The Tower Fall 2024 Issue 02

In This Issue Sports Aggression 06

Awards Shows 08 Balletcore 10 Democracy 14

POLICY The Tower refrains from prior review of its issues, and maintains the right to publish anonymous quotes when the privacy of the individual is a concern. All quotes are subject to editing for clarity and length. Opinions expressed in The Tower do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff or of the Bishop’s School.

COLOPHON The Tower is printed by Streeter Printing Company in Mira Mesa, CA. The Staff uses Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator to arrange photographs and graphics, and distributed 300 copies of this issue to the Bishop’s community. Typefaces include Saonara for the cover; Public Sans for the headlines, bylines, and subtitles; Minion Pro for the body text. This issue and previous issues of The Tower are available digitally on issuu.com.

THE BELL The Bell is a section of The Tower that intends to serve as a relief from the depth of the magazine. Satire, puzzles, quizzes, and the like are frequent inside The Bell.

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DETAILS | ISSUE 02

CONTRIBUTORS

Editors-in-Chief Ben Brown Summer Hu Graphics Editor Lisa Pan Online Editor Melanie Yau Managing Editor Nora Bitar Lead Content Editor Lucy Marek Content Editors Anna Yang Yina Shate Staff Writers Stevie Turquand Coco Kuehn Isabelle Banaie Brian Kim Emma Li Michelle M. Wang Ivy Yang Maggie Hu Faculty Advisor Ms. Laine Remignanti

CONTACT The Tower c/o The Bishop’s School 7607 La Jolla Blvd, La Jolla, CA 92037 www.thebishopstower.com thetower@bishops.com IG @thebishopstower TW @thebishopstower

cover Cover by Ben Brown (‘25)

As of 2024, the Phone Free Schools Act has prohibited the usage of phones in schools across California. Bishop’s was one of many schools impacted. In this issue, Lucy Marek (‘25) delves deeper into the dilemma of phone usage. With phones residing in backpacks instead of students’ hands, certain things are more difficult.

Typing quick emails, finding friends, and checking the time are harder to do without our mobile devices. However, this new phone ban may be allowing us to have better social interactions instead of browsing social media apps.

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All members of the Bishop’s community are invited to submit letters to the Editors-in-Chief by visiting our website, www.thebishopstower.com, and clicking on the ‘Submit Letter’ tab.

Dear Bishops,

B I

Photos courtesy of Ben Brown (‘25)

details

PHILOSOPHY The Tower is a student-run publication at The Bishop’s School in La Jolla, CA. Writers and editors work together under the guidance of a faculty advisor to enhance the Bishop’s community and stimulate meaningful conversation through the collection and distribution of news. The Tower aims to educate the Bishop’s community about issues and events that pertain to the experience of young adults. Sections of The Tower include Campus, Arts, Sports, Culture, Local & Beyond, Opinion, and The Bell. The Tower prints multiple issues each academic year, in addition to continuous online content.

think “hope” is a misunderstood word. Recently, I have come to believe this more and more amid the chaos and divisions in our communities, country, and world. Last week, for example, my older brother told me he had “lost hope” in the U.S. and that “our best days are behind us.” But I think my brother is confusing discontent in the present with hope, or a lack of it, in the future.

Frankly, I think it is healthy to look at our country, and its leaders, with scrutiny and discontent; it is fundamental to a strong democracy. However, losing hope is more extreme. Losing hope is not about being upset with the issues we currently face, it is about becoming disillusioned in our ability to overcome these issues. Hope is a trust and confidence in the sturdiest of our institutions, the resolve of our people, and the resilience of our character.

So as I watch many people around me — from family and friends to politicians and news organizations — paint the U.S. as a country in decline no longer able to lead the world towards peace and freedom, I cannot help but disagree. Yes, the U.S. — and the entire world, for that matter — face a difficult moment. Leaders of the world’s strongest powers find themselves unable to set aside their differences and cooperate in order to solve our collective crises. There still is widespread injustice, discrimination, and oppression in many corners of the world. And, most of all, violence continues to spread across countries and regions globally, claiming the lives of many innocent civilians in their paths.

But this is no reason to lose hope. Have trust in our democracy, our global leadership, and the human spirit, I certainly do. We have faced adversity before, and we will again. With this said, hope should never become an excuse to not voice your opinions, not stand up for what you believe in, and not demand change. Afterall, the institutions we must keep hope in will only survive if we continue to use them.

Right now, there is no American institution more vital to use than our right to vote. Voting is a privilege and responsibility. People in the U.S. have fought and died for this right, and people in other countries continue to. In the U.S., instead of losing hope in our country, we can change it from the ballot box. With this all said, I urge you to vote on Tuesday, November 5th if you are of age. If you are not old enough, make sure those who are eligible vote. That means your parents, grandmother, second cousin, older siblings’ friend, Better Buzz barista who spells your name wrong, middle school math teacher you have not seen in three years — whoever it is, make sure they are voting.

While this issue of The Tower does not have extensive coverage on the election nor the candidates, it does include a diverse range of perspectives and topics aimed at helping inform our community and make them more confident citizens of the U.S. and world. From managing editor Nora Bitar’s (‘25) informative article on the methods and effectiveness of polling during an election season to new staff writer Stevie Turquand’s (‘26) thoughtful article on school shootings and how Bishop’s could best approach preventative measures, this issue of The Tower covers a wide range of topics and ideas to help you all learn something you did not know, think in a way you haven’t before, and feel more confident in navigating the challenging moment and crossroad facing our country and world right now.

Best,

Ben Brown Co-Editor-in-Chief

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contents

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Summer Hu, Lisa Pan, Emma Li, Yina Shate, Ben Brown, Anna Yang, Ivy Yang, Parents and guardians took a peek into students’ daily schedule and school life Maggie Hu, & Nora Bitar

COVER STORY

Summer Hu

Knights for a Night: Back to School Night

LOCAL & BEYOND The Military Family Experience

Ben Brown

Are Polls Worth Your While?

Nora Bitar

How election polls actually work, and what to take from them

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Hate the Sin... But Love the Sinner

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Ivy Yang

Tennis world raises eyebrows at Jannik Sinner’s doping scandal and his unequal punishment

Locked Screens

Lucy Marek

Bishop’s banned phones; what does the community think about it?

THE BELL

The unique challenges and perspectives military families bring to Bishop’s

Photo courtesy of Melanie Yau (‘26)

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Keeping schools safe from gun violence; preventative measures — and opinions — differ state by state

What now?

Bishop’s Opts Not to Renew Childcare Center Lease

Stevie Turquand

SPORTS

CAMPUS

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Preventing the Unpredictable

Staff Picks Crossword Kyle’s Cartoon Corner

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Top Ten

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BISHOP’S OPTS NOT TO RENEW CHILDCARE CENTER LEASE

“It’s worth more to us than just affordable child care … it’s a real pillar of the community” — Science Department Chair Ms. Laura Cummings on Bishop’s Childcare Center

The struggle to find a solution has led to the suspension of the childcare center — what now?

Summer Hu Math teacher Mr. David Johnston voiced strong support for the center.

His son, who has since graduated from the center and subsequently, from Bishop’s, spent the first three years of his life there.

