Signpost | Fall 2017 Issue

Cover Story

Page 2

Body positivity: why women should care

BY ABBY HAYS ‘20

With the rise of social media in recent years, a movement has emerged to combat the unrealistic, retouched photos that have come to reflect the beauty standards created

by Western society. The body positivity movement, founded by Connie Sobckak and Elizabeth Scott in 1996, aims to “create a world in which people are liberated from self-hatred, value their beauty and identity, and use their energy and intellect to make positive changes in their own lives and in their communities.”

(The Body Positive).

Sobckak and Scott encourage people to love themselves and others and to make healthy choices regardless of appearance, size, or gender. In a world with so much hatred based on superficial criteria for beauty, it is incredibly important to encourage good health in yourself and others. Thankfully, the cofounders are not the only ones who realize this fact; they have accumulated many followers over the years, and have influenced many corporations to make positive changes to better represent all body types.

The body positivity movement has greatly impacted the fashion and modeling industries. Before the rise of beauty beyond appearance, many professional models experienced intense, unhealthy lifestyles to meet the expectations of being the thinnest they could be. Supermodels endured some of the strictest, most limited diets along with extensive exercise; their lifestyle revolved around maintaining an image rather than nutritional balance.

Many women in the fashion industry suffered from eating disorders and malnutrition because of the pressure of looking their best to show off the clothing.

However, the industry heard the call for more diversity, and

healthier-looking models, by supporters of the body positivity movement. Many modeling agencies exist that accept women with many different body types, rather than only hiring tall and skinny girls, and more models have healthy relationships with food. For example,

In addition, Graham wrote a book entitled A New Model: What Confidence, Beauty, and Power Really Look Like where she manifests her ideas about body positivity, society’s beauty standards, and her journey to becoming a supermodel. Graham travels the country and speaks to high schools, national conferences, and other events in order to teach women and girls how to love themselves and grow their self-confidence.

Instead of feeling ashamed of her body or starving herself to fit in with the majority of other models, Ashley Graham is sparking change in the fashion industry by living a healthy lifestyle and advocating for more diversity in the fashion world. In addition to helping the fashion industry become more body positive, she is also inspiring inclusion of all body types in the toy industry as she now has her Photo courtesy of Odyssey Online own Barbie doll.

Esmeralda Seay-Reynolds is a model who On that note, Barbie dolls are also formerly struggled with anorexia but who experiencing noticeable transformation in has overcome this disease. And the prime the diversity of their figurines in both body example of the fashion and modeling type and ethnicity. Mattel, the company who industry’s transformation is the success makes Barbie dolls, has often been under of Ashley Graham, Sports Illustrated fire for lack of diversity and unrealistic Swimsuit Issue’s first plus-sized cover body proportions. For example, the tiny model. feet doubled with long legs and a tiny waist Graham is one of the first plus-sized as exhibited in Barbies would, in reality, supermodels, and she uses her fame and be unable to support a living human being. success in modeling as a platform to However, because Barbie has become such empower women of all ages to love their an icon in America and around the globe, bodies and find “beauty beyond size.” She young girls are growing up with the idea designs a size-inclusive clothing line that is that pretty girls look like Barbie dolls, marketed to appeal to all women and to help when in fact it would be unsustainable to them to feel comfortable in their own skin. have the body of a Barbie in real life. In the 1960s, at the end of racial segregation, there was a clear push for more ethnicities and skin tones to be available in toys, so Mattel released their first African-American doll, named Christie, in 1968.

However, even though this “new” Barbie did show

“The body positivity movement has greatly impacted the fashion and modeling industries.”

Cover Story progress in the toy industry, Christie was simply the typical skinny, white Barbie painted a darker shade. Buyers were not satisfied and wanted to see AfricanAmerican bodies accurately represented in the dolls. According to the Daily Mail, to solve all of these problems Stacey McBride-Irby designed a new line of black Barbies that featured dolls with “fuller lips, a wider nose, and more pronounced cheek bones” in 2009. People praised Mattel for their efforts at inclusion. They also released ‘Curvy Barbie’ dolls in 2016 that aimed to more accurately represent the diversity in body types that is present amongst living women. Therefore, it is clear that Mattel is striving to increase the number of body types and skin tones in their products, and they are attempting to create a more body positive world. Many other corporations are following their lead, including Disney.

It is a well-known fact that the Hollywood movie industry does not feature enough diversity in its films. Disney Pixar movies are addressing these problems by including more body types and skin tones. In the past few decades they have released new movies such as The Princess and the Frog and Moana, which both feature people of color; Moana specifically stars a girl from the Pacific Islands with a more realistic body type than previous Disney princesses.

Disney Pixar is using the diversity in their newer movies in order to encourage young girls and accurately represent as many people as possible, without creating unrealistic expectations. This is important because it teaches young girls’ plastic minds that they do not need to look like Disney princesses in order to be beautiful.

Social media probably produces the most hate and love towards different body types. One of the leading causes of death amongst teenagers is suicide because of online and in-person bullying, and this bullying is normally based on appearance.

The capability to anonymously comment on others provides Internet users with the ability to discourage and degrade their peers without consequence. However, many people are addressing this issue by using social media as a platform for encouraging body positivity. Thankfully, there are many popular Instagram accounts encouraging people to take care of their body and love themselves rather than giving in to the pressure that society’s beauty standards

c r e a t e .

Celebrities such as Amy Schumer, Aly Raisman, and Hillary Duff have all posted on their social media about learning to love their bodies in the face of hatred and shame from their peers.

In November, R a i s m a n posted a photo on her Instagram that highlighted her muscular arms with a caption that reads, “…

My muscular arms that were considered weird and gross when I was younger have made me one of the best gymnasts on the planet.

Don’t ever let anyone tell you how you should or shouldn’t look. There is no such thing as a perfect body type…” Therefore, it is clear that there are many influential people taking advantage of social media as an opportunity to lift people up, but we still have a long way to go in order ensure that everyone feels included regardless of the way they look.

Fat shaming, the mocking of someone who is judged to be overweight, is a serious problem in the United States. People make assumptions about other people’s health solely based on appearance, when in fact there are many cases in which looks are not able to determine how healthy someone is. Even when someone is overweight, no one has the right to shame them; their appearance does not determine their

Page 3

Photo by Bailey Degan ‘20

worthiness of respect. Everyone should work hard to respect and accept all people no matter how they look. For instance, there are many women who feel insecure about cellulite and stretch marks, even though those are extremely common and for the most part not preventable. Cellulite and stretch marks are not the determining factors if someone is fat or overweight; 90% of females have cellulite (Daily Mail), and 15% of women worldwide are obese (CBS News). Clearly there are other factors besides physical attributes that signify obesity, so we should not make assumptions about another persons’ health based on these physical characteristics.

