Fourcast May 2014

Faculty to Retire p3

Off-Season Track p20

The History of Hockaday Graduation p5

FRIDAY MAY 16, 2014

THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

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features p7

Leigh Bailey Visits Hockaday Hockaday alumna spoke to the Young Dems Club

arts & entertainment p14

sports & wellness p18

DALLAS, TEXAS 75229 VOLUME 64 ISSUE 6

perspectives p21

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Living with a Learning Difference »» A look into how Hockaday is at the

forefront of helping kids cope with their learning differences. p12

The Evolution of Graduations Two years after the school’s founding in 1913, the first Hockaday graduation was held in May 1915. Mildred Liebman, adorned in a floor length white dress, strolled toward Mr. H. H. Adams to receive her high school diploma and a trophy in recognition of her scholarship achievements.

Hockaday awarded only one diploma that year, as Liebman was the only graduate to attend the ceremony.

CENTENNIAL continued p5

Hockaday Graduates The graduates of Class of 1927 pose for a picture.

”

I hope I’ll able to see that dream come alive.

Dean of Student Life Meshea Matthews p7

ILLUSTRATION BY KATE COOPER

Noor Adatia Staff Writer

infocus p12

PHOTO PROVIDED BY GRACE EMBREY

Hockaday alumna and democrat Leigh Bailey ‘97, who isrunning for Texas House Congressional District 108, spoke to the Young Dems club on May 2.

The 108th District encompasses the Central Dallas and Park Cities area, spanning from Royal Lane to parts of downtown.

“I’m running because I love where I live. I raised my family here and took my first real job,” Bailey said.

Fiscally conservative and socially liberal, Bailey’s campaign supports the funding of education, promoting facilities of clean water, and building infrastructure across Texas.

“We’re going back to the basics,” Bailey said.

Emily Yeh, president of the Young Dems club, agrees with Bailey’s political views, despite her previous reservations on the term ‘conservative’ in her campaign.

“Her fiscal “responsibility”, the term she prefers to use, is probably strategically necessary to succeed in a red district,” Yeh said.

Another issue Bailey would like to address is immigration.

“I think Republicans need to watch on their tone when they talk about immigration; I find it racist and pejorative,” Bailey said.

Bailey got involved in the campaign as a member of the Democratic organization that promotes women to office, Annie’s List. After Senator Wendy Davis’s filibuster this past summer, Annie’s List recruited and endorsed Bailey to run for office.

“Your vote this year really matters. Texas is not a red state, its’ a non-voting state,” Bailey said.

During Bailey’s time at Hockaday, the Young Dems club did not exist.

“Hockaday has taught me perseverance and that my opinion really does matter,” Bailey said.

Her love for volunteerism sprung from Hockaday’s service learning environment.

Bailey is a member of the Junior League, a community service group that partners up with with many organizations in the Dallas area.

“The thing I found most important from her time at Hockaday was that she had a strong opinion and the courage to voice it aloud to others,” Yeh said.

To volunteer or learn more about Bailey’s campaign and political views visit her website: http://leighbaileyfortexas.com

photoessay p11

11600 WELCH RD.

02/03

THE FOURCAST MAY 16, 2014

Hockaday does a really good job of placing the values in its education rather than its price.

news Briefing College Counseling

Time Capsule For Hockaday’s centennial year, students and faculty are working together to compile a time capsule to be opened during Hockaday’s quasquicentennial, Corey Lott, Director of Libraries and Academic Research, is compiling projects, lunch menus, locker magnets, posters and other items from all grade levels to be included in the capsule which will be stored in the Hockaday Archives and will be opened in 25 years.

Contact clott@hockaday.org if you would like to include anything in the capsule.

Manisha Ratakonda Staff Writer

PHOTO BY CH

ARLSEA LAMB

TIME TRAVEL

The time capsule box that will be opened in during Hockaday’s quasquicentennial.

Junior Heads to College

was a real option for me now,” Whitaker said. were finishing up their Junior Research Papers To graduate from Hockaday and studying for the SAT last January, junior a student has to complete all the Maggie Whitaker was waiting to hear if she got into course requirements.

Whitahas met them college. Yes, you read correctly, Whitaker ker all except for a fourth year of was applying to college as a junior. English, which a freshman English Whitaker, like many juniors had class at USC will fulfill, and self-debeen receiving college flyers and pro- fense, which she will take over the motions in the mail, but one stood summer. She’ll be eligible to get a out to her. “My parents pulled it out of high school diploma in 2015 and will a pile just to look at and throw away. have the option to go down graduaIt said ‘Go to College a Year Early’ but tion terrace alongside her 2015 classthen I looked at it and then I looked at mates if she chooses to. it some more,” Whitaker said.

According to Wasden, college She decided to apply and went to programs similar to this one that take Head of Upper School John Ashton to students junior year look for a certain see if it was a real possibility. level of maturity in their applicants.

Ashton said that the school strives “If a student is going to make to find a balance between maintain- the decision to leave a little early ing the integrity of the Hockaday di- and leave some of those senior exploma while also providing the flex- periences behind, the program will ibility and opportunity for girls who greatly consider the applicants mawant to pursue a nontraditional path. turity and their emotional readi“Our girls are unique and are go- ness,” Wasden said. ing to go out and find great opportu- Whitaker, after watching her two nities. I want to be an institution that older brothers go to college, thought supports the ambitions of our stu- that she was ready to handle the dents,” Ashton said. pressures of college and her mother, Now with the school’s support Mary Whitaker, agreed. and approval, Whitaker began her “Maggie has always been a girl application process. With the help of ahead of her time. She has always Director of College Counseling Carol been very mature and very focused.

Wasden, Whitaker turned in an ap- This year she has been working so plication for a Dec. 1 deadline. hard and since she has been doing so She didn’t have to wait long. On a well we trusted that she could handle February morning she got a call say- it,” Mary Whitaker said. ing not only that she had been acceptMaggie Whitaker, now having ed to the Resident Honors Program at received the Presidential Scholarship the University of Southern California, and accepted into Thematic Option but she was also nominated for the Honors Program at USC, committed Presidential Scholarship. to the school in mid-April.

“I couldn’t be happy because I After making her decision, she was in a state of disbelief. I couldn’t grappled with the thought of leaving believe I had gotten in and that it her friends and missing out on a year

While the rest of her friends and classmates

S It’s in Our Genes

“

PHOTO BY CLAIRE FLETCHER

PHOTO BY CLAIRE FLETCHER

The college counseling office will undergo changes during the 2014-2015 school year. Associate Director of College Counseling Elizabeth Jones will become Assistant Head of Upper School and Associate Director of College Counseling Courtney Skerritt will be on maternity leave this fall.

Adriana Quintero White, who was the Dallas Regional Admission Representative for the University of Georgia with 19 years of experience in college admissions and financial aid, will assume the role of Associate Director of College Counseling on August 1. Chris Blackwell, a previous College Placement Counselor at Jesuit College Preparatory School in Dallas, will serve as maternity leave substitute for Courtney Skerritt this fall.

Junior Anesu Nyatanga p4

Math teacher Jessica Chu talks about student-teacher relationships p6

prawled across her couch, junior Lilli Boren munches on fruit snacks while watching TV. Her history textbook lies on her desk, unused for the moment. It is Monday night, and she has at least two more hours worth of homework to complete. “Sometimes I’ll procrastinate because I just need a mental break,” Boren said.

However, her genetics may be at the root of her procrastination. Researchers at the University of Boulder conducted a recent study, published on April 4 in the journal “Psychological Science.” It suggested that the genes responsible for our impulsiveness and our ability to make decisions may be closely related, which leads to procrastination

as a result of distractions.

This is on par with Boren’s own experiences, for she said that she often “tends to get distracted.” Boren’s father, Todd Boren, added, “I procrastinated on my homework a lot when I was in high school. She probably gets it from me.”

In a survey taken by 234 Hockaday Upper Schoolers, 87 percent said they didn’t think procrastination was linked to genetics. Senior Shreya Ahuja, one of those 87 percent, said, “I think they just procrastinate because it’s easier than doing their homework.”

In order to test this, researchers extensively surveyed 181 and 166 pairs of identical and fraternal twins, respectively. Upper School science teacher Dr.

EARLY BIRD Junior Maggie Whitaker, displaying her admissions certificate to USC, has decided to go to college instead of expereincing her senior year at Hockaday with her classmates

of senior memories.

“I was going shopping the other day and I saw all of the prom dresses and it just made me really sad because I kept thinking I’m never going to go to senior prom,” Whitaker said.

“I think it’s a trade-off. I could make these senior memories or go to this great program that I’m so excited about. I get to be a college freshman and instead of taking AP courses and testing to get college credits I just get college credits.”

Whitaker also had to tell her friends, unsure of how they would react.

Junior Aparna Rakesh at first reacted negatively to the news of her friend leaving a year early.

“Initially, I was a little mad, but I had to get over the fact that I was going to lose my best friend before senior year. I knew it was the right thing for her, but it took me a while to get that and get over the selfish aspect of how I felt,” Rakesh said.

Rakesh continued to say how the whole situation doesn’t seem real.

“I don’t think it hit any of us that she’s legitimately not going to be here next year, but all of us have the mindset that whatever time we have we are going to have a blast and make it incredibly memorable.”

Whitaker struggled with telling the rest of her classmates, worried about how they would react and judge her decision.

“I don’t want to be Class of 2014,” she said. “I will always consider myself Class of 2015. I don’t think that I deserve to be treated differently and I pinky promise I’m not just saying that.

I know that I am not smarter or more hard working than any other girl in my class. Going to college early for me was just about finding a great program that was the right fit for me.”

Katie Croft, who teaches genetics, said this is “the golden standard method for researching heritability of a trait because identical twins share 100 percent of their genes whereas fraternal twins are just like siblings and share approximately 50 percent.

This helps separate the effects of the environment versus the effects of genetics.”

Senior Augusta Aston, identical twin to senior Ali Aston, said, “We really do procrastinate the same amount.

It’s really weird!” Identical twin sophomores Alexandra and Caroline McGeoch agreed, adding that they even procrastinate in the same way by going on their cellphones.

In the survey, 73 percent

Avita Anand Business Manager said that they procrastinate anywhere from 1-3 hours on average each school night, but only 49 percent of students who took the survey said that their procrastination habits matched those of their parents.

“This is only one study, so further studies need to be done to support this,” Croft said. “I’m a procrastinator myself, so it’s nice to think it could be my genes that cause me to procrastinate. However, you have to be careful not to use it as an excuse for your behavior. We’re not ruled solely based on our genetic background and the same holds true for our environment.”

Courtney Le Managing Editor

news

hockadayfourcast.org

THE FOURCAST MAY 16, 2014

The Fourcast welcomes any comments about published information that may require correction or clarification or any news tips. Submit to syonack@hockaday.org.

Ethics Might Cost Women Executive Positions How women and men think differently when it comes to business

I

n the world of business, the climb to power is a long and difficult one.

Approximately 14.6 percent of business executive positions in the U.S. are held by women, and according to Catalyst, a site that helps women explore opportunities in business, only 4.8 percent of CEOs are female.

Based on a recent NPR broadcast, this contrast may be due to the fact that women hold ethics at a higher standard than men do. For example, when asked to put an inferior ingredient in a drug that would make a higher profit, the majority of men interviewed agreed to do it, while more women refused to

do it because it would mean potentially hurting others.

Upper School Counselor, Margaret Morse Ph.D., explained that one gender isn’t necessarily better than the other, they are just different.

“Teaching, nursing, helping jobs and nurturing jobs are more female-oriented professions,” Morse said. While women tend to seek out security and make safe choices, Morse believes that men tend to be risk takers due to their testosterone.

However, senior Emily Marucci, who will attend the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Pennsylvania this fall, believes that as a woman, she can be both ethical and successful in the

world of business.

Marucci said. She believes that “It takes hard work get- Hockaday students will be able ting to the right poto bring this integrity sition so that when to college and into the decisions do have business world. to be made, you are Although girls in the position of may not be fully power,” Marucci said. You’ve been aware of how the She wants to be able trained to Honor Council bento call the shots and efits them, the Honor hopes to share her find your Council Board bemorals and ethics voice and lieves that incorporatwith the people she ing the Honor Code speak your pledge at an early age will work with.

Hockaday has mind. fosters integrity and helped her come to honesty. Carol Wasthis realization. “The Upper School den, Director of ColHonor Council en- Counselor lege Counseling, said courages its students Margaret Morse “For the last two years, to strive for a high levwe have had roughly el of integrity in the work that 20 students per class tell us they do and the way they act,” they intended to pursue a

“

business path in college.”

Regardless of the career path a student chooses, the role of the Honor Council plays a large part in the actions of Hockaday girls.

Morse said, “I think our girls go out with a really strong voice and are not afraid to say that [something] is wrong because of how you all have been educated,” Morse said. “You’ve been so trained to find your voice and speak your mind...so when you go on to other places that is just natural to you.”

Sonya Xu Staff Writer

RETIREMENT

A “Commencement” A look at the Upper School teachers retiring this year and their future plans

A

s the centennial year comes to a close, three of Hockaday’s Upper School teachers will be clearing out their desks and emptying their drawers.

Whether for quality time with their families or simply for a change in atmosphere, Chair of Health and Physical Education Bobbi Barr, English teacher Patricia Saxon Ph.D. and Spanish teacher Sue Ragsdale will be leaving Hockaday behind to start new adventures.

While the other retiring faculty members will miss Hockaday, Barr sees leaving campus as a “commencement” for the retirees themselves: an opportunity for new teachers to bring “fresh outlooks and new ideas and energy” to the table.

“I’m ready for something new and different,” Barr said, viewing retirement as “more of a beginning than an ending.”

Swimming into Uncharted Waters

From Lower School to Upper School, Barr has been teaching P.E. to all three divisions at Hockaday for 21 years. Her resume is lengthy as she has taught P.E., swimming, fourth grade and English as a Second Language at three other schools in the Dallas area alone. Reflecting back on her time here

feels that the time has come for a change of pace.

Time for a Siesta

NEW ADVENTURES Upper School teachers Sue Ragsdale, Bobbi Barr and Patricia Saxon Ph.D. are moving onto new beginnings as they retire from Hockaday. at Hockaday, Barr remembers helping struggling swimmers, times with friends and her work in trying to promote diversity and inclusion. Most importantly, she emphasized her efforts in shaping her students to be “whole” in their lives beyond the gates of our school. She intends to take a year off after retirement to “sort through all of the possibilities.”

From Literature to Leisure

Appointed in 1977, Saxon has been teaching English to Hockadaisies for 37 years. With a Master’s degree from Southern Methodist University and a PhD from The University of Texas at Austin, she described her transition to Hockaday, reflecting, “It was a quite a year.”

In addition to refining her dis-

sertation and driving from Austin to Dallas regularly, Saxon had to balance teaching four courses at Hockaday.

From teaching Romantic Poetry to the Great Classics to Latin American Literature, Saxon has incorporated a wide variety of English genres in her curriculums. With plans to write more frequently and engage in community service, she

Originally a substitute for a teacher on maternity leave in 1990, Ragsdale adapted quickly to Hockaday. She began teaching part-time at Hockaday soon after and, by 2000, she was a full-time Spanish teacher.

Ragsdale has taught Spanish to seventh graders and all grades upward, and has even indulged in teaching some French. She has kept connections with many of her advisees and has even attended many of their weddings, as she loves “seeing what direction their lives are taking.” While she will miss the “incredible support and encouragement that teachers at Hockaday receive,” Ragsdale has plans to travel the world with her husband. Looking forward to visiting her son in Los Angeles and visiting France and Hawaii, she eagerly “wait[s] for the slower-paced days of sleeping in.”

While Barr, Saxon and Ragsdale begin their new journeys away from teaching, Hockaday, too, will embark on new adventures as it enters its next century.

Hufsa Husain Staff Writer

FOURWARD May 19 Form III Ring Day Ceremony May 21 Last Day of Classes May 21 Senior and Guards Commencement Rehearsal

May 21 Daisy Day

May 23 US Honors Assembly

May 21 Form Day

May 23 Eighth Grade Graduation

May 22 All US Commencement Rehearsal

May 24 100th Commencement May 26 Memorial Day

Looking ahead: August 25 Book Distribution Days August 27 All School Opening Convocation August 28 First Day of Classes

news

THE FOURCAST MAY 16, 2014

04/05

Hockaday's Façade Masks Financial Stratifications A step inside Hockaday reveals financial stratifications and how they affect the student body

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any terms have been created over the years to describe the “typical” Hockaday student—Hockasnob is one of them. These generalizations, as common as they may be, do not define the range of socioeconomic statuses at Hockaday— and the majority of the student body feels uncomfortable talking about it.

Junior Sarah Bourek believes financial stratifications form groups of “people who come from similar backgrounds [who] can relate to each other more easily,” she said. “I guess it’s just because they’ve had more similar upbringings, or that they live in the same place.”

Margaret Morse Ph.D., Upper School Counselor and Student Diversity Board Sponsor, also believes that financial stratifications exist in the Hockaday community, and that people of similar backgrounds tend to become friends.

