April 2015 | The Evergreen, Greenhill School

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When the light at Hillcrest and Northwest Highway is broken, a group text notification pops up on a handful of teachers’ phones: “Avoid intersection at all costs. Find another route,” one of them may have written. These teachers all live in East Dallas and have formed a small community around their daily commute to Greenhill. They are adamant about living far away but as a result must navigate the complex and unpredictable Dallas highway system to get to school. Faculty come from a number of zip codes for various reasons. Some chose good school districts for their kids or a quiet secluded neighborhood. Others have adamantly chosen to live nearby, bypassing the traffic completely.

White Rock Lake

For the teachers who live near the Lake, the 15- to 20-mile commute can transfer to a 35- to- 45 minute car ride each way. A major factor for those who live by White Rock Lake is the culture and scenery of the neighborhoods. “It’s just a magical neighborhood,” said Catherine Hopkins, Upper School theatre teacher. “I love the history and I love the architecture. Our house was built in 1936, there’s only been three owners of our house,” of her Lakewood home. Similarly, Corbin Doyle, Middle and Upper School visual arts teacher, would not trade living close to the lake. “It can’t be about Greenhill as the epicenter of everything. I literally walk from my house with my canoe down to the lake. We’ve owned the house now for 18 years,” Mr. Doyle said.

Even Further Away Chad Bittenbender, Upper School science teacher, lives in Aubrey, approximately 30 miles north from school. On good days, it takes him 30-45 minutes to get to school, and on the bad days, the drive back can last over an hour and a half. Mr. Bittenbender has devised a strict schedule so he can beat the traffic. He usually leaves his home by 6:30 a.m. and leaves school at 6:30 p.m. “It kind of works perfectly. I can get all my work done here, so when I get home, I’m home. I try to be present when I’m home and not do that much work,”

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Alternative Spring Breaks p. 3

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he said. Mr. Bittenbender’s neighborhood is close to a farm. He often sees horses and other animals. For him, the remote aspect of Aubrey is therapeutic. “[My neighborhood] really resembles the town I grew up in. I love it when I go home and there is no chaos around my town. It really helps my psyche,” he said. Rebecca Shuman, Assistant Head of Upper School, lives in Trophy Club, near Southlake. She chose to live there because of its convenience for her family. It is exactly halfway between Greenhill and her husband’s work in Fort Worth. It normally takes her 40 minutes to get to school. When her daughter, junior Peyton Shuman, could not drive, coordinating schedules was difficult. She and her brother, eighth grader Jack Shuman, usually had to wait for Mrs. Shuman by the tennis courts or in Extended Day every afternoon. Mrs. Shuman said she loves the ability to get away from the Greenhill environment, however. “I prefer living in the sticks. If I was closer, I feel like I would always be here,” she said. Living close to Fort Worth has also allowed Mrs. Shuman’s family to be a part of two communities.

Carless in Dallas Barrett Ide, Upper School science teacher, used to share a house with other Greenhill teachers in University Park. Although the drive to Greenhill was 25 minutes, Mr. Ide eventually had enough. “When I was commuting by car, I found that my drive to and from work were some of my least favorite times of the day,” Mr. Ide said. As a result, Mr. Ide decided to move to the apartments across the street from Greenhill. Mr. Ide and his wife share one car, and he walks to and from school every day. “I get to watch the sun come up in the mornings. I like that it allows me, on my way home, to quietly think and process about my day, without having to worry too much about changing lanes or going at the right speed limit,” he said. Sharing a car with his wife has taught them both about communication. Even though Greenhill is in Mr. Ide’s backyard, he

Gender-neutral bathrooms spur discourse p. 4

april 22, 2015

Arts

Junior directs unique play, Lemon Sky p. 14

volume 50, issue 5

said he is able to separate himself from the school. “When I’m in my home, I don’t see Greenhill. When I’m in my living room, I’m in my living room. There wouldn’t be a difference if I was here or across the street or ten miles away,” Mr. Ide said. Mohammad Haque, Upper School Math teacher, moved from New York last year and currently lives in Lake Highlands. When Dr. Haque first came to Dallas, he did not have a car and thought Dallas would have a good public transit system since it is a major metropolitan city. “[I didn’t have a car for] about a month and a half. Yeah, that was fun. Before I moved to Dallas, I never needed a car, so I never got a car,” he said. To help the carless Dr. Haque out, various teachers lent him rides to school, including Michael Legacy, Upper School math teacher; April Burns, Upper School Spanish teacher; and Blake Harkey, Middle and Upper School English teacher. “I definitely got to know a little bit about [them]. We wouldn’t necessarily talk a whole lot, but there were little snippets here and there,” Dr. Haque said. Currently, Dr. Haque shares one car with his wife, who works from home.

Intentional Proximity Barbara Currier, Upper School Math teacher, moved from Plano to a house 1.9 miles away from campus. “I drew a circle around Greenhill and said I am going to buy a house within this circle,” she said. David Lowen, Upper School history teacher, used to live in a neighborhood in Garland where most students attended the local public school. “We were the family that sent our kid to the private school,” Mr. Lowen said. The taxing hour-long commute to and from school cut into family time, so the Lowens eventually decided to move near the Brookhaven Golf Course. story by Sanah Hasan, Catherine Leffert and Zayna Syed graphic by Sera Tuz and Ariana Zhang

Features

Admissions: A Parent’s Perspective p. 7

4141 Spring Valley Road, Addison, TX 75001

Sports

A Breakdown of Typical Injuries p. 18

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