Everyone should strive to be more body positive and avoid fat shaming because it is disrespectful, hurtful, and possibly

Page 4 discriminatory. The recent Sheraton Cadwell Orchestras scandal serves as a perfect example of this.

On August 21st, this Canadian orchestra sent out an email to their volunteer singers saying the following: “As per our highly selective casting requirements for vocal artists taking on a prominent leading role on stage, only singers who are physically fit and slim (or at the very least, those who know how to dress strategically/ suitably in order to not bring attention to their temporary physical/dietary indulgences) would be showcased with our boutique orchestras.” Signed “The Management,” the email requested that those lead singers who are not “fit and slim” dress in loose-fitting clothing in order to conceal their “dietary indulgences.”

According to the BBC, the Orchestra will soon be shutting down in response to the backlash that arose when the email became public. When people face unequal treatment based on their body type, it can be detrimental to their self-confidence and extremely offensive. It is wrong to fat shame because it implies that their body is burdensome and needs to be hidden in order for them to be worthy of respect, or in this case, be awarded a spot as a lead singer

Cover Story

in an orchestra.

Skinny shaming is a behavior equally as problematic as fat shaming, even though it

fashion industry has grown to become more accepting, this label is a generalization that disregards the diversity of the human race and creates unrealistic expectations for consumers.

It is wrong to advertise these false claims and put people into a box. In my humble opinion, the fashion industry should discontinue the use of one-sizefits-all clothing and continue to grow their emphasis on encouraging body positivity.

Supporting one another beyond appearance is vital to truly being a body positive society. As a Hutchison community, we need to be inclusive of all people and encourage one another to be their best self.

Being an all-girls school provides us with the unique opportunity to build each other up and positively influence each other to be kind and respectful to every girl as we grow to become young women. Putting in the extra effort to show kindness and love is the most effective way to build a bodypositive environment. If we make the effort to do all of these things, I am positive that we can make Hutchison the embodiment of acceptance and inclusion.

“It is incredibly important to be careful with your words because you never know how drastic the consequences can be; we must all be supportive of all body types, and we must not skinny shame.” is acknowledged much less frequently. “Eat a hamburger,” and “You’re a twig,” are negative phrases that many thinner people can attest to hearing frequently, and these remarks can be degrading and plummet a girl’s self-esteem. It is incredibly important to be careful with your words because you never know how drastic the consequences can be; we must be supportive of all body types, and we must not skinny shame.

Finally, an area that exemplifies this need for greater acceptance of diverse body types is the existence of one-size-fits-all clothing. The truth is that one-size-fits-all clothing will almost never fit everyone; the label is inaccurate and leaves consumers feeling as if something is wrong with their body because they do not fit into a garment that supposedly fits all people. Though the

The Mayor Youth Council

BY CORRINA BROWN ‘18 Youth engagement is often emphasized in our growing Memphis community.

Our government officials and city leaders have implemented several programs, specifically for Memphis youth, to build a closer connection between the younger and older generations in Memphis. For example, the Memphis Youth Offices have several programs such as MPLOY, a youth employment program, and MAP, Memphis

Ambassador Program, that are popular youth initiatives that allow youth to get involved in their communities. One of the most familiar programs in the Memphis community is the Mayor Youth Council.

The Mayor Youth Council consists of different youth from different districts who are asked to serve on an advisory board to the Mayor and Memphis City Council. The purpose of the council is to teach our youth

about the political process and to help create future civic leaders.

The Memphis Mayor Youth Council is an opportunity for students interested in politics, government, and public service to be involved in the local government, and it gives the students an engaging perspective into the political process. Ike Griffith, director of the offices of youth services and assistant to the Mayor, really pushed

Memphis the program forward. In an interview with High Ground News, he says the goal of the council is to “…provide as realistic of an experience as possible for these kids.

We want to show them how to dress and act appropriately for a government setting, how to communicate with the media and public, and how to work within the system.” The council allows students to develop their political IQ by working directly under Memphis officials. In addition to this, the students chosen to represent the different districts of the Mayor Youth Council will also directly advise the Mayor on issues that current Memphis youth face. This is beneficial for the students, Mayor Jim Strickland, and the Mayor council.

The Mayor will gain perspective from the different students on the council and will be able to better understand and fully equip his office to handle youth issues in the Memphis community. Students who are interested in joining the Mayor Youth Council are required to attend a Memphis public, private, or charter school, hold a minimum 3.0 grade-point average, pledge to attend at least 7 of the 10 meetings from August to May, and participate in Shelby County Government Day on Friday, January 5th, 2018. This past summer, 20 new members were sought to join the council. The council last year held mock presidential debates, attended a series of presentations, and created a marketing campaign targeted to young people.

So what is the benefit of starting programs like the Mayor Youth Council and opening it up to all students? From my personal experience in the Mayor’s office,

it’s enlightening. Though filing papers and answering phone calls all day might not be the least bit intriguing to most students, there truly is a value behind working under adults, especially in the Mayor’s office. As

Page 5

from growing and deterring violence. We as students are creating community service projects and are taking leadership positions in our schools. Now we want to take the initiative, and the great part of it is this: we have the full support of our current leaders to go out and equip ourselves to become future leaders. So as I sat in the mayor’s office filing papers and answering phone calls, I took notice of how my presence in the office was felt. I realized that the opportunity to get involved in the Memphis community, and be a leader, is sitting right in front of me. The Mayor Youth Council is just one of many opportunities for someone like me who is interested politics and Photo courtesy of Mayor Youth Council in government to not a student in high school, I got to see first only learn under the city leaders, but truly hand how my opinion is valued. Every day, make an impact in my community.

I’d be asked questions along the lines of, The emphasis on youth development “Do you think people your age will like in Memphis continues to grow. The this?”, or “Do you have any ideas on how Mayor Youth Council is just one of many we can launch off something like this?” Of programs that brings a diverse group of students together to communicate with our city leaders and build a platform for all youth in Memphis to be represented. The Mayor Youth Council is not only building future leaders locally, but future leaders globally. the 650,000 people who live in Memphis, Youth presence in our local government about 30% of the population is under the is essential to solidifying our Memphis age of 18 (Suburban Stats). In the past, I community. In twenty years, when the have seen the youth of Memphis sometimes same youth we see taking the initiative gets the blame for the growing crime levels now are leading the Memphis community, in Memphis. However, we are the first step and they should be well equipped to do an to helping the city stop the crime rates outstanding job in our city.

“Youth presence in our local government is essential to solidifying our Memphis community.”

