Issue 04 2020

THE

TOWER Issue 04

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 Sports, Arts, Culture, Campus, Local & Beyond, Opinion, and The Bell. The Tower prints six issues each academic year, in addition to continuous online content.

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. Due to COVID-19, Issue 02 was published online and sent out to the Bishop’s community via email. The Staff uses Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator to arrange photographs and graphics. Typefaces include Didot for the cover, headlines, and subheadings; Minion Pro is used for bylines and body text. Issue 03 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.

02 DETAILS | Issue o4

CONTRIBUTORS Editor-in-Chief Daniel White

Graphics Editor - Print Lucie Edwards Assistant Graphics Editor Kyle Berlage Online Editor Sariah Hossain Social Media Manager Maya Buckley Managing Editor Alex Cotton Copy Editors Crystal Li Clare Malhotra Staff Writers Isadora Blatt Leila Feldman Katherine Ge Lily Gover Caroline Schafer Max Stone Tate Vaccaro 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 All members of the Bishop’s community are invited to submit letters to the Editor-in-Chief by visiting our website, www.thebishopstower.com, and clicking on the ‘Submit Letter’ tab.

OUR COVER PC: Lucie Edwards (‘21)

In this issue, Sariah Hossain ('22) evalutates the English department's treatment of issues regarding diversity. The piece discusses the programs' curriculums, as well as exploring the improvements that some alumni called for earlier this year.

The cover shows a student completing an English assignment, with part of the letter from alumni written out in their notebook.

SOCIAL MEDIA Follow us!

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Website:

www.thebishopstower.com

Twitter: @thebishopstower

D I

n all my usual spirit of thinking ahead, I have spent the past few days thinking about my New Year’s resolution.

Perhaps an amendment to that would be appropriate; over the past few days, I have been thinking about New Year’s resolutions as a whole, both in the general sense and in the sense specific to me. Growing up, the concept was always a little lost on me; despite various friends, siblings, and adults sitting me down and diligently walking me through the logistics every time I voiced my confusion, I don’t think there was ever a point in my childhood where I really understood the point of New Year’s resolutions. If there’s something about yourself you want to change or improve upon, I would wonder, why not just do it when you think of it? Why wait however many months until January 1 before embarking on the journey of self-improvement? To my five, six, seven-year-old mind, the concept seemed unnecessary, backward, and—honestly?—a little bit of a cop-out.

I am now 18, and I understand New Year’s resolutions the same way I understand taxes: conceptually, I think I have a pretty solid handle on them, but in actuality, they are something I have yet to touch with a fifty-foot pole. In a way, I still see a lot of things from the same perspective as younger-me: I still think of New Year’s resolutions as a little confusing, a little unnecessary, and a little bit of a cop-out.

But there is something to be said about the spirit of positive change that this time of year can bring about, especially when these things happen on a collective basis. There is nothing more powerful than a community coming together, identifying the areas in which it could be doing better, to put it bluntly, and then improving within said regions.

As is the case with so much, I cannot help but connect these abstract musings of mine back to one of the communities I spent the majority of my time in: Bishop’s. This is a school that, over my tenure here, I have grown to love and appreciate in a way that is virtually indescribably at this point; this is also a community that I think has a lot of potential for growth.

In this issue, Sariah Hossain (‘22) looks to one such area for potential growth, taking to the cover with her article regarding diversity in the English curriculum. She calls into question the changes that have been made over the years, as well as the changes that still need to be made, too— not just with the English classes on campus, but with diversity on a whole. As far as the core message of her article goes, I could not agree more: we are all moving in the right direction, but we are by no means exactly where we should be. And while I do not think the winter holidays or the New Year should be considered the only time in which you are allowed to sit down and promise to make a change—whether it be to themselves or to their community—I think if this time of year descending upon us is the impetus you need, then by all means, use it.

An inordinate amount of stuff has taken place this year, so much that it’s hard to recap it all in just a few brief sentences. And, in the face of all that, I think it can be hard to feel as if anything any of us do can have a real impact. But I don’t think that’s the case. Any decent amount of change always starts at home, in the places we most frequently cohabit and the people we most often interact with. All it takes is the first step—the first resolution, if you will—and daunting and intimidating as that may be, I’d like to think that, in the end, it's overwhelmingly worth it.

Love,

Daniel White, Editor-in-Chief

LETTER FROM THE EDITOR | Issue 04

03

[campus]

06

Wrongful Termination?

After rumours circulated around the sudden departure of a former teacher, a recently-filed lawsuit tells the teacher's side of the story.

Kyle Berlage

Down the Rabbit Hole

08 10 Our Digital Backbone

Investigating Bentham Hall’s iconic Alice in Wonderland staircase Katherine Ge

Contents

Student and teacher opinions on the effectiveness of Blackbaud Kyle Berlage

[culture]

Snoozing & Zooming

12 14 One Imposter Remains On student sleep schedules before and after COVID-19 Caroline Schafer

On Among Us rising to popularity and connecting teens throughout the COVID-19 pandemic Clare Malhotra

[local & beyond]

16 Globe Gone Vegan

A look into how plant-based diets could potentially save our planet Tate Vaccaro

20 COVID-19 Vaccine Updates 22 A Peek into the Future A detailed look into the possibility of a COVID-vaccinated future Maya Buckley

Examining changes brought about by the pandemic and their lasting effects Crystal Li

04 CONTENTS | Issue 04

[opinion]

24

“She’s Not Like Other Girls!”

A look into the history and prevalence of the not-like-other-girls phenomenon Sariah Hossain

[reviews]

26

Punisher

30

Turn Up the Heat

32

Positions on positions

A look into Phoebe Bridgers’ sophomore album Daniel White

A review of Dave’s Hot Chicken, a recently opened restaurant in Pacific Beach Isadora Blatt Track-by-track rundown of the newly released Ariana Grande album Leila Feldman

[cover story]

36

Diversifying our Narratives

How has the English department gone about diversifying their classrooms?

Sariah Hossain

[the bell]

38

Corona-cation

Some fun ways to spice up your holiday vacation during the COVID-19 pandemic Lucie Edwards

Ten Signs It's Winter at 40 Top Bishop's

05

WRONGFUL TERMINATION?

After rumours circulated around the sudden departure of a former teacher, a recently-filed lawsuit tells the teacher's side of the story Kyle Berlage The complaint was filed and became public record on December 1, 2020. It is available at bit.ly/BishopComplaint.

This article covers a number of allegations -- claims that have not yet been proven -- against our community members.

M

r. Chad Bishop, a former En- ings, [they] deleted multiple portions tered [texts], so they knew, and know glish teacher at The Bishop’s of the communication, fundamen- full well, that Bishop and [the student] School, filed a legal complaint tally altering context and meaning” were not [texting inappropriately],” the with the Clerk of the Superior Court of to imply nudity. The former student complaint detailed. Because of this, the California in San Diego County against denied a request for comment on complaint requested a trial by jury, as the School, Head of School Mr. Ron the article and requested their name well as compensation. Mr. Bishop asked Kim, and a former student. Mr. Bish- not to be mentioned in the article. for: his old job at the school to be reinop’s employment was terminated on As these texts began to circu- stated, lost salary and benefits, removal September 17, 2019 after an incident late around social media, Mr. Bishop of the termination letter, as well as conover text involving the former student. was brought into a meeting with Mr. tent deemed “defamatory”, damages for In his complaint, he alleged wrong- Kim on September 17, 2019 in which, breach of contract, damages for defaful termination by the School and Mr. according to the complaint, “Bishop mation, damages for wrongful terminaKim, breach of tion, attorney fees contract by the and costs, puni“Bishop was informed that his position School and Mr. tive damages, and Kim, and defama- with the school was to be terminated “any further relief tion by the School, the Court deems Mr. Kim, and the .”

- alleged by the complaint. just and proper”. former student.

Mr. Kim deAccording to the clined to comment complaint filed by on aspects of the Mr. Bishop, which only includes his was informed that his position with the case, saying, “We are committed to the side of the story, the former student, school was to be terminated immedi- safety and well-being of all students who graduated last fall and was at- ately.” The complaint also said, “Bish- past and present. Out of respect for the tending university at the time, texted op had a contract with The School for privacy of our community, it is not the him on September 8, 2019, and they employment for that school year, 2019- School's practice to share specific inexchanged some back and forth texts, 2020. The termination was a direct formation about our students, alumni, when Mr. Bishop sent a meme includ- breach of his contract. There was noth- parents, staff, or faculty.” The complaint ing a Michael Myers character called ing in his contract regarding any social assigned a lot of the blame for the inci“Fat Bastard”. Mr. Bishop inaccurately, contact with adult former students. dent directly onto Mr. Kim. “The deciand from his perspective humourously, There were no written policies nor sions to terminate Bishop; to send the identified the photo as himself. The con- training regarding social contact with termination letter; and to maintain that versation reportedly finished soon after. adult former students.” The School’s termination letter as part of the records

According to the complaint Employee/Student Boundaries policy maintained by the school were all made and multiple student confirmations, has no official guidelines regarding em- by [Mr.] Kim,” the complaint alleged. the former student then posted screen- ployee conduct with former students. shots from this interaction on their The complaint continued that, private Instagram story. The complaint “Defendants The School and [Mr.] alleges, “In [the former student’s] post- Kim were furnished the original unal-

immediately

06 CAMPUS | Issue 04

The Tower contacted multiple members of the Board of Trustees. President-Elect Dr. Haeyoung Tang and Chairwoman of the Board The Rt. Rev. Susan Brown Snook declined to comment.

