May 2019 | The Evergreen, Greenhill School

may 24, 2019

the

volume 54, issue 6

Everything Greenhill

evergreengreenhill.org

The new scientific method Upper School Science Department changes its curriculum Read about Greenhill’s response to cheating on page 10

See page 4 Photo illustration by Sarah Luan

Muslims respond to worldwide Islamophobia Views English Chair Joel Garza after the New Zealand shooting and students discuss Amber Syed Executive Editor Fading memories of the March 15 massacre of 51 Muslims in New Zealand have given way to a dispiriting daily reality for many Muslims in North Texas. “[The New Zealand attacks were] unfortunately something that shouldn’t surprise any of us, which is a sad reality,” said Greenhill alumnus Simra Abedi ’17.

“With everything that’s shown in the media about Islam, retaliatory attacks like the one in New Zealand, while it was completely heartbreaking, it’s the stuff that [requires]

normal mainstream Muslims to get out and put ourselves in the public eye.”

The slaughter of Muslims during Friday prayers at two Christchurch mosques wasn’t random; it was the result of the shooter’s deeply rooted hatred of Muslims, a phenomenon now widely known as Islamophobia.

Islamophobia is defined as the irrational fear of, aversion to, or discrimination against Islam or people who practice Islam. It has been prevalent in America for years, but a recent study from the Council on American-Islamic Relations reported that there was a 15% increase

Students undertake Capstone projects Caroline Greenstone News Editor Greenhill recognizes that every student has distinct interests and provides seniors with a mechanism to explore and research diverse subjects: the capstone project.

Each year, roughly eight seniors elect to create a capstone project, an opportunity to study a topic of their choice for a class credit.

Greenhill has offered capstones since 2001, and these projects take an entire school year to complete.

There is no limit on the topic students can choose for their capstone. Many students are already interested in their chosen topic, either having taken classes or spent time outside of school. For many students, capstones act as an outlet to extensively study a topic of interest.

“The capstone project really is an independently student-driven yearlong study that is meant to serve as an opportunity for a student to pursue a passion and to pursue

Informing Greenhill since 1966

cont’d on page 14

of hate crimes against Muslims in 2017.

For some Muslim-Americans, they felt Islamophobia was more visible following the 2016 election in America where hatespeech against Muslims was more blatant.

“The first thing Trump’s election did was showcase how strong of an emotion Islamophobia is in this country, and secondly gave people who were Islamophobic who maybe weren’t as vocal about it, an opportunity to be vocal about it,” said Ms. Abedi. “If your president is saying certain things about a religion or cont’d on page 13

-Visit us online at evergreengreenhill.org -Add us on snapchat @evergreenhornet

microaggressions p. 19

News Greenhill releases a new policy mandating vaccines for new students p. 3

Sports See where six seniors are going to play D1 sports next year p. 8

Features Technology is changing the classroom experience for all ages p. 13

Arts Photography teacher Frank Lopez curates works of Greenhill students p. 18

4141 Spring Valley Road, Addison, TX 75001

Views

Rants & Raves A RAVE to the Spring SPC! There’s nothing quite like travelling on a coach bus with your teammates to the gorgeous city of Houston, Texas. Pushing through the sea of Greenhill students at Buc-ee’s to stock up on meals and snacks for the next few days is a whole experience that makes the four-hour bus ride worth it.

A RANT to the end of year scheduling process.

Having to plan out your class schedule can get stressful for us, especially since we can barely make weekend plans. Having to manually re-do our schedules in advisory is tedious and repetitive. I say we find a more convenient way that doesn’t take four rounds of edits to complete.

the

Evergreen staff editors-in-chief Jeffrey Harberg Hayden Jacobs

executive editor Amber Syed

managing editors Sonali Notani Leah Nutkis Riya Rangdal Raag Venkat

photos and graphics director Sarah Luan

arts editor

Sumana Kethu

features editor A RANT to the class of 2019 leaving us.

Knowing that our beloved seniors won’t be filling up our sports teams, classes, and clubs next year has us all feeling sad. We wish you the best of luck on your future endeavors, but promise to visit us every once in a while okay?

Cameron Kettles

news editor

Caroline Greenstone

sports editor A RAVE to this school year coming to end! Although I know most of us will miss wandering these hallways over the break, it’s about time we get some space for ourselves. Our lack of classes has us all feeling like we are living in the ‘High School Musical’ summer scene.

Lane Herbert

views editor

Natalie Gonchar

online editor-in-chief Sonia Dhingra

online executive editor Jothi Gupta

online broadcast editor Tej Dhingra

online associate editor Lola Frenkel

online arts editor Mila Nguyen

A RAVE to the first Greenhill Upper School lipsynching battle during F-day assembly.

Mr. Mercurio came out strong with a fog machine and guitar, only to be followed by Mr. Sandler’s live rendition of Elsa’s “Let it Go.” Big congrats to Ron Hall whose “Sunday Candy” performance won him the lip-synching award assembly.

A RANT to exams. With AP exams, students can be seen walking over to the Greenhill Towers at random times throughout the day, only to, wait for it, come BACK to classes after. Now we love the fun classes we take, but our brains have run out of gas after taking 3-5 hour exams. So, please help us preserve our grades and dignity!

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Sincerely, Jeffrey Harberg and Hayden Jacobs

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Defense Forces. Some students have expressed the view that The Evergreen should not have published Mr. Rudner’s letter because of the stridency of his support of Israel and his criticism of the Palestinian cause.

We would like to restate our policy on letters. Our decision to publish Mr. Rudner’s letter, or any other, should not be viewed as an endorsement of a particular position.

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online sports editor

Brent Ladin Spencer Jacobs

Letter from the Editors Our Feb. 20, 2019 article on Greenhill perceptions of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict continues to generate wide-ranging discussion by students and alumni. Reaction has intensified following publication of a letter-to-the-editor by Greenhill alumnus Josh Rudner ’17, who was quoted in the article and currently serves in the Israeli

Victor Le

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News

Greenhill mandates vaccinations

98%

of students who responded to our survey say that they are vaccinated.

Cameron Kettles Features Editor The 2019-2020 Prekindergarten class will join Greenhill as the first fully vaccinated class in the school’s 69-year history.

Starting next fall, Greenhill will require all new students to meet the Texas minimum state vaccine requirement.

“If you can, it is your job to get vaccinated,” said freshman Shruti Siva.

“The people who can’t get vaccinated rely on you to get vaccinated. They rely on herd immunity to keep them safe. It’s just irresponsible not to get vaccinated.”

Current students with state-approved conscientious exemption affidavits will not have to comply with the mandate.

However, Greenhill will no longer accept students that are not fully immunized.

“If peoples’ beliefs prevent their child from being vaccinated, you can’t change the rules after they have been admitted,” said Dean of Students Jack Oros. “What if a student had been attending for 10 years and then you change the rules? Then that parent has to decide whether to vaccinate their child against their beliefs or find another school.”

Because Texas school immunization exemption laws do not explicitly cover private schools and or daycare facilities, they have the freedom to choose. They can accept unvaccinated children on even more lenient terms than public schools can, or they can exclude them.

“We respect every individual’s right to make their own decisions,” said Director of Student Health Services Katie Trimmer.

“It is our choice as a private institution to make health a priority in our community so we can focus on the education of our students.”

Texas law allows physicians to write medical exemption statements that the vaccine required would be medically harmful to the health of the child or another household member. Students with medical exemptions will still be allowed to attend Greenhill.

“I know some people chose not to vaccinate their kids because of religious beliefs or thinking that vaccinations cause autism, but in this case, a private institution like Greenhill should be able to mandate vaccinations to keep the community safe,” said freshman Ashton Higgins.

The new policy stems from a series of measles outbreaks in New York, New Jersey and Washington state. From Jan. 1 to April 11, 2019, 555 individual cases of measles have been confirmed. This is the second-worst measles year since 2000, when health officials determined that the disease had been eliminated in the United States.

“Decisions are not made without a lot of thought and research,” said Mr. Oros. “If the administration thinks that this policy is the best way for the school to move forward, that decision wasn’t made lightly.”

Most of this year’s measles cases have been among children who were not vaccinated against the virus.

Texas school and childcare facility immunization requirements are determined by the state’s legislature and set by the Department of State Health Services. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, Texas is among 17 states that allow some type of non-medical exemption for vaccines for “personal, moral or other beliefs.”

In an interview with National Public Radio in February, Michelle Mello, a professor of law and health research and policy at Stanford University, noted that the bar for claiming exemptions is very low. “You can believe that vaccines don’t work or that they are unsafe, or they simply fly in the face of your parenting philosophy,” she said.

The recent outbreaks have lawmakers and schools across the country revisiting non-medical exemptions that allow children to attend school without vaccinations “It’s a case study for the kind of change that can come after a major outbreak,” said Leila Barraza, assistant professor at the University of Arizona’s College of Public Health, who wrote for the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2015.

