December 2021 | The Evergreen, Greenhill School

Evergreen

December 15, 2021 Volume 57, Issue 3

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Everything Greenhill

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Photo Illustration by Jothi Gupta and Khushi Chhaya

Balance

(Taylor’s Version)

Mental Health

As schedules conflict, students find themselves forced to choose between fine arts and athletics, p. 10

The inspiring symbolism of Taylor Swift rerecording her Red album energizes Swifties and casual listeners alike, p. 13

Greenhill student-athletes view sports as a valuable social experience and an escape from the stressors of rigorous academics, p. 15

Informing Greenhill since 1966

4141 Spring Valley Road, Addison, TX 75001

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News

Mock Government Team Back in Action Gabi Appel, Anisa Walji

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reenhill’s Youth and Government team has resumed in-person competition after a year of remote activities resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.

In its return to the in-person format on Nov. 13, the team’s judicial branch received first place for its second case presentation.

The Upper School Youth and Government club allows students to model governmental processes in multiple branches of government. Students who choose to participate in the legislative branch write bills and then debate those bills in congressional style, where members create bills debated by the legislature. There is a trial court team that is given cases that need to be compared from both the defensive and prosecution sides.

The club meets during Community Time, although as competitions get closer, the members initiate their own practices.

A Youth and Government competition generally has events spread out through one day, or a weekend.

Junior Shreeya Madhavanur, who has participated in Youth and Government since her freshman year, says she is happy to be back to in-person competitions. This year, Madhavanur is the captain of the legislative branch of Youth and Government.

“I am just excited to show up with our whole team and be there to support each other,” Madhavanur said.

Upper School Modern and Classical Languages Department Chair Laura Hudec,

the team’s faculty sponsor, says she hopes students are able to familiarize themselves with governmental processes through the program.

“The most important part is sharing everyone’s takeaways in the governmental processes,” Hudec said. “Sharing our thoughts and talking about where we are right then and there is probably the most important thing of all.”

The best part about sponsoring the Youth and Government team is watching the students’ governmental passions grow, Hudec said.

“Politics seem abhorrent to most people, [but] to have students realize that they too can make a difference is very important,” Hudec said.

Youth and Government team members recently met during lunch to set up their statements to defend their bills, working together to make sure they were prepared for events.

“Youth and Government is a program where we focus on building confidence, speaking ability and just the ability to be persuasive,” Madhavanur said. “It entails a willingness to improve and a willingness to work with a team to improve your own speaking capabilities and your desire to win.”

The Nov. 13 competition was the YMCA Texas Youth and Government District Convention.

Sophomore Khadija Hussain, who was a witness on the defense side at the convention, says she had a very positive first experience and enjoyed getting to work with her team.

“It was really fun getting to spend the day with my team and meet other teams as well,” Hussain said. “I think we did really well, and it reminded me why I really love mock trials.”

Despite being nervous going in, Hussain says she learned a lot and feels that she will be more prepared to go into future meets.

Hussain says that winning their second case was her favorite part of the event.

“Right after we won our second case, a member of the opposing team came up to me and just told me that I did a really good job,” Hussain said. “We all did great, and it just made all of us really happy.”

This Week !"#$%& The Nutcracker, performed by the Kindergarten class

!'()$%&*!+,-.!/0 Photo courtesy of Shreeya Madhavanur

YOUNG LEADERS: Politically-oriented students attend the district convention.

Robotics: New Season, New Faces Jothi Gupta

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fter more than a year without competing, the robotics team recently made its season debut with more than 14 new members, greater female representation and high hopes for the season.

“Last year was kind of a dead year for us,” Robotics Faculty Adviser Maria Suarez said.

“On top of that, we didn’t have everybody.

We had two or three building [the robot] and the rest virtually connecting.”

Team members participated in virtual competitions, but the opportunities to form connections with other teams, show off their robot in real time and bond within the team were missing.

“Being back to some in-person competitions fosters a greater community,” said senior Kaden Nathani, co-captain of Team Motorhead. “It creates a much greater family.”

The other Team Motorhead co-captain is senior Xander Fermier, while Team Viridian’s captain is senior Varun Sureka. The head designer for all teams is Christopher Dycus. The newest team, CodeRed, is mainly made up of new freshmen, sophomore and junior members.

In the qualifier competition on Nov. 13, the three teams were honored five times by judges: CodeRed won the Design Award; Viridian won the Control Award and third place for the Inspire Award; and Motorhead earned second place for the Innovation Award and Think Award.

The competition awards cover several areas: STEM outreach, design, success in robot game and general creativity of the robot.

The top three teams at the qualifier competition move on to regionals, while the fourth and fifth place winners move on to super-regionals. Viridian placed fourth because of its success in the Inspire Award and will compete in super-regionals in the end of February in the hopes of qualifying

for the regional competition.

Motorhead, Viridian and CodeRed will compete at another qualifier in Arkansas, the closest competitive robotics region to North Texas, in the hopes of moving on to the regional competition there.

Teams often split into different roles but collectively create a journal to display work to the judges.

“When the builders may be finishing up building the robot, they start working on the journal, and the programmers get the robot and start programming it,” Nathani said.

“The builders then work on the robot again to fix everything that had just broken.”

With a new season comes new faces, and a year after online competitions, there have been more new faces than usual.

There are more people, more teams, more freshmen, and for the first time in a while, more women. The new team, CodeRed, is mostly made up of women.

Suarez says the last time she had this many women was 2014, the first year of the program.

For the Hornets

The large percentage of women excites many on the team.

“Being confident and knowing what you’re interested in is valid,” said senior Jasmine Najari, a CodeRed team member.

The increase in female representation in the Science Department faculty this year excites Suarez for the future of STEM at Greenhill.

“I’m happy we finally have women in the science building, which is awesome and should have happened 10 years ago,” Suarez said.

Suarez hopes the addition of the CodeRed team will also help advance the program further for this year’s freshmen and future members. Since the team is made up of fairly new members, being combined on a team means they have to work together to solve problems and learn.

“I like to build things and be involved in all things having to do with STEM,” said junior and member of CodeRed Emily Kim. The seniors on the team have high hopes for how the season will progress.

Early dismissal for Winter Break, which lasts until Jan. 4 Holiday Singalong with Orchestra, Choir, Band and Dance Company performances

This Month ! +,-.!12 Christmas Eve

+,-.!13 Christmas

+,-.!14 First day of Kwanzaa

+,-.!5/ New Year’s Eve

6%7.!/ New Year’s Day

6%7.!5 Professional Development Day

6%7.!2 First day of Second Semester

6%7.!/2 12th grade parent coffee Hornet Night for winter sports

6%7.!/0 Martin Luther King Jr. Day

6%7.!12 Middle School Conferences

6%7.!13 Parent’s Association Forum: Social Technology with Shanti Majefski ’95

Photo by Ravi Vasan

BUSY AT WORK: The robotics team recently made its season debut at their first inperson competition in more than a year. The team has about 14 new members.

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

Evergreen Ever the

News

A Second Winter with COVID-19

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The Greenhill Community Emerges from Two Years of an Epic Pandemic Saara Bidiwala

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ecember marks two years since COVID-19 emerged in Wuhan, China. Three months later, in March 2020, schools started shutting down, and virtual learning began.

Today, Greenhill is in a very different place. Classes are now in person, and many events and traditions have returned to the Hill. On Nov. 30, right after Thanksgiving break, Greenhill’s mask mandate was removed for grade 9-12 students in strictly Upper School buildings.

In an email sent to families on Nov. 12, Head of School Lee Hark announced that the school would transition to a “masks-encouraged” policy for fully vaccinated students. He cited the “improving situation with COVID locally” as the impetus for the decision, as well as the recent COVID-19 vaccine authorization for younger children and the availability of the booster shot. In the Upper School, based on numbers from Dec. 6, vaccination rates are in the 90% range.

“Students who are not vaccinated will be expected to continue to wear a mask,” Hark said in the email. “We will closely monitor COVID-19 cases in the Upper School, and if needed, we may return to requiring masks for Upper School.”

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I think that demonstrating empathy and highlighting actual personal anecdotes of how the vaccine has helped you personally [is important]. We should come into these discussions not with, ‘You must get a vaccine,’ but rather, ‘This is why I got the vaccine, and let me share my story with you.”

that he’s vaccinated, he can actually go out and interact with other kids. Now he can go places because I think my family is more comfortable knowing that he’s vaccinated.”

Head of Lower School Michael Simpson says the new vaccine authorization brings hope to the division, partly because it means masks will no longer be a requirement for fully vaccinated students in the division on Jan. 18.

“There’s so much nonverbal communication that happens in the classroom,” Simpson said. “Teachers, with a look or a smile or whatever on their face, can communicate to a child encouragement or correction or whatever it is. It’s also easier to read children’s faces when you can see more than a third of it. The masks are hard, so we’re looking forward to not having the masks.”

Booster Shots Since September, COVID-19 booster shots have been administered to adults across the country. Although most students are not yet eligible, over 100 members of the teaching faculty have gotten their booster shot.

“It was super convenient to get it here, so I was happy that the school provided that clinic and I never questioned whether I would get it or not,” said Upper School Teacher Stephanie Almanza. “It felt like just the next step. I took the vaccine because I myself am immunocompromised. I feel more comfortable having other people come into my space whether they are vaccinated or not knowing that I am safer because I have the vaccine. The more immunity we have, the more comfortable I feel.”

Junior Ahmed Agha’s parents are healthcare workers, so they’ve treated COVID-19 patients. For his family, getting the booster shot is a big relief because it’s another

The decision aligns with several private schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, such as Parish Episcopal School and the Episcopal School of Dallas, which have already implemented similar policies.

“We really worked hard to stay in partnership with our local peer schools,” Hark said. “I think doing so is smart because our peer schools are full of really smart, good people thinking hard about the same problems that we are. We share information, pitch ideas and let each other know when we are making those kinds of decisions. We have families with kids in different schools simultaneously, so it makes sense for us to understand what other schools are doing and incorporate that into our thinking.”

Hark added, “It [also] certainly helped me feel comfortable about the decision.”

Hark says Greenhill is relying on students to honor the school’s policies and expectations, and to make the right choice to mask or not depending on their vaccination status, especially amid the recent emergence of the omicron variant in the United States.

Vaccine Authorization Lower School and Middle School will also transition to a “masks-encouraged” policy but only on Jan. 18 as the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine was authorized on Oct. 29 for age 5-11 students.

In many ways, the vaccine authorization is a gamechanger for divisions and families with younger students.

Previously, Greenhill has been very deliberate in making sure that there is minimal cross-campus interaction among lower divisions and Upper School because many younger kids were not eligible to be vaccinated. Now that Lower and Middle School students are eligible to be vaccinated, many people’s concerns are alleviated.

Vaccine Hesitancy The success of this new masking policy is contingent on people getting vaccinated when they’re eligible and unvaccinated people wearing masks. Now, the omicron variant is raising concerns among scientists and leaders worldwide, so more people are urging unvaccinated people to get immunized. Despite this, many people’s concerns about the safety of the vaccine and political opinions are keeping them from getting vaccinated.

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We’re pretty happy about it to be honest, especially because a lot more people are just getting tired of this whole pandemic and there’s a growing urge to want to see more people, despite the dangers being the same or even more in places where there’s the delta variant.”

“A lot of hesitancy that we see from people, especially in communities of color, comes because of things that have happened in the past, the way the government has tested and the way that vaccines have been rolled out and distributed, so it’s a politically charged situation for a reason,” Almanza said. “I always do tell people that I understand that they might be hesitant but that I got the vaccine because of my own personal reasons.”

The school is encouraging eligible individuals to get vaccinated and has held several clinics to administer COVID-19 vaccines and booster shots.

Simpson has witnessed both sides of the spectrum in his division. He said that, as soon as the vaccine was authorized for younger kids in October, many parents picked their kids up early to go get their shot, and some parents told him they were not going to get their kids vaccinated for some time.

Ultimately, Almanza believes that having compassion during this challenging time is crucial to combatting vaccine hesitancy and ending this pandemic.

“I think that demonstrating empathy and highlighting actual personal anecdotes of how the vaccine has helped you personally [is important],” Almanza said.

“We should come into these discussions not with, ‘You must get a vaccine,’ but rather, ‘This is why I got the vaccine, and let me share my story with you.’”

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A lot of hesitancy that we see from people, especially in communities of color, comes because of things that have happened in the past, the way the government has tested and the way that vaccines have been rolled out and distributed, so it’s a politically charged situation for a reason.”

Freshman Claire Brophy has a younger brother in Lower School. He has an autoimmune deficiency, so her family was very excited when he was able to get vaccinated.

“We were worried that if he got it, it would be harder on him than it would the rest of us, so we always tried to socially distance and wear masks and all that just so he didn’t get it,” Brophy said. “He’s looking forward to playing with his neighborhood friends that he couldn’t play with before. Now

layer of protection for the younger members of his family and his grandparents.

“We’re pretty happy about it to be honest, especially because a lot more people are just getting tired of this whole pandemic and there’s a growing urge to want to see more people, despite the dangers being the same or even more in places where there’s the delta variant,” he said.

Graphic by Emma Nguyen

Evergreen Ever the

4 News

Clubs Have Proliferated.

Can Greenhill Accommodate?

Emma Nguyen

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pper School clubs have existed for years at Greenhill, but students now have over 40 to choose from. There are so many that each Community Time block has at least 17 clubs meeting at the same time.

“It’s an opportunity for leadership: to run a club, to come up with a plan for the club meeting, to think about what they wouldn’t do, what the club’s mission is,” said Upper School Dean of Students Jack Oros.

To start a club, students must get a faculty sponsor who agrees with the purpose of the club. Students then must talk to Oros about what plans are involved, what the target audience of the club is and what supplies they require.

“You get to meet people, you get to be a part of something,” Oros said. “And I think those relationships are good, especially when it’s younger kids and the older leadership, because younger kids get a chance to get to know the older kids.”

Senior Emily Ding, who is the leader of Med Club, shares that sentiment.

“With the club fair, mass emails and designated club times, I think Greenhill encourages students, especially underclassmen, to participate,” she said.

For her club, activities range from service projects to discussions to guest speakers. When it comes to planning, though, Ding says she hadn’t anticipated the smaller responsibilities that come with running a club.

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You get to meet people , you get to be a part of something. And I think those relationships are good, especially when it’s younger kids and the older leadership, because younger kids get a chane to get to know the older kids.”