“The love and care he received there was an amazing resource that we were able to take advantage of. It was super important for me. It was incredibly important for my wife, as well. She felt so comfortable being able to go back to work knowing that he was going to be in a place where he was go-

History and Social Sciences Chair Ms. Karri Woods’ Honors Psychology students observed toddlers at the Bishop’s childcare center while discussing developmental strategies the staff uses to support collaborative play with Director of Childcare Ms. Samantha Ferguson.

due to a lease termination. Bishop’s 35year lease with Prince Chapel by the Sea in the Cuvier building, where the center is currently located, was set to expire in the summer of 2025. The center, which provides care for children ages six weeks to five years, also serves as an employee benefit, according to the Bishop’s Employees Benefits Portal.

Administrators notified faculty and staff of this change on August 7, 2024 — just under two weeks before the start of school. The email added that the School would be open to other creative solutions and dialogue as to what this benefit could look like, according to Head of School Mr. Ron Kim. Science Department Chair Ms. Laura Cummings and History Social Sci-

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gathered peop l e ’s feedback and concerns and shared it face-to-face with [Head of School] Mr. Kim,” Ms. Woods said.

Ms. Woods originally thought they would have four testimonials, but she soon started receiving new statements every hour, which she continued receiving throughout the first weeks of school.

Through word-of-mouth and personal connections, Ms. Cummings and Ms. Woods still gathered a thick packet of around 37 testimonials from people who had used the center before or had personal ties. Responses ranged from a few sentences to entire paragraphs.

Ms. Cummings hoped that these testimonials would help emphasize the value of the program,“That it’s worth more to us than just affordable child care … it’s a real pillar of the community,” she said.

ing to be loved and cared for,” he said.

While faculty, staff, and parents have all voiced support for the center, according to Ms. Cummings, there are several roadblocks that are still preventing its reinstatement. These roadblocks have been discussed for years between Mr. Kim and Chief Operating and Financial Officer Ms. Pamela Duffy. “The challenges that we’ve had with that building led us to conclude that we couldn’t rely on consistent operations in that building,” said Mr. Kim. Some of these challenges included what Mr. Kim described as “facilities issues.” The problems with consistency eventually led both Mr. Kim and Ms. Duffy to not renew the lease.

However, finding an alternative proved to be a trickier problem to grapple with. “We were exploring options for a while now. It’s a challenging mixture of problems,” Mr. Kim said. He cited several, including the convenience of campus proximity, proper zoning for a childcare center, affordability, and licensing — which means that the building must be validated as a safe environment for kids.

Photo courtesy of Summer Hu (‘25)

ences Chair Ms. Karri Woods are at the forefront of these discussions. “From that moment, we wanted to make sure that parents and faculty had a voice in what that creative solution could look like,” Ms. Cummings said. After the announcement, Ms. Cummings and Ms. Woods spent a week gathering testimonials from faculty, staff, coaches, and parents. “I think we saw it as most effective if we

Photo courtesy of Ms. Karri Woods

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he day we were notified that the childcare center was closing was a very difficult day,” Technical Director Mr. Kyle Melton said.

For the past two years, Mr. Melton has been able to bring his daughter to work.

But now, the current child care center, an aspect of the Bishop’s community for many decades, will close at the end of this year

“How can we resolve all of those different factors in the same way that building did? It’s hard to replicate,” Mr. Kim said.

Ms. Cummings and Ms. Woods believe that a faculty committee could help make more progress on finding a solution to this complicated set of problems. While both are doing as much research as they can, wading “in the weeds of the municipal code,” Ms. Woods admitted that this isn’t their expertise. Creating a faculty committee could help them push forward solutions, with expectations of deadlines, accountability, and set meeting times. “Could we push for that? Could we get an actual administration sanctioned committee that has members who know this stuff at a deeper level, who can work with people like us who are highly motivated to make this happen?” Ms. Woods asked.

Ms. Cummings added that a faculty committee could be a refresh for brainstorming. She and Ms. Woods expressed appreciation for Mr. Kim and Ms. Duffy’s work, yet Ms. Cummings’ hope for the committee “is that we pass the baton and delegate the work required to keep the center.” To her, creating a committee would show that this is a “priority for the school moving forward and that committee members would be empowered to figure out how to make it happen.”

Ms. Woods and Ms. Cummings also proposed the establishment of an infant care center for kids ages zero to two.

Some centers don’t open until 8:00 a.m. or 9:00 a.m., providing logistical challenges for teachers who have longer commutes, according to Ms. Cummings. “As you can imagine, dropping off your six-month-old an hour away is hard,” Ms. Woods said.

While Ms. Woods described her feelings for a future solution as “cautious-

ly optimistic,” she fears that conversations surrounding the child care center could be lost. “The School is a very busy place. There are a lot of things going on. I think the concern for many, and I feel the same way, is that this will just kind of slip off the radar,” she said.

But luckily, for now, many faculty and staff still appear to advocate for its reinstatement.“If we as a school prize wellness, I would love to see our young faculty members be able to have something like that for them too, so that they know that their children are going to be loved and cared for in such an amazing place,” Mr. Johnston said.

Ms. Cummings shared the importance of the childcare center in her transition back to work. “I felt so supported. My work and home lives were really symbiotic and could exist together in a way that was sustainable and positive,” she said.

“I felt that when I was on campus, I was able to be present with my students and colleagues because I had peace of mind knowing my child was close and safe. It just felt like such a seamless and healthy transition back to work and into a new role, when it could have been totally overwhelming - and I know is overwhelming for many other new parents in other schools,” Ms. Cummings continued. At that time, Ms. Cummings was not only balancing her role as a teacher and parent, but as the new Science Department Chair.

History and Social Sciences Department Chair Ms. Karri Woods and Science Department Chair Ms. Laura Cummings collected a packet of 37 testimonials of faculty, staff, and parents who all expressed strong support for the center.

Ms. Woods shared that sentiment. “When I think about my first year as a parent, the second half of that was even more life-giving in some ways because I was able to do what I love which is teach at Bishop’s, lead a department, and I still got a great, close relationship with my son and I knew he was in incredible hands,” she said.

Beyond the tangible advantages of a childcare center at Bishop’s, the childcare center also serves as an educational resource for new parents. Ms. Cummings and Ms. Woods agreed that the childcare center staff helped them navigate the second six months of parenthood. “The child care center also serves as an education spot for us to give us a sense of how to help them during their development and to give us feedback on what they’re seeing and help them thrive,” Ms. Woods said. As well, the community of parents served as a second resource.

Mr. Melton finds the childcare center to be one of the many amazing things about Bishop’s. “To see it closed, is to close the book on a fantastic and wonderful benefit that the School has made a priority in the past. I hope the School will find a way to continue this benefit as it truly makes a difference in the lives of the faculty and staff members with young children,” he said.

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KNIGHTS FOR A back to NIGHT: school night Parents and guardians took a peek into students’ daily schedule and school life

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he bell rings and advisory is over. It’s time to go to first period. Some run around the quad, trying to make it from the student center to Gilman before the end of the passing period. Others take

nuclear weapons in it. The second question connected the scientists of the Manhattan English Teacher Dr. Kathleen Kelly stood in front of approximately 15 parents, who were seated around a table, ready to learn about their children’s Banned Books class. She explained to them that this Sunday marks the beginning of Banned Books Week, which brings about a national

The vocabulary for the upcoming test — jihadism, revolutionary salafism, and Sayyid Qutb to name a few — was etched in red marker onto the whiteboard behind the parents in History Teacher Mr. Damon Halback’s Honors War on Terror class. Mr. Halback stood in front of parents, explaining the importance of War on

School Knight (BTSK) event on September 19, 2024. The event gave parents the chance to experience a full class schedule at Bishop’s in ten-minute intervals, and meet their children’s teachers.

