[2023/24] The Green and White Vol. II, No. 2

The Green & White

“Beyond

the Black and White”

On the Ground at the UNC March for Palestine

Max Tendler ‘24

Co-Editor-in-Chief

CHAPEL HILL, N.C., Sunday, April 28th, 2024, 3:16 p.m. — I can hear the sounds of protest a few hundred yards away—nearly all the way from Franklin Street—as I approach the University of North Carolina’s Polk Place, a green clearing lined with huge oak trees and surrounded by old, neoclassical college buildings. At one end of the park, a crowd of a few hundred protesters of widely varying ages and backgrounds has formed, encircling the steps of the South building. It’s hot—some young kids are running around offering attendees bottles of water. As I go to decline a kid’s offer, I hear a voice boom from the steps.

The Perfect Promposal

Godiya Mangai ‘24 Guest

Writer

Prom season is an exciting time for everyone, regardless of whether you’re attending or not. The buildup to the day months in advance, with everyone showing each other dresses, the questioning of whether the DJ is going to be good or not, whether the Continued on Page 11

Inside Scoop: StuGov Chairs

Shriya Dharmapurikar ‘26

Co-Editor-in-Chief

The DA Student Government seems to be shrouded in mystery. However, in a true democracy, citizens deserve to know what’s going on in their government. So, the press is here to help. I sat in on an Executive Council

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Hashem Amireh, a third-year grad student at UNC studying economics, is speaking on behalf of the Students for Continued on Page 12

Source: Max Tendler

Music that Motivates: The Songs that Power our Athletes

Eva

Dimon ‘25

Guest Writer

The spring season is defined by blooming flowers, chirping birds, and of course, stressed out students trying to balance academics, extracurriculars, and the start of spring sports. Trying to stay on top of deadlines is enough, but now we add the chaotic, electric

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Presidential Profile: Caleb Chen

Connor Ennis

‘24

Guest Writer

At the Upper School here at DA, we most often see our Student Body Presidents just as a figure up on stage during Morning Meetings. This Presidential Profile series aims to take a closer look at the President, and remove some of their mystique for the student body, Continued on Page 4

A Girl Scout’s Guide to Anxiety

Milly

Jones ‘24

Guest Writer

It’s always overwhelming how many people rush to talk to me from January to March. The absolute frenzy over Girl Scout cookies causes my popularity in those early weeks of cookie season to swell tenfold. Yet my identity as a Girl Scout is not just tied to how many

Presidential Profile: Amare Burrus

Mai Malesky ‘25

Co-Editor-in-Chief

Q: First, congratulations! What did you feel when you first heard the news?

A: “Obviously, very excited because it was such a tight race! This position has been something I’ve strived for since running for class president freshman year. Continued on Page 2

boxes of Thin Mints I sell but about how I interact with my community. One such community endeavor has been my Gold Award. A Gold Award is the highest award a Girl Scout can earn, achieved through a take-action project where

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The Book Nook

Find Mr. Cluff’s Top 10 Book Recs and read book reviews from members of the Readers Society — Riley Casey ‘26, Evan Register ‘25, Audrey Crowder ‘26, and Joshua Yoon ‘25.

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Join us!

Email Mai Malesky or Shriya Dharmapurikar to submit a piece or join the team!

Presidential Profile: Amare Burrus

Continued from Page 1

Hearing the news was also extra special because I received the email right after a baseball game, and so I celebrated with the entire team.”

Q: What are your goals for next year?

A: “I noted this in my speech, but I truly want to make the school feel more like a community. At DA, it feels as if everyone is in their own world and my main goal is to increase interactions between students. I want everyone to feel uplifted as a community despite the differences in grade levels. However, I don’t have the perfect idea for creating a community, and I want to be open to any new ideas people may have.

Another goal I have is to collaborate more with the lower and middle schools to unite our community further. My mom is a

teacher at the lower school, so I can work with her to bring the two campuses together. I also know that the middle schoolers really look up to us, and I want to reach out to them.”

Q: Do you have any concerns or fears about this new role?

A: “My biggest concern is obviously managing my time. However, I feel prepared for this because of my life experience balancing sports, academics, and time with family. I am not necessarily scared for this part of the role, but it is definitely something I need to be mindful of.”

Q: What do you want people to know about you? - not as President but as a person

A: “I want people to know that I am happy to talk to anyone about anything whether it be their inter-

ests or their suggestions for the school. I genuinely find joy when I talk to people, especially new people. I also want students to know that I will put a lot into this role. I like to do everything 100%, and I will do my absolute best to spread happiness on our campus.”

Q: How do you want to be seen as the President next year?

A: “I want to be seen as someone who people can expect to bring energy and positivity. I think there is a seriousness to being president, but in this role, I also want to bring a sense of positivity. I want to be someone who goes up on stage during morning meetings and makes people laugh and brings some joy to their day. I really hope to be the person who can alleviate some of the stress that comes with school.”

Source: Amare Burrus

Cavalier Inkspot

“If your enemies can make edits, it was never your build to begin with.”

- Mateo Estigarribia ‘27

Submit a line you think you cooked on to https://tinyurl.com/cavinkspot

A Deep Dive into DA’s Student Government Chairs

Continued from Page 1 meeting and interviewed each committee chair to learn more about their accomplishments and goals.

For some background, the DA student government is set up in a very non-traditional way. The highest position, in charge of all DA committees and class presidents, is the student body president. This president oversees each committee chair, which DA has seven of: Student Academic Committee (SAC), Student Life Advisory Board (SLAB), Student Organization and Leadership Development (SOLD), Social Events Committee, Spirit Committee, and Sustainability Committee.

In case you haven’t noticed, the DA student government seems to love nicknames. According to the DA Student Government Constitution (yes, that does exist), “each Committee Chair leads a select committee and is charged with empowering and mentoring all committee members.” Each two weeks, all the committee chairs, class presidents, and the student body president meet with Mr. Klein for Executive Council Meetings.

To solve the mystery of student government, I did a deep dive into each committee on Student Government.

Additionally, to provide a student perspective on each Exec-

utive Committee, I interviewed Justin Spitzer ‘26, who seems to be utterly clueless about student government.

Just sitting in on an Executive Meeting, I learned a lot about what the student government does. Caleb Chen ‘24, Student Body President, essentially ran the meeting, and checked in with each chair about what their committee is up to. Noticeably absent were Larry Yon ‘27 (Freshman Class President) and Myra Pasha ‘24 (Social Events Co-Chair). By far the most active participants in the meetings were Izzie Scurria ‘24 (SLAB Chair), Kai Forbach ‘26 (Social Events

Co-Chair) Ava Claar ‘24 (SAC CoChair), and Ama Mensa-Boone (Spirit Co-Chair). Izzie and Ava discussed their plans to implement outdoor classrooms for students, and Ava and Riley Auman ‘24 (SAC Co-Chair) discussed their new AI experimentation. The discussion was lively, with Clay Meredith ‘24 (Spirit CoChair) adding jokes to the meeting quite often. There were

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A Deep Dive into DA’s Student Government Chairs

Continued from Page 2 quite a few side conversations, which often caused the meeting to get off track. Eventually Caleb would bring the meeting back to its focus. Unfortunately, some members of the Executive Council seemed to place more emphasis on their homework than the meeting they were in, staring at computers the whole meeting.

Student

Academic Committee Chairs: Riley Auman ‘24 and Ava Claar ‘24

Surprisingly, SAC was the only acronym that Justin Spitzer was able to correctly label: the Student Academic Committee. So, I had high hopes for my interview with the chairs. The moment I started into my interviews with Riley and Ava, their personalities were bubbly. It was clear they are passionate about the work they do. As SAC Chairs, their main priorities have been implementing a concrete peer

tutoring program (which has existed for years, but didn’t actually seem to be real until Ava and Riley came along). In regards to the peer tutoring program, Riley says, “I think peer tutoring is one of those things like people just kind of associated with SAC even when it didn’t really exist. So it seemed like one of the most important things to do to get that up and running … I think we did that. Even if there’s not as much demand for it, there were a lot of students and teachers who wanted us to create it.” They also helped create an “open gradebook” policy for teachers, which essentially means that at least a few weeks before the end of each quarter, teachers are forced to show students the gradebook to eliminate stress. With projects like these, they seemed really happy with how their work turned out. However, there were other areas in which they thought they could improve. Ava describes the issue of setting con-

Partial Eclipse of the Heart

How DA Shined Brightly on a Dimmer-Than-Average Day

Max Tendler ‘24

Co-Editor-in-Chief

DURHAM, N.C., April 8th, 2024

– It’s 2:30 p.m. on a Monday afternoon. For most, school let out 40 minutes ago. It’s a nice day; clear skies. You might expect campus to be quiet, students gone or busy with extracurriculars.