Page 6

Hutchison

Wilson Society makes a splash

BY GRACE GALLER ‘19

Here in Memphis, we have two major organizations that work to provide help for refugees. World Relief Memphis and the Refugee Empowerment Program are both nonprofits with the main goal of aiding refugees in their adjustment to life here in the United States. Here at Hutchison there are three girls, Laura Heathcott (‘19), Mary Van Montague (‘19), and Phebe Rowland (‘19), who are serving the refugee community through the Wilson Society, which provides funding to those students who wish to create a service project of their own. Laura, Mary Van, and Phebe run a project called Swimming REP, which teaches refugee children how to swim.

This project was started by Hutchison alumna Francie Sentilles, who was a swimmer herself. She was inspired to teach others the basics of swimming in order to help them gain a life skill, as well as trying to help limit the possibility of adolescent drowning. Ultimately, she combined her spirit with her passion for global awareness and implemented her project with the Refugee Empowerment Program.

This year Mary Van, Laura and Phebe held a two week long session at Rhodes College. Forty children from the Refugee Empowerment Program attended their clinic. The children were aged from 6 to 13 and had little to no prior experience with swimming. Mary Van, Laura, and Phebe were also able to recruit other swimmers to help volunteer with their clinic. Alex Robinson and Lucy Patterson share the ir love of swimming and were excited to help.

Throughout the first week, the kids learned basics such as kicking, blowing bubbles in the water, and the “superman,” which teaches the children to float on their backs to avoid drowning. As the weeks progressed, these Hutchison students taught the children freestyle, and by the last day some students were actually treading water.

Laura and Mary Van shared two cute and exciting stories with me about their project. Laura talked about one of her students named Maria: “The last two days were dedicated to the deep end.

Some kids were excited and ready for

the new challenge, while a few others were nervous and did not think they could do it.

Maria, who was eight years old, had been in my group most of the two weeks and was always excited and ready to practice every day; however, when it came time to go to the deep end, she lacked confidence and did not want to try at all. For the first thirty minutes, she watched the kids in her group jump in and swim to one of our instructors. After all the kids had gone, Phebe and I tried to encourage Maria to try; however, she would not budge. After ten minutes of trying to convince her that she was more than capable, she finally agreed to try! She nervously jumped in and swam to me, about five feet away. As soon as she swam to me, with a relieved face, she said, “I want to go again!!” Laughing, all of our helpers clapped and cheered for Maria as she jumped and swam to us over and over again, to the point where she refused to get out. As the program concluded on the second Friday, she said to me, “I can’t wait until we go to into the deep end again next year!”

Mary Van’s story is similar to Laura’s: “A boy named David was one of the youngest and smallest kids there and he wouldn’t let go of the wall. The last week I was personally working with him one on one to help learn the basics of how to float, kick, blow bubbles, etc. It was the best feeling

ever when he came up to me on the last day and said “Miss Merv, Miss Merv, you taught me to swim! I can swim now!”

However, not everything was this easy throughout the whole two weeks. The girls had to overcome a language barrier that they did not expect. Laura illuminated how it was to be in this situation by telling me, “We didn’t have a quick or easy way to overcome the issue, but as the days went on, we were able to use hand movements to communicate while also asking the children’s friends and family members to translate what we were saying into their native language. As the weeks went on, the kids were able to understand the basic words we were saying. It was really awesome to see how we were also teaching them English as well as swimming!”

After all of the hardships and the fun, the girls are excited for next year. Mary Van shared her hopes for the children with me after this two week clinic: “I hope the kids can see each other throughout the year and be able to bond over the time they spent together in the summer. Learning how to swim was not always fun, there were moments that the kids wanted to quit instead of continuing to practice a hard skill. I hope that this experience brought them closer together so they can grow closer as a community.”

Photo courtesy of Laura Heathcott ‘19

International

Page 7

Understanding ‘Brexit’

BY AISLIN FIELDS ‘18

As a British citizen who was 7 months too young to vote at the time of the referendum on whether Britain should remain in the EU (known as Brexit), I was incredibly frustrated to be unable to express my opinion. The result will affect several aspects of my life: some in the next few years, such as higher education tuition fees, and others such as changes to the economy, my ability to own a home when I’m older, and even the possibility of having a home if the Climate Change Act is neglected.

Young voters are often judged as not caring about politics, and being ignorant of what is happening in their country, but in both the UK and the USA young voters are finding their voice and discovering the importance of casting their vote and staying informed. You may have heard of the term Brexit before, but many find themselves unsure of what the EU actually is, and the significance of the UK leaving. The answers will follow...

In the aftermath of World War Two, France and Germany devised a plan and a promise to prevent the two countries from ever going to war again. A union began in 1951 when six countries founded The European Coal and Steel Community to share their resources.

Sixty-six years later, the European Union is a strong political and economic group of 28 nations. Every member country must pay a yearly fee, which varies from country to country; for example in 2015 the UK paid $16.5 billion.

Of the money paid to the EU, one

third supports the poorer regions of the EU, and a large amount is dedicated to agricultural funds for farms. The rest is spent on a diverse range of initiatives, such as research, education, administration, and foreign policy. However, in June 2016 the UK made history by being the first nation

of the same year.

With a turnout of 72.2%, of which a large proportion was elderly voters, the end result was 51.9% leave and 48.1% remain.

However, this vote does not mean that Britain has now left the EU. The referendum has triggered Article 50 (the protocol for any country which wants to leave), which was put in motion on March 29, 2017, after which Britain has 2 years to negotiate exit terms.

The day of the shock result of the referendum, Prime Minister David Cameron announced his resignation and Theresa May, originally a supporter of the Remain campaign, was the only Conservative Party member who stepped forward to lead the country.

Her term as Prime Minister will be defined by the results of the Brexit negotiations.

It has become a colloquialism in the UK to refer to the result of the negotiations as either a ‘soft’ or ‘hard’ Brexit. A soft Brexit would Infographic by Aislin Fields ‘18 maintain a lot of the to ask to leave. regulations and keep relatively strong ties This ‘Brexit’ began when the Conservative with the rest of the EU; whereas a ‘hard’ government promised to hold a referendum Brexit would involve far more separation, (vote) on whether to leave or remain in the especially economically. It being the first EU, with the intention of strengthening the time a state has left the EU it’s going to ir position in government. David Cameron, be a long, arduous process, with the end Prime Minister at the time and a member result unclear. However at this point, it is of the Conservative party, was a prominent not completely definite that Britain will figure in the Remain campaign, which actually leave the EU; all the nations of the supported staying in the EU. Cameron EU may reject the proposal and there has announced the referendum in February been talk of a second referendum. In early 2016 and it was conducted on the 23rd June 2017 a petition for a second referendum

Page 8

International

gained more than 4 million signatures, but countries of Northern Ireland and the was rejected by the government in June Republic of Ireland (which is not a part of 2017. These signatures did not only come the UK). However, with the UK leaving from disgruntled supporters of the remain the EU, the border between NI and the campaign. Many people who voted ‘leave’ Republic of Ireland may have to be feel disillusioned by the lies and unkept promises of the Leave campaign and the misleading statistics used in Leave campaign propaganda.