“Something as little as finding a new room or asking people to join or coming up with original ideas takes time, and these smaller things add up,” Ding said.

Junior Kevin Han, one of the leaders of Math Club, agrees. The leadership aspect doesn’t just mean speaking about that activity; it also includes setting up and managing logistics.

“Being a leader means working behind the scenes, like managing putting everyone into one list, contacting people and sending out clear emails,” Han said.

In Math Club, Han and his co-leader, junior Nikitha Thoduguli, try to include more activities than just working on math problems, such as competing in math competitions and covering topics that aren’t covered in class. The club is also the only one at Greenhill that offers a grade bump for students; combined, these factors result in a high attendance

rate.

“There are some clubs where they talk about their shared interests, and that’s good enough for a lot of people,” Han said.

But the activities Math Club offers are integral to its function, Han says.

Compared to other schools where clubs are mostly led by faculty, the opportunity for student leadership makes going to clubs more accessible, according to Finn Bigby, who attends Political Action Club and Tri-M Club, a club focused on sharing and playing music.

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With the club fair, mass emails and designated club times, I think Greenhill encourages students, especially underclassmen, to participate.”

“I think they have so far been a lot of fun,” Bigby said.

“I usually go to find people that are interested in a thing and just get to explore that thing.”

But others think the way clubs function could improve.

“Some people do it just to start a club and to have it on their resume as well,” said senior Prisha Gupta, who runs Creative Writing Club. “Or they’ll start a club and then they’ll never meet. That’s always kind of frustrating for the students that really do care about those interests.”

Gupta says set time periods for clubs to meet both help and hurt. The dedicated time allows for her to concretely plan for activities, which includes collaborative writing or preparing writing prompts. At the same time, the number of clubs meeting at the same time means conflicts between interests.

“It just feels like there’s unnecessary competition between the clubs to try to get members to come to your clubs,” Gupta said. “It just results in low membership and a low turnout, especially because Community Time is one of the only times people can do homework.”

While many do go to clubs, some, like sophomore Nate Rutledge, use the block for work or other activities.

“Sometimes I prefer just talking to my friends during the time,” Rutledge said. “I can do my own stuff or study or do homework. There’s really no incentive [to go to clubs].”

Frequent emails and unclear meeting times, which result from club leaders canceling or saying they aren’t meeting during that time period, also dissuade students from attending.

“I think some people overestimate how much other people would be interested in it,” Rutledge said.

Oros says that if a club caters to student interest and allows for students to bond across grades, he’s fine with it.

“As long as the club leadership continues, meets on a regular basis and has activities to do, I’m fine with as many clubs as we have,” Oros said.

Omicron Spreads Globally The new COVID-19 variant, omicron, was first detected in South Africa on Nov. 24. The World Health Organization announced on Dec. 1 that 23 other countries also have identified cases of omicron.

Scientists are still investigating, but currently the omicron variant seems more contagious than the delta variant ravaging the United States, possibly because it shares genetic code with a common cold form of the coronavirus. In fact, scientists are hypothesizing that the variant has been circulating for far longer than previously thought. The first U. S. case was detected in California in a fully vaccinated individual. Based on the early data, however, it appears to be less dangerous than the other variants. Everywhere in the world, scientists are waiting for additional data to help people protect themselves.

Biden Boycotts Beijing President Biden announced on Dec. 6 that the United States will be protesting the 2022 Winter Olympics held in Beijing, China, by not sending an official delegation. The purpose is to send a statement against China’s “ongoing genocide and crimes against humanity in Xinjiang” against the Uyghur Muslims, according to White House press secretary Jen Psaki.

Although athletes will still be allowed to participate in the games for both the Olympics and Paralympics, American officials will not be attending the games and “contributing to the fanfare.” Receiving bipartisan support in Congress, the administration also informed overseas allies of their decision in the hopes of receiving backing.

The decision follows the Women’s Tennis Association’s decision to stop all tournaments in China and Hong Kong due to the recent censorship of tennis star Peng Shuai by Chinese officials. Shuai came forward about a sexual assault allegation against a high-ranking official of the Communist Party and dissapeared for 18 days. Peng’s current well-being remains unclear.

Putin Meets Biden in a Summit President Biden and Russian President Vladimir Putin on Dec. 7 met on a video call to discuss Russian troops in Ukraine. Russia has 175,000 troops on the border of Ukraine, increasing tensions and raising chances of an invasion. Biden said that he is willing to impose additional economic sanctions if Russia does not back away from Ukraine, but military intervention is “not on the table.”

Ukraine, as a NATO partner, is not guaranteed the collective defense of NATO allies for protection against Russia. In fact, NATO allies are against it, because provoking Russia is a risky move, according to the NATO secretary-general.

Putin asserted that NATO’s defense of Ukraine would be seen as a threat to Russian national security.

Such a move would provoke a Russian response, Putin warned.

Photo by Stephanie Rojas

COLLABORATION: Math Club meetings allow students to explore their passion for math and connect with fellow students. Attendees can attain points to be eligible for a quantum bump on a math test within the semester.

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Cam Kettles

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he Democratic Party has 221 seats in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Republicans have 213. Democrats control 50 seats and have a vice president presiding over the Senate, while Republicans control 50 seats as well. And in case anyone’s forgotten, Democrats control the White House. That is a bare eight-seat lead in the House and no lead in the Senate without Vice President Kamala Harris.

With 2022 midterm elections

less than a year away, Democrats are almost certainly going to lose the Senate and probably the House as well, not just because midterm elections usually favor the opposing party, but also because the Democratic Party has both under-promised and under-delivered.

Biden was supposed to be a return to normalcy, not a leap forward on any issue. Yet somehow, even without promising radical change on anything, the administration has painted itself as the victim of gridlock, despite controlling all three branches of government.

If the Democrats don’t change their strategy and their messaging, they’re going to lose the White House in 2024 as well.

According to a Nov. 14 ABC News/ Washington Post poll, 51% of registered voters would have supported a Republican in their congressional district if the election had been held the following day. Only 41% would have supported a Democrat.

Republicans haven’t had this much of a lead in this poll since November 1981.

Biden’s approval rating, in the low 40s as of Dec. 6, is also worrying for just having passed a trillion-dollar infrastructure bill he had been pushing for months. Since August, more Americans have disapproved than approved of his administration, and that has remained true even as news outlets have focused less on what happened in Afghanistan.

But while Biden has at least two years

to reframe his administration, Democratic members of Congress will be forced to choose soon whether to stay loyal to the president and hope for the best or go out on a limb and hope the party still funds their campaign.

Midterm elections are almost always the equivalent of referendums on the president in power. According to the Washington Post, Barack Obama and other presidents with similarly low approval ratings at this point in their term lost dozens of seats in the house in their midterms. With such a narrow majority right now, the party can’t lose dozens of seats and keep control.

Mostly, COVID-19 and economic decline are the root of Biden’s low approval and Democrats’ grim midterm outlook.

In July, Biden basically declared COVID-19 defeated and told people that they could return to their lives as normal. Then the delta variant happened. Now omicron is spreading.

Since his supposed victory, he has taken a damagingly passive approach to ending the pandemic. Unlike most other developed countries, he has not made a concerted effort to reach the unvaccinated or develop at-home testing. Worse, Biden muddled messaging on booster shots for months before finally saying everyone should get them in November, even though scientists knew in the summer that vaccines would become less effective over time.

While the economy has fared much better under Biden than Trump, most Americans still feel a sense of anxiety, especially because supply chain issues and high prices more directly affect people more than positive but abstract assessments.

Even though supply chain issues are mostly not Biden’s fault, voters will still blame his administration and punish his party as a result.

What’s strange is that Biden can brag about quite a bit when it comes to economic improvement. Unemployment is low, GDP growth is high and infrastructure investments will extend those benefits into the rest of his term. If he doesn’t start selling these successes to moderates on both sides, he won’t see another four years.

Early voting starts in September 2022.

The Democratic strategy must shift now to have any hope of keeping control of Congress and then later, the presidency. If the Democrats don’t act soon, it’s reasonable to assume Trump can go back to eating hamburgers in Air Force One.

3#4.'1$3&/"#'$/"&,$5#40,6$/"#$7.8(9# Payton Blalock

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he past two years have redefined the word unprecedented for America, and problems within law enforcement and violent crime have certainly not been exceptions.

Last year, the national murder rate rose by nearly 30%, and that annual rate continues to climb to new heights in 2021.

The debate over a police reform course of action has caused nothing short of complete chaos. The issue has caused a great amount of division and political polarity throughout America.

The passionate opinions that this topic exposes make a great amount of sense, as law enforcement officers play such a prominent role in society and this issue involves human lives. Whether liberal or conservative, I think we can agree that police brutality is an issue that must be urgently addressed in order to unite our nation in its time of division.

But beyond that point, there are significant fundamental differences in how each person believes America should undertake the issue at hand.

The way I see it, police are necessary figures in our communities. That is not to say that the current system is not flawed or that reforms are not needed. It simply means that I think more problems would be created than solved by defunding or abolishing police forces.

Although redirecting taxpayer dollars to safer, more inviting alternatives to police is a good idea in theory, it would not be sustainable in the real world because people would be less fearful of the police and more inclined to break the law.

The overwhelming increase in homicides nationwide directly relates to this idea.

The aggravated assault rate has risen 12%, further proving society’s yearning for wellmotivated police officers.

One of the most noteworthy reasons for the violence last year was police patrolling some of the largest protests in American history without the time or staff to give as much attention to other streets and locations.

Even though the summer of 2020 is in the past, officers are less enlivened and motivated to respond to calls due to political pressure or the current public reputation of their job.

Attention to police violence has also

greatly delegitimized police in the eyes of the public, which has most likely led to fewer crimes being reported and more people taking justice into their own hands.

The federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has recorded the highest increase in homicide rates in modern history for the year of 2020, and violent crime is on the uptick even now. Black Americans represented more than half of 2020’s homicide victims, disproportionate to the percentage of the population they make up.

Overall, the murder of George Floyd about a year and a half ago was a beyondhorrible thing, and it shed light on and brought attention to this type of issue on a national level. People were understandably quick to anger and eager for change, and I find that to be a beautiful thing about America.

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The way I see it, police are necessary figures in our communities.

That is not to say that the current system is not flawed or that reforms are not needed. "

But ultimately, defunding the police is not the type of change that we need to see, and the complete breakdown and reconstruction of law and order in the U.S would probably result in more chaos than peace, not to mention time and money.

Change can be created in the form of more extensive training and discipline for police

officers, along with making police policies in different counties accessible to the public and welcoming to public input.

Our law enforcement system is far from perfect, but it has the potential to change. Its full participation and support is needed in our country to keep our violent crime rates down and our communities safe.

Opinion: Resolving The Sports–Fine Arts Dilemma Aaron Timmons

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rts. Academics. Athletics.

These core components of Greenhill School, and its diverse community of learners, allow students to explore divergent interests and passions.

The question becomes: if activities from these different core groups come into conflict, what direction should the school take in providing guidance to all stakeholders that is consistent, transparent and equitable.

It is my position that Greenhill School should develop a policy stating that students may compete in sports and other extra/cocurricular activities if the schedules conflict, in addition to developing clear guidelines as to how that sharing of students is conducted in practice.

I have been told “other schools” do not allow this. My retort is simple: they are not Greenhill. Our extra and co-curricular programs are among the best in the country.

It has been suggested that sharing of students should be done on a “case-by-case” basis and that “choice is a part of life.” While choice is a part of life, we should strive to minimize forced choices, especially for our

younger students in Upper School who are still exploring their interests.

A case-by-case approach, which leaves decisions to the adults, has a few disadvantages: First: The overbearing coach/sponsor/ teacher will just say no to a student indicating they must choose between activities. Students are then put in the middle of navigating the issue with an adult, where there is a clear power differential, regarding how they should spend their time.

Second: There is a racialized implication to a forced choice. Students of color, especially Black students, have been historically pushed to do athletics over more academic activities over the years.

Third: There is a gendered implication to a forced choice. Young women should be encouraged to exercise physical as well as intellectual strength. The unintended consequence is magnified if we are talking about the intersectional notion of gender and race for young women.

To be clear, most adult coaches/ sponsors/teachers have been amazing and have shared students informally for years. I speak to this as a parent of a former student-

athlete who won a national championship in an arts event and set a school record in a team sport event that happened within an hour of each other.

To be clear, I love sports. I love debate.

I also love to win. My position is not antisports; it is pro-student.

My concern is that several intersecting and new variables exist relating to Upper School students (a block schedule, semesters as opposed to trimesters, a new Foundations of Lifetime Fitness course that is required of students, required HPC for students in addition to afternoon practices for many sports teams) that are putting pressure on our students in a way not seen at this level before.

My position is clear: students first.

Adults should develop a policy which keeps students out of the middle.

Historically, the practice at Greenhill was that there were no significant issues with balancing after-school practices and late-afternoon classes for first and secondyear students in Upper School. Once a student reached their junior and senior year, competing at the highest levels in their respective activities, choices might have to be made. However, if preseason, season

and post season training in sports impedes a student’s ability to have an experience in another activity, our students will miss activities (many unique to Greenhill) that could be transformative for their lives.

Head of Athletics and Physical Education Jarrett Shine stated in a previous Evergreen article, “It’s up to us as adults to make sure we’re working together to create harmony in what they’re doing between different activities.”

A policy and framework that allows flexibility between conflicting activities best serves our students and promotes the harmony our students deserve.

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6

Features

From the Hill to Hollywood

Alumni Lauren Moon ’10 Builds on Daytime Emmy Award Ava Iwasko

F

rom a young age, Lauren Moon ’10 always knew she wanted to be a writer. Now, her writing on the Netflix holiday special “Dash & Lily” has won her a Daytime Emmy Award.

Moon started at Greenhill in kindergarten at four years old. Some of the most formative lessons that have led to Moon’s success are from Greenhill, she said.

“Learning how to lean into the weird, be honest and really understand different points of view and images has shaped me immeasurably into the writer I am today,” Moon said.

“Dash & Lily” Emmy Win Earlier this year, the writing team of “Dash & Lily,” including Moon, won an Emmy for Outstanding Writing Team for a Daytime Fiction Program. The story follows two teenagers in New York City during the Christmas season as they take turns writing dares for each other in a red journal, all while unaware of the other’s identity.

Moon believes the reason they were able to win the award was because she was able to work with people genuinely interested in Dash and Lily’s story, including her fellow writers, Carol Barbee, Harry Tarre, Rachel Cohn and showrunner Joe Tracz.

