sun prepares me for the bright days ahead.

The heat above the asphalt dances and creates an optical illusion for my curious mind. The touch of the black door handle shocks my nerves and sends me flying back a couple of steps. Oh, how I love summer.”

staffstandoff: Seasons Greetings

Perspectives Editor Molly Montgomery and A&E Editor Amy Tao explain why they prefer one season over another

S

ummer’s the cool season. In comparison to summer, winter seems like the Hufflepuff of seasons. But, this is malarkey! Malarkey! And I’m willing to risk social suicide and say so because tans fade, highlights go dark and we all get sick of getting sand in our shoes.

I’m hoping that at least one of the Harry Potter/30 Rock/Mean Girls/Gossip Girl references hit home with you (30 Rock will take a true fan FYI).

Actually, I’m going to go ahead and toot my own horn on that one and say that I definitely reached through to you, because any Hockadaisy in the Upper School fits into one of these fan clubs.

But, if I’m wrong, I have a different question for you…where is this rock you have been living under, and do you need help getting out? Anyway, the point of this intro that I will most likely end up cutting is that no one ever sings in the bleachers about their “Winter Lovin,” but they should (if I didn’t get you before, I did now).

Winter not only has by far the best weather (snowpacolypse anyone?), clothes, food, music and holidays, but it has the best mentality.

Summer. Hot, America, Back to School. That sums up those three months when your mind melts down to mush that can only feel heat. But during winter, as our brains begin to take shape again, you feel thankful, joyful, hopeful and romantic (oohlala!!).

I see you reading this article, criticizing my weak intro, curled up in a blanket, listening to Michael Buble’s holiday album, sipping your seasonal Starbucks drink and getting cozy by the fire.

You can pretend like you would swap New Year’s Eve for just another night of summer sweating it out, completing your online SAT course and having absolutely “NO R3GR3TZ 2k12!!!”

But when you upload a photo of you and your bestie “livin’ it up at the beach! Take me back now or I’ll die!!” don’t pretend like you’d swap your favorite sweater out for your string bikini.

So don’t sweat it—literally, don’t.

Save yourself and pretend like you love summer and physically becoming part of your couch. Your secret’s safe with me.

T

PHOTO BY HAILEY WINSTON

staffstance: The Hocka-Shelter

O

ften, we as a staff discuss the potential issues that can result from our overprotection. Most of us live sheltered lives, most of us rarely venture outside the Hockabubble. And it’s true, there could be potential consequences of not fully understanding the “real world” and how it works.

But, isn’t there an upside to preserving our naivety in a world that turns children into adults too quickly? Our perspectives editor Molly Montgomery summarized the staff’s belief by relating an experience we thought represented the Hockabubble best: About a month ago, I left my laptop at school. I sat at home debating if it was even worth the 30 minute round trip to get it. But after my parents told me something about “doing my homework” and that “getting into college” is actually

important (who knew?), I decided to go.

To my dismay, however, my laptop wasn’t in my locker, where I thought I’d left it, and wasn’t anywhere that I remembered using it that day. Yikes.

I frantically texted anyone who I’d had contact with in the past 12 hours and asked if they’d seen it or accidentally grabbed it instead of their own. But still nothing, I started to panic.

I love my Toshiba, (see last month’s student standoff if you can’t imagine why. I’m the girl giving her the camera a weird head nod; it’s an easy find.) but I wasn’t even remotely psyched about the idea of replacing it.

I called my mom after signing out of Hoak and told her of my woes. She jumped to the worst conclusion, just like the pessimistic side of me had: my laptop had most likely been stolen, dum-dum-dummm.

his matter shouldn’t even be an issue in the first place. My skin is just one of the many things during winter that pales in comparison to summer (not that I was ever tan to begin with, but you get my point.).

The winter season just doesn’t measure up to the glorious June, July and August months, and everyone knows it. But just in case you’re starting to doubt the truth, let me lay it down for you.

Where do you think the phrases “Summer, it’s been real” and “Summer lovin’” come from? No one ever said, “January: No regrets!”