For example, the Leave campaign repeatedly publicly stated that the UK paid $70 million per day to the EU, whereas in reality the figure was closer to $45 million.

This was not the only instance of people Photo courtesy of CTV News being dismayed by the results; certain other groups feel hardened, which will not only undermine misrepresented. There was debate as to the political stability but also cause issues whether 16 and 17 year olds, many of whom for border trade. pay taxes, should be allowed to vote, and Furthermore, Scotland had a referendum in the end that group of 1.5 million people, on whether to remain a part of the UK who would live with the consequences of in September 2014 which resulted in a Brexit for the next 70 years, were denied ‘yes’ vote. It is worth nothing that 16 and the opportunity to have their say. Polls 17 year olds were allowed to vote in the taken with youths showed that at least 75% Scottish Independence referendum, and said they would vote, and 68% were in over 100,000 of them registered to vote, favor of remaining in the EU. Due to the affirming that young people do care about incredibly close result, it is thought that if politics. Though Scotland voted to remain the 16/17 year olds could have voted, the a part of the UK, it is clear that as a nation result may have gone the other way. It is clear that the younger the voter, the more likely they were to vote to remain, and this is the group that must live with the consequences of this historical event for far longer. Aside from the initial economic and political fallout from the result, the Human Rights Act, Climate Change Act, price of education and access to healthcare are now all vulnerable, to the horror of Britain’s youth.

Additionally, the Brexit result will dramatically affect Northern Ireland, they did not agree with the Brexit decision in which the result was 56% in favor of as not one constituency voted to leave the remain. Thanks to common membership EU in 2016. within the EU, there is no economic or This impactful decision to leave may trading border between the two separate conjure up support for a second referendum

on whether Scotland will remain a part of the UK. The future of Northern Ireland and Scotland remains to be seen, but the initial effects of Brexit upon the UK as a whole have clearly already come into effect. Initially, the pound fell in value by 10% compared to the US dollar, its lowest value in 31 years. Additionally, and most tragically, there has been a large increase in xenophobia on the streets of Britain, which further damages the country’s international relations and reputation.

The results of Brexit will not only affect the future of Britain, they will also cause repercussions for the rest of the EU and the rest of the world. As the first nation to leave the EU, the UK opens the door for the possibility of other nations leaving, potentially harming the EU’s strong international presence. Furthermore, trading will change as the UK will no longer be an international doorway to trading in the EU, so not only could the UK lose trade, but other nations will be changing their trading routes. Though the UK is 3000 miles away, this historical event will seriously impact the US economy and international businesses. Fourteen months after the referendum, I am now old enough to vote and I exercised my right to do so in the most recent British general election. One year after I had to watch other people decide my future, my peers and I voted in force for our beliefs, in what has been described as a “remarkable” youth turnout, the highest it had been in 31 years. Regardless of the result, I was relieved that my voice was heard.

“Young people are finding their voices and discovering the importance of casting their vote.”

Summer in Sevilla

International

Page 9

BY MARY MARGARET TREADWELL ‘18

“¡Vamos!” yelled Gracia, my host mom.

I stared in blatant fear at the fried grey circles on my plate that she was pressuring me to consume. For a solid five minutes, Samantha Tancredi and I had no idea what we were about to eat until Gracia pointed to her head and said “Un ‘pig’!” It was in that exact moment that I realized I was about to eat pig brains. Gracia took a bite and exclaimed “¡Delicioso! Samantha and I looked at each other in the “what have we gotten ourselves into” fashion. Gracia once again encouraged us to try the brains, and Sam and I didn’t want to seem rude. So, we built up some courage, picked up our forks, and took a bite. Our faces lit up with shock, for they were surprisingly good.

This unfamiliar adventure was only one of many times that I left my comfort zone on my trip to Seville, Spain, this past summer. For two whole weeks I was forced to meet new people and visit unfamiliar places, but I’d be lying if I told you that those two weeks weren’t the best of my life. It truly was the trip of a lifetime. On June 24th, Samantha and I found ourselves at the Memphis airport laughing with both excitement and fear at the unfamiliarity that was to come. After three exhausting flights, a chaotic Madrid airport, and two very-much-needed Starbucks iced coffees, we arrived in Spain. We were instantly welcomed by Juana, our host mom’s sister, who arranged a taxi ride back to her house in the beautiful Spanish neighborhood of Triana. The colorful buildings and abundant shops selling ceramics gave character to the neighborhood, and we eagerly watched

Photo by Mary Margaret Treadwell ‘18

as locals roamed the streets. We greeted the rest of the family, and soon enough we happily realized that this was our home for the next 13 days.

After spending just one hour in Spain, I felt like I was in a whole new world. Since this was my first time out of the country, I was amazed by the rich culture and the pride of the Spanish people; it was incredible to hear their stories and learn more and more about the nation.

Sam and I were surprised at how quickly we learned the city’s ins and outs, excluding the fact that we still managed to get lost near Plaza de San Francisco three times … even with a map.

We quickly grew accustomed to the traditions and culture of the Spanish people, like how they stand very close to you while speaking or how they take “siestas” every day from around 12 p.m. to 4 p.m. It took some time to comprehend their thick accents from southern Spain, and we had to leave our American taste buds behind and try new foods.

While it may have taken some time to adjust to Spanish culture, I am ever-sograteful that I pushed myself out of my comfort zone and accepted the reality that I was in an unfamiliar place with many cultural differences, all of which I could learn from.

Photo by Mary Margaret

Treadwell ‘18

From speaking with locals to exploring the area’s delicious tapas bars, we fell more in love with the city every day, and we made incredible memories that would be impossible to forget. For example, we visited the third largest cathedral in the world, with breath-taking architecture and hand-carved statues of historic Spanish figures. Also, Sam was forced to fakepropose to one of our classmates in a busy plaza because we lost a competition.

Strangers stared and children pointed, but we laughed for what seemed like forever.

We kayaked, danced, walked – a lot, cooked, travelled, suffered a nosebleed, laughed, suffered another nosebleed, talked, suffered a severe arm injury, and most importantly, we learned.

We learned how exciting it is to view the city from an outsider’s perspective and that it only provides you with endless opportunities to explore.

We learned that the gelato in

Editorial

Page 10 Spain doesn’t even compare to the gelato in the United States as it’s 10 times better.

We learned – the hard way – that it’s practically impossible to sleep through daily construction at 4 a.m.

We learned that laughing at ourselves and cherishing each moment made the trip 100 times better.

We learned more about the language, more about the people, and more about the history, but mostly, we learned more about ourselves.

When I reflect on my time spent in Seville, I don’t just remember the classes or the construction at 4 a.m. every morning.