New parent Mr. Elijah Nicolas (Norah Nicolas (‘31)) found advisory to be his favorite part of the night. “Advisory is always cool because it’s something different, something you don’t hear much about,”

he said, “having advisory makes school a little more accessible…gives that feeling of family and introduce[s] that feeling of stewardship and companionship…overall bring[ing] a good feeling of comradery.”

III students pieces their children had made, explaining the technique, creation that went into making them. They all stared in wonder as Mr. Gercke painted slip (a mixture of clay and water) onto a piece of ceramic bisque (a piece of clay that has been

fired in the kiln, but hasn’t been glazed).

To demonstrate the hands-on aspect of the class, parents were offered the opportunity to move around and explore the different textures and compositions of some of the other works.

legs crossed listening attentively. One of those parents was Mr. David Yu (Kristen ( ‘27), Laurene (‘30)).

It was Mr. Yu’s first time attending Back to School Knight — and it was a success. He noted that the environment was very welcoming. However, after attending only three periods he observed something

unique about the teachers at Bishop’s. “The teachers,” he said, “I can tell that they put their heart into their teaching.” Parents wrote sticky notes to their kids, which they would see attached to their tests when they got back.

knew the world would not be the same.” A few people laughed, a few people cried.

Most people were silent.

After group discussion, Mr. Valji explained the six units of the curriculum, highlighting the unique mix of science, cul-

ture, and international relations present in his history class. Lastly, he posed two questions to the parents and asked them to consider and share any thoughts they had. The first question asked parents to think back to their childhoods and remember the role of

In Science Teacher Mr. Marcus Milling’s Advanced Honors Physics classroom upstairs, around 20 parents watched him explain the meaning of graphs his students had recorded in a lab earlier that day.

He explained the correlation of force, mass,

Parents gathered in Math Teacher Mrs. Beamer’s classroom where they were presented with the math problem _ ( _ + _ ) = _ _ + _ _ to solve. After a couple minutes, Mrs. Beamer explained that this was what their children were currently learning. She

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Photo courtesy of Yina Shate (‘26)

6:46pm — Period 3 Around 15 parents entered History Teacher Mr. Matthew Valji’s classroom in Upper Gilman excited to learn about a new course: Honors Atomic Bomb. Mr. Valji opened the period by sharing a quote

by J. Robert Oppenheimer, which read, “We

Terror in today’s context. “Most of the discussion of controversial topics happens in the ether of social media or it takes place through argumentation,” he said, “In an academic class…what’s important is not that you agree with something, but you seek to understand it.”

After the class, Ms. Christine

Johnson (Emily (‘20), Maggie (‘22), Katie (‘26)) said War on Terror was her favorite session of the night. She noted that War on Terror allows students to learn “from history so we don’t make those same mistakes again.”

and acceleration as parents scratched their heads trying to understand Isaac Newton’s Third Law of Motion.

Mr. Yucong Tao (Chris ‘26), after exiting the class, said, “It is all very interesting, it reminds me of my youth. I struggled

with Physics but I still really enjoy it.” With regards to Mr. Milling, Mr. Tao said, “his teaching is very experimental, very hands on, very enlightening. He wants his students to think.”

told them that their kids had come up with around 10-15 solutions during class.

In Math 2E (enriched 7th grade math), students would build on their problem solving skills further elevating their understanding in the world of math. One way

that Mrs. Beamer keeps this process fun is by introducing many fun math puzzles like Binary Puzzles, Sudoku X, and many more.

“It’s so nice to get to meet all of them [the parents] and get to share a little of what we do in class every day,” Mrs. Beamer said.

7:54pm — Period 7

6:29pm — Period 2 Math Teacher Ms. Jennifer Seymour stood in front of a class of 15 parents as she presented the year-long plan for her period two Honors Statistics class. As she talked about the real-life application of statistics through moneyball and, more recently, the 2024 election season, some parents took notes while others sat with their

Kelly passed out handouts that included various texts, giving parents a taste of what their children are reading this semester.

Then in a Harkness-style discussion, she asked parents to discuss what they thought the texts had in common, and what might be offensive.

7:37pm — Period 6

6:12pm — Period 1 Tucked under the campus down a flight of stairs, lies the classroom of Visual Arts and Ceramics Teacher Mr. Jeremy Gercke. As the parents made their way out of the advisory and into his classroom, Mr. Gercke showed the parents of his Ceramics

conversation about the significance of censorship.

Dr. Kelly quoted Salman Rushide, who said, “What is freedom of expression?

Without the freedom to offend, it doesn’t exist.”

After her brief presentation, Dr.

7:20pm — Period 5

5:45pm — Advisory Parents kicked off the night in advisory, the same way students start their days. In the span of 20 minutes, parents met each other and advisors, and got to witness the advisory experience.

be held responsible for the ethical implications of biotechnology.

7:03pm — Period 4

Summer Hu, Lisa Pan, Emma Li, Yina Shate, Ben Brown, Anna Yang, Ivy Yang, Maggie Hu, & Nora Bitar

their time. This may seem like any normal start to an A day at Bishop’s, only this time, it is parents, not students, who fill the halls.

Bishop’s hosted parents and guardians on campus during the annual Back to

Project with modern science, asking parents if they feel that scientists today should

Parents started by visiting their children’s advisories. Religion and Ethics Teacher Dr. David Moseley created a warm atmosphere for the parents, similar to how their kids begin their day.

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THE MILITARY FAMILY

How Military Families Are Supported Both at Bishop’s and in Their Communities Amid the challenges and sacrifices facing military families, there are many support systems, policies, and groups at Bishop’s and outside of the School.

On campus, Ms. Beattie noted that the School is “mindful of the many challenges military families face, and supports them as such throughout the admissions and financial aid process.”

One way Ms. Beattie said they do this is by being “as flexible as possible with our application deadlines for military families” given they often receive new orders that require relocations outside the typical admissions season.

Additionally, Ms. Beattie explained the School waives the admissions application fee for active-duty military families. Lastly, Ms. Beattie noted that an endowed financial aid scholarship fund for military families was recently established.

In addition to official school policies, students from military families are supported through the community they build in the Military Affinity Space. The group was founded two years ago, is led by Jack, Ruben Gutierrez (‘25), and Melanie Yau (‘26), and is sponsored by Associate Director of College Counseling Mr. AJ Jezierski, whose father also served in the military.

“We meet a couple times a year and spend our time just trying to connect and get to know each other,” Jack said. “Bishop’s has a very

EXPERIENCE The unique challenges and perspectives military families bring to Bishop’s Ben Brown

C

hristopher Harvey (Jack (‘25) and Sam (‘28)) remembers the moment like it was yesterday. It was a Wednesday night in early 2008, his first night of active duty on the new naval ship he was stationed on. His wife, Sally, was driving to the ship with their new baby boy Jack to meet for dinner — real dinner, not the greasy sliders the ship was serving that night. He was looking forward to the time with his family, so he rushed to complete a report he was working on. After finishing it, he entered his commanding officer’s room and handed his boss the report. Before he could leave, the ship’s Squadron Commodore, his commanding officer’s boss, entered the room. “Have you told

him yet?” the deep voice asked. The room went silent. His commanding officer stood still, staring at the new father. “Chris, we need to send you on an individual augmentee tour in Iraq,” he said. Blood rushed out of his face; he could not believe it. “I’m sorry, Chris, I really am.”