You’d be wrong.

Down on the softball field, dozens of students, faculty, parents, and young kids are celebrating the partial solar eclipse that, as Justyn Melrose reported for Queen City News, reached 82.9% totality in Durham.

Some lower schoolers sit on towels with their parents, gazing at the sky through eclipse glasses or gawking at the weird crescent shadows formed by the astronomical phenomenon. Older students chat and inter-

crete action steps, saying “I think that a thing that’s hard is trying to figure out specific goals…but we’re trying to, we’re trying to work towards more manageable goals. And like, individual proposals that we can write and get approved.” Overall, it seems as though the SAC committee put some hard work into making helpful changes to the student body. Ava and Riley ranked themselves an 8/10 for productivity in student government. Considering their predecessor didn’t seem to have much of a presence on SAC, this seems like a fair score.

Student

Life Advisory Board Chair: Izzie Scurria ‘24.

When I asked Justin Spitzer about his thoughts on SLAB’s work, he said, “I feel like they did do a thing. Are they the ones that keep the grade book open?” (Justin Spitzer is wrong. That was SAC.) Although the student body

hasn’t heard much about it, SLAB has actually been one of the most productive committees on campus, headed by Izzie Scurria ‘24. When I sat down to meet with Izzie, she was eager to tell me about her accomplishments and goals, but, more importantly, she seemed genuinely prepared for the interview. I also noticed her presence during the Executive meeting was very active, and she was committed to working hard. SLAB has implemented many behind the scenes projects this year. As Izzie explains, “I definitely think the biggest one has been the online swipe sign in and sign outs. I think there’s stuff that people don’t know about, like how we got like Wi Fi routers budgeted for next year. There’s the outdoor classroom stuff. We’ve been talking that one area of growth she had at the beginning of the year was delegating tasks correctly, which

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mingle. Many attendees are lining up to get a picture through the eclipse-safe telescope guided by Dr. Meyer, who led organization efforts for the event.

She tells me she’s delighted at the turnout, and “so excited to get to share this with our DA community…This is the last eclipse we see from the United States until 2044.”

Kristianna McClain ‘26, a leader of the Chemistry and Medicine Club, is likewise pleased at being able to bring so many

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THE GREEN & WHITE

MONDAY,

A Deep Dive into DA’s Student Government Chairs

Continued from Page 3 she says she’s improved on as chair over the year. Izzie ranked herself an 8/10 for productivity, which sounds a little modest, considering she has exceeded expectations as SLAB chair!

Spirit Committee Chairs: Ama Mensa-Boone ‘24 and Clay Meridith ‘24

Justin Spitzer had high praise about his Spirit Committee chairs, and he may be correct. Compared to their predecessors, Ama and Clay seemed to have a much better dynamic as spirit chairs, as they brought both passion and organization to the job. One area they found success, according to Clay, was, “bringing more people out to fall sports, and having a wider variety of attendance at different sports.” Ama pointed out that, “it was hard because a lot of winter sports didn’t make it that far, and it’s hard to watch sports like swimming.” Despite this, they had a lot of efforts planned to encourage attendance at spring games, and discussed a potential new system to have coaches allot 5 minutes of practice time for teams to watch other teams that were playing match-

es. One area of growth was, as Clay described, “a lot of our work is hard to execute because it requires Mr. Pogach to send all the emails and enforce the actions, which is not easy.” They also mentioned wanting to add more Spirit skits to morning meetings, to spice up the often boring Monday mornings. Despite this, the Spirit Chairs ranked themselves a 10/10 in terms of productivity, which may be a little high, but the spirit is definitely there.

Student Organization and Leadership Committee: Ethan Li ‘25

Justin Spitzer seems to think that, “SOLD stands for… SOLIDARITY!” and although he is wrong, it seems like the SOLD committee might need some solidarity right now. He described his biggest accomplishment as helping solve little issues that appeared when clubs were being created, as Ethan had to help make sure there were no repeats of clubs and that every club got the table they wanted. However, unfortunately, the student body hasn’t seen as many concrete policies or innovative ideas from SOLD like they have from other committees.

SOLD did try to implement a club calendar, but it didn’t find much success. Despite this, Ethan says he worked really hard at the beginning of the year, and rates his productivity around an 8. For the 2024-2025 year, Lance Hackman ‘26 (previous sophomore class president) won the SOLD chair election unopposed, and it seems like it’s no coincidence that nobody wanted to run. SOLD has made a reputation for itself as a difficult-to-run, dying committee. Hopefully, Lance can turn that legacy around.

Social Events Committee

Chairs: Kai Forbach ‘26 and Myra Pasha ‘24

Justin Spitzer appreciates the Social Events Committee, because, “Isn’t Kai Forbach on that one? I don’t know if I’ve been to any of their events. Oh! They did the Art Gala, I did that, that got me extra credit, that one was lowkey good.” In their role as Social Events committee chairs, Kai and Myra hosted a homecoming tailgate, a formal dance, and an art and poetry gala. Although there was disappointment from the student body about the lack of a homecoming dance, according to

Presidential Profile: Caleb Chen

Continued from Page 1 getting an inside look at their thoughts. My profile’s subject is the Student Body President for the 2023-2024 school year: Caleb Chen.

Caleb started his Student Government leadership journey when he won the election for Class President his freshman year, a very impressive feat considering he was brand new to Durham Academy. He described his inspiration for taking on this position, trying to avoid what he had heard about from his relatives in Wuhan, China, hearing about the conditions and day to day life there. He said, “When

I came to DA I felt like I didn’t want my new school to turn into what I had seen in Wuhan.” He wanted to do “whatever [he could], even if it was the smallest thing possible.” His victory in the election was a proud moment, his first step on his journey to try and help his community.

On the topic of his proudest accomplishment as a leader, Caleb described a moment in his sophomore year seeing then-freshmen playing on the ping pong tables he set up as Class President. Seeing members of his community having fun brought him joy, showing

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Kai, “It wasn’t feasible to have a homecoming dance this year, and admin didn’t necessarily approve it, so, we did have to get creative, and that’s when we came up with the tailgate.” The tailgate did seem to be a success with tons of students coming out to celebrate before a boys soccer match. Kai also thought formal was a huge accomplishment as “We were expecting around 225 to 250 people, and we actually had more than 300.” Despite this, one area of growth Kai and Myra found was retaining their social events committee, and making sure they involved the committee in every aspect of the work they did. They ranked themselves a 7/10 on a productivity scale, which seems accurate considering their events were high quality, but there was not much quantity. The student body was also disappointed to find that the Talent Show was canceled due to a lack of signups. Overall Kai and Myra did a solid job as Social Events committee chairs, and knowing Kai just got re-elected, we’re excited to see what he has in store for us.

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Source: Max Tendler

THE GREEN & WHITE

A Deep Dive into DA’s Student Government Chairs

Continued from Page 4

Sustainability Committee

Chairs: Merritt Schultz ‘25 and Zara Miller ‘25

Unfortunately, Justin Spitzer had no idea who the chairs of the sustainability committee were, but he did appreciate that DA had one in the first place. His lack of knowledge may be due to the fact that Merritt and Zara are some of the busiest chairs out there, and by far the hardest to schedule an interview with. When it finally did happen, I learned a lot about the sustainability committee. Zara and Merritt were very proud of the grant and official commitment they had acquired for the DA sustainability committee. Zara said, “That’s by far the biggest thing we’ve done, which is really exciting for the future of DA, when we think back to the Lower and Middle school as well.” They were also proud of the Sustain-In, which had more attendance than it did last year. Merritt pointed out that “we had a lot of biodiversity projects, like cutting down The Tree of Heaven outside my house, and planting flowers near the lacrosse field.” One area of growth they found was to have less frequent meetings, as they felt committee members could often feel overworked, a huge contrast to the problems other

committees were facing. However Connor Ennis, previous chair of the Sustainability Committee, feels that “The Committee as a whole has seen people from all different grade levels really step up this year, and our presentations and events have been very successful. However, while education is always a good thing, I feel as though we’ve done plenty to inform our community about sustainability. We need to make progress on the goals we set with the Board in our Commitment, and unfortunately we didn’t make too much progress on that this year, besides some planting and mulching for the pocket prairie.” When asked to rank themselves in terms of productivity, Merritt argued that “we’re probably the most productive committee on campus.” They eventually settled on a 9/10 in terms of productivity, which seems fair, but previous Sustainability Chairs have set a high bar for what it looks like to lead the committee.