“In public health, we never want more outbreaks. But outbreaks can prompt efforts to change policy.”

Deadly diseases tend to make people take prevention more seriously. As the outbreaks flared, vaccination rates soared across the country.

“Before I heard about [the measles outbreak], I thought it should be the parents’ choice,” said sophomore Drewv Desai. “After I heard about the measles outbreak, it changed my mind. People

67.8%

of children in Texas ( by 2017) are vaccinated, according to the Texas Department of State Health Services.

are dying because parents chose not to vaccinate their kids. I am all for following religious beliefs, but the safety of our community comes first.”

Vaccines have long been the subject of various ethical controversies. Some students feel like vaccinations are important but that they shouldn’t be mandatory because they violate bodily autonomy.

“In my opinion, I don’t think that vaccines should be mandatory, but I do think that they’re necessary,” said junior Kate Franklin. “I believe that people have the right to decide what they put in their bodies.”

According to Kate, most people who are against vaccinations have a rational explanation behind their position and tend to try to educate themselves before making any sort of assumptions.

“Most people that are anti-vax are not actually crazy or have no basis for their concerns,” she said. “Their fears do have legitimate reason behind them, whether it be some sort of personal experience with their child or just a general fear of the unknown.”

In a recent survey of 100 Upper School students, The Evergreen found that only 2% of respondents have not been vaccinated.

“Vaccinations are the reason a lot of these diseases have been eradicated,” said senior Leah Fradkin. “Not taking vaccinations brings them back. It puts those who can’t get vaccines for medical reasons or infants at risk of catching deadly diseases.”

According to the Federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, nine out of 10 unvaccinated people who are exposed to a disease will contract it. Someone who has no immunity can get sick up to three weeks after they have been exposed to the virus.

The new vaccination policy is intended to increase the effectiveness of herd immunity; reduce the number and scale of disease outbreaks on campus and send a message that diseases like measles are deadly and preventable.

“For people who, like me, thought that vaccinations are not important, Google ‘measles outbreak,’” said Drewv.

“Do research and educate yourself. This is a serious problem with an easy solution.”

0.84%

of Texas students have a non-medical exemption, according to the Texas Tribune.

Student voices: Kate Franklin

“In my opinion, I don’t think vaccines should be mandatory, but I do think they are necessary.”

Drewv Desai

“I’m all for following religious beliefs, but the safety of our community comes first.”

Shruti Siva

“If you can, it is your job to get vaccinated. The people who can’t [get vaccinated] rely on you to get one.”

Photos by Cameron Kettles and Graphic by Sarah Luan

the

4 news

Evergreen

friday, may 24, 2019

Science Department changes order of its Upper School classes Spencer Jacobs

Online Asst. Sports Editor

Greenhill’s Science Department is changing the order of its required classes in the Upper School starting next school year, turning physics and chemistry into yearlong freshman and sophomore courses, respectively, and biology into trimesterlong junior courses.

The idea was originally proposed by Upper School Science Department Chair Treavor Kendall, who had concluded from past experience at another school that the physics-first sequence was more beneficial for the students.

“This change is a result of about a year-long process where we researched this option, looked at some of the data that is associated with this sequence and what it looks like in other independent schools and assessed the benefits and the drawbacks,” Dr. Kendall said.

The goal is to have the ninth-grade physics course include rudimentary physics knowledge that acts as a building block for the other science courses.

“With physics as that base and foundation, the things that the Science Department wants to do in chemistry and biology will be that much more enhanced having had that physics foundation,” said Head of Upper School Trevor Worcester.

Although the ninth-grade physics course won’t be easier than eleventh-grade physics, it will be taught differently.

“It’s going to be inquiry-and-modelbased, so students are going to learn by developing scientific models,” said Dr. Kendall. “Students are going to be looking at a physical system, observing it, collecting data and then coming up with a model of that system.”

Another aim is to address student anxieties with the physics curriculum.

The Science Department is aware that some students believe that the physics

Graphic by Sarah Luan

curriculum is intimidating, so the hope is that resequencing the science courses will help lessen this, said Dr. Kendall.

“I think that, right now, the physics course that we offer, and quite frankly most junior-and-senior-level physics courses in high school, are pretty intimidating,” said Dr. Kendall. “There is a way to teach physics without the heavy math and in a more conceptual way that makes it more accessible to students.”

“

...students can look at advanced techniques in molecular biology and genetics and understand these techniques at a deeper level because of that physics foundation.”

The changes are coming about after extensive research by the Science Department, Dr. Kendall said.

“It resets the science curriculum and the Science Department has been very thoughtful in what ninth-grade physics looks like because they’re also being thoughtful of tenth-grade chemistry,” said Dr. Kendall. “It’s not just what [ninth graders] are taking and moving it to tenth grade.”

Even though the physics curriculum is changing grade levels and content, Dr. Kendall said he does not see the class getting easier.

Many students believe that ninthgrade chemistry is a challenging course and think it is a good idea to move chemistry to an eleventh-grade class.

“The chemistry concepts are pretty hard,” said freshman Ryan Saqueton. “I feel like I’m working pretty hard to get a mediocre grade.”

Right now, there are two levels of chemistry that are offered to the ninthgrade class. However, next year, when

physics becomes a part of the ninthgrade curriculum, there will no longer be multiple levels.

Freshmen and sophomores will finish out the existing sequence of chemistry, biology and physics. Next year, the only chemistry class being taught to Upper School students will be Advanced Placement (AP) Chemistry, which is only offered to upperclassmen. Freshmen and juniors will take physics while sophomores will take biology.

Going forward, the students’ physics background will allow teachers to teach a much newer version of biology.

“It’s going to enable us to do a more modern version of biology where students can look at advanced techniques in molecular biology and genetics and understand these techniques at a deeper level because of that physics foundation,” Dr. Kendall said.

Evergreen the

friday, may 24, 2019

5 news

Sophomore conducts research lab with science teacher

Photos courtesy of Raag Venkat

STEMMING INTO SCIENCE: Aminah Asghar and Upper School science teacher Andrejs Krumins work on the part of their research lab where they will inject bacterial cells with DNA. The two worked on this project for the duration of the third trimester. "She took charge of her learning, and I think that is huge opposed to me finding her," said Dr. Krumins.

Raag Venkat

Managing Editor

Sophomore Aminah Asghar worked with Upper School science teacher Andrejs Krumins on a research laboratory project throughout the third trimester.

Aminah was able to expand on her interests in molecular biology by volunteering to help Dr. Krumins with an outside of class research lab starting on May 2. This project entailed synthesizing a protein known as dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) as well as amplifying DNA through bacterium in the process. While Aminah and Dr. Krumins both agree that the project was fun, they also stress that research opportunities like this are big learning processes and beneficial to future careers.

Throughout the year, Aminah had many conversations with Dr. Krumins about her passion for biology. During one meeting, a project from Dr. Krumins’ Biochemistry class came up in a conversation about molecular biology, and Dr. Krumins recommended that she work on the project with him.

“What struck me about Aminah was that it was more or less her coming up to

me and saying, ‘Hey, I’m interested in doing this,’” said Dr. Krumins. “She took charge of her learning, and I think that is huge opposed to me finding her.”

The lab required previous knowledge, so Dr. Krumins explained information about the lab to Aminah a couple days in advance.

Essentially, Aminah would be taking the DHFR protein and adding a red, glowing fluorescent protein. She then would take the two proteins and essentially ‘tape’ them together. This allowed Aminah to locate where the DHFR is located in the bacterial cell as it glowed red.

“

The whole project was so interesting because this type of lab work is what I looked forward to everyday."

The first step of the project was making sure they had enough DNA to work with.

Aminah and Dr. Krumins put DNA into bacteria and let it amplify in the bacterial cells. Then, they selected individual colonies of the DNA and multiplied them in a 3mm

lysogeny broth (LB) culture, which is used for the growth of bacteria. Afterward, they used a plasmid miniprep kit designed for the isolation of high-purity plasmid DNA for 45 minutes to an hour.

“It’s a lot of hurry-up-and-wait,” said Dr. Krumins. “The action only takes a few minutes and then you wait until there is enough material for the following day.”

After they had amplified enough DNA, they were then able to start verifying the specific parts needed. They did a series of precise analytical digests and essentially used ‘molecular scissors’ to make sure they had what they think they needed.

“This experience has definitely opened my eyes to a lot of things that go behind the scenes in labs because even the smallest steps require so much consideration and a lot of calculations,” Aminah said.

Next, they needed the expression plasmid for the protein they expressed in the bacteria and the insert, which is the fluorescent dye protein. They ligated the proteins together and then the process started anew.

“The whole project was so interesting,” Aminah said. “This type of lab work is what I looked forward to every day.”

Dr. Krumins agrees that the lab experi-

ence was enjoyable.

“My favorite part of the lab is everything; I wouldn't do this if I didn't love it,” said Dr. Krumins. “When students have that ‘aha’ moment in class or in the lab, that is the most awesome part of any teacher’s experience.”