Every day, men and women, fathers and mothers, and sons and daughters receive the same difficult news that Mr. Harvey got in 2008: that they are being deployed abroad, sometimes in warzones, other times in dormant zones, but always far from home. The news means leaving their families, friends, and lives behind in order to protect us all. For their partners, it means making important decisions

alone that will impact both their lives. And for their children, if they have them, it means growing up without a parent for months, sometimes years, on end.

In San Diego, there are 115,000 active duty military service members and 60,000 children growing up in military families. At Bishop’s, there are 28 students growing up in military families, according to the Admissions and Financial Aid Office. Highlighting the experiences and challenges of the people in our community connected to the military is important to being more aware and ensuring they receive the acknowledgement they deserve and the help they might need.

The members of our community connected to the military have unique experiences that “add to the richness of our community,” explained Senior Associate Director of Admissions and Assistant Director of Financial Aid Ms. Lauren Beattie.

It takes incredible sacrifice and selflessness for a parent to risk their life and give up time with family. Mr. Harvey explained that “the biggest challenge is time. As a serviceman, my time was really limited.”

However, Mr. Harvey learned how to make the most of the time he did get with his family. “I learned that if you don’t have a large quantity of time with your family, you gotta really make sure to get great quality out of that time. So whatever time that I did have, I always asked myself ‘What can I do? What can I share?

What memories can I create with my kids?’”

While one parent is serving, the other parent who stays back also makes immense sacrifices. Mrs. Sally Harvey (Jack (‘25) and Sam (‘28)) explained that when her husband was deployed, the military prohibited almost all communication because they did not want him to lose focus.

“When Chris deployed to Iraq and was gone for 10 months when Jack was little, it was really hard on me,” Mrs. Harvey began.

“With barely any communication allowed, I re-

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ally was making all the decisions for the family.

I made decisions about what schools we were going to go to, where we were going to live, the neighborhood…And then, you know, he comes back, and that’s really hard for him, because he has to kind of fit into whatever I’ve decided.”

Mrs. Harvey said that it is in those moments that she really leaned into the community around her. “You really rely on the friends and neighbors that make up communities. If, say, someone’s spouse is deployed, they lean in on the community to help raise the kids.

There is that saying — ‘it takes a village’ — it really does in our case.”

Madison Yau (‘28), whose father served in the Navy, noted that there are many kids who have parents who go away for months or years, even multiple times. “My dad only deployed a few times for a few months, but for many people, it can be a lot longer and make much more of an impact on them.”

These kids also move homes frequently, growing up without the same town, the same friends, and the same school. In fact, according to the Military Family Advisory Network, military families move, on average, every twoand-a-half years. That means that by the start of high school, a military child has moved six times. That’s six homes, six neighborhoods, six schools, and five long goodbyes from friends.

Madison said, “We typically moved around about every three years.” This included places such as New Jersey, Rhode Island, California, and even Germany.

Rebuilding community instills values and lessons into students who are part of military families. “From moving around so much from a young age, I’ve learned to adapt,” Madison said. “I’d have friends in Germany and then I’d move to San Diego without any friends. But from that I learned how to find community and adapt quicker.”

Another aspect of military families’ values is the emphasis on service and patriotism. Katherine Johnson (‘26), whose parents both served in the Navy, expressed that, “We as a family understand the importance of service to our country. I have learned the values of honor, courage, commitment, and how they can be applied to everyday life. Being in a military family helps me strive to succeed in school, sports, and life.”

Jack noted that while many people with no connection to the military may have values of service and patriotism, “it’s so much easier to hold on to these values [in a military family] because it’s such a small community. I think in the big, wider world, they sometimes get diluted somewhat, and I think it’s important to keep hold of those.”

Photo courtesy of Sally Harvey

The Sacrifice and Selflessness in Military Families

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small military population, and a lot of these kids have no idea who the other military kids are, so having that space is pretty important and I think it’s a very cool way for everyone to connect.”

Looking ahead, Mr. Jezierski hopes that, in addition to being an affinity space, the group can raise awareness to the experiences of military families, and their large presence in the local and school community. “I don’t think our students really always realize how affected we are by the military, not only in San Diego, but specifically within the school. We have faculty and staff who have served. We have plenty of students whose parents have served as well. So I think bringing awareness to that is something I’m excited for this group to do,” Mr. Jezierski said.

Outside of Bishop’s, there are many organizations that help families as well. Mrs. Harvey said Blue Star Families was an excellent example of an organization that is helping, because it connects nonmilitary families with military families. Mrs. Harvey explained that the organization was founded due to budget cuts forcing the military to reduce on-base housing. “Families having to disperse across San Diego and live farther away from other military families has really

been a detriment to the military community and network that was so helpful to me and so many people,” Mrs. Harvey said. Blue Star Families “bridges the gap” between nonmilitary families and military families that are living in communities, and thus “is really trying to provide resources to connect military families with civilians who might not know how to support them,” Mrs. Harvey said.

Blue Star Families is one of many examples of organizations that support military families through the unique challenges they face, and Mrs. Harvey hopes any students interested in helping to reach out to her or any military parents, as it is a great way to give back to a community that sacrifices so much to support and protect us all.

STUDENTS

AT BISHOP’S ARE PART OF MILITARY FAMILIES according to the Admissions and Financial Aid Office

The Harvey family at Mr. Chris Harvey’s Naval promotion ceremony in San Diego

Service Academies, ROTC Programs, and Enlisting: Ways to Join the Military After the initial shock Mr. Harvey experienced after receiving the news that he would be leaving his wife and young boy to serve in Iraq, he realized that it was “almost like fate telling me that it was my time to serve — my call to service.”

It is this call to service that inspires many young adults across the U.S., including at Bishop’s, to enlist in the military. In fact, five Bishop’s students have matriculated to service academies in the past four years, and just this year, there are at least three seniors applying to service academies and ROTC programs.

Jack is one of the seniors that are applying to service academies for college this fall.

Jack says that while his parents never pressured him to apply, given the experiences he has had and “the habit of service” he has developed, he “feels this call and desire to be part of something that is bigger than me. It’s a different kind of feeling when you can get a lot of people together to achieve a singular goal, and that’s something that I really value and cherish.”

Bishop’s supports students through the unique and competitive process of applying to service academies, such as The Naval Academy, West Point, and Air Force Academy. Mr. Jezierski said that, “if students are interested in service academies, their college counselor will walk them through all the necessary steps

beginning in the spring of their junior year to make sure they are set up for the intricacies associated with this potential path” Mr. Jezierski noted that these “intricacies” include specific summer programs at service academies and nominations from local congressmen or state senators.

Lastly, Mr. Harvey urged any student who may feel a call to service to not hesitate in reaching out to him or anyone other military families at Bishop’s. “We would love to help you think through it. It has been a great honor of my life, and if I can help give that to anyone else, I would in a heartbeat.”

Tower 1 1

THE

ARE POLLS:

How election polls actually work, and what to take from them

“H now!” tion!”

ey, did you see Trump is up by 1% in the polls?”

“Look, Harris is up by 4%

“The polls are so close this elec-

How many times in the past few months have Americans heard words like these? As election day draws closer, the media can’t stop talking about the most recent polling numbers and what they mean. But that begs a question for anyone following the U.S. presidential election: what do these polls actually signify?