Conclusion

Overall, 2023-2024 Student Government has made leaps and bounds in correcting the reputation they once had: unproductive. As always, there are still ways for them to improve, and hopefully the new chairs can carry on their legacies.

Gas leak in STEM building?!

Shriya Dharmapurikar ‘26

Co-Editor-in-Chief

Friday, February 9th. 8:42 a.m.:

Dean Frasher sends out an email. “All B period classes in STEM are canceled this morning.”

Students are shivering, their backpacks spread against the pale, white concrete. They chatter amongst themselves, with questioning tones. A line of security staff and cautious yellow tape block us from the STEM building. Something is happening.

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Green Thumbs: DA Commits to a Sustainable Future

Max Tendler ‘24

Co-Editor-in-Chief

DURHAM, N.C., January 5th, 2024 – The Upper School packed into Kirby Gym like sustainably-sourced sardines as murmurs filled the air. Some had an idea of what was going on; others, like me, were close to clueless. All, however, quieted to listen in as Mr. Ulku-Steiner read to us a rewritten future: after years of planning and effort from the Sustainability Committee, the Board of Trustees agreed to prioritize sustainability at DA.

In numbers, that means cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 25% over the next four years, by 50% over the next six years, and to net zero by 2050. All the while, we’ll be including sustainability education into all DA curricula and replacing at least two acres of grass with native species. Our future has never looked so green.

Outside, I debrief with the icons that helped make it happen.

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The Perfect Presentation?

A Recap and Pulse-Check on the Effortless Perfection Myth Community Day

Mai Malesky ‘25

Co-Editor-in-Chief

At approximately 8:14 AM, students wearily trudged into Durham Academy’s Kenan Auditorium. Half-asleep but still half-curious about what the day would bring, they clumsily put their phones on silent, dropped their backpacks outside the door, and some even excitedly made plans for lunch.

But at 8:20 AM (8:21 AM to count the stragglers), the entire Upper School was seated to hear Cara Petersen’s enthusiastic presentation on the Effortless Perfection myth. By the end of her lecture, the audience of students and teachers had surely perked up. Some felt called out, some were critical, and some thought she had captured the DA environment to a tee.

We have many community days on our campus, but this article discusses a particularly salient one. By exploring DA students’ perspectives on the

programming and uncovering what the goal behind the day was, I hope to take you back to this fascinating half-day and hopefully reshape your perspective and reignite your thoughts.

As soon as the Q&A portion of the assembly started, at least three students’ hands were in the air. One student asked for more substantive instructions to eliminate the Effortless Perfection complex. Another questioned how they should be a high achiever while not striving for perfection. However, not only did Petersen’s presentation spark one of the most lively Q&A’s in DA Community Day history, but she also had the LC buzzing with student discourse. I heard people complaining that she did not answer students’ questions fully, some saying “I have definitely

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Presidential Profile: Caleb Chen

Continued from Page 4 that he had made great strides in accomplishing his goal to elevate the quality of life here at DA.

In his junior year after two stints as Class President, Caleb became the Student Life Advisory Board, or SLAB, Chair, then was later elected as the Student Body President. Out of all the positions in his impressive career, he said he can’t pick a favorite. However, he shared what he thought to be the most rewarding part of the job. “I’m in a position where it makes sense for me to go to talk to these newly admitted students or arriving freshmen or just anyone I don’t know on campus. In general, being able to branch out in the community and make new friends, anything like that.” Caleb talked about the Admitted Students Day that had taken place earlier during the day of the in-

terview, another example of his love of making connections.

On the flipside, Caleb explained that the most difficult part of the job is simply having to balance the tasks of the role, such as setting up morning meeting slides and programming, with all the other demands of being an busy student at DA, which Caleb certainly is, as a member of the AAPI Affinity Group and the Speech & Debate and Lacrosse Teams, to name a few of his activities outside of Student Government.

Fortunately, in finding this balance with his position as the President, he said “It’s worked out well, and I enjoy doing it, so I haven’t found it to be too big of a hindrance.”

Looking into the future, Caleb said one of the biggest aspects he’ll take away from his time as a leader is “just being comfortable

Partial Eclipse of the Heart

Continued from Page 5 different groups together; her club had been looking to collaborate with the Eureka! Club, and so this was the perfect opportunity and outcome.

Many students, like Siddharth Srivats ‘25, are excited to get the chance to witness the event. “I’m glad it’s happening during my highschool experience,” he told me.

Others, like Ava Claar ‘24, are conflicted. While she was expecting it to be darker—a fuller eclipse—she’s still having a good time, telling me “it’s great that everyone is out on the softball field together and enjoying the solar eclipse! I’m grateful to the science teachers for the glasses, that’s good stuff.”

Shriya Dhamapurikar ‘26 feels similarly. “I think it’s a little anticlimactic, probably because we’re not in the zone of totality. And I don’t like that there’s just kids out and about here. But I’m

with social spaces, being comfortable with people, whoever it is.” He talked again about meeting new students, and also working with the deans and faculty to get things done on campus. He elaborated, and said it’s about “just being really comfortable with my] self so I can have that ability to be confident around other people, and make friends with and have a good relationship with whoever I want, and whenever it’s necessary.”

Lastly, Caleb offered some advice for future Student Government members. First, he discussed the importance of the other Executive Committee Chairs. He said, “you gotta trust your committee members. I’ve come to learn that the role of the Student Body President is not having the most power so you can do these things on your own. It’s

having this role so you can oversee the rest of the committees who are all independently really great minds and super passionate people and facilitating them, those people and trusting them to make decisions of their own, do things they want to do, and they will be the ones that make the school a better place, and you are the one supporting them in that process.”

Second, he simply advised against treating the role like a chore or a task. Caleb simply said, “You gotta love the job.”

Caleb Chen’s prolific Student Government experience has led him from leading the Class of 2024 to serving the entire Upper School, and he has done his jobs with grace and passion. We at the Green & White thank him for his service and wish him the best of luck in all his future endeavors.

Music that Motivates

okay.” She adds that Mr. Biersach told her that kids sprout from the ground, which he corroborates. “That’s where children come from…They’re like cicadas,” he explains.

Totality or not, Drew McKenna ‘24 is having a good time. “As a space fanatic, it’s wonderful to be out here seeing all these people enjoy astronomy. Or, wait, astrology?” It’s astronomy.

In all, it seems the eclipse (and the hard work of science-loving students and faculty) brought our community just a bit closer today. May it do so again in 20 years, when the shadow of the moon falls upon America once more.

Continued from Page 1 different groups together; her thrill of spring athletics, where the only thing more exhausting than the game itself is trying to remember which way you or the ball is supposed to go. However, there is always a song for each individual that pumps you up, excites you, and motivates you for the game ahead.

As I interviewed students from various sports teams, they were super hyped and passionate about their favorite go-to motivating song. In every sport from track to lacrosse, it was clear that music is a huge motivator for students trying to get through spring sports. Music is a much-needed dose of energizer when feeling burnt out from other activities. All it takes is a catchy tune to turn stress into success.

First up was Cleo Gordon Parisi ‘26, a fearless sprinter on the Durham Academy Varsity Track Team. When I asked her, she said

she loved “dangerous” by 21 Savage. Next, I asked a strong long distance runner on the Durham Academy Varsity Track Team, Redmond Thorne ‘27. He excitedly said, “For Whom The Bells Toll” by Metallica. Third up, Godiya Mangai ‘24. She is currently an incredible lacrosse player on the Durham Academy Girls Varsity Lacrosse Team. She passionately exclaimed, “Dreams and Nightmares” by Meek Mill. Afterward, I interviewed Parker Silliman ‘25. He is a fierce player on the Durham Academy Boys Varsity Lacrosse Team. He expressed that his favorite hype song is “21” by Polo G. Finally, Joel Tapper ‘25. He is a speedy player on the Durham Academy Varsity Boys Tennis Team. He stated that the team listens to “Sweet Caroline” by Neil Diamond every day before a big match.

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Music that Motivates

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As I wrapped up my interviews with athletes from all different sports, one thing became clear: no matter the game or sport, everyone had their own individual song that motivates them. From rock and roll to rap, there were diverse musical preferences among everyone. Music has a powerful effect on each player and athletes find strength in these tunes. Remember if you are feeling stressed, just crank up the volume!

Gas leak in STEM building?!

Continued from Page 5

There is nervous chatter in the Learning Commons. Some students leap with joy. Caiden Smallwood ‘24 says, with a smile on his face, “Prayers to the gas, but I’m up.”

Alison Linger ‘24 tells me, “I’m really happy about [the gas leak] because I had a paper due today.”