According to Aminah, the project was an immense learning experience because of the classes she was taking – Advanced Biology and Bioethics on Global Online Academy (GOA) – concurrently with the research lab.

“The things we learn in biology and my GOA class can be applied to the lab side by side, and it’s fascinating to apply that knowledge outside of the classroom and really see it in action,” said Aminah.

The most important aspect about the lab, however, is that it’s an invaluable experience for Aminah’s future in molecular biology, Dr. Krumins said. “[The research lab experience] is going to be a huge advantage in university working at the undergraduate level,” said Dr. Krumins. When someone asks you if you have an experience you will say ‘oh yes’ and that will serve as a gateway for different fields of study.”

Sports

With Hornet passion and pride

Looking back on Mr. Wabrek’s six years on the Hill

Photos courtesy of Emily Wilson and by Tim Kaiser

LEAVING A LEGACY: Mr. Wabrek has been a member of the Greenhill community since the 2014-2015 school year. Whether he is needed on or off the fields, Mr. Wabrek has proven to be a reliable and dedicated Athletic Director. Mr. Wabrek will be filling the position of Associate Athletic Director at the Pace Academy and moving to Atlanta, Georgia.

Jeffrey Harberg Editor-in-Chief

Head of Athletics & Physical Education Chad Wabrek walked onto Maalouf field on Oct. 10 with a leaf blower in his hand.

The skies were gray and the field’s grass shavings were damp, the result of a downpour throughout the week; this left athletes, parents and coaches questioning the readiness of the field prior to their Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC) counter game against Oakridge planned for that day.

Mr. Wabrek knew the answer to that: the field hockey team would play, and he would make it happen. So, while the girls were warming up on the sidelines, Mr. Wabrek himself blew away the wet grass.

His passion and devotion have not gone unnoticed by students or faculty as Mr. Wabrek bids farewell after six years at Greenhill. He is relocating to Atlanta, Georgia, where he will work at Pace Academy as an Associate Athletic Director.

“People keep telling me Pace [Academy] is a school very similar to Greenhill,” said Mr. Wabrek.

“I hope to take my teaching, coaching and administration experience to help them as much as I can.”

Mr. Wabrek had a vision of the trajectory of his career after college, putting him on a path that led him to Greenhill.

After earning an undergraduate degree from Hobart College, he decided that he wanted to teach and coach as a career. He returned to West Hartford, Connecticut, and secured a position as a teaching intern at Renbrook School, the school he attended for eighth and ninth grade. He then earned his master’s degree in English at Middlebury College in Vermont while teaching and coaching at Fessenden School and Suffield Academy, both boarding schools, followed by a stint at Louisville

Collegiate School, a day school in Kentucky, before starting at Greenhill.

“

He brought back people’s excitement for sports and then took it to another level.”

Mr. Wabrek arrived on campus a day before his interview to evaluate the school and its atmosphere, and he loved what he saw.

“I was so impressed with the look, the vibe, the administrators and the kids; it was all just terrific,” he said about his interview process. “I left feeling like this was a place where I could grow as an educator but also help the school.”

Following his hiring, Mr. Wabrek asked to start work two weeks early, and he spent those days immersing himself in the campus . After he left a building, he would write down on a notepad the names of the people he met so he could remember them the next time they crossed paths, he said.

“He wanted to meet, faceto-face, as many people on campus as possible, and that has rung true throughout his whole career here,” said Upper School PE Department Chair Stacey Johnson. “He’s a very personable, charismatic guy and someone who puts in so much hard work and effort into this program.”

Mr. Wabrek brought with him many ideas that he wanted to implement almost immediately. One of them was the prioritization and execution of three C’s: clarity; consistency and communication. He wanted to rethink how the department was perceived in the community.

He helped establish basic expectations in all programs and sharpened the department’s message and intentions. From the latter came the renowned phrase

“relentless effort” that is still used by coaches and students today.

He was both impressed and motivated by the parents’ participation and input in the Athletics Department, he said. However, he knew there might be different perceptions of the department’s intentions and efforts.

A challenge he faced was hearing and considering input from the dozens of people who attempted to influence the department through the years.

“The community was willing to come in and tell me what their thoughts were, and I was willing to accept it, look at it, think about it and push the message out,” Mr. Wabrek said.

Coach Johnson said that Mr. Wabrek never leaves an issue unaddressed.

“He turns every stone over,” he said. “It’s just not in his nature to sit down and not do anything.

With him, there’s always something to be done.”

Mr. Wabrek has not only served as the leader of the Athletics Department, he has served as the adviser for a group of current seniors as well.

Graduating senior Harrison Heymann said he enjoyed having Mr. Wabrek as his adviser because of his loquacious personality.

“He hammers home all of his points,” he said. “He does a lot of the talking, which can be kind of nice sometimes.”

Junior Emma Kaiser said that Mr. Wabrek has done a lot to enhance the atmosphere and reputation of the school’s Athletics Department and loves how competitive the teams are now compared to those before his arrival.

“He brought back people’s excitement for Greenhill sports and then took it to another level,” she said. “The coaches he’s hired and his passion for every team has done a lot to improve the programs.”

Mr. Wabrek hopes that,

with the help of his fellow administrators and coaches, he is leaving the Athletics Department better than he found it by upholding his three C’s and maintaining passion for Greenhill sports. He also hopes to see the ideals of high performance and relentless effort live on. “[My legacy] is less about me and more about the school itself,” he said. “My role was to have Greenhill be well-represented in the community both from an athletic standpoint and as an institution as well.”

Harrison praised Mr.

Wabrek’s enthusiasm and passion.

“When he is doing something, he is always into it -he’s happy, smiling and positive.” he said.

Some of Mr. Wabrek’s trademark traits will long be remembered.

“The way he signs his emails with ‘With Hornet Passion and Pride’ is very telling of his commitment to the program,” said Emma. “Those old mint green pants he would wear before football games, those aren’t going to be forgotten any time soon, either.”

the

Evergreen sports 7 The tail of a Hornet horseback rider

friday, may 24, 2019

Photos courtesy of Ellie Peterson

OFF TO THE RACES: Sophomore Ellie Peterson takes her horseback riding passion to the next level as she competes across the nation. Ellie has been able to grow her love for the sport as well as the companionship she has with her two horses, Santa Cruz and Cassiopeia Cellestin. She hopes to compete at the Junior Hunter Finals this summer.

Lane Herbert Sports Editor Five times a week, sophomore Ellie Peterson can be seen tacking up, hacking around or even jumping over courses.

She splits her time between nationally competitive horseback riding and the commitment of Greenhill’s academics.

Although Ellie starting competitively riding in the sixth grade, her love for horses originated long before, as her family would take trail rides on their horses during their summer vacations to their cabin. A trail ride is generally a leisurely ride on a horse, on low motorized trails or roads. Her third and fourth grade birthday parties were always farm-themed and featured a pony as the main attraction. Ellie remembers the joy, excitement and sense of purpose from the first time she rode a horse at her birthday party in third grade.

“Just having a horse, it’s like a built-in best friend; they’re not judgmental, they’re innocent and they’re sweet,” said Ellie. “It’s really cool to see how your hard work pays off because you can’t convince or force horses to do anything.

They have to trust you.”

Ellie owned her first horse in 2016. The horse’s name was Santa Cruz, or “Escobar”, and she and Escobar earned the championship in the Zone Seven 3’3” ring. Zone Seven is comprised of the riders that live in and compete in Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas, Arkansas, Louisiana and Missouri.

Horse shows and leagues are categorized by the height of the jumps that the riders and horses are competing on.

Ellie competes in the three foot and three-inch ring, called 3’3”. That same year, Ellie and Escobar placed first in Texas for equitation, which is the overall presentation of the rider as well as how the rider works to show skill and ease while jumping.

Recently, Ellie has been riding a new horse by the name of Cassiopeia Cellestin, or “Tino”. They have competed in 12 horse shows in the past year. Ellie and Tino have earned a tricolor, meaning that they have earned champion or reserve champion, which is second place, at nine out of those 12 horseshows. Ellie says one of this year’s greatest accomplishments was winning champion two weeks in a row at the annual Pinoak Charity Horse Show, a top competitive show in Texas. Ellie and Tino plan to wrap up the year with a grand finale: the Junior Hunter Finals in Pennsylvania over the summer.

Ellie said that the difference between her two horses is very evident.

“Tino has a lot more personality that Escobar,” she said. “Tino is one of those horses that really needs a person; he needs a kid to take care of and ride him around and everything. I’m that person for him so we have worked very well together.”

On average, Ellie rides about four or five times a week for a total of about 19 hours. On weekdays, Ellie spends about three and a half hours at the barn riding, practicing courses and grooming her horses. On the weekends, Ellie will either ride in a show, which is a day-long venture, or spend about

four to five hours practicing, free-style riding and working with her horse.

According to Ellie, Greenhill has been receptive and considerate of her commitment to riding.