Take the 2024 election. From September 11 to September 16 in the New York Times/Siena poll, — a collaborative effort between the New York Times and the Siena College Research Institute in New York — Harris and Trump were tied nationally, both at 47%. With the two candidates neck and neck, it’s hard to make sense of which candidate is polling better. But in reality, much of the confusion with polling comes from not understanding how to interpret the data.

Though Trump and Harris may be tied, with the New York Times/Siena poll’s 3% to 4% margin of error, the percentage of people voting for Trump or Harris could be as high as 51% or as low as 43%. These are considerable differences that are important to take into

12 LOCAL & BEYOND | ISSUE 02

account — and forgetting margin of error can make polls falsely appear to have done a bad job collecting their data. “In general, I’d say [polls] actually pretty darn good,” as Statistics Teacher Ms. Jennifer Seymour put it.

“They’re usually within the margin of error.

It’s just that people forget that the margin of error is so big.”

Even if there were to be a smaller margin of error, the use of national polling is minimal. The US uses an electoral system, meaning the popular vote — which is what polls track — does not directly decide the outcome of the election. Instead, each state gets a certain number of electoral votes, and the candidate with the most overall electors wins the election. Therefore, it wouldn’t matter that Harris is up by 4% nationally if much of that advantage comes from California or Massachusetts. But if more of that advantage came from swing states, it can matter significantly.

Luckily, pollsters know national data is not as helpful, which is why they also poll individual states. “The battleground ones are the polls that I would be more interested in looking at,” Statistics Teacher Mr. Juan Vidal said. “[Those] are the ones where…the decisions are made on the whole election.” In the same New York Times/Siena poll, Harris is up 50% to Trump’s 46% in Pennsylvania — a deciding state in the election, as the winner of Pennsylvania has won every U.S. election since 2008. This data is more telling than the 47% tie nationally, though it’s important to also note that Harris is not up in all other swing states.

But just looking at swing state data and taking it at face value is not enough ei-

“

ther. Another important factor is how the polls are being conducted. For presidential elections, phones remain the most popular way of polling. According to a New York Times article, over 90% of voters for their New York Times/Siena polls were reached by phone. Generally, pollsters use a national list of registered voters to decide who to call. But if you ask your parents, neighbors, friends, or teachers if they’ve ever been called for a presidential poll — their answer will almost certainly be no. So who is actually being called?

First of all, California is definitely not the focus in presidential polling. It isn’t by any means a swing state (the share of registered Democrats is 46.2% compared to 24.7% Republicans), so its data is not as important as other states, such as Michigan or Pennsylvania. Even in swing states however, the number of voters being polled is low. The New York Times stated that for their polls, generally less than 2% of people will answer the phone.

This very low response rate contributes to another essential part of how polling works: sample-size polling. A sample-size poll uses a smaller percentage of citizens to represent the larger population. If a town had 10,000 people, a sample-size poll may survey 100 people. If there are 5,000 women, the sample-size survey would have 50 women. If there are 1,000 children, the sample size survey would have 1 child, and so on.

Obviously, polling the entire country is not possible, especially with low response rates, so pollsters use a sample size model. According to an article by the California Institute of Technology, sample-sizes for US election polls (national or state-spe-

”

In general, I’d say [polls] are actually pretty darn good…They’re usually within the margin of error. It’s just that people forget that the margin of error is so big - HONORS STATISTICS TEACHER MRS. JENNIFER SEYMOUR

Photo courtesy of Tony Webster from Minneapolis, Minnesota, United States (File:Vote Here - Election Polling Place (50565230221).jpg)

WORTH YOUR WHILE?

cific) are generally around 1,000-1,500 people.

In theory, sample-size polling can actually be very effective if “your sample is representative of the whole population,” as Mr. Vidal put it. If election polls proportionally represent voter demographics, the data will be quite accurate. Mr. Vidal added, “It is always better to get a bigger sample size, [but] at some point, it doesn’t matter that much…You can spend a whole bunch of money getting 10,000 extra people [and] it’ll give you maybe 1%” more accuracy.

Nevertheless, there are many complications with finding a sample that accurately represents the voter population. This is largely because the demographic of people voting changes depending on the candidate, for example, with Former President Donald Trump.

“Trump brought out a whole demographic of voters who did not normally vote as much in presidential elections and so this was often white, non-college educated [voters],” Ms. Seymour explained. “They just came out in droves because they were really excited and energized by this candidate.”

Nora Bitar

According to American Progress’s analysis of voting patterns in 2016, “exit polls claimed that white college graduates actually outnumbered non-college-educated white voters” by 37% to 34%, when in reality white non-college educated voters outnumbered their college-educated counterparts by 45% to 29%. Polls underestimate this demographic because of previous data, and in turn, th underestimated Trump — which is part of the reason why most polls incorrectly predicted Hillary Clinton winning.

Some other issues with sample-size polling are more predictable and therefore easier to solve. For instance, the fact that some demographics are more likely to answer a call about polling than others means that if you called people at random, your data might be skewed. For example, as opposed to working adults, “older retired people are much more likely to answer phone calls,” Ms. Seymour explained. Since older voters tend to lean more Republican than Democrat, calling at random could give extra weight to Republicans, introducing an inaccuracy to the poll. To avoid this, pollsters can call more working adults to “find as many likely voters

in t h at demographic,” as Ms. Seymour explained. However, if they cannot get enough data “they extrapolate out those percentages to fill the projection for that desired demographic.”

Ultimately, polls should be viewed with “a grain of salt,” as Nason Li (‘25) put it. “Polls are a snapshot of the public’s feelings about a particular candidate or issue at that time,” he added. Parsa Avaz-Barandish (‘27) similarly said that polls help him have a general idea of “what kind of election we have.”

Polls are not perfect. There is margin of error, there are biases, and there are unpredictable surprises in every election.

Still, checking and understanding polls in battleground states remains a useful context for elections.

Polls can also be “great tools for incumbent politicians,” Nason Li (‘25) said. “If a piece of legislation was about to be voted on in the House, a candidate or incumbent Congressman can refer to polling data in their district to determine whether or not their constituents would approve,” he explained.

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PREVENTING

THE UNPREDICTABLE Keeping schools safe from gun violence; preventative measures — and opinions — differ state by state Stevie Turquand

Photos courtesy of Stevie Turquand (‘26)

T

he 45th school shooting of 2024 So why aren’t all states pass- questionable. According to a study pubtook place on September 4 at ing laws similar to Texas’ House Bill 3? lished by the National Library of MediApalachee High School in Wind- Well, when a similar bill was introduced cine, there is no significant difference in er, Georgia. Two teachers and two teen- in California for public schools, contro- injuries when armed guards are present agers were left dead when a student versy arose. The bill did not pass. A main during a school shooting. In the case of a opened fire in the hallway. Grief is cut concern was that the presence of law en- shooting, an armed guard can do little to short by the question: who’s next? And forcement officers would prevent healthy de-escalate the crisis. In fact, on average, how will schools, such as Bishop’s, pre- development of children in schools. Ana school shootings with an armed guard vent another tragedy?

Mendoza, Director of Education Equi- result in 2.83 times many casualties as School shootings continue to ty with American Civil Liberties Union opposed to those without an armed raise urgency about the safety measures Southern California, said, “Students of guard. The National Library of Medicine that must be put explains that “the presinto place to proence of a weapon increastect students and es aggression. Whenever faculty. States such firearms are present, there as Texas have taken is room for error, and legislative action. even highly trained offiIn 2023, the Texas cers get split-second decilegislature passed sions wrong.”