Instead, I reflect on some of the best times of my life spent with many amazing people, some of whom I still maintain contact with today. Each experience created a memory that I now cherish.

Travelling abroad opened my eyes to a whole new world: I was exposed to an entirely different culture, and I was completely surrounded by unfamiliar

people and places. However, this change significantly changed my perspective on life, in general. While my experience in Spain this past summer can never be recreated, I know that adventures in other places await.

I encourage you to launch yourself outside of your comfort zone and study abroad. The memories you’ll make will be irreplaceable, and you’ll find yourself never wanting to leave.

Once in a lifetime?

BY HANNAH CHANDLER ‘18

On September 21, 2017 most Americans were outside watching the sky go dark— the solar eclipse brought everyone to nature for at least a few minutes. Interestingly, every person had a completely different experience viewing the eclipse. People in the path of totality witnessed almost complete darkness. My experience in Memphis was a little different than those in the path of totality; I walked onto the Dobbs Field and watched everyone prepare for an experience that has not happened since 1979. Girls were looking up in the sky with their eclipse glasses trying to find the sun in the spaces where the clouds were not; it was not the best weather for the eclipse, but it was still an amazing experience. Once we all saw the eclipse, everyone started to cheer.

I could feel the excitement in the air! The anticipation of seeing the sun disappear before my eyes was a feeling that I have not felt a lot before.

Only a few hours away from Memphis, the people in Nashville were in the path of totality. One hundred percent of the sun was covered, unlike the 94% we had here in Memphis. Thus, the eclipse as seen in the path of totality lasts longer than the 2 minutes that many cities experienced. The eclipse started at 11:58 a.m. and ended at 2:54 p.m. in Nashville, and the total eclipse time was 3 hours. I had never realized how long the whole process was. According to NASA, “For this eclipse, the longest period when the moon completely blocks the sun from any given location along the path will

be about two minutes and 40 seconds.” We are fortunate to have witnessed something spectacular during our lifetime; this

minutes to see the moon cover the sun with our glasses ready and our eyes eager. Even though the glasses constricted almost all vision, it was amazing how the only thing I could focus is on was the sun.

Everything was black except the beautiful eclipse that completely captured my attention. I cannot wait to see the solar eclipse again in 7 years, and hopefully, I will be witness to totality and once again be a part of something greater than myself.

“Once we all saw the eclipse, everyone started to cheer. I could feel the excitment in the air!” experience is a rarity.

My experience while watching the eclipse was exciting as I sat beside my best friends and teachers on the Hutchison turf field.

There, we waited for approximately 15

Photo by Aislin Fields ‘18

My time on The Hill

Editorial

Page 11

BY SAMANTHA TANCREDI‘18

As I stepped off of a plane that had just landed in our nation’s capital, I was greeted by sounds of busy people, stuck in their own busy worlds, running frantically through the airport while talking on the phone. Chaos everywhere, I was intimidated by what was to come, but far more excited to step foot inside of buildings that Mr. Robinson, my United States Government teacher, had described endlessly.

With anything, seeing things in person is incomparable to what a Google image can portray.

I would be spending my next two weeks inside these awesome buidlings, working for a member of the House of Representatives, Congressman David Kustoff, who is the representative for my district. Talk about being in the right place at the right time! I got to experience a little bit of everything during my two weeks in D.C., and I loved every minute of it. In a similar fashion to that depicted in the movie Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, I arrived somewhat naïve and optimistic, and I assumed that I would leave on the complete opposite side of the spectrum. Yet, contrary to what you may see on the news, I fell in love with the city, the field of government and politics, and the respect that truly exists on the Hill.

On my first day, I followed my expected dress code and showed up at the office in a blazer, shaking on the inside but holding it together on the outside—how could I not be nervous? I was about to meet a Congressman.

Little did I know that it was actually a casual day, the Congressman was not in D.C., and I stuck out the rest of the day like a sore thumb.

I can attest to the fact that it is always better to be overdressed than the opposite, but I wished more than

anything that I would have gotten a memo so that people would stop confusing me with a

the summertime). So, on my very first day working in the Cannon Office Building on Capitol Hill, I got to sit inside an actual Congressman’s office and work. I think this moment is where I really felt my passion for government and everything that it entails, and when 6:00 p.m. came around and I could leave, I certainly did not want to.

Throughout my first week, I was able to explore D.C. and all that it had to offer, and my mom and I celebrated a successful 7 days together with dinner at the Trump Hotel. The building is stunning. As we walked around the main lobby area, I saw different members of Congress socializing and talking, both Democrats and Republicans, and the atmosphere was not tense in the slightest. Rather, it was remarkably respectful and pleasant. Before heading to dinner I was able to spot Kellyanne Conway, who helped run the Trump campaign and is a counselor to the president himself. It was humbling to see someone who interacts with Photo courtesy of Stephanie Tancredi our current President, and this newsperson, or interviewer, or pretty much feeling would continue for the next 7 days anything aside from a 17 year old girl. The on the Hill. air conditioning unit for half of Kustoff’s One of my favorite parts of working office broke, which was unsurprising given in D.C. was the freedom and access I was my previous chain of luck, so the area able to have; I thought that being a 17 year where interns were to sit and work was old would restrict me, but in no way was nothing other than a sauna (I also found my age a limiting factor for my abilities. that D.C.’s weather can be scorching in Instead, I was treated like a college intern who worked closely with the rest of the office, and by the end of my two weeks, I felt like a part of the family that is Kustoff’s team. Some of those freedoms i n c l u d e d working on Congressional

“By the end of my two weeks, I felt like a part of the family that is Kustoff’s office.”

Editorial

Page 12

Photo by Samantha Tancredi ‘18

binders, helping give Capitol tours, and answering phone calls from constituents.

But by far the most interesting and beneficial factor was the access that I had to different congressional hearings. I was able to see Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Dr. Ben Carson, Secretary of State Rex Tillerson, and Secretary of Treasury Steve Mnuchin speak, among others. These moments were major for me; I was sitting in the same room as people who are actually running our government!

By far the most popular hearing I attended was the Jeff Sessions hearing. Waiting in line for the hearing itself, I was interviewed by different news stations and sources who were interested in people’s reasons for wanting to go to the hearing itself.

People formulated their own opinions of the matter at hand, but I will say that I am exceptionally grateful that I was able to witness history in the making.

The naivety that may have existed initially wore off quickly. After the Jeff

Sessions hearing, I only had a few more days left in D.C., and things were beginning to wind down for me. That is until I woke up to bone-numbing news: Majority Whip Steve Scalise had been shot, along with other Republican representatives, at a Congressional baseball practice. The tone of my experience changed significantly.