In the quad, others have mixed feelings. Godiya Mangai ‘24, eager to be interviewed, says, “I’m a little happy about it because I had a quiz, but a little bit concerned.”

class… This is a very difficult way to start a Friday.” Emotions are mixed. Tensions are high. But they would only get higher.

An authoritarian voice booms throughout the LC. Students jolt their heads up from their screens. Conversations simmer down. I am forced to pause Grey’s Anatomy halfway through a traumatic plane crash scene. A quiet lull fills a space once full of energy.

Students are in protest. I hear cries of “canceled means canceled!” and “I should’ve left when I could’ve.”

Kane Woodward ‘26 can’t contain his concern. “I’m quaking really… I’m terrified… I know there is impending doom, the doom just hasn’t presented itself to me yet.”

Email Mai Malesky or Shriya Dharmapurikar to submit an article or join the team!

For English teacher Mr. Cluff, the gas leak was catastrophic. “I was planning on teaching Book nine of The Odyssey, where Odysseus meets the cyclops…I feel devastated. I feel a great sense of loss. I don’t know how I’ll ever replace this B period

The Perfect Presentation?

Continued from Page 5

seen [this] happen,” and even students exclaiming that “effortful perfection” is the problem at DA rather than effortless perfection.

One student I talked with was concerned about what causes perfectionism to perpetuate at DA. The student suggested that DA kids need people to know about how much effort they put in, they need to be seen as students who can do it all. Another student felt that the presentation did not land, because so many DA students have an ingrained belief that perfectionism at a billion activities is the only path to success. Yet, the comment I heard most frequently was that DA administration was hypocritical for hosting this presentation. Students complained that because DA tends to be an environment that breeds effortless perfection, inviting a speaker to talk about it was a superficial solution. So,

I sat down to have a conversation with Mrs. Frasher, our Dean of Students, to know the truth.

I first asked her what her goal for the programming was, and her answer was earnest: “I have a background in counseling and I approach my work with students through that lens. I really worry about your stress levels. I worry about your mental health, I worry about the pressures that are put on you [students], and the pressures you put on yourselves… Whatever role the school plays in that, I would like to work on.”

She also emphasized that this is a communal problem and that many parents who attended the workshops with Carlena Petersen agreed with this sentiment.

Throughout the entire interview, in every answer, it was clear that the student’s perspective was always at the forefront of Mrs. Frasher’s mind. For example,

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The order is from none other than Head of the Upper School Mr. Wilson, telling students to go back to their classes. He is met with students frantically pacing, nothing but shock and anguish covering their faces. My mind goes blank as I hurry to my B period chemistry lab, in what is arguably the most flammable part of the STEM building.

Kane’s words echo in my mind each step weighing me down as I make my way to chemistry. The lab wasn’t too hard. I finally start to understand the difference between an ionic and covalent bond.

More importantly, I make it through the day only momentarily worried. I remember that Durham Academy faculty are more dedicated to my safety and learning than one could imagine. Thank you for making this Friday a perfect culmination to my week.

Source: DA Communications

The Perfect Presentation?

Continued from Page 7 when I asked her what questions she hoped the Effortless Perfection assembly would answer, she immediately said that her burning question was, “Where is the root, where is this coming from? As a mom, as a teacher, and as an administrator I want to know if this is coming from me.” However, her passion was most evident when we discussed the ways to end DA’s Effortless Perfectionism. She emphasized that we must continue talking about this problem, because “It all falls short and it would all be for nothing if there was no change.”

It is clear that the Effortless Perfection Community Day was neither effortless nor perfect. It took a great deal of work and thought to make the event happen, but the message didn’t resonate with everyone. There may be a problem on our campus, however, it is a complex one that will not be solved after a single workshop. What we can all take comfort in is that DA administrators are looking out for us and have started a conversation that will eventually lead to a better learning community on our campus.

A New Way to Garden

Ella Goin ‘25 and the Biodiversity in Action Class

Guest Writer

Pocket Prairie

In this year’s Biodiversity in Action (BiA) class, Riley Auman, Frankie Stover, and Ella Goin worked with Ms. Caruso in order to plant Durham Academy’s first pocket prairie. A pocket prairie is a small area of wildflowers, grasses, and sometimes small shrubs that is ecologically diverse, relatively self-sufficient, and planted with native plants. This class decided that native plants and supporting essential species like pollinators and amphibians should be the focus of their prairie.

Learning from others

These students had the opportunity to meet with planting experts like Preston Montague and

Continued on Page 10

A Girl Scout’s Guide to Anxiety

Continued from Page 1

they must identify an issue in their community and problem-solve to create a solution that stands mighty even when they no longer manage it. While being able to talk for hours about my community values in seemingly every single college essay I wrote was an advantage, the greatest benefit of my project was learning alongside my community members.

My project is centered around stress and anxiety, and there is no better place to look for such things than at a high school. This is when I normally bring up the mental health crisis and the shocking statistics about how anxious kids are these days, especially post-pandemic. I’m sure students such as yourselves have witnessed or even scandalously partaken in such stress and anx-

iety. While it might be tempting to pretend that one has never felt such a seemingly useless emotion and is offended that you’d even suggest they would steep to such lows, there is no shame necessary when it comes to anxiety. Although at school, we do many things in the name of wellness, block schedules, fishbowls, and sometimes even meditation at the beginning of class, many students do not fully take advantage of the resources for combatting their own anxiety.

If I were to provide a to-do list, it would include taking deep breaths and going outside. All of these things have been parroted back and forth, and it seems wildly optimistic to some that taking deep breaths and going outside would magically erase all our negative feelings. While the skeptic in us likes to scoff at the sim-

plicity of these things, simplicity is the key to controlling your own anxiety. The thing is, doing three hours of yoga and journaling a day, like our image of a very relaxed person, is not the goal here. My project seeks to give students an arsenal of tools at their disposal. These tools work best when they are in little doses every day. What’s better than going outside for four hours once and looking at a tree and thinking that everything will be fine from now on because you went outside and did your best - making smaller changes and weaving good habits into our lives, like sitting outside a bit or incorporating breathing exercises daily, is much more effective. I have included some excerpts from my resource packet which details activities to try and the research that back-ups up their effectiveness.

So what are some good habits? The first step is being able to identify your own behavior so you know when you are feeling anxious. Knowing your symptoms is essential for being able to recognize anxiety and know when this is having a detrimental effect on your everyday life. The next step is to learn how to do things mindfully. A useful saying, that has stayed with me throughout my project is the idea of multitasking - although it may seem like you are only doing one thing, by worrying about it, you are multitasking and therefore doing neither to the full extent. When you are mindful, you are purposefully focusing on the task at hand. Mindfulness does not just have to be meditation, you can do mindful gardening, drawing, cross-stitching (my personal favorite), or

Continued on Page 9

Source: Biodiversity in Action Class

A Girl Scout’s Guide to Anxiety

Continued from Page 8 whatever else, as long as you are not internally multitasking. A very useful way to combine mindfulness, deep breathing, and movement - all of which are helpful - is yoga. Movement has been proven to decrease anxiety and increase brain activity with studies like the Stroop Task, which showed performance increase after movement. After you have mindfulness down, increasing movement, music, sleep, certain nutrients, time outside, and even more time with animals can help your anxiety.

Dance is another type of movement that is incredibly beneficial especially due to the addition of music. The Jed Foundation highlights a study, in which a connection between music and recovering from stress was found, as well as a decrease in blood pressure, heart rate, and stress hormones. Dance may seem daunting but you don’t have to be a Triangle Rising Star vulnerable on the big stage to do it. At our own school, we have dance classes, clubs, and workshops like the Zoomba and Just Dance workshops during What Matters to Me Day.

Gardening is one of those things that just ticks all the boxes - time outside, exercise, and nutrition. Spending more time

outside, even just ten minutes a day as a Cornell Study finds, can decrease anxiety, even within urban areas. On top of this, gardening is a form of exercise, which we’ve already highlighted the importance of, as the book Good Anxiety by Dr. Wendy Suzuki shows, referencing a study where white matter increased in participants’ brains after months of aerobic exercises. The foods you eat also contribute to how you feel, for example, Harvard Health explains that foods high in magnesium help calm people. People who have gardens are more likely to eat more vegetables, and the leafy greens often grown in gardens have the level of magnesium required to feel this calming effect. Cooking is another one of those activities that can be done mindfully, as we focus on the acts we are doing, acknowledging our other thoughts, but not letting them distract us. Foods rich in magnesium, zinc, B vitamins, and omega-3 fatty acids are the ones to look out for; this includes legumes, nuts, lentils, corn, peas, whole grains, yogurt, and more.