“If everyone’s sitting around talking about what car they’re going to get, some people can’t relate.

You want to go around people you can relate to,” Morse said. “Along with the financial resources come access to activities that then further create pockets of people.”

Junior Anesu Nyatanga, Student Diversity Board President, believes that the stereotype of Hockaday students always being wealthy exists because of these “pockets of people.”

“I think because the most outspoken of the people you meet are the ones that have a lot of money, that’s the kind of thing you notice first,” Nyatanga said.

“You don’t always notice that people don’t have a lot of money—it’s not talked about.”

At Hockaday, Nyatanga feels that students struggling with finances should be more aware of programs that can help their situation.

“We should do a better job of letting people know that there’s a way that some of these things can be paid for,” Nyatanga said. “But at the same time we should also shift our culture a little, and realize that not everyone has an enormous amount of wealth.”

Among friends, Morse believes that the best solution is “honest conversation.”

“Maybe the change is just always being mindful of where your group is going to dinner, and if that’s affordable for everybody,” Morse said.

Based on statistics, not being wealthy is more normal than being wealthy. At the top of the income class spectrum is the upper class, also known as the top 1 percent or 5 percent because it makes up approximately 1 to 5 percent of the United States population. According to an article on www.investopedia.com, these households make about $150,000 or more (5 percent) or over $250,000 (1 percent) per year. For those who do not fall into this percentage at Hockaday, support systems do exist.

“I think, one, is just making the support systems more well known. There are things that you can do, but we have to talk

about it and make it seem normal because it is normal,” Nyatanga said.

So normal that, in fact, socioeconomic classes are widely visible outside the Hockaday walls.

According to a Dallas Morning News article, socioeconomic status is seen in universities around the country, and they influence the work ethic of students in college.

The article categorized students into two groups: “partypathway” students and “working-class” students.

“Such party-pathway students aren’t particularly motivated academically,” the article said. “But because they have well-off parents and clearenough career goals, they don’t necessarily need to be.”

On the other hand, the article mentions that students who come from workingclass backgrounds are more successful and hardworking because they have less money, which motivates them to work harder.

However, Senior Shelby Cohron believes that Hockaday students “work hard no matter what,” she said.

“Hockaday doesn’t really allow us to fail.”

Nyatanga agrees that students appreciate Hockaday for it’s education.

“Hockaday does a really good job of placing the value on its education rather than its price,” she said.

But one of the effects of financial stratifications at Hockaday is the dissipation of student friendships.

“People have to stop judging or criticizing each other.

Just because people ha ve more doesn’t mean they’re superficial or snobs,” Morse said. “Not everyone who doesn’t have enough doesn’t

have a chip on their shoulder.

Whatever your stereotypes of people of whatever status they are, you have got to put those aside.”

Results from a survey conducted of the Upper School student body showed that 57 percent of students are uncomfortable talking about the socioeconomic status diversity present here at Hockaday.

Sophomore Destanye Brooks falls under the other 43 percent—those who are comfortable talking about socioeconomic status.

“I think we need to stop being oblivious to it all,” Brooks said. “It exists, it’s okay to acknowledge it. I think once we get over that boundary, it could help people become friends.”

Morse believes that characteristics of people in all socioeconomic levels are made based off of assumptions.

“Assumptions in themselves are not bad things.

We are biologically geared to make assumptions in our mind as safe or unsafe, like me or not like me,” Morse said. “It’s all about what you do with the assumption, and the impact it has on the behaviors you act on. Assumptions are big things that get in our way of authentic conversations, and the fear of approaching difficult conversations because we assume that something is going to go wrong.”

If students are able to realize that financial stratifications exist based off socioeconomic status rather than characteristics of people, then the fear of judgement can cease to exist.

While a stereotype may exist about Hockaday students, Hockaday is home to students of all socioeconomic statuses.

“It’s really prevalent,” Nyatanga said. “It’s just one of those things where you have to put on your good glasses and see because it’s literally everywhere.”

Erin Thomas Web Editor

FINANCIAL STRATIFICATION People of similar backgrounds tend to become friends.

ILLUSTRATION BY SARAH CHAN

Miss Understood A look at how girls and their parents see facial expressions differently

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acial expressions are defined as feelings expressed on an individual’s face. However, two different faces will not look the exact same when exhibiting an emotion. Developing brains read these facial expressions very differently than full-grown brains.

Upper School Counselor, Margaret Morse Ph.D., explained that while adults use the prefrontal cortex to make decisions, adolescents generally use their limbic system more often because their prefrontal cortex is not fully developed. “The frontal cortex develops later in life and is the ability to reason,” Morse said. “When you are younger, you are more controlled by your impulses and your emotional reaction.”

A study shown in a PBS documentary, “You Just Don’t

Understand,” exhibits various students explaining the facial expressions shown in different photos. Many of these adolescents saw anger and other similar emotions, while adults did not see these same emotions.

Sophomore Ellie Tippen can see these differences at home. She has two older brothers, ages 20 and 22. She explained multiple differences between her and her brothers; however, she acknowledged not knowing whether the causes of these differences were due to age or gender.

“Whenever I get a bad grade and I talk to my parents and they don’t really say anything, I assume that they are angry at me,” Tippen said.

“However, when my brothers get a bad grade on a test and my parents are quiet, my brothers just kind of disre-

gard it. They don’t feel that our and individuals become less parents are angry.” emotional, and young adults Forrest Tippen, Ellie’s fa- are able to more correctly ther, agreed with her state- read facial expressions. Perment. “Our daughter haps this emotional would take more serimaturity could be ously [our facial exachieved through pressions] and would practice. “I think be more sensitive to the When this stuff could feelings elicited from be skill building whatever the expression you are where you check was communicating,” younger, you in with the person,” Forrest Tippen said.

Morse said.

Morse has an ex- are more While facial planation for this. controlled expressions are a “We look at facial exhelpful way to see pressions and micro- by your what emotions inmovements and try to dividuals may be impulses. anticipate what is comfeeling, they can ing our way,” she said. also by mislead“When you are driven Upper School ing. According to a by your limbic system, Counselor paper written by a Margaret Morse your emotional brain, group of Harvard you are more geared to see graduate students, a number things as threats or not.” of aspects can affect the abilOver time, the prefrontal ity to read facial expressions, cortex of the brain develops, including age, gender and so-

“

cioeconomic status.

According to the Harvard study, “Personal familiarity decreases the ability to detect deception.” This could explain why adolescents often misread their parents facial expressions. The paper continues to explain, “Individuals may become overloaded when they possess too much information about an interaction partner’s behavioral patterns.”

As Hockaday is full of teenage girls, facial expressions are commonly questioned and overanalyzed. However, through programs like Cornerstone Studies in Middle School and Upper School’s Whole Girl Program, individuals can improve awareness of these expressions and how they make others feel.

Austira Arnold Staff Writer

hockadayfourcast.org

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THE FOURCAST MAY 16, 2014

CENTENNIAL From One to 120: The Evolution of Graduations A look back on previous senior graduations and the history of lasting traditions at Hockaday There were only 10 girls when the school started in 1913, and the lack of graduates most likely had to do with the age range of the girls and the fact that Liebman was the oldest and only girl who had two years of school left when Hockaday first opened.

Inside the school’s 25th anniversary book, Helen Knox Tull ‘26 shared her memories of Hockaday graduations. She said that in the 1915 ceremony, a pergola, covered with Dorothy Perkins roses, shaded Liebman from the sunlight as she stood on the grounds of the school in its original location on North Haskell Avenue in Dallas.

The small audience consisted of teachers, relatives, students and other guests who donned white attire and white hats.

The sponsors, Sarah Basima Trent and Ruth Bower Lindsley, served ice cream and cake to the audience, which added to the celebratory atmosphere.

In 1919, the school transferred to its second campus on Greenville Avenue. A new pergola was built and numerous palm trees were planted around it.

Tull wrote that the 1920 graduation in the new campus “was probably the most dramatic one in the history of the school” because impending weather conditions threatened an outdoor ceremony.

Because morning clouds filled the sky, “much anxiety was expressed as to weather conditions by afternoon,” Tull wrote. By the time guests assembled for a luncheon, it began to rain. “All was done for. The most dreaded event had come to pass!”

Miss Ela Hockaday had the chairs brought inside the study hall for an indoor graduation. Amid clearer skies in the afternoon, a father arrived at the school to demand action of moving the ceremony outdoors, saying that he had two crying females with him: his wife and his daughter.

Miss Hockaday obliged, and helpers began to move chairs outdoors. She also ordered rugs to be brought from the halls and laid them over the ground around the pergola and audience seating.

As the procession began at 5:30 p.m., the sun burst through the clouds and a rainbow arched over the pergola.

The speaker that year was a poet, Edwin Markham, who “did full justice to this remarkable scene,” Tull wrote. “It must be a vivid and exciting memory to those graduates and all who witnessed this commencement.”

Similarly, last year at the 2013 graduation, a rainbow again appeared at the end of the ceremony.

Fine Arts Department Chair Ed Long, who has attended 41 graduations, said, “That’s a pretty remarkable coincidence for headmistresses separated by 100 years.”

Hockaday has numerous graduation traditions that began with the 1916 ceremony, including all graduates of a class wearing the same white dress. Each girl was instructed to wear no-laced, white organdy dresses, with white cotton slips and garden hats with colored ribbon. Tull wrote the confusion regarding graduation attire was settled “once and for always” that year.

The tradition of wearing white has lasted because white is “a traditional symbol of purity, purity of means, purity of focus and purity of character,” Long said. “White’s rather an extraordinary color because it’s not a color. It incorporates all the colors. Scientifically, it represents all colors of diversity.”

To senior Megan Silver, who will walk across Commencement Terrace on May 24, white symbolizes a unique aspect specific to the school as well. “The long white gowns highlight a femininity and grace that could only be captured in the graduation of an all-girl school,” Silver said.

Silver also finds that the color of white itself contributes to an “overall really beautiful” scenery, as the flowers and greenery around Commencement Terrace contrasts “really nicely” with the white of the dresses.

However, for Silver, the theme of white is not as significant, but rather the fact that all the graduates wear the same dress. “It makes us look very united in our final moments as a class,” she said.

In recent years, only graduates who had relatives as alumnae could wear colored hats. However, this year, all graduates can choose from a wide range of colored hats, which Silver said is an “old tradition” that the school is bringing back in honor of the centennial year.

Silver said many girls have selected a light pink hat, yet some have still selected white.

Since 1916, Miss Hockaday’s request that no flowers be sent to the graduates and that graduates carry baskets of flowers instead has been honored.

The school has always invited prominent commencement speakers. First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt was the speaker of the 1952 ceremony. In other years, First Lady Barbara Bush and Neiman Marcus Chairman Stanley Marcus spoke.

“We’ve had a variety of distinguished speakers over the years with the particular tradition of using women,” Long said.

This year’s speaker is Robin Roberts, news anchor of ABC's morning show Good Morning America.

The tradition of having the sisters of graduates form a flower guard arch of long-stemmed gladioli

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY GRACE EMBREY/HOCKADAY ARCHIVES

CENTENNIAL continued from p1

FROM HOCKADAISES TO HOCKALUMNA Clockwise from top left: Graduates walk with their flower baskets in 1962. Hockadaises process through the sister guard arch in 1945. Students recieve their high school diplomas in 1946.

through which the graduates walk also began early.

The class of 1916 also established the tradition of leaving to the school a gift in the name of the graduation class.

“Every class since then has honored this tradition and left its mark of immortality,” Tull wrote.

Despite the school’s traditions, the ceremonies have been allowed to evolve.

An enormous Smith College banner hung in the background of the commencement one year. “Virtually all Hockaday graduates were going to Smith at the time,” Long said.

That year, the majority, if not all, of the graduates were planning on attending college. This was because Miss Hockaday had worked out an agreement receiving accreditation from Smith which made it possible for all graduates, during that time, to attend Smith after graduating from Hockaday.

Long also said Miss Hockaday gave away the diplomas herself. However, one exception was First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt, who handed out diplomas the year she was the commencement speaker in 1952.

Another change was the seating arrangement, thanks to former Highland Park Mayor Ashley Priddy’s design for the new Commencement Terrace. Before the new design, the underclassmen sat on on the west side on bleachers, but after the change, underclassmen began to sit under the trees on the opposite side.

As another significant change, the whole school used to participate in graduation. Now, only Upper School students attend the graduation with the addition of the Middle and Upper School Choirs.

Moving along to the beat of a different drum, graduation songs have also changed with time.

In 1982, when Idanelle Sam McMurry was the headmistress of the school, she objected to a song called “O Brother Man,” because she believed the

terms “brother” and “man” were not appropriately universal for a Hockaday commencement. After the commencement that year, “Festival Prelude of St. Anne” was added as well. “Taps” was introduced in the first graduation, while “Kipling’s Recessional,” “The Day is Over,” “The Handle” and “Thanks Be to Thee” were introduced in later years.

While these graduation songs have remained the same every year, the senior song, voted on by each class, has varied over the years; there have been student-written and student-performed songs. Grammynominated singer/songwriter Lisa Loeb ‘86 wrote a song and performed it for her commencement. In last year’s graduation, a group of seniors played guitars, pianos and cellos in performing the senior song.

For Silver, looking forward to her graduation conjures up different feelings. Her mother, Lisa Ginsberg Silver, graduated in 1980.

“My mom has an old graduation picture, and she is wearing the white dress, the same pink hat I will wear at my commencement, and walking up to receive her diploma on graduation terrace,” Silver said. “It all looks so familiar, and it is exciting to think that we will have that shared experience so many years apart.”

From Lisa’s standpoint, Silver’s graduation will bring back memories of all types. “Seeing Megan graduate will bring back memories not only of my years at Hockaday, but also all the precious memories we have made over the past 14 years,” Lisa said. “I am sure I will need a lot of kleenex!”

Catherine Jiang Staff Writer

news

THE FOURCAST MAY 16, 2014

06/07

To Friend or Unfriend Hockaday faculty members lay down the law for student and teacher relationships

I

n April 2014 at Stevens High School in Claremont, New Hampshire, Carol Thebarge faced an ultimatum that ended her teaching career. The school board confronted Thebarge with a choice between unfriending her students on facebook or quitting her job.

She chose the latter.

According to the administrative school board, Thebarge was crossing the line written out by the New Hampshire Teacher’s Union.

At Hockaday, there are similar boundaries between teachers and students that should never be tested. The Hockaday Teacher’s Manual implements a policy that gives faculty members clear guidelines about relationships between students and teachers.

It states that “employees must refrain from establishing or continuing online friendships with current students, parents and alumnae under the age of 21.” This policy is reviewed once a year by a Hockaday legal attorney.

This policy on social networking takes away the ambiguity surrounding online correspondence between students and teachers. The entire Hockaday faculty is required to read the revised Teacher’s Manual before the beginning of the school year, including Head of Upper School John Ashton.

“It’s by choice whether someone would want to be employed here. We all read our policy handbooks every year and agree to commit to the policies there,” Ashton said.

Teachers agree that the rules are necessary in order to create a good, trusting relationship between students and teachers. Upper School Math Teacher Jessica Chu manages to create healthy relationships with her students, while abiding by the rules of the Teacher’s Manual.

“I think you cross a line when you friend them right now as a student because they now know more about you,” Chu said. “I don’t mind sharing but there needs to be a fine line.”

Sophomore Gabria Pearson manages to maintain a healthy relationship with her teachers without crossing the lines of becoming too personal.

“If you let students and teach-

ers be friends on Facebook, some of the respect has been lost. Friends are people your own age or your colleagues, and teachers deserve more respect,” she said.

Relationships between students and teachers within the school walls are very structured and widely understood, but it’s on social networking sites where relationships between students and teachers are blurred and can become confusing.

“I think everyone of us, you all as students and us as teachers, has to be very mindful about our digital footprint.

The filter I use is; would I be comfortable if this was broadcasted on CNN, whatever it is, whether I’m about to send in an email or do anything online,” Ashton said.

In special circumstances, teachers can create a special page on Facebook for questions, twitter accounts for class assignments, or can give out their personal numbers for specific circumstances.

But not all communication outside of class can be done using social media. When it comes to sharing phone numbers with students, the Hockaday Teacher’s Manual states that the only circumstance where numbers are given out is if there is an out-of-town trip. Chu gives her number to her math competition team for safety precautions, in case of emergency or in case anybody is separated from the group.

“I feel like, at least with math club and probably with other clubs too, that students aren’t going to abuse that privilege,” Chu said.

Without giving out personal information, Hockaday has started to incorporate social media into the curriculum. Twitter projects have been a new trend in the Hockaday curriculum, while still following the Hockaday Social Networking Policy.

“I think Twitter can be used so well in the school, I think we are feeling our way about how to use in a way that continues to keep it defined as class activity,” Ashton said.