“Greenhill is very understanding of everyone in general who has to miss school,” she said. “I don’t feel like I get any special treatment just because I ride, and I feel like if anyone needs to miss school for whatever reason, it would be the exact same for them.”

Ellie’s intense practice and competition schedule has even pushed her to be a better time-manager and organizer.

“It can be hard to really sit down at times and get a lot of stuff done, so I do try to work ahead a little bit and do stuff in the car,” she said. “Even though I do procrastinate a bit, [horseback riding] helps me manage my time more because I know I’m not going to have time to do it later, so I need to really be diligent.”

Ellie is looking forward to the summer riding season and aspires to ride the rest of her life. Her dream is to import horses from Europe when they are young and train them in the United States.

“The bond you can build with a horse, I think it’s incredible and you can’t replicate that in any other way,” Ellie said. “And just seeing the progress that you make with your horse knowing that you all work so well together.”

Empty seats, full fields

Teachers respond to the amount of student-athlete absences Tej Dhingra Greenhill Today Producer The experiences of one Greenhill student will undoubtedly be different than the experiences of another, and this is partly determined by the amount of commitments they have outside of academics. One of the main commitments that many Greenhill students have is athletics.

Greenhill faculty have given their perspectives on the challenges facing serious student-athletes and how well they think Greenhill accommodates them. Head of Upper School Trevor Worcester feels that there should be more of an effort to highlight these unique high school experiences that Greenhill students have.

“I think we need to be better about saying that the triangle is never going to be equilateral for all students,” Mr. Worcester said.

Upper School Director of Academics Jason Yaffe recognizes that while studentathletes live very well-rounded lives, they face many challenges due to having to dedicate time to their sports.

“I think that it starts on the front end in terms of a student being resourceful, understanding where they are in the course and what they are missing,” said Mr. Yaffe.

“If a student asks a teacher for an extension and shows progress, [teachers] would be more willing to give the extension to them.”

However, Mr. Yaffe also recognizes that actually being present in the classroom during lessons are experiences that are hard to recapture.

“You may get the notes, but it’s not like actually being there,” he said.

Mr. Worcester thinks that a solution to relieve unnecessary stress from studentathletes may be to have teachers put more of an emphasis on having students engage in class so that they have less work to do outside of class.

Mr. Worcester also acknowledges the heavy responsibility and work that comes with being a successful athlete, and he thinks that Greenhill as a whole needs to better acknowledge the work that goes into being a student-athlete at Greenhill.

“I think it’s really hard. I don’t think we give enough credit for all that [student-athletes] do,” said Mr. Worcester.

“Mentally dealing with all the pressures and expectations academics has, it’s a lot we are asking [student-athletes] to do.”

Mr. Yaffe agrees that the responsibilities for a student-athlete are immense, overwhelming and partially unnecessary.

“I think we compete far too much,” said Mr. Yaffe. “I think it’s gone too far. Because of that, I think it’s very hard to be a studentathlete, very hard to be a student in terms of one’s commitments.”

Mr. Yaffe thinks that one of the big issues that results in a lot of the extra stress

Photo by Sarah Luan and Raag Venkat

YOUNG, BUT MIGHTY: Freshman players (above) contributed greatly to varsity boys soccer team’s 4-0 win against the Parish Episcopal School of Dallas.

for student-athletes is that some coaches do not fully understand what it means to be a student at Greenhill.

“It’s certainly harder if you’re a club player,” he said. “The big issue is that a lot of these clubs don’t fully understand the commitment that their student-athletes have to their schools.”

He thinks that this goes both ways, as teachers may not know the demands that their students have on the field or court.

“There is still room for growth in terms of understanding both these arenas,” Mr. Yaffe said.

8 sports

the

Evergreen

Go Hornets, go!

friday, may 24, 2019

Six seniors to play NCAA Division I sports Bailey Bowman

Bailey Bowman will play field hockey at the University of Michigan next fall. She came to Greenhill her sophomore year and made her presence on the field known immediately.

Bailey was awarded All-SPC honors and team Most Valuable Player (MVP) her junior year season. She is looking forward to the competitive atmosphere and the challenge of playing at such a high level. While she’s going to miss her teammates and coaches at Greenhill, she is excited for the opportunity to become close with a new team and coaches. Bailey remembers her recruitment process as overwhelming and somewhat stressful. She is very excited to be able to attend Michigan next year.

“I will definitely miss my friendships. I was the only senior on the team last year so I became very close with girls who I probably wouldn’t have been as close with if it wasn’t for field hockey.” said Bailey.

JT Herrscher

Max Motlagh

Maya Desai

JT Herrscher plans to attend Stanford University next year to pole vault. He came to Greenhill for his sophomore year and is leaving as the best pole vaulter in Greenhill’s history.

JT earned All-SPC honors all three years at Greenhill. He holds the Greenhill and SPC record for pole vaulting. He won every meet in his senior season except for one. His best height is 17’0“ , which is the third highest vault in the country for high schoolers. His favorite part of pole vaulting is the “craziest feeling in the world” when he clears a bar. He’s looking forward to competing at a school that is so strong athletically and academically.

Max Motlagh will join the Boston College tennis team next fall. Max made his presence known on the court during his time at Greenhill; he finished his tennis career with only two match losses in the Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC) tournament throughout his four years. Max has helped lead the Hornets to two SPC championships. His hard work and dedication has earned him three All-SPC honors and a spot as team captain during his senior year season. Max is looking forward to competing for a new team next year but will miss representing Greenhill on the court.

“I am really excited to be able to compete at a high level, and represent a team who appreciates the sport as much as I do,” Max said.

Maya Desai will fence at the University of California San Diego (UCSD) next fall. She looks forward to being able to compete and form new relationships with her team next year, as most of the fencing events at the Division I level are team structured, a change from the high school level. While most sports require physical strength, fencing requires a lot of mental strength as well. While Maya remembers the college recruiting process as mostly stressful, she is extremely excited to have ended up at UCSD. “I loved the coaches at UCSD, they were so supportive and made our success in school just as important as our success in fencing,” said Maya. “I am excited to be a part of a new family next year and compete at such a high level.”

Jordan Simmons

Jordan plans to attend Air Force Academy next year to play basketball. Since his freshman year, Jordan has always been a force to be reckoned with on the court. He earned the team Most Valuable Player (MVP) award his senior year, and was also awarded All-SPC honors his upperclassman seasons. Jordan helped lead the team to an impressive 22-9 season record his senior year, which is the most games won in one season in the basketball program’s history.

Jordan is looking forward to representing a new team next year and being a part of a new program, but will miss the bonds he formed with his teammates. Though Jordan’s recruitment process was a bit lengthy and stressful at times, he is very excited to play for Air Force Academy next year.

“I am really going to miss playing big games, where the bleachers were packed with all of all of my friends and family,” he said.

Brennan Andrews-Brown

This fall, Brennan Andrews-Brown will play football at Howard University. All of Brennan’s hard work and dedication on and off the field ultimately paid off; he was awarded with All-SPC honors his senior year. While Brennan will miss all of the relationships that he has formed throughout his career with teammates and coaches, he is excited to attend Howard. Brennan choose to attend Howard in order to immerse himself in the rich culture that it has to offer.

Brennan described the college recruiting process as one of the most stressful experiences he has ever had, though he is very excited that he ending up going to Howard.

“I’m going to miss high school Texas football,” said Brennan. “There’s nothing like it. Playing under those Friday night lights is a feeling I could never recreate because of how special it is.”

Briefs about the Division II and Division III athletes will be published online at evergreengreenhill.org Story by Brent Ladin and Spencer Jacobs Photos courtesy of recognized athletes

friday, may 24, 2019

Evergreen the

senior section

As our parting gift, we dedicate these next four pages to the legendary Class of 2019

1st - Rice Babies

4th

- Mystery Theater

7th

2nd-

Recess on the Playground

5th - Greek Play and Quiz Bowl Day

3rd

- Lower School Concert

6th - Renaissance Day

- Tutoring kids from Bush Elementary

8th - First EVER trip to Washington, D.C.