Working on “Dash & Lily” was the first time Moon, an executive story editor, was given the agency over the direction of her episode and was allowed to really create her own vision for the story.

“I got to say the things that mattered to me in particular, and then we built the story around that,” Moon said. “We did in every episode. I think that was why it feels really real and why there is so much heart.”

In October 2021, Netflix announced that it would not be continuing the show. While the first season of “Dash & Lily” is still available on Netflix, Moon is disappointed it will not get a second season.

“My heart breaks that we did not get a season two because of how real it felt to me in the room and how that made it onto the screen, and I personally wish there was more of that on TV,” Moon said. “There’s so much on TV that is so honest, but I think something that was that heartfelt felt really special.”

Besides giving audiences a warm, lighthearted holiday special to watch, Moon says “Dash & Lily” also provided an important example of Asian representation in the character of Lily, who is Japanese American.

“It never felt like I was fighting to make sure Lily was not misrepresented,” Moon said. “It feels really productive, and it feels like I get to, by proxy, have conversations through a character, through a story. What could be better?”

Moon now has several projects underway. She is working on a Disney+ film and a romantic comedy set in Dallas about two Asian American sisters. Moon is also working on Marvel’s “Silk,” a show that will focus on Korean American Cindy Moon, who gets Spiderman-esque superpowers.

On the Hill A quietly engaged and thoughtful observer, Moon was a “star student,” said Upper School English teacher Andy Mercurio, who taught Moon in English 9 and 10.

Moon says Mercurio taught her about the importance of honesty in writing.

“I think at that age, it could be a little scary in a group setting amongst your peers to fully be honest about what you thought about this book or how you related to this book,” Moon said. “I think he taught me how to be brave in terms of relating to texts or relating to narrative, which is very important in screenwriting.”

Upper School visual art teacher Frank Lopez also had a profound impact on Moon as an artist.

Moon was in Lopez’s photography classes for all four years of high school, earning numerous awards throughout her time in the program. Moon says Photography with Lopez taught her about perspective.

“He taught us how to look at the world in strange ways and in ways that aren’t totally direct,” Moon said. “I think that observation quality is so important in writing. It’s so important to be able to have different points of view.”

Moon’s work in photography at Greenhill is still evident in the department today, Lopez said. “[She] was one of the students who helped to transform the program into what it has become,” he said. “I still have a couple of images [of hers] that I share with current students

Photo courtesy of Lauren Moon

WRITING HER WAY TO THE TOP: Lauren Moon ’10 and the team she worked with for Netflix’s Dash & Lily won Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Writing Team. Moon has several projects in the works to release in the future. aspect of television and film, especially considering the as a reminder of what can be done with a pinhole camera.”

She says the Greenhill community helped her feel discrimination the Asian American community has faced due to the COVID-19 pandemic. comfortable with who she is.

“I think it allows for a certain sort of empathy and “In my experience, Greenhill is really good at making you value your own self and value how you’re unique,” Moon humanization of people, which, unfortunately, I can’t believe said. “I truly felt like there wasn’t a standard at Greenhill and we’re still at that point,” Moon said. “When you look at this past year for the Asian American community, conjecture that they encouraged you to be who you were.” is that people are able to do these things because they dehumanize and ‘other’ and separate a certain community from them.”

Moon sees the importance of proper queer After graduating from Greenhill in 2010, Moon went to representation in a similar light, something that she was able Pomona College and graduated in 2014. She then attended to explore when she worked as a writer on season three of the University of Southern California and earned a Master Netflix’s “Atypical.” Moon feels the challenges queer people face are specific to their community. of Fine Arts in 2017.

“I truly feel like [queer issues] are something where you either get it or you don’t,” Moon said. “You can’t really put yourself in those shoes. I think a lot of queer stories that have In my experience, Greenhill is really good at been privileged in the past are, ‘What is the pain? What is the making you value your own self and value how struggle? What is the torment?’ On ‘Atypical,’ I think what you’re unique. I truly felt like there wasn’t a standard was fun was we were adding dimensionality. We got to be at Greenhill and that they encouraged you to be dancing in that playground. Exploring queer joy.” who you were.”

She encourages aspiring Greenhill student filmmakers and writers to follow their dreams.

“The opportunities are out there,” Moon said. “They’re While she did enjoy some aspects of her time at USC, waiting for [you]. Dream big, and don’t feel contained Moon says it had its challenges. She often found a disconnect because of circumstance. It’s possible, and there are people between the characters she wrote and what those professors out there who want to help and who want to learn alongside you as partners and peers.” believed the industry is looking for.

“They would read it and, with genuinely good intentions, be like, ‘Look, Lauren, if you don’t change your character’s name from Hannah Chung to Hannah Williams, I’m going I truly feel like [queer issues] are something to have to give you an F,’” Moon said. “‘I’m here to teach you where you either get it or you don’t. You can’t really what sells. I can’t let you graduate [from] my class without put yourself in those shoes. I think a lot of queer learning this lesson because I’ve been in this industry for a stories that have been privileged in the past are, long time, and this is not going to sell.’”

‘What is the pain? What is the struggle? What is the Although there are those people that will try to put torment?’ On ‘Atypical,’ I think what was fun was we writers down, she says the television and film industry has were adding dimensionality. We got to be dancing changed drastically since she was young. in that playground. Exploring queer joy.”

“I think a lot of my peers say, ‘We came into a great landscape,’ one that wasn’t like this before,” Moon said. “A lot Moon advises all Greenhill students to embrace what of older Asian writers tell me, ‘It wasn’t like this for me. I’m finally getting my moment now,’ and they’ve been around for makes them different.

“The weirder you are, the better,” Moon said. “Lean in. a long time. I feel very lucky to know what I came into.”

Despite all the progress that has already been made, Greenhill is already pretty weird, but I think, especially as everyone gets older, you just need to see that that is actually Moon thinks more is on the way.

“The agenda is being pushed forward, in some ways who you are, and I think that’s what makes you distinct as a genuinely, in some ways disingenuously,” she said. “I think creative person and a creator because everyone is looking for you can feel the good ones, and I think, unfortunately, like unique [points of view], unique worldviews, unique ways, any giant capitalist industry, there are going to be obstacles. and that’s being weird.”

Take your wins, pick your battles, try to keep going and lift !"#$% &'(")'% *#+(% ,--).% /01"'(+2")3% ')-0'"(14% "0% "5(6% all ships.”

Moon believes proper representation is an important 6"0'78

Importance of Representation

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Wednesday, December 15, 2021

Evergreen Ever the

Hard Choices on Holidays

Sophia Li

F

rom putting up Christmas lights to lighting Diwali diyas, Greenhill students celebrate a wide variety of holidays. While each holiday holds its own cultural or religious significance, Greenhill administrators emphasize the inclusion of all celebrations.

Director of Equity and Inclusion Marcus Ingram says he is committed to embracing diversity and addressing the range of holidays celebrated across the Greenhill campus.

“We always want to be supportive of our students and what their interests are,” Ingram said. “More likely than not, there’s some student or family here that celebrates a certain holiday.”

Efforts at Inclusion The process of celebrating holidays on campus begins with student initiatives within affinity groups. Then, Ingram says, space is created for further discussions at the administrative level.

“When some other Hindu friends and I wanted to celebrate Diwali here, it started with discussions and brainstorming in our affinity group,” said sophomore Krish Mysoor, the Hindu Student Association co-president. “Then, we coordinated with higher-ups to bring our vision to life.”

Students say they appreciate existing avenues that allow them to share holidays with the broader community.

“I feel like it’s relatively easy for any group to request a time to present on a holiday at Community Time,” said senior Katherine Li, the East Asian Affinity Group vice president. “We’re always able to work with administrators to set up decorations and have special lunches.”

Although Upper School students take the reins on event planning, students across grade levels participate in celebrations.

“In Preschool and Lower School, we introduced students to what Diwali actually is,” Ingram said. “What this does is lay a foundation of understanding, which begins

with trying to educate even the youngest of students.”

Given the importance of holidays, Greenhill faculty members such as Upper School science teacher Hennah Abubaker try to treat holiday-related absences with understanding. In addition to her faculty role, Abubaker is a member of the school’s Equity Leadership Development Group recently founded by Paul Gorski, founder and lead equity specialist at the Virginiabased Equity Literacy Institute.

“When kids are off [because of holidays], I’m happy to extend deadlines and make accommodations,” Abubaker said. “It’s important to them, so it’s important to me.”

While expressing appreciation for the school’s conscious efforts to be inclusive, students and faculty members say there are inconsistencies with the amount of attention Greenhill gives to certain holidays.

“For Jewish holidays, students often get days off of school, whereas Hindu holidays like Diwali are treated with less importance,” said Mysoor. “I think that Greenhill has a similar number of Hindu and Jewish students, so there should be more consistent treatment for all groups here.”

Upper School science teacher Sonia Chin says that these inconsistencies are not a Greenhill-specific issue.

“I think this is a reflection of the culture we live in,” Chin said. “Some cultural practices are favored in terms of what gets recognized, which alienates minority groups that have very important cultural practices but then are not recognized.”

Mysoor notes that having school on holidays prevents students from fully participating in celebrations.

“It’s very difficult because, on one hand, I want to celebrate my cultural holiday, but on the other hand, it is really inconvenient to just miss out on an entire day of school,” Mysoor said. “People are put in this awkward double bind, and they have to make a tough decision.”

Others say Greenhill sometimes overlooks certain holidays when scheduling school events. Last year, for example, Greenhill scheduled the Middle School science building pack-up on the eve of Eid

and a Middle School math final on Eid day.

Ingram says that promoting holidays from an institutional level may actually do more harm than good.

“There might be some promotion perhaps, but it would probably be celebrating our students,” Ingram said.

“What I don’t know is whether there should be a push to say we must now, as an institution, endorse all holidays and holy days. I don’t know if that would be useful.”

Some students and faculty disagree with that view.

“Promotion is how we learn, and it’s how we become tolerant with one another,” Abubaker said.

Abubaker says that when Greenhill does acknowledge cultural and religious holidays it is sometimes done without attention to detail.

“On the Middle School MyGreenhill Weekly email post last year, the dates for Ramadan were incorrect,” Abubaker said. “In order to move towards a more equitable environment, it is important that such information is checked before [being] posted to the wider community.”

Mysoor says Greenhill’s past efforts to celebrate holidays are insufficient.

“The most acknowledgment from Greenhill we get is a vague social media post, but that does not do justice to the true meaning of my cultural holidays,” Mysoor said. “It’s just a pattern of the administration just not seeming to care enough that makes me feel very invalidated.”

Abubaker says that the inadequate acknowledgment of religious holidays translates into concerns from parents for less-represented groups.

“I had a Middle School parent reach out this year to me,” Abubaker said. “They don’t know who to reach out to.”

The Road to Reform Greenhill students and faculty say they envision potential paths for future reform.

Chin says that taking time to evaluate the messages Greenhill sends about the importance of holidays is necessary.

Features

7

Photo courtesy of Hennah Abubaker

FESTIVE FOODS: Hennah Abubaker celebrates Eid al-Fitr with family recipes.

“This applies in general to equity questions of whose values are reflected in our policies,” Chin said. “I do think it requires examination. It requires understanding the population we have on campus and what the population’s values are.”

Likewise, Mysoor believes that open communication should be at the core of Greenhill’s approach toward improvement.

“There should be more avenues of communication between students and administrators on how to go about addressing holidays better,” Mysoor said.

“This way, administrators can understand what we feel, and people can actually voice their opinions and possibly see real change.”

Despite some dissatisfaction with Greenhill’s methods of promoting holidays, students say they appreciate existing inclusion efforts.

“To an extent, Greenhill has done a good job of highlighting different holidays,” Li said. “I really appreciate how students at Greenhill are given a voice to present on such a diverse range of holidays.”

How to Be Successful in Honors Photography Diane Lin

H

onors Photography is a fullyear, six-credit course offered by Greenhill’s Fine Arts Department.

To take the course, students must have taken Photography I and II and an additional semester of a photography course, such as Photography II, Chemistry of Photography or Abstract & Experimental.

Honors Photography is the most advanced photography course offered by Greenhill.

Students explore issues surrounding the pursuit of photography as a medium of personal expression. Upper School visual arts teacher Frank Lopez, who teaches the class, integrates aspects of 19th, 20th and 21st century technologies into the course curriculum. These include historical printmaking, silver gelatin and new digital media.

We’ve asked some Honors Photography students about the class, and here is what we learned: !"#$%&' ()$&*+)(' &#' ,+-)".+/' &$0.+/' )"*' ($11*0' )#' 20*2,0*' 3#0' 4#+#0(' 5"#)#/0,2"-6 “I personally believe in summer photography because it allows for more practice and to learn how you, the photographer, like to take pictures. Granted,

I know many people who do not take images during the summer, and they do just fine as well. But why not get the extra practice?

Taking images during the summer helps because you can experiment more. The summer is the perfect time to try a new shooting style, or learn and practice with a new technique. For the average person, no, you do not need to do any extra summer work. For the person who wants to succeed and win money from competitions, yes, you probably should.”

- senior Travis Mann 7",)' .(' )"*' 8#09%#,&' %.9*' .+' 4#+#0(' 5"#)#/0,2"-6' “The workload is more demanding than I was expecting. We are expected to be constantly shooting to have raw images ready for class to edit, be working on a cohesive set of images to go along with our artist statements, and apply for photo contests that have essay writing requirements and come up very quickly. All of this is happening while we’re learning new techniques in the darkroom that we’re trying to recreate and having regular prompt assignments. It’s definitely a lot of work, but it’s enjoyable work for sure.”

- senior Johrdyn Tarpeh 7",)' 9.+&(' #3' 20#:*;)(' &.&' -#$' &#' .+' 4#+#0(' 5"#)#/0,2"-<' ,+&' 8".;"' #+*('

0*(#+,)*&'8.)"'-#$')"*'1#()6' “One of the assignments we had was to each write a prompt on a sheet of paper, mix all of the prompts up in a bowl, and pick one randomly to create an image around.

The prompt I was given was to express an emotion through color, which I really liked.

I was able to put together an image that went along with my artist statement using the color blue, which I feel expresses sadness, coldness and isolation. It was an interesting piece that I’m very proud of.”