At the time that this article was published, no defendants had submitted any official response to the complaint, and according to the Superior Court’s Register of Actions, the first Civil Case Management Conference is scheduled for May 21, 2021 at 10:15 a.m. According to the Superior Court, defendants have thirty days from their date of being notified and being served the lawsuit to submit a response to the court, including weekends and court holidays.

According to the Superior Court’s Register of Actions, both the School and Mr. Kim were served notice on December 8, 2020.

At the time that this article was published, the former student had not been served. There may be a long time until this case has any action, but as the case has been published into the public record, more details have come to light from a situation that has been kept in the dark.

07

DOWN THE RABBIT HOLE Investigating Bentham Hall’s iconic Alice in Wonderland staircase Katherine Ge

S

wirls of murky green and blue. Grotesque frowns under restless eyes. A feeling of being watched. Almost every Bishop’s student has seen the well-known “Alice in Wonderland Staircase” on their walk up to Betham Hall’s second floor. Part of the mural’s appeal derives from its mystery—why is it there? Why is it so unsettling? Who even painted it?

At first glance, the staircase looks like something straight out of a surrealism exhibit, featuring a medley of storybook animals like Humpty Dumpty, the Mock Turtle, and the Cheshire Cat. Playing cards and multicolored fish encompass them. And ominously resting at the top is the well-known “Alice Shower,” rumored to be from Bishops’ boarding school era.

Perhaps most enchanting is the mirrored quote at the stairhead, bearing the words, “You are entering The Rabbit Hole, Bring your whimsy with you. — S.W.A.T. 20062007”. Encircling those cursive letters are question marks, but when mirrored

08 CAMPUS | Issue 04

they appear backwards.

Yet no description of the mural will truly answer the question, who painted it? The solution lies in Bentham Hall’s lengthy history. Built in 1912, it was designed by architect Irving Gill and dedicated to Bishop’s first headmistress, Anna Frances Bentham. According to Bishop’s historical highlights website, a second floor was added in 1930.

A cramped office above Betham’s porch became home to the S.W.A.T. (Student Writing Assistance Team), now called the Writing Center, in the early 2000s. The director, Mr. Steve Brown, had taken a sabbatical in 2007 and Mrs. Catherine Michaud, now director of the Writing Center, took over. “That year, [they] recruited about 40 S.W.A.T. tutors from the sophomore, juniors, and senior classes,” according to Mrs. Michaud.

The new S.W.A.T. team was unsatisfied with the stairway--with its uncanny construction and coloring--leading to their office. Students seeking writing assistance didn’t enjoy the hike upwards, so they

hardly visited. “It was such a weird hallway, we thought, we gotta do something with this,” Mrs. Michaud recalls.

One of S.W.A.T.’s lead students, Max Kaisler (2007), came forward and designed an “Alice in Wonderland” concept. The main display would be—unsurprisingly—the Alice painting. Other major characters included a posh-looking frog sporting a Victorian wig and the White Rabbit in a plaid coat.

Max also chose a quote from Alice in Wonderland to trail down the front steps. Mrs. Michaud and the other S.W.A.T. students believed it was strange; after all, the quote was so dark.

It reads, “Fury said to a mouse, that he met in the house, ‘Let us both go to law: I will prosecute you - Come, I’ll take no denial; We must have a trial: For really this morning I’ve nothing to do.’ Said the mouse to the cur, ‘Such a trial, dear Sir, with no jury or judge, would be wasting our breath.’

‘I’ll be judge, I’ll be jury,’ Said cunning old Fury: ‘I’ll try the whole cause, and condemn you to death.’” This excerpt is known as The Mouse’s Tale.

The Tower

The “Alice Shower” and mirrored quote are both familiar sights for students making their way to Bentham Hall’s second floor.

In the original typography, Lewis Carroll illustrates the words in a winding, tale-like shape, intending to convey a pun between “Tail” and “Tale”. Similarly, the words on the steps are arranged in a winding shape.

Kaisler planned the entire staircase with a close family friend of hers: Mike Tauber, a Laguna Beach artist specializing in public murals. Although Tauber had experience painting for Southern California schools, he and Kaisler deemed it fitting for the S.W.A.T.

students to finish the piece themselves.

The eerie staircase has earned its place as one of Bentham Hall’s most remarkable details. Mrs. Michaud looks back on 2007 and believes that the painting undoubtedly achieved its original purpose.

“It make[s] people think and question, and it brings a sense of whimsy and maybe even a little danger into the stairwell!”

CAMPUS | Issue 04

09

OUR DIGITAL BACKBONE Student and teacher opinions on the effectiveness of Blackbaud Kyle Berlage

E

very school day, Bishopians are she explained. “When a school uses two da Rose explained that she personally greeted with that same, familiar different platforms for enrollment and finds Blackbaud very limiting. “When I beige and maroon website, con- learning, the transfer of information is was working at different universities, I taining their assignments, schedule, cumbersome and often time-consuming.” liked the systems I worked with more,” grades, groups, and more. Blackbaud, However, because of Blackbaud’s she said. World Languages teacher Mr. also known as WhippleHill, is an Ian Hayden furthered on this essential part of the Bishop’s experspective. , “In my opinion, perience, and an even more essenit’s not so much what Blackbaud tial one of the distance learning does wrong as much as it is a program. Blackbaud coordinates problem with expecting a single homework, grades, information, platform to be able to do everyfundraising, attendance, and more. thing well, from course schedulBut with the increased use of Blacking, to school communications, baud, opinions have formed on its to assignments and grading,” effectiveness and usefulness at The Blackbaud landing page is the place where Bishopians get he said. “I think this is likeBishop’s. Learning management ly an unrealistic expectation.” information on homework, grades, conduct, and more. systems (LMS) are more crucial

Because of the issues than ever for student learning. with the Blackbaud platform, How well does Blackbaud do the job? nature as an LMS integrated with other some teachers have taken to using oth The Bishop’s IT department services, there are some limitations to er platforms in conjunction with Blacktouts Blackbaud’s ability to mesh togeth- its abilities. “There are always trade-offs baud to coordinate teaching. Dr. Rose, er many of the services Bishop’s admin- with any system,” Mr. Trumbo said. “Of- for example, has transitioned over to istration and faculty need. “Blackbaud ten integrated systems like Blackbaud Google Classroom this year., “There provides the school with an integrated have to serve the needs of many groups are some features I really like,” she exsystem that encompasses learning man- and are not able to focus on just adding plained, “but I do have to post the same agement, student information system features to the LMS, they have to make information in multiple locations, which (i.e. grades, transcripts, attendance, sure these fit within the confines of the is time-consuming.” Mr. Hayden said etc.), enrollment management, fund- integrated system.” Academic Technol- that while he does continue to use Blackraising, and business office functions,” ogy Coordinator Ms. Sara White add- baud, the assignments he posts usually said Senior Director of Educational ed to the notion of these limitations., just direct people to his class informaTechnology and Information Systems “Some faculty wish that [Blackbaud] tion hub on Google Classroom. “[GooMr. Anthony Trumbo. “So having this could do more, which I understand,” she gle Classroom] is where I organize the integrated data helps with data consis- explained. “It’s hard to find the perfect course, post assignment details, and link tency issues across the school.” Learn- tool that everyone will be happy with. out to all of the other tools I use, like Eding Resource Specialist Ms. Stephanie Teachers would like more assessment puzzle, Quizlet, and Memrise,” he said.

Ramos added to this: “Blackbaud is a options and more options with grading.” “Google Classroom is better organized, robust option for schools because it’s And some teachers have cer- more flexible, and simply better suitan expansive company with a number tainly picked up on these deficits. ed to this task than Blackbaud, which of coordinating programs and allows Though she acknowledged the benefits feels lethargic, clunky, and frustrating.” for a smooth integration of systems,” of the system, Spanish teacher Dr. Mar-

10 CAMPUS | Issue 04

The Tower

“Rather than Blackbaud having a lot of flaws, teachers need to work on making things more clear.”

As teachers use Blackbaud in different ways, some students have expressed confusion with how teachers use the platform. “I would say rather than Blackbaud having a lot of flaws, teachers need to work on making things more clear,” said Soyoon Park (‘22). Saavi Banerjee (‘22) said, “While Blackbaud offers many features, it is frustrating that teachers do not use the available options. I know that there are ways to link Turnitin or to submit Google files, yet teachers feel the need to use other programs for assignments. Some examples are Canvas or Google Classroom. When teachers use external websites, it is easier for students to miss work because they forget to check all sites.”

At Greenhill School, a comparable private school in Addison, Texas,

they felt that the switch from Instructure Canvas (an alternative LMS) to Blackbaud was necessary. Victor Le, Science and Technology Editor for Greenhill’s school publication The Evergreen, said, “Although Canvas is a useful tool for managing assignments, its weakest feature is its compatibility with other crucial programs. Canvas fails to support Greenhill’s school management system (SMS), a program that manages Greenhill’s accounting, admissions, and parent-student records” Canvas’ inflexibility when it comes to reporting grades was also something that prompted the switch to Blackbaud.