9thBoat - Cardboard Race

10th - Wacky

11thGames - Turnabout

12th - SENIOR

Tacky Day

WATERTOWER PAINTING

9

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10 senior section Students attending college on the West Coast

2

Students taking a gap year

0

Students attending university in Canada

1

Student attending a United States military service academy

9

Students attending school in Austin

0 students 1 student 2 students 3-5 students 6-9 students 10-19 students

Students staying in Texas

20+ students

Arizona State University Austin College Barnard College (2) Beloit College Boston College Bowdoin College Brookhaven College Bryn Mawr College California Institute of Technology Carleton College Case Western Reserve University (2) Chapman University (2) Colgate University College of Charleston Colorado College

Colorado State University Cornell University Davidson College Emory University Harvard College (2) Haverford College Howard University Indiana University at Bloomington (4) Loyola Marymount University Loyola University New Orleans New York University (2) Northeastern University Northumbria University Northwestern University (4) NYU Abu Dhabi

Occidental College (2) Pomona College (2) Princeton University Purdue University (2) Queens University of Ch Reed College Rhodes College Rice University (5) San Diego State Univers Sarah Lawrence College School of Visual Arts Southern Methodist Un Southwestern University Stanford University (2) Texas A&M University (

green

harlotte

sity e

niversity (4) y (2)

(2)

friday, may 24, 2019

11

Students attending colleges or universities in the six New England states

Students attending college outside the United States

The University of Alabama The University of Oklahoma The University of Texas, Arlington The University of Texas, Austin (8) The University of Texas, Dallas (2) Trinity College Dublin Tufts University Tulane University (2) United States Air Force Academy Preparatory School University of California, Los Angeles University of California, San Diego University of California, Santa Barbara University of Chicago (2) University of Colorado at Boulder

University of Connecticut University of Georgia University of Houston University of Kansas University of Kentucky University of Miami University of Michigan (5) University of Minnesota, Twin Cities (2) University of Notre Dame University of Pennsylvania University of Southern California University of Washington Vanderbilt University (2) Washington University in St. Louis (3) Wesleyan University

*list provided by College Counseling, current as of May 17

Evergreen the

12 senior section

friday, may 24, 2019

Senior Advisors bid farewell to their advisories It has been an honor and a pleasure to be your advisor and part of the Kendall fam for the last 4 years. Seemingly in an instant, you have gone from wide-eyed freshmen to mature, independent, wildly spectacular humans. My pride for you overflows. You impress in every way. Although Mr. Hark may have something to say about this, I plan on taking a sabbatical next year to travel the country to your respective campuses to make sure you are getting sleep, being good citizens, studying hard, and continuing to amaze. I have supreme confidence that you will set the world on fire, each in your own way. I need to stop typing now, because the tears are starting to flow. I love you guys! I will miss you terribly.

- Dr. Kendall When did it happen? One day you were these dozen–or-so, individual ninth graders, and then in a blink of an eye, you were a group. But, you were more like a family than a group because in that back corner classroom, you were all comfortable with just being yourselves. In 503 @ 8:43 a.m., just being you was right and honest and wholesome. No wonder then, on some days, no one wanted to leave.

But as you all left and returned to 503 again and again, I watched as you realized that you had more, much more, than whatever was required of you outside that classroom. You took on challenges and grew past them, far past them. So Timothy, Jade, Kristian, Abby, Jacob, Alisha, Caleb, Ariana, Ross, Abigail, Jordan, Hannah, and Scottie--Know and Remember, as you move into your futures, you will always have far more than what will be required of you. Congrats, Woolley 2019! --msw

I hate these things. I’m not good at them, and I’ve put it off as long as Harrison will allow. In that regard many of you seem to share my tendencies toward procrastination, and occasionally, downright dereliction. But, I must send you off it seems. Go far! Fly high! Learn much more stuff! Most importantly, though, meet interesting people and make memories with them. You’ll spend your whole lifetime learning, whether you want to or not. This coming 3-5 years will be the last time you will have almost unfettered time on your hands. Be aware as you use it that you’ll likely remember the things you did and didn’t do with that time for the rest of your life. I do. It’s been just over 35 years since I was in your shoes. Moments from the four years of my undergraduate time are some of my most poignant memories. Invest in people. Invest in relationships with those people. Invest the most in yourself. You are worth it! I look forward to seeing what flowers within you. Be good for our world – WE need that!

I am so proud of all of you and everything that you have accomplished.

You all are my safety blankets because I have only known Greenhill as a teacher with all of you here. Whether we go back 6 years or 2, you will always be my point of reference for any and all future Muñoz advisories. I wish you all the best from the bottom of my heart. Please stay in touch and remember to always, “Have a good day and to learn something!”

P.S.- “So no one told you life was going to be this way. Your job's a joke, you're broke. Your love life's D.O.A. It's like you're always stuck in second gear.

When it hasn't been your day, your week, your month or even your year, but I'll be there for you.” -The Rembrandts AKA Friends theme song

- Ms. Muñoz

- Dr. Krumins

To say that it has been a pleasure working with you for two years is an understatement! We have shared memories; we have shared many laughs; we have played lots of hangman; and we shared lots of donuts with one another as well! I still remember my advisory group as a senior in high school (1987) – Mr. Bates was a science teacher and a whole lot nicer than I was (ha!) – so my parting advice is short and sweet: #FTA (For The Advisory)!

Good luck this summer and in college next year!

I foresee that when I look up at the sky, there will be thirteen fewer stars. I will miss them, but I know that they will be shining bright somewhere else. Even though you all are going your separate ways, always remember that you have a home here to come back to. No matter how many years go by, our bond will never die. I’m looking forward to those clear nights when my stars come back and light up my sky once again. Dr. O

- Mr. Wabrek This is going to be read by many people in the Evergreen. I’m not one for public displays of affection, even written ones. On graduation day, I’ll give you each an envelope. Read what’s inside. It will capture my sentiment better than anything public. Until then, to satisfy the purpose of this exercise, I’ll simply say I love you all like you were my own. Adrian

- Dr. Oumanar From the Seniors: We all joined at different times, and the four of us were never actually in the same class at the same time. But the spirit of the Evergreen has been constant within us this past year.

Over the years we have held different positions and worked on different sections, but we’ve all contributed to this paper in our own way. From humble beginnings we have come to be leaders on this staff and we do not take our positions lightly. From editing stories to writing Rants & Raves to designing sections to mentoring freshmen, we’ve been all over this newspaper. We will always remember the long layouts, fun family dinners and being back-to-back #STATECHAMPS.

Live. Love. Layout.

Harrison, Mira, Ross and Caroline

- Ms. Suarez

Thanks to each of you for playing an integral role in making our advisory the best! Cliché, I know, but it seems like it was only a few days ago when we set out to build the ‘best’ cardboard boat the competition has ever scene. It has been truly a pleasure to know each of you and watch you thrive at Greenhill School. I have the utmost confidence that each of you will significantly contribute in making the world a better place. Thanks again. Dr. K

- Ms. Woolley

- Mr. Funkhouser

My dear and beloved ones: The time to say goodbye has arrived! It seems that you have finally made it to the end of this journey. I need to remind you, this is not really an end but the beginning of the best time of your life.

Follow your dreams, find your true self, find your voice, find your passion, stand for what you believe, enjoy every moment, and most of all don’t ever give up!

Success should not be measured for what others expect from you but for how much peace, joy, and love you find in your life journey. I leave you with a quote of my favorite author Kahlil Gibran: “Your living is determined not so much by what life brings to you as by the attitude you bring to life; not so much by what happens to you as by the way your mind looks at what happens.”

Wish you the best, and remember I am rooting for you!

- Mr. Martinez

When I joined the Team of ’19 three years to take the Advisory formerly known as Sternberg, I didn’t quite know what I was getting. “They’re a good group,” Ms. Burke assured me. “You’re going to love them.” In hindsight, I can say that she was partially correct. You are in fact a great group, a collection of smart, quirky, and wicked funny kiddos who make life wildly entertaining and enjoyable.

But more than that, you are genuinely good people who have taken care of each other – and me. You have had a hand in so many impactful moments for me over the last few years (at least those not involving Boston championships), for which I am deeply grateful. As you move beyond 4141 Spring Valley Rd., continue to affect the lives of those around you positively and profoundly. Please come back to visit; our time together doesn’t have to end with graduation. And finally, thank you for ensuring that Ms. Burke was 100% spot-on on one count – I do love yis all.

- Mr. Mercurio

Features

The aftermath of attacks

Shootings in New Zealand prompt global response cont’d from page 1 race or minority in this country, then you think that’s okay too."

Tenth grader Aminah Asghar, who is Muslim, said she feels that Islamophobia is present in the media. She referenced a study which compared headlines from news outlets when a white person perpetrated an attack, versus when a Muslim person did. “[News outlets] will portray headlines that have passive comments that frame Muslim people as violent,” said Aminah.

Islamophobia takes many forms; some Muslims face smaller forms of Islamophobia on a dayto-day basis.

Aminah said she doesn’t feel much discrimination living in Allen, but used to feel it more when she lived in Louisiana.

Aminah said her mom faces more discrimination than she does. Her mom wears the hijab, a headscarf that some Muslim women choose to wear; this makes her more susceptible to discrimination, since the hijab is a more visible way of expressing one’s Islamic faith. In fact, 69% of women who wear the hijab have been a victim to at least one incident of discrimination compared to 29% of women who do not wear the hijab, according to the American Civil Liberties Union. Aminah’s mom works in Sherman, Texas as a dentist; some people don’t want her mom to treat them because she’s Muslim, according to Aminah. “[My] mom didn’t wear hijab [when we lived in Louisiana], because it wasn’t very safe for her to [wear it],” said Aminah. “But that was before the election. If we were to [still] live in that environment, I don’t think my parents would be as inclined to be publicly Muslim.”