Taking advantage of school resources is a good way of exploring helpful strategies. Not everyone has a therapy dog or even access to an animal on a regular basis, but through school events, we can make good use of the ben-

efits that therapy animals provide. Oxytocin - a hormone that regulates fear and anxiety - is increased when humans come into contact with animals like therapy dogs. An infamous hormone, cortisol, responsible for stress by prioritizing stressors over other functions, decreases in this interaction. Therapy dogs have also been linked to a decrease in heart rate and in some cases blood pressure. You’ll be able to see them and feel all the effects during exams when therapy dogs are coming in.

Learning how anxiety works in the brain can help conceptualize it and therefore grasp control of it. The brain is comprised of a collection of different interconnected systems, all of which are spanned in the process of anxiety. We start in the Nervous System, where anxiety creates a signal to the adrenal glands to release adrenaline and cortisol, which we have already discussed tactics to lower. The Stress Response System creates more energy for anxiety using stores of glucose and fat. The amygdala calls a distress call which spreads throughout the Limbic system. In the basal ganglia, high dopamine creates perfectionism that leads to anxiety. The cortex system is highly affected by anxiety, which creates a focus of negative infor-

mation and impaired thinking in the prefrontal cortex.

As with all things, people use the vulnerability that comes with anxiety and tell you they can sell you a solution. The commodification of wellness along with the appropriation of wellness strategies is a theme in today’s world. When consumerism is seen as “self-care”, and different practices (yoga as a notable example) have been repackaged and stripped away from their origins as a means to sell them, it’s essential to re-examine and look at this list of strategies.

I didn’t just make all of this up. I interviewed licensed professionals, I read 3.5 books for this project (the last one was too sad so I only read half) as well as countless websites, some of which are mentioned in this article. If you are interested in learning more and giving some of these fun activities a try, come to the upcoming final sessions where we will try our hand at Zoomba and explore aromatherapy and acupressure. I hope that my community engagement during my Gold Award Journey has given you some tips that you can use in the weeks ahead as we close out this school year and some life skills so we can all take those steps to feel more in control.

DA Commits to a Sustainable Future

Continued from Page 5

After the ceremony, I joined a couple dozen students and faculty around the Elder Oak as they raked mulch over the grass, killing it to make way for native species. I caught up with Connor Ennis ‘24, Sustainability Chair from 2022-2023, to see how he felt about the initiative.

“There have been so many people working on this for such a long time and it’s obviously gonna have a huge impact on the school into the future,” he told me, grinning. “So, seeing the support from the Board and faculty and administrators and the students and community coming together… it just gets my heart pumping.”

Zara Miller ‘25, current Sustainability Co-Chair, later echoed Ennis’s sentiment about our community, telling me in a recent written statement that “having different parts of DA, not just faculty advisors and committee members, involved feels kinda like we’re in a long race and just got a 30 second head start.”

The energy in the crowd was electric, not least because gen-

erations of Sustainability Committee members stood among us. Former Sus Chair Mukta Dharmapurikar ‘22 told me “I’m so so proud of everyone who’s been involved in this… It feels really special to have everyone here together.”

She wasn’t the only proud alum. I later reached out to Brandon Caveney ‘20—one of the Founding Fathers of DA’s Sustainability Committee, alongside Will Nichols ‘20, Jack Linger ‘20, and Andrew Owens ‘20—for comment. He told me it was “Wonderful news!” and that he was “excited to hear about Durham Academy’s continued commitment to action on campus and in the classroom. Thank you to all the student leaders who continue to advocate for sustainability.”

As the clock neared 10:30 and students filed out to make their D Period classes, I met with one last sustainability superhero: our own Mrs. Bessias. Smiling, she remarked, “This is a day I have dreamed of for…years!”

The work isn’t done and the dream’s not over, but it’s certainly seeming like a good, green start.

A New Way to Garden

Continued from Page 8 and Ben Bergman. Montague mostly focuses on planting lawns and backyards for private clients (Montague will actually be working with DA next year on an even larger prairie) and Bergman works with the city of Durham in order to create beautiful and sustainable landscaping in downtown Durham. In downtown Bergman designed Rotary Plaza which presents a structured approach to incorporating native plants into landscaping. For the prairie at DA the BiA took a more free form approach, but used knowledge about maintenance and bloom time coordination from Montague and Bergman.

Why Native Plants?

Native plants are imperative to their ecosystems because they have an established role within the ecosystem. Native plants have specific relationships with other native species around them that cannot be replicated by other “similar” non-native plants. To many people certain plants may only have one or two primary functions,like providing pollen and nectar to bees, but there are so many hidden relationships between plants that we do not see. For example, many native bees and other insects will lay their eggs in

dead plant stalks. Native plants have evolved to thrive in their climates and are best suited to support species around them.

Process

Creating and planning this pocket prairie was far from simple. The three students first completed a spreadsheet detailing 28 plants’ bloom times, bloom types and colors, heights, widths, sun and soil preferences, resistance to deer and rabbits, and how they support wildlife in their habitats. After this each student drafted an individual planting plan before coming together to combine them into one. The students had to adapt their plans to work on a somewhat steeply sloped plot and to the inventory of plants they had. After spending around five days outside planting, the pocket prairie officially got its start!

Challenges

The challenges for pocket prairies does not come solely from the planting itself. Pocket prairies are often opposed by Homeowner Associations and city officials because of traditional views of what a planted space “should” look like. Many believe that lawns, gardens, and public

Continued on Page 11

PHOTO: Students rake mulch over grass outside the Elder Oak.

Source: Max Tendler

PHOTO: An example of a planting plan from Frankie Stover ‘24

A New Way to Garden

Continued from Page 8 spaces must be extremely manicured and that plants should be chosen mainly by looks. The previously mentioned Ben Bergman spoke to the class about the challenges he faced when planting Rotary Plaza. Bergman spoke about how people view more free form prairies as “unkempt” so he had to ensure that his prairie was more structured. He accomplished this by having raised beds and generally keeping plants shorter and more spaced out to decrease the appearance of being “cluttered”. A specific instance Bergman recounted was that one of the city council members that oversaw landscape projects wanted Bergman to use artificially colored mulch because it would look more appealing. Bergman knew that this mulch was bad for the plants, cost more, and was overall harmful to the environment. Bergman was able to convince this person not to use this mulch at Rotary Plaza, but he did have to incorporate some non-native and cultivar plants in order to satisfy the aesthetic wants of the city. Although he did have to compromise on some things, Bergman has been largely successful in creating spaces that utilize native plants and sustainable planting techniques. Bergman and Montague, among others, face push back from more tradi-

tionally-minded organizations and people, but through compromise and innovative design they are able to bring in native plants and change people’s perspective on what outdoor spaces “should” look like.

Reflections

The members of this class have all learned a lot from taking on this project. Below are personal excerpts from each student:

“Planting the pocket prairie was fun and relaxing. This project also taught me a lot about native plants and their relationship to the environment around them. I think that pocket prairies highlight the beauty and necessity of native plants and embrace the low maintenance and flow of the natural world while still serving the aesthetic purposes of a garden”- Ella Goin

“I was most excited to take this class because of the outside element. I thought going outside to plant would be a nice break from the school day and it definitely was! I had so much fun laying out where the plants should go and then planting them— even though I didn’t have any gardening experience beforehand.” - Riley Auman

“Rewilding DA’s campus is something I’ve been really passionate about and have been

The Perfect Promposal

Continued from Page 1

dancing and the eating are going to be in the same spot—but also the same thing after prom where the underclassmen wait for Instagram to reload to see post after post. The list goes on for the thrill around this season, but my personal favorite part of it all is the PROMPOSALS!

There are so many components that go into making a perfect promposal. Firstly, the ideal promposal should be thoughtful and personal. A good promposal showcases a genuine connection and understanding of what

pushing for since I started high school. It’s been very special to see the ideas of me and my peers come to life and to actually physically implement them. I especially enjoyed collaborating to create our plant layout and seeing all our ideas mesh into one”- Frankie Stover

Starting your own pocket prairie!

Creating a pocket prairie can be a relaxing and fulfilling project and almost any outdoor space, no matter how small or how large, can be transformed into a pocket prairie. Dough Tallamy, an ecologist, coined the catchphrase “Every square foot of native plants counts!”. Here are a few steps to start your own!

1. Pick A Spot

This area does not have to be big, pick somewhere that will get lots of sun!