Despite the complaints about Blackbaud’s inflexibility and the resulting confusion from using external software, many teachers agree that Blackbaud is the overall right choice for

Bishop’s. “I think it’s hard to find something perfect that everyone will be happy with. For me, Blackbaud does what we need it to do as a Learning Management System,” Ms. White said. “There are other tools out there that can be used as supplemental tools for teachers that want to do something a little different, and that’s my job to help teachers find them and learn to use them.”

Blackbaud seems to be the digital backbone of Bishop’s, and even with its limitations, teachers have found ways to fully utilise online resources to teach their classes. Even with some limitations and student confusion over the integration of alternatives, it seems that Blackbaud provides a lot for Bishops and is here to stay.

CAMPUS | Issue 04

11

SNOOZING & ZOOMING On student sleep schedules before and after COVID-19 Caroline Schafer

T

he pandemic has led students to sleeping in, staying up late, forming new hobbies, wasting time, and spending time in new ways that change student sleep schedules.

The Tower sent out a survey that 176 students responded to about their sleep schedules. In the survey, 41 percent of students reported that they are sleeping less during quarantine than during a regular school year.Before the pandemic, 25% of students reported getting more than 8 hours of sleep. This is solid because the CDC says 8-10 hours of sleep is optimal for teenage years.

However, since the pandemic, only 15.7% say they’re getting over 8 hours.

Teenagers who don’t get enough sleep are less able to concentrate, experience increased anxiety levels, and depression. That 10% actually decreased their amount of sleep into the 6-8 hours range.

A shocking 72 percent of students say they feel tired during Zoom

Are you sleeping more or less hours per night than you did before quarantine due to COVID-19?

classes; in comparison, less than half feel tired during in-person learning. Students identified the driving force behind these changes as the fact that their teachers have been assigning too much work. The second biggest problem that students identified was procrastination. Students at Bishop’s are mostly sleepy over Zoom and get less sleep during this pandemic.

Some students who have found themselves with a worse sleep schedule after quarantine blame both the online situation and the amount of free time on their hands. Ali Pittal (‘21) said, “I’d say I’m not getting enough sleep as I was before COVID, just because being at home all the time makes me work a lot slower.” Gabe Quade (‘21) spoke further on this, “I think what’s most contributing to its problems is having so much time, and I’m home all the time, so I just watch movies and stay up,” he explained. He also mentioned new quarantine video games like Among Us

How many hours of sleep per night have you received since the pandemic/ quarantine started?

Which of the following habits impact your sleep schedule?

12 CULTURE | Issue 04

keep him up sometimes. “I play Among us with all my friends at night,” he reported. “We start late and it ends like, around 11:30 p.m., then I’ll chill for like two hours before going to sleep.”

Others explained that their issues with sleep predate the pandemic.

“I don’t have a healthy sleep schedule,” Victory Johnson (‘23) said “I chose that, though, because I wanted to be successful in both sports and school. I want to get As, and I want to work out everyday. I do both, so I guess I do it to myself.” Gabby Scott (‘21) shared, “It’s really hard to balance all the work for colleges: sharing all your personal info into different systems, writing and rewriting supplementals, finding resources to help with revisions, etc.

On top of that, my academics are still at a very high level, and although many of my teachers assign work past the time limit for their class, I’m still forced to do it in an attempt to keep up.”

The Tower She elaborated that at this point, she no longer enjoys sports because it just feels like it’s taking away from study and homework time, and affecting her sleep schedule.

Students who live far away from Bishop’s explained that they appreciate not having to commute and find themselves getting more sleep. One example of that is Maya Ebel (‘21). “My sleep schedule is better, I feel like I do stay up later, but I do get to sleep in, which is really nice,” she explained. “With this new schedule, I have periods 5 and 8 free, so I can sleep until 9:25 a.m. if I am pushing it every other day. So I get to sleep in and leisurely wake up. It hasn’t been necessarily consistent, but it’s been better for me.” She added on, “It’s senior year; I’m taking 5 APs, and another regular class, so I’m not getting a healthy amount of sleep. But, I’m doing better than I could be doing.” The New York Times backs this up, reporting that

How many hours of sleep did you get on a regular school night on average when there was no pandemic/quarantine?

like Maya is an example the 26% of students getting more sleep in quarantine because seniors do not attend advisory, have no commute, and better time management skills. Of course, there are others who have all this extra time, which they can’t manage since it is so uncommon to them, which actually worsens their sleep schedule because they waste more time on devices or work slower, like Gabe. While there isn’t one singular way the pandemic affects all student sleep schedules, the trend seems to be worse for most students. Let’s encourage our classmates who are struggling with procrastination and dedicate time to important things. This new amount of free time is an opportunity to be more rigorous with academic, help the community, or pick up a new hobby. There are new ways to spend your time because of the pandemic, which could be an opportunity rather than a way to waste time.

“kids at home in the pandemic were going to sleep later—57 minutes later... they were also waking up later, and the differences in wake-up times were larger: They were waking an hour and 52 minutes later.” Another New York Times article called “Some Teenagers Are Creating New Rituals in the Pandemic,” explained that students can spend more time on homework and really understand it because of shorter commutes.

Chinese teacher Ms. Esther Hsaio said, “Some of them appreciate the extra 30 minutes to an hour of sleep they get now that they don’t have to commute to school. I think for seniors, not having to have morning advisory also makes it easier for people who need to sleep in.”

It would be unrealistic to expect that every student is in the same situation during this pandemic. However, 27% of students felt sleepier over Zoom, and 9.2% of students went from getting over 8 hours of sleep to 6-8 hours. A senior

When you are attending classes on Zoom, how often do you feel tired?

When you are attending classes on campus, how often do you feel tired?

CULTURE | Issue 04

13

ONE IMPOSTER REMAINS

On Among Us rising to popularity and connecting teens throughout the COVID-19 pandemic Clare Malhotra

O

ver 100 million downloads. Four billion views on YouTube.

Twenty-four billion TikTok views.

Among Us surged into popularity throughout the last couple of months, entering mainstream media and becoming a house-hold name. Popular YouTubers such as PewDiePie, James Charles, Ninja, and Mr. Beast have made videos about the game. House Representatives Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) and Ilhan Omar even played an online Among Us stream to encourage people to vote. The game has reached a level of popularity rivaling that of Pokémon Go back in 2016. And even though Among Us just recently became popular, it was released in June of 2018 to a moderate response. So how did

the game become popular, and why have so many people, including Bishop’s students, found enjoyment in it throughout the COVID-19 pandemic?

Among Us, a multiplayer game by InnerSloth was relatively popular after its original release, hitting a million downloads in November of 2019. In the mafia-style game set on a spaceship, sky headquarters, or planet base, each player is assigned a role: crewmate or imposter.

Crewmates complete a series of tasks to repair the ship while voting suspicious users out. Imposters sneak through vents, sabotage the ship, and attempt to kill the crewmates.

In July of 2020, popular Twitch streamer Chance Morris (2.9 million followers), also known as Sodapoppin, streamed the game; in Sep-

tember, the game’s popularity soared.

Previously, the creators had been in the process of creating a sequel, Among Us 2, but they delayed work on it after seeing the popularity of the original.

On Tuesday, October 20, AOC streamed a three-hour session of the game on Twitch. At its peak, 435,000 people were viewing the stream live, making it the third most popular individual Twitch stream of all time. She obtained almost 300,000 followers in her first day on the streaming platform, surging past Senator Bernie Sanders and President Donald Trump, who already had accounts. While she continued to remind people to vote and had British streamers explain their benefits of the UK public health system, the majority of the stream focused

“A game like Among Us allows us to [connect] safely and virtually during the pandemic.”

Chinese Teacher Ms. Esther Hsiao 14 CULTURE | Issue 04

The Tower on playing Among Us. Nonetheless, Politico writer Zach Montellaro noted on Twitter “totally non-sarcastically” that “AOC’s stream with a lot of super prominent streamers is probably going to be the single largest event to reach young voters.”

Along with millions of teens across the United States and the world Bishop’s students have joined in the game. The game became popular primarily the way other trends do: social media. “I started playing Among Us after constantly seeing it on my TikTok ‘For You’ page,” explained Saavi Bannerjee (‘22). Tanvi Ghosh (‘22) said that her friends asked her to play, and agreed about its social media reach: “I saw it a lot on Instagram,” she explained. “It helps me destress.”

Among Us is more social than other games like Fortnite, for instance. It works more like a traditional in-person game like Monopoly or mafia because of the reliance on discussion, which takes place in an in-app chat.

While users can play Among Us with a group of strangers online, they can also organize a private game with friends.

The COVID-19 pandemic and quarantine have seen a surge in online gaming because of the way people can connect over online communication sites such as Zoom.

There has also been a rise in Discord servers,

including one with over 98,000 people. People use it to discuss, play, and connect through the game, and at any one moment, there are usually more than 30 Among Us games taking place through voice chats on the server.

The 13-year-old manager of the server, Benson, explained that all members of the server are between ages 13 and 20. “If [someone’s] teacher doesn’t show up to their online class, they play, it’s a way to pass the time when you don’t have anything else to do,” he explained.

“Since we can’t really congregate in a public area like the park, Among Us allows us to be online social distancing.”

