The Bolt March 2024

The

BOLT

March 2024 Volume 22, Issue 5 lightningboltonline.com Sage Hill School 20402 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Coast, CA 92657

Holi: Celebrating Colors, Love and Spring

Sage Hill students throw colored chalk during the Holi celebration hosted by the South Asian affinity Group on March 13.

By Alia Sajjadian

Marked by vibrant colors, Holi is a Hindu celebration highlighting the love of the deities Rahda and Krishna, and the triumph of good over evil. This year, Holi falls on March 25 and is celebrated in India and across the Indian diaspora.

The South Asian affinity group invited Sage students to engage in this celebration during lunch on March 13. Students were encouraged to wear white clothes they were comfortable staining with the prepared assortments of red, blue, orange, purple, and green powder. Each color represents a different meaning in the welcoming of spring: Red represents love and fertility, yellow represents South Asian

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culture and cuisine, green symbolizes new beginnings, blue represents Krishna, the Hindu god of love, compassion, and protection. Students grabbed cups full of brightly colored powder to throw at their friends on the practice field.

History and Social Studies teacher Dr. Nisha Kunte reflected that the Holi celebration was a complete success.

“It was really fun to see students having a great time running around, listening to music, and taking a break to come together in celebration of spring,” Kunte said.

“I love Holi because it combines cultural significance while also just being really fun!” sophomore Shaurya Mittal

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said. “My favorite part is when we sometimes use water guns in combination with the colors!”

Freshman Maya Desai said she loved celebrating Holi with her peers because she can share her culture and identity.

“I felt like I was back in elementary school running around with my friends without a care in the world,” Maya said.

“I enjoyed a fun celebration full of color, laughter and playfulness.”

The excitement and eager participation of students has Kunte and the South Asian affinity group looking forward to making this event an annual tradition.

“Next time, I know to buy twice as much Holi powder,” she said.

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Photos by Jenny Li | The Bolt

Students toss colored chalk to celebrate Holi on March 13.

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News, Page 8

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The Bolt March 2024 Sage Hill School

Opinion

Surrogacy Market Takes Dystopian Turn

By Anne Chen

The baby business is booming. Yet, this boom of the 21st century is not one that reflects spiking birth rates, but rather the flourishing business of surrogacy. And while we often see celebrities endorse this medical procedure, commercial surrogacy is far different from what we know from the limelight of Chrissy Teigen or Khloe Kardashian.

What was initially a modern development for family formation is now spiraling into a disorderly business that resembles a dystopian spawned straight out of “The Handmaid’s Tale.”

Surrogacy, the practice where a woman carries a baby intended for prospective parents, is longstanding. With increasing demand from infertile and samesex couples in recent decades, surrogacy is rapidly growing as a transnational business with modern developments of insemination, air travel, and online marketing. By 2032, this global industry is projected to be worth $130 billion compared to its worth of $14 billion in 2022, according to Global Market Insights.

For an industry as fastly growing as surrogacy, it’s difficult for developing market regulations to

keep up—let alone global policing. And in countries like China, Germany and France where commercial surrogacy is illegal, the demand from prospective parents extends abroad to foreign surrogacy hubs.

Before the Russian invasion in 2022, Ukraine served as one of only a handful of international surrogacy hubs permitting foreign clients, with over half of their demand from China, The Economist reports. Other countries like India and Thailand also served as international hubs before the government prohibited foreign clients from entering the market.

As seen with other industries, illegalization often leads to underground operations. Gray markets with loose laws see just as concerning consequences. In countries like Guatemala, Laos, and Kenya, commercialized surrogacy is neither banned nor permitted, Kent Law School researchers report.

This weak system edges on the border of exploitation, as surrogates receive little to no medical or legal protection. In Kenya for example, low-cost surrogacy agencies recruit women to be surrogates in exchange for monetary payment, but many women undergo this procedure without the promised

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amount. This unregulated business is just rubbing salt in the wound of a country in which 530 women die for every 100,000 births, The Economist reports.

In parts of the world where commercialized surrogacy is a dystopian reality, women and girls are trafficked into the business and aren’t compensated. And as global demand increases, it calls into the question of regulating a growing market in which the womb is the workplace. With healthcare and human rights all tangled up in this industry, regulation is a heavy challenge that demands global cooperation.