- senior Johrdyn Tarpeh 7",)' 1*)"#&(' &.&' -#$' $(*' )#' .120#=*' -#$0'(9.%%('.+'4#+#0('5"#)#/0,2"-6 “Practice. By just going out and taking images, one will almost certainly become a better photographer. I’d also say I improved by exploring new techniques. If all a photographer does is edit digitally or take images of the same object, their work becomes monotonous. Also, I have improved because of the other students in the class.

Each of us has special talents. Over time, we all learn those talents and become better photographers. It’s like a trading process – I’ll teach you my style of photography if you teach me yours, then we can both become better.”

- senior Travis Mann

Graphic by Emma Nguyen

4#8'&#*('4#+#0('5"#)#/0,2"-';#12,0*' )#'20*=.#$(';#$0(*('%.9*'5"#)#/0,2"-'>6 “Honors Photography is definitely more demanding than previous photography classes in terms of outside workload, assumed knowledge of specific techniques and writing requirements. When Mr. Lopez introduces techniques in the darkroom, I sometimes find myself confused on how exactly to perform the process because there is so much knowledge of the darkroom that is already assumed that you know. For me specifically, it’s been pretty difficult because I missed out on using the darkroom for 80% of last year and there are some things that I just don’t know about the darkroom yet.”

- senior Johrdyn Tarpeh 7",)' ,0*' (#1*' ),9*,8,-(' -#$' ",=*' 30#1' ?*.+/'.+')"*';#$0(*6 “From Honors Photography, I have learned to deal with failure. In each competition I enter, there is a good chance that the judges don’t like my images and I will not be selected as a winner. I try to use my failures as motivation to make better pieces.

After receiving the news of the competition, I’ll work a little more diligently to make sure my image is exactly how I want it.”

- senior Travis Mann

8 Features

Evergreen Ever the

Students Return to Study Away Programs Emily Hu

I

n her junior year and during the COVID-19 lockdown, senior Alondra Valdez stepped away from all the chaos.

While her peers were busy adjusting to new masking protocols and hybrid learning, Valdez was backpacking in Colorado and Utah on a journey of self-discovery.

Each year, a handful of Greenhill students participate in study away programs, ranging from the School for Ethics and Global Leadership in Washington, D.C. to the High Mountain Institute, an outdoor adventure-based program in the Rockies.

These opportunities had been limited due to COVID-19, and some are just starting to return. Sophomore Class Dean Jason Gajderowicz facilitates presentations from both domestic and foreign study away programs at class meetings to inform students about potential opportunities.

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Instead of taking notes in a classroom, we were given a problem and a big whiteboard. From there, we had to work together and find solutions. I hated it at the beginning; I really had no idea if what I was doing was right.”

“We’ve had preexisting relationships with many of the schools and programs,” Gajderowicz said. “They reach out to us, knowing we’ve sent kids there before, just to ask if we’d be interested in having them come and talk to some of our students. I always say yes, encouraging them to come.”

For many students, these presentations are the first time they are introduced to the possibility of going to a school in another state or even in a different country.

“We want to provide opportunities for students who have bigger interests than what Greenhill can offer,” said Upper School science teacher Michael Haskins, G a j d e r o w i c z ’s predecessor as sophomore class dean.

While Haskins consistently had students attending programs each year, COVID-19 brought significant setbacks, as students could no longer travel for months on end. Despite this, Gajderowicz notes the collaborative effort many schools put forth to ensure that interested students could

ultimately get an unconventional learning experience.

“There is a kind of consortium of schools that are connected and work together,” he said. “If something falls through at one school, like what happened with COVID, then those schools can reach out to each other and try to make something happen for somebody who is thinking about their program.”

Valdez originally planned on spending a year in Italy with School Year Abroad before the pandemic. She was forced to look at other options after her program’s cancellation.

“I was really excited as I would’ve been immersed in a different culture for nine months,” Valdez said. “Right as I was about to meet my host family, it got canceled. I was super bummed about that.”

Valdez had also applied and been accepted to the High Mountain Institute, but she never really considered going until her overseas study opportunity was canceled.

A few months later, in early 2021, Valdez was in Colorado and met her expedition group of nine students at High Mountain Institute.

After three days, they drove eight hours to Utah for their first expedition.

The students then returned to campus, after a 14-day backpacking trip, to meet everyone else. The next three weeks were focused on school, Valdez said.

“Instead of taking notes in a classroom, we were given a problem and a big whiteboard,” said Valdez. “From there, we had to work together and find solutions.

I hated it at the beginning; I really had no idea if what I was doing was right.”

For the next four months, which were shortened from six, Valdez went on daily runs and canyon backpacking trips while keeping up with school – without any technology.

Not long after, COVID-19 caused interruptions in an already shortened semester. After the second expedition, a student contracted the virus.

“Everything got messed up, and we had to be on lockdown for two or three weeks. It was pretty scary,” said Valdez.

Anticipating a vastly different

experience, junior Valerie Xu will be attending the School for Ethics and Global Leadership in Washington, D.C. next semester. She says t h e program seeks to give juniors an opportunity to engage in public policy discussions and have first-hand exposure to many exclusive conversations within the U.S. government.

While technically apart from Greenhill, students who participate in offcampus programs still need to communicate with teachers and ensure that they successfully transfer their credits.

“I really strongly encourage students to go junior year,” Gajderowicz said.

“Senior year is

probably late, while the freshmen a n d sophomore courses at Greenhill are yearlong and set in stone. Junior year is kind of modular, where history and English are semester courses. That makes it easier for a student to pick back up after they’ve left in the fall or spring.”

All of Xu’s yearlong classes are available at her Washington, D.C. school, which makes for a convenient and seamless transition.

“It does require me to communicate a lot with my teachers to make sure there are no gaps,” Xu said. “So far, though, my teachers have worked really well with me and have been extremely supportive.” too

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There is a kind of consortium of schools that are connected and work together. If something falls through at one school, like what happened with COVID, then those schools can reach out to each other and try to make something happen for somebody who is thinking about their program.

Though an exciting and unique experience, Xu and Valdez say that being away for months can be daunting.

“I’ll definitely miss the environment at Greenhill – it’s really special,” Xu said.

Valdez says that it was difficult to reconnect with people at first after her return

to campus, but it has gotten a lot better now.

Ultimately, the two students feel that a slight disconnect is worth it. Instead of learning in classrooms every day, they have the opportunity to embark on unique adventures i n the real world.

“It was

just a lot of reflecting and realizing what I wanted and who I want to become,” Valdez said.

“The main thing I realized is that I am a lot stronger than I think I am, that I can really get through anything if I really put my mind to it.”

Valdez says that her overall experience at the High Mountain Institute revolved around the importance of feedback and using it to better oneself.

“We would have conversations where we’d honestly give each other comments and suggestions in groups of three to help us grow,” Valdez said. “Now, I’m much more open to feedback. I think it’s very important to learn that very young because it’s very helpful in the future.”

Instead of the development of survival skills, Xu’s attendance at the School for Ethics and Global Leadership will allow her to pursue opportunities unavailable at Greenhill, like the chance to speak to New York Times journalists or U.S. senators.

“I hope to take away real-world skills that I might not gain from a traditional curriculum,” she said. “I want to connect with different people and see what they have to offer.”

Valdez says she encourages other students to apply to schools and programs elsewhere in the U.S. or abroad.

“It’s overall a really fun experience and a great way to realize that you can get through so many simultaneously physically and mentally demanding things,” Valdez said.

Graphic by Sophia Chao

Photo courtesy of Alondra Valdez

MAKING THE TREK: Senior Alondra Valdez participated in a semester-long exchange program with the High Mountain Institute last spring in Colorado and Utah. Valdez says that the program was integral in developing her self-identity. Valdez, the middle hiker in the photo at left, carried all of her belongings in a 40-pound pack.

Special Report

9

An Inside Look at Greenhill’s Board of Trustees

Diane Lin, Pooja Sanghvi

T

he deep hole where the Agnich Science Building once stood has become a familiar sight this year as students park their cars or walk to athletics.

The site marks the beginnings of the new Science, Technology, Engineering and Math Center, for which construction will start next year.

A similar sight on the opposite side of campus greeted students in 2015 as the Marshall Family Performing Arts Center took shape.

The two projects, along with an ambitious new strategic plan, have similar origins: Greenhill’s Board of Trustees.

“Every capital campaign – MPAC and the future Science Building for example, and most capital budget decisions including how much to allocate to the PRISM fund or setting up reserves like we did during COVID – those are all decisions that are ultimately approved at a board level,” Board Chair Augusto Sasso said.

“Whenever you see dollars being allocated for any capital investments for the students or for the benefit of the teachers, that’s something that usually is driven at the board level.”

But the board exists for more than just budget approvals and building planning.

According to Greenhill’s website, the responsibilities of the board include “affirming and upholding the mission of the school, establishing school policies [and] selecting the Head of School.”

While Greenhill’s Board of Trustees has 42 members in total, the members are broken into seven committees. Each member of the board serves a three-year term and can serve two terms total. The board chair usually serves as chair for two years before becoming Trusteeship Committee chair.

The seven committees are: Finance; Investment; Audit and Risk Management; Trusteeship; Building and Grounds; Campaign Steering and Development. Each covers a different aspect of the long-term well-being of the school.

“The board’s job is to think of longterm strategic vision and overarching policy in line with the school’s mission,” said Holland Gary, former board chair and current Trusteeship Committee chair.

“It’s the financial health and stability of the school. We approve budgets, and we help raise money. We decide what to do with surpluses, approve campaigns, and hire or fire the head of school. Our focus is supporting the mission with longer-term, multi-year thinking.”

Trusteeship Board members are chosen through the Trusteeship Committee after being nominated and, if chosen, work for free.

“The Trusteeship Committee will come up with a slate of potential trustees that’s been nominated, discussed, analyzed and vetted,” Gary said. “Then you will approach [the candidate] about their willingness to stand for election as a trustee. Then the

Augusto Sasso Board Chair

Roy Kim ’88 Assistant Chair/Secretary & Investment Committee Chair

formal vote takes place, and they become trustees, but it’s a self-sustaining process.”

When choosing new trustees, the goal is to look for unique expertise and experiences that will contribute to the board, as well as previous participation and engagement with the school, said Head of School Lee Hark.

“I’ve been through the Preschool, the Lower School, the Middle School and the Upper School, and I try to always volunteer and do whatever I can,” Development Committee Chair Karlyn Herlitz said. “After being on the board for a few years and being part o f the finance and development committees, I think they thought I would do well as development chair.”

Sasso’s story of joining the board is

similar t o Herlitz’s. “ M y wife and I loved Greenhill from the day we arrived and we started volunteering where we could around the school and helping out,” Sasso said. “Then an old board chair and the old head of school asked me to join the board. It was because my wife and I were very involved and trying to help the school the best that we could.”

According to Gary, the Trusteeship Committee looks for active participation at Greenhill that displays dedication to the community in potential trustees.

“We also want to make sure that the board is made up of as many [parts] of our community as possible,” Gary said. “We try to make sure that we’re not too far out of line with the makeup of the broader Greenhill community. Our school has a long history of diversity, so [we try to ensure] that our board reflects that. We also care about skills and expertise that potential trustees could bring as well as commitment to the school, meaning we expect all trustees to give to the school at some level.”

That diversity, Sasso says, allows the board to approach problems

Grace Smith Finance Chair/Treasurer

Holland Gary ‘93 Trusteeship Committee Chair

from a variety of perspectives and brings new voices.

“The more smart and interesting and diverse people you have on the board, the better the ideas, right?” Sasso said.

“Sometimes, because [the board] is so big, it can be a little challenging, but Greenhill’s never shied away from that. I think we benefit from all the opinions and all the perspectives.”

Head of School The Board of Trustees’ most noticeable role is hiring and, under exceptional circumstances, firing the head of school.

“I report to the board,” Hark said.

“They’re my boss, basically.

I work very closely with them and connect them to the operational side of the school.”

As the head of school, Hark focuses on the day-to-day operations of Greenhill. He then reports to the board, updating them on how the school is doing and the progress of the projects he works on.

“I set up goals with the board every year, and I’m evaluated by them based on those goals,” Hark said. “But the relationship is not as formal or rigid as I am making it sound!

My relationship with the trustees is warm and friendly, and I am grateful to have the chance to work with this group of talented people who are dedicated to Greenhill’s long-term success and health.”

Hark’s relationship with the board constitutes a two-way exchange of information.

“The most important relationship the board has with any member of the school is with the head of school, which is true for any independent school,” Hark said. “At the same time, I rely on the board too. It’s really important for my development and support of the school, and [the board] is a critical source

Lee Hark Head of School

Karlyn Herlitz Development Committee Chair

of feedback to me about what to focus on.”

The Board’s Goal Although Greenhill’s board values its diversity, trustees are urged to leave things like their political beliefs at the door, according to Sasso.

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Our school has a long history of diversity, so [we try to ensure] that our board reflects that. We also care about skills and expertise that potential trustees could bring as well as commitment to the school, meaning we expect all trustees to give to the school at some level.”

“We all have our opinions about everything,” Sasso said. “But we check our personal opinions, and our family opinions at the door, and we think about what’s best to execute the mission of the school.”

While school boards across the country are being torn apart by politicized issues such as equity and inclusion initiatives and Critical Race Theory in classrooms, Gary does not believe similar topics are a large concern for the Greenhill board because its main job is to focus on the overarching, long-term goals for the school.

“A board is not supposed to meddle in the school’s day-to-day operations,” Gary said. “That’s not what boards are supposed to do. Actually, when they start doing that, it’s really, really bad. It can cause a lot of problems, because [the board] is doing its job wrong.”

Sasso believes the board’s mindset and goals are the reason why politics and different ideological differences don’t affect major decisions.

“In my six years on the board, I’ve never had a situation where a vote is even close,” Sasso said. “That’s not to mean that there’s not a lot of debate – there’s often a lot of debate and discussion.”

These debates, however, happen well before an issue is voted on officially.

“Sometimes we’ll table decisions and say ‘Let’s have Lee [Hark] or someone investigate this further,’” Sasso said. “But what usually happens is that, after thoughtful discussion or debate, the board comes to a consensus of what the right decision is for the school.”

The right decision for the school should allow the board to support students in their exploration of their interests and passions, Sasso said.

“Greenhill tries to let every student be their best version of themselves and works very hard to let that develop,” Sasso said. “I think that means we don’t push any ideology. We should allow you guys the ability to develop into what you want to be and give you all the resources and all the people around you to help you do that. I think that’s what Greenhill does when you look at the mission. What we’re trying to do is let you become the best version of you so that you can live – like the mission statement says – purposeful lives.”