Bishop’s Chinese teacher Ms. Esther Hsiao, whose advisory organized a tournament, explained, “I think it has become popular because humans are social animals, and we like to make connections with others, instead of feeling isolated. A game like Among Us allows us to do so safely and virtually during the pandemic.” The physical detachment has conversely developed a new era of global communication as nearly everyone has downloaded online programs and learned how to use them. In addition to gaming, the pandemic has seen a rise in online conferences, concerts, museum or national park tours, doctors’ appointments, fitness classes, and simply international unity and connection.

CULTURE | Issue 04

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GLOBE GONE VEGAN

A look into how plant-based diets could potentially save our planet Tate Vaccaro

I

f there is one thing that we know for certain, it’s that climate change is real, and that it’s happening right before our eyes. In the last two years alone, ocean temperatures have risen dramatically. Data from the US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) shows that the average global sea surface temperature has increased by 0.13 celsius per decade over the past 100 years. The warming of our oceans has also had detrimental effects on marine life. Since the ocean absorbs between one quarter and one third of our fossil fuel emissions, it has exhibited a 30 percent increase in acidification compared to preindustrial times, leaving our coral reefs bleached and unable to support underwater ecosystems.

In the Arctic, glaciers are melting at extraordinary rates with a projection that by 2100, our oceans will rise one to four feet, putting islands at risk as well as jeopardizing major cities such as Sydney, New York, and Mumbai. Experts have also observed a dramatic increase in extreme weather patterns all across the globe, a threat that endangers the lives of millions of people as rates of hurricanes, storms, floods, heat waves, and droughts increase. But what if there was a way every human could help slow climate change down, and that all it takes is to monitor the food we consume?

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Researchers at Oxford University found that eating a vegan diet could be the “single biggest way” to reduce the effects of climate change.

Michael Pollan, author of “Omnivore's Dilemma,” puts it simply, “eat food, not too much, mostly plants.” According to the American Association for the Advancement of Science, animal food production accounts for one-quarter to one-third of all anthropogenic greenhouse gas emissions worldwide, with the majority of those numbers largely falling on the livestock industry. In the United States, an average family of four emits more greenhouse gases as a result of the meat they eat than those emitted from driving two cars. So what does this say about meat consumption? There is a clear correlation between our dietary choices and climate change.

Clearing land for livestock as well as accounting for the mass transportation of farm animals causes widespread deforestation and air pollution. On top of that, crop fields are treated with toxic chemicals and fertilizers that contain harmful antibiotics, bacteria, pesticides, and heavy metals. These substances later decompose and release methane, ammonia, and carbon dioxide either into the atmosphere or into open lagoons as excess runoff from surrounding waterways.

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"A plant based diet is how we fight climate change."

Math Teacher Mr. Brian Gervase

“We’re raising these animals in unhealthy ways by giving them lots of antibiotics to support fast growth,” Dr. Reynolds, chemistry and science teacher, explains, “Large scale agricultural practices need to be reassessed because we are wreaking havoc on our soil and on our planet. We need to reconsider and re-evaluate how we raise food, how we eat food, and how we support the health of this planet.”

The Environmental Working Group estimates that more than 167 million pounds of pesticides are used each year to grow food for livestock in the United States. Glyphosate, the most commonly used pesticide in the world, is roughly 20 times more abundant in red meat than in plant crops. Not only are meat and poultry corporations harmful to the Earth’s soil, but destructive fishing techniques also take a toll on our oceans. “Overfishing is devastating our oceans.” Dr. Reynolds explains, “Take a bag of frozen shrimp, for example. Although a pack of jumbo shrimp may be convenient to pick up at the grocery store, many people don’t realize that those shrimp were farmed using unethical practices for cheap dollars that are causing our reefs to die.”

If everyone on Earth went vegan or adapted a plantbased diet, food emissions would drop by 70 percent. Additionally, according to a study done by researchers at Oxford University, cutting meat and dairy products from one’s diet can reduce their carbon footprint from food consumption by up to 73 percent. “Eating plants is far more efficient than eating meat.” Ms. Douglass, chemistry and environmental science teacher, explains, “50 grams of protein from beef leads to 17.7 kilograms of carbon dioxide released whereas 50 grams of protein from beans leads to 0.4 kilograms of carbon dioxide released. Eggs are 2.1 kilograms for 50 grams of protein and chicken is 2.9 kilograms.”

It is also important to consider the issue of food waste.

“An estimated 1/3 of all food in the world is wasted.” says Ms. Douglass. “Imagine all of the plants it takes to ‘grow’ a cow over its lifetime. The energy in those plants gets primarily expelled as waste energy as the cow stays alive, meaning needless energy is not only used to produce the food, but also during the anaerobic breakdown of that food in landfills.” Mitigating food waste is all the more reason to shift to a plant based diet.

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Global farmland could also be reduced by 75 percent, an area that is equivalent to the size of the United States, China, Australia, and the European Union combined. For wildlife, land previously lost to agriculture could be recovered, allowing species on the brink of extinction to thrive again.

Not only is going vegan better for the planet, but in some ways, it can be a smarter decision financially. “Eating plant based is ridiculously cheap.” says Dr. Reynolds, “I have my own garden and it’s such an easy way to grow your own produce. Half of the stuff I grow is in hydroponics which require very little space and energy. Fortunately because I live in California, my garden gives me what I need for my table all year round since it’s always sunny.”

Prioritizing a plant based diet is also a great way to support local businesses. Helena Roseman (‘21) notes the importance of buying locally grown produce. “I started eating a more plantbased diet after I began to read more about all of its wonderful benefits.” Helena explains, “I feel so lucky to live in California because we have access to all kinds of fresh, amazing produce. I buy most of my produce from the farmers market in La Jolla, so I know exactly where my food is coming from.”

Beyond its practicality benefits, eating a plant based diet has also proven to be a main contributor to a longer, healthier life. If people eliminated red meat from their diets and primarily con-

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sumed fruits and vegetables, their calorie intake would decrease, making them less susceptible to coronary heart disease, diabetes, stroke, and even some types of cancer. In fact, worldwide vegetarianism or veganism could lead to a global mortality reduction of up to 10 percent by 2050. “I personally lost about 20 pounds going vegan 8 years ago and at age 46 still get 6-12 miles of running on a soccer field every week.” Mr. Gervase, who is 100% plant based, explains, “I have never felt better. The fact that we live in San Diego makes this lifestyle very easy.”

Eating a plant based diet is not only a better decision for the wellbeing of our planet, but it also has numerous health benefits that keep us happier and healthier longer. As humans, we have a responsibility to be thoughtful about what we eat and how we harvest our food.

Dr. Reynolds summarizes this dilemma perfectly, “As the species at the top of the food chain, we call the shots on what happens to our planet and we need to treat our planet with respect. We need to eat protein thoughtfully and really consider its effects on our environment.” Mr. Gervase drives the message home, “A plant based diet is how we fight climate change.

Using crops to feed animals to feed humans is one of the most inefficient uses of Earth's resources. The day is coming that everyone will catch up with the data associated with animal protein. Our body has no use for animal protein and is only looking for clean proteins from plants.”

These are examples of a eco-friendly vegan diet.

Diets involving plants over meat contribute to a healthy Earth, and could even save the coral reefs.

LOCAL & BEYOND | Issue 04

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COVID-19 VACCINE UPDATES A detailed look into the possibility of a COVID-vaccinated future Maya Buckley

Some COVID-19 Background

COVID-19 is not the first coronavirus disease that we’ve struggled with in the past: Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) and Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) were also hugely problematic, and we can learn more about COVID-19 because of the science developed while figuring out how to treat SARS (2004?) and MERS (2008?). Although at a fundamental level they have some similarities, a vaccine never had to be developed for these other coronaviruses for a multitude of reasons. For MERS, though some cases are still being reported, its effect is nowhere near as disastrous as that of COVID-19Thus a vaccine was never delivered because of the low interest in investing in a vaccine for a disease that has produced relatively low and geographically centralized cases, especially in comparison to diseases like influenza or Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV). SARS is also similar in the sense that it was considered pointless to continue investing in a vaccine for a disease whose cases ceased to be reported in 2004. So there’s nothing to learn from these other coronaviruses, as the medical advances were never made because there was no need.

Stages of Vaccine Development There are about four stages of covid vaccine development:

Preclinical trials deal with purely animals to test the burliest basic effects of the virus; effects on the immune system or some mutation. The first phase is the safety trial, where the proposed vaccine is given to a very small group of people to see how it functions in the human immune system and to test dosage and the duration of efficacy for the vaccine.

Phase 2 expanded trials: the vaccine is given to a larger group of people, who are also sorted into specific demographics to see how/if the virus acts differently. Safety is incredibly important through all the steps which is why there is a 3 efficacy trial, which is what you may recognize from shows like Grey’s Anatomy, the most classic example of a vaccine trial. Scientists during this trial test thousands of people, giving some of them a placebo, and others the actual vaccine—which is what determines if the virus can actually test against COVID-19. Then, there’s lots of waiting to get approval from the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), with full approval expected after the limited approval period which allows for limited distribution.

The safety stage is incredibly important still; some preliminary vaccines for the related coronavirus SARS enhanced the disease in model experiments, and there’s a large chance of some COVID vaccines doing the same thing in trial test patients. Vaccines can fail in any stage of development—so the only ethical practice is to take it slow.