Hockaday Upper School English Teacher Jennifer Boulanger Ph.D. started to incorporate Twitter into the curriculum in her Freshman Honors Rhetoric course at Southern

Methodist University. “I had heard about other teachers who were doing this, and then my colleague and I took this on, just to have twitter involved in the classroom. Just to see how it allowed our students to make connections about other things going on in the world , and how the books were relating to their lives, or what books they are reading,” Boulanger said.

Different classes have their own class hashtags; for example, the Freshman English hashtag is #singlestory and the sophomore English class hashtag is #hockabrits.

Each student has their own Hockaday Twitter account, that is completely separate from their social twitter account, in order to avoid crossing the lines set by the Social Networking Policy.

“I think it’s a way that my English teacher is trying to

ILLUSTRATION BY LILY SUMROW

connect with me on that level, but she has expressed to us that she has her own private Twitter and we have our own private Twitters. Its a strictly a school account Twitter, so there is no overlap,” Pearson said.

Despite Hockaday’s Twitter and Facebook accounts, the only communication allowed between students and teachers on a day-to-day basis is through Hockaday SharePoint or Outlook school email account.

Due to the ability to search and “Facebook stalk”, routinely

STUDENT COUNCIL

Form Day Schedule and Standings A look at this year’s Form Day Schedule and current form standings

A

s all four forms gear up for Form Day on May 21, here is what to expect. At press time, the following activities were scheduled: May 20: hallway decorating after school. May 21: hallway and cake judging and Form Day officially starts at 2:40 p.m.

Form Day festivities include Tug-of-War and crab soccer. The Tug-of-War will be a free-for-all: anyone who can get a spot on the rope can participate. Crab soccer, however, will most likely include 25 people from each form.

Form points have been accumulating all year, and currently Form IV is in the lead with 28 points. Form III has 18 points, Form II has 15 points and Form I has four points.

Form IV received three

points from Centennial Parade Participation, five points from door decoration, three points for Serendipity Day participation, three points for most unique prepster, two points for International Week Taw Kwon Do, two points from International Week Bollywood, two points for International Week Zumba, two points for International Week quiz participation and two points for most correct on International Week quizzes.

Form III received three points for most participation for Door Decorations, two points for the Christmas Ugly Sweater Contest, two points for most participation in International Week Costume Contest, two points for most participation in Dress Like a Boy Day

going

deviating from the policies.

“I think the personal level should stop wherever the teacher feels comfortable because they are the ones in charge, and if the teacher feels uncomfortable they should say something,” Pearson said.

In Thebarge’s case, the importance of supporting students outweighed the requirements from the school

and two points for Best Boy in Dress Like a Boy Day. Form II received three points for first place in Door Decoration, three points for most unique hipster, two points for International Week Food Tasting, one point for International Week Zumba, two points for International Week Quiz Participation and two points for most correct on International Week quizzes.

Form I received one point for an honorable mention in Door Decoration, one point for International Week Food Tasting, one point for International Week Zumba and one point for 2nd place in Best Boy on Dress Like a Boy Day. Alexis Espinosa Editor-in-Chief

through somebody’s facebook profile and all of their pictures on the internet, students have accessed information about their teachers.

“I think that people just like to research. I don’t think that it necessarily hinders teacher relationships because students are just curious,” Chu said.

All of Hockaday’s online sources allow for more communication between students and teachers and the barrier of propriety has continued to evolve. Emails from Hockaday Outlook accounts and home phone calls can be pulled up again and looked at, and are the go-to tools when teachers need to communicate with their students. However, personal phone number and emails are

board and the job itself. Her relationship with her students entered a blurry area.

“I’m like a grandmother to these students, that’s my role,” Thebarge told CNN in an interview.

A healthy relationship with teachers is important for students, so that they are comfortable with going to a teacher with questions about their school work or just for some healthy advice. Teachers at Hockaday find ways to be supportive of their students without getting involved in social media.

“I feel that in my role, as an educator, I can be a person of support and provide the support so that students can come to me in time of need,” Ashton said. “However, I don’t need Facebook to do that.”

Claire Fletcher Photography Editor

hockadayfourcast.org

THE FOURCAST MAY 16, 2014

I look forward to these new experiences.

Freshman Grace Cai p7

FourSteps ... To making Ice Cream

Dean of Student Life Changes Departments

Combine 2 tbsp sugar, 1 cup half and half, and ½ tsp vanilla in a pint-size small plastic bag.

Then double bag it in a similar sized bag.

PHOTO BY CLAIRE FLETCHER

1

“

Sophomore Molly Waring keeps foreign friendships p10

2

Put 6 tbsp salt and a couple handfuls of ice in a large plastic bag. Also place the sealed, small plastic bag in the large plastic bag and seal it. Shake the bag for around 5 minutes until you can feel that the small bag is hardened.

3 4

Remove the smaller bag from the larger one and grab a spoon. Your ice cream will be found in the smaller bag.

Wipe down the outside of the small bag as it will have some salt on it.

Add mix-ins including chocolate chips, fruit or cereal pieces and enjoy from the bag or an ice cream bowl!

Austria Arnold Staff Writer

PHOTO

LD

RIA ARNO

BY AUST

Things that Make Our Teachers Tick

Since setting foot on the Hockaday campus in

meet with the dorm moms the “resi1998, Dean of Student Life Meshea Matthews has and dence life” team to plan out the had eight different job descriptions, including next day for the boarding that of athletic coach, administrator and dean. students.“For me, it’s realNext year, her job description will change again. ly generating ideas with the residence life team to make boardFor the 2014-2015 school year, Mating as best we can to recreate home thews will take on her ninth and for students,” Matthews said. newest role: Director of the ResiAfter meeting with the dorm dence and Global Outreach. moms, Matthews will be a constant Matthews first took on both presence for the girls after school. jobs as Dean of Student Life and Res“My mom was home for me at four idence Director this past year upon o’clock when I got off the bus, and previous Director of Residence, I think it’ll be important for me to Danielle Ferguson’s, departure. “I be around at four to see the girls as was already intimately involved they come in,” Matthews said. with the department, and it seemed Finally, Matthews plans to a good resolution to everyone to try bring her Student Council experito bring the two together for the ence to the boarding department year and see if we could could make and attend House Council meetings that work,” Matthews said. in the evenings.

Currently, during the day, MatAfter taking on both jobs last thews takes on her administrative year, Matthews made the switch role as Dean and meets with Upper to exclusively work in the ResiSchool faculty and students. After dence Department earlier this year. school, she meets with the boardHowever, she cites a personal reaing staff, including dorm moms, son: next year, she hopes to attend drivers and maintenance, and also school to obtain her Master’s degree interacts with the girls as they enter in Counseling, so she can connect the residence building.Additionally, with the girls on a deeper level. as Director of Global Outreach, Mat“So many times [the work is] thews has been exploring exchange sitting with a student in vulnerable programs for the students, especialtimes like with honor council violaly after a successful program with tions or discipline situations, or just St. Hilda’s School in Australia. encouraging student leaders to get During the day, Matthews will

As students go through their day-to-day lives, they constantly hear from fellow classmates about the little things that annoy them to no end. They haven’t, however, taken a look at what makes their teachers tick.

Their pet peeves.

To one’s surprise, however, teachers are, for the most part, very tolerant. Except when it comes to one thing: discourtesy.

“The root of most things that annoy me is a lack of courtesy,” said Luis Gallegos, Upper School Spanish teacher. “And the way that it manifests itself in people cutting in line or not following the rules. It’s a selfish way of thinking that their indi-

vidual needs are most important at that time.”

Many teachers are bothered by students being tardy to class. Teachers believe there is no excuse after students have advisory or conference period, in which they have enough time to gather their books and proceed to class.

Upper School History teacher Tracy Walder expressed her irritation about students being late, “Especially if it’s between C and D when they have nothing else, what are they doing?”

Leaving in the middle of class to go to the restroom or locker also irritates teachers.

Upper School English teacher

FINAL AFFAIRS Dean Meshea Matthews meets with sophomore Claire Noble during Matthews last month as Dean of Sudent Affairs

out and push themselves out there, so I can only think that a Master’s [degree] in Counseling would help me be better at the job,” Matthews said.

Currently, Matthews is applying to Master’s programs for Counseling at Vanderbilt, Wake Forest and Southern Methodist University for the next year. Even if she is accepted into these programs, she will remain Director of Residence, since these programs are either local, online or have flexible plans for out of state students.

After taking on the role as Director of Residence, Matthews has been working to emphasize the boarding program, citing the school’s lack of knowledge about the program itself: “The boarding program has its own centennial in two years. We’re 98 years old. And I don’t know if most students even know that.” Matthews hopes to make boarding a more powerful presence in the Hockaday community. “It is going to be focused on joy, wanting to do different things, getting students out and about in the city in different ways, and engaging each other on a more meaningful level.”

And since her aim is to revamp the student experience in boarding, “I would love for residence students to be able to feel exuberant when speaking about their home away from home,” Matthews said.

Students in the boarding department can already see the differences.

Janet Bilhartz, feels very strongly about this: “If at my age I can make it through an 80 minute class, you guys can.”

Students leaving the classroom in a worse state than they found it can also give off a disrespectful impression. Whether it is food, papers or drinks left on the table, this clutter adds to teacher’s frustrations.

In addition, students blocking the hallways are seen as a problem. Upper School math teacher Rachel Grabow knows this frustration first-hand.

“I understand that you guys feel comfortable here, but it’s kind of rude,” Grabow said.

Many of the items that teach-

DEAN MATTHEWS continued p8

ers have affliction with are easily fixable and are things students learn in kindergarten. Whether it is that students see Hockaday as a second home, or are just feeling rebellious, most people would not do these things in a public place. So, what makes Hockaday different?

“It could just be that for most of the students here, Hockaday is just an extension of their home,” Gallegos said. “So they may not stop to think that they need to be on their best behavior when they’re here because this is just part of their routine, everyday life.”

Ashna Kumar Staff Writer

features

THE FOURCAST MAY 16, 2014

08/09

Bring Back Our Girls Hockaday Upper School students gather to raise awareness about the abduction of girls in Nigeria PHOTO BY CLAIRE FLETCHER

UNITED FOR A CAUSE Students and Faculty wear red to support the Bring our Girls Home campaign organized by Hockaday’s Human Right Committee

I

n support of the Nigerian girls kidnapped by the Boko Haram terrorist group on April 14, Hockaday Upper School students, sporting red shirts, gathered in Graduation Terrace on May 12 to hold up signs with the trending Twitter hashtag “BringBackOurGirls.”

According to a BBC news article, the militant Islamist group, Boko Haram, “promotes a version of Islam

which makes it ‘haram,’ or forbidden, for Muslims to take part in any political or social activity associated with Western society.” This activity includes women receiving an education.

Boko Haram abducted over 250 girls. Ever since their abduction, protests have taken place in Nigeria by the families of the girls, as well as gatherings around the world to show support.

Sophomore Brianna Buford, who attended the “Call for Action” gathering organized by Hockaday’s Human Rights Committee, believes that the event was crucial for people to be more aware and to stay informed.

“I know that it has not received as much media coverage as it needs, because these girls have been missing for almost a month now,” Buford said. “When

something like this happens, people need to know about it in order for it to be stopped.”

Human Rights Committee Sponsors and Upper School English teacher Dr. Pat Saxon and Elizabeth Smith, Director of English for Speakers of Other Languages and Global Education, have been following the Boko Haram abductions in Nigeria since 2010.

“We are very happy that

Due to the shifts in the boarding department, Matthews can see the connections to the whole Upper School.

“Talking to one of the students here recently, who, because of the shift we made in transportation, feels like she is able to get out more, and now she thinks that she can do the things that the day students are doing.

It gives a greater connection in class—She knows the movies, she’s been to the concert, and she can speak to different things that give her a greater connection [to the school],” Matthews said.

Matthews has a vision for years to come. “I hope we’ll be able to imagine to-

gether a new boarding program, and I’ll able to see that dream come alive. I think Hockaday boarding can have a huge impact in our city, but I really think it can be a boarding program that students can’t deny. We’re on the cusp of doing something pretty amazing,” she said.

Even after a year of transitioning to the new job, the switch for Matthews is still bitter-sweet. “In many ways, you girls have been my girls, and I do feel a bit of sadness leaving the entire Upper School body,” Matthews said. “I wouldn’t be truthful if I didn’t say there wasn’t a deep sadness in walking away from something that I

Hockaday is taking part in this to understand how long these ruthless killing and abductions that have been going on, to raise awareness, and to be thinking about what else we can be doing,” Smith said.

While coming together and showing support is ideal to spread awareness, “it’s easy to dismiss the impact of an action such as the ones we have taken today,” Saxon said. “Stories of gratitude attest to the importance of letter writing and the ongoing, extensive pressure on oppressive governments in effecting their release. It does make a difference.”

In order to continue showing support for the families and girls in Nigeria, Saxon and Smith urge students to keep informed about Nigeria and to promote the cause through social media websites.

Upper School history teacher Tracy Walder, who is currently teaching AP Comparative Government, says that this problem in Nigeria cannot be ignored.

“To be complacent in this basically says that we’re okay with somebody doing this to women who are trying to be educated,” Walder said.

But Hockaday is the exact opposite of complacent.

“When we had this opportunity, I think it just gave us a place to do some collective action,” Saxon said. “And of all people, we are the best suited to stand with these girls.”

Erin Thomas Web Editor

DEAN MATTHEWS continued from p7 brings in a bit more variety, and now that she’s brought that to boarding, a lot of people really love it and we’ve gotten more trips because of it. We’ve had a lot of different activities since she’s come and that’s really good [for boarding students].”

One popular excursion for the students is named “Dining with the Dean,” where Matthews and several girls go out to a local restaurant for dinner once a week. “It’s about just building relationships, learning about one another and having conversations with each other. For me, it’s an extended advisory, if you will,” Matthews said.

GET A CLUE

1

2

Match the item with the student or teacher.

3

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love to do, but I do think that sometimes, you have to take time away from something that you love so that you can appreciate it more.”

But for Matthews, this is not the last that the Upper School student body has seen of her.

“I believe I’ll be a dean again someday, no doubt about that. I love the dean’s job, I’ve always loved it, I still love it and I will return to it at some point.”

Sunila Steephen Cast Off Editor

?

A) Mr. Shane Bourek B) Mrs. Joni Palmer C) Sophomore Ally Aldrich D) Junior Sam Toomey

Answers: 1D, 2B, 3C,4A

“It feels a little bit homier.

It’s not as strict and business like,” sophomore Sofi Mira said.

In order to accomplish this, many of the afterschool activities have been updated: students in the boarding department now attend concerts, museums and drive-in theaters together. Additionally, a “huge” difference has been a change in the transportation schedule. Now, drivers can be requested on demand and provide residence students with more freedom.

Sophomore Amanda Xiong can also note the benefits Matthews has brought to boarding. “[Dean Matthews]

features

hockadayfourcast.org

THE FOURCAST MAY 16, 2014

Students Make the Switch Louisa Frieling and Grace Cai decide to pursue their Hockaday experiences in a different way PHOTO BY HEIDI KIM

L

ouisa Frieling’s family memorabilia sits above her bed, and her stereo blares alternative rock tunes. Beauty products are scattered across the table, and the scent from her steaming cup of Wild Berry Zinger tea wafts through the air. Sitting on the ground is a large suitcase, half-filled with clothes and personal items. Although her fellow boarders are packing for the summer, Frieling, a Hockaday sophomore boarder, is packing and will be saying goodbye to boarding—but not to Hockaday.

The transition from boarder to day student or vice-versa is a rare occurrence but when it happens, every person handles the situation and adjusts differently. Frieling is ecstatic that she will be able to study on her own time and pick up afterschool activities which she could not pursue in boarding.

“I think being a day student won’t be hard because now I’m used to school. The only difference is that I will have to wake up earlier, so I guess I’ll be grumpier,” Frieling joked.

However, when the situation is the opposite of Frieling’s, when day students become boarders, the effects on the student can be altered. “I never really thought of myself as an independent person, so it was weird to be by myself,” ninth grade boarder and previous day student Grace Cai said. “So far I have been taking it pretty well. I think the only real challenge is having to take care of myself without my mom stopping me from doing dumb things.”

Masha Barsuk, Upper Trent Dorm Mom, said that she thinks Cai was able to fit right in from the very beginning of her move to boarding.

“I think her transition was the smoothest I’ve ever seen in my life. It feels like she has been part of boarding much longer than she actually has,” Barsuk said.

Boarding gives students such as Cai a chance to experience independence and freedom; however, Frieling felt that she didn’t have enough privacy.

“Also, you don’t have the comfort of home,” Frieling said.

To students like Frieling and Cai, this transition is like exploring unknown waters: you may experience smooth sailing, but you may also run the risk of passing through

HEADING HOME Freshman boarder Grace Cai packs her bags as she prepares to go home for the summer. Cai transitioned from day student to boarder this school year and will continue boarding at Hockaday, turbulent seas at times.

From the 86 boarders in the Hockaday boarding department, only a handful have experienced this unique change in setting.