Rachel Ladin ‘91 Parent

Tom Perryman ‘81 Associate Head of School for Mission, Community and Culture

Photos courtesy of Kasia Faber

Everg Ever the

10

How Equilateral is the

Balancing Sport Nate Stitt, Valerie Xu

S

ince her freshman year, junior Madison Rojas knew that participating in both field hockey and debate would be difficult.

She had heard of older kids having to choose, but Rojas was sure she would be able to work out an acceptable agreement with her coaches.

It hasn’t turned out that way.

“There is a false narrative that you can have this perfect balance between athletics, arts and difficult academics when, in reality, toward the end of your high school career, you’re going to be forced to choose between two things that you really enjoy so a coach or a teacher can have peace of mind,” Rojas said.

This past summer, Rojas says she chose to quit field hockey due to scheduling issues.

Rojas’s choice was antithetical to Greenhill’s stated commitment to a “multifaceted education system” – the socalled triad of academics, arts and athletics.

“I really enjoyed being a part of the [field hockey] program, which was why I was so sad when I was forced to choose between my two passions,” Rojas said.

Making Choices On the surface, the Athletics and Fine Arts departments have consistently advocated for student choice. They’ve also pledged flexibility so that students are able to explore as many opportunities as the school offers.

“The general philosophy is that we want to make sure that our kids are present at all the games and are at as many practices as possible, understanding that there are going to be times where they might miss a practice or two because they have a really strong arts commitment,” Head of Athletics and Physical Education Jarrett Shine said.

Head of Fine Arts Terry Martin echoes Shine’s sentiment.

Above all, Martin says, students have come to Greenhill to have the opportunity to learn and explore themselves. Toward that end, Martin has worked closely with Shine to ensure that students are able to pursue athletics and arts simultaneously if possible.

Nonetheless, both Shine and Martin acknowledge that a growing number of students have felt compelled to choose between sports and fine arts – despite efforts to come to some verbal interdepartmental understanding.

The culprit is the conflicting nature of athletics and fine arts schedules. Although most fine arts courses occur during school

hours, some – like after-school debate practice – overlap with sports practice times.

Other conflicts arise from overlapping performances and competitions, creating challenges for both students and coaches.

Upperclassmen face more intense conflicts as they take on leadership roles, apply to colleges and sit for standardized tests.

Something has to give, students say.

“I know lots of students think that they’ve got to make this choice now so that it will be easier on them in the future,” junior Shreeya Madhavanur said.

According to a Nov. 15 Evergreen survey of students who have participated in both a Greenhill sport and a fine arts activity, about 22% out of 54 respondents said that they no longer participate in activities in both departments due to scheduling conflicts. A majority cited after-school scheduling conflicts as a prime factor in quitting an activity.

Although the Fine Arts and Athletics departments acknowledge a problem, the framework for resolving scheduling conflicts is still under discussion.

Head of School Lee Hark says a student’s decision to give up certain activities to pursue others is not necessarily negative. It could be a sign of maturity and personal growth, he said.

“You have to learn to make choices,” Hark said. “There’s nothing wrong with that – you can’t do it all. Figuring out what those choices are and making sure that there are trusted adults at your disposal who can help you make those decisions and weigh options, though, is really important.”

Rojas, however, says she never received any guidance or counseling from the school about making choices.

“The only option I was given from my field hockey coach was to see if I can manage the team, which made me really sad because I put two years of hard work [in] and you’re telling me that I can manage now instead of play,” Rojas said.

For others, making choices was not due to departmental pressure but an internal feeling that participation in both activities was unfulfilling.

“I had to make a decision before my sophomore year between [debate and cross country] because I couldn’t really go to practice after school as I had debate then,” senior Varun Sureka said. “For me, it was more I felt that I wasn’t really contributing to either team by having to compromise.”

Director of Debate Aaron Timmons says the marketing of Greenhill’s equilateral triangle of fine arts, athletics and academics is somewhat misleading for students like Rojas, who explore many activities without knowing the ultimate limitations.

“The choice, if one is to be made, should be grounded in the mission of who we have historically been as a school, as well as who we currently proclaim to be,” Timmons said.

Director of Academics Jason Yaffe notes that everyone’s experience will likely vary on an individual basis.

“We should still believe that Greenhill graduates should be engaged in all three sides of that triangle, but who’s to say that one side couldn’t be longer or shorter based on a particular student’s interests, as more of a scalene triangle,” Yaffe said.

Scheduling Changes Fine arts activities such as the musical or debate commonly conflict with athletics.

During Tech Week, the intense week that precedes a campus theater production, students spend late evenings rehearsing.

“When it gets down to the wire and you start putting a performance together or even a concert together, sometimes there is less flexibility because your schedule is so tight,” Martin said.

Some, like Upper School drama and theater teacher Valerie Hauss-Smith, believe that recent changes like the switch to a block schedule and making the musical a class rather than an after-school activity have allowed more flexibility for students.

“Students could previously only do theater after school, which directly conflicted with sports,” HaussSmith said.

Students like senior Kuran Patel were barred from participating in the play due to athletics conflicts. Now, he is able to do both.

“I’m a three-sport athlete and didn’t have time after school,” Patel said.

“In previous years, you couldn’t really do sports and the play because both of them were after school. Now that the play’s during school, it allows a lot more people to do them.”

Martin notes that other students actually had to drop the musical after the switch was made “because they have a class in that time slot.”

green

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

11

Greenhill Triangle?

ts with Fine Arts The switch from a trimester schedule to a semester schedule has also impacted student enrollment in certain classes. While theater was impacted positively, other disciplines within the Fine Arts Department were impacted negatively.

“The change from trimesters to semesters really has caused problems, as sports operate on seasons, which are parallel to trimesters, and the two don’t intersect,” Timmons said. “For example, if you want to play certain sports, the coaches will say you have to attend preseason training, practice and games but students are still enrolled in a class for the semester which is graded.”

Fine arts disciplines are also getting squeezed by a growing emphasis on science and math classes and other academic offerings perceived as enhancing a student’s college application, Martin said.

“All this said, while I can’t say more at this time, I am excited about some recent discussions about possible shifts in the schedule next year that would go a long way in opening up options for a student to register for fine arts classes,” Martin said.

Policy The independent nature of each fine arts and sports activity means that scheduling issues are often addressed on a case-by-case basis with individual coaches.

“I’m hesitant on actually putting a policy in place because, once you put the policy in place, you have to always abide by it,” Shine said. “I know not every situation is going to be the same, so that’s why it has to be covered or presented on a case-bycase basis.”

Hark says he promotes an individualized approach, which brings a certain level of flexibility for students to talk and negotiate with their coaches, but also opens the door for inconsistencies.

These policy-related inconsistencies can negatively impact students. Junior Izabella Faber is a dedicated painter and artist who spends hours in an off-campus studio after school and on weekends. Since middle school, she has also participated in field hockey and swimming at Greenhill.

“There was a lot of pressure,” Faber said.

“In field hockey, I faced the pressure to go to [Southwest Preparatory Conference championships]. In swimming, there was a whole ordeal with setting up the morning practices to make up missed practices, which hadn’t happened previously. The coaches were pressuring me that I either stay on the team and attend all the practices, or I quit and go to art.”

Faber later quit both sports.

An educational framework that forces students to choose can result in unforeseen consequences and missed opportunities for personal development, Timmons said.

“The reality is that a forced choice may hurt arts students, but it’s also going to hurt sports students,” Timmons said. “There are several students who are giving up arts, and there are several students who are giving up sports.”

Conversely, some upperclassmen say they have never faced pressure to choose.

As a participant in the Cavalcade, film and the varsity volleyball team, junior Leah Smith says that teachers and coaches accommodate the busy schedules of students, allowing her to explore her athletic and creative sides.

“With the yearbook, there wasn’t too much work outside of school, so there wasn’t much overlap between my schedules, and that’s what made it work,” Smith said.

On the other hand, doing an afterschool activity along with sports requires intricate planning, said junior Azal Amer, who is a member of Greenhill’s robotics and cross country teams.

“Specifically for robotics, we have meetings on Sundays anyway,” Amer said.

“It’s very flexible in the fact that we can come in basically whenever to do our work.

Whenever I was doing cross country, if I had free time during lunch or I got out early, I’d come to practice.”

For junior Campbell Scheer, balancing activities she loved was not so easy.

As a varsity cheerleader and secondyear debater, Scheer was saddened to be told by athletics staff member to either drop debate, one of her semester-long graded courses, or forfeit any hope of leading the cheer team, Scheer said.

“I feel [the lack of flexibility] stems from people just thinking debate is like a club,” Scheer said. “Regardless, I should be able to do both.”

Timmons says these inconsistencies frustrate him as the director of a program who sees many of his students stuck in the middle of an issue that should have been resolved between adults.

Communication

Head Varsity Field Hockey Coach Brittany Griggs acknowledges there is a lack of communication and understanding of different departmental activities. She says that she relies on students to act as the bridge between her and fine arts teachers.

“I don’t [know] what I’m supposed to do when one of my athletes has a conflict that has been clearly communicated,” Griggs said. “[When] I have inquired about it, it is clear that Coach Shine and the department wants everyone to be able to do everything they want to do.”

Timmons notes numerous coaches are more than accommodating, but he says that a lack of a definitive policy places students in a position they shouldn’t have to be in.

Shine says scheduling issues require cooperation and understanding of the programs and the demands of the other department. If anything, Shine says, scheduling problems are a result of a mutual lack of communication and understanding.

“I just feel like there are some kids that are forced to not miss any of the things on the arts side, so I don’t want it to be sort of pointing fingers at athletics,” Shine said.

Griggs notes that for any extracurricular activity ranging from fine arts to athletics, missing even one or two practices a week is harmful because students lose out on team synergy, drills and community building.

“I think [if] you’d ask any of my [field hockey] girls, there’s a huge amount of growth in our season from August to November,” Griggs said.

Overall, the people who are facing the brunt of what Timmons sees as inconsistent messaging are students like Rojas, who feel compelled to choose and are punished for attempting to pursue their two passions. “[Greenhill] should emphasize choice if they want to talk about some equilateral triangle or balance,” Timmons said. “I think students participating in diverse activities help make Greenhill the special place that it is. My hope is that an approach can be developed to keep the students out of the middle of potential scheduling conflicts.”

At the end of the day, administrators say their obligation is to allow students to explore their passions and then home in on what they excel in.

“You’re going to be a jack of all trades but a master of none if you are spreading yourself too thin,” Yaffe said. “We pride ourselves on being engaged in different aspects of school life, and that shouldn’t change, but at the same time you have to make responsible choices about what you’re pursuing.” !"#$%& '$()*+& ,-).$/01.#2& $#3-$./)4& .-& .5/+&+.-$%6

Graphic by Emma Nguyen

12

Arts

Quality Over Quantity?

Choir's Declining Numbers Spur Growing Discussion Khushi Chhaya, Isabel Martinez

T

he Middle and Upper School choir programs have experienced a decrease in participants in recent years, leaving students and faculty to contemplate the reasons for the decline and prospects for the future.

Greenhill’s choir program starts in fifth grade, when all students are required to rotate through choir, coding, drama and studio art while also choosing between band and orchestra. In sixth grade, they are able to choose between the three music options of band, orchestra and choir.

Previously, fifth graders were also allowed to choose between these three music options.

The Upper School Greenhill Singers, as the choir is known, builds on the music skills imparted in Middle School. The two classes are not necessarily different, but follow a natural progression in difficulty and skill, Middle and Upper School Choral Music teacher Lucik Aprahamian says.

“You can see the progression of the difference between a fifth grader and a senior in high school, for example,” Aprahamian said. “It’s just more complex music, more diverse styles of music and more rhythmically difficult music.”

Beyond the Music Eighth grader Avery Montoya has been in choir at Greenhill since fifth grade. She participated in the Texas Private School Music Educators Association Middle School Honor Choir and says she is committed to the Greenhill choir program.

Beyond the musical aspect, Montoya believes that choir helps students develop many skills that can be utilized outside of class. “[One skill we learn is] being able to pay attention to something and analyze it,” Montoya said. “Even things like posture, having to sit up and sit properly and be able to breathe correctly, you could definitely carry that over to everyday stuff.”

Aprahamian echoes this sentiment. “[Choir] teaches not just good musicianship skills, but how to stand in your own body and use your own voice in a way that’s effective,” Aprahamian said. “I think it’s fundamental in developing a lot of systems for being your own person, and also interacting with your colleagues and classmates.”

Low Numbers Recent years have seen significant drops in the number of students enrolled in choir in both the Middle School sixth through eighth grade classes and the Greenhill Singers in Upper School. Currently both classes have about eight students, and the Greenhill Singers is comprised entirely of juniors and seniors.

Photo by Nate Stitt

WINTER PERFORMANCE: Middle School Choir and the Greenhill Singers performed holiday songs in the Winter Choral Concert in Rose Hall on Dec. 6. Each division had its own set of songs in addition to group pieces.

Aprahamian has several theories as to why the numbers in choir have decreased. One factor may be her teaching philosophy and program emphasis since arriving at Greenhill four years ago, she said.

“Since I’ve gotten here I’ve wanted to invest in creating a program that’s really focused for people who are serious about being in choir and that may have intimidated some people because it requires a lot of work,” Aprahamian said.

The ongoing COVID-19 pandemic may also be a contributing factor to the low numbers, she said.

“We had large numbers of seniors graduating and at the same time, we had COVID,” Aprahamian said. “Singing became really hard last year. We had visors on, we had masks on, some of the students were at home and they

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[Choir] teaches not just good musicianship skills, but how to stand in your own body and use your own voice in a way that’s effective.

I think it’s fundamental in developing a lot of systems for being your own person, and also interacting with your colleagues and classmates."

couldn’t really sing or participate. So there were very real challenges that got in the way of it being enjoyable.”

Montoya also believes that some students became disinterested in fifth and sixth grade because they were not ready for the commitment and focus that choir required.

“There were a lot more people who were just

disobedient and did not pay attention in general which led Dr. A to have to be more strict with us, which might have deterred them,” Montoya said.

Several Greenhill students participate in the Children’s Chorus of Greater Dallas, a prestigious youth choral program. Due to the vast differences in music, rigor, and commitment, parallels cannot be drawn between the Children’s Chorus and the Greenhill choir program.

“It’s not like we have the same program and [students have] chosen to go there,” Aprahamian said.