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Current Vaccines

There are vaccines being developed right now. That means that we are making progress towards a vaccine—and there are already antivirals available for limited distribution such as Remdesivir. The FDA allowed for emergency authorization on May 1 after a trial by the National Institutes of Health found that Remdesivir modestly reduced the time to recovery in hospitalized patients. President Donald Trump received the antiviral after he began showing symptoms in early September. According to, we can expect that by the end of this year, or early 2021, one or more vaccines will have data from thousands of healthy volunteers indicating safety, tolerability, and stimulation of an immune response that may be protective. [Boston hospital]. But that’s just the due date for some of the most preliminary of stages. But that is not enough to make a vaccine available to the public nor provide herd immunity soon by any means.

Distribution

Distribution Timeline

Finally, once we have a COVID-19 vaccine, billions of doses would need to be manufactured to provide the “herd immunity” that curbs the spread of the virus. Never has a vaccine been rolled out at such a scale, which will prove a huge challenge for modern medicine and the functions of making it available to the public will prove arduous and most likely, long.

At any point, vaccine development could be stopped, especially during the third phase for safety or ethical reasons. That slows the development exponentially. If supervisors of vaccine development note that the proposed vaccine being given to people is not working, they may pause the trial. This is because the expense afforded to vaccine trials is calculated based on how fast the virus is spreading, so a COVID vaccine is trying to be expedited and the resources spent on trying to find a vaccine are precious.

That’s just at the manufacturing level.

According to the New York Times, an agency official of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices of the Center for Disease Control (CDC) stated that in the United States, there are as many as 20 million health care workers, up to 80 million essential workers, and about 53 million people older than 65. Each of those people would need two doses of the vaccine for it to be effective.

After that, it’s up to the people to decide whether or not they even want to take a vaccine, as it won’t be mandated, and therefore will prolong the length of time it will take for us to reach herd immunity, which right now is our only option to end the COVID-19 crisis.

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A PEEK INTO THE FUTURE Examining changes brought about by the pandemic and their lasting effects Crystal Li

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n March 11 of this year, the World Health Organization (WHO) declared the novel COVID-19 outbreak a global pandemic. The news came suddenly, unleashing havoc on the lives of individuals living in different places, working different jobs, and studying in different stages.

However, despite the destruction of this hard-hitting issue, many innovative changes have brought undeniable changes that may reshape our world in the long run.

Today, the virus has been confirmed in nearly every county in the United States and virtually every nation on the planet. The connectivity within and among cities is key to “superspreading” events that increase COVID-19’s infection rate. “Given that each infected person can spread the virus to a few other people, it’s easy to see how a gathering or event can end in one or two people becoming sick,” explained Dr. Wesley Long, the director of diagnostic microbiology at Houston Methodist.

The approach of street cleaning, hospitals, water drainage systems, garbage disposal systems, and developed public health systems all emerge from acknowledgments to previous illness outbreaks.

Now, urban administrators are restructuring communal locations to feature more green areas, open-air recreation spaces, and pedestrian zones. And because of how the coronavirus spreads through close contact from per-

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son to person, open spaces are often the subjects of these changes.

For example, while public transportation usage has noticeably fallen throughout the months, cities like New York have started to expand bike lanes and reduce vehicle traffic. “The open streets are going to be another way we help encourage social distancing because the warmer weather tells us we’re going to have a new challenge,” Mayor Bill de Blasio said at a press conference. In April, he explained in ac-

“COVID-19 has started a new era on multiple fronts.”

James Hou (‘23)

cordance with the New York City Council that they would open up at least 40 miles of streets in May, with the final goal of 100 miles in the near future. Again, through the pandemic, the vulnerability of high-density populations is more accepted. After COVID-19, people, in general, will be more aware of packed locations, crowded restaurants, densely populated stadiums, and busy workspaces.

Current events have not only accelerated the adoption of online learning, they have also directed academic institutions firmly on an enduring path. Even though in-person learning un-

doubtedly has some unique advantages, online learning offers multiple key benefits that traditional on-campus education cannot match. One huge aspect of the online school format that receives praise is its convenience and flexibility. For some learners, this aspect may just be an added bonus.

However, for many, like international students, this is a life-changing experience. “I did not expect high school to start this way,” said Andy Jiang, a freshman going to an East Coast Boarding School.

“Since it happened this way, I’ve come to appreciate a lot of the elements from my life in Shanghai.” Of course, being on campus for school may make learning easier, but students are glad that they were offered an alternative.

Hally Wu, a sophomore at La Jolla Country Day explained: “I like the distance learning experience more since I have time to physically hang out with my family in China.” She continued, “We did not live in the same country previously.” For Sofia Roberts (‘22), the option of online school came as a nice surprise. “If there hadn’t been this choice, I definitely would have not been able to stay with my family during this pandemic,” she said. “Although it may be easier going to in-person school, I realized the importance of being appreciative when things like this happen.” When asked about the downsides of living in Shanghai while going

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For this problem, some schools go as far as devising measures specific to their international students. “In my case, a normal school day now is quite similar to how it would be if I attended in-person school in America,” explained Richard Wu, a sophomore at the Webb Schools in Claremont, California. “My school has a lot of students in Asian time zones, so the teachers hold live classes during our morning and afternoon (their night).” This way, the act of going to school is as accommodating and flexible as possible—opening the doors to a new era for educational accessibilities.

Both surprisingly and unsurprisingly, it takes, on average, 12 years for an experimental drug to progress from bench to market.

Other new technologies and methodologies in healthcare may also take years and several millions or billions of dollars before they are ready for public use normally.

What if the world is not normal?

It seems that during these unpredictable times, one thing is clear: global collaboration converging on a pressing dilemma is invaluable in advancing healthcare innovation at a never-seen-before speed. Solutions to help cope with COVID-19 have been produced at an extraordinary pace, with the added bonus of being relatively inexpensive to implement.

An example of a practical solution to a real-world problem comes from a 13-year-old who cre

More frequent acts of medical prevention and mask-wearing are both likely parts of our future. ated 3D-printed “ear guards” for hospital staff to help alleviate the pain caused by wearing face masks for too long. Others have developed 3D-printed face shields and 3D-printed ventilator valves for dealing with COVID-19. At the start of May, Bishop’s Robotics Team saw a shortage in personal protective equipments (PPE) and was motivated to apply their expertise in 3D printing to provide the frontline workers with protection. “As a member, I was tasked with printing and putting together face shield parts such as clips and frames,” explained James

Hou (‘23). “Through collaboration we were able to produce over 1000 face shields as a team!” They had mailed these faceshields along with other PPE and thank-you letters to our healthcare providers.

“I believe that we will learn a lot from this experience and grow to be more prepared,” James said.

“COVID-19 has started a new era on multiple fronts.” Undoubtedly, the damage brought by the pandemic is unprecedented. However, innovations and positive changes are taking place. With the pace of advancements currently, it is safe to say that at least some of these adjustments may be long-term.

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“SHE’S NOT LIKE OTHER GIRLS!” A look into the history and prevalence of the not-like-other-girls phenomenon Sariah Hossain

“N

ot like other girls” is a popular and pervasive phrase, spanning the internet from Twitter to Tumblr to Tiktok, and today we’re going to unpack it. It refers to a girl having traits or habits that diverge from the common or expected depiction of femininity that most other girls contribute to. It’s become engrained in the minds of many a teenage girl, manifesting as jokes or judgements. Is it harmful, or just funny?

Where did it come from, and why is it here?

The easiest answer to that last question seems to be “internalized misogyny,” or uconscious bias women hold against other women.

Internalized misogyny has become something of a buzzword within today’s culture of political correctness, but it feels relevant and appropriate in this case. Before the woke era, telling someone they “throw like a girl” or “sing like a girl” as an insult was commonplace. Perhaps in different circles of the internet than mine, it still is. In any event, “__ like a girl” jabs say, painfully clearly, that doing something ‘like a girl’ is bad. It’s not hard to see, then, where the tendency to want to distance oneself from other girls springs up.

In the past half-decade or so on the Internet, this sentiment has taken on a number of forms. It began with “me versus other girls” drawings like those to the right, and as hard as it is to believe now, they weren’t ironic at the time. The “not-like-other-girls” character here was low-maintenance, not particularly involved with fashion or being trendy, and interested in what they saw to be more highbrow than disco music–which, of course, must be Oasis. This first iteration of not-like-othergirls memes were dependent on putting down what was seen as mainstream, a sentiment that never really went away. But more on that later.

It didn’t take long for the internet to become aware of how ridiculous these memes were, and eventually, the in-style thing to do became to make fun of them. The subreddit r/notlikeothergirls, which was created in 2014, is devoted to this pastime. There, users post not-like-other-girls memes that are now seen as cringey, often discussing what makes them hypocritical or amusing.

One of the more recent iterations of the

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not-like-other-girls girl takes the form of a character widely popularized by 19-year-old YouTube vlogger Emma Chamberlain. When she rose to stardom, Chamberlain’s videos didn’t involve pre-written scripts or skits—rather, she recorded her life and personality just as they authentically existed, and, evidently, she resonated with people.

Her subscriber count grew wildly in the summer of 2018, gaining nearly a million subscribers within the span of three months. The count has risen to more than 9 million since then. Chamberlain was the first big YouTuber of her time to make the style of uncomplicated, approachable videos–already making her different from the other girls. Combining this relatability with her self-deprecating humor and ahead-of-the-trends fashion made her the blueprint for what we’ll call the quirky girl. As Urban Dictionary describes her, the quirky girl “dresses like Emma Chamberlain” and “can be seen wearing Doc Martens, scrunchies, and long sleeve striped shirts. Most likely will be drinking iced coffee and

The Tower always have Carmex [lip balm].” This kind of persona, once truly quirky as its dictionary definition (“unusual in an interesting way”), soon became quite popular and mainstream. And, of course, the enemy of the not-like-other-girls [persona] is–shudder–being basic.