On the other hand, though, Aminah said her mom was received with hugs and support from strangers at their grocery store following the New Zealand attacks.

Ms. Abedi said her relationship with her religion has evolved recently, in part due to the rising Islamophobia in America.

“I find myself needing to be more of an advocate for Islam

due to what’s happening all over the world and especially in the U.S. under this administration.

As Muslims, we almost have a responsibility to arm ourselves with knowledge so that we can promote Islam in a way that’s more accurate than how the media sometimes does,” she said.

While Ms. Abedi said people at Greenhill were accepting of Islam, and showed love towards the religion, she felt that no one really understood the religion.

“It’s hard to support Muslims without really knowing what we stand for,” said Ms. Abedi. “Of course, you can stand in solidarity, and say it’s really great to fast during Ramadan, but I think it’s important to really learn what Islam is.”

Aminah said she feels that Greenhill could do more to represent the Muslim community.

“I feel like in terms of teacher diversity, there’s not a big Muslim community. Also [in history classes], when there are important events that Muslims contribute to, [it’s not really noted],” she said.

Both Aminah and Ms. Abedi think it’s important for Muslims to relay the true meaning of Islam to others. For Aminah, she believes interfaith groups between churches, synagogues and mosques are very important.

“I think [the churches, synagogues, and mosques in my area] all really emphasize [making] a community regardless of your faith, regardless of being targeted, so I think all three groups coming together has had a really significant impact on the community,” she said.

Ms. Abedi believes combating Islamophobia starts and ends with education. She’s found that her time in college has allowed her to really educate her peers on the religion.

“People really want to learn,” she said. “People are so interested to hear where everybody comes from, because everyone leads completely different lives than yours.”

14 features

the

Evergreen

friday, may 24, 2019

Capping the year off right

Seniors specialize in an area of study of their choice to create and execute year-long Capstone projects

Photos courtesy of Jaclyn Goldstein and Greenhill Communications

AN IN-DEPTH EXPLORATION: Jaclyn Goldstein (bottom) created a capstone consisting of a film using the skills she developed over her four years in Video Production. Yash Sarada (right) tapped into his scientific passion by researching the future of CrossFit. Maya Desai (left) presents her capstone on assisting Bhutanese refugees in Dallas.

cont’d from page 1 it deeply,” said Director of Academics Jason Yaffe.

Students are introduced to the opportunity of fulfilling a capstone project as juniors. They are encouraged to come up with a unique idea and make a plan for how they will accomplish their research or project.

“This is not a chance to take a past research paper and run with it,” said Mr. Yaffe. “This is really meant to be new work and there is an application process.”

First, a student works with Mr. Yaffe to determine if the capstone project is the right fit for him or her. The student then decides what they want to research based on their interests and how much they can take away from their study.

Next, the student submits their proposal to Mr. Yaffe. According to the 2019-2020 Upper School course catalog, the proposal must contain a direct category of focus, a proposed bibliography, a list of credits that one desires in doing this project and the names of their mentors.

Students who get accepted for a capstone work with Mr. Yaffe, a facultymentor and a mentor off campus. Students ask their mentors to sponsor their project while filling out their capstone application.

They determine their mentors based on who could best contribute to their research and work.

“I view my role as an on-campus mentor to really clarify the process for the student, to help them with the science-specific process,” said Upper School science teacher Barry Ide. “The process for scientific research is largely consistent.”

Senior Erica Yang, who doing her capstone project on a cross-comparison of Taiwan and America’s Veterans Association healthcare benefits, wanted to do a capstone to continue her language studies and learn about a concept that is often not in textbooks.

“I decided to do this topic because mental health is a really hot topic,” said Erica. “I also chose Taiwan and America because I am Taiwanese, and most of my family members live there.”

Senior Rishika Kaja’s capstone extends on her previous research from the summer at UT Southwestern’s STARS Summer Research Program.

“I was researching the relationship between telomere length and cognition,” said Rishika. “That led me to want to pursue a scientific study in other factors

that would affect cognition… I felt like one of the main issues of today is cigarette and e-cigarette smoking, so I wanted to study the effects that cigarette smoking could have on the brain.”

The process of working on a capstone project is very time-consuming. It is recommended for students to have a yearlong free period to complete their project as well as to treat their capstone as their sixth class.

“For a capstone to be the seventh class, it has proven to be very much of a challenge,” Mr. Yaffe said.

After a year’s worth of work on their capstone, students put all of their work and findings into a presentation that they give to a portion of Upper School students and faculty at a Community Time assembly in April.

“I am really glad that I did a capstone because it really changed the way that I see the world, changed the way that I see people, and encouraged me to really try to give everyone a chance,” said Gabrielle Coben ’18, who did her capstone on homelessness in Dallas.

“It gave me the chance to study something that I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to study,” she said.

In past years, students pursued capstone projects in the field of science more than other subjects. However, recently capstones have started to include more history-, English- and fine artsrelated capstone projects.

Many students and teachers alike believe that capstone projects are important to develop an understanding of subject areas that are not offered on campus. There is a lot of diversity in the types of projects because the project needs to be distinct from other courses and opportunities offered at Greenhill. “[Capstone projects] are another thing about Greenhill that makes it unique,” said senior Maya Desai. “There is diversity in classes, but this gives kids the opportunity to do something that is not necessarily taught at Greenhill.”

Often students are told what to do and given these academic challenges.

The capstone project is an opportunity for students to challenge themselves in whatever discipline they desire.

“The capstone project means you are willing to realize that, while a lot of really wonderful things happen in Greenhill classrooms, you can also have as enriching of an experience outside of a brick-andmortar classroom space,” Mr. Yaffe said.

friday, may 24, 2019

the

Evergreen

features

15

Reloading classroom technology Computers enter every aspect of student life

Hayden Jacobs Editor-in-Chief

Victor Le

Online Science & Technology Editor

A Preschool student sits down in their chair, turns on an iPad and begins learning how to use a new app.

A Lower School student spends the morning making a green screen film in the Makers’ Lab. A Middle School student uses a 3-D printer to build a model of what an ancient Egyptian tool would look like for a history project.

An Upper School student stays late after school to finish a code for the next robotics competition.

From the youngest learners to graduating seniors, technology is changing classroom experiences; it’s broadening horizons and challenging students in ways that were not possible only a few years ago.

“Technology is thoughtfully placed so [that] as students get a little older it is [matched] to their developmental ability,” said Lower School Computer Science and Engineering Coordinator Lauren Marold.

Even the youngest students at Greenhill are in on the action. Preschool students have iPads in each of their classrooms. First-through-third graders have one iPad for every two students. Every fourth grader receives a laptop for the entirety of the school year but are not allowed to take them home.

“The devices help the students practice digital citizenship and learn to use devices as classroom tools,” Ms. Marold said.

Students in the Lower School also take classes in the Makers’ Lab, a technology-driven space where students use different tools, such as an interactive touch board, to create and work on different projects.

“In the Makers’ Lab, we start out in second grade through fourth grade,” said Ms. Marold. “They come to me for classes, and we use iPads and laptops to introduce

them to basic technology skills. I introduce them to basic computational thinking--if this then that--and starting them on early coding concepts and using the technology primarily on creation. We don’t spend a lot of time consuming apps and games. It’s more about creation.”

Every Middle School and Upper School student brings their own laptops to school each day and can use them whenever necessary during class. This will change as the school begins to roll out a new program where every student leases a Windows Surface from the school. Head of School Lee Hark announced the plan during his State of the School speech in February.

“The plan is to standardize the devices that students have in the Middle and Upper School,” said Director of Technology Scott Rosa. “This will help create a more consistent experience in the classroom, improve support from the technology team and make the devices’ performance more reliable.”

The standardization of computer brands will also be easier for teachers to manage.

“It will be especially helpful for teachers when they are trying to teach a software,” said Mr. Rosa. “The teachers will know what the students are expected to have on their laptops. You won’t have to work through differences between a Mac and a PC.” Although the school’s technology is advanced, teachers and students want to see Greenhill stay ahead of the curve.

“I think that we can do a better job of teaching the kids the skills to use their own device and solve their own problems,” said Middle School Computer Science and Engineering Coordinator Don Myers. “Its finding the time to teach those skills well; does it fall into the Exploratory Design class in fifth grade or are we weaving that into the curriculum of their core classes? The ultimate goal is to have the teachers feel more empowered to show the students how to use certain tools and how to use their devices appropriately.”

Photo by Raag Venkat

A RISE IN TECHNOLOGY: All students from Preschool to Upper School use technology on the daily in the classroom to perform various assignments and tasks. :

Arts

An artistic approach

Students reflect on their application process for college fine arts programs Riya Rangdal Managing Editor

Sonali Notani

Managing Editor

As their high school years come to a close, students embark on a particularly onerous task – applying to college – which includes submissions of grades, scores and essays. In addition to the standard responsibilities that an application entails, it is compulsory for students who apply to art programs to meet even more requirements than usual to apply to each school.