For Cai, the transition to boarding has been a positive one. She enjoys being surrounded by people who can help her both academically and socially. On the other hand, Frieling said that she thinks she’ll “like being a day student just because it’s more lenient.” She is confident that she will still get time to see everyone who is a boarder at school and make plans with them.

“All in all boarding has

been a very interesting experience. I [have] learned some new things about me, and I feel like it will be very useful when I go to college and have to stay in dorms without my family.” Cai said. “Coming to boarding has been like being a fish out of water. I’m still getting used to this new home and getting used to exploring these unknown waters, but I look forward to enjoying these new experiences.” `

Heidi Kim Staff Writer

A Short but Sweet Stay Nile Tangkarawakul traveled 9,020 miles from Bangkok, Thailand to Hockaday at the end of March. She did not take the decision of coming to Hockaday lightly; however, her yearning for the chance to experience a different culture for a few months made the decision for her.

Once in a while Hockaday welcomes exchange students such as Tangkarawakul and her fellow exchange students Nim Lamsam and Pamela Hetrakulto to stay in boarding anywhere from two months to a year.

Tangkarawakul’s mom, Jup Jang Bodiratnangkura-a former boarder and member of the graduating class of 1986, wanted her daughter to experience Hockaday and life in America. “[My mom] really liked this school and like she said everyone is friendly and the food and teachers are great and the dorms are great and everything is great. What she said made me want to come here,” Tangkarawakul said.

Through boarding the girls have been given the chance to learn how to adapt to a new culture and develop their English.

Being in the United States for a few months had its fair share or challenges. Lamsam believes that the hardest part was being so far away from home and having to deal with the huge gap in language and culture.

Waring Builds Friendships through Curriculum Sophomore Molly Waring keeps in touch with pen pals from Kenya and Germany after connecting with them through school

I

n the morning before school, Sophomore Molly Waring sits down behind her laptop, typing recent updates into a facebook message that she doesn’t expect to get a reply to right away. Its destination: Germany.

In a town outside of Hanover, Germany, seven hours ahead, Waring’s message awaits her pen pal Marlene Hoppman.

Through these social media exchanges, Waring and Hoppman have found a way to stay in contact and continue penpalling after many years.

Because letters take so long to travel over 5,000 miles, Waring and Hoppman now keep in touch through Facebook and Instagram.

“That’s how I get to see what’s happening with her life, because everyday I can see what she’s doing,” Waring said.

Waring got to know Hoppman, who is around the same age as her, through her seventh grade English teacher at Good Shepherd Episcopal School, Ms. Anderson, who had connections with a school in Germany and paired her students with German pen pals.

In fact, this isn’t the first international pen pal Waring has connected with.

The same school year, Waring, and the rest of her grade at Good Shepherd Episcopal School, received penpals from Africa. While learning about ecology in science, Molly was

given a pen pal in Kenya named David Kabiru.

Writing from the Amaf School in the Riruta zone of Kenya, David sends doodled-covered notes describing his daily routine, school and family that take months to reach Waring.

Through her experiences writing David about once a year, Waring enjoys comparing her culture with his.

“My favorite thing was learning how different our lives are and how their normal day works,” Waring said.

David accounts in his letters how his school has days where they only speak English and others where they only speak Ki-Swahili, the national language of Kenya. His school

consists of a single schoolroom where they spend their days.

He also talks about personal things such as his goals and ambitions, as well as his family, which includes himself, his younger sister, his mother and a pet cat, Chelsea.

“He really wants to come to the US to become an engineer to help his mother, which I thought was really sweet,” Waring said.

Waring believes that having connections to other parts of the world like the ones she has built with her pen pals is important.

“I think it is really cool to have a pen pal because you always hear perspectives about countries from textbooks and

stuff, but it is really genuine when it comes from someone your age who does the same things you do, things you are actually interested in knowing. It really gives you a more well-rounded perspective of the world, and I think everyone should have that,” Waring said.

Senior Emily Marucci also admires the benefits in learning about others through penpalling just like Waring does.

“I think it’s great that Molly is devoting time to getting to know others in other countries… it’s a wonderful way to make new friends and learn about different cultures. The PEN PAL continued p10

features

THE FOURCAST MAY 16, 2014

10/11

FOUR QUESTIONS Athletics Facilities Manager and Coach Rodney Skaife answers questions from The Fourcast’s readers What was it like to coach your daughter?

Where do you get your insults?

Sophomore Frances Burton

Junior Claudia Hammond

A lot of that is from my upbringing. I think it is very common in England to be that sort of sarcastic talk. It is kind of just the cultural talk that is there, especially in the part of the country I grew up in. It is how people relate. It is not really an insult, it is a figure of speech. So, I think it is common language there. It is not really thought about. It is just how people are with each other. Even now if I go home and see my friends, that is what the conversation is built around, little insults.

No one is offended­­­­--that’s the difference.

It is how my generation or the people I grew up with talk. Donut is one I say all the time. I don’t actually like donuts.

It was something that I always knew was going to happen so it wasn’t that big of deal. It really made me aware of the response of the kid back to me. It kinda made me a little more aware of what I was saying to the kids. I had to think about it a little more. The biggest thing was that I had to make it feel that she was no different to anybody else. When you become parents you will find that it is a little difficult. I think that was the biggest thing that I had to be aware of, that she was just another student and you had to turn off that. I’ll tell you what was different: if she made a mistake or something like that. I think it wasn’t a big deal but, it is different and it kinda heightened my awareness.

Why did you move to the U.S.?

Sophomore Evan Miller

What accent does the voice in your head speak in?

I moved probably like 25 years ago. I was a teacher in England and I had a friend who was invited to come and coach over here and he couldn’t come because he was married. So, I said “hey I’ll go instead.”

So, I came over for my summer and coached soccer and played golf. Then, I went back. I did that for three years. During that time I met my wife, Tammy, and I decided that I like the sunshine so I came over here. We were going to get married and we had to decide to live here or there.

And I like the sunshine.

Junior Sam Toomey

I think I’m a little tone deaf to be honest.

So, I don’t really pick up on other people’s accents that much. My own is kind of, really, a flat, boring, monotone sound to be honest. I don’t really feel like it is any different to you. Now if I’m here everybody would say I have a British accent but, if I go home, everyone goes ‘you talk like an American.’ So that’s kind of interesting.

And I cannot copy other peoples’ accents.

I am terrible at that.

PHOTO BY AUSTRIA ARNOLD

PEN PAL continued from p9 value of this kind of exposure to other parts of the world is invaluable and offers a chance for Molly to create a special kind of bond with others,” Marucci said.

Not only does it help make connections on a personal level, but, according to Elizabeth Smith, the Director of Global Education, exploring other places and cultures through activities like writing a pen pal could produce prouder benefits.

“There are lots of benefits fro“There are lots of benefits from interacting with people from different backgrounds and different cultures, it exposes you to new ideas, new ideals, new perspectives, new opinions and all of those new ways of thinking can sort of potentially foster way beyond tolerance, but acceptance of different people, different cultures, and that in turn will lead to things like greater empathy and harmony, and in the end, coexistence, a world with true equality and true respect for each other,” Smith said.

Incorporating international programs Hockaday curriculum could help evoke these benefits within our community.

“I think it is a natural [fit] with foreign languages to be able to have an e-pal or skype buddy in a country whose first language is the same as you are studying and would definitely help with your oral efficiency and your understanding of real life language, you know, how people really talk, not just what you are learning from a textbook,” Smith saidI. “It fosters the understanding of the culture and really helps you understand people better,” In fact, working similar programs into any subject’s curriculum could also provide new depths to the class.

“It leads to greater understanding, so I think it could work in any class across the curriculum, helping to understand people better, also better problem solving,” Smith said.

If you are interested in participating in a pen pal system, websites such as www.interpals.net allow users to search for other users around the world to contact.

Megan Philips Features Editor

hockadayfourcast.org

THE FOURCAST MAY 16, 2014

photo essay

1

SENIOR MARY CLARE BEYTAGH AND SOPHOMORE CLAIRE FLETCHER TOUR THE DEVELOPING SCIENCE BUILDING .

On April 23, the construction of the new science building was ahead of schedule.

The science faculty is planning to move into the new offices, classrooms and labs before the beginning of the school year in Aug. 2014.

CONSTRUCTION

CAUTION:

4

1. A construction light is strung across the ceilings of the building’s first floor.

2. Wires hang in the science building, in an area that was part of the old structure of Clements Lecture Hall.

3. A heating lamp is used to speed up production and finish the building on time in August.

4. Warning flags line the stairwells and walls of the new building. The make-shift wire rail guards will soon be replaced.

5. One of the new stairwells, taken from the third floor.

2

To check out more of Claire and Mary Clare’s photos along with more information about the Science Building, scan this QR code.

3

5

infoc

hockadayfourcast.org MAY 16, 2014

KEEPING up with THE

diated dyslexia after sh to the point where it on her periodically, before tered Upper School.

“Basically, when you class and the teacher is ing something, whatev teaching takes me twic understand,” Stromber Furthermore, Uppe Counselor Margaret M occasionally worries th academic rigor of Hock lead to misdiagnosis of disabilities.

“Sometimes, a girl com Upper School, and all o a learning disability will pop up. It’s very rare that a disability will appear that person’s life,” Morse said. “It makes me wonder if something about Hockaday, t the difficulty or the fast-paced elements of it, can make girls feel, well, not sma could think that they have a learning disability just because the curriculum ha become a lot more difficult and they aren’t used to it.”

That’s not to say that Hockaday is not a welcoming school for anyone with l disabilities.

“Some girls need accommodations, but once you get them over their little h can overcome that disability,” Morse said. “They can be successful. They can so Hockaday emphasizes that everyone can be successful here. In fact, accordi tant Head for Enrollment Management and Admissions, Jen Liggitt, Hockaday its openness to children with any kind of learning difference.

“We let all potential applicants know that we take students with learning d We are as accommodating as we can be,” Liggitt said. “We don’t see a learning d as a detriment to being here or to learning what they are going to learn at Hoc One aspect of Hockaday’s accommodations is the extensive learning specia gram. Each division, Lower, Middle and Upper School, has a learning specialist students in their studies.

Stromberg, Bourek and the anonymous sophomore all credit much of their to the help they got in Middle School from learning specialist Susanne Broussa [learning lab class with Ms. Broussard] allowed a lot more time for me to get w and was extremely helpful,” Bourek said. “What most helped was that I got to b group of people who were all similar to me. I didn’t feel so different from othe who could do their work faster.”

Broussard takes great pride in her learning lab class. She agrees with Boure gives girls with learning differences a chance to not feel so isolated. “The girls just need a little more help before entering Upper School,” Broussard said. “Th stigma in that class, no embarrassment. They are like a little family.”

While Broussard assures that girls with learning differences leave Middle S prepared for Upper School, Morse suggests that the academic rigor and inhere tiveness at Hockaday can make their lives a bit more complicated.

“If someone is getting special accommodations, people might think that sh be here or that it’s unfair. And, even worse, the student could start to believe th herself, “ Morse said. “Who wants to go around defending that?”

Nolen provides academic help to girls with learning differences.

“Most often girls come to me for help with organization, time management teachers about grades and how to study better for tests,” Nolen said. “My big nu is teaching girls how to advocate for themselves.”

Nolen believes that one of the most valuable lessons a girl with a learning d or any girl for that matter, can learn is how to ask for what she needs.

“I teach girls how to really put themselves out there,” Nolen said. “We role p the teacher and then they practice talking about their disabilities and being pr every possible response.”

Nolen’s primary goal is to create a fair learning environment for every stud Hockaday.

However, Morse suggests that helping girls with learning disabilities could them after high school.

“If the student has always been in the context of the community accommod them, does that hinder their ability to learn the skills they need to enter the wo out accommodations? It’s a fine balance between those two initiatives: wantin dent to perform at her best but also wanting to challenge her to learn the skill to deal with regular life that’s not always accommodating,” Morse said. “That’s that Hockaday is still trying to find.”

Junior Sarah Bourek sat in class, rushing to finish a test. She knew she was the only one

left, and she knew that everyone else knew the reason why. She watched the clock as it

ticked and felt the class time disappearing with every unsure swipe of her pencil. Slowly,

she crumbled under the stares of her classmates and the apprehension of her teacher.

Diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder in first grade and an Auditory Processing Disorder in fourth grade, Bourek knows firsthand the embarrassment that can come with having a learning difference.

“If I came into Hockaday in Upper School and nobody knew me or my situation, I wouldn’t tell anyone that I have learning disabilities,” said Bourek, who entered Hockaday in Pre-Kindergarten. “It might not always change the situation, but at least I would know that people don’t think I’m dumb. I don’t always think that, but having a learning difference definitely triggers an insecurity.”

Bourek knows that learning disabilities aren’t something to be embarrassed about, but there’s simply no way around it for her.

“I think there’s definitely a stigma around learning disabilities. Even if it’s just in my head, I often feel like people are judging me because I take extra time or I’m in that other math class,” Bourek said. “What I’ve learned, though, is that you never have the same learning experience as someone else. Even people who don’t have learning differences think differently from each other.”

A sophomore student, who requested to remain anonymous, and who was diagnosed with two learning differences, one in Lower School and one in Middle School, believes that the stigma concerning learning disabilities stems, in part, from the Hockaday image of “perfection” and the idea that learning differences destroy that image.

“Hockaday has this image of perfection with the Four Cornerstones. And all the students have that image,” she said. “People look at [learning differences] from such a negative perspective because they think it takes away from that perfection, but all they mean is that you see some things differently than other people do.”

For this sophomore, a learning difference isn’t something she wants to be embarrassed about, it’s not something that she wants to stigmatize her, but the judgment she feels from her classmates makes it difficult for her to pursue this mantra. She said her learning differences are just “obstacles for her to overcome.” And that’s all she wants them to be.

Bourek and the sophomore are not alone in terms of their learning differences. Currently, approximately 12 percent of Upper School students at Hockaday have a learning difference, though this number fluctuates every year. The 12 percent includes girls with dyslexia, ADHD and other learning differences.

But for the Upper School girls at Hockaday, there seems to be a lack of knowledge regarding learning differences as evidenced by the feelings expressed by Bourek and the sophomore and in a survey taken by 236 Upper School students.

Only 40 percent of girls polled knew what dysgraphia was. And only 23 percent knew that dyscalculia is a learning difference that affects a person’s math skills.

Dysgraphia and dyscalculia, which are two of the most common types of learning differences according to the National Center for Learning Disabilities, are foreign to a majority of Hockaday Upper School girls.

According to Upper School Learning Specialist Lynn Nolen, it is time for Hockaday to get informed.

“Ignorance is bliss. And that’s the world, not just Hockaday,” Nolen said. “But I do think we need to be more aware, we need to be better educated. What [the learning difference is], what we can do, what we can learn from it and how we can be understanding and accepting.”

Learning the Truth Hockaday is no doubt an academically rigorous school: 99 percent of the 236 Upper School students surveyed said so themselves. But, according to junior Ariella Stromberg, what people don’t always realize is that it is twice as hard for students who have a learning difference.

Stromberg was diagnosed with Attention Deficit Disorder, a math learning disability, an auditory processing disorder, a spelling disorder and dyslexia, which later became reme-

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Fostering a welcoming community The sophomore walks down the hallway to her next class. As she moves through the crowded building, she hears her classmates talking, but not about some embarrassing moment or a random celebrity, but about their “learning disabilities,” the very things that she must face head-on on a day-to-day basis. As one girl comments on how OCD she is because she likes her notes to be immaculate and the other laughs as she mentions how she must have ADD because she just couldn’t focus in class that one Friday, the sophomore can’t help but cringe.

“It really irks me when people use learning disability terms loosely like that. I always feel like they are using them negatively,” The sophomore said. “You can’t use those terms just to describe how you’re feeling unless you have one and really know what it does to you.”

Morse agrees that this “flippant use” of learning difference terms can foster a community of exclusivity and ignorance.

“When you throw these terms around, it belittles them as if they are things you can just try on and then take off,” Morse said. “For people that actually have these disabilities, it’s something they always have to live with. It isn’t funny. It is a battle.”

Bourek, however, believes that most of the discomfort or judgment she feels is manifested in her head.

“I often felt judged in Middle School and was hurt by what people would say about, for example, me being in the ‘dumb’ math class. I just remember feeling dumb all throughout middle school,” Bourek said. “In high school, if I ever really feel like I’m being judged, I think it’s mostly in my head. It’s something I think people feel.”

Bourek, Stromberg and our sophomore all agree that Hockaday girls could be more understanding.

“Some of [the students] are interested in [learning differences], but some just throw it away like it’s nothing. And sometimes it is nothing,” the sophomore said. “But sometimes, there are people here working so hard because they have learning differences and they are succeeding. I’m not saying they should get credit or be overly praised, but what they are doing is awesome and people should know that.”

Morse believes that understanding is necessary from the teachers as well.

“I think there is still some education to be done for teachers on recognizing signs of kids who might have a learning difference. Disabilities can manifest in different ways.

Sometimes what looks like laziness is really ADHD,” Morse said. “If teachers are approaching students with a concern, they need to do so with no assumptions.”