The congressional baseball game is one of the few special moments that Democrats and Republicans come together, removing politics and differences, to raise money for a cause. A stranger approached the baseball field where one of the final practices was taking place, asked the political leanings of the men practicing, and then fired at a group of Republicans. This awful event took place early in the morning, before a normal work day.

As I walked into the office building to work that same day, I realized the severity of what had occurred. People were crying, panicking, and wilting all around me; I saw the types of men and women that I aspire to

Photo by Samantha Tancredi ‘18

be, dressed with their congressional pins, in floods of tears. These people who were hurt were people who I have seen in books or on TV or in the news, but here, they were people’s friends. And when this tragedy struck D.C., the Democrats came into the offices of the Republicans and prayed for healing and peace. In this moment, I felt more American than I have in a long time.

The security was amped up, and quite frankly, I wanted to get out and go home; the once buzzing and exciting city I had spent a week and a half in turned into a city on lock down. I was scared.

When I turned on my TV that night, I noticed that the reality of the shooting was not being covered the way that it actually occurred. Saddened by this distortion of reality, I turned off the news channel and went to bed. It only goes to prove that sometimes, you have to actually witness certain events to understand them fairly and coherently.

Crosstown Concourse

Local

Page 13

BY MIA COLOMBO ‘18

Almost 90 years ago, the Sears Crosstown Building hosted its first grand opening, on August 27th, 1927. Now, after two years of renovation and more than $15 million in investments from the city of Memphis, it has reopened as the Crosstown Concourse.

Originally designed by Nimmons & Co., construction started on Sears Crosstown on February 21st, 1927. It was one of the first Sears stores designed to attract customers by being situated in a relatively open area of the city. After the initial opening in 1927, the Sears Crosstown Building was the largest building in Memphis at 650,000 square feet. Three thousand people attended the opening ceremony and over 47,000 people toured the building by the end of the day. Costing $5 million at the time, the building had been constructed in only 180 days with work crews operating 24 hours a day, six days a week. While the Sears Crosstown Building was a premier Sears retail store for more than 60 years, the building became vacant in the early 90’s after Sears closed many of the buildings it had constructed in the 20’s. The stores that had occupied the lower floors closed in 1983, and the catalog distribution center was closed in 1993.

After becoming vacant, the Sears Crosstown building became a memory from the past and a site for urban explorers to dig around at. Proposals to renovate the building from development companies around the country were refused until 2010, when the Crosstown Arts Project designed a resurrection plan with the intent for the building to be a “mixed-use vertical urban village”. After the plan was picked up by the city of Memphis, investors, and developers, renovation on the longabandoned building began on February 21st, 2015.

August 19th marked the grand reopening of the Sears Crosstown Building, now renamed the Crosstown Concourse.

Photo by Jane Ellen Bell ‘18

Sprawling at 1.5 million square feet, the building is twice the size of its 1920’s shadow. Living up to its goal of a “vertical village”, the Crosstown Concourse is home to a high school, dentist office, Church Healthcare Center, a gym, retail, and several restaurants. On top of this, 265 apartments take up the 7th-10th floors. Not only is the

will be responsible for generating more than $37 million in annual revenue. While the Concourse houses many retail choices, a high school, and health care centers, it is also the location of an extremely wide variety of arts, art projects, and expositions.

Although the grand opening was August 19th, 2017, tenants began moving in and working on establishing their stores around April of 2017.

While the initial moving in was occurring, the first major event that occurred at the newly renovated Crosstown Concourse when Memphis Fashion Week was hosted there from April 4th-8th. Memphis Fashion Week 2017 resulted in record high Fashion Week attendance levels, and while this

“Even more enticing than the building itself are the artists and musicians who showcase their work at the Crosstown Concourse.” new Concourse a social hub, it also created 800 jobs throughout the various businesses located within Crosstown Concourse and

Page 14

Hutchison

Photo by Jane Ellen Bell ‘18

can’t be directly attributed to the venue, a completely modern and artistically constructed building definitely enticed spectators to attend.

Even more enticing than the building itself are the artists and musicians who showcase their work at the Crosstown Concourse, as well as the numerous organizations and clubs open to the public that are hosted there. Some examples of things available are: The MicroFilm Club, which screens independent films once a month, and the Open Crit organization, in which visual artists can bring in their work for open criticism from other artists. From indie music to modern art, something that interests everybody is sure to be at the Crosstown Concourse.

Lower School Trends

BY BAILEY DEGAN ‘20

Different trends in Lower School provide the students with the ability to express themselves, despite wearing a uniform every day, which takes away from each individual’s style.

The most common trend is headbands due to the vast customization options.

Emoji headbands are bejeweled headbands of various emojis of the student’s choosing. Some girls also get their names written or engraved on their headbands.

Puffball headbands are headbands with extremely large puffballs in an assortment of colors. The variety of headband designs and patterns provides each girl with the ability to change up their headbands, but still simple enough to not distract from class time.

Another of the most popular Lower School trends is cat ear headbands. They are headbands with cat ears attached, and are often used around Halloween for cat costumes. One of the main reasons these headbands are so popular is the fact that not only Lower School girls are wearing them. The much-adored stars in Hollywood have been spotted on social media wearing them as

well. For example, Ariana Grande’s high ponytails and cat ears have been a staple of her look; therefore with her model behavior and connection with fans, her cat ears became a trend all over America. There is also additional creativity that can be added

on the ears such as: bejeweled, classic black, multicolored, tie-dyed, metallic, and considerably more. With the infinite array of headbands, every girl can find her ideal headband to match her individual style.

Photo by Bailey Degan‘20

Food

Page 15

Restaurant Review: Railgarten

BY SKY STUBBS ‘18

I’ve passed Railgarten’s restaurant numerous times on my way to Urban Outfitters, Central Barbeque, or the Liberty Bowl, so when my GPS told me to make a quick left turn after the gas station on Central Avenue, I was in awe to find the hidden gem that everyone has been raving about. Railgarten opened it doors earlier this spring, on April 5th, 2017. The restaurant is a combination of an outdoor stage area, a sandy volleyball court, a ping pong bar, a homemade ice cream parlor, a playground, and the diner.

Upon first glance, customers see two white buildings, one for the restaurant and the other for the ping pong bar. As soon I walked in, I was greeted by friendly staff and led to my seat. The diner’s color scheme is a sea of charcoal with a wave of bourbon. With a granite charcoal countertop wrapped around the kitchen, customers are able to view the entire process of their food being prepared before it is brought to their table. Before arriving at the restaurant, I took a quick glance at the various items on the menu, but I still struggled to decide.

The menu includes a range of all-day breakfast items, pulled pork sandwiches, vegetarian burgers, and even salads. After much deliberation, I finally ordered from their all-day breakfast menu. My entree was uniquely named “The Full Monty”,

Photo by Sky Stubbs ‘18

which is a smoked turkey breast sandwich that is housed between two powdered sugar waffles.