That’s because it is much easier to love summer, and you probably will regret doing something in January, whether that be breaking your New Year’s resolutions, not studying for a test or venturing into the unbearable cold without your itchy, static-y sweater.

Happy Holidays! It’s that time of the year to put away your comfy shorts and whip out those jeans you spend five minutes pulling on.

Also, summer is another name for the much needed, three-month respite from school. If anyone were to even attempt to compare it to the two-week break in December, don’t even try.

My fellow juniors, we’ve all heard the horror stories those older and wiser have shared with us about writing their whole JRPs over the supposed “homeworkfree” holiday break. And I don’t know about you, but even during my underclassmen years, I had always felt like there was something school-related I should have been doing, rather than starting and finishing a whole TV series on Netflix.

Simply put, summer is the time for long vacations, sleeping in and not knowing what the date is because it doesn’t matter.

Call me irresponsible, but I’ll take soaking in the summer sun over shivering in the nonexistent snow any time of the year.

But a part of me, I guess by elimination my optimistic side, knew that this wasn’t the case. I just couldn’t picture any student or any faculty member stealing my laptop. They just wouldn’t.

I told my family this when I returned home empty handed and I saw their eyes rolling at my apparent naivety. My dad told me to think outside the Hockabubble.

But I like it in here.

He reminded me that, in a year and a half, I would be forced to leave this very thick, very comfortable bubble that I had become accustomed to, one where nothing that bad ever happened.

He added that it might be a good time to go ahead and burst it, so that I didn’t suffer from some form of overly-trustinggirl-meets-adversity-in-the-bigmean-city culture shock later.

I begrudgingly took his seasoned wisdom to heart and went to bed feeling rather

glass half-empty.

I didn’t dream that night but woke up to find my fairytale world had returned to normalcy.

A teacher emailed me that she’d put my laptop in the language office—and that she had charged it overnight since I didn’t get the chance to. Hallelujah, Christmas morning had come early. (Madame Camp, if you’re reading this, I owe you one).

A teacher I’d never had, who I’d never talked to one-onone, went out of her way to not only save my computer from potential damage or theft but was even thoughtful enough to make sure that it would be ready for school the next day.

Hang on while I google a verb for “the unpopping of an object.”

So, if you don’t mind, I’m just going to stay in my comfortable Hockabubble for another year and a half while I still can.

22

THE FOURCAST

perspectives

HOCKADAYFOURCAST.ORG

December 20, 2012

We love it, We love it not

I

Marc Elliot's assembly on tolerance.

We just wish we all had gotten the chance to eat lunch (go on a date) with him.

@FourcastNews

Come Together

Molly Montgomery Form III

The new Peppermint and Hershey yogurt flavors, truly a holiday match made in heaven.

’ve always been a republican.

My father is a small business owner, and I believed that the Republican platform would support him and his business best, and more selfishly, that I would correspondingly benefit.

I don’t agree with everything the Republican Party stands for, but in each presidential race, I sided with the Republican party over the Democratic one (granted, in the 2004 election, I was eight and didn’t really ‘side’ with any policy unless it involved more “That’s So Raven” and less piano practice, but still).

So, when former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney lost last month, I was just as mad as the rest of my fellow Highland Park residents. And I’ll admit, I was one of the first to hashtag my woes on twitter, #mournformitt #onwednesdayswewearblack.

I also took notice a few days later when the BBC published an article stating that overseas military votes that weren’t counted might have turned the tide in Romney’s favor. #canigetarecount. #thosewhoservegotserved. But, when I looked at what I was contributing as a whole on the twittersphere, I was repulsed.

The Huffington Post refers to Generation Y (us) as “the lazy, apathetic age group born between 1994 and 2004,” who are

“often portrayed as less engaged in politics; they have short attention spans and don’t care about the weighty issues that confront their generation and the nation; and they’re more interested in technology and celebrity than staying active in their communities and schools.” Stings a bit.

The truth hurts, but (and it’s sad to admit) we’ve earned that title. I am a prime example of an underage, uninformed person who voices their uneducated, frankly irrelevant, opinion via modern social media.