House Bill 3, statWhile these statistics ing that every pubprovide valuable insight lic school campus into national trends in needs at least one school shooting prevenarmed guard prestion, Bishop’s views on ent during school school shooting prevenhours. tion differ.

S o m e Based on the preteachers find the ventative measures BishDanny Newsom, Director of Security for the Bishop’s School presence of armed op’s has put into place, standing guard at Bishop’s on October 1. Bishop’s security guards guards a critical it does not seem that the front entrance during the full school day, as well as before and step in enhancing armed guards would be a after school. schools’ security. needed addition. Dean of According to Pew Research Center, 36% color and students with disabilities are Students Ms. Michelle Shea mentioned, of public K-12 teachers surveyed who especially vulnerable to discriminato- “I think that adding [armed guards] have an armed guard on campus say ry arrests when police have a presence to campus would be an enormous sea the school is well prepared for an active in schools, and our schools should be a change… nothing suggests to me that we shooter, compared to the 22% of teachers place of learning for youth where we pre- are in a place where it’s necessary to go from schools without an armed guard. vent conflict through school counselors down that road.”

Additionally, 49% of public K-12 teach- not through law enforcement.”

Instead of that measure, Bishers surveyed say having a police officer Beyond stunting student de- op’s has locked gates, practices lockor armed guard would prevent school velopment and increasing discrimina- down drills, and has security guards on shootings. tion, the effectiveness of armed guards is campus.

But what else could be that some school shooters are done? Many people at Bishop’s, inkids who were bullied in their cluding Ms. Shea, think the campus school or felt isolated. A study could be more secure. “A strong pedone in 2022 by National Edurimeter is important,” Ms. Shea said. cation Statistics stated that 19% For example, Ms. Shea said that havof children from the ages of 12 ing only one entrance would make to 18 reported getting bullied the campus more secure, however, it at school. However, according is not very practical. to K-12 Dive, an online jourCandace Dada (‘25), a nalism platform for news about leader of Students Demand Action K-12 education, from the years (SDA), a student-led club raising 2008 to 2017, 80% of 35 school awareness about gun violence, addshooters were bullied, and 57% ed, “I think gates around campus were bullied for a long durashould have more secure codes tion of time. so it’s not as accessible for anyone At Bishop’s, school to just come in.” Before and after programs such as Peer Support school, the gates are unlocked; howaim to keep our campus safe. ever, during the school day, the gates Having resources for students are locked, and no students should and programs to maintain a know the code. In contrast, Sofia kind community goes very far; Hayden, 25’ said, “All my friends it keeps students happy and, know the gate code.” most importantly, safe.

In addition to campus This sign is posted on the main gate entrance While Bishop’s is security, having distinct protocols to the Bishop’s School, alerting visitors of the taking many steps to prevent is another factor that can prevent school’s security. school shootings, we can help school shootings. Every school has by treating each other with Towers World Trade Center, made sure a different protocol according to kindness and looking out for what makes the most sense for the safe- everyone knew the protocols for evac- each other. We all have an important ty and well-being of the students you are uation. He often held drills to reinforce duty to look out for one another and alert trying to protect. For example, Bishop’s these protocols and to ensure everyone an adult if something seems strange. Acpractices lock-down drills where teachers was trained and understood what to do cording to Sandy Hook Promise, an orgalock the doors, turn off the lights, close in case of an emergency. That emergency nization aiming to protect children from the blinds, and instruct students to stay came on September 11, 2001. Chief Zim- gun violence, almost every school shootmerman said Rick “saved thousands of ing from a student had warning signs that silent.

Bishop’s practices drills to be lives that day because people knew what went overlooked – they were preventable. prepared for a shooting. Having a specif- to do.”

Make it clear to any student who seems This story serves as a powerful off or isolated that resources are available ic protocol is only effective if it is learned, practiced, and known by everyone. Shel- example of how preparation can save – for example, the guidance counselors. ley Zimmerman, retired San Diego Chief lives.

Oftentimes, the power of observation, However, preparation is only empathy, and kindness can be a great deof Police, said, “You can write down the protocols, but they do no good if not half of the solution. The root cause of terrent to gun violence at schools. Armed known by everyone, practiced and fol- school shootings lies in the history the guards are one deterrent, but we all can lowed.” Chief Zimmerman highlighted shooter has with the school. Ms. Shea and should do our part. Chief Zimmerthis by telling a story about Rick Resco- said, “Most school shooters are con- man wonderfully and simply said, “It la, who, as the director of security at the nected to the community they attacked.” costs nothing to be kind.”

Morgan Stanley financial firm in the Twin Moreover, Chief Zimmerman explained

“

”

...our schools should be a place of learning...

– SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA AMERICAN CIVIL LIBERTIES UNION

OPINION ISSUE 01 01| ISSUE 02 | | ISSUE 18CULTURE 16 LOCAL & BEYOND 14 14

DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION EQUITY ANA MENDOZA

Tower 17 19 Tower Tower 1515

THE THE THE THE

HATE THE SIN... BUT LOVE THE SINNER Tennis world raises eyebrows at Jannik Sinner’s doping scandal and his unequal punishment

that was later overturned after she tested positive in May of 2022 for banned steroids nandrolone metabolites and Boldenone.

The case wasn’t overturned until more than a year later, and Moore expresses her grief for the “19 months of lost time and emotional distress.”

More recently, Simona Halep, former world number one in women’s tennis and two-time Grand Slam champion, was banned from the sport for four years for taking the substance Roxadustat at the 2022 U.S. Open; she appealed her case, and was found not guilty. At 32, a four-year ban would likely have meant the end of Halep’s career. The ITIA drafted a 126-page decision for Halep’s case, while Sinner’s case stood at a brief 33 pages.

“Special Treatment.”

“Double Standards.”

“Different rules.”

Pundits, media, and fans were outraged. This one announcement from the ITIA sparked a wildfire in the tennis community. Players of all levels, along with top tennis professionals, sports commentators, and all-time greats joined this heated debate, providing mixed viewpoints: were all of his achievements a result of cheating?

Who was the one to blame?

“Ridiculous,” Wimbledon finalist Nick Kygrios had one of the most frank comments, “Whether it was accidental or planned. You get tested twice with a banned (steroid) substance… you should be gone for 2 years. Your performance was enhanced. Massage cream…. Yeah nice.”

Photos courtesy of Canva Education

it was not until a day after Jannik Sinner had won the Cincinnati Open, on August 20th, more than five months later, that his case was revealed to the public by the Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) and International Tennis Integrity Association (ITIA): low levels of clostebol, an anabolic steroid known to enhance muscle tissue and body mass, had been found in his system.

According to the ITIA, “[Sinner] explained that the substance had entered their system as a result of contamination from a support team member, who had been applying an over-the-counter spray (available in Italy) containing clostebol to their own skin to treat a small wound. That support team member applied the spray between 5 and 13 March, during which time they also provided daily massages and sports therapy to Sinner, resulting in unknowing transdermal contamination.”

The box containing the spray, however, had the word “DOPING” in red, circled, and slashed through.

Now, what was his punishment?