Less than ten minutes from when I placed my order, my waitress brought our food to the table. To say that I was thrilled with the presentation of my meal is an understatement. The waffles were a golden brown, dusted with powdered sugar. From the side, I saw melted cheese, a thick slice of bacon, the smoked turkey breast, and

another layer of cheese. I was in heaven.

My sandwich was so good that I saved half of it to eat for breakfast the next day. After paying for my meal, I went to the other side of building to Railgarten’s ice cream parlor.

Railgarten’s ice cream parlor is very unique, to say the least. They have a vast assortment of housemade flavors and mashups of your favorite classics like vanilla and chocolate. You can get your ice cream in a bowl or in housemade waffle cones. In true Memphis fashion, to support ‘eating local’, the parlor also sells Mempops popsicles. After looking at all of the delicious flavors, I finally decided to try something new and went with lemon blueberry, which I topped with chocolate chips. It was as tangy as it was sweet, with just the right amount of fresh blueberries. I was really impressed. Instead of eating inside of the restaurant, I went around the back to enjoy the sunny day and listen to live music being played.

Railgarten’s backyard is like no other. The entertainment center has a playground area for children, a sandy volleyball court, hammocks, and chairs scattered on a patio to view the live music being played.

Overall, I really enjoyed my first time at Railgarten and would recommend it Photo by Sky Stubbs ‘18 for any age group.

Page 16

Notch Jewels

Hutchison Invests

BY AVERY BOALS ‘19

Beeline Bazaar. American Threads.

Juve Salon Spa. Oak Hall. Madeline Danielson, a current junior attending Hutchison, has gained entry into these venues with her business ‘Notch Jewels’.

Her entrepreneurship began when her creativity pushed her to start making jewelry, specifically beaded chokers, for her friends. Half way through Madeline’s sophomore year, she made the serious decision to take her hobby and turn it into a business. As the story goes, when telling her older brother about her intention to start a business, he notched her, not believing she would follow through with her plans.

Evidently, her brother underestimated her determination. From then on, her business was named Notch.

Since its beginning, Notch has rapidly gained popularity, and a simple walk through the school hallways reveals the Hutchison students’ attraction to Madeline’s jewelry. In fact, some Hutchison students act as models for Madeline’s social media accounts. Her website features all of her

current products, ranging from the popular disk choker to wrap bracelets adorned with geodes. Her personal favorites are oneof-a-kind pieces because she “gets to use [her] creativity in designing them.” One fascinating aspect of Madeline’s jewelry is its uniqueness: “They are 100% made and designed by me. For some of the pieces, I use a blow torch and solder.” As a matter of fact, Madeline has taken classes in order to learn how to use these specific tools, so she can advance in her jewelry-making skills. She says she gets her materials from “different wholesalers around the country and world” but she most recently went to a market in Atlanta for some new materials.

Although she is doing something she loves, Madeline says the biggest challenge is getting all of the orders done while also balancing school work and sports practices: “I spend a lot of nights staying up late finishing orders and my homework.

I really try to do a lot of my homework in my study halls so that I can have more time to make jewelry.” Even with the help of her

mother packaging and mailing the orders, Madeline makes every piece herself, so one can imagine how much time she dedicates to completing these orders. Despite this challenge, her favorite part of working is seeing people wear her pieces without her knowing they bought them.

As Notch grew and became more popular Madeline needed a better workplace, so she converted an extra bedroom in her house into her studio. It contains tall, wood tables that she makes most of her jewelry on. With so many materials, she also needs a lot of space for storage: a peg board that holds chains and strands of beads and a magnetic board on which she stores finished jewelry.

Madeline most recently began selling to Oak Hall, which is an amazing accomplishment for her and her business.

Madeline’s next goal is to spread her business throughout Tennessee, and perhaps its surrounding states.

Madeline’s business and success exemplifies the outcome of dedication and time management spent on something she

Photo courtesy of Madeline Danielson ‘19

Hutchison Invests Photo courtesy of Madeline Danielson ‘19

loves. As a young entrepreneur herself, she advises that if you are looking to create a business of your own find something you are passionate about, try your hardest to make it work, and never give up. Visit her website at notchjewels.com, and follow her on Instagram at notchjewelrydesigns.

If you are interested in creating in the business world or even want to start your own, Hutch Invests, led by Mrs. Ware, allows students to learn more about design thinking, business concepts, and finances.

There are a few different programs girls can join that give them options for what they want to learn or pursue: Enterprise Society, the Accelerator, or an entrepreneurship class.

The Enterprise Society has a “club feel” that allows students to participate in projects and workshops. This program is for students who might not know exactly what they are looking to launch, or who want to understand how finance and businesses in the real world work. The society provides students with a broader scope on these topics and allows students to consider if they are interested

in creating their own business. An exciting new project for students in the society c a l l e d Holiday House allows girls to set up individual booths for their goods or services during the intermission of a holiday concert; the project provides girls with experience on managing and promoting themselves.

If you are looking for something more rigorous and intensive, the Accelerator is a 12 month program to research business tactics and start developing one of your own. During the fall, students focus on three different businesses to see how they work in the real world. From this exposure, students begin to understand the process of owning and managing a business. Moving

Page 17 proposal. Following this in depth program, in the next school year students open their business, make their goods, gain a client base, and sell their products.

The entrepreneurship class serves as a medium between Enterprise Society and the Accelerator; students go through a similar fall plan from the Accelerator but begin at a more novice stage to learn the basics of business concepts and finance.

Last year, some students collaborated with the Buzz Shop and the Hutchison farm to sell honey. The students did all of the work to make this business successful, from researching to packaging. Soon, the same students will improve their business to sell even more products straight from Hutchison’s campus.

Evidently, there are many paths a young entrepreneur can take to get involved with Hutch Invests. Even those who already have a business in motion can benefit from the program: gaining new resources, meeting with mentors, going to community events, and working to meet their next goals. The relatively new program currently has 13 students in the Accelerator program, 21 students in the Enterprise Society, and 16 students enrolled in the entrepreneur class in the spring semester. Even if students participate in the program and decide that the business world is not their calling, it provides these students with life skills. For those who do remain interested in business, Hutch Invests serves as an amazing foundation and gives students important skills and experience that they will need in the future.

So, whether you already have a successful business, like Madeline Danielson, or just think you might enjoy learning more about this field, Hutch Invests is a great way to start your entrepreneurship.