And who doesn’t in our environment? It’s so easy! Why not say what you’re thinking to your 1000 intimate Facebook friends to prove not only your wit but also the boundless political knowledge you acquired through Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update.

They should hear your brilliant thought on how Vice President Joe Biden “looks really freaky in this debate, lol that clown smile is sooooooo weird!!

RomnieRyan2012!!! Change we can believe in!"

But, upon reflection of the disappointment that is America’s youth, I’ve converted from a 12 year old girl’s mentality to an 80 year old misanthrope’s: What is becoming of society, no one knows anything anymore!

Kids these days with their Instagram! They need to read a book! How can I expect them to finance my social security?

Nixon is an innocent man!

I believe partisan politics

have lost their true meaning.

Gone are the days of a country worshiping their president and standing by their government, days where the America cared about a president’s ability above all else. When citizens didn’t slander the President because they loved him, his administration and what they were doing for America, even if they didn’t agree with everything they were doing.

Our negativity when it comes to politics has become so unrestrained that it is not only disrespectful towards our leaders and those who have differing views, but it is unpatriotic.

Yet where there’s smoke there’s fire.

We fuel the media and presidential campaigns to take such negative, borderline antiestablishment angles, because the American public eats it up.

Who will ever forget the literally under-the-table footage of Romney’s 47 percent comment which alienated a large portion (roughly 47 percent) of the country from his campaign? Or Obama’s “we’re doing fine” statement that seemed a gift from God to the Republicans, and sent them into a full throttle attack on the Obama administration’s lack of change in regards to the recession and the economy’s stagnation?

To me, the candidates tossing these quotes back and forth and talking over each other at debates reminded me of the “Did not! Did too!” fights from the playground. When I was four. When it was okay to argue like little girls.

I’ll just spell it out: I want a better educated America! More

importantly, I want my old America back! I want patriotism and freedom and “America is the best place in the world, we’re number one, Olympics, yeah, Land of the Free, Home of the Brave” back!

I’m not saying that if your candidate lost the election to not be upset, you should be upset; you have a right to be! But you should also get up, brush off and support your president and more importantly your country. Don’t threaten to move to Canada because you’re just that enraged; besides we all know you won’t and we’ll never let you forget it (embarrassing).

Maybe it’s just because it’s the holiday season, but I’m tired of America being polarized.

We’re no longer a melting pot, we’re a soup you put in the fridge a month ago and then forgot about. And in that time, we’ve separated and not only become inedible, but also super gross.

It’s unrealistic for me to think we can regress back; the politics game has changed and we’re moving forward (political pun intended).

But if we put away our aggression at least a little bit we might be able to mix again before it’s too late. If we do, instead of plugging our nose and choking opposing opinions down, they could go down a little smoother.

So after I save this file and send it to my editor, I’m going to peel the “One Term” bumper sticker off my Dad’s suburban and replace it with one that reads “Proud to be an American.” Because I am, and I have a feeling you are too. But it’s time for us to log off and start acting like it.

cally references the December deadline. And my eighth-grade iPod has the Matchbox 20 song 'How Far We’ve Come' that discusses the end of the world and the effects it will have on our humanity.

Furthermore, the end of the world has become the punch line of many jokes.

Why worry about the JRP? It’s due in January, so zombies will probably have overrun the school by then anyway.

On the bright side, Hockaday girls would not have to worry about finding a winter formal date or the perfect dress. And I think the crumbling earth is a perfect reason for colleges to extend their application deadlines.

Overall, the end of the world may indeed work to our advantage. We can joke about it and use all of the media we want to fantasize about it, but in the end I think all of this sends out a

fairly uniform message. It could be 1,000,000 years from now or weeks away, but how would you want to spend your final days?

I personally am not planning on the world ending in December. Even if I did, however, I hope that I would not be spending my last breath in an orange jumpsuit holding a sign.

We are constantly looking for the opportunity to reinvent ourselves or become a better person, and there is no greater motivator than our impending doom. If these are our final days, maybe fix a friendship, exercise more, spend time with friends and family or tell someone you care about them.

Then, if the world does not end, it can mark the end of the old you and the beginning of an improved you. At Hockaday, we are crazy about metaphors, so we might as well make the end of the world one too.