T h i s frowned-upon quality of being basic goes back to one of the foundations of not-like-other-girls culture: the conventional version of femininity, or even just the one most popular at the time, is apparently inherently bad. This seems to be the pattern of trends, doesn’t it? Someone does something other than the mainstream, and is made fun of for a short while until others realize they want to feel different too. Then whatever was mainstream becomes abhorrent, the masses pick up the thing that was different to begin with, and if everyone is different aren’t we all the same?

The cycle repeats from there. But, whichever way you twist it and whichever stage of the cycle we’re in, there’s always someone criticizing someone else. “The trend causes this unnecessary discrimination where the ‘regular girls’ looks down upon the girls who break out of the pre-es-

tablished stereotype,” said Tanvi Ghosh (‘22).

And, conversely, the girls who break out of the stereotype look down on the stereotype itself.

The emergence of the social media app TikTok created a new platform for these behaviors. TikTok is interesting, though, because it seems that the cycle is sped up there—within the last six months alone, about three iterations of the not-like-other-girls girl have come and gone. The first was the girl who would rather play mermaids at the beach/pool than tan, and the second was the “bruh” girl as opposed to the “hiii/hi girly” girl, both of which were essentially reincarnations of the same “different from the rest” girl. The last took the form of a binary of sorts on the app itself where users— most often female users—proclaimed themselves to be on “straight TikTok” or “alt (alternative) TikTok”: again, another label for the same divisive phenomenon. And, as we’ve learned these things go, it was en vogue to make fun of the girls who subscribed to the not-like-othergirls mentality until everyone started doing it, and suddenly we’re back to where we started.

So, how does one escape this vicious cycle? Honestly, I don’t think that we can. The recurrence of the behaviors we’ve looked through above just brings us back to the idea that society often tells women, both directly and indirectly, to dislike women and effeminate things. Simultaneously, it tells us to dislike women who do traditionally masculine things, leaving us confused about most everything other than this: in some form or another, women will be shot down for doing anything, mainstream or individual.

Teenage girls have also always been especially privy to society’s scorn—they, as a group, hold so little cultural capital (coolness points, essentially, or taste) in the eyes of society. Whatever they do, some part of it will be made fun of en mass, and dismantling the patriarchy is a much larger task than we’re able to do in the span of one article. But hey, maybe next week.

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PUNISHER

A look into Phoebe Bridgers’ sophomore album Daniel White

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t’s generally a widely accepted fact that 2020 has been the year of surprises, a good number of them not so enjoyable. So it was a breath of fresh air for many to have a surprise more on the welcome end of things when, after three years of touring, writing, and waiting, indie-rock artist and rising star Phoebe Bridgers dropped her sophomore album in July: Punisher.

Though Punisher dropped this summer, its origins have been in the works for years now, with some tracks from before the release of her first album, Stranger in the Alps in 2017. The ties between the two albums are clear; they have the same musical feel about them: folky, acoustic-heavy, almost wistful tracks spanning the majority of the record. Described as virtually everything on the musical spec-

trum from emo-folk to indy-rock, one thing stands out as a constant in Bridgers’ work: her musicality is much the same, drawing on everything from indie rock band Bright Eyes to musician Elliot Smith.

The influence is one point of continuity between Stranger in the Alps and Punisher; another is something Bridgers has become almost notorious for: her habit of collaboration. External projects aside—in the years between her freshman and sophomore album, Bridgers started not one but two large-scale collaborative projects: the album Better Oblivion Community Center with Conner Oberst of Bright Eyes and boygenius alongside indie legends Lucy Dacus and Julien Baker.

There is still som new containe eleven tracks. Th progression, regr overwhelming f confronted w 26 REVIEWS | Issue 04

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It feels at times that both of Bridgers’ albums feature outside contributions as much as they feature her own. This is especially true with Punisher: the record features musical contributions from Oberst, Baker, and Dacus, and even her tour manager, Jeroen Vrijhoef.

Bridgers is a self-admitted collaborator at heart—“It’s very uncertain when I’m by myself,” she explained in an interview with National Public Radio (NPR). “I feel like this with my personality, too, where I don’t quite feel like a person unless I’m performing myself for someone a little bit.”

She is also a self-admitted stealer when it comes to music, although that, she says, is not always a bad thing. “Like they say,” she advised on NPR, “Steal from as many sources as possible. I think that’s

what’s beautiful about music, everybody stealing from each other.”

Perhaps that statement could be condensed even further: within all her musical projects, including and even especially Punisher: Bridgers is self-admitted.

On Stranger in the Alps, she sings about her abusive relationship with infamous singer-songwriter Ryan Adams, survivor’s guilt following the death of a close friend, and, as she put it bluntly at her NPR Tiny Desk Concert, murder. And her tendency towards brutal lyrical honesty is only a greater centerpiece to Punisher.

mething painfully ed within the here is a sense of ression, and the feeling of being with change.

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This is perhaps the point at which, musical similarities aside, Stranger in the Alps and Punish diverge from one another the er most. While Stranger in the Alps contains no small amount of witty, painful, and sometimes deeply uncomfortable transparency, Punisher pushes the benchmark even further. Bridgers’ quips and rejoinders—an aspect of her lyricism that has cemented her somewhat sardonic persona since her rise to fame in 2015—have only grown more brutal on this record.

From the bitterly self-directed track “Savior Complex” (“I’m a bad liar/With a savior complex”), to the blunt “Chinese Satellite” (“You said I would never be your vegetable”) to the specific breed of uncomfortably witty “Kyoto” holds (“I’m going to kill you/If you don’t beat me to it”), her honesty seemingly knows no bounds on Punisher. Much of this comes from her tendency to “trick [herself] into telling the truth,” as she put it in an interview with The New Yorker back in May. “Sometimes I’ll write a song, and I’ll be, like, oh, I don’t actually feel this way, but it’s a good line,” she explained.

“But in retrospect, that’s exactly

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how I felt, and how I feel. I had so much to get over, and there was so much heartbreak surrounding that situation. I was telling the truth.”

No song better exemplifies this notion than the title track, “Punisher.” Written about her would-be relationship with the late musician Elliot Smith, ”Punisher” is a glaring look into depression, fame—from both the giving and receiving end—and what it means to meet your heroes. “What if I told you/I feel like I know you,” she sings in the chorus, a haunting refrain that drives this strange liminal space she finds herself existing within home, “But we never met?”

But while Punisher is about brutal honesty, it is also about another key theme: recovery. This is a theme that comes into stark contrast with Bridgers’ first album.

“The first record is about trauma,” she explained in an interview with Stereogum, “and this record is about how even though I have the life I asked for and supportive friends, and everything I want, and I’m very lucky, the tools I used to deal with the trauma while it was happening are really holding me back from being able to truly enjoy the things in my life.”

A photo of Punisher, complete wit ed to Bridgers’ Instagram following pushing the record until things go think they should,” read her caption police. Hope

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For Bridgers, the difference between the two albums represents a lot of personal growth on her part. She references the track “Kyoto” here specifically, one that, among other things, addresses the fraught relationship she has with her father. “[Punisher] kind of feels like a graduation, but I feel like I’m trying to be self-aware about my resentments. I feel like I have strong opinions weakly held.

So that’s what “Kyoto” is about,” she explained to NPR, drawing specific contrast between “Kyoto” and an unnamed track on Stranger in the Alps that handles a similar subject matter. “There’s a lot of just straight-up hatred and resentment on the first record—about all kinds of people,” she elaborated, “and then on this record, I’m exploring just how quickly that all goes away with a little bit of examination.”But beyond any stylistic or musical entrapments, Punish-

er is a record that shows Bridgers’ potential for onward progression.

Though Bridgers herself is the first to acknowledge there is no fundamental change between Punisher and her first record—“There’s nothing avant-garde about it,” she told NPR—there is still something painfully new contained within the eleven tracks. There is a sense of progression, regression, and the overwhelming feeling of being confronted with change. And tenuous as it may be, buried under the gratuitous references to failing relationships of “Halloween” and the bittersweet breakups of “ICU,” there is also a sense of hope, as ever-sardonic as it may be. “Either way, we’re not alone/ I’ll find a new place to be from,” Bridgers sings on the album’s closer, the gut-punching, genre-mashing “I Know the End,” “No, I’m not afraid to disappear/The billboard says ‘The End is Near.’”

th the vinyl-exclusive sleeve, postg the release of the album. “I’m not o back to “normal” because I don’t n. “Here it is a little early. Abolish the e you like it.”

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TURN UP THE HEAT

A review of Dave’s Hot Chicken, a recently opened restaurant in Pacific Beach Isadora Blatt

Stickers like the one above are distributed every six feet on the sidewalk in front of the restaurant, showing their clear effort to maintain safety measures during the pandemic.

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n an effort to go out less during quarantine, my family and I have tried takeout from many new restaurants. One of our most successful discoveries is Dave’s Hot Chicken, a popular and fairly new joint in Pacific Beach. With its unusually simple menu and mouth-watering fried chicken, any non-vegetarian is bound to be immediately hooked.

