April 2018 | The Evergreen, Greenhill School

april 9, 2018

volume 53, issue 5

the Everything Greenhill

evergreengreenhill.org

Photos courtesy of Sheela Vassan and Drewv Desai. Top right photo by Smiley Pool (Dallas Morning News)

TAKIN’ IT TO THE STREETS: Following the Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School shooting on February 14, in Parkland, Florida, students from around the country gathered to organize marches for gun reform in most major U.S. cities. Junior Phoebe Metzger-Levitt (top right photo, third from right) was part of the organizational team for the Dallas March.

On the front lines

Campus security revamped, armed police officers added Lili Stern

Managing Editor

full story on page 8

Views

Responses to security changes on campus p. 3

News

Upper School robotics team goes to Japan p. 5

Informing Greenhill since 1966

Administration has instituted heightened campus security measures, including the addition of armed policemen on campus, following the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in February.

Traditionally, Greenhill has not had a constant police presence on campus, and campus security has not been armed. Now, however, there are two armed police officers from the Addison Police Department, Sheriff ’s Office, or Constable’s Office stationed at Greenhill during the school day and during carpool.

Head of School Scott Griggs said the decision to hire police officers was a direct result of the shooting in Parkland.

“Immediately following Parkland, we

Features

The video game taking over the Hill p. 6

Arts

decided that we wanted to show a visible physical presence on campus that at least was temporary,” he said.

According to Head of Security Steve Smith, the police officers’ primary responsibilities are to be a visible presence on campus, watch for suspicious activity, direct visitors to Greenhill visitor sign in locations, monitor the activity in the surrounding area via radio and, if an incident should occur on campus, to be first responders.

“I think that [having an armed officer] is probably a safer step that Greenhill can take because we have a really open campus,” said senior Alex Rose. “Having an officer on campus that is armed and can stop a potential school shooting really quickly is important.”

Junior wins SXSW High School Shorts p. 10

continued on page 4

Sports

Softball competes with only ten players p. 13

4141 Spring Valley Road, Addison, TX 75001

the

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Rants & Raves

the

Evergreen staff editor-in-chief

Joseph Weinberg

executive editors A RANT to the MPAC parking lot being closed. It seems like every other day we get an email that the MPAC lot is closed due to a “Preschool Play.” Lower schoolers can’t even drive so why lose the lot?

A RAVE to pull/push signs on doors.

While I enjoy seeing freshmen slam their frail bodies into the glass (natural selection at work), I admit that these stickers are a nice addition to the Upper School. Now if we could get some blindspot mirrors in the Buzz; we run into many kindergarteners there.

A RANT to people leaving bloody tissues all over. Look, we get that bloody noses are the worst, but there are wonderful inventions to help you out! Trash cans!

Magical! So take two steps, and throw it away.

Zoe Allen Abbas Hasan

managing editor Lili Stern

design editors Areeba Amer Alice Zhang

arts editor

Riya Rangdal

backpage editors

Natalie Gonchar Caroline Simpson

features editors Ross Rubin Amber Syed

news editor

A RAVE to a politically active student body.

Between volunteering on campaigns, participating in marches and protest, voting in the primaries, and more, Greenhill students are fighting for change and making a difference. Just look at Finn Johnson and his dad who is running for state legislature!

Jeffrey Harberg

A RANT to people turning left in the MPAC parking lot. I know it took some of y’all three or four tries to pass your driving test, but I know you all can read, so please, follow the signage and arrows when you pull up in your mom’s old Volvo.

A RAVE to Takis at Gym Concessions.

Once again the Gym Concessions stand has THE best snacks on campus, showing up the weird oatmeal bars in the Buzz with Takis and candy! This is just one more reason to go watch your classmates’ athletic endeavors besides Coach Wabrek.

sports editor

Hayden Jacobs

views editor Maya Ghosh

asst. news editor Sonali Notani

asst. sports editor Jake Middleman

online editor-in-chief Areeba Amer

online executive editor Radhe Melwani

online broadcast editor A RANT to the lack of participation for Color Wars. Students work very hard organize these events just for you, please show them some respect and at least show up to eat a pie or whatever the events are, I don’t know because I just delete the emails without reading them.

A RAVE to so many snacks at the Snack Bar! Having baskets with cheese sticks, apples, and pretzels are a blessing for people with dietary restrictions or who are just picky. Now here are four mass emails on which one you like most! #MunchMadness

A RANT to the Buzz running out of M&M cookies. Sometimes you’ve just failed a math test and its raining and you tracked through all the puddles so you’re gross, and all you want is a warm, melty M&M cookie, but they’re gone, and you might cry a little bit in the library.

Content courtesy of Sam Bovard Photos by Rylyn Koger and Finn Johnson

Staff Editorial: Protect the future of Greenhill There have been 306 school shootings in the United States since 2013, an average of one per week, according to gun safety lobby Everytown for Gun Safety Support Fund.

Firearms are the single greatest contributor to teen deaths, greater than the next 12 leading causes combined according to Vox. This year, 650 teens have been killed or injured due to gun violence, according to the Gun Violence Archive.

After the February tragedy in Parkland, Florida, the Greenhill Administration sent a letter to students and parents reminding them of the methods in which the security firm, Secure Solutions International, has been providing a safe campus. Of all the numerous steps taken, the most visible has been the presence of armed policemen on campus.

Having policemen patrol the entrances and walk in the hallways may assuage our

parents’ worried minds, but having armed men on campus does not make us feel comfortable. Seeing policemen on campus reminds us to worry about our safety at school, and it detracts from Greenhill’s characteristic openness.

If there was to be a school shooting at Greenhill, there is a small chance that it could be stopped by an armed policeman who sits at the Hornet Road entrance. So, let’s focus on realistic ways in which we all could help keep Greenhill safe.

First, students, faculty and staff should be trained to recognize the marks of mental instability (i.e. obsession with weapons, dysfunctional background, lack of empathy) and be encouraged to speak out when they see a member of Greenhill’s community who fits the mold for a school shooter. This would allow the student exhibiting signs to receive mental health treatment.

Second, students should participate in more meaningful and organized mass shooter drills as opposed to our traditional lockdown drills. In the past, teachers have participated in these drills but not students.

In the panic of a real shooting, we should be able to muscle memory our way to safety.

As a school that values transparency and community, we need to know how to protect one another, not rely on a few policemen to protect us. Our goal should be to maintain the unique atmosphere of Greenhill while making achievable safety changes that make true advances toward making us feel safe at Greenhill.

A few armed policemen only provide a temporary solution to the serious and ongoing problem of gun violence in schools all over the country.

Zeenya Meherally

staff writers

Stephen Crotty Harrison Heymann Leopold von Hanstein Raag Venkat

business manager Rishi Vas

adviser

Nureen Patel

asst. adviser

Dr. Amy Bresie

staff photographers Anaah Abedi Josh Flowers Rylyn Koger

staff artist

Kaethe Thomas

Have a response?

Opinion?

Original Idea?

Email us at: evergreen@greenhill.org

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Evergreen

monday, april 9, 2018

Letters to the Editor

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Alumni respond to security changes on campus

Dear Editor, I have driven on to Hornet Road more times than I can count — even before it was officially named Hornet Road. As a student way back when and now as a Greenhill parent, pulling into the school down that long driveway is a way of life for me, and when my final child graduates in 2023, I will certainly miss it. What I cannot fathom becoming a way of life for me is pulling onto Hornet Road and seeing an Addison Police Car waiting to greet me everyday. The past few mornings, the cruiser has been sitting there, greeting us all like we are approaching Check Point Charlie. I realize that may be a bit of a dramatic analogy, but every time my children and I have gotten to school over the past few days and seen the police officer, we are jarred and taken aback.

I know this is a scary time and recent shootings at schools all over the country are making everyone on edge. I want my children to be as safe as possible always — especially while they are at school — but I don’t think putting a police officer at the entrance to Greenhill is the way to do that. It is sad that in this day and age we need to have emergency drills, security cameras everywhere and an overall sense of fear on a daily basis while at school, but sadly that that is our new normal. However, we need to take some responsibility as a society

Dear Editor, for how we got here and we need to take responsibility as a society for how we can change our situation.

We need to be aware of what is going on around us. Students need to be noticing signs of kids who seem in pain or who are being isolated. (This is not to say that all kids who are in pain are going to commit a mass shooting, but we could all benefit from being a little more empathetic in general.) We all need to watch our social media and pay attention to warning signs written in people’s posts. And most importantly, we need to do what we can to keep guns from getting into the wrong hands. Students, administrators and parents should be talking to our elected officials about how we can make our guns laws safer for everyone. The bottom line is that WE need to do something.

Sitting back and asking an Addison police officer to do all the work is not the way to solve this problem. Greenhill has a long history of evoking change and we shouldn’t stop now.

Thanks,

Lael Brodsky ‘86

As someone who spent 13 years as a Hornet and has family that currently works at the school, I’ve always felt pride for Greenhill and the values it represents, even six years after my graduation. That’s why I was shocked and disappointed to learn that Greenhill now has armed police officers on campus.

There’s one major reason that guns shouldn’t be on any school’s campus – they make schools less safe.

Hundreds of studies have shown that more firearms lead to more violent crimes. Here’s one: In a 2015 study using data from the FBI and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, researchers at Boston Children’s Hospital and Harvard University reported that firearm assaults were 6.8 times more common in the states with the most guns versus those with the least.

With the addition of the armed police officers, the potential of a violent incident happening at Greenhill has never been higher.

This is without mentioning the growing number of police misconduct cases, which highlights how even the “good guy with a gun” can make fatal mistakes. Despite all the evidence to the contrary, the claim that deadly weapons can help combat crime gets trotted out every time a shooting happens in this country – I’m disappointed that the administration at Greenhill fell for that deceitful rhetoric.

Besides the practical problems with guns at school, they also go

against Greenhill’s progressive tenants.

Greenhill, to me, always represented a degree of intellectual and personal freedom. From the open class discussions to the lack of a school uniform, this independence is what sets Greenhill apart from the other Dallas private schools. Adding guns sends a message of intimidation that directly restricts freedom for students and faculty alike.

Limiting student’s autonomy in a way that positions the police as a solution to school crime will create a learning environment that encourages students to blindly submit to authority – I can’t think of anything more antithetical to a Greenhill education.