Sinner was stripped of his 400 ranking points and $325,000 prize money earned from Indian Wells, and according to a press conference, he was “suspended for two, three days… But they (ITIA) accepted it very, very fast and that’s why [I carried on playing].”

In contrast, however, fellow tennis stars received much harsher penalties. For example, British doubles player Tara Moore was initially falsely given a two-year ban

Photo courtesy of Hameltion

O

n Sunday, September 8th, Arthur Ashe Stadium welcomed a young new king at the U.S. Open.

Jannik Sinner, a 23-year-old Italian star, two-time Grand Slam champion and current world number one, defeated seven players, including four seeds, to clinch another major title. With his U.S. Open title, Sinner won $3.6 million in prize money. But as confetti fell and cheers erupted, his win was shadowed by controversy: he had failed two anti-doping tests earlier a few months prior, in March.

The tennis community was left stunned, bewildered, and outraged — how could such a promising athlete, a beacon of sportsmanship, be involved in a doping scandal? Why wasn’t this case revealed to the public earlier in March? Moreover, why didn’t Sinner get punished like other tennis players in similar cases?

On March 10th, Sinner defeated Jan-Lennard Struff from Germany in straight sets — 6-3, 6-4 — on Center Court of Indian Wells. All seemed fair and well for the Italian as he breezed through the Round of 32, his effortless dominance apparent on the court.

But earlier that day, Sinner had failed an anti-doping test — unbeknownst to the fans whose unwavering support echoed in the stadium and around the world. Then he failed another test on March 18th, the day after the tournament ended.

Howe ve r,

Ivy Yang

24-time Grand Slam champion Novak Djokovic stated in a press conference, “Many players... have had similar or pretty much the same cases, where they haven’t had the same outcome… and now the question is whether it is a case of the funds — whether a player can afford to pay a significant amount of money for a law firm that would then more efficiently represent his or her case.”

Students from Bishop’s also voiced their opinions, reflecting the diverse perspectives. Luming Wang (‘27), a Girls’ Varsity Tennis player, noted the jealousy directed at Sinner for his achievements and number one status. “He also received a less severe punishment compared to others,” she mentioned, “Which might contribute to the backlash… I think people like Nick Kyrgios criticizing Sinner are not backed by evidence… A lot of the criticism seems emotional.”

In contrast, Ryan Qin (‘25), a Boys’ Varsity Tennis player, said, “While I believe that Sinner isn’t at fault for this issue, and I’m quite confident in that, the issue for me is a matter of precedent. I think if ITIA plans to set the precedent with this specific case then it’s okay, but future cases need to be handled more consistently.”

What about the ITIA? “The way [they] kept everything under the radar with Sinner was not a good look for the sport of tennis,” said Coach Matt Copland, Varsity tennis coach for Bishop’s and a United States Professional Tennis Association

“

(USPTA) Elite Professional, “I believe given his position as world number one they gave him the benefit of the doubt…

They probably this being a first time offense and his character into account… I think Jannik Sinner is an incredible tennis player with a big future ahead of him… He is very humble and every accomplishment he achieves seems to not change his outlook on life.” Luming added, “I think he’s very genuine.

He wouldn’t purposely do something bad…He’s very composed and polite on Jannik Sinner at practice ahead of the 2024 US the court, like Roger FedOpen on August 25, 2024. erer.”

Moreover, this situation had only become more complex.

On September 28, 2024, Rodriguez have raised similar questions the World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA) appealed the ITIA’s de- about integrity in sports.

The stakes in professional sports cision, seeking a suspension for the Italian player — leaving an open question mark are high; and trust within the field relies on fair and transparent rules. In a time where over the case.

However, cases like these don’t just many athletes serve as great role models happen in tennis — they occur across all and sports as inspirations, maintaining insports. For instance, the Lance Armstrong tegrity is essential not just for public trust cycling scandal and baseball’s steroid con- but for upholding the spirits of competition troversies involving Barry Bonds and Alex — honesty, perseverance, and respect.

The way [they] kept everything under the radar with Sinner was not a good look for the sport of tennis.

| ISSUE 02 06 [SECTION] | ISSUE 16 SPORTS 16

- VARSITY TENNIS COACH MATT COPLAND

17 Tower 17 Tower

THE THE

LOCKED SCREENS from the belief that phones are “just so disruptive to thought.” She added that she doesn’t believe “that you can hold attention with a ding or a buzz or a flash always happening,” and “the whole intention is that it's a notification. And so it notifies you and then your train of thought gets interrupted.”

Dr. David Moseley, a Religion and Ethics Teacher, has been taking phones at

The phone ban is meant to help students, but not just by changing external factors: the announcement email cited the Surgeon General’s advisory on the effects of phones on mental health as a reason for instituting the ban. “The data really does suggest that the more time that students — adolescents — are on their screens, their phones, their devices, the more adverse

“I just thought they would be more considerate of us as independent students.”

- Hanna Liang (‘25) would be in effect at the start of the year, banning phone use throughout the school day; and there have been mixed reactions.

The policy — created by Associate Head of School Mr. Michael Beamer, Assistant Head of School for Adolescent Learning & Development Ms. Janice Murabayashi, Assistant Head of School for Curriculum & Academics Mr. Brian Ogden, Dean of Students Ms. Michelle Shea, and Dean of Faculty Mr. Ben Heldt

the beginning of class and putting them in a holder he’s nicknamed “phone jail” since long before the phone ban. Thanks to the “phone jail,” he says he has “noticed that attentiveness and engagement increased considerably.” With the phone ban now in place, he hopes to see these effects in every classroom, not just his own.

Dr. Moseley also believes that phones negatively affect connection and community. “I taught a summer school

effects it has on their mental health and well being,” said Mr. Beamer. The National Institute of Health has published similar findings, stating that “several studies conducted among excessive cell phone users have validated the effects of problematic cell phone use, including digital stress, low self-esteem, worries and angers, loneliness, anxiety, depression and mood disorders.”

Some students sought help for their cell phone usage even before the ban,

Phones are “just so disruptive to thought.”

- Dean of Students Ms. Michelle Shea

— was designed with the goal of fostering community connection, improving student mental health, and increasing focus and productivity. Many students have been pleased with the changes, but many others complain of small inconveniences and feel their independence is limited.

Ms. Shea explained that her main reason for supporting the phone ban comes

18 COVER STORY | ISSUE 02

class last year and during the 15-minute breaks, the room was silent as all the 15 students just stared at their phones and never said a word to each other. I realize that we belong to virtual online communities, but there's no substitute for face-to-face real life interactions...and I can see more and more students losing or stunting those basic social skills.”

according to Mr. Beamer. “It's important to know that some students, as we were thinking about this on the front end, asked for some help with their own management of their device, and it was clear to us that there was a certain percentage of the population that would welcome this and they felt that if it wasn't the entire community, it would be very hard for them to curtail

Photos courtesy of Lisa Pan (‘26), Coco Kuehn (‘27), Melanie Yau (‘26), & Ivy Yang (‘28)

F

rom the moment we wake up and scroll through Instagram to when we finish texting our friends about our homework and finally go to sleep, phones seem to always be a part of our lives — but that is something Bishop’s is trying to change. On August 10th, the School sent out an email informing parents and students that a new cell phone policy

Lucy Marek

Art by Lucy Marek (‘25)

Bishop’s banned phones; what does the community think about it?

their own focus on their phone.”