The Hockapacolypse Being one of few schools that doesn't have exams before the holiday break.

But talk to us again in March when it's the other way around.

It's been said, but Texas Weather is such a tease, are you hot or cold? Yes or no?

The new Timed Mile required for all PE classes.

We're high schoolers in PE, don't make us show you why.

Sydney Wilkins Form IV

D

ec. 21 will not be the first time in the memory of many students and faculty that the world is supposed to have ended. Many believed that the switch from 1999 to 2000 would lead to a similar doomsday.

In the phenomenon nicknamed “Y2K,” scientists speculated that computers would be unable to process the year 2000, would go back to 1900, then selfdestruct completely, leading to the eventual end of our world due to our dependency on technology.

I must say, I like the idea of dying from lack of Google more than that of a zombie eating out my brain. But if it must happen, I don’t plan on wasting my time.

I have a hazy memory of my mother dropping me at school in December of 1999.

A man in a bright orange jumpsuit was on the median in the road holding a sign that said, “Prepare for the end.” My mom never believed in the Y2K prophecy so she did not really explain the full story to me.

Yet I wondered why he was on the street holding a sign and not enjoying his final days if he thought this was true.

The origin of the Dec. 21 doomsday, however, is a Mesoamerican Long Count Calendar.

The date is the end-date of the 5,125-year-long cycle. Multiple Mayan scholars repel the idea of the impending doom. Although the cycle ends on that date,

NASA scientists claim that the cycle simply begins all over again.

An overwhelming amount of television shows, movies and songs fill our culture with the upcoming doom of all. J.J. Abram’s television show, Revolution, deals with a post-apocalyptic world, and the hit show The Walking Dead deals with the ever-popular zombie craze. What I like about these shows is that the main characters do not sit and sulk about the mass death of the world. They fight back and do not let something as inconsequential as no more electricity or cinematically nightmarish zombies ruin their day.

The John Cusack movie, cleverly named 2012, specifi-

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perspectives

THE FOURCAST

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A Technological Vacation

Hailey Winston Form IV

I

love my smartphone as much as the next person. I, too, enjoy compulsively checking First Class, scrutinizing my news feed and systematically liking my friends’ profile pictures.

All in five minutes. Using one device. While listening to music.

But I can’t say I’m thrilled when I see people sitting across the table from each other at Starbucks—all on their phones.

Or when I see parents checking their Facebook pages in the doctor’s office rather than talking to

their toddlers.

Or when I see similar scenes in the Upper School hallways, the dining hall or the Friday night social event.

And I am 100 percent guilty.

In this day and age, there is something deeply, immediately important about staying in constant contact with each other.

We cannot go an hour— much less a day—without communicating through technology. At Hockaday, there are even disciplinary consequences for not replying to emails in a timely manner.

From many angles (both inside and outside of Hockaday), we are pressured to respond, post and re-pin immediately.

Gone are the days when texting and social media are any-

23

December 20, 2012

fourcast

the

the

thing new, so I often forget that their constant interruption of our daily life is anything abnormal.

I didn’t think twice about it when an alumna interviewer answered two texts and an email during one of my college interviews.

And on Thanksgiving, I clearly didn’t think at all when when I brought my phone to the dinner table with family members I see only twice per year.

For the sake of experiment, I left my phone downstairs during the hour I’m going to spend writing this column. I can’t decide if I’m more distracted by separation anxiety from my favorite piece of plexiglass—or if I’d be more distracted having the thing here with me.

All I want for Christmas is a little uninhibited interaction with my friends and family.

The holiday break begins tomorrow and, by default, inILLUSTRATION BY KATIE BOUREK

creased time with others. Let’s try to make it count.

I’d like to walk into Starbucks and see folks sitting around a table talking to each other rather than tending to their smart phones. I’d like to attend a social event without feeling like I should broadcast my evening plans over one (or four) social media outlets. I’d like to have a conversation with a family member without one of us saying “wait, one second, let me stop and check something real quick.”

We shouldn’t let constant access to instant communication obstruct face-to-face interactions.