I’m all for increasing security on campus. Having an unarmed security guard at Hornet Road that looks for parking decals seems like a sensible compromise. Arming police officers, however, makes the school more dangerous and betrays the values that Greenhill claims to hold dear. With the Stoneman Douglas students so bravely and eloquently advocating for positive change, Greenhill’s reactionary decision becomes even more disappointing. I hope the administration will reconsider their position and make Greenhill a gun-free campus – a sentence I never thought I’d have to write.

Sincerely, Alan Johnson ‘12

Letter from the Editor Reflections for the senior staff ’s final issue The Evergreen and I have not always had the best relationship.

As a lower schooler, The Evergreen forced me to wake up an hour early once a week so that my mom could drive my brothers to middle school Evergreen meetings before school.

As a middle schooler, my antagonistic relationship with The Evergreen only worsened. With my brothers now holding senior editorial roles for The Evergreen, I was now tasked with schlepping hordes of food from my mom’s trunk to the Evergreen lab six times a year during layout week. With

my brothers stranded at Greenhill for late hours during those six weeks, family dinners and after school video game sessions were ruined; all because of The Evergreen.

When it came time to choose classes at the end of eighth grade, I decided to give the newspaper a chance, despite our previous rocky relationship.

I’m glad I decided to give The Evergreen that chance, because I can’t imagine how much less connected I’d feel to this community had I not signed up for the newspaper freshman year.

These past four years, The Evergreen has introduced me to the stories of individual members that I would’ve never had the chance to hear if not for this newspaper.

Sophomore year, I listened to an alum tell the story about how he was called a traitor in his home neighborhood for attending a predominantly affluent private school as I wrote a story about the privilege associated with being a student at Greenhill.

Last year, I listened as various minority students on campus shared with me their experience “code switching” at Greenhill; how they have learned to

censor what they say depending on if they are at home or at school in order to best fit in with their respective environments.

All I can hope is that the stories I’ve written over the years have impacted the lives of other members of the community as much as the stories shared with me have impacted my own.

Sincerely,

Joseph Weinberg Editor-in-Chief

Our Editorial Policy The Evergreen is an independent, student-run newspaper serving the Greenhill community. It is printed six times during the school year. Print circulation is 1000 copies.

Past issues are available for online viewing at issuu.com/ghevergreen.

The newspaper’s goal is to help the local community interpret campus, local, national and international events through articles and editorials written and edited by students.

The Evergreen aims to fulfill its agenda with policies of integrity and upholds a stringent

code of ethics that values honesty, accuracy and responsibility.

The Evergreen reserves the right to edit submitted material for accuracy, grammar and length. The Evergreen will not publish any materials that fall under the Supreme Court’s definition of unprotected speech: works that are libelous, obscene or invasions of privacy. All accounts of deaths and other personal issues will be printed only with family consent. Letters to the Editor are encouraged provided that they fall

under protected speech. Any letters that are considered attacks on a plan or proposal will be shown to the person the letter most likely affects. All individuals will have a chance to respond to criticism in a letter. The Evergreen reserves the right to not publish letters they deem unfit for print.

Anonymous letters will not be published.

The Staff Editorial represents the opinions of The Evergreen staff, not necessarily that of Greenhill School. Similarly, individual columns and letters do not necessar-

ily reflect the opinion of The Evergreen or Greenhill School. The Evergreen does not submit to censorship and believes in the First Amendment rights for student journalists.

Suggestions, critiques, and complaints are welcomed and encouraged. The paper encourages businesses to advertise in The Evergreen but reserves the right to refuse an advertisement. All business inquiries should be directed to Rishi Vas at vasr@greenhill. org.

News the

Security increased on campus cont’d from page 1 Some students are not as convinced that having a gun visible to students on campus is the best step for Greenhill to take in order to maximize campus safety.

“I just think it’s interesting, and a little concerning, that the first thing that came into the administration’s mind was ‘more security? Cops with guns,’” said senior Sloan Touchet.

Both Alex and Sloan acknowledge the delicate balance between keeping the feeling of openness and freedom that Greenhill’s expansive campus provides intact while also ensuring students are safe. This concern is common among students and administration.

“I am not sure where I am as I am not an expert in this area [on the security changes],” said Mr. Griggs. “I want this place safe and secure, the last thing I would want is for someone to be harmed or injured, but it is also different driving [onto campus] and seeing the uniformed, armed officers in the morning.”

Sloan said that while having a guard on campus induces discomfort for him on its own, there is an added layer of worry due to the fact that the officers on duty don’t just stay on the perimeter of campus. For him, seeing guns imbedded in the place where he learns is problematic.

“They walk around a lot on campus, like they’re in the courtyard or they’re in the cafeteria, and I don’t think that having a gun on their hip while they’re walking around campus is okay,” Sloan said.

When Greenhill instituted the security changes, Mr. Griggs sent an email to students and parents explaining what was changing and why. Many students didn’t see this email until after they were met by a guard upon entrance to the school, and were a bit unnerved by the sudden change.

“I wish they didn’t have to bring guns on campus, but if they felt the absolute need to, they should’ve told the students in person,” Sloan said.

Students were also not made aware that the addition of the officers may be just a temporary fix, at least until the school gets recommendations from the security audit.

Mr. Griggs, along with other school leadership, is currently interviewing security firms to perform a security audit on the school. The goal of the audit is to determine the steps Greenhill should take to ensure its safety.

This may or may not include permanently appointing armed police to protect the Greenhill campus.

“We are waiting to hear from [security firms] what would make this the most safe and secure place with our climate and culture,” said

Photo by Jeffrey Harberg

GUARDING THE GATES: As a part of Greenhill’s heightened security plan following the shooting at Majory Stoneman Douglas High School, a policeman now greets incoming cars before school starts every day.

Mr. Griggs.

Mr. Griggs said that given that it isn’t his expertise, he isn’t sure that having an armed officer on campus would be the best way to keep students safe, even if Greenhill’s culture wasn’t so open.

“If you look at all the school shootings an overwhelming majority are committed by people from within the community.

Students, former students, faculty and parents are a great majority of perpetrators,” said Mr. Griggs.

“So, simply put a wire fence

around campus to keep ‘others’ out isn’t necessarily going to stop the perpetrator.”

With that said, Mr. Griggs thinks that improving mental health services at Greenhill is an essential, important option in supporting campus security.

But with the recent slew of school shootings, some students, while comfortable with the previous security at Greenhill, still find comfort in knowing an officer is on hand should a tragedy occur.

“I wouldn’t even say I feel safer now; I also wouldn’t say I ever felt unsafe. I never even really thought about it happening here,” Alex said. “But I think that’s kind of the common thread, is that no one thinks it’s going to happen there, and then they don’t have the worst case scenario covered.”

Additional reporting by Natalie Gonchar

Middle School tests out new furniture Sonali Notani Asst. News Editor

New desks and chairs were moved into fifth and seventh grade classrooms as potential furniture to redesign Middle School classrooms.

The shape and design of these desks were brought to Greenhill to create a friendlier learning environment for the students that encourage interaction and collaboration.

“We are trying to create a more student centric environment with this furniture. The furniture should create an atmosphere to make the students lead the lesson instead of the teacher,” said Middle School Computer Science and Engineering teacher Don Myers.

The father of two Greenhill students, Mr. Gregory Kassanoff, owns the furniture company Paragon that supplied the remodeled classrooms. He donated the furniture to these two classrooms to model how the Middle School could look with his company’s furniture. According to Mr. Myers, Paragon could potentially be where Greenhill buys furniture from for the rest of the Middle School.

“

This building is nearly 25 years old and the style of furniture has not changed, but the style of teaching has.

I believe it’s time for a transformation.”

The shape of the new desks themselves allows them to nest into each other and form a variety of configurations. The surface of the desks are dual-purposed, while they can

Photos by Jeffrey Harberg

A NEW ENVIRONMENT: The desks in the prototype classrooms also serve as white boards.

The Middle School’s goal is to have the desks permanent within the next three years.

be used as normal desks, they are also white boards that can be written on. The wheels on the desks and chairs allow for versatility in the classroom.

“I think it will free up teachers to create

more of a collaborative learning environment, the color really just brings a fresh look to the space,” said Mr. Myers. “Just seeing the students reaction day one of it being delivered and set up in the rooms, they are already re-

ally excited about it.”

According to Head of Middle School Susan Palmer, the new furniture brings a sense of color into the classrooms and creates a more creative environment. Mrs. Palmer would also like to introduce more color by bringing a color wall into each room. She believes a wall of color along with the extensive number of windows in the Middle School will create a welcome and bright feeling in the classrooms.

According to Mr. Myers, the goal of the Middle School is to have new furniture in every classroom in the next one to three years.

Mrs. Palmer and a few other teachers have recently been visiting other schools to see what furniture they are using and if it aligns to the Greenhill teaching style. The teachers and students are currently providing feedback on their opinions of the furniture as well by rotating through the two classrooms. The rotation allows for different teachers to get a feel for teaching in the new atmosphere.

“I think [the furniture] should be brought into every class because it’s more comfortable and helps me focus more,” said seventh grader Finley Spector.

The design of these new desks and the color they add to the room are meant to modernize the Middle School building and give it a more contemporary feel that matches with the new standards of the 21st century.

“This building is nearly 25 years old and the style of furniture has not changed, but the style of teaching has. I believe it’s time for a transformation,” said Mrs. Palmer.

monday, april 9, 2018

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Evergreen

news

Robotics team travels to Japan Alice Zhang Design Editor

The Upper School Robotics team, in addition to a few other people, traveled to Japan over Spring Break to gain new experiences and bond with each other. The group visited many sights, including temples and markets all over the country. The trip included a mix of juniors, seniors and one sophomore.

Upper School Robotics teacher Maria Suarez said that the students have been wanting to go to Japan since the beginning of the school year. Ms. Suarez collaborated with her son, who currently lives in Japan, to arrange travel plans. They visited many areas and different cities, including Tokyo, Osaka, Kyoto and Nara.

“

When you’re in a foreign country, you’re free to talk about your other interests and hobbies and it’s a lot easier to get to know someone.”

The purpose of the trip was to help students on the Robotics team become closer. This is one of the reasons why the team arranged to stay in Airbnbs, different rental homes, throughout the trip. Instead of booking individual hotel rooms, they would have to interact with

each other more often. Ms. Suarez said that she believes staying in a large, open area helped bring the team closer together.