Entirely prohibiting commercialized surrogacy would be futile given its inevitability. Rather, a clear global policing system over the surrogacy market ensures that rights are respected for both the surrogate and intended parents.

The creation and tightening of surrogacy laws are by no means a simple task, but they are necessary to prevent a real-life spinoff of Margaret Atwood’s cautionary tale.

Editor’s Note: This column was first published in Los Angeles Times High School Insider.

Illustration by Jesse Lew CORRECTION: Due to an editing error, photos of the Sustainable Fashion Show were incorrectly attributed on Page 7 of the February 2024 edition of The Bolt. Both photos were courtesy of the Reimagined Club. The Bolt regrets the error.

THE BOLT

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he Bolt is a student newspaper and serves the public forum at Sage Hill School. Its content - news, editorial, opinion, and feature - is protected by Education Code 48907, the state student rights law and the California Constitution which guarantees all citizens the right of freedom of speech and of the press. Opinions expressed do not represent the views or beliefs of Sage Hill School and its administration. The Bolt accepts signed letters to the editors from members of the Sage Hill community which may be posted as comments at lightningboltonline. com, or addressed to Editors-in-Chief Phoebe Pan, Alia Sajjadian and Anne Chen and put in their mailboxes on campus. These letters may not exceed 150 words or they will be edited for inclusion.

Editors-in-Chief Phoebe Pan (Bolt), Alia Sajjadian (Bolt) & Anne Chen (Online) Editorial Board Minha Oh, Trinity Chen, Yasmin Dennis, Madeleine Carroll, Ava Eimani, Grace Yan, Grant Franey & Ceyda Shamsai Writers Priya Bhakta, Maya Desai, Mika He, Mirabelle Jiang, Linda Liu, Jesse Lew, Taite Nicholson, Arya Rawal, Riley Robinson, Jonathan Yan, Suri Yaghmai, Katelyn Yeh, Nate Yoo, Eric Zhang & Sophia Zhou Photographers Amy Choi, Sophia Jacinto & Jenny Li Adviser Daniel Langhorne

Scan this QR code to check out our online edition or find us at lighningboltonline.com for the latest news!

Entertainment Travel: Pura Vida in Costa Rica

By Taite Nicholson

Over winter break, instead of going to our usual favorite vacation spots, my family opted to try something new: a trip to Costa Rica. A rush of warm air greeted me as I exited the airport of Liberia and I was immediately immersed in the Papagayo Peninsula. With temperatures close to 100° Fahrenheit during the dry season, we quickly arranged a car ride with a local to our hotel. Modest, colorful homes and buildings speckled the large expanse of land as we drove by. The sun set behind the rich green fields just as we reached our destination.

Most of our days were spent on the sandy beaches or beside the pool to escape the sweltering weather. Paddle boarding, jet skiing, and snorkeling are just a few of the activities offered in this area and I highly recommend them all. However, my favorite part of our experience was a day in the rainforest. After a one hour drive to the Caribbean side of the country, we went river rafting in bright blue waters. We then embarked on a nature hike along swinging bridges that overlooked lush greenery and wildlife.

Among the trees, sloths and monkeys were visible and even approached guests at our hotel.

Not only does Costa Rica have a wide range of possible

excursions, but the cultural scene in Papagayo was memorable and distinctive. Spanish, Italian, Jamaican, Nicaraguan, and Portuguese are among the ethnic influences that flavor this diverse location. My favorite restaurant was called Chao Pescao and featured dishes from all across Central America, creatively using a map on their menu to emphasize this idea. The Grilled Steak Gallo from Nicaragua was a delicious highlight of the experience.

As a popular location with beaches and rainforests only an hour apart, Costa Rica is a Mecca for tourists, including my family. It has long been a stable democracy, has the lowest crime rate in Central America, and is currently working to reform and improve economically. Tourism powers the economy but causes environmental complications as well, such as pollution and infrastructure development that harm natural habitats. Environmental protection and marine conservation are largely a part of this country’s current focus. With programs for reef restoration and rainforest reserves, Costa Rica attempts to protect their beautiful landscape and rich biodiversity for future generations.