Call me archaic, but I think there’s something to be said for not answering 12 texts and checking Twitter/Facebook/ Instagram 10 times throughout an evening with friends.

It inhibits the bonds we form with one another. It changes the dynamic of spending time with our friends. And it probably shouldn’t be considered normal.

So before we live tweet Christmas dinner or bring along 10 additional friends (via text message) to our next sleepover, let’s consider taking a few intermittent cell phone vacations— even if just in small increments.

As I’ve neared the halfway mark in my final year at Hockaday, I’ve realized the time we have together is finite. The moments we have to share with this diverse and outstanding group of people is far from boundless.

Even if we don’t reply within the second or minute or (gasp) hour, our friends will still be there. And so will their profile pictures—which we can like, believe it or not, at any time.

But, for good measure, I’d better go get my phone from downstairs and make sure.

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Hailey Winston

MANAGING EDITOR

Megan Porter

BUSINESS MANAGER

Anisha Anand NEWS EDITOR

Katie Payne

FEATURES EDITOR

Emily Wechsler A&E EDITOR

Amy Tao

SPORTS & WELLNESS EDITORS

Alexis Espinosa, Cassie Yuan PERSPECTIVES EDITOR

Molly Montgomery

PROJECTS MANAGER

Gretchen O’Brien

PHOTOGRAPHY & GRAPHICS EDITOR

Alaina Rodriguez WEB EDITORS

Mary Clare Beytagh, Tiffany Le STAFF WRITERS

Avita Anand, Alexis Espinosa, Charlsea Lamb, Courtney Le, Elie MacAdams, Sydney Yonack, Cassie Yuan CONTRIBUTING ARTISTS

Katie Bourek, Katherine Magee, Evi Shiakolas CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Shelby Anderson, Emily Yeh CONTRIBUTING WRITERS

That’s What She Said: You Poke-him-on!

Pre-Cal Teacher Jessica Chu in reference to how to get Pikachu on a bus

You want to go to an eighth grade dance? You're that desperate to meet boys?

History Department Chair Steve Kramer in reference to a group of seniors making weekend plans

Overheard on Campus

Lizzie Vamos Form IV

M

ost people have something that gets them through tough times.

For some people, it’s family; for others, friends. Still others turn to religion. My family, however, is a little different.

I think it first started back in 2007. That was not a particularly easy year for my family; we had just moved from New York City to Dallas, were living in a temporary apartment while we searched desperately for a house and were struggling to adjust to our new, strange environment.

My parents, however, managed to stay pretty positive, unlike my gloomy seventh-grade

FACULTY ADVISER

Ana Rosenthal

You do realize this is ridiculously easy?

Turns out policemen no longer respond to my fake tears.

Physics Teacher Richard Taylor in reference to a freshman struggling with a Webassign

Junior Mary Margaret Hancock

Make Art, Not Angst self. Whenever I complained about how disgustingly hot it was or how I missed my friends or how stupid it was that you had to drive to get to the train, they told me one simple thing: don’t worry, someday you can put all of this in your novel.

It became a refrain in my household every time something terrible or embarrassing or just downright bizarre happened. Grandpa shouted something racist in the Fiesta parking lot? Put it in the novel. Hail the size of softballs broke all the windows? Put it in the novel.

The dog ate a sock and got several thousand dollars’ worth of gastrointestinal surgery? Definitely put that one in the novel.

In case you haven’t gathered by now, my family is kind of unusual. Both my parents are career journalists, so writ-

Annabel Lyman, Kathy Qiu, Lizzie Vamos, Sydney Wilkins

ing is pretty much ingrained in our family consciousness. But I don’t think the idea of turning your troubles into literature is so strange.

Last year, my English class asked our teacher why we never read anything happy for class.

Her response? “What piece of happy literature have you ever read that’s been worth reading?”

She has a point. The archetype of a suffering artist exists for a reason: many great writers, painters and poets had deeply unhappy personal lives.

Caravaggio killed someone. Van Gogh, Sylvia Plath, Virginia Woolf and countless other artists killed themselves.