While the goal is always to get more students involved

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We had large numbers of seniors graduating and at the same time, we had COVID. Singing became really hard last year. We had visors on, we had masks on, some of the students were at home and they couldn’t really sing or participate. So there were very real challenges that got in the way of it being enjoyable.”

in choir, the number of students enrolled isn’t necessarily concerning, Aprahamian says.

“I’ve had my seventh and eighth graders since fifth grade, so they’re a really good team of students,” Aprahamian said. “I would say for Singers as well that even though the numbers are low, this is the best group that I’ve had since I’ve gotten here.”

For Aprahamian, the priority is always the quality of singers over the quantity. “[The Greenhill Singers] are really dedicated and have a lot of fun and they’re there to sing and support each other,” Aprahamian said. “It has taken a few years to get there, but I think that we are finally to the point that even though it’s a small core, it’s a really strong core and sometimes that’s important, too.”

What's Next?

Photo by Helina Tedros

ON KEY: Greenhill Singers are comprised of two juniors and seven seniors. They performed holiday music at Community Time for the Upper School. They also plan to perform songs at the Holiday Sing-Along on Dec. 17.

Currently, seniors in Greenhill Singers say they are working to recruit students from Middle School and encourage them to continue their choir career in Upper School.

“We’re targeting middle schoolers who will be in high school soon,” senior Ilanna Feldman said. “[However], just because we have a smaller group does not mean we are not as good as we have been in the past.”

Increasing the number of Middle School students in choir is key to maintaining a viable program with enough people as students graduate, said Feldman.

Looking ahead, choir members in Middle and Upper School alike say they hope to see more students engaging with the class, whether they are experienced singers or are interested in trying it for the first time.

“Just give it a go,” Montoya said. “I think with a lot of things, you have to just bite the bullet and try it. Especially for people who are on the edge [and thinking] ‘should I join? Should I do something else?’ I think they should definitely try it.”

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

Evergreen Ever the

Arts

13

Just Between Us, We Remember It !""#$%%#&'""

()'*#+$,-"%./0#1'.02%345 Sparks Discussion Over Creative Ownership

Ava Iwasko

A

s the album that is considered the bridge between the soulful country and the mainstream synth and rock pop of her career, Taylor Swift’s original release of “Red” on Oct. 22, 2012, broke a myriad of records and won countless awards.

“Red” was nominated for Album of the Year and Best Country Album at the 2013 Grammy Awards. Swift became the first female artist to have three consecutive albums spend at least six weeks at number one on the U.S. Billboard 200, and the tour that followed the album release in 2013-2014 was the most successful country tour of all time.

The one thing Swift could not obtain with the immensely successful “Red” or with her five other highly praised albums released before 2018, despite all the glory and power of her pop stardom, was the rights to the actual recordings. Now, Swift has begun the process of re-recording her first six albums to get her music back.

At 15 years of age, Swift signed a contract that gave Big Machine Records ownership over any master recordings, artwork and videos she released while under them. When the contract ended in 2018 without giving Swift the opportunity to buy them herself, BMR secretly sold the masters of her first six albums to Scooter Braun, a record executive who targeted Swift, in her words, with “incessant, manipulative bullying” for many years.

Meanwhile, Swift signed a new contract with Universal’s Republic Records in 2018 that gave her the rights to anything she released under them, including her 2019 album “Lover,” 2020 albums “folklore” and “evermore” and her first re-recorded album, “Fearless (Taylor’s Version).”

Swift can now rerecord her first six albums because of a loophole in the contract she signed in 2005: BMR owns the original master recordings of her songs, but not the rights to the lyrics themselves.

“Red (Taylor’s Version)” includes the original 20 songs on the deluxe edition of “Red,” as well as several previously unreleased songs that Swift refers to as “from the vault.” Out of these tracks came a 10-minute version of the song “All Too Well,” a longer cut of the song that was originally

released in 2012. Along with this longer version of “All Too Well,” Swift also released a self-directed short film of the same name starring Sadie Sink and Dylan O’Brien.

On the Nov. 12 release date, “Red (Taylor’s Version)” broke the Spotify record for most-streamed album in a day by a female artist and moststreamed female artist in a day. The album has also received numerous five-star reviews from critics.

As Swift has gone on her own personal journey of re-recording her old music, she has taken her fans, critics and the media along with her for the ride. We asked several members of the Greenhill community about “Red (Taylor’s Version)” and the implications of Swift’s re-recorded music. Here is what they had to say: !"#$%&'&%()*%$"'+,%)-%$".%/012'+*$.% 3.45')+% )-% 6788% 9))% !.88:% #+&% '$5% #;;)2<#+('+=%5")4$%-'82> “[The song] was a lot better than what I expected because I thought that it would be really similar to the original, but this one felt like a completely different song, and for me it felt 10 times better. I really love it.” - sophomore ?#(#%@.5#' “No one does 10-minute songs.

I think part of the reason is because they’re considered unplayable. I think that makes a statement that she has reached this place and comfort in her own power that she demands space and time.” - Upper School History Department Chair 72(%A4.5'.% !'88% <.)<8.% 8'5$.+% $)% $".% 69#(8)4B5% C.45')+:% 5)+=5% )4% $".% )4'='+#8% 3.45')+5> “Taylor Swift fans, knowing the situation, are going to stay loyal to her.

They’re going to buy the new album and they’re going to listen to the new one because that’s hers.” - Upper School English teacher 7+&(%?.4;*4') “I have no interest in giving any money to Scooter Braun. I think it’s about who you want to support rather than the nittygritty details of how the songs are different. I think [listening to “Taylor’s Version”] is the moral thing to do.” - senior ?#&&(%D;"8.=.8

Swift very seriously. They’ve seen her as a pretty young thing rather than an empowered woman. I absolutely think that is damaging and harmful [to Swift and her fans].” - Upper School History Department Chair%72(%A4.5'.

“For some reason, Taylor Swift has always gotten the short end of the stick from the media. That kind of media portrayal tells young girls that they are never going to be able to be successful without having to face constant criticism from everyone.” - junior H"#+;.(% D$.-#+)5 !"#$% &)% ()*% ")<.% $)% 5..% '+% $".% -*$*4.% -)4% F)2.+% '+% $".% 2*5';% '+&*5$4(> “If somebody as empowered and empowering [as Taylor] is in a fight to get her own music, it’s a message to other [artists] to not go with a label or to be really careful when they sign any kind of deal. She’s showing other musicians a different way to go about navigating a business that somehow is still all about the money and not about the music or the people who make it.” - Upper School English teacher 7+&(%?.4;*4') “I just want them to be respected. I love nothing more than to see women be successful. Taylor Swift is arguably, of this generation, the most influential female artist, and it’s great to see other people take inspiration from Taylor, like Olivia Rodrigo.” - junior H"#+;.(%D$.-#+)5

“She’s an artist that shows her fans and other musicians what it means to be true to yourself. She’s sending a message to the fans: when people think they got the better of you, show them what you’re made of.”

- Upper School English teacher 7+&(%?.4;*4')% “[Other female artists] should never be put into a situation where they had to do what Taylor did. I don’t think [Swift] wants anybody else to go through that again, which is why she made it so public. I hope the fans understand that. It really takes a village to make any progress.” - senior ?#&&(% D;"8.=.8 !"#$% &)% DF'-$B5% 4.1 4.;)4&'+=5% 2.#+% $)% ()*> “I always appreciate when I see someone take ownership of who they are and refusing to bow to conventions. I get excited when I see someone who has such a huge platform use it for empowerment, both for herself and for countless young people. I have a tremendous amount of respect for someone who does good in the world, and I think she’s doing something good in the world.”

- U p p e r School History Department Chair 72(% A4.5'.% “It’s a really special moment to rediscover old music that meant a lot to you in the past.

It’s been really fun. It shows the world that you can’t just step all over young girls. It really is an empowerment thing.

She owns her work now, and that’s all that is important.”

-s e n i o r ?#&&(%D;"8.=.8

!"#$% &)% ()*% ")<.% -#+5% $#,.% #F#(% -4)2% DF'-$B5% 4.14.;)4&'+=5% #+&% ".4% 2.55#=.5% )-% -.2#8.% .2<)F.42.+$>

E)F%&)%()*%$"'+,%$".%+.=#$'3.% 2.&'#%<)4$4#(#8%)-%DF'-$%'+%$".% <#5$%"#5%#--.;$.&%".4%8'5$.+.45% #+&%$".%<*G8';%#$%8#4=.> “I think for a very long time people in the media have not taken Taylor

Graphics by Emma Nguyen

Evergreen Ever

14 Arts

the

Playing on the National Stage Tim Nadolsky Earns Chair in All-National Concert Band Khushi Chhaya, Isabel Martinez

S

enior bass clarinetist Tim Nadolsky has been selected to perform with the National Association for Music Education All-National Concert Band.

As a new chair in the elite band, Nadolsky will participate in a virtual concert with musicians from across the nation. The performance will be conducted by Travis Cross, a professor of music at the University of California, Los Angeles.

Nadolsky has been a member of the Greenhill Band since fifth grade, after playing piano in Lower School and wanting to try something new. He focuses primarily on the bass clarinet but is able to play simple music on nearly every band instrument.

“I chose to [play bass clarinet] because it seemed a lot cooler than a regular clarinet,” Nadolsky said. “Everybody was playing the regular clarinet and it always has the melody, but the bass clarinet has a much deeper and richer sound.”

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When you’re playing a solo, it’s just you and the music. It’s really fun and you can do whatever you want. But sometimes you need to also learn to be a team player and contribute to the overall sound.”

His years in band have been a formative experience for Nadolsky. He says he has learned not only about music, but also about teamwork and discipline.

“When you’re playing a solo, it’s just you and the music,” Nadolsky said. “It’s really fun and you can do whatever you

want. But sometimes you need to also learn to be a team player and contribute to the overall sound.”

Middle and Upper School Band Director Brian Donnell admires Nadolsky’s willingness to become a better musician and help his peers and the program at large. In recent years, Nadolsky has arranged music for various concerts and often steps up to play other instruments when additional people are needed in a section, Donnell said.

“Tim is very quiet, but he soaks up everything,” Donnell said. “He is one of the most teachable students that I’ve had, and that says a lot.”

The audition process for the All-National Concert Band is similar to many other regional and state band auditions, Nadolsky said. After earning a chair in the All-State Band, he received music excerpts to practice, record and submit for judging for the All-National Concert Band.

The All-National Band performance in January is online this year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was originally scheduled to take place in person in San Diego.

“I’m really excited for the opportunity because it provides an opportunity for me to meet lots and lots of people who are really good at what they do,” Nadolsky said.

“It’ll also be interesting to meet the conductor because he is actually the director of bands at UCLA.” Nadolsky hopes to continue playing and improving on the bass clarinet as he reflects on his nearly eight years in Greenhill Band and the relationships he has formed.

“The band members often go to All-Region clinics, AllState clinics, or Solo and Ensemble,” Nadolsky said. “It’s very fun spending time with everybody and we’re kind of like – I guess it’s overused, but it’s kind of like a family. It feels like home.”

Photo Courtesy of Tim Nadolsky

HONORED: Tim Nadolsky will perform with the AllNational Concert Band in a virtual concert in January.

Orchestra Takes on TMEA Ten Students Earn Regional Honors

Daniela Hallack

T

en musicians from the Greenhill Chamber Orchestra were recently selected for the Texas Music Educators Association Region 20 Orchestra.

The selected students joined other area high school

musicians from the Highland Park, Richardson and Dallas school districts to play a Dec. 4 concert at Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts.

The honored students are: Pranav Mukund; Charlotte Purcell; Jacob Liang; Vijay Agrawal; Aaron Johnson;

Henderson Zhang, Jackson Zhang; Varun Mukund; Ava Mao and Asha Blewett.

TMEA is devoted to musical education in public and private schools throughout the Lone Star state. The program is comprised of more than 13,000 music educators in five divisions: Band, Orchestra, Vocal, Elementary and College.

Students from around Texas interact and learn from mentors while having fun and competing with fellow musicians, according to the group.

Upper School Orchestra and Strings teacher Nick Paraskevas says each student was given the hardest excerpt of a piece of music to play for their auditions. The level of music varied according to the musician’s experience. Only musicians from grades 9-12 were eligible to participate.

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off.

Photo by Ravi Vasan

TOP PERFORMERS: Ten Greenhill Upper School students were chosen for the Texas Music Educators Association Region 20 Orchestra. The students participated in an honors concert with other Dallas-area students on Dec. 4.

Once you finally perform, it’s an exhilarating feeling, and you feel an immediate payoff of the work you put in.”

Paraskevas was happy that the work of his students paid

“I was very pleased,” Paraskevas said. “We have a lot of good students here, so I expected most of the ones that got in to get in.”

The honored students prepared for months for their performance.

“Once we got the études, which were assigned early in the summer, I got straight to practicing them as frequently as possible,” said junior Aaron Johnson, who plays the cello.

The students described the experience as thrilling.

“The performance was amazing,” Purcell said. “Tt sounded so cool in the hall where we performed and everyone was so well prepared.”

Mukund, a senior violinist, has been a part of the program for three years.

“Once you finally perform, it’s an exhilarating feeling, and you feel an immediate payoff of the work you put in,” Mukund said.

Sports Avery Franks

15

Is More Less?

T

here are some nights when senior Eyob Gebru gets home at 10:30 p.m., after a late soccer game.

He eats, showers and does homework, knowing that he has a morning weightlifting session the next day at 7:15 a.m. and an hour-long commute to school.

Gebru, a three-sport varsity athlete competing in football, soccer and track, sometimes gets only three or four hours of sleep because of his athletic schedule. To him, the mental health benefits he gains from this lifestyle greatly outweigh the costs.

“I love being around people and the whole social aspect of playing sports,” Gebru said. “Hanging out with my teammates and being active makes up for all of the drawbacks brought by schoolwork, helping out my mom and sister, and the college process.”

Stress Relief Playing a sport at Greenhill is generally a 12-to-15-hour commitment per week. That adds significantly to the heavy course load and fine arts pursuits that most students are also undertaking. While this could serve as added stress, some student-athletes agree with Gebru.

“I think going to sports gives your mind a break so that, when you get home, doing work is easier because you have a clearer mind after a long day,” said junior Kaylee Wilson, a varsity cross country and track runner. “Sports put me in a really good mindset. If I didn’t do them, I would be a lot less healthy, and I would also be more stressed because I wouldn’t get those few hours to myself.”