There are even opportunities for travelers to get involved with their environmental sustainability

A few years ago, I visited New York for the first time with my family, focusing mostly on the biggest attractions like the Statue of Liberty, Times Square and the Empire State Building.

Since then, I have been to the state numerous times to visit my extended family members and, more recently, to see my brother who is attending college there.

After spending two days with my brother, our family flew to New York City. Although the city was definitely not what I remembered it to be, the food, shops and monuments were still remarkable.

One of the most notable places we visited was the Metropolitan Museum of Art. We were particularly impressed by the exhibits in the Asian Art halls, which included pieces from Japan, Korea, China, India, Nepal, Tibet and other regions across Asia. I also enjoyed the Greek and Roman art very similar to the pieces I saw in Greece over the summer. The American and European art had more modern art in comparison and shared many similarities in styles of painting and sculpture, but the stained glass windows in the medieval exhibits stood out to me the most.

My family and I also spent a few days shopping and exploring the city in Soho. Although it was

a little crowded, we could find almost every store that I wanted to visit along with a large range of small boutiques and cafés.

One of my favorite boutiques, Muse + Grand, was a completely pink store that primarily sold cardigans, jewelry and hoodies. We also took night walks in Central Park and visited their ice skating rink, which was full of children of all ages. We anticipated that it would be extremely cold because we were going out during the night, but were surprised when the lowest the temperature dropped was to the high 30s. All we needed to stay warm were puffy jackets and sometimes a beanie. The only issue that the weather posed was a slight drizzle during one of our walks but the sky cleared up almost completely in an hour.

Despite the beauty of the Met and the bustling city life of Soho, food was something that made our trip to New York unique. The city offered diverse options, from ice cream shops that sold flavors like honeycomb to fusion restaurants that combined Japanese and French cuisines. My favorite restaurant was Avant Garden, which had some of the best tamales I had ever eaten despite being vegan.

A small cafe called Mariebelle was the most memorable part of my trip, as it served different flavors of hot chocolate such as

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Book Review: “The Fury” & Michaelides’ Revival as Master of the Twist

By Yasmin Dennis

Arturo Sotillo | Creative Commons

A view of lush forest in rural Costa Rica. efforts through volunteering with nonprofit groups in Costa Rica.

Companies offer chances to participate in wildlife protection or reef conservation and I highly recommend taking this opportu-

nity to give back.

From adventures in the rainforest to unique dining experiences, Costa Rica has a diverse selection of activities that are absolutely worth exploring.

Travel: A Bite of the Big Apple

By Arya Rawal

The Bolt March 2024 Sage Hill School

Arya Rawal | The Bolt

The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City.

Aztec Dark Chocolate and Hazelnut Milk Chocolate. They also offered assorted pastries, like small cakes and macarons, and the store in the front of the café offered a variety of chocolates, including chocolate carved into statues of dogs and monuments.

The only complaint I would have is that the city was much more crowded and dirtier than I remember as a younger visitor. . Despite that, my trip to New York was full of excitement and fun and I hope to be able to visit again soon.

Alex Michaelides, #1 New York Times bestselling author of “The Silent Patient,” recently released a third novel, “The Fury.”

Following the style of his other two novels, “The Fury” is a psychological thriller that incorporates a cast of characters with ulterior motives and a twisting storyline that never ceases to surprise readers. The novel primarily takes place on a small private island in Greece during an ex-movie star’s trip with her prominent friends, and amidst salty seas and the privileges of wealth, a murder takes place.

Taking this Agatha Christie-esque murder mystery to the next level, Michaelides presents readers with an unreliable narrator who slowly reveals more of the truth as the novel progresses, and the reality of this work of fiction shifts with each turn of the page.

The overarching plot of this Greek tragedy of a thriller is regularly interrupted by the voice of our narrator, Elliot Chase, directly addressing the reader in a conversational tone. Some readers found this breaking of the fourth wall to be tiresome and disruptive.

However, readers like myself found the narrator’s voice as a positive addition to the theatrical suspense of the unpredictable sequence of events. In five acts, Elliot weaves together the past and present, in addition to revealing his own bias toward the other characters and providing insight into the factors that drive them.

With aspects of romance, a “whodunit” mystery, and character-driven suspense, “The Fury” is another page-turner by Michaelides sure to leave readers in awe at his evaluation of the human psyche and the ties between character and fate.