“As Notch grew and became more popular, Madeline needed a better workplace, so she converted an extra bedroom in her house into her studio.” into the spring semester, girls actually develop ideas for a business concept for selling products or providing services. By the end of the year, they go to pitch their plan to a group of administrators and teachers, who give them feedback and refine their

Sports

Page 18

Girls with guns: Hutchison trap squad

BY JANE ELLEN BELL ‘18

From lacrosse to bowling, Hutchison has necessary concentration to keep my eyes a wide variety of sports, and every girl can softly focused two feet above the trap house participate in our athletic program in some and let my eyes move to the target while way. In 2012, a group of sophomores started a Photo courtesy of Stephanie Nichols trap team at Hutchison, and these girls formed the team in hopes of creating a sport that would educate girls on proper firearm usage.

When you think of shooting, or guns in general, people normally imagine them used by a man. While it is true that there are more men than women involved in trap shooting, competition between the two genders reveals that women are often able to focus more easily than men. And many of them are better shots!

I grew up in a household with guns, so I have always felt comfortable around firearms, my gun follows behind. With the help of and I have always been encouraged to Coach Keith Warner, Hoppy Dickinson, enjoy the outdoors in some way. My dad Bruce Harrison, David Kendall, and Mike and brother love hunting, and my brother Nichols, every member on the team has was a part of the MUS trap shooting team been taught that mental focus is the key until 2009. While my sister was in upper to understanding the how to shoot and hit school at Hutchison, the Hutchison trap targets. team did not exist, and she was only able to Head coach, Keith Warner, who owns shoot when she could with my family.

Since freshman year, I have participated in the trap team and have enjoyed getting to know more about gun safety and how to properly take care of my own gun.

After taking the online Hunter’s Education class and learning more about hunting and gun safety, I was able to get my Hunters Education License which Warner Gunsmith Inc., was able to find a allows me to better understand safety light-weight and reliable gun for most team regulations and laws while handling a members to shoot. The Beretta A300 is an firearm. easily manageable gun for trap shooting, I have developed my focus from the but in order to keep your gun in proper

condition to shoot, it must be cleaned regularly. We shoot 200 rounds each week, so over the course of the season we are encouraged to clean our guns after each practice in order for them to not rust.

Not only are we encouraged to clean our guns, but we are also encouraged to do gun lifts nightly.

For trap, practice and focus make perfect.

By doing gun lifts at home, we are able to gain more upper body strength. This allows us to hold our guns for the duration of 100 rounds; moreover, guns lifts also build up your level of focus and eye coordination in how you mount your gun.

Over the course of the past 3 years, I have been able to gain independence and leadership skills through trap shooting while also being able to connect with a great group of girls that love the sport. From weekend tournaments in Memphis to the state competition in Nashville, our team has improved over the years. This year, I was able to make a new personal record by shooting a straight 25 out of 25 with a total score of 92 out of 100.

This accomplishment has shown me how much hard work and concentration both I and my team have gained from trap over the years.

The remaining members are only seniors at this point, and the team will end after this year if no new members join. I encourage Hutchison upper school students to consider joining the team because you will get so much out of it that you would never expect, from new friendships to a better understanding of firearms.

“The remaining members are only seniors at this point, and the team will end after this year if no new members join.”

Technology

Page 19

Greeley talks tech: the history of the iPhone

BY GREELEY LINDBERG ‘18

With the new iPhone X just around the corner, everyone is buzzing about its rumored futuristic high-tech features and large edge-to-edge screen, but while we wait for its arrival, let’s take a trip ten years back to the first generation iPhone.

When the first iPhone came out in 2007, Facebook was littered with unnecessary status updates, Ed Hardy was the latest trend, and flip phones were more popular than ever—that is, until the iPhone came out. When first announced, it was advertised as a single device that brought internet, music, and cellular communication all together at last. It was one of the first phones to introduce touch screen capabilities, so in comparison to the iPhone’s predecessors’ plastic keyboard, it is no wonder why we were so enthralled by its 3.5 inch display. This revolutionary device came in three storage options: 4 GB, 8 GB, and 16 GB, which seems impossibly small compared to the iPhone 7’s storage capacities of 32 GB, 128 GB, and 256 GB. But this phone was only the precursor to a series of technological breakthroughs.

Only one year later, the iPhone 3G was released. This phone boasted 3G data coverage, GPS, and an all new program that would change the way we look at our phones: the App Store. Suddenly, we could customize our phone with applications and content creators could share his or her creativity on a whole new platform.

Though the iPhone was not the first to have an App Store, Apple certainly was the first to improve the software’s user-friendliness

Photo by Greeley Lindberg ‘18

and to popularize it.

Following the iPhone 3GS, which gave us video recording, came the iPhone 4 in 2010. This device replaced the iPhone’s thick, rounded structure with a thinner, boxier one. In addition, it graced us with a sharp retina display and a new way to communicate: FaceTime. However, the most important feature of this phone was arguably the front-facing camera. Selfies were now easier than ever for iPhone users, which would later call for the creation of apps such as Snapchat. Soon after the iPhone 4 came the iPhone 4s, which introduced us to Siri, an intelligent personal servant for your phone. But before we could ask her ridiculous questions and demand she

SIGNPOST Editor in Chief Samantha Tancredi ‘18 Staff Writers

Jane Ellen Bell ‘18 Bailey Degan ‘20 Hannah Chandler ‘18 Aislin Fields ‘18 Mia Colombo ‘18 Abby Hays ‘20

Senior Editors

Avery Boals ‘19 Corrina Brown ‘18 Grace Galler ‘19 Greeley Lindberg ‘18 Sky Stubbs ‘18 Mary Margaret Treadwell ‘18

call us even more ridiculous names, Steve Jobs passed away from pancreatic cancer.

The world mourned as it reflected on his ingenious technological feats.

In the past five years, the iPhone 5, iPhone 6, and iPhone 7 have introduced us to features such as LTE, Touch ID, and 3D Touch and have given us more storage, new colors, and of course, bigger sizes. Soon, we will have our hands on the iPhone X, which will once again introduce us to cutting-edge, high-tech features. But to truly appreciate its advancements, we must remember the days when the touch screen was brand new to us and acknowledge how far we’ve come since then, both technologically and culturally.

The Signpost staff strives to practice ethical journalism and to promote integrity in its work. The editors and staff reserve the right to publish only those articles which they consider accurate and not injurious. All articles must meet these criteria in their inception and execution. The opinion articles do not necessarily represent the views of the entire staff, faculty, students, or administration.

Signpost wants to be inclusive of the entire Hutchison community, and we welcome submissions from faculty, students, and alums. If you would like to contribute, please contact us at signposthutchison@gmail.com. We do not guarantee that every article will be published. Every article sent is subject to be edited for content and size.

SIGNPOST IS MADE POSSIBLE IN PART THROUGH THE GENEROSITY OF THE CLASSMATES AND FRIENDS OF MOLLY MCCONNELL ‘59, WHO SUPPORT STUDENT JOURNALISM AT HUTCHISON IN HER MEMORY.