As Librarian Mr. Brandon Warner, who wrote an article in the Daily Urinal supporting the phone ban, put it, “Sometimes an official rule is all it takes to help us make a private determination to do something more productive with our time.”

This ban also coincides with the passage of the Phone-Free Schools Act in late September, mandating that all public schools in California draft plans for phone restrictions by July 1, 2026, and update them every five years. The act was not the cause of the Bishop’s phone ban’s implementation, however, and Ms. Shea explained that “this has been in the mixer for a couple of years at least and it's been a big discussion amongst schools for a while.”

Despite the ban’s good intentions, teachers and students alike recognize that there are some pitfalls. Ms. Shea herself acknowledged that “one of the complications is that everything we're communicating is online. About a million years ago (because I've been here forever), I used to hand out weekly assignment sheets on a piece of paper and that's not a thing now because it's 2024.

And so all of those communications, schedules, homework, everything is online… we don’t have a great solution for that.”

Amy Yan (‘26), who describes herself as not entirely against the phone ban but definitely not in favor of it, said that the policy’s main inconveniences arise from communicating with her mom and listening to music. “If I want to quickly text someone like my mom about when and where to pick me up, it is so annoying,” she said. “Obviously it's easy to plan these things ahead of time, but traffic is super unpredictable and it's nice to have some sort of warning or communication.” She added that she doesn’t like using Spotify on a laptop because it’s “so much worse to have to leave my schoolwork to switch playlists or skip a song instead of

just pressing a few buttons on my phone.”

Another point of contention is free time. Some students believe that if they have a free period or are done with their homework, they should be allowed to do whatever they want to relax, including scrolling on their phones. Ms. Shea has a solution, but she admits not everyone will like it: “Sometimes you have to say ‘I’m just gonna stare at the wall now.’ But you have developed in an era when just sitting is not a thing, and so I imagine that's really uncomfortable.”

However, Amy argues that sitting and staring at a wall is simply not a

The phone policy was created to help students improve their focus and mental health, according to Mr. Beamer and Ms. Shea, two of the five creators of the ban.

thing she has seen people do; instead, they will always replace their phones with other screens, such as computers. “I see so many lunch tables where everybody just has computers out, and it reminds me of those cardboard barriers you put up during a test,” she said. “The huge screens are like a physical wall that divides everyone, which is arguably way worse.”

Hanna Liang (‘25), a Daily Urinal editor who has written about the phone ban,

believes that one reason the phone ban is unfair is because “it treats twelfth graders like sixth graders.” However, according to Ms. Shea and Mr. Beamer, the enforcement would be much too complicated if every grade had different rules, and this was the simplest way to ensure it affected the most people in the most positive way.

“I just thought they would be more considerate of us as independent students,” said Hanna. “That's what they raised us to be.”

However, students don’t just criticize the policy; many want to help improve it. And according to Hanna, that starts with enforcement. “Either have it and enforce it or don’t have it at all. People won’t be happy about it, but it will force them to find other ways to entertain themselves, which can be beneficial. But you have to enforce it.”

Mr. Warner added that his biggest issues with the ban “are mixed messaging about phone use at school. For instance, many assignments involve filming or audio recording at school. Often a phone is the most convenient and efficient tool for the job.”

Amy also believes that a time limit could be the most effective solution. “If someone is just on their phone for a few seconds they're clearly just checking the time or texting someone quickly. On the other hand, if they're obviously scrolling on their phone for 5 minutes during lunch, that would be when they should put it away.”

The faculty group that spearheaded the implementation of the policy plan to conduct focus groups to see how students feel after a couple months. Throughout the process they want to emphasize student voice, regardless of whether it is positive or negative. “Hanna’s DU article was really interesting,” said Ms. Shea, and she and the rest of the administration looks forward to hearing what many more students have to say.

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THE NOTEBOOK Coco Kuehn

LORD OF THE RINGS: THE FELLOWSHIP OF THE RING Ivy Yang Action and adventure, perfect for a foggy, rainy Saturday. Snuggle up in your favorite blanket and embark on a daring, dangerous, deadly quest with our hobbit (P.S. Legolas ON TOP!).

HOME ALONE 2: LOST IN NEW YORK Michelle M. Wang Even though there’s still a few more months until Christmas season officially begins, it’s never too early to watch this comedic classic.

CRAZY RICH ASIANS Stevie Turquand It is romance, humor, and glamour. The perfect airplane movie. I despise rewatching movies, but I have made an exception for Crazy Rich Asians. Must watch!

THE PRINCESS BRIDE Emma Li A childhood favorite. It has romance and is hilariously dramatic. The characters are so unserious you can’t get enough of them!

20 THE BELL | ISSUE 02

The BEST love story of all time and my favorite movie of all time. This is the perfect movie to watch whether you are happy, sad, or simply just bored.

I have probably rewatched this movie over 20 times and would definitely recommend to anyone in need of a good movie to watch!

THE GREATEST SHOWMAN Isabelle Banaie SUCH a comforting and entertaining movies. The soundtrack, characters, plot, and everything about it is so incredible. Its one of those movies you can never get sick of.

SPEAK NO EVIL Brian Kim It’s a horror flick, but it’s scary in a real way, not a supernatural way. They do a really good job making you feel uncomfortable with the music and scenes, and you feel like something is deeply wrong with the hosts throughout the entire movie. Its best to go into this one not knowing.

OCEANS 8 Maggie Hu Suspenseful, engaging, and one you’ll never want to stop watching! The plot is so intriguing, and there’s a plot twist at the end.

Definitely a must watch!

Tower 21

THE

crossword!

TOP TEN

can you solve these issue 02 clues?

HOMECOMING PROPOSALS

DOWN:

1. California bill that affects student phone usage 2. Tennis player who criticized Jannik Sinner’s doping case, calling it “ridiculous” 4. Mrs. Harvey says this organization helps support military families 5. State that has voted for the candidate that ends up winning the US presidential election in every race since 2008 8. Last name of the Former Chief Police of San Diego

1. Airplane message banner 2. Musical Serenade (bonus points if it has guitar) 3.

4.

3. Number of testimonials gathered by Ms. Woods and Ms. Cummings 6. Speaker of: “We were exploring options for a while now. It’s a challenging mixture of problems.”

7. Type of polling used for presidential polls 9. Name of Bishop’s student-led club for raising awareness about gun violence 10. Building the childcare center is located in 11. Mr. Harvey deployed here in 2008 12. What Ms. Shea suggests looking at instead of a phone 13. Substance found in Jannik Sinner’s body during anti-doping tests

Photos courtesy of @bishopshocoasks via Instagram

ACROSS:

answers in the bottom right corner of the page!

kyle’s cartoon corner!

The Jelly Cat ™ rizz

5.

6.

Food pun (you saved them a Doordash order)

An original comic strip

by Kyle Wang (‘29)

7.

Using those “Puppy Dog Eyes”

Wopo senior pics part 2

8. “Hoco?”

9. The Verbal ask 10. Over snap - “Yo do u have a

ACROSS: 3. Thirty seven 6. Mr. Kim 7. Sample size 9. Students Demand Action 10. Cuvier 11. Iraq 12. Wall 13. Clostebol DOWN: 1. Phone Free Schools Act 2. Kygrios 4. Blue Star Families 5. Pennsylvania 8. Zimmerman

22 OPINION | ISSUE 01 BELL | ISSUE 02 22 THE

date to hoco”

“I want to go to hoco a latte with you”

Tower Tower 23

THE THE