Edvard Munch suffered from hallucinations, Georgia O’Keefe and Francisco Goya had nervous breakdowns, Beethoven went deaf, and CS Lewis was devastated by his wife’s death. You get the idea.

That’s not to say that you have to suffer to create great art. There were plenty of art-

ists who lived perfectly normal, comfortable, even boring lives.

But for those who lived through mental illness, violence, and loss, art provided an outlet for their pain.

And it can work for the rest of us, too. Even if you’re not suffering on the grand, operatic scale of a starving artist, writing a poem or playing music or making a painting can channel unhappiness in a positive, productive way that doesn’t involve breaking things or consuming copious quantities of Ben and Jerry’s.

I do it all the time; my notebooks are filled with poems, drawings, and short stories inspired by bad news, terrible days and pure grumpiness.

So the next time you’re feeling stressed out about school, angry at your parents, betrayed by a friend, saddened by a loss or just plain irritated at the world, give it a try. Make some art.

You’ll feel better, I promise.

EDITORIAL POLICY The Fourcast is written primarily for students of the Hockaday Upper School and its faculty. The Fourcast has a press run of 1,000 and is printed by Dallas Offset, Inc. It is distributed free of charge.

Businesses who wish to advertise in The Fourcast should contact the Advertising/Business Editor at 214.360.6360 or ads@ mail.hockaday.org. We reserve the right to refuse any advertising which is deemed inappropriate to the Hockaday community.

Opinions will be clearly marked and/or will appear on the opinions pages. Commentaries and opinion columns/editorials are the expressed opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of The Fourcast staff, its adviser or any member of the Hockaday Community. Unsigned editorials that appear on the opinions page will reflect the official position of The Fourcast, but not necessarily the position of the Hockaday Community.

Corrections and clarifications from previous issues will be found on the editorial pages or as designated on other pages.

Letters to the Editor must be signed. The deadline for submission is two weeks prior to publication.

Please email your letters to hwinston@mail.hockaday.org or mailed to The Hockaday School, attention: The Fourcast, 11600 Welch Road, Dallas, Texas, 75229.

All letters must be typed, double spaced and must not exceed 200 words in length. The Fourcast will not alter the meaning or intention of any letter to the editor, but may edit for grammar, spelling and space.

The Fourcast staff may cover student, staff, faculty or alumnae deaths as the staff is made aware.

We reserve the right not to cover a death based on relevance, timeliness and circumstance.

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THE FOURCAST December 20, 2012

24

PHOTO BY LUCY WILSON

PHOTO BY SARAH LASSEN

OF

4 PHOTO BY EMILY YEH

GIFT GIVING THE

3 PHOTO BY GRACE ZACARIAS

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1. At Camp Gingerbread on Dec. 1, families paid $10 (donated to Shared Housing Center) to decorate gingerbread men cookies across from Macy’s at Northpark Mall. Decorations included colorful frosting and assorted candies such as candy canes or M&M’s.

PHOTO BY TIFFANY LE

HOCKADAY STUDENTS PARTICIPATE IN THE SPIRIT OF GIVING WITH HOLIDAY-THEMED COMMUNITY SERVICE.

2. Every weekend in December, Hockaday students volunteered Salvation Army Angel Tree at Galleria. Each tag on the Christmas trees contain the “wish” and “need” gifts of specific people in need. Mall-goers chose tags on the Christmas trees to buy gifts for them.

3. Each year, the Community Service Projects Committee decorates a Christmas tree at Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children. This year it decorated the tree with hand-made, jungle-themed ornaments on Nov. 27.

2

4. On Dec. 13, Hockaday and St. Mark’s volunteers went to TR Hoover Center to deliver about 150 gifts to children as part of the annual Gift Drive. A young boy receives a toy helicopter.

5. Sophomores Avita Anand and Aashima Garg volunteered at Santa’s Village in Richardson on Dec. 14.

Students dressed up in costumes such as bears or elves, taking pictures with children.

6. Community Service Projects Committee decorated paper bags and filled them with candy. About 200 bags were delivered to residents of Austin Street Shelter.

PHOTO BY GRACE ZACARIAS

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To check out more photos, scan this QR code with your smartphone.

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