Ordinarily, the line for Dave’s Hot Chicken snakes around the block, but the restaurant has shifted to online orders and takeout because of the pandemic. The menu is very simple, but for the limited options that they have, they do get it right.

The fried chicken is perfectly cooked, so that each piece is tender all the way through. It is great quality meat, prepared in a special brine and deep-fried for that perfectly thick, crispy outer layer.

The chicken comes in seven different spice levels. No spice is always a safe option, and “lite/ mild” has just a bit of heat, as the name suggests. Mild is already fairly spicy, possibly the equivalent to a bag of Hot Cheetos. The medium level seems to have a slightly different level of heat depending on the day you get it. I would say that I have a pretty fair spice tolerance, but the medium level is almost too hot for me. It is hard to finish one whole piece—it definitely makes your nose run and your forehead sweat, but in a good way, with its robust, savory

flavor that is a

Another l sider “hot” to be edible. Some spi would surely dis the “hot” level I the chicken anym level is called th require customers before ordering say enough abou

The boxes pieces of chicken order as the sam ent spice levels. alternative to get a slider, which si slaw and a bun to box also include is a choice of fr slaw, or mac ‘n Hot Chicken’s fr ly, some of the b They are crinklecrispy, with a del soning that I can

The mac ‘ ciously basic, bear to Kraft mac ‘n’ ch sic tubes and yell

The coles green and purple c ly basic and off crunch for when y fire from the hot they throw in pi of plain white bre creamy signature Thousand Island, fectly with the ch

After mu tion, I have settle

almost addictive. level up: I cone pretty much inicy food fanatics sagree, but with I can’t even taste more. The highest he “reaper.” They s to sign a waiver it, which should ut its heat level. s come with two n, which you can me or two differThere is also an t the chicken in imply adds coleo the order. One es a side, which rench fries, colen’ cheese. Dave’s ries are, honestest I’ve ever had.

-cut and perfectly licious cajun sean’t get enough of. ‘n’ cheese is deliring a resemblance heese with its claslow-orange color. slaw, a mix of cabbage, is equalffers a refreshing your mouth is on t chicken. Finally, ickles, two slices ead, and a sweet, e sauce similar to , which goes perhicken and fries. uch experimentaed on my favorite

The Tower order: one medium and one nospice with a side of fries. Having a balance of the spice levels makes it easier for me to eat, since the medium is delicious but can be difficult to finish, and the no-spice is reliably finger-licking good.

I usually have the no-spice one with the signature sauce, and the medium with the slices of bread.

As far as my experience goes, the service is perfectly fine.

They have messed up our takeout orders a couple of times in the past, but only for little things like switching the sides. Somehow, the food manages to not get soggy in the takeout boxes, which is a huge plus, since no one likes soggy fries.

Dave’s Hot Chicken is a great alternative to Chick-fil-A, since many people are no longer supporting them for ethical reasons. An article on Vox states, “the Chick-fil-A Foundation donated more than $1.8 million to three groups with a history of anti-LGBTQ discrimination in 2017”. So next time you’re craving some *unproblematic* fried chicken, be sure to visit Dave’s, and you won’t be disappointed.

The Dave’s Hot Chicken location in Pacific Beach is currently open for takeout only.

REVIEWS | Issue 04

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POSITIONS ON POSITIONS Track-by-track rundown of the newly released Ariana Grande album Leila Feldman

S

he’s that one singer with the high ponytail, messy dating history, 100 million dollar net worth, now six produced and released albums —she’s Ariana Grande.

On October 14, Grande took to Twitter to foreshadow her new project. “I can’t wait to give up my album this month,” she tweeted. To put it mildly, members of her global fandom—known as Arianators— nearly fainted. As promised, 16 days later, the album positions dropped.

Positions

The first song she released is her single, Positions, released on October 23 but it was track 13 on the album.

Positions focuses on more mature parts of life that Grande has used rap artists like Nikki Minaj or Iggy Azalea—to convey. This song broke that stereotype and precedence of her songwriting nature via the music video in particular. Which featured Grande as the President of the United States—a direct criticism of the current political situation.

Grande has been very vocal about her political beliefs: she’s shown up to multiple Black Lives Matter rallies, endorsed Joe Biden, fought for women around the world, and raised awareness on issues of social justice throughout her career. shut up

Her first track is titled shut up. The song is about blocking out the horrific events she has suffered since entering the public eye and Hollywood; the terrorist attack in 2017 at her Manchester concert, the overdose and death of her ex-boyfriend Mac Miller, calling off her engagement to Saturday Night Live star Pete Davidson, and just the daily hate, threats, and mental damage that occur to someone in the spotlight. The lyrics go “demons helped me see s**t differently/So don’t be sad for me”—in her eyes, everything she’s experienced has been an opportunity to learn.

32 REVIEWS | Issue 04

positions is Grande’s most risqué albu

um, and its cover art is no exception.

The Tower

motive

Everything has a motive, including Grande’s third track with fellow musician Doja Cat called—you guessed it, motive. Motive follows a very ‘Ariana’ high-energy repetition of lyrics; “what’s your motive?” is repeated consistently through the whole song. It slows, and then quickly picks back up, and finally Doja is handed the baton for her verse. just like magic

Poof! I know, just like magic, right? Track 04 at a perfect 2:30 seconds, is just like magic. The track is focused in part on Grande’s late boyfriend, Mac Miller. Since his passing, Miller has been a constant theme in Grande’s work. Grande’s first song where she flaunted money was “7 rings,” but just like magic also contains several lyrics that reference her immense wealth and success, including “Say it’s tricky at the top, gotta keep a slim ego for a/thick wallet.” It talks about how even with the unimaginable success and wealth she has accomplished that doesn’t necessarily mean happiness. Happiness comes from those around us, not the things we possess. off the table

off the table is the fifth track of the album and the second collaboration of the album, featuring singer The Weeknd. In it, Grande sings about how she only wanted one person, and now that that person is gone, asks: “is love completely off the table?” The song provides simple melodies to sing along too, and not your typical too-quick-to-catch rap beat. The idea circles back to the question: when you lose something you love, does that mean that you can’t love something of that nature again?

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The Tower six thirty

Track six, titled six thirty, has a soft melody, primarily discussing what Grande wants in both her current and future relationships. An Explicit manner is in the beginning of the song and then scopes into exactly what she’s looking for in a relationship. Her soft tone is challenging to understand at times, but the lyrics and tone are believed to directly tie into how she wants her next relationship to be—discrete and intimate. safety net

safety net (ft Ty Dolla $ign), the seventh track on the album, is one of the few songs loved by both men and women, as Ty Dola $ign is a popular (male targeted) rapper and Grande is a sensational (female targeted) singer. It is also incredibly relatable to anyone who has had several disappointing relationships—it’s heart-wrenching when you listen to the lyrics the chorus sings, “tripping, falling with no safety net/is it real this time or is it in my head,” but a party song if you just jump and listen to the melody. my hair

Grande is known for her high-ponytail, and track 08 is a reference to that, afterall it’s called my hair. Grande’s classic R&B voice and consistent saxophone tones and soft hand-snaps from start to finish. She sings about the prized elements of her life one of which is her hair—she uses that to show how something so public can have a long deep backstory. nasty

nasty (track 09) is, well, nasty—think nasty gal (the new hip clothing shop), not nasty broccoli. It contains a few lines that are a little mature. In 2014, writer John Caramica for the New York Times wrote she “has been on a quiet campaign to rewrite the expectations of young female pop star representation, generally avoiding hypersexuality.” Well, this song proved him very wrong. The song starts with a mischievous giggle and then she says “this b**** gonna make me …” and then well, you would have to listen closely to find out.

34 REVIEWS | Issue 04

The Tower

west side

west side is Grande’s 11th track but analyzers such as genius lyrics, can’t quite tell if it’s a reference to West Side Story, (a movie about two young forbidden lovers), or Upper West Side Manhattan where Grande bought an apartment and lived with her ex-fiance, Pete Davidson. She uses the song to reiterate the fact she’s done with not serious relationships via the metaphor “Tell ‘em you closing the door” as well as talking about how the light in her life is coming. love language

Love languages to pay attention to when looking for a new partner; Grande named her 12th track after it. Her love language remains untold to the listener, but she does talk about the importance of knowing the love language of a partner. This song intros with a 50s style melody but doesn’t talk about topics that were widely talked about in the 50s. obvious

It’s not obvious that Grande’s 13th track would be titled obvious, but now it’s all so obvious. Using the title, she states that the basic necessities in a relationship should be obvious, not something you have to ask for. She hit multiple challenging high notes in a fast spoken song, but it comes back to the idea that her hopes shouldn’t have to be “spelled out” rather than when she’s dating you: “there’s no price on her loyalty,” she sings. pov

Some critics and fans have labeled the final song of the album, pov, as some of Grande’s best work. Her song begins with a calming electronic dance music (EDM) stylized beat directly into her impressive vocal capabilities. As well as mentioned that she wants her new boyfriend—Dalton Gomez, (as of February of this year)—to love her through it all and to have trust and stability in this relationship.

She wants to see herself from “your point of view.” Use this final song to forget about the past and look to the future.

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DIVERSIFYING OUR NARRATIVE

“

How has the English department gone about diversifying their classrooms?