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The Bolt March 2024 Sage Hill School

Athletics

Volleyball Aces the Start of the Season

By Madeleine Carroll

Boys’ Volleyball is off to an incredible start despite having to fill a number of positions left by graduating seniors last year. New talent joined the team, making it even stronger. As of publication, the Lightning hold a 6-4 season record.

During preseason, team members vigorously prepared for the upcoming season under Head Coach Shelby Young. They practiced set after set and honed their skills. Along with the coach, the team developed new strategies to face their opponents and, of course, new cheers to psych each other up. With practices at 6 a.m. players were ready to compete in the Pacific Coast League.

Their first game was a non-league game against Anaheim High School, a team that was third in their league.

It was a strenuous match, but Boys’ Volleyball pushed through with a 3-2 win.

That same week, they faced Lakewood High School in a home game. Sage Hill students showed their school spirit and cheered proudly for the lightning. The team won 3-1, only dropping one set. The Boys’ Volleyball record ticked to 2-0.

The Pacific Varsity Tournament brought out competitive schools from across Southern California. The Lightning played four games in one day. The first was against Norwalk High School. Boys’ Volleyball easily sealed the victory with a score of 2-0. The second game was against Santiago High School. The team worked together to win with 2-0.

“The team has grown a lot this season and I’m excited to see how far we can go,” Coach Shelby Young said.

“There’s no I in team. We put in the work and it paid off,” junior Omar Al-Khatib said.

Their third game was against Pacifica, one of the best teams in the league.

Lightning Boys’ Volleyball huddles during timeout to strategize for the next play.

“We’re going to give it everything.”

- junior Rowlin Garcia Despite giving their all, the boys lost both sets with a score of 0-2. The fourth and final game, against Santa Fe, was a nail-biter. The team fell 0-2 but they were still undefeated in their league.

Boys’ Volleyball went on to face the

best team in the Pacific Coast League: University High School. It was a tough battle with each team delivering aces and spikes. The Lightning ended up losing 0-3 in a hard fought battle.

In a home game against Irvine, Boys’

Amy Choi | The Bolt

Volleyball came out on top with a 3-2 win on March 12.

“Our goal is definitely to win CIF. We’re going to give it everything and hopefully come out with the W,” junior Rowlin Garcia said.

As of deadline, the team was slated to travel to the Spartan Classic at Orangewood Academy on March 14 and host Portola on March 15.

Swim & Dive Makes Big Splash This Season

By Grace Yan

Sage Hill Swim and Dive is making a splash again with the start of swim season. In its second year with the Pacific Coast League, the team looks forward to more improvements and opportunities to push themselves during meets. So far, they’ve earned a 1-1 win-loss ratio, losing against Northwood in their first meet and besting Laguna Hills in their second.

With dedicated coaches and hard working athletes, the team has shown immense improvement. Head Coach Pavle Filipovic believes there’s still more work to be done.

“We can definitely grow more when it comes to different strokes and some events that swimmers are still uncomfortable doing. [Our team] can also further improve in events we’re already good at,” Filipovic said. “We can work on team unity and cohesiveness, cheering and helping each other out, being prepared and competing at a high standard at

every meet.”

The team’s success isn’t just about simply winning meets; it’s about their collaborative spirit.

“Although practice can be rigorous, it’s fun with swim meets being chill and you can hang out with friends and cheer for them,” sophomore Aizen Martin del Campo said.

The camaraderie among team members fosters a supportive environment, contributing to their overall swimming experience. The team’s commitment to excellence is evident in their individual and relay performances, setting a high standard for our school’s aquatic achievements.

“We are going to compete hard from meet to meet and constantly improve,” Filipovic said. “I look forward to seeing where we end up at League Finals and how much we are going to grow as a team.”

Photo courtesy of Sean Peng

Junior Rodin Zarrabi swims breaststroke during a home meet.

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Lightning Basketball Fights Through CIF Playoffs

By Ava Eimani

After a hard loss in the league championship finals against Woodbridge, the Boys’ Basketball team strategized and worked off and on the court to make it far in CIF Playoffs.

The first opponent they were up against was the Wiseburn-Da Vinci (WDV) team. Sage Hill led in the first quarter, using the effective plays their coaches created. In the second quarter, Sage began to lose momentum and trailed behind by 20 points.