“We stayed in Airbnbs, big homes, instead of hotels to create a more familiar environment.

Since we had to live in a big house together, the group learned to help each other and share,” Ms. Suarez said.

Junior William Shi, who is on the Robotics Team and attended the trip, agreed that the team got closer over the trips. He said that being in an environment that didn’t relate to school allowed his team to bond over other subjects.

“I got to know people a lot better and spend more time with them. Normally, if you’re at school, that’s the go to thing to talk about and you rarely talk about yourself outside of that. But when you’re in a foreign country, you’re free to talk about your other interests and hobbies and it’s a lot easier to get to know someone,” William said.

Although the group did not participate in robotics events during the trip, they visited many areas that had to do with technology. In Tokyo, the group took a tour at the Panasonic center and visited electronic districts. In addition, they also experienced a virtual reality world in Tokyo.

“In Tokyo, we tried to emphasize modern Japan, so we went to visit many electronic

districts. Most of the things we did were technology related. We spent a lot of time in different technological areas, like Sunshine City, Sky Tree and the Panasonic center. We also learned how to use the metro system in Tokyo,” Ms. Suarez said.

Although Tokyo gave the group a more modern experience, Ms. Suarez said that Osaka, Kyoto and Nada highlighted the more traditional aspects of Japan. In these cities, the group toured temples and deer parks, even witnessing a traditional drum festival held in Enoshima.

“We went to Osaka where we visited a couple of temples, one of which has the largest bronze Buddha in the area. In Nara, we were able to visit a deer park, and some of the kids were able to feed the deer. We also visited a traditional Japanese hot spring, which is a must do in Japan,” Ms. Suarez said.

Ms. Suarez said that she thinks the trip was successful in uniting the Robotics Team, and that the group had a great experience.

“I loved it because everyone was taking care of each other. I think this was a very good group and I believe everyone learned to appreciate each other even more,” Ms. Suarez said.

Senior Allie Frymire agreed.

She said that trip was fun, but also educational, and she learned a lot

5

Photos courtesy of Maria Suarez

EXPLORING ABROAD: The Greenhill Robotics team (above) took a trip to Japan over Spring Break. They explored many technological aspects of the country, including Sunshine City- and the Panasonic center.

about the differences in culture around the world.

“The trip definitely taught me a lot about how differently people live their lives across the globe.

Even down to the way people acted on public transportation, the

social culture was totally different in Japan, and it was interesting to immerse myself in that world,” Allie said.

the

Features

FOR THE BOYS: Freshmen crowd around their phones getting ready for a new Fort match.

Jake Middleman Asst. Sports Editor

Ross Rubin Features Editor

15 junior boys huddle around their iPhones in the English pod, planning their next Victory Royale. The strategy is set, squads are assigned and the gaming begins.

During snack break, lunch and fiveminute passing periods between classes, this is the new normal on campus. This is Fortnite.

For the few who might not yet know, Fortnite is a battle royale, last man standing video game that has taken the world, and more specifically the Greenhill community, by storm in recent months.

“Saturday: I wake up, I fort, I eat lunch, I fort more. Then I eat dinner, then I fort some more,” said junior Ford Jackson.

The game begins with 100 animated characters, each controlled by a different player, skydiving onto an island. Each player starts with only one weapon, and the objective of the game is to be the last one standing, which is achieved by collecting enough materials and weapons to attack others and defend yourself. Items that can be collected consist of weapons, like guns and

grenades, and materials like wood, brick, and metal, which can be used to build walls or forts to gain an advantage.

This solo and multiplayer survival game was designed by Epic Games, and has free game modes on almost all consoles and iPhones.

Fortnite is played by men, women and children all around the world. Greenhill is no exception, as students can be found playing almost every hour of every school day.

But instead of confining students to their own screen, the game is bringing the community together and forging unlikely bonds between students of different divisions of the Greenhill community.

In Fortnite, people are brought together when players search for the best squad.

In the game, there is a game mode called ‘squads.’ This is when you play with a group of 3 other members including yourself.

“Sometimes [I’ll play with kids from other grades] because you just want to get with the best squad possible because it’s all about the dub. Sometimes we’ll invite the eighth grade parties [to play],” said senior Mason Marano.

The Middle School gamers will also play with younger kids in order to find the best

squad possible.

“I like the ability to play and connect with friends. I play with kids in the grades below me sometimes too,” said eighth grader Alex Trimmer.

The terminology of squads and duos are also used throughout the Greenhill Fortnite community. Walking the halls one might hear students saying “let’s run squads,” which translates to finding others to play a squad game. These terms might sound foreign to non-players; however, among the Greenhill gamers, these words are part of their everyday vocabulary.

Unlike other pop up trends, neither Mason nor Ford see the game of Fortnite losing popularity anytime soon.

“It’s so big on social media, I don’t see it dying out anytime soon. I think that’s part of what makes it so big is all the hype on social media,” said Mason.

To keep the game current, Fortnite updates every Thursday, which keeps the gamers engaged.

“They update it every Thursday and they’ll bring either new things to the map or new guns, and every other day they bring new outfits,” said Ford.

Fortnite tracks game statistics and

Photo by Rylyn Koger

makes them available to the public, adding a competitive edge to the game. Greenhill students often compare themselves to prominent Fortnite players around the world. A player with the gamertag of ‘Ninja,’ who many Greenhill Fortnite players follow, has killed a total of 38,788 enemies and won over 1830 games. In comparison, junior Jack Shuman has played a total of 1,627 games and has racked up a kill total of 3,365.

The game is friendly and fun for a variety of ages. It is animated and there is no blood, drawing the attention of younger members of the community. Still, the game maintains a competitive aspect that draws in the older gamers.

“Fortnite is different from other games because of the cool things you can do in the game. It is a bonding experience with your friends. It has pulled such a large audience away from games like Call of Duty and Battlefield because of how different and interesting the game is,” said Jack.

In trying to sell the game to any nonplayers, Mason couldn’t quite put it into words how special the game is.

“You just got to get on that grind, it’s Fortnite! That’s all I can say,” said Mason.

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7

Taking center stage

Alum stars in critically acclaimed one man play Abbas Hasan Executive Editor

Selmore Haines III ’76 starred in his first play at just six-years-old. At nine, he directed his first play and acted in it as well.

At 14, he joined the Junior Player’s Guild, the oldest children’s theater in Dallas, and since then, he has pursued his dream of acting. His longer than 30 year acting career has taken him from small church plays to winning a Dallas Theatre Critics Award for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in 2017.

Mr. Haines won this award while working at the Jubilee Theater, a theater that strives to promote African-American voices in Fort Worth. He was a part of a one-man play entitled ‘Thurgood.’ The play covers the life of former Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall, the first AfricanAmerican justice on the Court.

“The play is 45 pages of just me talking.

It was challenging. A lot of the challenge was learning all the lines. As well, there are a lot of characters in the play that he assumes the voice of when he is telling the stories,” said Mr. Haines.

The play sold out in Fort Worth frequently, so this year, a new installation of the play moved to the Bishop Arts Theater in Dallas.

Mr. Haines was pleased with the response to ‘Thurgood’ he received from older audience members.

“Senior adults seem to really enjoy it.

The African-American seniors lived it. They can relate to everything he says. You can hear their responses. They remember these things,” Mr. Haines said.

However, Mr. Haines especially values the impact ‘Thurgood’ has on young AfricanAmericans growing up in the United States.

“For an African-American child, it is unfortunate that so much of AfricanAmerican history is not taught in schools.

So, there is a generation now that is totally unaware of the struggles that generations before them went through to gain the equalities of today,” he said. “It’s the whole concept of not knowing where you come from, so you don’t understand where you are.”

Selmore Haines has a presence in the North Texas theater scene. In an interview with Art+Seek, Raphael Parry, the artistic director at Shakespeare Dallas, noted his unique abilities as an actor.

“When I think about Selmore Haines as a performer there’s always this

After graduating from Austin College in Sherman, Texas, Mr. Haines wanted to continue his acting career, but again was held back by racist views. A director he worked with claimed Mr. Haines was not black enough to get work as an actor. According to this director, people would question his race, and directors would not be open to that.

“I thought, well, there is nothing I can do. I just got fed up, and I was through,” said Mr. Haines.

This remark ultimately ended up stalling his acting career for 30 years. Mr. Haines went into the corporate world, working for JC Penny and SilverLeaf Resorts.

“I just really put that whole dream of mine on the backburner of my life, but I never lost the love and the passion for acting,” Mr. Haines said.

After his department was moved to the Philippines, Mr. Haines decided it was time to go back into the acting world.

“

I loved that production because it was the first time I could say I was an actor. That really felt good. The money wasn’t great, but I was doing it and I loved it.”

Photos courtesy of Selmore Haines III

A MAN OF THE THEATER: Selmore Haines ‘76 with his costars (top), Selmore Haines ‘76 with his fellow actor performing a show on stage (bottom left), and a headshot of Selmore Haines III ‘76 (bottom right).

sense of augustness,” Parry said. “He’s got a presence on stage that’s very simple, refined and elegant.”

Mr. Haines has had some past experience in one-man plays. While at Greenhill, Mr. Haines put on a one-man play entitled ‘Color Me Black’ for his senior project. The play covered the Black experience from slavery up until 1976, when he put on the production.

“It had a lot of appeal. I think the appeal was that this young man was able to do this. Every scene is a different voice and a different character,” he said.

Mr. Haines came up with ‘Color Me Black’ after feeling excluded from Greenhill productions because of his race. When Selmore Haines was a freshman, Greenhill started putting on annual musicals. With every production, Mr. Haines would audition for lead roles and fail to be cast in any.

“I know now that Greenhill was not ready to have an African-American boy opposite a white girl,” he said. “No one would ever say that to me, but I would never get cast in roles. So, I did ‘Color Me Black’ as a way to show Greenhill that I have talent.”

In 2013, Mr. Haines’ first production back was August Wilson’s ‘Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom.’ This play was an important marker in his acting career.

“I loved that production because it was the first time I could say I was an actor. That really felt good. The money wasn’t great, but I was doing it and I loved it,” said Mr. Haines.