Students from different facets of the arts may have completely different applications. Furthermore, every college or art program can determine for themselves what they require from a student. Typically, colleges recommend the submission of a portfolio that gives examples of the student’s talents along with an additional recommendation letter from a fine arts teacher.

“It is the students’ responsibility to make sure they understand what each college requires in their portfolio,” said college counselor Keith Todd.

Artists may showcase their work in different ways. With visual arts, various works are compiled into a collection to showcase different aspects of the artist.

In the case of architecture, a series of

drawings or conceptual studies could be included in the portfolio. For music or theater students, an audition tape might be needed. This could contain a certain piece from a live performance, memorized scene or monologue. In some cases, a live audition may be requested.

Senior Jaclyn Goldstein will attend New York University (NYU) next fall as part of the university’s film program. To apply, she created a ten-minute film that consisted of clips from her two best films.

“The most daunting part of the whole process is that when you are applying to art schools, you are doing more in a smaller amount of time; the application deadline for me was around two weeks to a month earlier,” said Jaclyn.

On top of the common application essays, most of the colleges she applied to asked for a separate portfolio to apply to the school’s art program. Due to the additional workload, many students who find themselves applying to an arts program have smaller college lists.

“I noticed that because of all of the work, I was spending a lot more time and attention on perfecting my art program portfolios instead of worrying about my essays to the general school,” said Jaclyn.

Jaclyn had to meet different demands for different schools throughout her application process. For example, when she applied to Chapman University,

they required her to create a new film responding to a prompt given by the university. The University of Southern California, on the other hand, just asked for a five-minute film of her choice.

“For Chapman they had prompts such as ‘show someone making an important decision in less than two minutes’ or ‘make a video self-portrait without ever showing yourself.’ I had to create a whole new film,” said Jaclyn. “I didn’t particularly enjoy making that portfolio because it was very difficult to cultivate my films and create an appropriate response to the prompt in a short amount of time.”

Jaclyn received a lot of advice for her application from Middle and Upper School Filmmaking and Digital Art instructor Corbin Doyle.

“Mr. Doyle told me that I shouldn’t try to cater my films to any particular program, I should instead display and ‘show off ’ myself as an artist,” said Jaclyn.

Jaclyn received the same advice from a teacher at the NYU program she attended last summer: look to set yourself apart and create a statement. At NYU they aren’t looking for ‘rule-followers’, rather students who hope to express themselves completely, the teacher said.

Alumna and a current California Polytechnic State University in San Louis Obispo (Cal Poly) student Rachel Freedman ’17 recalls her application

process for architecture programs.

“Since I knew that I specifically wanted to apply for an architecture program, I was already looking into specific programs and what they individually wanted,” said Ms. Freedman. “Each school required different items in a portfolio, so it very much depended on the school.”

Ms. Freedman stressed that while creating a portfolio for certain schools was helpful, there were many different formats and items that any particular school wanted. For architecture specifically, she wanted her portfolio to reflect her versatility.

“The main message I wanted to send to admissions [of different schools] was that I am able to work with various forms of art such as sculpture, drawing, and painting and also that I can pick up and learn new skills quickly,” said Ms. Freedman.

Ms. Freedman’s portfolio consisted of her 3D and 2D art that she had accumulated over the course of four years.

She used a program called SlideRoom which allowed her to create her portfolio and submit it to a multitude of the colleges she was applying to.

“Although the journey was long and tedious, I am so happy with the result,” Jaclyn said.

Graphic by Sarah Luan

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DINNER & A MOVIE

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Lola Frenkel and Jake Middleman eat at Saucy’s and review “Endgame” Lola Frenkel

Online Associate Editor

Jake Middleman Staff Writer

Jake and I have waited a full year to see “Endgame.” Being diehard Marvel and Avengers fans, we have been looking forward to the last movie for quite a while. I introduced Jake to the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) by making him watch “Antman,” “Black Panther” and “Infinity War” with me. I think it’s safe to say he quickly became addicted and obsessed with the franchise. As Jake and I crossed paths in the hallways at school, we exchanged anxious glances. All day at school, our stomachs were fluttering with excitement.

We were going to watch “Endgame.”

We don’t want to spoil “Avengers: Endgame” for those who have not seen it yet, so we’ll do the best we can to explain the plot. “Avengers: Endgame” is set to be the last installment of the Avengers movies, but do we actually believe that? I mean, come on, the amount of money these movies bring in is absolutely insane. There is no way they could be done producing them. The movie is a buildup of 21 preceding Marvel movies.

After being in theaters for only a week, the film passed “Titanic” to become the second highest grossing film ever.

“Avengers: Endgame” follows the MCU’s greatest superheroes as they take on Thanos, the villain, and attempt to save the universe. In the last group film, “Avengers: Infinity War,” Thanos sets out to wipe out half the life in the universe to save resources and protect Earth from population growth. In order to do this, Thanos must collect every “infinity stone,” powerful stones that allow the one possessing them to obtain great power. The film captures Thanos’s quest to collect all of them. The Avengers, also known as “Earth’s mightiest heroes,” do everything in their power to protect the world from Thanos but, in the end, they are unable to save the world. “Avengers: Endgame” comes next as the Avengers

take their final stand against Thanos and his gauntlet of infinity stones.

Lola and I decided to go to our favorite restaurant, Saucy’s, for dinner before the movie. Saucy’s, located at Preston and Royal, is a Thai restaurant that has the most delicious food. We personally like to order the fresh salad rolls for an appetizer— highly recommended.

“I can’t believe the movie is finally here,” Jake exclaimed.

“I feel like we’ve been waiting an eternity for it to come out!”

“More like for infinity!” Lola joked.

We continued our lovely dinner with the main course, Lola got pad kee mow noodles, and I ordered the delicious orange chicken. Over dinner, we talked about our predictions for what was to come at the theater.

“Everyone must come back to life, right?!”

“I really don’t know,” I responded. “It’s hard to say. It would be too obvious to bring back all the main characters, but it would be heartbreaking if our favorites were dust forever.”

“If Groot remains tree dust, I don’t know what I’d do with myself,” Lola said sadly.

We debated over our dessert for a while. I really wanted the mango sticky rice, but Lola countered with the green tea ice cream. My choice (obviously) won and we ordered the mango sticky rice.

“Wow, this is like the last infinity stone we will be collecting!” Jake said chuckling.

“Good one, Jake, good one...”

The movie was not exactly what we expected to see, but we are very satisfied with the outcome. We were disappointed with the length of the movie, since it was three hours long, and we thought it could have been summarized in less than two. Overall, the movie was amazing and everything we could’ve wanted and more from the “last” Avengers film. We laughed and cried— everything a Marvel fan would expect from the film. We personally plan on seeing “Endgame”

Graphic by Jothi Gupta

many more times and memorizing our favorite lines from the movie. Everyone, even if you’re not a Marvel fan, should see this film and let us know what your thoughts are. Oh, SNAP! That’s the end of this review.

Photography teacher Frank Lopez curates two arts exhibitions Sarah Luan

Photos and Graphics Director

Sumana Kethu Arts Editor

Images created by 23 Greenhill students are currently on display in a Dallas exhibition curated by Upper and Middle School photography instructor Frank Lopez.

The work of the students comprises one of two exhibitions that opened on May 4 at the Bath House Cultural Center in Dallas.

The exhibitions will run until June 8.

“The Intentional Hand” features the work of 10 photographers from Texas and other states. The second exhibition, “The Photography Program at Greenhill School,” features images by 23 current or former Greenhill photography students.

Originally, the Bath House asked Mr. Lopez to curate a one-person show from his own professional portfolio.

“I offered instead to curate two exhibitions, one being Greenhill photography and one being a group of national artists that have exhibited throughout the world,” said Mr. Lopez. “They said yes and gave me the opportunity to curate a show that I’ve always wanted to put together.”

Mr. Lopez has worked with several artists featured in “The Intentional Hand.”

He reached out to others through Instagram.

“I found their work, and I was very interested in it,” said Mr. Lopez. “I shared it with my students over the last several years for inspiration.”

The 25 images of “The Intentional Hand” include three of Mr. Lopez’s pieces. The work is highly experimental and innovative, illustrating the current state of contemporary art.

“It will challenge the language of photography, how we present imagery and what exactly a photograph is made of,” Mr. Lopez said.

The Greenhill students were chosen for the exhibition based on the quality of their work and their skills in discussing their work in a gallery setting.

“[Mr. Lopez] hand-selected a few of the kids like me who have been in some of the experimental classes and have gone one step further with their photography,” said sophomore Josh Flowers, who is currently in Advanced Photography.

Josh is displaying a photograph titled “Shadow,” produced in Light, Paper, Process: Abstract and Experimental Photography earlier this year.

“The Photography Program at Greenhill” presents many images that are culturally based. Others are more personal, focusing on heritage or the underlying theme of identification.