Yet, after discussing errors and analyzing the other team, Sage was able to come back in the third quarter with 3-pointers. In the last and final quarter, Sage was able to bring home a victory with a score of 59 to 54.

The Boys’ Basketball team was determined to defend the hill in their game against their second opponent: Oaks Christian.

The point guards on Oaks Christian’s team helped them gain the lead in the second quarter.

Once again, Sage’s team worked together to run effective plays against Oaks Christian that gave them the lead in the third quarter and the win in the final quarter.

The team left the gym overjoyed to play in the CIF quarterfinals and bring home another victory.

“I see them high-five after timeouts and lift each other up. I see how they come back game after game, always walking into practice with a positive attitude.

That resilience is what makes me so proud of the team,” Head Coach D’Cean Bryant said.

“What makes me most proud of the team is the personal and athletic growth in every player from beginning to the end of season,” Assistant Coach Elijah Gaines said.

“I love playing with this team and one of my favorite memories is the San Diego trip that we took for a tournament. We really felt like such a close team,” senior Captain Brayden Brien said.

In the CIF quarterfinals, the boys’ basketball team faced a difficult opponent: La Habra. Yet, every player on the team battled on the court to get points on the board. Senior Captain Sergio Magette shot vital three pointers that allowed the team to truly challenge La Habra. Despite Sage Hill’s hard work and determination, La Habra won, 47-43.

The Sage Hill Boys’ Basketball Team plans to practice constantly in the off season to bring home a CIF championship title next season.

Sage Hill swimmers prepare to dive for backstroke.

Courtesy of Sage Hill School

Freshman Tre Cradle jumps for the ball against Portola High School on Jan. 10.

Courtesy of Sean Peng

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The Bolt March 2024 Sage Hill School

Community

Theatre Ensemble Brings One Acts from Script to Scene

By Taite Nicholson

Courtesy of Sage Hill School

Sophomores Zabelle Martin and Carter Klein perform in “Sure Thing” at the 2024 Winter One Acts Festival.

The lights in the Black Box Theater dimmed the evening of Feb. 3. Quiet shuffling and the turning of programs that read “The 2024 Winter One Acts Festival” were the only noise in the room.

In the fresh darkness, a solo spotlight lit the stage for an eloquent introduction by Theatre instructor Mary Kildare, radiating with pride for her students.

With the words, “Hope you enjoy,” she disappeared backstage and the curtains parted. A round table with a girl and an empty seat became the focal point for the audience.

This opening scene, written by David Ives and directed by senior Louisa Li, captivated viewers with a creative twist.

A boy approached a girl reading in a cafe and their following conversation was controlled by a bell centered on the table. Each time it was clicked, the couple’s conversation restarted, allowing for a do-over. The couple altered different aspects of their identities until they successfully connected. The comedic nature, originality and creative timeline of this One Act left the audience delighted and laughing.

As the lights darkened once more, crew members set up for the next scene.

The next performances touched on modern dating, mental health, middle school science fairs, high school relationships and therapy. Each was very well crafted and characterized by clever writing as well as talented acting.

These single-act plays were all written and directed by the theatre ensem-

ble class, composed of mostly seniors and a junior.

“It starts with a first draft,” said senior Christian Chan, director of “Tables.”

“You have an idea and you present it.”

From then on, under Kildare’s guidance, the class revises, edits and eventually brings the scripts to life. Student directors cast actors and then rehearsal begins.

“It’s hard work memorizing and practicing, but it goes very fast and it’s a lot of fun,” sophomore Alia Lalvani said.

Alia was unable to choose her favorite between the three separate plays she performed in.

“I loved them all!” she said.

One performance stood out for its creativity and depth. It began with two tables on opposite sides of the stage, one for senior Sina Emtiaz, who played the husband and another for senior Sophia Sun, who played the wife. From a humorous beginning to a somber end, this story chronicled the relationship of a couple. The entire story was told through Post-It notes the two left for each other. This piece covered the struggles of marriage, parenthood and grief. It created a powerful exploration of life, death and love. One impactful line mentioned how the husband wished he had saved every note his wife wrote him, from mundane reminders to declarations of their love. Written by Paul Dooley and Winnie Holzman and directed by senior Riley Robinson, whose team earned raucous applause for their excellent performance.