According to Morse, refraining from loosely using learning disability terms and attempting to be more understanding could help create a more welcoming, comfortable environment for girls with learning differences.

However, she recognizes that becoming a more understanding person is no easy feat.

To help, Stromberg provides an insight into the journey some girls with learning disabilities are on.

“I always just felt like I was stupid, and that mindset carried with me. It’s hard to get yourself out of that mindset that you’re not as smart as everyone else,” Stromberg said.

“The knowledge that I’ve worked so hard, that helps convince me that I’ve gotten to a point where my mental capacity is the same as everyone else. Sure I struggle, but I also have strengths. That helps reinforce the idea that I am just as good as everyone else here.”

Understanding for the Future Despite the few criticisms Nolen, Morse and the students expressed in this article, Nolen assures that Hockaday has come very far in terms of providing a supportive and welcoming environment for people with learning differences.

“I think we are ahead of the game as far as recognizing learning differences and providing support and services for girls with them,” Nolen said. “We are way ahead where other schools are. I often get phone calls from other learning specialists asking how we handle certain situations.”

But that doesn’t mean our job is done.

“I don’t think people understand what having a learning disability means and in their defense, it’s hard to understand the mindset of it. But I think it’s a generational thing. My parents’ generation never even talked about learning disabilities,” Stromberg said. “With time, I think people are going to start talking about it more, start realizing that these disabilities do exist and start focusing on understanding them.”

Stromberg suggests that a certain level of understanding comes with time. And while Bourek agrees, she offers some relief to those without learning disabilities, assuring that a complete knowledge of learning disabilities isn’t something to stress about because, despite all the information and advice people give, it would be impossible. She suggests, however, that there is a difference between understanding what it means to live with a learning disability and simply being an understanding person.

“It’s impossible to understand what living with a learning disability is like. It’s impossible to understand how somebody else thinks and functions,” Bourek said. “But that doesn’t mean we can’t be understanding.”

IT’S TIME TO GET EDUCATED According to Nolen, in order to be an understanding person, one must first be knowledgable. The following is information about learning differences.

1.

“Learning Disability”: According to the Individuals with Disabilities Act, a specific learning disability is a “disorder in the basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in using language. The disorder may manifest itself in the imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell or do mathematical calculations.” According to Nolen, there are two types of learning disabilities: “There are true learning differences, such as dyslexia or dysgraphia. But then there’s also more neurological, psychological issues that impact learning. Those are ADD, anxiety, depression, etc.”

2.

The most common learning disabilities are dyslexia, dyscalculia, dysgraphia, ADHD, auditory processing disorders, visual processing disorders and non-verbal learning disabilities.

3.

Dyslexia: A term associated with specific learning disabilities in reading. Common characteristics include difficulty in working with individual sounds in words, detecting differences in speech sounds and word decoding, fluency, rate of reading, rhyming, spelling, vocabulary, comprehension and written expression.

4.

Dyscalculia: A term associated with learning disabilities in math. Common characteristics include difficulty with counting, number facts and doing math calculations, measurement, telling time, counting money and estimating number quantities, mental math and problem-solving strategies.

5.

Dysgraphia: A term associated with specific learning disabilities in writing. Common characteristics include awkward pencil grip and body position, tiring quickly while writing, avoiding writing or drawing tasks, trouble forming letter shapes as well as inconsistent spacing between letters or words, difficulty writing on a line or with margins, trouble organizing thoughts on paper and keeping track of thoughts already written down, difficulty with syntax structure and grammar and a large gap between written ideas and understanding demonstrated through speech.

6.

ADHD: A brain-based disorder that results in significant inattention, hyperactivity, distractibility or a combination of these characteristics. The disability is linked to heredity as well as brain structure and function.

Sources: Individuals with Disabilities Act and National Center for Learning Disabilities

Alexis Espinosa Editor-in-Chief

ILLUSTRATION BY LILY SUMROW

14/15

THE FOURCAST MAY 16, 2014

arts & enter tainment PopChart

I have the idea that movies are made for the big screen.

Film Teacher Glenys Quick p16

“

Visit the Perot Museum of Nature and Science p16

Movie Theatre Attendance Falls PHOTO BY CLAIRE FLETCHER

FOOD

Tea Paradise

Don’t be alarmed if you see new options on the Starbucks menu. The coffee chain is now introducing both hot and cold bevarages from the gourmet and hip tea carrier, Teavana.

FASHION

Wrap it Up

These trendy, yet elegant bracelets from Tory Burch are all the rage this season.

Available in mutliple colors and patterns, including the most popular double wrap style, this accesory looks cute on every outfit, casual or chic. You won’t regret investing money on this fad.

MUSIC

Ghost Stories

Coldplay releases their sixth album on May 19th.

The alternative rock band released three singles from the album these past months including “Magic,” “Midnight,” and “A Sky Full of Stars.”

TELEVISION

Teen Wolf

MTV’s popular teenage show, “Teen Wolf,” returning on June 23rd, means the return of the character, Lydia Martin, played by Hockaday alum, Holland Roden.

Sources: Teavana, Tory Burch, Coldplay, justjared.com

The Happiness Trend New social media challenge promotes people to lead happier lives

gal website to stream movies, while 56% stated more Erica Kleckner lies in bed with her lap- that they go to the movie thetop and a cup of hot cocoa, ready to catch atre. Similarly, a survey conup on all her favorite TV shows and movies. ducted through the Harris InPoll in Rather than spending $20 at a movie theater teractive 2012 stated that slightly more for a ticket and some snacks, Kleckner than 61% (6 in 10) of adults reported stays in the comfort of her own home. that they rarely or never go out to the In recent years, due to the popu- movies, supporting the trend that larity of websites such as Netflix, Americans are beginning to go to the Hulu Plus and Amazon Instant Video, movie theatre less. as well as free movie-watching webHowever, Saeed did not notice this sites like Megashare and Putlocker, trend until it was pointed out to her.

Americans are beginning to turn to “They’re going to the movies online, website-based technology for less?” she responded. “I think people their media entertainment. While are starting to go to the movies more, a movie ticket for Saturday evening but I guess if they are going less it’s costs around $9.75, Netflix charges because [the movies] are being ille$7.99 a month, and has hundreds of gally put on the internet,” Saaed said. movies and TV shows available.

For this very reason, as well as “Normally, I’ll watch movies due to Netflix and kiosk rental locaon my computer because one of my tions such as Redbox, Blockbuster friends will say ‘Oh, you’ve got to was forced to shut down as it was watch this movie,’ and I don’t want unable to compete with these more to go out and spend the money, so I’ll popular forms of movie watching. just quickly look it up,” Kleckner said. However, although the DVD form of On the other hand, freshman movies is no longer popular, some Asiyah Saeed has a better experience Hockaday students miss the “goodwhile watching a movie in theatres old days.” rather than on her laptop.

Senior Kellen Weigand stated “There are those moments when that she would visit Blockbuster two everyone is looking at the exact same or three times a week because there thing at the exact same time and its was one down the street from her deathly quiet,” Saeed said. “There’s house. this weird connection because every“One of my favorite memories one loves the movie.” was watching all six Star Wars movIn a survey conducted by The ies with my dad,” Weigand said.

Fourcast which received 188 responsSimilarly, Saeed enjoyed going to es, 55% of Upper School students Blockbuster as it was a great way to said that they often use a free, ille- spend time with family and friends.

On an average day during winter break, sopho-

A

new social media trend, the 100 Happy Days challenge, calls for people worldwide to find happiness among their busy lives.

For 100 consecutive days, participants in the “Can you be happy for 100 days in a row?” challenge share snapshots of moments that make them happy to Instagram, Facebook or Twitter with the hashtag #100happydays.

For Hockaday students, a huge pile of accumulated homework may seem to take away time needed to actively find happiness in their lives. In fact, the challenge’s website claims that 71 percent of people who tried the challenge failed quoting “lack of time” as the main reason.

Sophomore Vivian Zhou rec-

ognizes it can be difficult at times . “Some days, when I’m really busy, it’s hard to stop and find something I can really use because I’m just so focused on getting everything done,” she said.

However, the percentage also inspires persistence in some participants. “The statistic actually motivated me to be among the 29 percent who managed to stay happy,” freshman Elizabeth Zhou said, who is not related to Vivian, after she started the challenge.

Participants will be rewarded for putting in the time to finish the challenge. The website claims that participants will not only more optimistic, but that they will also “realize how lucky they are to have the life they have.”

EMPTY THEATRE Instead of going to the movies, students prefer to watch their favorite television shows and movies through online websites.

“I loved looking through the movies and being with my family and friends while we were trying to choose which movie to watch,” she said. “It’s different than scrolling through Netflix; it’s more like an adventure through the store.”

Although 73% of students who responded to The Fourcast’s survey said that they usually watch movies through Netflix, some students still attend movie theatres for premiers.

“It’s a once in a while experience and I think it’s more exciting,” junior Aashima Garg said.

According to Garg, attending a premiere is a unique experience because “everyone dresses up as the characters from the movie,” which is something you will not see while going to the movies in general.

“If it’s a good premiere, you know that the entire movie theatre will be packed and there will be a lot of spirit coming from the crowd,” Garg said.

Some students watch movies in theatres as a social gathering rather than for the sake of watching the movie.

“If my mom wants to go out to the movie with me, I’ll go as more of a social thing, but if I want to watch a movie purely to watch it, I’ll look it up online,” Kleckner said. “The only downside is that you’re by yourself.”

“You definitely don’t get the same effect that you do in a movie theatre,” Kleckner said. “However, in this day and age, I know a lot of kids who don’t really care.”

However, Weigand prefers watching certain movies, especially the Marvel movies, on a large screen with surround sound.

Already halfway through the challenge, Vivian Zhou proves these claims true. Rather than complain about school, she said, “There are so many cool opportunities here, even on a day-to-day basis. In the classroom, we do a lot of really awesome things and Hockaday does a lot for us, so it’s never too hard to find something that makes me happy.”

After the challenge, though, It is up to the participants to maintain happiness.

Last summer, Junior Meredith Burke researched how to achieve happiness and, in a similar fashion to the challenge, completed something that made her happy every day including a car made of sand.

“Happiness is definitely a

MOVIES continued p16

habit,” Burke said. “Keeping happiness is a resolution, not necessarily a goal. I still need to continually look for happiness to get in that habit.”

However, this challenge may not be for everyone. One freshman, who wished to stay anonymous, said, “I don’t think it’s a waste of time, but I think you can express your happiness in more constructive and productive ways...you don’t have to take pictures just to be happy.”

Elizabeth Zhou strives to keep the habit of appreciation through the 100 days. “I hope that even after the challenge,” she said, “I’ll still try to find more time to be grateful.”

Jenny Zhu Staff Writer

arts & entertainment

hockadayfourcast.org

THE FOURCAST MAY 16, 2014

The Fourcast derives its name from the four cornerstones of Hockaday: character, courtesy, scholarship and athletics. It is also a pun on the weather “forecast.”

Students Skirt the Boundaries Some Upper School students disregard the “four-inch” skirt rule and opt for shorter garments

A

sophomore walks down the hall to her B period class. But before she gets to the classroom, she makes a stop at the bathroom to do a quick change. Taking off her skirt, she reaches in her backpack and grabs a skirt of the same pattern and slips it on. The reason?

She is heading to Ann Ojeda’s chemistry class.

The sophomore, who wishes to remain anonymous, switched into a longer skirt in order to avoid getting in trouble with her teacher.

According to the uniform guidelines listed in the school planner, a student’s skirt should be no shorter than 4” above the knee – a rule which, according to a Fourcast survey, approximately 60 percent of Upper School girls ignore.

Head of Upper School John Ashton stated he is “worried that girls don’t commit to checking and self-correcting that their skirts are an appropriate length”.

Ashton added that although faculty members are told to monitor students’ skirt lengths, “people [teachers] don’t want to come up and hold a card to someone’s knee because that feels invasive. But at the same time, the students who continue to ignore the skirt length really put the faculty in a tough spot.”

Junior Mimi Asom, whose skirt is shorter than the “four inches above the knee”, said that although teachers have made comments regarding her short skirt, she has never gotten in trouble for it; the only uniform infraction that Asom has received

was from wearing the wrong sweatshirt.

“I’d have to get quite a few detentions for me to bother getting new skirts,” Asom said, despite teachers’ remarks about her skirt’s length.

Much like Asom, the anonymous sophomore has been told that her skirt is too short, but never has received an infraction for it. And when she forgets to bring her extra skirt to change into before class, she has a clever solution. She often unzips the one she is wearing and puts on a sweatshirt in order to create the effect of a longer skirt. “I don’t think skirt rules should be as strict as they were at the beginning of the year,” she said.

But there might be a solution to this common uniform violation. Since many girls have been continuing to wear skirts that are not of an appropriate length, Ashton warned that the GRAPHIC BY LILY SUMROW guidelines for skirt length

might need to be reconsidered, possibly changing the requirement from four inches above the knee to two inches above the knee or even kneelength.

Recently, junior Kristina Graffy was at the NorthPark Center when a lady addressed the length of her skirt.

“I was shopping in Neiman’s with my mom and we were talking to a sales associate when this lady, probably in her 60’s or 70’s, walked up and asked me if I went to Hockaday,” Graffy explained. “I said yes and she said something along the lines of, ‘when i went there, we had to kneel and our skirts had to touch the ground. The skirts are too short now,’ and just walked away.”

Graffy, who has been attending Hockaday since Kindergarten, felt uncomfortable about the lady’s comment, but realized that Hockaday has modernized over time.

“It was awkward, but I didn’t really have anything to

say about it because I realize we are from different generations,” Graffy said.

Although many students don’t follow the uniform guidelines, some girls who do.

Freshman Sophia Shams’ skirt usually measures well below the required four inches.

She said that she considers the uniform guidelines to be important “because the skirt length signifies how we want to portray ourselves at school and how we want to represent Hockaday.” Even though Shams’ skirt follows the school’s rules, she also stated that her choice to wear long skirts is a result of her personal decision rather than the result of an enforced uniform guideline.

If students continue to ignore the skirt guidelines, there will be consequences. So next time you slip on your skirt, in the words of rapper Ice Cube, “check yo self.”

twists, but I prefer if the show would have a better closure, rather than a cliffhanger, and these standards were all met in

the finale of Gossip Girl,” Bhupathi said.

Noor Adatia staff writer

Manisha Ratakonda Graphics Editor

Best of Times, Worst of Times Fans react differently to popular television finales that aired within the past years

R

ecently, the television network, CBS, aired the much anticipated “How I Met Your Mother” hourlong finale episode, entitled “Last Forever.” However, for many fans, it did not leave them satisfied—a disappointment that proved the “conspiracy theories” to be correct.

Although it was somewhat expected by its fans, the finale revealed the story line that the audience least wanted to see.

Sophomore Whitney Middlekauff, a fan of the show since the beginning, agrees.“It did not meet up to my expectations,” Middlekauff said.“I thought Ted and Robin were over, that Ted was finally over her. That Ted had changed for the better.”

In the finale, Ted Mosby, the show’s main character, got the life he wanted—a happily married life with two kids and a beautiful wife. However, his love life was not over yet. At the end of the show, after his wife passes away, Ted pursues Robin Scherbatsky, his heartthrob since the first episode.

Ultimately, it wasn’t a story to his kids of how he met their mother, but it was the story of getting permission from them to go out with Aunt Robin. The final scene is of Ted running to Robin’s apartment holding up the iconic blue French horn.

One factor that may have contributed to the upset of many fans, as expressed by various complaints voiced online, was the discrepancy between the writers of each season. The writer from the first season was brought back eight years later to write the finale.

“The finale simply just played with your emotions.

Nine years of character and plot development went down the drain,” Middlekauff said.

Carter Bays, co-creator of the show, released a statement on Twitter just days after the release of the finale, which said, “So anyway, here’s a bit of news: 16 days ago today, we were in the

HIMYM edit room, trying to decide between two very different endings.”

Now we know,, that their decision was not well-received.

Later on, Bays commented, “To #HIMYM fans who didn’t love the finale: We respect you, and for every controversial finale, there is always a Plan B.” However, to his credit, Bay wanted to please his fans and in early April, “How I Met Your Mother” announced an alternate ending to its controversial series finale, which will be released along with the finale seasons’ episode DVD this coming fall.

“A good finale needs to respect what choices have been made throughout the show. It shouldn’t leave them hanging and I hope that the new ending will accomplish this,” Middlekauff said.

But not all finales have been totally disappointing lately. The popular teen show, “Gossip Girl,” shocked many of its viewers as well.

But, this time, in a satisfactory way. “Gossip Girl’s” Season Finale, “New York, I Love XOXO,” revealed the identity of Gossip Girl, Dan Humphrey, as well as several couples tying the knot, while tying up some loose ends of all the characters.

In contrast to “How I Met Your Mother,” this finale was totally unexpected and caught its viewers by surprise, yet also pleased them. Sophomore Caroline Bhupathi, a fan of the TV show, finished the series this past April.