Since then, he has been acting, directing and writing his own plays. The process of creating stories for live theater gives Mr. Haines great joy.

“Living is the best way to act or write well. Theater is just splices of life put together.

I have learned to study people. You just see fascinating people in fascinating places,” he said.

Mr. Haines’ acting career has faced challenges and setbacks, but his dedication to his art form has persisted.

“Theater is the only thing in my life that I have been willing to go 200 percent at,” he said.

the

8 features

Evergreen

monday, april 9, 2018

A new generation demands change

Greenhill students share their 'March for our Lives' experiences Leopold von Hanstein

Staff Writer

“It felt like the whole city of Dallas came together to fight for gun control,” said freshman Drewv Desai.

According to NBC 5 DFW, at least 5,000 people came out to the ‘March for our Lives’ in Dallas on March 24.

The atmosphere and spirit was the drive for everyone in Downtown Dallas that Saturday afternoon. After marching, the crowd gathered with all its energy around a stage in front of City Hall to listen to high school and college students advocating for more gun control. Many Greenhill students attended the march and junior Phoebe Metzger-Levitt, who is a researcher on the committee for the March in Dallas, was also on the stage.

“The march was one of the most inspiring and energizing things I have ever experienced,” said junior Kelsey Roberts.

“This movement is going to help make the changes we wish to see in the world.”

Emma González, Cameron Kasky and other survivors of the shooting at Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida initiated the ‘March for our Lives’ movement. According to their Twitter page, the organization was started “to end gun violence and mass shootings in this country.”

The organization ‘Gun Violence Archive’ has already counted more than 50 mass shootings this year in the United States.

Thousands of people marched in Washington, D.C., but the movement has also spread nationally and found big supporters such as Amal and George Clooney and Oprah Winfrey.

“I feel there has been a breaking point,” said Phoebe “We are the newer generation and that is what makes us different.”

A lot of high schoolers from all states came out to protest for more gun control, but this is the first time that a true student led movement for gun control has gained such popularity.

“It was also pretty emotional because my parents came from Cambodia literally dodging bullets for a better life and they shouldn’t have the same fear of my brother and I being shot when going to school,” said junior Elizabeth Nuth.

Dozens of major corporations such as Delta, Walmart and Dick’s Sporting Goods have already broken their ties with the National Rifle Association (NRA) after public pressure increased. Those actions were, for example, cancelling discounted flight rates for NRA members or raising the age to buy a gun to 21.

According to Phoebe, the goal of the movement is to make long-term change.

However, due to the NRA’s ties with President Donald Trump and the White House, it is hard to judge what the outcome of this movement will be.

Nevertheless, the involvement of big corporations has definitely increased pressure on the institutions in Washington.

On the other hand, President Trump knows how important the role of the NRA is in funding campaigns and according to a statement from Kellyanne Conway, his White House counselor, “he understands the overlap between gun owners and those voters who supported him.”

“What I am hoping is, that it is not only going to be a hashtag, but there is actually

something to [this movement],” said Upper school history teacher, Amy Bresie.

Phoebe said she is confident that the movement will have a long-term impact.

The committee is already planning protests against the NRA, whose convention will be held in Dallas on May 5 this year.

“We are using ‘March for our Lives’ as our launching pad,” Phoebe said. “We are using this march to get students involved and more protests organized leading up to May 5 and letting the NRA know that they are not welcomed here and Dallas is not a place for them. We all have one goal: to increase gun control and to stop gun violence in our schools and general communities.”

Photos courtesy of Anaah Abedi and Josh Flowers

A MARCH TO REMEMBER: Greenhill students hold their signs at 'March for Our Lives', where they walked in protest of current gun policies.

A 37 year legacy; fourth grade legend to retire Joseph Weinberg

Editor-In-Chief

Fourth Grade Math teacher Linda White will stop at nothing until she hears her three favorite words: “I get it.”

“When you teach, you have to get to know each child and find out what pathway works the best for them,” Mrs. White said.

“Once you do that, then you get to hear your favorite sound: ‘ohhh, I get it.”

Mrs. White has spent almost four decades at Greenhill, working towards getting those three words out of every student that walks into her classroom.

However, after 37 years of teaching on the hill, Mrs. White is stepping down this May. “You think about people wanting to leave a legacy, well she is certainly someone who is leaving a tremendous legacy; a priceless legacy,” Fourth Grade Humanities teacher Laura Flanagan said, who has worked with Mrs. White for 14 years. “[The fourth grade team] is going to be losing a piece of our heart.”

Mrs. White discovered a passion for educating others early in her life.

At just twelve-years-old, she would help the neighborhood children with their homework after school.

"Parents loved me," Mrs. White said.

When it came time to decide a career, Mrs. White said she had to choose between becoming a veterinarian or a teacher. Given her prior experience tutoring kids on the block with their homework, she decided teaching made the most sense.

Mrs. White hasn’t looked back since.

“I am the luckiest person ever,” she said. “I’ve always been really happy teaching because it’s been a positive experience all

Photo by Josh Flowers

A LEGACY OF LEARNING: Linda White (pictured) is retiring after 37 years of teaching math at Greenhill. Mrs. White plans to continue private tutoring after she retires from Greenhill.

around. People tell me, ‘Mrs. White’ you smile all the time,’ well that’s because there’s always something to smile about.”

Mrs. White said her approach to the classroom has always revolved around engaging students to the point where they are able to believe in themselves and their abilities.

In order to do so, Mrs. White said she has always aimed to create a “fun” classroom atmosphere.

“If I had had a fourth grade math teacher like Mrs. White, I probably would have really enjoyed math,” Mrs. Flanagan said. “Now I get anxiety when I see numbers.”

For example, her students learn the basics of angles through a process called

“angle aerobics” involving hand motions and singing.

And when it came time for fourth graders to study measurements, Mrs. White had her students build robots out of plastic tubes and challenged them to find 12 different ways to measure it.

“I want students to enjoy math because if they see that math is ok and can be fun to do, it changes their perspective,” Mrs. White said, “It makes them more open to learning and they’ve learned that making a mistake is an opportunity, not a negative.”

Mrs. White’s impact has been felt outside of the classroom as well.

Seven years ago, Mrs. White initiated an annual fourth grade service project

called “How Big is Your Heart,” where fourth grade students spend the month of February collecting coins to donate to an organization called “Liberty House” that seeks to support United States veterans suffering from PTSD and substance abuse, according to their website.

The fourth graders also collect toiletries to donate to the organization and have raised hundreds, and sometimes even thousands of dollars using just coins, according to Mrs. White.

“The project is a testament to her philanthropic spirit,” Mrs. Flanagan said. “It truly brings her joy to see other people being happy and successful.”

Although she will no longer teach in the classroom, Mrs. White said she plans to make herself available for one-onone tutoring with Greenhill lower school students and fifth graders.

Still, she would still miss the classroom environment and the ability to work with so many students at once.

“Mrs. White is the best,” said Fourth grader Ruby Garza. “One time Ms. Holmes [Lower school music teacher] was talking about struggling with math and so Mrs. White invited her to come to class and then Ms. Holmes learned so much, like so much.”

Mrs. White has an entire wall in her classroom solely dedicated to her students, both past and present. On that wall rests a picture of each and every single one of her current 86 students; the last full class she’ll ever teach at Greenhill.

“I have a picture of every one of them,” she said, admiring the wall. “I think I’m going to take them home and make a scrapbook.”

the

Special Report

Hidden behind a screen TECH GENERATION: Technology provides kids the platform to post and comment anonymously, making the risk of cyberbulling prominent now more than ever.

Photo by Sudeep Bhargava

What is Greenhill doing to stem the rise of cyberbullying?

Harrison Heymann Staff Writer

Jeffrey Harberg

News Editor

Social media platforms have changed the way we communicate. People can verbally attack and abuse one another without having to defend themselves in person; they have a screen to protect them.

The problem

In the last year, 15 percent of high school students were electronically bullied, according to stopbullying.gov. This number is up from 9 percent in 2012.

“Kids are going to [cyberbully] thinking they won’t get caught and because their friends think it’s funny and they’re going to get a rise out of them,” said Dean of Students Jack Oros. “It’s a way of the generation, it’s what kids do. Cyber bullying has taken the place of physical or emotional bullying because it is easier.”

Senior Austin Manzi, who is openly gay, has personally experienced and seen members of the LGBTQ+ community being cyberbullied through the use of slurs or other insulting terms. Austin is a member of True Colors, Greenhill’s gender and sexuality alliance club.

“To someone who is struggling with their orientation and identity, being called certain names can be a lot more of an insult than it seems,” said Austin. “To people that are not out of the closet and are insecure about their identity, those insults can show them that other people won’t be as accepting of them as they might hope.”

The growth of cyberbullying can partially be attributed to how much easier it is to bully someone over a screen as opposed to in person, Mr. Oros said.

According to sophomore Josh Leffler, the rise of services like Snapchat, Instagram and Sarahah that let users submit content

anonymously or that disappears quickly has given people an easier platform for online harassment.

“I do think these sorts of services have a high potential for danger because of their nature of being sort of secretive and possibly anonymous,” Josh said.

When someone gets cyberbullied, the demoralization felt in the aftermath of the incident can last a while.

“When you talk about the psychological and emotional impact on a person, it is going to be pervasive,” said Ms. Singhvi.

“Especially for an adolescent, you are just in the stage of development where your brain holds on to the negative and feel those experiences much more deeply.”

The victims

Forty percent of Upper School students said they have been cyberbullied in some form or another, according to a poll The Evergreen conducted of 126 upper schoolers.

But upper schoolers are not the only victims of cyberbullying on campus.

According to Lower School Computer Science and Engineering teacher Lauren Marold, cyberbullying by students sometimes starts as early as lower school, in the form of exclusion from big group chats. “[Exclusion] is a big deal when you’re nine-years-old,” said Ms. Marold. “While it is a lower level of the things that happen in Middle and Upper School, it is sort of a starting ground for things getting bad.”

Upper School Director of Instructional Technology Chris Bigenho believes the most damaging aspect of cyberbullying is its permanence.

“Bullying that goes on in person happens in the one moment in time the event happened in. Once it’s been posted online, it’s a digital artifact and it never goes away,” said Dr. Bigenho. “Students record classes with their phones and post pictures of others online without asking permission, and that shouldn’t happen. We need to set

parameters for what this community should accept as a norm.”