2. Clearing the area

If you are planting in a grassy area, there are multiple methods that you can use in order to remove grass and weeds. An article from the California Native Plant Society details the pros and cons

of each method. For the prairie at Durham Academy, Ms.Caruso solarized the pocket prairie area the summer before the BiA class began. Solarization involves covering the area with a dark tarp which helps to trap heat and kill the grass. Herbicide is suggested in the article, but it is detrimental to the soil itself so it would not be an effective method for pocket prairie.

3. Find native plants!

Resources like this class’s native plant calendar can help you to choose which plants you would like to plant. These plants can be purchased at places like the Durham Garden Center,Deep Roots Native, and Carolina Native Nursery

4. Get planting!

After planting, water the plants for the three weeks or so before leaving the rest to nature!

5. Minimal Maintenance

After planting, pocket prairies maintain themselves! In the winter when plants begin to die, keep the stocks there- they house larva for insects. In the spring you can cut down the stocks and lay them on the soil so that they can function as natural mulch.

Optional: Adding Toad Abodes can provide shelter for toads, a species that can help your prairie by controlling insect populations!

makes the other person happy. When inside jokes, shared interests, and meaningful memories are incorporated, you can tell that a promposal is coming from the heart.

A big component that goes into making the perfect promposal is creativity. When making a promposal it should be outside of the box and have a component of surprise and joy that will surprise your potential prom date. From a scavenger hunt to a flash mob, just like in the Disney movie Prom Pact, which features singing and dancing to a favorite

song, the possibilities are endless. When asking Margaret Jester ‘24 about her dream promposal, she said she would want it to be just like the promposal from the movie Ten Things I Hate About You: “singing in the football stadium and dancing in the stands, maybe have a few dogs show up.” The creativity factor is so important when it comes to a perfect promposal in order to make the ask great in itself.

Objectively, the most important part of a promposal is considering what the person wants in terms of whether it is public or

private. From speaking with Kiki Steinberg, ‘24, she said she would enjoy “a private, sentimental promposal.” Similarly, Camille Moore, ‘24, said she’d enjoy “being in an isolated place but nothing big in front of everyone.” But from Eva Dimon, ‘25, she would enjoy “after a hard practice or during a track meet either public or private.” Allison Hall, ‘24 said she’d like it to be just like “the ending scene of pretty women where he shows up in a limousine with the sunroof open, and he’s standing through it with flowers

Continued on Page 12

The Perfect Promposal

Continued from Page 11 dancing and the eating are going and asks me it prom.” Everyone is different, so you can’t assume what someone might want. It is SO important to know the person you are planning to ask and what aligns with them. The last thing you’d want in a promposal is to make the person being asked uncomfortable or to feel pressured

to say yes, so make sure you know whether the person would like a public or private promposal. If you’re unsure, the best option is to do it privately because you’ll get a one-on-one, most likely honest answer.

Lastly, who doesn’t love food? Kathryn Linney, ‘24, said, “Anything food-related or chocolate-related would be good.” If

you know the person you’re asking enjoys baked goods, maybe you could make a cake for them that spells out prom on it. The possibilities for food-related promposals are endless, so just make sure you know what candies/foods the person you plan to ask might like!

In conclusion, the ideal prom proposal combines many differ-

ent elements, but the most important is to ensure that it will leave a smile on the person you asked and a lasting memory! So, for future promposal askers, plan thoroughly and thoughtfully to make your future prom promposal perfect!

On the Ground at the UNC March for Palestine

A Closer Look at the People Behind the Protest

Continued from Page 1

Justice in Palestine (SJP), organizers of the march. He explains the goal of the protest: that they “are not leaving this lawn until UNC discloses and divests” from companies that “invest in genocide.”

He’s referring to the recent conflict between Israel and Hamas, a Sunni Islamist U.S.-designated terrorist organization that has governed much of the Palestinian-controlled Gaza Strip since it won 44% of parliamentary seats in 2006—a plurality, though, as Ishaan Tharoor explains for the Washington Post, not a majority in any of Gaza’s 16 electoral districts. Hamas has not held reelections since, maintaining its power in the region for the past 14 years.

As you likely know by now, on October 7th, Hamas executed a

series of attacks against Israel, killing 1,200 Israelis and foreign nationals and taking 253 individuals hostage, as reported by the U.S. Congressional Research Service. Since then, Israel has retaliated, killing an estimated 34,000 Palestinians, including over 14,000 children, as the United Nations Office of Human Rights reports.

In the eyes of the SJP, Israel’s actions constitute a genocide. Hence their call for UNC’s disclosure and divestment of institutions that support Israel, and call for the halt of exchange programs to the nation. Hashem claims they tried to get through to the administration “through official channels, through unofficial channels, and have not gotten a response.”

UNC admins did, however, tell the SJP the day before to evacuate the encampment, which they

complied with. For now.

Chants ring out across the park—“From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” and “When our neighbors fall, we will lift them back up,” among others— and I turn away from the stage. I’ve seen the chants and crowds on TV and social media already; what I’m more interested in, and what will end up being far more intriguing, are the individual perspectives that compose the larger protest.

One man, a Duke student, holds a “Durham for Palestine” sign and wears a “JEWS SAY CEASEFIRE NOW” t-shirt. He tells me he’s here because “It’s a humanitarian issue…People seem to get lost in the politics of it, the divisiveness of it, but at the end of the day it’s about making sure that everyone is respected and has the opportunity to live

and self-govern.”

That impetus—humanitarian necessity—is a common one. As one woman I talk to puts it, “I’m here to support the students of UNC with their fight…The Palestinian children are being slaughtered every day. It’s very important to me as a mom and as a grandmother and as a human being.”

“Genocide is never good,” another tells me. But there’s another motivation that I hadn’t thought about until I looked it in the eye: the duty to honor one’s heritage.

Jodi Jones is standing with a guitar a few dozen yards away from the crowd, near the encampment in the center of Polk Place. Originally from Western Pennsylvania, Jodi describes her

Continued on Page 13

PHOTO: Protesters line up in Polk Place at the start of their march across campus. Source: Max Tendler

On the Ground at the UNC March for Palestine

Continued from Page 12 Northern Appalachian background as containing a “long heritage of…people’s liberation movements that are homegrown and American.” As a folk musician who “wants to do something right in the world,” she sees participating today as her duty. And why play music rather than join the crowd? “Music is a universal language,” she tells me. “It has a way of touching people’s hearts instead of trying to change their minds.”

As I move back toward the crowd, I see a familiar face: Hashem, the organizer from earlier. I ask him any narratives he wants to dispel about the protest. He starts by claiming that the movement isn’t radical; that “a large proportion of Americans think Israel is committing a genocide” and “protesting it should be the norm.” Indeed, as Bryan Metzger reported for Business Insider back in January, 32% of all voters and 50% of people who voted for Biden in 2020 agree with the sentiment that Israel is committing a genocide.

He also vehemently denies that the protest was anti-Jewish, stating that “About half of the organizers of this rally are Jewish…this is categorically not an antisemitic rally.” From my perspective in the few hours I was there, I did not see or experience any overtly antisemitic behavior, which, as a Jew, I was on the lookout for. Some claim that the phrase “From the river to the sea, Palestine will be free” qualifies as anti-Jewish,

though others disagree. Laurie Kellman’s article about the subject for the Associated Press goes into greater detail.

Regardless, at 4:21, after much prelude, the march begins. Protesters at the front hold a sign saying “From the river to the sea, persist until EVERYONE is free,” perhaps an attempt at Jewish inclusivity. The line forms and starts making its way through McCorkle Place—a park situated between Polk Place and Franklin Street.

“Over 30,000 dead. UNC is painted red” sounds out as passersby slow to watch an estimated 1,200 protestors cut through campus.

Some interesting figures litter the space. In the middle of the park in Carolina blue gowns stands a group of UNC students taking graduation photos. They stop momentarily to watch the spectacle.

I also note a few people in green hats that say “National Lawyers Guild” on them. They tell me they’re “Watching and monitoring interactions with police,” noting the legality of it all. I haven’t noticed any cops so far, though I’m later informed by Durham Academy’s own Milo King ‘24 that the police stationed by Franklin Street, expecting the crowd to cross there.

Instead, the protesters snake around the park; during the duration of the march, they do not leave campus.

One man in particular leads the pack—Victor. He’s not a student

at UNC; just passionate about the cause. “It’s so powerful to see everyone come out. It’s a nonviolent protest, we’re not doing anything illegal, we’re just out here exercising our right to free speech and to assemble, and it’s beautiful.” At this point in the protest, he’s right; nothing illegal yet. A few hours later, though, that would change.