Junior Helena Shan, a current Honors Photography student, is presenting an image titled “Lost.”

“My artistic statement is about manufactured culture in America and how they’ve taken [only] a glorified part of East Asian culture,” said Helena. “Growing up, I always thought I had to be one or the other; either American or Chinese. My photography basically surrounds that feeling of not necessarily being totally fitting into a place.”

Senior Jaclyn Goldstein, another Honors Photography student, has a piece called “A Shadow in a Mask,” which is two silver gelatin prints that she hand-painted with photo oils.

“They’re self-portraits so most of it is introspective,” said Jaclyn. “My series focuses on physical manipulation of a digital image, so I guess some of it has to do with the way that I perceive myself versus how others do.”

Most of the students are thrilled to be presenting their work in a professional gallery.

“Being able to get into a gallery and talk about your work to people who aren’t in that profession is a great way to expand your network,” Helena said.

Mr. Lopez has pushed students in his program to reach beyond an ethos of taking “pretty” pictures, and the exhibition is another milestone in that effort.

“I would like for my students to be known as a more complex program where

Photos by Caroline Greenstone and Chirag Bachani

PICTURE PERFECT: Photography instructor Frank Lopez (top) curated two exhibitions, one featuring Greenhill students’ artwork. Melis Evlioglu, Josh Flowers and Olivia Kim (left to right) are among the students whose work is currently being exhibited.

people are able to clearly enunciate their ideals,” he said. “Many of my students may not go to study photography in college, but

this is a medium of expression they may have a relationship with for their entire lives.”

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PHOTOGRAPHY SHOWCASE

Selected Greenhill student images on display at the Bath House Cultural Center

Photos courtesy of Olivia Kim, Chirag Bachani, Amber Syed, Kate Gould, Sonia Dhingra and Helena Shan

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Evergreen

afterword

The Pain of Microaggressions “You hear your teacher repeatedly calling for Charles. You know there is no Charles in class. Only you, Clayton. The teacher mixed up the names of African American students in her class. Again.”

How do we build a community in speech? How do we preserve our core principles each day, with each encounter, in difficult moments? This year, Upper School English chair Joel Garza and his juniors and seniors in Studies in Poetry asked and answered these difficult questions.

“You’re 5 years old. It’s your first day of Kindergarten and you’re wearing the new, pink skirt that mom helped you pick out especially for today. You’re sitting on the ground, excitedly reading chapter books with your friends when the teacher tells you to close your legs because it’s not lady-like to sit like that.”

If you teach for twentyfive years, you hear a lot of memorable stuff. Poignant reflections on a text, profound & brilliant arguments about moral or cultural values. And you also hear stuff like this (actual things I’ve heard from actual parents & students at various schools): “So why are you teaching English, but Hanson is teaching Spanish?”

“You are 15. You decide to wear a skirt to “Are you a citizen?” school. You see people whisper. Later, your “You don’t speak Spanish at home? Oh, well, I guess I’m about as Mexican as you are.” best friend tells you someone called you a slut.”

Even when I shrug off stuff like this, even when I laugh about it, in rare cases, even when I’ve got some witty response…no matter “You are 12 years old. Your summer of what, it stings. And I’m a grown man with a comfortable job and dynamite growth showed you that you are not a little colleagues and a family that loves me. If it stings for me, how much more girl anymore…You cry when the doctor tells will this kind of thing sting when a young person hears it? Well, recently, my you that you aren’t done growing. You didn’t juniors & seniors in Studies in Poetry wrote about what stings & how / if you ask for this body.” can recover.

Claudia Rankine got us started. Dr. Thomas & I teach her collection “Citizen: An American Lyric,” which begins with fourteen prose poems. Each of these depicts a different setting in which “you” are on the receiving end of a racist microaggression. Microaggressions could happen to “you” anywhere. In a car with a friend, on a plane with a mother & daughter, in a subway with your son, at school, at your therapist’s office. “You” can be targeted anywhere, according to the poems and according to my students.

My juniors & seniors wrote about being targeted. Targeted due to race, due to religious belief, due to body image, due to mental health, due to who is raising them, due to gender. On this campus, students have been targeted. And it stings.

So what do “you” do, and what do “you” say when this happens again? We have some suggestions.

Have a prepared script. Because when someone says something hurtful to you, your most likely reaction will be a kind of stunned silence. When you hear someone say something hurtful to somebody else, your most likely reaction will be a kind of stunned silence. That silence comes off as acceptance. That silence stings. So we need to be prepared for these moments that sting—as prepared “When I was 14 y as we are for a fire, as prepared as we are for a tornado, as prepared as we e a rs old, I decid had been told e d th a in t w S h u at I are for where to be at 8:40 on an E day. nday School a ity of God was b o u t th n Here’s what I think I’m going to say next time. e o t d ivinthis, they imm true. When my pare nts heard ediately brus “I’m not sure what you meant by that. May I tell you how it sounded?” hed it off as “You walk into your math class, and receive This script accomplishes three things. First, it moves you from ‘just a phase’.” your test from a week ago. You get your being a bystander to being an empowered bystander. Next, it gives the grade, and a white guy peeks over and sees. other person an “out”—it’s likely that they didn’t mean to be racist or He tells me: ‘Why can’t I be brown? That way I misogynistic or ableist or whatever. Finally, in asking “May I tell you”, would be smart’.” you gain the person’s permission to continue in a conversation. No name-calling. No accusation. And no way for that person to shirk the responsibility to live our core principles.

By this point in the school year, you’ve heard some memorable stuff. At F day. In classes. In advisory. In HOH. We are generally a community that is honorable, respectful, and compassionate. And sometimes, we’re not.

The next time you hear something—something that’s not us at our best—be prepared to say something. #WeAreGreenhill - Joel Garza, Upper School English Chair

“You’re 17 years old. A guy who you’ve had a crush on for a few months finally asks you out.

But you have to say no. You can’t date. Especially not a white guy.”

ing your

bit constantly e ’r u o Y . years old erything.“ “You’re 16on edge about ev nails and

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friday, may 24, 2019

The Evergreen staff has compiled what we believe would be some great television shows to watch this summer. From super fantasy to classics, there’s something for everyone. Have a great summer!

Arrested Development

The Flash

Following the finale on May 19, “Game of Thrones” is the perfect show to binge this summer. In the land of Westeros, where everyone fends for themselves, the struggle for ultimate power between the three main families is on. In a show filled with blood, violence and familial politics, this isn’t for the faint of heart. As Cersei Lannister said, “When you play the game of thrones, you win, or you die. There is no middle ground.”

(Rated TV-MA)

Your dad is in jail for fraud, your mom is crazy, your siblings are dumb and you are the only person competent enough to keep the family business alive.

What would you do? Find George Bluth’s answer on the Netflix Original “Arrested Development”! There’s also a boy with a crush on his cousin, a crazy uncle Oscar who is identical twins with the dad and more stupid altercations in between. Get ready, because you’ll be glued to this show all summer. (Rated TV-14)

Brief by Riya Rangdal

Brief by Jeffrey Harberg

There’s something mysterious speeding around the city, and I’m not talking about the recent measles outbreak… I’m talking about “The Flash”!

This TV show is filled with great surprises and laughs that will keep you entertained all summer. “The Flash” follows Barry Allen as he transforms into a metahuman with the power of incredible speed and battles evil meta-humans.

It is available on Netflix, and all you need is to be prepared to believe in the impossible. (Rated TV-PG)

Game of Thrones

Dead to Me

Brief by Raag Venkat

This is US

Spongebob Squarepants

“Dead to Me” is definitely a binge worthy show. I watched seven, thirtyminute episodes in one night (there are only 10 episodes available on Netflix).

So, if you’re looking for a funny, dark and eventful show, search no longer! It’s about a woman named Jen who is dying to find her husband’s killer. With a new friend by her side, she’s willing to break the law in order to find justice. Her journey makes it hard to take your eyes of the screen, so much so that Netflix will ask you, “Are you still watching?” (Rated TV-MA)

If you love a show with interesting flashbacks and peeks into the future, “This is Us” is the show for you! The show connects past, present and future events of the family involved, so that you are satisfied and on the edge of your seat after every episode. The show focuses on a complicated family of five: a pair of twins, an adopted child, a dead dad and his wife. You could watch this with your family or just by yourself, but either way, you’ll be flooded with emotions. Yes, that means tears. (Rated TV-14)

“Ohhhhhh, who lives in a pineapple under the sea?” That’s right, our final recommendation to watch this summer is *drumroll please*, “Spongebob Squarepants.” We guarantee that this show is for the whole family. With 12 full seasons to pick and choose episodes from, the show won’t bore you this summer.

Watching will leave you laughing in your seat. The classic follows the interesting life of Spongebob Squarepants, Bikini Bottom’s best Krabby Patty fry cook.

(Rated TV-Y)

Brief by Natalie Gonchar

Brief by Sarah Luan

Brief by Riya Rangdal Graphics by Sarah Luan and Riya Rangdal