Greenhill’s current Acceptable Use Policy (AUP), an agreement all students are required to sign to have technology privileges on campus, states a student “will not… engage in personal attacks, including prejudicial or discriminatory attacks, bullying, or harassment,” and “will not use obscene, profane, lewd, vulgar, rude, inflammatory, threatening, or disrespectful language…in public or private messages.”

This applies to all forms of technology that is already on campus or students bring to campus.

Most of the instances of cyberbullying that administration deals with involve messages that people have their name signed to, according to Mr. Oros.

“The bullying that I see is not anonymous. It’s comments or screenshots that either the victim or peers bring to my attention,” said Mr. Oros. “The biggest issue is when you have posts on a Snapchat story or comments on Instagram where someone puts you down and the rest of the community sees it. The victim knows that everyone else has seen the post, which is humiliating to the victim.”

The school’s response

Sixty-two percent of students surveyed believe cyberbullying is a problem that needs to be addressed at Greenhill in some capacity, according to the same Evergreen poll of 126 upper schoolers.

Head of Upper School Trevor Worcester doesn’t think Greenhill has a significant cyberbullying problem, but he still said the school could do to better educate its students on proper online behavior.

“I think there is an issue in educating students on how to present themselves online,” said Mr. Worcester. “We as a school have not been purposeful enough in giving students the tools to avoid traps, and that is something we could do better at.”

Head of Middle School Susan Palmer said it’s impossible to eliminate cyberbullying completely, but agrees students should be taught how to behave on social media.

“Activities at school or on the weekend will always spill over to online conversations between students,” said Ms. Palmer. “We can’t stop all harmful cyber activity at Greenhill, but we can do our part to educate our students on the best and most ethical courses of action for them to take.”

On the other hand, Ms. Singhvi said the termination of cyberbullying is possible at Greenhill.

“I think it is definitely doable,” said Ms. Singhvi. “There will always be outliers and isolates, but part of it comes from the students wanting to take a stand.”

The counselors and educational technology staff of the Lower School, Middle School and Upper School met earlier this year and formed a group focused on defining digital citizenship across campus.

The group formed because they were all seeing similar troubling patterns within the different divisions, including exclusion of others and online harassment.

According to Ms. Marold, the group is rewriting the school’s AUP, creating Responsible Use Policies for each division that will clearly identify specific guidelines to help students understand what they are responsible for on and off of campus, and embedding curriculum in each grade level that will help students interact in their respective digital spaces Middle School Computer Science and Engineering teacher Don Myers has taken matters into his own hands by teaching a digital citizenship lesson every E and F day for his Exploratory Design classes.

Despite efforts in the Middle School, almost 70 percent of Upper School students surveyed think that administration is not doing enough to combat cyberbullying and its harmful effects.

the

Arts

Photos courtesy of Jenna Krumerman

AWARD-WINNING VIDEOGRAPHER: Junior Jenna Krumerman seen working hard on the designs for her film “The Night I Lost My Favorite Jacket” (Left). Jenna’s work space for her animation (Middle). A glimpse of the character’s jacket in Jenna’s pegboard animation (Right Bottom). Jenna holding the pictures she needed to draw for her award winning film. (Right Top).

“The night I” won South by Southwest Amber Syed Features Editor

This past Thanksgiving break, junior Jenna Krumerman could be seen working away over a light table crouched in the corner of her Boston hotel room, as she drew one of the thousand images required for her Advanced Video Production (AVP) film. Her film, entitled “The Night I Lost My Favorite Jacket,” is a pegboard animation film that won the South by Southwest (SXSW) Texas High School Shorts competition as well as the Oklahoma City University High School Film Jury Award.

According to Jenna, “The Night I Lost My Favorite Jacket,” is a story about a girl relaying her Saturday night to a friend, a night when she lost her favorite jacket and a little piece of herself in the process. SXSW described her film as a “dreamy animation that tells an honest story.”

Jenna’s film took a total of two months and consisted of around 1,000 hand drawn images. Since pegboard animation is a type of stop motion film, it requires a drawing of each second in the film. Jenna said this process was tedious and took over her weekends and time at school. Despite this hard work, Jenna said she enjoys the process of creating pegboard animation.

“I would show up to school, and go to this little costume closet in the MPAC, one that not a lot of people know about. I just got to be with myself, and it was just quiet, and I would just draw for like hours straight. I loved it, it was so fun,” said Jenna.

She also enjoyed having control over the direction of her film, which is unique to animated films.

“I didn’t have to ask for help at all, which I loved. I didn’t have to ask anyone to act, or anyone to boom, which is the sound, like it was all something I could do myself, which is also something I really liked. And you can’t do this in any other style of film,” said Jenna.

Although the process itself was time consuming, Jenna said the hardest part of the process was sharing this very personal story with the world.

“I only intended on showing myself,” said Jenna. “Then that became my class, because AVP is a close enough family, and then that became like my parents, they were asking about it, because it got into an Oklahoma City Film Festival.”

Jenna’s intention was to make her film heartwarming. However, she said many other students gave their own interpretations of her film, which were very different than she intended the film to be.

One friend pointed out the fact that her film had drawings that were very child-like which is a contrast to the dark plot, which resonated with Jenna.

Jenna said her SXSW experience was surreal because she had the opportunity to converse with other filmmakers. “[SXSW] was the best. We were treated like real filmmakers, like adults. It was crazy, I met so many people. I met the woman who won the animation short in the [larger competition]. We talked for the longest time, and it was so cool to talk to someone who [is a professional filmmaker],” said Jenna.

Jenna described her time in Austin, where the festival took place, as a combination of eating and watching movies all day, from 11 am to 3 am. When she was announced as the winner for Texas High School Shorts, she said she was completely surprised.

“I didn’t come up with a speech because I didn’t think I was going to win,” said Jenna.

Jenna has been a part of AVP since her sophomore year, but she has been taking film classes with Upper School Filmmaking & Digital Art Teacher Corbin Doyle since seventh grade. When Mr. Doyle heard Jenna’s pitch for her film idea, he said he trusted her completely to use pegboard

animation, despite the difficulties that come with stop-motion film.

“Whether you’re 60 or you’re 18 you understand what going to high school feels like, and some people reminisce on that and they smile, and some people reminisce on that and they cringe. And I think most of us have a combo of both,” said Mr. Doyle.

Jenna’s film is the fourth film from Greenhill to win SXSW, and is the 45th film to be accepted into SXSW. “I got to see Jenna give interviews after her winning, and it was just that beautiful moment of a culmination three months of non-stop working [on the film],” said Mr. Doyle.

After SXSW, Jenna has received a number of business cards from professional film makers, as well as direct messages on her Instagram from other student filmmakers, asking her to watch their films and give her opinion.

“She and I, we still haven’t even talked about SXSW, because whenever we see each other, we don’t need to say anything…she’s just got a big grin on her face, and that’s all it needs to be right now, because I think she’s still glowing from the whole thing,” said Mr. Doyle.

Op-Ed: Use the MPAC to its full potential Maya Ghosh Views Editor

Standing in the fields west of the Upper School over four years ago, the excitement in the air was tangible. Students donned plastic white sunglasses, “a symbol of the bright future ahead” as they watched the opening of a building that promised so much.

As donors, teachers, and administrative members symbolically broke ground using buckets of dirt and shovels wrapped in large ribbons, every single member in Greenhill’s community could not wait for the opportunities that would lie ahead for the Marshall Family Performing Arts Center (MPAC).

After developing high expectations for this centerfold of the Building Community campaign, the results were underwhelming.

The student body believed that it would be a place to inspire the creativity which

Greenhill fosters in its students, but it has not. So what does the building stand for, if not to be an open, creative space?

In our September issue, The Evergreen staff wrote an editorial that provided a variety of tangible methods which could efficiently integrate the MPAC into the rest of Greenhill’s campus. Seven months after the editorial was written, no changes have been made, and the building continues to stick out like a sore thumb.

Despite the numerous incredible concerts and performances held in Rose Hall and the Haemisegger Family Studio Theater, the MPAC is not being used to its full potential. The building is treated like a museum, the spaces and facilities to be looked at, but not free for experimentation.

Why are we trying to keep this space spotless when it was meant for encouraging creativity? Creativity is supposed to be messy, let’s have space to explore art, music

and theater.

The halls are sparsely lined with student pieces, and these are never on prominent display for Greenhill’s community to see. The wide open spaces and the immense amount of foot traffic in the building create a prime environment for displaying the work which students have spent many hours and a lot effort creating. Although most art displays are held in the old fine arts building, the MPAC provides opportunities for showing students’ work. Why haven’t there been more showcases in the MPAC? The MPAC is a beautiful space in which a multitude of events could be held.

And with so many open spaces, it is perfect for hosting every Greenhill event from luncheons to galas. Although the gala was held at the MPAC last year, why couldn’t the gala “Salute to Scott” have been here as well? That extra money spent on booking the Omni could have gone to the causes which

Photo by Riya Rangdal

THE PERFECT OPPORTUNITY: The MPAC’s wide and open spaces provide a place to hold exhibits and events displaying student art.

the gala benefit.

Like the MPAC or not, it is now a large (both figuratively and literally) part of our campus. So we as a community so spend more time actively attempting to weave it into the fabric of Greenhill.

monday, april 9, 2018

11

the

Evergreen

arts

DINNER & A MOVIE Hayden Jacobs Sports Editor

Jake Middleman Asst. Sports Editor

Although the two of us usually have a very narrow taste in movies (anything without superheroes is usually a no-go), we wanted to try something new. We decided to see Disney’s new movie, “A Wrinkle in Time.”

Based on the award-winning book by Madeleine L’Engle, the movie follows Meg Murry, a 13-year-old girl, on her quest to find her father, Dr. Alex Murry who mysteriously disappeared while studying humanity’s existence. Meg begins her search with her brother, Charles, and her friend, Calvin. The trio meets unique characters, Mrs. Which, Mrs. Whatsit, and Mrs. Who, who help on their quest through distant planets and run-ins with an evil force.

“Meg really reminds me of my middle school self,” said Jake.

“How?” Hayden asked confused.

“Because I was the best space and time traveler in the school,” Jake said with a smirk.