Practices and games are a time when students are forced to unplug and be present in what they’re doing, without being bombarded by the other stressors and obligations in their lives.

“It’s exhausting thinking about everything you’re worrying about all the time, so playing sports is great for me

!

I think going to sports gives your mind a break so that, when you get home, doing work is easier because you have a clearer mind after a long day.

Sports put me in a really good mindset. If I didn’t do them, I would be a lot less healthy, and I would also be more stressed because I wouldn’t get those few hours to myself.”

because it gives me a mental break from everything else that I’m worried about,” said sophomore Zoya Iyer, a varsity field hockey, soccer and track athlete.

There are scientific reasons why playing sports can serve as a buffer between student-athletes and any pressure they may be facing from school, family or other extracurriculars.

“Physical activity releases endorphins, also known as ‘feel-good chemicals,’ into your brain, which make you happier, give you a chance to escape the stressors of the day and truly relax as you focus on your sport,” Upper School Counselor

Greenhill Student-Athletes Believe Adding Sport to Their Schedule Reduces Stress Levels

Amanda Frederick said. “Any activity or hobby that you truly enjoy is beneficial to a student’s mental health and can serve as

a coping mechanism for stress and anxiety.”

Scheduling Conflicts While there are many mental health benefits to playing sports, they also present a challenge for Greenhill students trying to maintain good grades and participate in other extracurriculars.

“Sometimes I’ll go home and look at my assignments, and I’m just too tired to do some of them,” Gebru said.

“I just can’t function on three hours of sleep five days a week, so I have to set my priorities and email teachers for extensions when things start to get too busy.”

While overscheduling is a problem for many Greenhill students regardless of what their specific activities are, many student-athletes believe it is not an unmanageable task to stay involved without jeopardizing their mental health.

“If there’s a period of time where I feel like I’m not doing anything productive, I make it productive,” Iyer said. “I make sure I never waste my free period and, on Sundays, I get as much as I can done because I know I don’t have time during the week to do homework.”

Balancing Academics Almost all sports require missing a class or an entire school day for games or meets, which leads to make-up work in addition to regular coursework, which serves as an added stressor.

“Classes like math or science are really

stressful to miss because you have to make up the homework that you miss, but you also have to make up the classwork that you missed,” Iyer said. “Some teachers aren’t very understanding about giving extensions if you’re missing school for sports or if you have a late game.”

Since Greenhill emphasizes being well-rounded, administrators believe that teachers and coaches should be accommodating for student-athletes as they attempt to manage several commitments at once.

“Missing class for sports is going to happen and teachers need to be adaptable,” said Director of Academics and Head Varsity Cross Country Coach Jason Yaffe. “I think teachers need to have a system in place for how they are giving that student directions about what work they’re missing or giving students tools of how to follow up with them; however, I also think that the athletic department should continue to look at sports team schedules to see how much class time is being missed.”

While teachers are often willing to work with student-athletes, Wilson feels that being forced to communicate with teachers about missed work gives students an opportunity to take initiative and have more control over their learning experience.

“As long as teachers are willing to be flexible and help you catch up, I think that’s kind of the best they can do,” Wilson said.

“After that, it depends on how much work I’m willing to put into catching up, being prepared to take an assessment that I missed, or getting notes for a class that I missed.”

The pressure to keep up with school on top of playing sports has the potential to be overwhelming; however, it is many student-athletes’ genuine love for the sport and team environment that keeps them showing up to play year after year.

“This year, our football team went 0-9, and I couldn’t care less,” Gebru said. “This season was the best thing I’ve ever experienced in my life. It was a blast and, regardless of the outcome and how we played, at the end of the day we were a team, and we were having fun just being around each other.”

Graphic by Sophia Chao

16 Sports

Evergreen Ever the

Social Media: Delight or Detriment? Both?

Photos by Ravi Vasan

DIGITALLY ACTIVE: Fans, ranging from girls volleyball to football, fill up various student sections at games. Athletes attribute higher fan turnout to social media presence.

Josie Arbuckle

I

n a new age of social media, fans have been flooding Greenhill’s athletic games. After a successful fall season, fans look to support winter sports.

“We had some great fan engagement,” said Head of Athletics and Physical Education Jarrett Shine. “Coming in fresh out of [Southwest Preparatory Conference championships], I’m particularly happy and appreciative of the support that all of our athletes received.”

School-administered social media accounts such as @GreenhillAthletics (Instagram), @GreenhillATH (Twitter) and @thehornetssnest (Instagram) promote spirit and encourage fans to attend games while providing live updates for students who couldn’t attend. Students and coaches say that social media has increased the number of fans showing up at games.

Senior Emilio Garcia, who is captain of the varsity football team, agrees that social media has dramatically improved the attendance of games while increasing school spirit.

“I feel like they do a really good job of getting sports events and stuff out there,” Garcia said. “There were a lot of events I wasn’t super aware of that were brought to my attention by social media. I’d rely on The Hornets’ Nest to tell me the details of a game; the media presence right now is really reliable.”

Head Varsity Girls Volleyball Coach Tatiane Deibert says social media usage has increased student turnout across the board, especially within volleyball.

“The more love you give to the athletes, the better they put in so much work, and it’s fun to have people come and support,” Deibert said. “It builds a lot of enthusiasm.”

Assistant Varsity Cross Country Coach Amy Bresie follows several Greenhill sports accounts and loves being able to check sports results and get updates on the status of school sports teams.

“It’s something that encourages people to get out and support their community,” Bresie said. “I’m all for it.”

In the past, the spectators would be mostly upperclassmen; this year, underclassmen have been showing their support as well, said senior Mia Ness, the girls cross country captain.

“I’ve never seen this amount of underclassmen at sporting events,” Ness said, the girls cross country captain.

“The amount of [Instagram accounts] we have and emails we send out definitely help spread awareness.”

The Athletics Department often posts about sports teams to increase awareness and spark school spirit.

The school’s growing use of social media has been accompanied by some questions and concerns. Some athletes were upset by a fall Athletics Department post on Instagram that mistook two female cross country runners from another school for Greenhill athletes. The post was subsequently deleted.

“The girls on our team were interchangeable with ‘other girls in tank tops,’” Bresie said. “It was very disappointing to me, to the team. It was two random girls that appeared on our social media pages. There was this genuine feeling of hurt.”

Bresie says that cross country involves a tremendous amount of sacrifice, both in the form of time and physical work.

“More than anything, people want to be seen and respected,” Bresie said.

Bresie isn’t alone in feeling that the cross country team was diminished by the erroneous post.

“I was initially really upset,” Ness said. “The feeling that we have members of our community who don’t even know who is on our team is really unfortunate. The staff knows who the people on the other teams are.”

Shine says the photo was a mistake that resulted in part from the urgency that surrounds social media.

“Some of the people who post on social media don’t

know all the kids,” Shine said. “I know a lot of the kids, almost all the kids. Because everything happened so fast, it just didn’t get to me in time for me to say, ‘No, this is not the right picture to use.’”

Still, student-athletes in general are appreciative of the benefits and school spirit that the newfound social media usage promotes.

Because of social media, sports are garnering more attention than ever.

“It’s always encouraging to see your classmates cheering you on,” Hurst said. “Social media helps connect the student body better. Last year, nobody really knew what was happening in each other’s sports, but because of social media, there’s this increased awareness.”

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The girls on our team were interchangeable with ‘other girls in tank tops’. It was very disappointing to me, to the team. It was two random girls that appeared on our social media pages. There was this genuine feeling of hurt.”

After a year with fans barred from attending football games, Garcia says the sheer number of students coming out and showing their support is incredible.

“It’s unreal the amount of support we get,” Garcia said.

“The chants – it really is a morale boost. The team didn’t give up because the fans weren’t giving up on us.”

Deibert says that social media is increasingly vital in uplifting Greenhill’s sports teams, updating the student body and creating an exciting game-time environment for athletes.

“Social media – that’s the thing,” Deibert said. “It’s fun to have people come and support [athletes]. It adds pressure, but it creates such a fun environment.”

Evergreen Ever

17 Commitments Bring “Relief ” for Senior Athletes the

Wednesday, December 15, 2021

Sports

Photos courtesy of Noah Shelby, Kellen Smaw and Lee Dort

THE NEXT STEP: Left to right, seniors Noah Shelby, Kellen Smaw and Lee Dort are signed college recruits. Dort and Shelby will play basketball, while Smaw will play lacrosse.

Ria Agarwal

F

or most seniors, applying for college is a stressful endeavor. For student-athletes, it can be even more intense.

While most seniors’ application work is consolidated in the first half of their final year, student-athletes’ work is spread throughout all four years of high school. This work is mostly done behind the scenes and includes games, practices and tournaments. Early impressions are key because it is possible to get recruited as early as freshman year.

“I can see how stressed my friends are, and I have it easier right now, but [my] recruitment process [was] over a longer period of time than most other college applicants,” said senior Lilly Thieberg, who has committed to play field hockey at Middlebury College in Vermont.

The commitment process is about much more than just being good at a sport. Student-athletes are evaluated based on skill level, focus, work ethic and attitude in addition to their academic and social fit within the college.

“If athletics is going to play an outsized role in a student’s admissions process, it means that a college coach

However, recruitment is not always an athlete’s main goal early in their high school career.

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A lot of people just assume that I have it easier.

But I think if you look at it in the long run, athletes have taken a lot of time off of things that normal people could do such as sleeping in and going out on the weekends.”

“Getting recruited hasn’t always been my goal,” Thieberg said. “I actually didn’t really think about it, and, freshman year, I was very tentative about even playing field hockey because of the time commitment.”

Initial College Search For athletes, it is all about finding their own balance of athletics and academics. Some want to only focus on sports, and some value sports just as much as academics.

“I know that a lot of athletes put athletics above

gives questions that student-athletes might want to look at.”

Normally, college counselors help give students ideas on how to boost their resume or how to deepen their interaction within a specific interest of theirs. For athletes, it’s more about the social aspect, including going to recruitment clinics that help familiarize prospective students with the college athlete lifestyle and give them a chance to talk to other team members and coaches.

Committing Even after student-athletes commit to a college, the process is not over. Choosing a college that is the best fit is difficult for any applicant.

“One of the harder parts was figuring out what you want,” Platt said. “Then once you have the options that you really like, it’s making that final decision because it’s your whole future.”

Another factor is the size and competitive level of a school. Within college sports, there are different NCAA divisions. The top NCAA division – Division I – is comprised

Thieberg photo by Mateo Lanzillotta; other photos courtesy of Erin Reynolds, Emilio Garcia, Abby Platt and Caroline Vos.

COMMITTED: Left to right, seniors Erin Reynolds, Emilio Garcia, Abby Platt, Lilly Thieberg and Caroline Vos. They plan to play at their respective schools in the fall of 2022.

or college athletic department is willing to put their political capital (money and time) on the line to support a student’s application when it goes to the admissions process,” Codirector of College Counseling Jenny Fisher said.

Co-director of College Counseling Keith Todd says that students aren’t there just to play a sport, but also to get a certain kind of education.

“A lot of people just assume that I have it easier,” said senior Abby Platt, who has committed to play tennis at Bucknell University in Pennsylvania. “But I think if you look at it in the long run, athletes have taken a lot of time off of things that normal people could do such as sleeping in and going out on the weekends.”

Platt says student-athletes have to learn how to manage and keep track of their schoolwork when they are putting so much time into a sport.

“Growing up, through middle school and high school, I would have probably two tournaments a month, so I’ll be out most weekends [and have] to miss school,” Platt said.

Thieberg says that you become a more recruitable player when you have better academics, so it is as much about your GPA and test scores as it is about your skill level when colleges are looking at you.

[academics], but, for me, I really wanted to have [both],” Platt said. “I view athletics the same as academics because I try to perform my best in both.”

College counselors work with student-athletes when they choose best-fit schools to reach out to, but it is mostly coaches, both club and school coaches, who guide them throughout the recruitment process as a whole.

“My club soccer coach was a great asset in my recruiting process as he played in college and was very well-known and respected for his achievements as coach,” said senior Emilio Garcia, who has committed to play soccer at Columbia University. “He put in a good word for me with schools I was interested in and was able to get a lot of them out to our games.”

While college counselors normally start working with students mid-junior year, they start talking to studentathletes during their freshman year because they have to initiate the process very early to get the attention of as many colleges as possible.

“In concert with the athletic department, we created a whole guide on athletic recruiting in the college process and how it works, and it has a four-year timeline of things to do,” Todd said. “It provides a lot of really good information; it

of the biggest and most competitive schools. At the other end of the spectrum, Division III schools like Middlebury College offer a better balance of academics and athletics.

“On one side you had the Division III academics that the Division I schools didn’t have, but on the D1 side you had the athletics that the D3 schools didn’t have,” said Garcia.

“It was really just finding that balance of academics and athletics in the schools.”

Although getting recruited is stressful, many studentathletes ultimately find it quite rewarding.

“The more I started to hear from coaches, the more I started to learn about what the commitment to play in college actually was and how much people enjoyed it,” Thieberg said.

“It just got me really excited to go visit college campuses, talk to different coaches and talk to current college athletes.”

College for all students is a new chapter, and getting recruited at a school opens many doors for student-athletes.

“Really it is just another milestone rather than the final goal, so I’m excited to reach yet another milestone,” Garcia said. “This is not the end of my soccer journey; this is just the beginning.” !"#$% &'(")'*% +(,#% -.//(0)0(1% 2#'#% 3#45% #06% 7#,)'% !(6(8#'.%9.0"'(:4")6%');.'"(0<%".%"=(*%*".',>

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Evergreen Ever the

Opinion: Anti-Trans Bill Built on Myths

the Ever Evergreen staff Evergreen Print Editors-in-Chief

Jothi Gupta and Diane Lin

Executive Editors

Avery Franks and Cam Kettles

Emma Nguyen

A

bout 102 anti-transgender bills have been introduced this year alone across seven U.S. states. In Texas, that number is 47, with one of them – House Bill 25 – already signed by Gov. Greg Abbott. H.B. 25 says that students attending K-12 schools who are eligible to play sports are required to play with the team that correlates with the sex listed on their official birth certificate.

In other words, the existence of one letter given at the time of birth – “M” or “F” – will define the entirety of a student’s sports career.

The idea that a simple letter should dictate a student’s interests is appalling. Yet the bill will take effect on Jan. 18 because there is “important governmental interest in redressing past discrimination against girls in athletics on the basis of sex.”