Speaking to the identity of Gossip Girl, Bhupathi said, “Personally, I was amazed at the fact that Dan was Gossip Girl.

He was the outsider and I did not see that coming. I guess it shows that the outsider can find his way to the elite group at the end.”

Additionally, the finale showcased two weddings-Chuck and Blair’s, and five years later, Dan and Serena’s,

summing up the show’s two major on-and-off relationships.

“For me, a good finale should have unexpected plot

arts & entertainment

THE FOURCAST MAY 16, 2014

16/17

How to Stay Cool: The Fourcast’s Guide to Summer When in Dallas this summer, The Fourcast suggests some of the best things to watch, see and do

The Hottest Summer Flicks

Television Shows You Have to Catch Up With

The Sounds of Summer

X-Men: Days of Future’s Past (May 23)

Sherlock

Playing the songs off their self-titled album, The 1975, the English alternative rock band hits Dallas on May 29 at the House of Blues in Deep Ellum. Tickets Starting at $188.

Marvel’s team of mutant misfits, the X-Men, are forced to escape a horrific future with one mission; to change their past by teaming up with their past selves, to save their dying race.

Maleficent (May 30) In a dark children’s fairy tale told from an unsual point of view, the statement Fairy tales always have a happy endings still holds true. Who said that villains should not have them too?

The Fault in Our Stars (June 6)

A tragic story about a couple, Hazel Grace Lancaster (Shaliene Woodley) and Augustus Waters (Ansel Elgort), with cancer with a plot that goes beyond just another diagnosis.

22 Jump Street (June 13) Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill return as the lovable team of undercover police officers, this time to infiltrate college and break up another drug ring.

How To Train Your Dragon 2 (June 13) In the sequel to Dreamworks’ quirky viking adventure, the tone of this movie is a bit darker, with a looming civil war on the horizon as our once child heroes are forced to grow up and defend their home.

(3 seasons, 9 episodes) The BBC adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes is compellingly fresh with now-superstars Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman manning the helm.

Game of Thrones (3 seasons, Fourth in progress, 37 episodes currently) Politics and fantasy meet in a slightly more feminist and bloodier fantastical world for lovers of Lord of the Rings.

Adapted from novels, those who do not read the books are in for a ride on the back of a dragon this season.

The 1975

The Fray On June 28, the band will be playing a collection of their songs from their fourth album, Helios at the Verizon Theatre in Grand Prairie. Tickets Starting At $92.

(3 seasons, 47 episodes) A cliffhanger fraught drama about a DC “fixer” whose extra-marital relationship with the President of the United States leads to never ending political scandal.

The third album of pop’s resident drama queen, Artpop, will be heard around Dallas on July 17 at the American Airlines Center. Tickets Starting at $45.

The rulers of the alternative genre smash into Dallas with their tour on Aug. 5 at the Gexa Energy Pavilion. Tickets Starting at $38.

One Direction

Teen Wolf (3 seasons, 48 episodes) Hockaday Alum Holland Roden stars in the teen werewolf hit that goes beyond howling, introducing a host of beasts who serve the moon (excluding vampires).

Pop’s British pretty boys and their Australian opening act, 5 Seconds of Summer, breeze through Dallas days after school start on Aug. 24 at the AT&T Stadium. Tickets Starting at $90.

One Republic

Supernatural (8 seasons, Ninth in progress, 194 episodes currently) What started out as a supernaturally inclined procedural cop show has turned into the CW’s version of the Bible in a regular American road trip with angels, demons and everything inbetween.

Grey’s Anatomy

Guardians of the Galaxy (August 1)

(9 seasons, Tenth in progress, 219 episodes currently)

With Earth protected by the Avengers and the X-Men, this Marvel team of alien spies and criminals is left with a very large realm to police: space.

A modern “E.R.” that follows the unrealistically tragic lives of doctors and residents at a hospital in Seattle.

Paciugo

5915 Forest Ln, Dallas, TX

Sprinkles Ice Cream

8413 Preston Center Plaza Dallas, TX

Wild About Harry’s

3113 Knox St, Dallas, TX

Double Dip

Lady Gaga

Fall Out Boy and Paramore: the Monumental Tour

Scandal

The Coolest Sweet Treats in Town

The Native Tour, named after the Colorado band’s third album, comes to Dallas on Aug. 26, which they are co-headlining with the Script at the Gexa Energy Pavilion. Tickets Starting at $24.

Kate Clement A&E Editor

7511 W Main St Frisco, TX

Sweet Firefly

2701 Custer Parkway #810 Richardson, TX

What To Do When You’re Stuck in Dallas Klyde Warren Park The Perot Katy Trail Concerts at the Arboretum The Meadows Museum

The Spanish Gesture: Drawings from Murillo to Goya (May 25- Aug.31)

Dallas Museum of Art Never Enough: Recent Acquisition of Comtemporary Art (Mar. 8 - July 20)

Kimbell Art Museum

Samurai: Armor from the Ann and Gabriel BarbierMueller Collection (Feb. 16-Aug. 31)

Dallas Summer Musicals Mamma Mia (June 3-16) Phantom of the Opera (Aug. 6-24)

ILLUSTRATIONS BY KATE COOPER

MOVIES continued from p14 “I think there are certainly some movies that you should go to a theatre and watch,” she said. “The graphics and the pretty things are better on a big screen and you can really appreciate it more on a bigger screen. But then theres some movies where it really doesnt matter.”

While most students do not think about the consequences from using illegal moviewatching websites, sophomore

Nathalie Naor, who is also a film student, recognizes the effects that illegal movie-streaming websites have on the film industry.

“The [movie producers] really do rely on how much money they make in theatres and how many DVDs are bought,” Naor said.

According to Naor, movie producers and directors are less likely to spend money and make another film if their first film

was unsuccessful.

“You might like it [the movie], but if you don’t support the movie-maker then they are not going to make another film because they will think the box office wasn’t successful,” she said.

Similarly, film teacher Glenys Quick, dislikes how movies are released online.

“I get angry about privacy. I just think it’s dishonest,” Quick

said. “It’s taking money away from people—they are cheated out of it.”

Quick often recognizes many things in a movie that the average person would not see, allowing her to have a better movie-watching experience.

“I always appreciate the cinematography and transitions,” she said. “I’m aware of the composition, lighting, how the camera is used and how the story

is told.”

While watching a movie on a laptop may be the most convenient method, attending the theatre is more worthwhile.

“It feels like a performance and I have the idea that films are made for the big screen where the sound is better, the image is better, and there is virtually complete darkness,” Quick said.

CARTOON

Summer Expectations versus Reality Luda Grigoryeva

Inaara Padani Copy Editor

arts & entertainment

hockadayfourcast.org

THE FOURCAST MAY 16, 2014

REVIEWS

Emporium Pie-looza ILLUSTRATIONS BY CLAIRE FLETCHER

Hunting for Hits

Storyline Hunter Hayes

A Emporium Pies 314 N Bishop Ave, Dallas, TX 75208

M

egan Wilkes and Mary Gauntt use locally grown ingredients to make their handmade pies at Emporium Pies, a specialty pie shop in the heart of Dallas’ Bishop Arts District.

Located in a yellow shotgun house surrounded by various restaurants and retail shops, it is a glorious place to spend an afternoon.

Upon opening the white wooden door, I was greeted with a symphony of redolent smells. The open kitchen made the whole restaurant smell of caramelized sugar, whipped butter and sweet cream while creating a cozy vibe. The glass display case boasts the restaurant’s sweet confections, each one more magnificent than the last.

The interior is eclectic but clean-cut with wooden floors and filmy curtains. The seven-or-so tables have gray tops, are surrounded by matching white wooden chairs and topped with a small, friendly flower arrangement.

The whole restaurant is covered with light from multiple large windows, accented with various shades of yellow and adorned with colorful paintings.

Come hungry, but beware—Emporium Pies is a small bakery and makes as many pies as possible but occasionally does sell out. If you wish to order a whole pie, pre-orders are encouraged.

Amazing Spider-Man 2 Marc Webb

A

lthough slightly disappointed with the first remake of the infamous Spider-Man trilogy due to poor casting choices of certain characters, this second installment lived up to all of my expectations of an action-packed, Marvel-inspired movie, sprinkled with just the right amount of romance and comedy.

The second part of the trilogy continued with Peter Parker’s (Andrew Garfield) identity

The first pie we sampled was “The berry and rhubarb pie. This pie was A LEMONY Drunken Nut.” This pie was a classic exquisite. The chunks of fruit were the TWIST take on a Thanksgiving favorite. The star of the dish while the syrup took a Mellow back-seat. If you are a fan of densely nut to syrup ratio was well balanced, not dry and firm like the pie your aunt Yellow, is the filled fruit pies, this is the pie for you. their new The natural sweetness of the assorted cooks at Thanksgiving, yet not the vintage vending machine soggy. The summer take fruit was gorgeously accompanied by a pecans were nicely roasted, accentuat- on traditional light treacle. Along with the fruity filling the flavor of the almost maple-like key lime pie. ing, the crust was delightful as usual. syrup, while the shortbread crust had This is the perfect pie to bring to a bara flaky consistency which added depth becue. A perfect match for friends, hot to an already scrumptious pie. dogs and a slew of cold beverages.

“The Smooth Operator” came next.

As far as drinks go, we sampled This chocolate pie was incredibly rich, the iced tea and found it to be far too so don’t expect to finish more than a strong. The liquid had an unnatural few bites. Deep and full-bodied, the oaky quality that verged on bitterness. rich cocoa mixed with heavy cream And, although I don’t usually enjoy created an illusion of melted dark sugar in tea, this beverage required chocolate truffles. The pretzel crust multiple packets to make it bearable. made it more bearable, creating a nice Unless you enjoy your tea to taste as if combination of salty crushed pretzels it was steeped for over an hour, don’t and creamy rich filling. Although the order this beverage. chocolate filling wasn’t anything origiEmporium Pies offers high end nal, it was a solid take on the traditionconfections, made with fresh ingreal chocolate pie. dients, at a reasonable price, ranging Then came my favorite, “Lord of from four to six dollars for a generous the Pies.” This deep dish apple pie was serving. Come dine at this repurposed the best pie I have ever encountered, yellow shotgun house. You will not be apple or otherwise. The thick and nudisappointed. merous apple slices were lightly coated with a mixture of sugar and cinnaVivian Armitage mon, and gently drizzled with sweet Sports editor syrup. The crust was thick and subOpen for lunch and dinner stantial, laced with butter and a hint of Closed Monday sugar. These factors were all scrumpTuesday- Thursday 11 a.m. -9 p.m tious, but the best part of the pie had Friday- Saturday 11 a.m.-11 p.m. to be the crumbles of crust coated in Sunday 11 a.m.-8 p.m. sugar and cinnamon, generously cov$$ Moderately Priced ering the top of the pie.

Order in advance for whole pies We ended the sampling with “Strawberry Fields,” a strawberry, rasp-

Spidey and Friends crisis between a high school graduate dating Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone), and his role as Spider-Man, saving the city of New York from power-hungry criminals. As an orphan, Parker also struggles dealing with his father’s mysterious past.

My personal favorite part, Stacy’s graduation speech, gave meaning to the story. It wasn’t just a story of hybrid mutants terrorizing New York City, but it was a story of hope and realizing that life is short, so fight for what you believe in. Her speech gave a humane aspect to the movie and relatable connection to the audience.

Although many fans com-

plained about the absence of Uncle Ben’s quote, “With great power comes great responsibility,” to Parker in the first part, I would propose that Gwen’s quote, “What makes life valuable is that it doesn’t last forever, what makes it precious is that it ends,” from her graduation speech replaced it.

Stacy and Parker’s relationship in the new series is so sacred and so real, much stronger and driven than the relationship between Mary Jane Watson and Parker, the original couple from the previous Spider-Man trilogy.

Personally, I enjoy how the girl in the relationship, Stacy,

is not a helpless “damsel in distress.” She is the brains behind the operation, while Peter is the muscle. This provides a unique dynamic to the relationship.

Parker and Stacy perfectly depict this relationship and express the emotional nuances of each scene they acted in, whether portraying hurt feelings or tackling a new challenge.

A new character introduced in the movie, Harry Osborn (Dane DeHaan) also wonderfully conveyed the character of a normal adolescent dealing with his new position as Head of Oscorp, transitioning to a cunning criminal.

s a country music fan, I highly anticipated adding Hunter Hayes’ new album to my playlist.

Hayes’ music, more subdued than the heavy-accented, stereotypical country artist, provides a much more mellow approach to country music, and is all written by him.

Hayes’ sophomore album, “Storyline,” following his debut album “Hunter Hayes” and “Hunter Hayes Encore,” released on May 6, 2014. After two and a half years since his debut album, “Storyline” shows an obvious growth in style. As for the songs placed in the lineup, he still has a few faster-paced songs like in the past, but this album consists mainly of ballads.

“Invisible,” his first single from “Storyline”, is one of the most emotional and personal from the bunch, shown in his performance of the song at the 2014 Grammy’s Awards, as well as “Flashlight.”

Yet, with a similar style to his previous single “I Want Crazy,” tracks “Wild Card,” “Tattoo” and “Secret Love” appear on the album as well.

And the album comes with a bonus. Snippets in between some of the songs have been included. A track titled “…interlude,” a 54 second clip, is just a medley of instrumental music.

Another snippet titled “…like I was saying (jam),” is a response to the song “When Did You Stop Loving Me,” recorded in a different style.

The album, although more ballad-based than I was expecting, still has music for all tastes, especially soothing music, perfect for the summer season.

Megan Philps Features editor

The computer-generated animations of the DNA-manipulated creatures that can only be achieved in today’s day and age. contributing to the movie’s success. The stunning graphics only enhanced the epic battles between, as dubbed by many, “Spidey” and his grotesque and villainous counterparts. Sorry, but I’m one for aesthetics and this movie definitely nailed each scene.

Nothing short of suspenseful and thrilling, Amazing Spider-Man 2 will keep your eyes locked on the screen and your fingers clenched at the edge of your seat (or maybe that was just me).

Noor Adatia Staff Writer

18/19

THE FOURCAST MAY 16, 2014

sports & wellness FourScore

Track coach Laboris Bean p20

“

Sophomore Tala Vaughan was injured this season pg 19

Reliable Test Sparks Controvesy PHOTO BY CLAIRE FLETCHER

6

It helps makes the transition to spring track much easier.

Number of varsity golf members this season

2.32 Number of seconds that kept the crew Women’s Junior Novice Quadruple Scull Team from finishing first in the Final Heats at States on April 26

236 Record high number of Hockaday athletes who played on junior varsity and varsity sports teams this year

9-8 Varsity lacrosse’s winning score against St. John’s in the championship game of the Southern Preparatory Conference Championship in Houston

In 2013 alone, 39,620 women in the United States died from this disease, according to breastcancer. org. Women everywhere ask, what can I do to prevent this from happening to me? So, in order to catch breast cancer early, the film mammogram was created in 1969.

Judy Noble 71’, Admissions Office Manager, said “Mammograms save lives every year.”

A mammogram, an x-ray of the breast typically done on women over the age of 40, is used almost exclusively for the detection of breast cancer that would otherwise go unnoticed. Mammograms have reduced the breast cancer mortality rate by almost one-third since 1990, according to Mammography Saves Lives, by detecting cancer cells at an early stage and thereby increasing the likelihood of survival.

But the use of this seemingly helpful test has been widely debated by scientists and journalists alike for over 20 years. Multiple studies from The New York Times, Public Broadcasting Service (PBS,)

H Hockadaisies Don’t Mess With Deadlines

THE the Journal EFFECTIVENESS of American Medicine and OF MAMMOGRAMS Millions of women many more get mammograms have come to every year. light in the past ACanadian few months, study said that “mammograms challenging don’t reduce the the benefits of mammograms. number of women dying from breast A National Pubcancer.” lic Radio article published in February of this year, in reference to a large Canadian study, said that “mammograms don’t reduce the number of women dying from breast cancer.”

While mammograms are reliable for the most part, they are not 100 percent accurate, and can make the wrong diagnosis as well.

Noble received regular mammograms every year, and then, one day, while performing a self-examination, she discovered a lump. “[My breast] felt different than it usually did, it was like there was stretched out cotton under the skin,” Noble said. Erring on the side of caution, Noble went to see her doctor for an examination.

“My doctor said they were going to do a diagnostic mammogram, which is more powerful than a regular mammogram,” Noble said. “So I had the mammogram done, and it didn’t show any cancer.”

Her doctor, following medical protocol, referred her to a breast surgeon. “It seemed like [my doc-

One in eight women in the U.S. will experience invasive breast cancer in their lifetime, according to The American Cancer Society.

Approximately 60 girls in Upper School will be diagnosed with breast cancer in the future.

ockadaises are punctual, to a point that they stress when they fail to turn in an assignment on time. New to Hockaday this year, freshman Sophia Shams has never missed a deadline. She takes advantage of conference and Y-periods, and staying up late. She has been committed to being timely with her work for the past five years.

“I haven’t missed a deadline since fifth grade,” Shams said.