Bolt Earns Best of Show Award Staff Report

The Bolt was honored with a top award for print newspapers by a regional high school journalism organization at Fullerton College on Feb. 24.

The Orange County Journalism Education Association handed out the 2024 Best of Show Award at the annual OC Write-Off, which attracted about 300 high school students. Sage Hill students entered their February 2024 edition against high schools with newspaper staffs employing 24 or fewer students.

“You pack a lot into an eight-page newspaper, from an array of campus news to informative opinion pieces that shine a light on issues worldwide. Nice stories on girls’ first flag football game and the students who bonded playing girls’ basketball,” an anonymous judge wrote.

Additionally, The Bolt placed third for online news. Judges noted that online “coverage is accurate, fair and balanced” and “prominence is given to breaking news stories.”

These honors would not have been possible without the leadership of Co-Editors-in-Chief Phoebe Pan, Alia Sajjadian and Anne Chen.

Besides its Best of Show awards, the OC Write-Off hosted high school students for timed competitions in news writing, sports writing, editorial, critical review, photojournalism and design.

Copy Editor Grace Yan, Sports Editor Ava Eimani, and Staff Writer Maya Desai demonstrated their strong news writing skills. Professional journalists and retirees annually volunteer to judge students’ entries.

“I’m extremely proud of what our small but mighty newspaper staff has accomplished this school year,” said Daniel Langhorne, adviser to The Bolt.

“We’re grateful for the judges’ kind words and the Sage Hill administration for its continuing support of robust student publications.”

Students interested in joining The Bolt staff for the 2024-2025 school year are invited to email: langhorned@sagehillschool.org

Bolt Staff Photo Seniors Phoebe Pan and Alia Sajjadian are co-Editors-in-Chief of The Bolt newspaper.

School Life

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Sage Center Celebrates Black History Month Through Women of Color Speaker Series

By Mirabelle Jiang

The Sage Center, in partnership with the Black Student Union (BSU), hosted the Women of Color Lunch Forum Series to celebrate Black History Month with students and faculty in February.

BSU Advisor Sydney Smith selected the speakers to represent diverse fields, including commercial airline pilot Mia Hutcherson, dancer and recording artist Taquirah Thomspon and authenticity coach Monica Alexander.

Each speaker shared how their identity as a member of the Black community created unique experiences in their respective industries. As a Black woman co-pilot, Hutcherson represents less than one percent of the commercial airline pilot workforce and is one of a handful at Alaska Airlines. During her presentation, she spoke about her experience breaking into the largely homogenous aviation

industry.

“I thought Mia’s story was incredibly powerful,” junior and BSU member Courtney Tetteh-Martey said. “Her message reminded me that I can thrive not in spite of my differences, but because of them.

As a young Black woman, it is empowering to learn about the resilient individuals who paved the path toward acceptance and equity.”

During the lunch forums, speakers also engaged their audiences in various activities.

As a part of her presentation, Thompson sang an excerpt from her song “Lonely,” a song that communicates feelings of vulnerability, sadness and separation. Drawing from her dance roots, Alexander led an authenticity exercise that incorporated dancing and movement to help students and faculty express and connect with their emotions.

The Sage Center created the speaker series to benefit school

Courtesy of Sage Hill School

The Hamoui Family Sage Center launched the Women of Color Lunch Forum Series with Mia Hutcherson sharing her career as a commercial airline first officer on Feb. 1. community members of all ethnic and racial backgrounds.

“Our speakers this year and Black History Month celebrations in general are important

for all community members to be a part of, not just those who identify as Black,” Sage Center Director Sanan Shirinian said.

“It’s important for continued

progress toward justice, awareness, empowerment, education and just simply showing up for one another.”

Students Ring in Nowruz and R amadan

By Mirabelle Jiang

In celebration of The Middle Eastern-North African (MENA) Affinity Group hosted a potluck for students in a joint celebration of the Persian New Year, Nowruz, and the start of the Islamic holiday Ramadan.