Proponents of the bill say it protects equality. Supposedly, transgender girls have a biological advantage with the existence of testosterone, boosting athletic ability.

After puberty, those assigned male at birth without hormone therapy will produce thirty times more testosterone than those not.

But the logic of H.B. 25 proponents is flawed because of an indisputable reality: In what world does every athlete have an equal advantage?

If that were the question, then I might see the reasoning of this bill as beyond being anti-transgender. But what it comes down to is whether transgender athletes have a systematic advantage over their cisgender counterparts. And the answer is: no, of course not. No data exists to support

this conclusion.

Some might cite Selina Soule’s loss to two transgender athletes in the New England track and field regionals as proof.

Science doesn’t support this idea.

Researcher Joanna Harper, a transgender athlete, conducted a study which found that nine months after starting hormone therapy, trans women ran 10% slower. That’s also the same figure for the difference between cisgender male and female runners.

And on a grander scale, more factors come into play: higher socioeconomic status means sport camps and better equipment. Genes dictating the height of a person means that someone who’s 6 feet 2 inches can dunk a basketball easier than someone who’s 4 feet 11 inches. Yet we don’t separate these groups.

So, what specifically about transgender athletes makes the situation different? The answer lies within the false notion of Abbott and other Texas legislators that some facet of transgender people’s biology makes them inherently different.

The horror of the possibility that transgender girls might actually just be that – girls – terrifies the people who voted on the bill’s authorization. If sportsmanship is about teamwork, good spirit and honesty, H.B. 25 accomplishes exactly none of these.

“This can undermine team unity and also encourage divisiveness by policing who is ‘really’ a girl,” said former Sports Project Director of the National Center for Lesbian Rights Helen Carroll. “Laws can also put transgender athletes at risk of bullying and harassment within the school or community by singling them out for discrimination.”

H.B. 25 reinforces the rhetoric that transgender people are predators – which we see in the bathroom debate – and that girls are weak and need protection.

Exclusion from such spaces, including athletics, does nothing but harm both groups.

Using testosterone as the metric to decide what makes an athlete tells students that they’ll never be enough if they lack this hormone. Limiting their passions on the basis of one hormone stunts their future growth. H.B. 25 creates gaps between cisgender and transgender athletes, forcing undue disconnection in an activity heralded for building teamwork.

Perhaps Abbott and those who voted for the bill truly believe that the measure is made from some ineffable quality, that its higher purpose serves to advance gender equality. But until we allow transgender athletes to compete with the team that aligns with their gender identity, no such purpose can ever be accomplished.

Managing Editor - Content Saara Bidiwala

Managing Editor - Design Khushi Chhaya

Creative Director Nate Stitt

Director of Graphics Emma Nguyen

Associate Editors

Isabel Martinez and Valerie Xu

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Views Editor Emily Hu

Features Editor Sophia Li

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Evergreen Online Editors-in-Chief

Sumana Kethu and Spencer Jacobs

Managing Editor - Content Ria Agarwal

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Breaking News Editor Andrew Mann

Sports Editor Jack Trimmer

!""#$%&'()*$+,$#$-'*+./$01.$2.3),$ 2)#/*+*&$*)0$2#*&'#&),$#*4$"#5+*&$ #/67$8*$1)/$,9#/)$6+"):$,1)$2+,6)*,$6.$ "',+;:$,.<,$.3)/$;#6$3+4).,$#*4$;.22);6,$ )*#")2$9+*,7 Photo courtesy of Emma Nguyen

Arts and Entertainment Editor Emma Rikalo

Podcast Manager Bennett Broaddus

Greenhill Today Manager Jack Moses

Broadcast Team Payton Blalock and Ravi Vasan

Podcast Team

Editorial: Reject the College Obsession

A

Hanlon Shedd

Cross Platform Chief Staff Photographer

s students enter their senior year, they are always flooded with the same questions: "Where are you applying to college? What schools are you looking at? Do you know where you want to go?"

The questions may vary, but they all leave seniors perplexed and anxious about what their future will look like.

For most seniors, December is twice as stressful. They are writing essays for January deadlines and anxiously awaiting the first round of college admissions notifications, all while managing end-of-semester school assessments. Being constantly reminded by anyone and everyone about the college process while you are trying your best to get through it can be stressful.

The hyper-focus on college admissions throughout high school (and even earlier) creates an unhealthy existence that we feel takes away from the joy of living an authentic and fulfilling life. Yet the temptation to fall into the mindset of orienting your high school career to fit the college application process is beyond understandable. That’s

especially true when all your peers are stressed about it and the adults in your life are urging you to make monumental life decisions before you’re even legally an adult.

Micromanaging what you have control over – courses, extracurriculars, leadership and volunteering – and beginning as early as possible suddenly seem like the only responsible course.

We at the Evergreen urge students to take a step back and consider a different path.

First, being constantly worried about college isn’t beneficial for anyone. The combined pressure that society puts on seniors and that seniors put on themselves is unnecessary, to say the least. Given that application season is as all-consuming as it is, the last thing seniors want is to be bombarded with questions every moment.

Living life and making decisions for the purpose of getting into college takes away from the joy of high school. For example, extracurriculars are activities that we choose to do outside of school. By orienting them to be what we think colleges want to see, we

lose that passion.

Life is not about stacking a resume; it’s about finding and pursuing genuine interests. The burnout that results from overworking, overthinking, and constant questions and advice is stressful and anxietyinducing.

Furthermore, not living authentically during high school might be a precursor to years of unhappiness and stress at college.

Measuring success by a college acceptance can leave a student without a sense of direction once the application process is over, and that might carry into their time at college.

This is especially true for the seniors among us who are about to see years of stress culminate with the thrill – or heartbreak – of acceptance notifications and rejections.

There will be joy, and there will be tears.

With a clear understanding of that reality, we still believe that the healthiest way to engage with the college admissions process is by being authentic to oneself. Things will fall into place.

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Anonymous letters will not be published.

The staff editorial represents the opinion of The Evergreen staff, not necessarily that of Greenhill School.

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Wednesday, December 15, 2021

Evergreen Ever the

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Rants & Raves to freshmen finally getting their school computers. I’m not sure how many times it’s been delayed at this point, but it might have been worth it if they’re getting better laptops than the sophomores have.

A RAVENT to end-of-semester craziness. Technically, you could say this semester is the first real semester we’ve had, with COVID-19 getting in the way last year. I’m grateful we don’t have semester exams, but that doesn’t mean projects and tests can’t get piled on top of each other.

A RAVENT to cooler weather.

It’s not even that it’s better, but the weather is objectively more stable. Personally, I’m a fan of the colder weather, but it does mean we can’t go outside as much. Either way, the colder weather makes it officially acceptable to be drinking hot chocolate and holiday drinks at Starbucks now.

A RAVE to more end-ofyear music performances and the fall play. Not only was the play extremely good, but it’s also been fun seeing performers’ excitement when telling others about their first in-person performances.

The holiday sing-along is also supposed to happen.

Fingers crossed about that.

A

RAVE

A RAVE to being able to travel overnight again for arts or sports. There’s nothing like rooming with teammates or just friends in general. It makes for the best trips.

A RANT to college apps, continued.

Seniors, whether you have 2 or 15 applications to complete, we all sincerely wish you the best of luck.

A RAVE to the holiday season and its decorations. Putting aside school and homework, everyone’s anticipation of the holidays creates such a festive environment.

Driving through my neighborhood and seeing people putting up their lights make me quite happy.

A RANT to Midway construction. Again. I thought the construction and traffic last month would be the worst of it, but I couldn’t be more wrong. It used to be a couple of lanes blocked off; now it has gotten to the point where entire roads are closed, meaning I have to go home a completely different way.

A RAVE to the lunch line getting better. I don’t logistically know how it has worked out since everyone still eats lunch, but the wait has significantly decreased.

It just feels way more organized and less chaotic.

Opinion: Political Deadlock in Congress Complicates America’s Aspirations to be a Global Climate Leader Nikitha Thoduguli

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or two weeks, from Oct. 31 to Nov. 12, the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference brought together around 120 heads of state, over 500 fossil fuel industry employees and climate activists, totaling about 25,000 delegates from over 200 countries.

Attendance from major CO2-emitting countries was noticeably lacking. While President Joe Biden, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and German Chancellor Angela Merkel attended, Chinese Leader Xi Jinping and Russian President Vladimir Putin did not.

Given the absence of major emitters like China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and Iran, expectations for COP26, as the conference is known, were bleak while the costs of a warming planet remain enormous. Yet, the COP26 was anticipated to be the conference where parties were to make enhanced commitments building on the Paris Agreement at the COP21 in 2015.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change’s 2021 Climate report, the world needs to limit global warming to a maximum of 1.5°C to avoid devastating adverse impacts on resources, ecosystems, biodiversity, food security and carbon removal. Currently, the Earth has already warmed 1.1°C, making the potential climate commitments at the COP26 vital to achieving netzero emissions by midcentury.

The climate commitments of the United States, a country with nearly unparalleled international influence and the second highest CO2 emissions in the world, will be essential to formulating a global climate change solution.

At the COP26, Biden revealed the country’s commitment to reaching net-zero carbon emissions by 2050 while promising domestic climate change legislation in the form of his Build Back Better initiative during this “decisive decade.”

Biden reaffirmed his goal to resuscitate America’s status as a global climate leader after the indifference of the Trump administration. Nonetheless, the U.S. should not rest easy yet. The political impasse that Biden’s Build Back Better crusade has provoked in Congress suggests that while America may be at the forefront of the international climate movement, its domestic politics tell a different story.

Two weeks ago, Congress passed an infrastructure bill primarily dedicated to updating the electricity grid and transportation. But the social spending bill, designed to propel the U.S. green transition, has yet to pass the Senate due to polarization between Democrats and Republicans as well as inflexible centrist Democrats Joe Manchin and Kyrsten Sinema. They continue to withhold their support in favor of reducing the price tag on the bill at the expense of a clean energy program.

The social spending bill is by no means a silver bullet for the climate crisis. While it authorizes billions for agriculture, clean energy and a Civilian Climate Corps that employs young people in conservation efforts and green jobs, the bill neglects to fund the transition for fossil fuel workers and provides no punitive or reward incentives for companies to increase their use of renewables.

The crown jewel of the bill is the tax credit for Americans buying electric vehicles, but this alone is insufficient to spur a green transition that increasingly looks like a pipe dream.

Climate change poses the ultimate challenge for a policymaker – a prolonged, irreversible, indiscriminate global crisis that requires international cooperation to solve.

Administration after administration has willingly stuck its head in the sand in the face of definitive climate science. Others have papered over the issue with a placating gesture or empty promise, silently offloading the climate crisis into the lap of the next leader.

And while the Biden administration’s unwavering stance on climate change is a refreshing shift away from the

climate denialism of the Trump administration, there is no doubt that America’s international soft power has yet to be harnessed in the climate crisis.

With other prominent emitters shying away from global climate leadership, America has the potential to pioneer a green global economy with its political and economic might. This power comes with a responsibility to the world that domestic policymakers have fallen woefully short of fulfilling.

U.S. climate commitments at the COP26 and the social spending bill are baby steps in the right direction, but they leave much to be desired as America attempts to build back greener.

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Photo courtesy of Nikitha Thoduguli

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Wednesday, December 15, 2021

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Riya Kommineni, Anisa Walji

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GREENHILL

reshmen recently received their school-issued laptops as part of a broader effort by administration to bring uniformity to Greenhill’s technology landscape. It’s still early, but student reviews of the Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus for Business are well short of five stars.

Among the complaints: restrictions on popular websites like Netflix and applications that are available to juniors and seniors (who are still allowed to use their own laptops); a general sense of being monitored by administration; and a deep-rooted dislike of the Microsoft Windows operating system from a Mac-loving demographic.

Director of Technology Scott Rosa urges students to be patient.

He notes that this is only the second phase of a multiyear plan. Upper School sophomores were the first class required to purchase school-issued laptops, the Microsoft Surface.

Going forward, each freshman class will enter the program until the entire Upper School is using a school-issued laptop.

In response to those who suggest the school plan has created technology equity issues, Rosa says the old “bring-your-own-device” policy was more problematic, since some students are able to purchase more expensive laptops. “[School-issued laptops] bring a completely level playing field for the students,” Rosa said.

As for restrictions on websites, Rosa says Freshman Class Computers - Surface that students can always request that restrictions Pro 7+ for Business be eased. As long as a faculty member agrees, the technology department is willing to relax restrictions. “The idea is to ask,” Rosa said. “Don’t ever think that we don’t want you to have what you need in order to do your work.”

Sophomore Krish Mysoor was required to purchase the school-sanctioned Microsoft device, but he continues to use his MacBook. “The school-given computers were super slow, and really hard to use, especially for Advanced Video Production,” he said.

Sophomore Class Computers Microsoft Surface Laptop

Junior Nikitha Thoduguli has been exempt from the program, but she is another devoted MacBook user. “I think there is a level of familiarity that’s nice and also that you can solve your own troubleshooting issues. There is a level of autonomy that I appreciate. If I needed to download an app for class, I would not have to go to admin and get a password.”

Faculty use school-issued Microsoft laptops, so the program to equip all students with compatible devices will simplify connectivity issues. “We don’t get the choice of what style we want, but again that makes it a little easier because the ports for the laptops are the same,” said Upper School math teacher Steve Warner, who uses a Surface Laptop.

“This means students can plug into a project the same that I can, which is helpful for creating a uniform learning environment for both teachers and students.”

Not everyone wants to be on record as giving a Teacher Computers - Varying thumbs-down to the school-issued devices.

Microsoft Devices “I would feel a lot better about them if I didn’t have to pay for them,” said a freshman who recently started using a school-issued Microsoft Surface Pro 7 Plus for Business. “We spent like $1600 on them, and we don’t even get complete access to it and [administration] can see everything we do. I feel like I paid too much money and I didn’t get all the features.”

Junior and Senior Class Computers - Personal Devices

Sophomore Zoya Iyer was part of the pioneering Upper School class in the laptop program, and she has made an uneasy peace with her Microsoft device.

“While I don’t mind the actual laptops now that I have gotten used to it, I still usually wish they weren’t required for us to use,” Iyer said. “That being said, it is convenient that someone always has a charger at school, and it’s easier for me to share documents and PowerPoint for projects if everyone is using Microsoft One Drive.”

Graphic by Khushi Chhaya, Emma Nguyen and Emily Hu