Sophomore Cameron Todd is also prompt about getting all her homework done. If she ever misses an assignment, it is for an important reason.

“Sometimes [missing homework] makes you feel bad.

Teachers make you feel like you’re going to get a worse grade on it. It [puts] more pressure on you,” Todd said.

When it comes to not turning in homework, Todd pinpointed a domino effect in the thought process of Hockaday girls. “If you don’t turn in your homework, you don’t get a grade, and if you don’t get a grade, that affects your overall grade. If it affects your overall grade, you’re not going to get into college, which really isn’t true, but that’s how we think about stuff, so every little thing matters.”

This is a responsibility many Hockadaisies have gotten accustomed to from an early age.

Elizabeth Michel, a junior

tors] were just covering themselves legally because the tests didn’t show anything,” Noble said.

Following the doctor’s suggestion, Noble made an appointment with a breast surgeon. “The breast surgeon didn’t think it was anything but bumpy tissue, but ordered a biopsy just to be sure,” Noble said. Unfortunately, the biopsy determined the growth was, in fact, cancer.

Even though Noble’s cancer was not detected by a mammogram and she had to go through several rounds of testing before her doctors found cancer, she still believes that women should get mammograms. “I think mammograms save lives every day, but I believe that it is equally important that women do self-examinations,” Noble said.

But self-examinations are not error proof either.

Erin Glasgow, M.D., a specialist in internal medicine and geriatrics at Integris Health, agrees that self-examinations are helpful, but not completely reliable. Despite the criticism mammograms have received, there are not many other options for breast cancer detection.

“Only mammograms have been proven to reduce the breast cancer mortality rate,” Glasgow said.

and Hockaday lifer, said, “I’ve always been kind of scared to turn something in late because I have been at Hockaday my whole life, and they have always been pretty strict about turning in all of your homework.”

In addition, Michel views Hockaday students as a lot more detail-driven than students at other schools, and to her, that’s why most Hockadaisies stress about turning in every single piece of homework on time.

But there may be another reason why girls at Hockaday are so consistent when it comes to deadlines. Senior Katya Lopatko thinks that “some people are more prone to perfectionism than others, just by the fact that

MAMMOGRAMS continued p20

you often hear about the ‘culture of perfectionism’ at Hockaday.”

Senorities might be an exception to this rule, however. “A lot of people are more laid back, especially as senior year goes on,” Lopatko said.

According to Shams, the basis of students’ stress over homework is sustained commitment.

“I like that when you walk down the hallways, you hear a lot of ‘homework’ talk. I think it’s really cool how girls at Hockaday are that dedicated, and I think that the stress really does contribute to turning that stuff in and getting it done.”

Anesu Munyaradzi Staff Writer

hockadayfourcast.org

sports&wellness

THE FOURCAST MAY 16, 2014

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Athletes Remain Involved Despite Injuries The loyal mindset of injured Hockaday atheletes during a season when they are sidlined and unable to compete

W

hen junior Abby Beck slid into home plate during a softball game, she immediately knew she had done something wrong. “My leg stuck on the base because I wear metal spikes and so [my foot got] stuck,” Beck said. The injury , which left her with a broken fibula and two torn ankle ligaments, sidelined her for the rest of the season. However, Beck still has a strong presence on her team.

Her injury happened two months into the season, before any of the SPC counter games had occurred. Although she cannot play anymore during the season, she still works on her throwing so that her shortstop skills don’t diminish and encourages the team at games.

Sophomore Tala Vaughan is also trying to stay involved with Hockaday track during the weeks she will be out for her own injury. “I went to Northzone on the second day and watched them all run, and yelled and cheered for them. I just sort of hobbled around and got sunburned,” Vaughn said.

After suffering a stress fracture in her left metatarsal, Vaughan was out for a few weeks leading up to SPC. Head trainer Jeanne Olson sees these injuries quite often, the majority of which are caused by overuse. She recommends preventing these injuries by strengthening and not playing one sport all year, whether it is in Hockaday or out of school. However, that latter counsel is a tall order for athletes like Beck, who play

the sport they love all year. cult task to stop Hockadaisies “It’s helped thinking from returning to the sports that I can just play during they love. the summer,” Beck said, The mindset makes a when explaining how she’s big psychological difference dealing with the inon how each athlete jury. “[This injury] reacts to an injury. just happened to be While an injury early during the season. It’s helped in the season can set But it’s really sad, thinking an athlete up to think too, because I just they will fail, an that I can that love playing.” injury later in the seaVaughan feels the just play son would be equally same way. She said during the disappointing, as they that the injury “sucks,” can not participate in while gesturing to her summer. the final competitions foot. “It’s awful. I hate Junior Abby or championships. it. I don’t know if I’m Beck “You miss more mentally prepared. I of the experience of just can’t wait to run again, it like, team bonding and stuff, is so annoying not doing any- like I’ve gone back to practice thing,” Vaughan said. and missed some inside jokes, While Olson thinks that which I now know, but…you returning to the playing miss more when you’re infields too early could cause jured earlier on,” Beck said. more injury, it will be a diffiOn the other hand,

“

Vaughan’s opinion is more specific to the sport. “It’s bad to get injured in the beginning of the season, because then you don’t get any training for the rest of the season, and then you’re going to be really slow. But, I had the training, and was about to peak so that I could run fast, so I still have the training, but I’m not able to actually run,” Vaughan said.

Regardless of their injuries, both athletes are eager to return to their respective sports. Vaughan is already enthusiastic about running SPC in early May. Meanwhile, Beck’s response to when she can play again is simple: “As early as I’ll be cleared by the physical therapist, I’m going to play.”

Maria Katsulos Staff Writer

Students Explore Benefits and Challenges of a Vegetarian Diet

H

ockaday students discover the challenges and aids of vegetarianism as they eliminate meat from their diets. Converting their diets to fit the vegetarian requirements takes motivation, and the outcome includes multiple health benefits.

Hockaday sophomore Greer Christie converted to vegetarianism six years ago, looking for a challenge. However, she was unaware of the health benefits that came along with it. “After the first couple of months, it just kind of stuck and I didn’t want to go back to eating meat,” Christie said.

In 2013 according to the Vegetarian Research group, approximately three percent of children and teens in the United States under the age of 18 follow a strictly vegetarian diet, which is around 2.25 million children in America.

But for some students vegetarianism is not just a choice, it is a religious requirement. In

the Hindu religion, cows are considered a sacred animal, so Hindus avoid eating red meat.

Also, Brahmins, members of the highest priestly cast in the Hindu religion, were vegetarians. Hockaday sophomore Mahima Agrawal, who is Hindu, has been a vegetarian since birth.

“My whole family is vegetarian. It’s mainly a religious thing. My grandparents and all of my cousins are vegetarian,” Agrawal said.

Approximately 20-30 percent of all Hindus follow the strictly vegetarian diet. In India, where Hinduism is one of the reigning practiced religions, the consumption of red meat is around 24 times lower than the consumption in the United States.

According to the Amer-

ican Dietetic Associations, a vegetarian diet lowers the risk of becoming obese because it significantly lowers the intake of saturated fats and cholesterol and increases the consumption of fiber and phytochemicals.

“It’s definitely a lot healthier life choice, because I don’t eat red meat and that’s known to have a lot of weight on your heart,” Christie said.

The Nurses’ Health Services conducted a study that said that dropping the consumption of meat and increasing the intake of grains lowers the risk of heart disease, stroke and Type 2 Diabetes by 35-40 percent.

Despite all the health benefits from the vegetarian diet, there are several challenges in filling the hole of

protein in a vegetarian’s diet.

Most vegetarians fill their diet with dry beans, lentils, eggs and soy to increase their daily protein intake.

“Another challenge is definitely getting the protein because I eat fish, but it’s known to not have as much protein as meat. I have to find ways to compensate with things like nuts and peanut butter,” Christie said.

Hockaday sophomore Frances Burton tried a vegetarian diet and was having trouble keeping up her protein intake, so she tried a pescatarian diet instead. Pescatarians include fish into their diet, but stay away from other types of meat. “The protein was something that I was concerned about, so I heard about pescatarians and decided to try it,” Burton said.

Some vegetarians face challenges in finding restaurants that have good vegetarian options besides

small side salads or sides of vegetables. “It’s hard to find places that serve vegetarian food, especially in Texas, where everything is meat,” Agrawal said.

New vegetarians, however, face difficulty when learning to refrain from eating certain foods. “A challenge initially was being tempted by red meat and other foods, but now I’m immune to it since the rest of my family eats meat,” Christie said.

Burton started her new diet the day before Thanksgiving, which created the challenge of temptation. “That was challenging because the next day everything was all about turkey,” Burton said.

The Hockaday kitchen staff works hard to accommodate the increasing vegetarian population at Hockaday by including a variety of salads, vegetable sides and vegetarian main course options in the menu. “Usually they have a big salad bar, so I have a lot of options there. I can usually eat a lot of the sides that they provide, and they’ll have vegetables that I can also eat. On days that they have fish that I like I can eat that too,” Christie said.

On field trips, the Hockaday staff works with students in order to provide vegetarian lunches. “Usually they send out an email saying ‘if you are a vegetarian or have food allergies please contact us’ and even if they don’t ask there is usually a sandwich option without meat in it,” Agrawal said.

Despite the challenges of finding vegetarian options, vegetarians believe that the pros outweigh the cons of their diet. “In the long run, it will be healthier when I get older,” Christie said. “I also feel like I have a lot more energy, even when I’m really tired and stressed from school I feel lighter than I used to.”

Claire Fletcher Photography Editor

ILLUSTRATION BY BY SARAH CHAN

sports&wellness

THE FOURCAST MAY 16, 2014

20/21

Sprinting Towards SPC Hockaday girls participate in winter track to prepare for the spring season at Hockaday, Laboris Bean, said that it is beneficial when his runners do winter track in preparation for joining his team in the spring.

“I highly recommend it to any of the girls who don’t play a winter sport at Hockaday. It helps make the transition to spring track so much easier.”

Olivia Whittaker, a junior runner focusing on the 200 meter and 400 meter races, also sees the benefits.

“Preseason was so much easier,” Whittaker said. “I had gained endurance and was able to work on my speed almost immediately.”

Despite the girls’ love of the sport, running during the cold was not always fun. Both the weather and the workouts made for a tough season.

“The track workouts were pretty intense and because it was in the winter it was often really cold,” said freshman Katherine Lake, an avid runner who specializes in sprinting races and their corresponding relays.

However, the girls persevered, fighting through the cold and driven by a desire to suc- PREPARING TO RACE Junior Olivia Whittaker starts her preseason trial run ceed: a feeling they remember The winter track athletes to February, the girls trained from past years at SPC. “I remember SPC of last include three freshmen, Alyssa every day of the week, except spring track season so well,” Knight, Katherine Lake and Friday, at either Jesuit PreWhittaker said. “We had just Amanda Yang, one sophomore, patory school, the all-boys won the 4x100 meter relay and Anna Buford, five juniors, school neighboring Hockaday, we were ecstatic; we knew that Harper Cloutson, Elizabeth or at the Southern Methodist we had a shot at winning it all. Farrow, Charlsea Lamb, Olivia University track in Highland We ended up getting too excited Whittaker and Morgan Hurst, Park. Monday, Wednesday and not performing well. I guess and three seniors, Claire Coker, and Thursday were dedicated to speed and endurance it was just that feeling of wanting Taylor Pak and Eliza Cope.

During the season, which workouts, which helped the to do better that drives us to work lasted from early November runners improve their times hard in the cold winter.”

Photo By Erin Thomas

A

t the beginning of winter sports season in mid-November, many Hockaday athletes were found scoring goals on the newly lit soccer fields, shooting baskets in Penson gym or swimming laps in the natatorium. However, a handful of eager Hockadaisy athletes pursued a sport that Hockaday does not offer to girls in the winter: track.

Thirteen ambitious girls were able to find a team and a dedicated coach who could train them during the offseason.

Junior Morgan Hurst, a spring track distance runner, specializing in both the 3,200 meter and the 1,600 meter runs, said that she joined winter track to gain speed and to improve her times in preparation for the spring season.

“Coming from cross country, I knew I had the endurance to compete in long distance events for track, but I wanted to build on my speed,” Hurst said. “Endurance is really important to events such as the 1,600 meter and 3,200 meter, but I get more of a competitive edge from speed training. The speed training helps us distance runners kick at the end of a long race.”

Hurst’s times improved greatly by the extra season of training.

“Winter track has especially helped me in working on my speed so that I can work harder during the speed workouts during the spring track season,” Hurst said.

Head spring track coach

and stamina. On Tuesdays, the girls were required to do weights and plyometric stretching. The Hockaday girls were joined by Jesuit, Episcopal School of Dallas and Warren Travis White High School runners, all schools neighboring Hockaday.

Mary Claire Wilson Staff Writer

MAMMOGRAMS MAMMOGRAMS continued p18 “Statistically, by the time a lump can be palpated through a breast examination, the cancer will have already spread and could be stage two or above, which is more difficult to treat,” Glasgow said. That is why it is best to pair mammograms with self-examinations, because “mammograms are really helpful in finding the cancer before it metastasizes, which increases the patient’s chances of survival,” Glasgow said.

It is for this reason that doctors recommend that patients have both regular selfexaminations and annual mammograms.

When asked about the importance of detecting breast cancer, Hockaday girls believe that receiving an early diagnosis makes a difference. Lori Jia, a sophomore and aspiring

doctor believes “the risk of not knowing that you have cancer always outweighs the minute risks and discomfort of having a mammogram.”

Doctors face problems when recommending mammograms for patients. Since they cannot directly tell patients to get a mammogram, they have to trust their patients to look out for their own health. “You do have to look at a patient’s risk factors,” Glasgow said.

Since mammograms don’t help every patient and because they do pose risks, the patient has to make the decision. Unfortunately, “a lot of it is just how aggressive the cancer is,” Glasgow said. So, ultimately, “it should be a woman’s choice whether she wants to get [a mammogram] or not,” Glasgow said.

Patients need to make rule out cancer once the result educated decisions when of the test is positive can be thinking whether or not to costly and time consuming. get a mammogram.

The final issue The most prominent with mammograms concern is cost. Mamis overtreatment mograms are expenand over-diagnosive. For patients with sis. There are some insurance, the price cancers that do not can range from $10 threaten a woman’s to $100. If a patient is Mammolife and unfortuuninsured, that price nately, the mamcan rise to $1,000. grams save mogram does not False-positive differentiate maligmammogram results lives every nant cancer from a are also an issue with non-invasive tumor. year. this test. Sometimes, Since it is difficult to the machine detects Geriatrics and determine whether a lump that is, in fact, Internal Medicine a growth is a mabenign. Receiving an Specialist Erin lignant cancer or incorrect diagnosis Glasgow M.D. non-invasive tumor, can cause anxiety and doctors provide the distress for the patient, same treatment for especially those who receive all patients that present canfalse-positive results. Also, the cer-like cells. additional testing required to Luckily, some of these is-

“

sues are in the process of being resolved. For example, Medicare has started providing free mammogram screening to women ages 40 or older.

This change will give women an opportunity to receive the recommended medical attention, no matter the cost. And, with continual scientific advances, tests will become more accurate, thereby reducing the amount of false-positive results, overdiagnosis and overtreatment.

But, according to Glasgow, despite all the risks and controversy, mammograms do save lives. “It’s pretty powerful.

You see lives that are saved just because they had a mammogram,” she said.

Vivian Armitage Sports and Wellness Editor

FOURWARD Hockaday Summer Camps JUNE 16 - JUNE 27 (GRADES 9-10) Full-Day Counselor in Training (CIT) 1:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.

Indoor Climbing Yoga

JUNE 30 - JULY 11 (GRADES 9-10) 1:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.

Indoor Climbing Yoga

JUNE 16 - JUNE 27 (GRADES 11-12)

JULY 14 - JULY 25 1:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.

Indoor Climbing Yoga

JUNE 30 - JULY 11 (GRADES 11-12) 1:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.

Indoor Climbing Yoga

1:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.

Indoor Climbing Yoga

JULY 14 - JULY 25 (GRADES 11-12) 1:45 p.m. - 3:45 p.m.

Indoor Climbing Yoga

hockadayfourcast.org

THE FOURCAST MAY 16, 2014

per spec tives StudentView The Fourcast asked readers “What’s your favorite summer activity?” Here are the results.

21

%

Swimming with friends

50

%

Traveling

Going to camp

Junior Charlsea Lamb p23

W

alk down the hallways of Hockaday.

Amidst the occasional littering and overstuffed backpacks in our hallways stand our lockers, clad with signs from each of our various activities and extra-curriculars. For some, that decoration could mean a combination of debate and soccer posters. For others, it could mean an overachieving combination of choir, track, math club, swimming and photography signs.Whatever the combination, the truth is inevitable: we are all well-rounded, which may actually hinder us in the long run.