We walked out of the theater feeling good about what we had just seen. The movie was uplifting and had strong, positive messages about how good always triumphs evil.

There was a consistent theme of teamwork throughout the film, and how working with others can be necessary to overcome challenges in the world. Meg, Charles and Calvin knew they could not save Dr. Murry by themselves and expressed how they needed to rely on each other to get him home safely.

The movie also put an emphasis on individuality. Meg struggles to fit in at her school but begins to see her selfworth as her adventure to save her father takes place. She learns about bravery and being courageous as the story progresses.

“Have you ever been on an adventure like that?” Jake said, turning toward Hayden.

“Only once, but I didn’t have to leave Earth to do it,” Hayden replied sarcastically.

The movie’s ending was predictable, but still happy and made everyone in the theater feel content with what they had seen.

“Hayden, if I were ever kidnapped by a mysterious evil force, would you go through all of this to find me?” Jake asked.

“Of course, Jake,” Hayden replied. “How could I leave you alone on a mysterious planet like that?”

While we were walking through the parking lot, we decided that our next would stop be Zoli’s, a New York style pizzeria on Midway, less than a mile from Greenhill. The restaurant was started by the founder of another popular Dallas pizza restaurant, Cane Rosso. Zoli’s recently reopened in Addison after its Bishop Arts location closed in 2016.

While deciding between the large selection of entrees on the menu, we ordered Nuggz, which are described as “oldschool style fried mozzarella, served with marinara for your dipping pleasure.” While we were eating these, our waiter Joe started telling us about how he was a singer. We asked him to prove it so he did. We were both impressed.

“His voice kind of reminds me of my own,” Jake said “I’ve heard you sing, and I have to disagree,” Hayden replied.

Hayden ordered the chicken parmesan sandwich while Jake chose a pizza. Both of our meals were good and outweighed the short wait it took for us to get a table.

We were lucky enough to play along with a running joke in Zoli’s kitchen. Whenever a customer orders a chicken parm, through Joe, the waiter, the kitchen staff tries to give out the largest piece of chicken they can find. This joke was awesome for us because we were super hungry.

“Are you gonna finish that?” Jake asked.

“Can’t, I’m too full,” Hayden replied.

“Full is just a state of mind,” Jake said while working on his sixth slice of pizza.

Graphic by Kaethe Thomas

the

Sports

Junior breaks school pole vault record Radhe Melwani

Online Executive Editor

Riya Rangdal Arts Editor

Junior Jacob Thomas (JT) Herrscher started his Track and Field season with a record-breaking pole vault height of 16 feet in the Greenhill Relays in March. He has since broken the record again, with a height of 16 feet and 2 inches at the Texas Relays on March 31.

JT was not only the first high school student in the U.S. to go over 16 feet for this spring season, he also broke the Greenhill school record for pole vaulting, which was previously 15 feet and three inches and set

by Travis Stull in 2009.

“It’s just incredible to see someone, a Greenhill athlete, achieve a feat that was as high of a height as he did,” said Upper School Track and Field Coach Stacey Johnson. “In my time here I wasn’t sure we were going to ever see a 16 foot pole vaulter. I think he is going to go even higher before the year is over hopefully.”

JT came to Greenhill his sophomore year, and said his goal is to jump 17 feet this season.

“Breaking the school record was a really cool moment and it was really awesome to get my name up on the wall,” said JT. “Since I got to Greenhill, I’ve known what the record was and breaking it was definitely a goal of mine, but the school record isn’t really my biggest goal. I just want to continue to get better.”

While 16 feet is JT’s outdoor season record, he obtained a height of 16 feet and three inches during the indoor pole-vaulting season. JT practices pole-vaulting with his club Texas Express year-round with the exception of August.

He said his goal this upcoming summer

is to qualify for the National Track Meet at the Junior Olympics, which is hosted by USA Track and Field (USATF). He would like to place among the top competitors in the meet.

Although JT plays football in the fall and participates in other track and field events including decathlons, racing and hurdles for Greenhill, pole vaulting is his main sport.

“My favorite aspect of pole vaulting is that it’s very unique. It’s a whole different feeling that you don’t get from any other sport. It’s just like falling; you free fall every time you do it,” JT said.

According to JT, he also likes that pole vaulting is a technical sport where kids can excel with hard work, practice and technique.

Coach Johnson said that JT is validation that hard work and practice leads to success.

“JT is really diligent about his work ethic and the time and work he has put in that has gotten him to the level that he is.

He is an extremely hardworking guy and he gets everything he can out of his ability,” said Coach Johnson. “He is a testament that kids can be really good at something, but also really contribute to the school and multiple teams as well.”

In the future, JT is hoping to pole vault at a Division I college.

Sophomore Eden Schachter is pole vaulting for her second year. She, along with other younger pole vaulters, look up to JT as a leader.

“I think that he is very motivational and he always helps out and gives people pointers [on pole vaulting]. He is definitely an amazing pole vaulter and he has really trained very hard to get where he is,” said Eden.

Photo courtesy of JT Herrscher

HIGHFLYING: Junior JT Herrscher clears the bar during a meet at Greenhill before freefalling 16 feet. He hopes to clear seventeen feet at a meet before the end of the season.

The logic behind the letters Should managers recieve varsity letters?

Zoe Allen Executive Editor It is the first Sunday following the conclusion of the spring sports season. First time letter winners are awarded, and the prestigious All-North Zone and All SPC medals are handed out to some of Greenhill’s most talented athletes.

It is a special awards ceremony for many seniors—finally, after four years of two to three trimesters of Greenhill sports, they will receive their blankets in honor of the time and dedication they put into the Greenhill athletics program. One senior receives their blanket, commemorating their time with the program, despite never having played a single game.

“It goes without saying that every team needs a manager,” Athletic Director Chad Wabrek said. “It’s not a want, it’s a need.”

Upper School students have the option to manage a Greenhill team as a sports credit. Some managers take on the role simply to get the sports credit, some do it to be part of the team, but do not have the time to play, and others choose to do it because they are passionate about managing. Managing is seen as a flexible option for receiving the required sports credit. Overall, coaches have the ultimate discretion on whether a letter is rewarded. Often, if enough effort and time is put in, a varsity letter is earned.

“Because [people are managing for different reasons], the athletic department wants to make the standards clearer on what it takes to be a certain kind of manager,” said Mr. Wabrek.

Mr. Wabrek said that he wanted to make the expectations for managers more clear on four different fronts: what it takes to manage for a sports credit, what it takes to manage for a varsity letter, what managers deserve their blankets and how many managers there should be per team.

“Each team requires a different number of managers,”

Photo by Hayden Jacobs

PIN IT UP: Greenhill athletes receive a letter G upon recieving their first varsity letter and a pin for every additional letter they acquire. Students can earn up to 12 letters.

said Mr. Wabrek. “For example, tennis does not need as many as girls’ lacrosse.”

Mr. Wabrek also said that there is a department wide push to film every varsity sports game, which determines the number of managers needed per team.

“There can be managers who just come to film,” said Mr. Wabrek. “In that case, they would be managing for a [sports] credit.”

Julianna Arata ’17 managed eight different varsity sports and one junior varsity team. She received ten athletic credits over her four years in Upper School, including one for her freshman year role as a JV softball center fielder.

Over Julianna’s time as a student, she managed varsity field

hockey, varsity boys basketball and varsity and JV softball.

“I received eight varsity letters for managing,” Julianna said. “It made my sister a little jealous, as she played on seven varsity sports teams [at Greenhill] and did not receive a varsity blanket like I did.”

Some of Julianna’s duties included statistic keeping, set up and tear down of practices, filming and being what she called “the team mom”—a title reflective of her compassion for the team, which was often manifested in bringing baked goods on game days.

To earn a blanket at the spring athletics ceremony, seniors must have accumulated at least eight varsity letters over their four years in Upper School.

“If a manager [does their job correctly], there is no doubt in my mind that they deserve the blanket,” said Mr. Wabrek. “Julianna is a great example of what a varsity letter winning manager looks like.”

Junior Julia Graham manages varsity baseball and believes that a good manager deserves to be given a sports credit and a varsity letter.

“For baseball, we actually do a lot. At home games, we are in charge of walk up music, taking statistics and running the scoreboard,” said Julia. “Of course, it’s not as much commitment as actually playing the sport, but if a manager does their job right, I think they deserve to be awarded for it.”

Mr. Wabrek said that he is looking to standardize the roles of managers and the guidelines for managing in the future.

“Every manager should go above and beyond out of their own volition. They should be involved in practices and in active conversations with coaches about how they can improve,” said Juliana.

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Evergreen

A Shorthanded Squad Varsity softball starts the season with 10 players Photo by Hayden Jacobs

PUT ME IN, COACH: Sophmore Jordan Thompson stands as the lone substitute in the dugout. With 9 players on the field at all times, every player on the team usually has to play the whole game. Softball teams typically contain 13-15 people.

Caroline Simpson

Backpage Editor

On the Varsity Softball Fields, the opposing dugout has multiple hands leaned against the fence, multiple voices cheering their team on, and multiple bodies ready to go in the game in case of injury. On the other side of the dirt field, the Greenhill dugout has one pair of hands leaned against the fence, one voice cheering their team on, and one body ready to go in the game in case of injury.

The 2017-2018 Varsity softball team consists of just ten people. There are three seniors, two juniors, four sophomores, and one freshman. Nine people are needed on the softball field, this leaves Greenhill just one substitute on the bench.

Softball teams typically contain 13-15 people, leaving at least four people on the bench to substitute in when

necessary. On a team of 10, everyone is playing most of the game with minimal time for breaks.

Despite this shortage of players, the softball team has been successful in their games thus far with a 4-1 record overall and a 1-0 record in counters.

Head Coach Monica Stephens believes the team can beat their longtime rival Fort Worth Country Day (FWCD).

This would be her first win over FWCD since she began coaching at Greenhill.

“This is the most talented and confident team I have had in all my years at Greenhill,” Coach Stephens said.

Coach Stephens said she would rather have a small team of girls whose hearts are completely in it over a large team where they aren’t.

The team’s senior captain Hailey Wetherill agrees that there are benefits to a small team.

“Since there are only ten of us, we are an extremely close

monday, april 9, 2018 team. In my four years of high school I have never been this close to a team, it’s a really great way to finish off.” Hailey said.