MENA affinity group members shared a short presentation on the significance of both holidays in front of a “haft-seen,” a traditional Persian set up for New Year. Students were also invited to enjoy Shawarma, a type of wrap traditionally made with lamb or mutton that originated in the Middle East. During the celebration, MENA members also introduced students to Backgammon, a popular board game that originated in Persia and is still popular in the region.

Nowruz, or Farsi for “New Day”, is a traditional festival celebrating the Persian New Year and marks the beginning of spring. The holiday is celebrated in countries with significant Persian influence, including Afghanistan, Iran, Turkey, and others, with celebrations lasting for 13 days. This year, Nowruz will fall on March 19th.

“It’s very normal for all observing this holiday to enjoy nature and the beautiful weather, along with some household traditions like the haft-seen,” senior and MENA member Tatiana Malekzadeh said. “My family has a big gathering, or ‘mehmooni’ in Farsi, on the day to give gifts and eat some delicious food, such as rice, Kabob, Tadig, and Khoresht.”

Ramadan is the ninth month

Sofia Jacinto | The Bolt

The Middle Eastern/North African (MENA) Affinity Group celebrated Norooz and Ramadan with the school community on March 8.

of the Islamic calendar and involves a month of fasting, prayer, reflection, and community. Muslims believe that this is the month when the Prophet Muhammad was given the Quran, the religious text of Islam, and the duty to carry God’s message. This year, Ramadan will started at dawn on March 11

and end April 10.

“In Islam, taking care of the poor is an essential part of the religion, and fasting allows us to understand what it’s like to be hungry,” Junior and MENA member Aava Ghorbanian said.

“People also fast to show devotion to the religion and build up strength and discipline.”

When asked about the purpose of this year’s MENA celebration, Ghorbanian said, “A lot of students aren’t aware of the celebrations of other cultures or the significance of these holidays. We wanted to bring our culture to the Sage community and share it with others.”

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The Bolt March 2024 Sage Hill School

News

Pep R ally Showcases Sage Spirit

By Phoebe Pan

While some seniors are awaiting college admission results, prospective eighth-grade students recently received their acceptances to the Sage Hill Class of 2028. The school community welcomed newly admitted applicants for Accepted Student Day on March 5, giving the eighth graders a glimpse into school life at Sage Hill.

Visiting students took part in various activities, joining in the schoolwide Pep Rally, campus tours and participating in bonding exercises with their future classmates and friends.

Dean of School Life Dominic Campeau explains that Accepted Student Day is key for incoming students to understand the Sage community and its unique emphasis on student leadership.

“To me, it’s an empowering message that they see… these high school students are empowered to run things and make decisions.

[Through Accepted Student Day], we communicate that this is your school, and we are just here to guide you along the way,” Campeau said.

Campeau feels that Accepted Student Day has changed over his 12 years at Sage Hill to become a particularly student-centered event.

“At first, maybe, I was too in-

volved. The last few years, I’ve really put [this responsibility] on StuCo and… let them run with it. There’s been a lot of energy… and I give all the credit to the kids for that,” he said.

This firsthand experience of the School’s culture and environment is especially important given the short time frame of Sage’s admission process: March 11 marked the deadline for admission responses, giving accepted students a little over a week to make their decision after acceptance letters were released on Feb. 29.

Peter Jordan, Director of Admission and Financial Aid, said Accepted Student Day helps introduce Sage to the “excellent students with diverse interests” that are chosen each year.

Sage continues fostering a varied student body, and the Class of 2028 is projected to bring together students from a range of schools, backgrounds and locations.

“We are on track to have over 60 different schools represented in the incoming [class],” Jordan said.

Though exact details about the incoming class are not yet finalized, Jordan believes that this year’s results are in line with past trends.

Even with the revelation of Sage’s middle school project last year,

Courtesy of Sage Hill School

Lawrence Chung ‘27 represents the freshman class during Pep Rally held on Accepted Student Day, March 5. admission goals and strategies have remained the same for this round of applications.

“The admission process hasn’t changed since the announcement of the middle school. We continue to see an increase in applications each year, and this year saw a significant increase [in applications and] in selectivity,” Jordan said.

Crossword

This communitywide tradition bridges the gap between grades and is a memorable event in the transition from middle school to high school.

While Accepted Student Day helps familiarize the incoming freshmen with the Sage experience, this annual event also gives current high schoolers an opportunity to connect with the future of Sage Hill.