But it’s not our fault. From the beginning, we are taught to have a fine art, play a sport, take a language, test off the charts in standardized tests, serve our community, sign up for as many clubs as we can and attend social events. Bathing, personal hygiene and appearance become second in importance as we fill our schedules with a plethora of activities. In anticipation of receiving an award and being the perfect college applicant, we take on everything that we can and create

12

Watching Netflix

the busiest schedule humanly possible. But ironically, the focus and discipline it takes to balance all of our activities is more commendable than any award or flimsy college acceptance letter.

Or maybe being wellrounded has taken us a step back from achieving our own dreams. Amidst all of the chaos of rushing from dance class to an AP Latin lecture or from a piano lesson to an AP Chemistry class, we lose sight of finding a passion. Finding what we love is hard when we have ten other things to think about.

Aside from the occasional setback, the positives and benefits of being well-rounded are numerous. We’ve become apt multi-taskers and are extremely disciplined. We can watch netflix while brainstorming for an English paper.

We have become master list-makers who understand how to balance time. We also know how to make use of every minute of free-time and use that time wisely to accomplish it all—even if that means using our extra seconds between conference and C block to finish that last problem on a

Physics Web Assign. And we’re able to switch between subjects: we can approach a calculus class with the same enthusiasm as the Spanish class we attended just minutes before.

So, incoming freshmen, here’s a word of advice: explore your options, find what you love and devote most of your energy to it. Don’t worry about being well-rounded. After all, as a Hockaday student, it will come naturally.

THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID Sometimes I feel like my life is a movie, and I’m just a really good actress in it.

Senior Amy Tao

%

“

STAFFSTANCE Where’s Our Well-Rounded Award?

PHOTO BY LILY SUMROW

17

%

Until that moment, I had underestimated the power of the Hockaday skirt.

I’VE BEEN PURPOSELY BREAKING Senior Tiffany Le THE RULES TO It’s cool. I’ll strut my TRY AND GET very stylish self all the A DETENTION. I REALLY way down.

Senior Gretchen O’Brien in reference WANT ONE! Guess who’s drinking bubble tea?

to walking instead of driving down to the Athletic Fields

Senior Anisha Anand

Got caught in Physics studying...sratch that... stuDYING. Senior Mary Clare Beytagh

He can come if he wants, but I’m getting a churro with or without him Senior Katie Payne

TWITTER

Y period more like Y are you making my life so hard @ Hday.

I’m dating my dad.

Senior Molly Montgomery

Sources: HDWallpapersbot, daventrydolphins, Coleman, tomsguide.com

Being the 101st Class

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I

Junior Avita Anand

f you somehow missed the giant tent that was built and taken down in the course of one month or the visit from our nation’s former First Lady Laura Bush, this year is Hockaday’s centennial year. And that makes the class of 2014 the centennial class – the 100th group of girls to graduate from the Hockaday School.

But then there’s us: the class of 2015, who has the

great honor of being the 101st graduating class.

We, along with the rest of the student body, were a huge part of the centennial celebrations. We got to celebrate and witness its historic significance and grandeur, but we also get to do something far more special. We get to experience the aftermath.

With all the flair and extravagance of the centennial year behind us, we can watch Hockaday return to a new and improved normal, one with a new science building.

Only one out of my 12 years at Hockaday was the centennial year. When I think of my time at Hockaday, my memories are of friends, classroom discussions and amazing teachers.

I’m so glad that my last year at Hockaday can represent that and be a regular year.

No longer under the cen-

tennial spotlight , we can relax, unbutton the gold buttons on our blazers, maybe even step on the heels of our oxfords and have the wonderfully ordinary school year we so crave.

Furthermore, we get to be the class that ushers in the second century. Rather than being the class that missed it by a year, we might secretly be the class with the coolest title of them all: the first class of the new century.

We get to set the precedent for the new century, a new generation of Hockadaisies.

If you know anything about the class of 2015, you know that we are not your standard class. We set the record for the most all grade lectures in Middle School and came into Upper School as the sass class with an attitude problem. We can never agree on anything and it’s a guaranteed fact we will have

Senior Emily Wechsler in reference to her boyfriend and her dad having the same name, “John”

run offs for everything we vote on. But as biased as I am, I love my class and I wouldn’t trade graduating alongside all 123 of them for being the centennial class.

It’s also only fitting that our graduation ceremony can now represent us rather than being a tribute to Hockaday’s birthday.

When I’m graduating, I don’t want everyone in the crowd to be focused on the celebrity speaker or fixated on the centennial aspect of it. I want to see a crowd of friends and family who are all there just to see me graduate, to see us graduate.

Next year might not be the centennial, but it’s still our senior year and we are going to fill it with our own historic celebrations and memories, and I can’t wait for it all.

So let’s hear it for the class of 2015. (Our senior chant if we ever come up with one).

perspectives

THE FOURCAST MAY 16, 2014

WE LOVE IT, WE LOVE IT NOT

22/23

When Should We Take Exams?

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STAFFSTANDOFF Noor Adatia Staff Writer

Eshani Kashore Staff Writer

vs.

It’s finally HOCKA-PUNCH SEASON.

E

B

very March, like clockwork, panic strikes Hockaday Upper School students as they realize that the time for final exams has arrived. I’ll admit, I dread exams just as much as the next girl. There’s nothing quite like the late night study sessions, stress breakouts and moodiness that comes with exam week. However, I’ve come to terms with having exams, a necessary evil, and, although terrible, taking exams in March is much better than having them in May. For one thing, this earlier date for final exams allows juniors and seniors the time to solely focus on AP exams and SAT subject tests during the month of May. Because final exams account for a solid 20 percent of a student’s grade, the pressure of studying for a full set of exams in May, plus AP exams and SAT subject tests, would be unbearable. Having exams in March spaces out our commitments, alleviating the tremendous amount of stress during a time of the year that is already stressful enough.

In addition to standardized testing, the end of the year also signals the prospect of sunny days and no school. With these thoughts in mind, it comes as no surprise that “senioritis” spreads farther from the senior hall than appreciated. The decrease in academic drive and determination begins to skyrocket as our calendars approach the last day of school. As minds become more distracted and teachers pile up work in an attempt to wrap up the fourth quarter, it becomes harder to keep up with regular schoolwork. Exams in May would make this time of the year even more overwhelming.

In addition to avoiding the creation of long todo lists during the month of May, March exams also mean that students have less content to review in preparation for final exams. There is no limit to how many formulas and historic dates can be squeezed into April and May. Many Hockaday students already despise the thought of pouring half a year’s worth of content into a packet of questions — do we really need another two months’ worth of information to study on top of this? Having a little less material to study allows students to focus on preparing well, thus fostering a sense of higher academic potential.

Though exams are never a breeze, it would be ten times harder to take them in May. March exams are a no-brainer.

y the time March comes around, two thirds of the year is almost over, meaning it’s time to review everything we’ve learned since August and prepare for the most dreaded week at Hockaday: exam week.

Instead of having exams in March, I think having a midterm exam at the end of the first semester and a final exam around the end of the second semester, possibly early May, would keep those stress levels down for all students.

Springtime boasts flowers, sunny days and looking forward to my most highly anticipated holiday of the year, spring break. Nothing truly trumps the beautiful spring air and longer nights—the last ounce of freedom until the summer holidays. Personally, I would prefer for the days leading up to this break not to count as one-fifth of my grade for a class.

Traditionally, schools nationwide follow the trend I suggest for exams. Call me old-fashioned, but I think it’s a system that works. With less material covered in each exam, not only could teachers assess our progress and understanding of concepts both more efficiently and frequently, but we would be less stressed without as many concepts to cover.

Additionally, we’d get two chances to prove ourselves worthy. We could redeem ourselves from our past failures and improve from our prior mistakes, something teachers would take note of. The intimidation of a single, life-changing exam in each class that determines a quarter grade is overwhelming, and grading system-wise, instead of having one exam count as 20 percent of our final grade from the entire year, having two scores combined for this value would more accurately mirror our academic achievements.

This system would also give students more incentive to persevere till the very end of the school year, as final exams towards later in the school year would provide more opportunities for changes in grades.

Having exams fourth quarter would also remind ourselves of previous information. I might sound like a teacher, but the content we learn shouldn’t just fade away uselessly. Having exams at the end of the year would serve as an opportunity for us to review and clarify the concepts we may have never fully understood.

Is the price of having harder exams and more pressure during March really worth it just for alleviating some of the pressures associated with the fourth quarter?

The new HOCKADAY LUNCH INSTAGRAM is making everything easier.

END OF THE YEAR ASSEMBLIES are taking away our freetime.

ASSEMBLIES

Assessing the Alternatives AP EXAMS are never fun, Especially with the combination of added schoolwork at the end of the year.

O

Sophomore Kate Clement

The natural disasters that have cursed CHICKEN PARM DAY.

I

t’s not uncommon to see a stack of notecards in someone’s lap or a discretely hidden quizlet being answered on a phone (only if you’re daring enough) during assembly.

Nor is it rare to hear groans in the halls regarding tests, quizzes and essays as a sea of green polyblend blazers (and a sprinkling of whites ones) march through the school.

However, it is uncommon and rare for the Upper School

to rather listen to a 30 minute speech when they could read the exact same material in three minutes.

As the year comes to a close, the sheer amount of assemblies, form meetings, ceremonies and events have piled up to create the ultimate black hole in the time once reserved for meeting with teachers.

I’m not making the point that I don’t enjoy assemblies.

They are a unique part of “The Hockaday Experience.” But at least once, we all have told our C or G period teacher, “sorry, the line at lunch was too long,” as we sprint to class. And we have all wondered many times if the speaker knows it’s 12:30 and a long-awaited lunch is awaiting us in the cafeteria.

The administration has found somewhat of a solution to the forcible cut-off of an excellent speaker and our subsequent tardiness.

Y-period assemblies, which, in reality, often have too much time tagged onto the end, are a better alternative to the ones held during conference. Though this takes up perhaps a longer portion of time in the long run, it would ease the lunch line and make the greater portion of the day run smoother.

In addition, while there might be tests and quizzes the following day, it’s far less likely to be studying during an assembly at the end of the day, than in the middle, with another period to go. Also, conference would then be freed up as a last-minute review session with teachers, rather than our own, secret one.

However, form meetings, which are held on odd days with no other free time, could be done away with completely to free up a considerable amount of free time. It’s il-

logical. Rather than being held during conference periods, form meetings could be held on a day where we still retain a Y period. Better yet, the information could alternatively be condensed down into a fairly brief email that would also be sent to advisors, who could then make the announcements during advisory.

There is merit in having multiple gatherings and being a cohesive group. It’s understandable. But with councils and clubs already meeting enough, I believe that there should be only one Upper School-wide event per week, except for special occasions, like the Centennial. Most of these informative assemblies can be condensed into emails, a logical use of having the 24 hour email rule in our planbooks.

perspectives

hockadayfourcast.org

THE FOURCAST May 16, 2014

Respect the Plaid Skirt

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Junior Charlsea Lamb

L

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Alexis Espinosa

using a stapler to even out the hemline during class.

I can’t remember ever folding it or making sure it didn’t get any stains on it; instead, it was shoved to the bottom of a smelly sports bag every day.

I had been so embarrassed of standing out from the crowd in my plaid skirt, while Francisco had paid me so much respect and admiration for it. I now understand why teachers lecture us about how a simple, green-and-white plaid skirt can show so much about Hockaday. The skirt we wear every day is an icon, and how we choose to wear that skirt influences the reputation the school has.

To us, our skirt is just a skirt. But the presence of Hockaday is somehow woven into the plaid. The skirt sets us apart. We are automatically recognized in public and associated with Hockaday because of that plaid print, becoming symbols for our school and the cornerstones it stands for.

There is a stature that we represent by wearing our skirts, one often forgotten about, because of how typical the Hockaday skirt has become to us. Pulling on that plaid skirt over our knees each day has more meaning than we seem to realize. It symbolizes all of the values that Ela Hockaday founded our school upon, setting ourselves apart from the world as we, too, become representatives of our school.

When we pull on those skirts, we become imbued with the spirit of Hockaday, held to higher standards and capable of so much more.

If our skirt has the power to remind a son of his mother’s joy for teaching at the school, I think we should all try to understand the influence it has and the respect it deserves. Yes, it’s a skirt. But our school and its history has transformed it to mean so much more than that.

So let’s carry on the tradition of wearing it with pride and not forget how each one of us is a part of Hockaday’s image.

MANAGING EDITOR Courtney Le BUSINESS MANAGER Avita Anand WEB EDITOR Erin Thomas SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Sydney Yonack NEWS EDITOR Charlsea Lamb ASST. NEWS EDITOR Faith Isbell FEATURES EDITOR Megan Philips ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR

Kate Clement

SPORTS & WELLNESS EDITOR Vivian Armitage PERSPECTIVES EDITOR Elie MacAdams CAST OFF EDITOR Sunila Steephen PHOTOGRAPHY EDITOR Claire Fletcher GRAPHICS EDITOR Manisha Ratakonda COPY EDITOR Inaara Padani

PHOTO BY CLAIRE FLETCHER

ast month, I attended the funeral of my mother’s friend Muriel Elizabeth Wicks Escobar, a former Spanish and French teacher at Hockaday. As I waited for the service to begin, I saw a couple pointing over in my direction and smiling. I looked away immediately, embarrassed as I assumed they were discussing how I was wearing my Hockaday uniform instead of the typical funeral attire. A few minutes later, I was startled when the man tapped me on the shoulder.

The man, Francisco Escobar, was Muriel’s son. My green and white plaid skirt, which was luckily of an appropriate length, had reminded him of his mother. He complimented me on my uniform, telling me how happy and proud he was that a Hockaday girl was at the funeral.

In his eulogy, he spoke of the impact Hockaday had on Muriel and how much she loved educating the girls. There were no other teachers or students from Hockaday at the funeral, and by simply wearing that green-and-white plaid, I had become a representative of Hockaday, serving as a reminder of the time Muriel spent at the school. It didn’t matter that she hadn’t taught me specifically, the skirt I wore represented the entire school.

Up until that moment, I had underestimated the power of the Hockaday skirt. To me, it had been just a portion of my over-worn uniform, and a comfortable one at that. I had never taken much care of my skirt, doodling on it in Sharpie and

2014-2015 STAFF

STAFF WRITERS Noor Adatia, Austria Arnold, Hufsa Husain, Maria Katsulos, Heidi Kim, Eshani Kishore.

Ashna Kumar, Anesu Munyaradzi, Mary Claire Wilson, Sonya Xu, Jenny Zhu STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Suzanne Schmitz STAFF ARTISTS Sarah Chan, Kate Cooper, Lily Sumrow ADVISER Ana Rosenthal

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

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e encourage anyone from the Hockaday community— alumnae, parents, faculty, staff and students—to submit Letters to the Editor. Selected letters will be published each issue in regards to the previous issue. We regret we cannot acknowledge all submitted letters, but we sincerely appreciate them.

Letters to the Editor must be signed.

Please email letters to aespinosa@hockaday.org or mail to The Hockaday School, attention: The Fourcast, 11600 Welch Road, Dallas, Texas 75229. All of the 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.

www.hockadayfourcast.org Better news than your newsfeed.

Updated daily.

EDITORIAL POLICY The Fourcast is written primarily for students of the Hockaday Upper School, its faculty and staff. The Fourcast has a press run of 1,200 and is printed by Greater Dallas Press.

It is distributed free of charge to the Hockaday community.

Businesses who wish to advertise in The Fourcast should contact Avita Anand, Business Manager, at aanand1@ 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 in the perspectives section.

Commentaries are the expressed opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect that 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.

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.

Corrections and clarifications from previous issues will be found as designated in the news section.

Any questions or concerns should be taken up with Alexis Espinosa, Editor-in-Chief, at aespinosa@hockaday.org.

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hockadayfourcast.org

THE FOURCAST MAY 16, 2014

And They’re Off! Congratulations to the Centennial Class of 2014!

Here’s where you can find them next year: Yve Wa tte Ang shU uia in S no t. Lo uis Maricka B Cornell U ennett niversity

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Br UT eann Au a Cr stin uis e

Dana Lamotthe Case Western Reserve University Sa B man De arnar tha d C Kim Po von Uni int Pa Knott olleg e ver rk sity

Katya Lopatko Univ. of Southern California

Megan Silver UT Austin

Allie Love Vanderbilt University C Alex Boston Unaivthy Ma Univ. Ludwig Be ersity of St rnard Katherin Andrews o e Magee Brow Flor M n University a n z a nares Southe Janie rn Methodis t Univ.

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Sa Aus mmy tin Mu Col noz lege

Evie Pena UNC Chapel Hill

Regina Pimentel Colgate University

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Kelsey Powell Vanderbilt University

Alexandra Villareal Emily Wechsler Boston College Dartmouth Katie Melody Williams College Anita Wang Tong Channing Tucker University of Southern Harvard Lawrence Pennsylvania Methodist University Kellen University Univ.

Weigand Divya Walia Univ. of Maryland WashU in St. Louis Lucy Wilson Boston College Kaylee Wedderburn-Pugh Columbia University Kirby Young Tulane University Dalton Youngblood Harvard University Emily Zhang Cornell University

Emily Yeh Columbia University

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