When Coach Stephens began coaching at Greenhill, the softball program had 36 players. This number quickly declined to 18 after Coach Stephens made the expectations of her players, which were very different from the previous coach, stricter.

Since then, the typical number for the varsity team has been 13, and 5 more players on junior varsity.

“I like having at least 18 people to get those kids that don’t get to get in the game as much playing in game situations with [junior varsity],” Coach Stephens said.

Ten players is not enough to field a junior varsity team because everyone has to play on varsity.

Despite this, Coach Stephens doesn’t take a different approach to coaching this smaller team.

“My expectations are still the same, the accountability for each other as player to coach is the same. I don’t tweak or change the way I coach, and the girls know that.” Coach Stephens said.

Coach Stephens is aware that if a few injuries occur, her team could be playing a man down.

“I can just control the controllable.” Coach Stephens said. She said she will continue to push the girls to get better and work their hardest.

Coach Stephens suspects that the decline in softball players is due to the lacrosse boom that she said is sweeping the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. Along with that, softball plays during the third trimester, a time when she believes students would rather take it easy.

“Softball is a tough sport, you really have to put in time to get better and you kind of have to be familiar with it before you play. It isn’t a decision a student makes on a whim.,” Coach Stephens said.

When a student is on edge about whether they want to play, Coach Stephens will have her captains reach out or she herself will reach out to try to convince that student to stick with it.

Senior Lili Stern will be travelling to Israel for two weeks on April 9, leaving the team with nine players. Coach Stephens has prepared for this period by recruiting two former players, juniors Ashley Isenberg and Jade Currington, to step up and help if needed during that time, and if sickness or injury occurred at any point in the season.

Coach Stephens told the two girls that she couldn’t predict when she would need them, but they agreed to step up whenever it was necessary.

“I would never want a Greenhill team to not have the chance to compete due to a lack of numbers when I have the availability to contribute,” Ashley said.

An ultimate teacher

Math teacher stands out in Dallas ultimate frisbee community Raag Venkat Staff Writer

Most days, Upper School Math teacher and Department Chair Melissa Battis is in the math pod teaching students geometry and calculus or running math department meetings. When she’s not doing these things, she can be found on the ultimate frisbee field.

Ms. Battis has always had a passion for the sport of ultimate frisbee. Attending a college in Minnesota, she joked that there were “more disks than people.”

“I got the opportunity to play for a second, more skilled, intramural team for my college and this is definitely what sparked my love for ultimate,” said Ms. Battis. “I remember going out for the team intimidated by all the older players, but then being immediately welcomed and feeling like I could have an impact on the team and the sport that I was falling in love with.”

Ms. Battis continued with the sport after college by playing on various recreational leagues immediately after her move to the Dallas area including a mixed-gender team named “The Flying Dutchman,” and a women’s team.

She has also managed other teams by helping with scheduling and keeping stats during games including a men’s team named “Plex.”

In 2011, Ms. Battis started advancing her Ultimate Frisbee by joining the Dallas Ultimate Association organization and by 2014, she was president of the board.

In her position, she was tasked with running various leagues by grouping teams from the same area around Dallas, and organizing recreational tournaments around the city.

In 2015, Ms. Battis began working with a professional ultimate team, “The Dallas Roughnecks.” She currently serves as the Director of Communications for the club.

Photos courtesy of Melissa Battis

GO LONG: Ms. Battis playing defense and winding up for a pass in one of the the local leagues that she plays in. She also runs leagues and tournaments as a part of her job as a board member of the Dallas Ultimate Association.

Ms. Battis has heavily been involved in Ultimate Frisbee, but has also been involved in statistics from a very young age. She has been able to incorporate her math skills into her love for the sport by keeping statistics for the ultimate teams she has worked with in the Dallas area.

“I was in eighth grade waiting for my brother’s varsity basketball practice to be done when I first got into stats,” she said. “Taking statistics gives me the opportunity to be involved and actively engaged on the sidelines. I am always fascinated by just looking at numbers on a piece of paper after a game and being able to see each player’s impact or the team’s strategies.”

Ms. Battis has stuck with Ultimate Frisbee for a long time, and says that her view of the essence of the game has

had huge impacts on her lifestyle.

“Ultimate has had a huge impact on my life because of the combination of two things: One, it is self-officiated, and two, there is a focus on the overall spirit of the game,” she said. “It’s a sport that teaches you about conflict resolution, honesty and integrity.”

She said that the experience with teamwork and friendship on the field has made her passion for ultimate grow stronger over the years because teamwork is key to success.

“In ultimate, you can’t score just by yourself, and this makes it one of the most team oriented sports. The strong friendships and teamwork have kept me playing ultimate,” she said.

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Evergreen

monday, april 9, 2018

Young tennis team looks to rebound after loss of key players Hayden Jacobs Sports Editor After winning five consecutive Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC) championships, varsity boys tennis is working to continue their recent success despite losing four seniors from last year, three of which who went on to NCAA Division I and Division III tennis programs.

Last year’s team added on to a long chain of success for boys tennis. They continued the program’s more than six-year streak of not losing a counter match and had three players ranked in the top 150 in the nation, for their age. Junior Max Motlagh is the only one of the three returning to the team this year.

“We have a lot of freshman this year.

Coach [Scott Cotton] seems to really be working with everyone on the team, developing the underclassmen to try to get their strokes up,” said senior Colton Bobbitt, who typically plays in doubles matches.

Max Mendelsohn and Nate Eazor are two of last year’s seniors who contributed significantly to the team’s last SPC Championship. They competed as Greenhill’s first and second line singles players, respectively. Max now plays at Pepperdine University in California while Nate plays at Middlebury College in Vermont. The team also lost Jack Goodwin, one of last year’s top doubles players who now plays at Millsaps College in Mississippi.

For each match, the team can play their top seven players. Four of last year’s top seven players were seniors, with only Max Motlagh, Rishi Vas and Vivek Denkanikotte returning for this year.

The team’s roster is significantly younger this year than it has been in the past. With only two seniors playing on the team, an unusually low number for boys tennis, as well as nine underclassmen, the team has less experience than they have had in past seasons.

Max Motlagh said that developing the younger player is necessary if the team wants to continue their past success.

“We’re going to lose even more of our top players [after this season] and it’s the freshman and sophomores of this year’s team that are going to be carrying the team in the coming years,” said Max. Coach Cotton said this year’s road to an SPC Championship will be different than past seasons. He feels the need to change some parts of practices this year to work specifically on skills that the younger players do not have as much experience with.

“We’re doing a lot of doubles drills and point simulations [in practice] this season because these [younger players] haven’t played doubles as much as singles,” said Coach Cotton. “Most of our younger guys are probably going to end up playing doubles so they need those reps in practice.”

Coach Cotton’s focus on improving everybody’s skills isn’t going unnoticed.

Colton appreciates this and believes it will help the program.

“Coach Cotton is working on improving everyone’s ability and skill,” Colton said.

“I think it benefits the team as a whole, improving everyone’s style and working together instead of just focusing on the [best players].”

Sophomore Vinay Vas said that the younger group of players have been able to

Photos courtesy of Joe Monaco

CAUSING A RACQUET: (left) Carter Truitt, (right) Jordan Wartell and (bottom) Ben Blumenfeld playing doubles matches during a practice at Greenhill before a match.

develop stronger team chemistry than there was last season.

“The seniors last year had lots of talent but they wouldn’t always show up to practices because they had coaches outside of school so they helped our team win matches but they didn’t help our team chemistry,” said Vinay.

The players are confident that their ability to come together as a team will

benefit them this season.

“Because we have good chemistry now, I feel like it will help us out. Even though the talent isn’t there, we have the chemistry to compete in [the SPC tournament]” said Vinay.

As of press time, the team is 1-2 and 0-1 in SPC Counter matches. They will play six more matches before the start of the SPC tournament in May.

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monday, april 9, 2018

Backseat to the future

The decals on my car tell other drivers a lot about me. The Greenhill Basketball sticker tells them my school and my favorite pastime. The Don’t Forget Darfur sticker and the peace sign magnet inform them of my passion for social justice and deep desire for world peace. The Dartmouth College sticker shares my educational future, and the Berkshires sticker divulges my favorite place on earth and my summer home.

Evergreen

Each of these aspects of my life are deeply personal and integral to how I have grown up over the last 18 years. And yet, I put just one of these five decorations on my car. I did not inherit my mom’s car, purchased in 2010, until 2016. In 2010, I was neither a Greenhill student nor a fighter for social justice, and I certainly didn’t know where I would go to college.

The Greenhill Basketball and Don’t Forget Darfur stickers, in addition to the peace sign magnet, were tacked on at the time we purchased the car. My mom, who has dedicated much of her adult life to social justice, posted the magnet and the Darfur sticker as daily reminders to keep fighting for those who can’t fight for themselves.

My older brother, a junior at Greenhill at the time, had just made the varsity basketball team. Having never played

My favorite card game

Although I’ve lived in Texas my entire life, my home reminds me of any in Pakistan.

Spices fill the cabinets, the smell of chai fills the kitchen and we always have family in the house. We speak such a mix of Urdu and English that now my dog has even become bilingual.

Also, like many families in Pakistan, my grandmother has lived with us for longer than I can remember. Growing up, I was always surprised to hear that friends had

grandparents who lived across the street or across the U.S. I thought grandkids were supposed to grow up with their grandparents. Although it has taken me 18 years, I now realize how fortunate I am to have had my grandmother just across the hall from me.

As my sister and I grew up in the U.S., it was hard to learn about our culture and faith. Every day at school, we lost more of our Pakistani language and culture. So, my grandmother stepped in. Each day she sat me down to play Rummy, her favorite card game. At first, I struggled, lost, struggled some more and continued to lose. But, I kept at it and learned to love Rummy.

After school, I would not start working on homework until my grandmother and I had played a few rounds. And over the years, I caught up to her level.

During our heated games, my grandmother and I would talk. She was

The lab days are over

There are many epiphanies, those singular revelations that drive an understanding that something is of greater magnitude than what is originally recognized. But as groundbreaking as that sounds, there was no defining moment when The Evergreen became a part of me. Maybe it was the chaos of the late-night layouts, or the panic-induced bonding that occurred once a month or so when we frantically scrambled to fix whatever story or graphic fell through,

but somehow, the Evergreen Room morphed into my second home.