In the meantime, I asked a passerby—a sophomore at UNC named Tony—who wasn’t participating in the protests to gauge his reaction. He called the rally “pretty meaningful,” citing the recent self-immolation of Lilly Bushnell outside the Israeli Embassy building in Washington, D.C. and the rise in student protests across the nation.

The march comes to a close and ends up right back where it started at the steps of UNC’s South building. I catch up with Hashem; he tells me “It was wonderful… I’m full of gratitude for all these people standing for justice.”

Palestinian-American and NC State class of ‘21 student Noor Hawa echoes his sentiment. “I don’t think it could have gone better,” she says.

Just before I leave, I see the group of UNC grads from earlier. One of them tells me, “You know what, I wasn’t expecting to see this—we were just taking graduation pictures—but...it’s honestly very uplifting to see how big a turnout it is...how much this community has come together.”

DA students Lily Carlson and John McGowan are similarly

pleased with the experience. “I feel amazing and really inspired,” Lily tells me. “There were so many people here today and that was really awesome to see…I almost teared up a couple times cause it’s just so cool to see that there’s so many people who support this movement.”

Around 5:10 p.m., the crowd disperses for a cookout. The mood is high. The weather is nice. I head home.

***

Tuesday, April 30th, 5:30 a.m. — UNC administrators awakened protestors at Polk Place, ordering them to leave or face arrest.

A few hours after I’d left on Sunday, the UNC-SJP reestablished their tents at the center of Polk Place in violation of UNC’s anti-trespassing policy.

At 6:00 a.m. on Tuesday, those who remained in the encampment were confronted by police, who detained 36 protestors and arrested six, as reported by WUNC and Emmy Martin of The Daily Tar Heel.

According to the UNC-SJP, that afternoon, protesters replaced the American flag on the lawn with a Palestinian one, and all those who had initially been arrested were released.

The encampment and protestors have since been cleared from the area. An iron fence stands where they once slept.

Above it all, re-erected, the American flag waves triumphant. Blue. White. Red.

Protestors trickle back into Polk Place after the march; organizers lead them in chants.

Source: Max Tendler

THE GREEN & WHITE

PHOTO:

Mr. Cluff’s Book Recs

If you love competitive debate:

Ben Lerner’s The Topeka School

If you love mathematics:

Cormac McCarthy’s The Passenger

If you are skeptical about capitalism:

John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath

If you want to laugh:

Ottessa Moshfegh’s My Year of Rest and Relaxation

If you’re into Surrealism:

Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man

If you want to know about the full humanity of those who were enslaved:

Percival Everett’s James

If you are spiritual and seek to know about life’s beauty:

Marilynne Robinson’s Gilead (or any Marilynne Robinson novel)

If you want to know about bleak New England class stratifications (aka my childhood!):

Sarah Manguso’s Very Cold People

If you liked “The Great Gatsby”

Joseph O’Neill’s Netherland

If you’re into Biblical allusion

Toni Morrison’s Song of Solomon

Readers Society Book Reviews

Organized by Joanna Yoon ‘26

Book: The Secret History by Donna Tartt

Reviewer: Riley Casey

“The Snow in the mountains was melting and Bunny had been dead for several weeks before we came to understand the gravity of our situation.”

From the very first sentence of this enthralling, powerful narrative, Donna Tartt’s eloquent prose unapologetically grabs our attention and doesn’t let go, her intoxicatingly tangible storytelling keeping us engaged throughout all 559 pages of The Secret History. Among its many accolades, The Secret History has earned the title of “modern classic,” which I believe suits it rather well; in a combination of Tartts own experiences attending school in New England and elements derived from Greek tragedy and drama, this novel evokes a feeling one could only describe as a deep-rooted desire for the ancient world, and an unprovoked fascination with all things classical. The Secret History calls upon something dark, barbaric, supernatural, and, as it marches towards the inevitable conflict introduced in the novel’s opening lines, utterly captivating.

Donna Tartt’s debut novel follows Richard Papen and his entourage of aesthetes amidst their studies of Classical Greek at Hampden College in Vermont, under the careful instruction of the eccentric Julian Morrow. Upon his arrival at Hampden, ecstatic at escaping the mundanity of life back in California, Richard finds himself joining the elite ranks of Hampden’s only Greek professor and his five peculiar students: Henry, linguistics genius and self-appointed leader of the clique; Francis, sensitive hypochondriac from a particularly wealthy background; Charles and Camilla, easily distinguishable as the only twins on campus; and finally, Bunny, the

groups oddball, a former jock with a relentlessly cheery demeanor and the doomed victim of this novel’s inevitable murder. The Classics Department is entirely separated from the rest of the curriculum, and with the idiosyncrasies of its scholars, emulates the aura of a secret society; Julian’s students, in the ways that they dress, speak, and act, distinguish themselves entirely from the average Hampden student, reminiscent more of the 17th century British scholar than of the contemporary students that surround them. Richard, plagued by an unadulterated fascination with the picturesque, is immediately attracted to Julian’s inner sanctum. They all exude an air of hostility and isolation, which, to our protagonist, only makes them all the more intriguing: “His students -- if they were any mark of his tutelage -- were imposing enough,” Tartt writes, “and different as they all were they shared a certain coolness, a cruel, mannered charm which was not modern in the least but had a strange cold breath of the ancient world; they were magnificent creatures, such eyes, such hands, such looks -- sic oculos, sic ille manus, sic ora fere bat.”

Donna Tartt’s masterful command over the lyrical is felt in every aspect of this novel; each character is fleshed out in a way that is so deeply personal, yet, in the corner of their mind, the reader is always aware of words unsaid, of stolen glances, of a mystery yet to be uncovered, of information intentionally withheld from our narrator. Distrust runs deep in relationships between every character, which evokes in the reader a hunger to uncover whatever secrets may or may not remain unearthed. I admire Tartt’s avant-garde approach to the classic murder mystery trope; the mystery itself is solved on the first page of the prologue, yet Tartt manag-

es to generate palpable tension in the events leading up to the inevitable murder and even in its aftermath. The author’s appreciation for the classics is apparent in the way things seem to completely unravel at a rapid pace in the second half of the novel, reminiscent of many of the great Greek tragedies. Tartt leaves us hanging on each conversation, desperate to know whether or not the facade of innocence our main characters have adopted has finally been shattered. Perhaps the greatest measure of Tartt’s skill as a writer lies in her ability to make even the most melodramatic of events seem believable. Tartt incorporates murder, the supernatural, and the irrational rather convincingly into the stereotypical college life, one defined by parties, late nights working on papers, and a certain euphoria that comes with relative independence.

A pioneer of the dark-academia subgenre, The Secret History, has stood the test of time, revered as an exceptional body of work by both scholars and casual readers alike. Remarkably powerful, well-paced, and mischievously erudite, this novel is a must read for any murder mystery enjoyer! Its hauntingly beautiful atmosphere asserts an almost unending possibility for mystery and discovery.

Book: UNSUB by Meg Gardiner

Reviewer: Evan Register

UNSUB is a thriller that follows Caitlin Hendrix, a San Francisco detective with the Narcotics Task Force. The story looks into the dark and twisted mind of the Prophet, an infamous serial killer who terrorized the Bay Area twenty years ago and has reappeared to resume his killing

Continued on Page 15

Readers Society Book Reviews

Continued from Page 14 spree. Caitlin’s father, Mack Hendrix, was originally the lead detective on the case, but he never caught the Prophet. This failure eventually led to his descent into obsession and madness. Now, Caitlin is determined to catch the killer and bring him to face the consequences of his actions, even as she battles her own demons and tries to unravel the confusing messages the Prophet leaves behind. As Caitlin moves deeper into the case, she must face her past and the legacy of her father’s failure, all while racing against the clock to stop the Prophet before he strikes again.

UNSUB moves very quickly, full of twists and surprising turns. Meg Gardiner does a great job of keeping a reader engaged and wanting to see what happens to the characters next. Gardiner can take you into the story with vivid imagery and authentic characters.

UNSUB will keep you on the edge of your seat until the very end. The book has well-developed, likable characters and an engaging story, full of mystery. I’d recommend this book to anyone who likes a thrilling, suspenseful mystery.

it card (I mean, your fingertips)? This is where I was transported when I read Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson. The book follows the Stocktons, a wealthy family that seems like they have everything one could want: a real estate investment firm, a tennis club membership, a 4-story house on a fruit-named street, and vacations to the Hamptons. However, more money usually means more problems.

mark, because these introspective elements seemed to be a bit of an afterthought, and I’m guessing the book wasn’t supposed to make me want to be filthy rich. Pineapple Street isn’t particularly profound or life-changing, but its witty humor and dynamic characters will certainly draw you in. So, if you’re looking for a well-deserved break from reality, take a trip down Pineapple Street.