The staff thinks the Evergreen Room is a fantasy world in itself, and they’re right– it’s some sort of magic bubble where journalism spirit comes alive. An infinite dimension of the printed word lies inside, and with it comes the wondrous nuances of The Evergreen staff life that I have come to cherish. Our discussions, ranging diversely from plans for layout week dress up days to why Dwight Schrute is undoubtedly the best character in ‘The Office’ might seem pointless, but the conversational magic that brews within the Evergreen Room has the power to unite an embodiment of athletes, thespians, debaters and musicians through our love for writing, our eye for designing and our loyalty to the monthly newspaper.

Over the years, I have grown the most as an Evergreener– as an interviewer, writer and person. I have heard some of the

senior columns

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varsity sports themselves, my parents were overjoyed and plastered the sticker on the windshield before I could say “swish.” The Dartmouth sticker came a year later, when my brother enrolled as a freshman at my dad’s alma mater.

My future has been literally driving me since I was eleven years old, and I didn’t even know it. As a significantly more agile prepubescent me dreamt of being a varsity basketball star, the indication of my unremarkable career to come laid on the top right corner of the car’s back windshield.

As my naïve fifth grade self witnessed my brother’s college search process and wondered where I would end up in what seemed like an eternity, I had no idea that I saw the answer to that ever-looming question every day when I walked behind my mom’s car. And just as my mom hoped, the

peace sign and Darfur sticker did, indeed, remind me to keep a heart for those less fortunate than I. As I deliberated my future as a student, an athlete, and a constructive member of society, the blueprint for several years of my life hid in plain sight.

While I consider it a funny coincidence that my back windshield mapped out a considerable chunk of my childhood, I hope that at the present moment, the next eight years of my life are nowhere to be found. I am entering uncharted territory, and I think that having the chance to experience and explore on my own will guide me towards a future that is unpredictable right now. I am eternally grateful to my family for helping to shape and promote my interests, but as I leave home in the fall, I hope I depart for a journey that leaves me open to discovery of new passions, hobbies, places and people.

always eager to ask about my day or school.

I would tell her about my classes and what I had for lunch. My grandmother enthusiastically listened to me talk for hours.

Her responses were always a combination of Urdu and English. I learned to adapt quickly, shifting nimbly between both worlds.

Additionally, she made sure I knew about my heritage. She taught me the values of my faith and culture: compassion, family, education and drive.

To be Muslim in the United States is not without its challenges. The post-9/11 views of Islam are ever present in my day-to-day life. I often field questions: why do you keep blowing sh*t up? Don’t you hate women? All because of my faith. I find myself having to constantly defend my culture and religion so others around me are more comfortable.

After the 2015 Paris Terrorist Attack, I was getting questions like the ones above. I remember playing cards with my

grandmother and asking her why these attacks kept happening. I told her I didn’t want to go to school on Monday.

“It’s good to ask questions. That means you care. So, what are you going to do about it?” she replied.

I thought about that response that night. I realized what I needed to do. So, I wrote a column for our news site about my perspective as a peace-loving MuslimAmerican. I wanted people to read my view instead of being inundated with the words “Radical Islamic Terrorist.”

I realize now that our games of Rummy were much more than just games. During our matches, my grandmother taught me to be confident in myself and my heritage. In a time when Islam and Pakistan seem to only get bad press, she reminded me of the beauty of where I come from. Today, it is her lessons that have made me a confident and a proud Pakistani-American writer and activist.

most enlightening stories during this time.

Through these discussions, I’ve discovered the beauty and pain in each individual’s story. I heard terror in the voice of Afnan, a 21-year-old Syrian refugee who immigrated to Dallas, when she described the daily airstrikes that attacked her city. I heard triumph in the voice of Allie Frymire, when she gushed about finally solving a math problem that took one month. Through the album reviews, I’ve indulged in debates between artists and music producers about Kanye and Ariana Grande. On page four, fashionistas have covered the chic styles through op-eds on street wear and pleated skirts. As a writer, I’m given the privilege to communicate transcendental moments through the ink of newsprint. As a person, I’m given the chance to share in the lives of the people I speak with, to believe and sympathize in their stories.

Within the confines of this enchanted

place, I’ve transformed from the timid girl that crept into the journalism room sophomore year to the editor that waltzes in and hopes others will one day find comfort in the Evergreen Room. The room that once protected me now takes on a larger role: it gives me the confidence to ask a controversial question, to push back without being intrusive. And through this growth, I’ve recognized that a part of journalism is getting people to open up about their feelings to have uncomfortable discussions because I know in my heart that it will elevate the story I tell. The Evergreen Room makes me stronger– it instills a compelling sense of conviction in my work.

Even when I walk out the door of the Evergreen Room for the last time this May, I’ll look back upon the lounge to see the faint glow of the Christmas lights ignited by the spirit of journalism.

It will always be home.

Reflections from a childhood pirate reject

I was the best pirate that never was.

I climbed the swing set with a balance of grace and dexterity no other three-year-old could boast. With my skull and crossbones hat and plastic sword in tow, I was on top of the world.

I came across some other fellow pirates on the swing set who seemed to be planning

some sort of top-secret operation. Intrigued, I ventured over to my comrades, hoping to assist in the planning of said mission, or at the very least to get a briefing As I tried to maneuver my way into the planning circle, the captain (six-year-old sister of my friend) confronted me.

“You can’t play with us,” she said. “You’re not a pirate.”

Who knew my world could be turned upside down in a matter of moments.

I’ll never forget the feeling of being stranded on that swing set - alone.

The feeling of having no one to play with.The feeling of being unwelcome by others. The feeling of exclusion.

That feeling of isolation from over 14 years ago still haunts me. The mere sight of a pirate hat or Johnny Depp’s voice takes me

back to that dreadful day on the swing set.

As I reflect on this incident, I realize that the exclusion I felt that day is one others experience on a daily basis and on a much larger scale. By no means am I comparing my being denied the title of a pirate to someone who faces true oppression and prejudice for simply being who they are.

The truth is, I’ll never know what it’s like to feel that way, but I can do my best to empathize. Empathy serves as my entrance point to this foreign concept of exclusion.

I can’t help but look at our campus and feel we have a problem. I hear the crude jokes, the insensitive comments, the racial/ homophobic slurs and worry about the campus we are becoming: a campus were such language is tolerated, a campus devoid of empathy for the plight of others.

My silence is part of the problem. I wonder how many times have I made people feel excluded the way I did that afternoon.

I try to speak out when I can, but I’d be lying if I said I always do. After all, it’s easier to say nothing than speak out. Why empathize when I’m not the one directly affected?

Perhaps the first step towards solving this problem is finding our pirate moment – channeling the time we felt most alone and rejected - and thinking more critically about how it felt to be told we simply couldn’t be who we wanted because someone else said so.

If we can’t find it within ourselves to empathize with those who feel excluded, our community stands no chance of limiting these “pirate moments” - the moments that leave us feeling most weak and vulnerable.

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16 backpage

Evergreen

monday, april 9, 2018

March Madness may have ended, but ­­ the love of Greenhill snacks is timeless. To fill the emptiness in your hearts and your brackets, The Evergreen decided to bring back the snack food bracket, originally created in 2015. Your favorite snacks battle it out each round in hopes of winning the Greenhill Snack Champion o -tw title. You voted. You waited. Wait no longer, here are the results. y t r Thi s ’ a y een t n x i o T ’s S Cookies Brownie Brittle

an m u h

S

Cookies

Ate e t i El Cookies

Beef Jerky

Oreo Thin Crisps

ur o F od

Cheez-Its

Oreo Thin Crisps

Mini Bagels

Fo

eet w S i- l Semmifina Cookies Se

Cheez-Its

Annie’s Organic Bunnies

Animal Crackers Mini Bagels Mini Bagels

Fruit Snacks

Ramen

Fruit Snacks Fruit Snacks

Ramen Lunchables

Chex Mix

Cookies Fruit Snacks

Dibs Dibs

Cheese Sticks

Dibs Gum

The Buzz Region

Muffins

Grapes

The Snack Bar Region

Cookies

Veggie Straws

Chips

Veggie Straws

Chips Yogurt Pretzels Cookie Dough

Chips Cookie Dough

Apple Slices

Veggie Straws

Baked Cheetos

Chips

Carrots and Ranch Baked Cheetos

Pistachios Balanced Break

Cheese Sticks

Baked Cheetos

Pistachios Baked Cheetos

Goldfish Luna Bars

Carrots and Ranch Sunflower Seeds Baked Cheetos Apple Sauce Gogurt

Gogurt

Goldfish Goldfish

Cookies vs. Brownie Brittle

Baked Cheetos vs.

Gogurts

This was the biggest landslide of the tournament, 92 percent in favor of cookies, but was unexpected by most. Brownie Brittle has been in high demand since it debuted in the Buzz. During Middle School days, Brownie Brittle was a high end delicacy to share with friends. Cookies, which have gone through a rebranding in the last year, have a competitive edge. Although the new cookie only comes in a package of one, their crunchy outside and gooey inside, resulted in a Tonya’s Thirty-Two blowout.

These two snacks couldn’t be more different. One with a cheesy crunch, the other a yogurt for busy students on the run. Many had Gogurts proceeding to the Elite Ate, due to its simple and classic appeal, along with the nostalgia that they bring. But the Cheetos stepped up to the plate and won over 57 percent of the vote. The close match ended with gogurts being squeezed out of the Elite Ate.

Chips vs. Goldfish This matchup was the closest one yet.

Just 51 percent voted for chips sending it onto the next round. The chips at the Buzz come in a variety of flavors, ranging from Salt & Vinegar to BBQ. On the other hand, Goldfish are a classic Greenhill snack, appealing to the pickiest of eaters. The difficult choice was visible throughout the polls, but at the end of the day chips pulled through to the Semi-Sweet Semifinal matchup.

Nutri Grain Bars

Cheetos vs. Cookies Here it is. The final matchup. The never faltering buzz cookies fresh out of the oven, and the Munch Madness cinderella story Baked Cheetos. The favored cookies dominated the plate and came out on top with a decisive 83 percent win. Many fans did not expect Baked Cheetos to even be on the plate since their last competition was Welch’s Fruit Snacks, so their presence in the Food Four was a victory in itself.