Reviewer: Audrey Crowder

What do you want to get out of a book? Do you want to know everything about macroeconomics? Do you want to be reminded of how unrealistic and unattainable true love is? Do you want to contemplate everything you thought you knew about yourself, your morals, and what happens after death? Personally, that’s not what I’m looking to get out of a book. I read to escape. And what better place to escape to than a velvet couch in a multi-million dollar Brooklyn Heights apartment, curled up with a glass of figurative chardonnay and the whole world in your cred-

The book follows three different perspectives, the first two being the Stockton daughters. The oldest, Darley, is the golden child. She’s happily married to a successful husband and has two private school-educated children. But behind closed tudor-style doors, she feels inferior to her siblings for choosing motherhood over a career, and her husband’s frequent work trips don’t end up being her only problem. The next perspective is that of Georgiana, the baby of the family. She works at a non-profit, but her only real joys in life come from playing tennis and daydreaming about her workplace crush. But when this crush blossoms into a too-goodto-be-true relationship, she questions everything about herself. The last point of view is Sasha, who has recently married Cord, the heir to the entirety of the Stockton empire. She is seen as an outsider to the family, nicknamed “golddigger.” The choice of these particular perspectives showcases many different opinions on the wealth and status of the Stockton family, and the characters somehow make their problems seem relatable. You know, family drama, despising your in-laws, choosing whether or not to tell your husband that you hate the house that his parents graciously gave to you, mostly just because the governor’s couch gave you a rash—typical problems.

This book tries its best to examine privilege and inheritance, as well as how factors like race and gender factor into class in America. In my opinion, it kind of misses the

Book: Man in the Iron Mask by Fortune du Boisgoby

Reviewer: Joshua Yoon

Man in the iron mask by Fortune du Boisgoby is probably better known to the public as the 1998 film. Under the brutal rule of King Louis the 14th and Marquess Loubois, Morris forms a civilian resistance force to overthrow the government. The plan fails due to a betrayal of one of his closest men. Most of the members of the resistance are either killed or missing like Morris. Morris’s lover Benda sets out to find her flame and suspects that the mysterious prisoner, the man in the iron mask, is Morris. When Benda frees the man and discovers it was in fact not Morris, she leaves him with a rich duchess, who realized who the man actually was: the twin brother of Louis XIV who was imprisoned due to potential conflicts for the throne. It is later revealed that Morris had fled to Austria for reinforcements, looking to finish what he had started. Benda and Morris reunite twenty years later, and the novel ends with a traditional happy ever after.

Although the novel was practically forgotten from the public, it references a very interesting historical mystery, the real man in the iron mask. The man in the iron mask was an actual prisoner in Piemonte Pinerolo prison in the late 1600s, during Louis XIV’s reign. His true identity remains unclear to this day, with the most popular guesses being that he

is either the brother or father of Louis XIV. However, the general consensus is that the mystery man is simply folklore, and that the real person was simply a noble who committed a crime and wore a velvet mask instead of a metal one. But such mysterious urban legends that claim a prisoner was wearing a metal mask goes to describe the irrationally inhumane regime of the french monarch. Although the novel itself is a 19th century detective fiction novel, the myths and legends that it builds upon reflects the foolishness of the absolute monarchy and how the people thought of it. As brutal to put iron masks on the faces of prisoners, as conceited as their pathetic family drama between the crown, and as untransparent to their own people. The story of a prisoner wearing a metal mask for the rest of their life was likely merely a fraction of the reputation of the crown at the time.

The book itself doesn’t teach us a profound lesson about life; it is simply fun and enjoyable. It tackles an interesting scenario of a popular legend with a traditional mystery novel plot alongside a generic love story. Sometimes, reading doesn’t have to be all about the enriching texts and in-depth analysis. Perhaps it can be something purely for fun.

Book: Pineapple Street by Jenny Jackson

Teacher Tag

BEGINNING 1st Interaction 2nd Interaction 3rd Interaction 4th Interaction END

Prudhom Ilijic Wilson Mahajan Eppinger Prudhom

Eppinger Fennessey Craig McCarthy Prudhom Eppinger

Bryant Wilson Spruill Harris Simon Bryant

Simon Beck Ilijic Beck Bryant Simon

Hinton Adair McCarthy Bohanek Mahajan Hinton

Mahajan Bohanek Edwards Prudhom Hinton Mahajan

McCarthy Edwards Hinton Eppinger Spruill McCarthy

Spruill Shores Bryant Edwards McCarthy Spruill

Edwards McCarthy Mahajan Spruill Loch Edwards

Loch Monahan Phillips Wilson Edwards Loch Shores Spruill Bohanek Cochran Harris Shores

Monahan Loch Cochran Fennessey Wilson Monahan

Cochran Phillips Monahan Shores Adair Cochran

Adair Hinton Harris Ilijic Cochran Adair

Fennessey Eppinger Beck Monahan Bohanek Fennessey

Craig Harris Eppinger Phillips Beck Craig

Beck Simon Fennessey Simon Craig Beck Bohanek Mahajan Shores Hinton Fennessey Bohanek

Wilson Bryant Prudhom Loch Monahan Wilson Ilijic Prudhom Simon Adair Phillips Ilijic

Harris Craig Adair Bryant Shores Harris

Phillips Cochran Loch Craig Ilijic Phillips

GAME: The Crossword

Directions

At the BEGINNING, one teacher is assigned “tagger.” Each person they interact with becomes a tagger, too All taggers remain tagged for the rest of the game, and will tag ANYONE they interact with. It’s like an infection that spreads. Based off of the people who ended up tagged/infected at the END (marked in red), who was the original “tagger”?

HINT: Work backwards

DA Podcast: Varsity Basketball Profiles

Mai Malesky ‘25, Taylor Winstead ‘24, Gaby Goodman ‘26

Editors, DA Converstions

Gaming Fever: How Brawl Stars Took Over the Upper School

Nicholas Wang ‘25 Staff Writer

“Primetime baby!” This quote originates from the infamous Brawl Stars character Colt, a dazzling redhead who attacks with two pistols, one in each hand. The voiceline perfectly describes the state of the game at our school–despite Brawl Stars’ release in 2017, it has spiked in popularity in the last couple of months. On every corner, there are masses of horizontal screens and endless pairs of moving thumbs. For example, Sarp Erden ‘25 and Jet Bilsborrow ‘25’s recent What Matters to Me Brawl Stars workshop attracted a spectacular crowd, spreading an immaculate vibe of excitement as players screenshared their clutch plays to the big screen.

My personal experience with the game began in Spring of 2021, after I was growing sick of the passivity of Clash of Clans. I was attracted to the fast-paced gameplay and the bright colors. In this time, Brawl Stars was decently famous–given its connection to Supercell–but nowhere near the extent of today. I have played frequently since, amassing trophies and Power 11s while the game evolved over time. Although I am not an OG, I feel I have a decent legitimacy to be speaking.

games such as Clash of Clans and Clash Royale. Consistently updated, Brawl Stars attracts players who can expect to see temporary events, new features, and new brawlers quite routinely.

So why did Brawl Stars suddenly become so popular? Beyond the ever-changing dynamic of the interface and the simple objectives of the game, I humoristically hypothesize that it is something greater. Something that unknowingly pervades our lives. Something that reflects our inner desires. It is the exciting tension between the cartoonish and smooth animations and the innate, sadistic intentions of teaming up to kill our enemies. As adolescents, Brawl Stars appeals to us because we continuously feel the pull between the innocence of childhood and the cruelties of adulthood. And to have it all encapsulated within an ever-undulating system of progression? That resonates even more with us teenagers’ short attention spans and dopamine-addicted brains.

GAME: Brawl Stars Connections

9.

The game is a third person shooter, where players must aim and move to win. The underlying objective is to defeat enemies–although this can slightly vary between game modes–and in the process, gain new characters (called brawlers) each with special abilities, currency and trophies. The game is part of the Supercell suite, which includes other famous

But beyond the analyses of greater trends and behaviors, we all know that Brawl Stars is just a game like any other. It is a place where we can pass time with friends and have fun just for the sake of it. So as you hear the chime while the Supercell screen loads, remember to continue enjoying your time as a turquoise dinosaur lifeguard, a moody scarved teenager, or an enthusiastic, purple-haired shotgun lady. I don’t know how long this fad will last, but as El Primo says, “¡Vámonos!”

PHOTO: Two students clowning around on Brawl Stars in front of a tier list of the characters. Source: Nicholas Wang.

Nicholas Wang ‘25 and Max Tendler ‘24