Sariah Hossain

36 COVER STORY | Issue 04

“

AS CONCERNED ALUMNI, WE WANT TO ENSURE THAT [BISHOP’S] RESPONSIBLY STEWARDS ITS DUTY TO EDUCATE ITS STUDENTS WITH AN EMPHASIS ON EQUITY, INCLUSIVENESS, AND ANTI-RACISM.

The Tower On June 4, 2020, a letter arrived at the Bishop’s School addressed to Head of School Mr. Ron Kim and Assistant Head of School Mr. Michael Beamer, co-signed by over 150 of the School’s alumni ranging from graduates of the class of 1992 to 2020. “As concerned alumni, we want to ensure that [Bishop’s] responsibly stewards its duty to educate its students with an emphasis on equity, inclusiveness, and anti-racism,” the opening paragraph of the letter read. It went on to address a number of action items desired of the School, including that coursework be included that centers on non-Eurocentric narratives and that classes, particularly Harkness-based ones, be conducted with a “critical, anti-bias lens.”

T

he letter called for change in Bishop’s approach to diversity, a term so broad that it feels difficult to address all its avenues at once. This is a discussion that begins with the administration but trickles down to each department, each class, and each member of the School’s community. With that in mind, an action item the letter described was incorporating diverse texts into the English class curriculum.

The million-dollar question: is Bishop’s doing that now?

When imagining a typical high school English class, perhaps the one shown in movies or on TV, the texts that immediately come to mind can fall under what we call the classics: Shakespeare, Chaucer, Fitzgerald, the like.

This is what the Bishop’s curriculum was built on in years past, focusing on giving students a strong foundation in the most prominent texts of the Western canon. More recently, according to English teacher Ms. Catherine Michaud, Bishop’s teachers have approached their reading lists with two intentions: to maintain literary value and to expose students to voices important for them to hear.

Where and how to include diverse texts in both middle and upper school English curricula has been a topic of discussion for years.

“It’s always been on the ra-

dar,” Ms. Michaud said, “but probably in the last 10-15 years in particular we have actually made changes to the curriculum to better reflect the diversity of voices that are in the literary sphere.”

Each of these changes has been driven by the teachers themselves. For the sake of standardization, a team creates the curriculum for ninth and tenth grade English classes, English I: The Writing Process and English II: Genre Studies. In 11th and 12th grade classes, teachers have a level of autonomy in choosing the texts for their elective classes independent of other teachers teaching the same class. English teacher Ms. Amy Allen, like many of her colleagues, took this as a pathway of bringing more diverse texts into her elective courses like Creative Non-Fiction, which was “a wonderful space to make very diverse.” Other classes, like the English 3/4 Shakespeare elective, might be more difficult in that regard.

Certain classes, then, inherently lend themselves better to a more diverse reading list, but that isn’t to say that every class can’t do it. “If you had to teach Shakespeare, you still could bring some interesting angles into it,” Ms. Allen said. “Your primary texts are by a white male, and I don’t think that’s a problem so long

as you can create diversity in the view—doing a gender critique or critiquing race and picking works that allow you more space there. It’s always possible, and when it doesn’t happen, to me, that’s a shame, because I think it could.”

Still, there’s a difficult line to maintain in making these decisions. “We don’t want to lose a foundational part of literature while we are bringing in new literary voices into the fold,” explained Ms. Michaud. “The conversation now is of how we get the best balance so that all students going through Bishop’s have a really great breadth of experience not only with difficult texts but also with texts that come from a variety of voices and backgrounds.”

It is always a powerful experience to see one’s own experience on the page, to find relatability in a character’s story—to be seen. It’s an experience that should be afforded to each student.

On the other hand, it’s an equally enriching experience to discuss and understand literature about an experience different from one’s own‚—to, in turn, see others.

Kim Parker, the co-founder of the organization #DisruptTexts, spoke on this to the Harvard Graduate School of Education.“For people who are not white, able-bodied, cis-gendered, to see ourselves reflected in

books in these powerful ways matters,” she said. “For many of us working in classrooms where most of our children are children of color, if not all, those books matter. For those of us who are in those situations, then we're very much about ‘it's time,’ ‘it's overdue,’ ‘it's been overdue,’ and that the more that we say these books are here, they’re quality ... all children deserve. Then that changes the narrative.”

At Bishop’s, that narrative has progressed and will progress still. There’s something to be said that so many Bishop’s graduates felt a lack of or a negligent approach to culturally relevant texts during their time at the school, but initiatives like Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) enrichments are direct steps toward progress. As it stands today, the Bishop’s website’s Mission page displays a Statement of Diversity and Inclusion that outlines the intention to “honor and embrace diverse identities...Because diversity enriches the exchange of ideas.” And at a school, everything comes back to the classroom. As Leanna Lupin (‘12), co-author of that fateful alumni letter, wrote, “This is a push to shift even further in the direction that I know Bishop’s has begun to go, and the beginning, hopefully, of an ongoing conversation.”

COVER STORY | Issue 04

37

CORONA-CATION

Some fun ways to spice up your holiday vacation during the COVID-19 pandemic Lucie Edwards

W

ith COVID-19 still calling for heightened safety measures to be put in place, this fall and winter season will look different than in previous years. While the most physically healthy thing to do is to quarantine completely, it is also important to stay mentally healthy, leaving the house and socializing in safe ways. Here are some ideas for how to have a fun, festive, and safe holiday season!

Outdoor Activities

Outdoor gatherings are much safer than indoor ones. A fun and safe way to see your friends and family while following social distancing and mask-wearing guidelines is to go on hikes, bike rides, or even trail rides on horseback together. According to the National Park Service, which is the agency of the federal government responsible for national parks and historical monuments, spending time in nature is good for your mental health, no matter how tempting it might be to stay cozy and warm inside.

you should just consider other room and board options instead. Platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo allow for people to find vacation rentals practically anywhere and at practically any price point. These accommodations require little to no interaction with other tourists, so they are a better option during the pandemic.

Another common health concern with vacations is the danger of air travel. While there is definitely a chance of contracting COVID-19 on an airplane, it may be safer than it is commonly considered to be, according to MIT Medical. However, if you are still Baking hesitant to fly, going on staycations, vacations where

A big part of the holidays is spending time with you stay relatively close to home, is a great option. family. Luckily, many of the classic family activities have not been severely affected by COVID-19. Baking is a Holiday Shopping great holiday activity: baked goods have many stereo- Shopping for holiday gifts is a famously hectic typically festive flavors, such as cinnamon, nutmeg, and experience, as malls are bustling with people around chocolate. Plus, baking has the added benefit of mak- that time of year. With COVID-19 still prominent as ing your kitchen warm and your house smell good. You ever, avoiding crowded areas is an important part of can choose recipes for any skill level: perhaps start with staying safe this season. Luckily, pandemic closures cookies and move to pies and breads. Win-win-win! have made websites a bigger focus for companies, meaning that they are easier and much more conveModified Vacations nient to navigate. A fun, lower exposure way to mimic

Vacations bring with them many things that the holiday shopping experience is to put on some muput travelers at a higher risk for COVID-19. Accord- sic, light a candle with a name like Winter Candy Aping to Business Insider, a publication that focuses on ple or Marshmallow Fireside—both real scents, by the financial and business-related news, the nature of ho- way—and do your holiday shopping from a distance! tels makes them not well suited to adapt to pandemics.

However, this is not to say you can’t go out of town—

A COVID-19 holiday is uncharted territory for all of us, so it’s vital to take the necessary precautions when planning your seasonal activities. While many of the stereotypical holiday activities have been deemed unsafe because of the traditional overcrowding of shops and close interactions with others, with a little creativity, you can make this holiday season just as magical as always!

38 THE BELL | Issue 04

The Tower

THE BELL | Issue 04

39

Top Ten Signs It's Winter at Bishop's

1.

The Quad becomes a literal swamp

6.

Teachers start falling asleep during chapel

2.

All I Want for Christmas is You is stuck in your head (and probably will be until New Years)

7.

Mr. Assaf walks by as Santa

3.

You get a used Starbucks gift card in your advisory’s White Elephant

8.

Buddy the Elf is eating maple syrup spaghetti on the big screen for the fifth year in a row

9.

Massive brown jugs of cold hot chocolate are still on the terrace the day after the Christmas Tree Lighting

4.

5.

All your senior friends start depression-posting about college deferrals on their private Snapchat stories

Cumulatives xx <3

40 THE BELL | Issue 04

10.

Holiday music playing in the Rec Ro— oh wait…

Photo Credits

[campus]

06 08 10 [culture] 12 14

Wrongful Termination?

Art by Kyle Berlage ('22)

Down The Rabbit Hole

PC: Katherine Ge ('24)

Our Digital Backbone Snoozing & Zooming One Imposter Remains

Screenshots by Kyle Berlage (‘22), courtesy of Blackbaud Screenshots by Kyle Berlage (‘22) Art by Lucie Edwards ('21)

[local & beyond]

16 20 22

Globe Gone Vegan

PC: Helena Roseman (‘21)

COVID-19 Vaccine Updates

Art by Lucie Edwards ('21)

A Peek into the Future

[opinion]

24

“She’s Not Like Other Girls!”

Courtesy of Discover Society and Ms. Magazine

PC: Sariah Hossain (‘22)

[reviews]

26 28 32

Punisher

Courtesy of @_fake_nudes_ on Instagram

Turn Up The Heat

PC: Isadora Blatt ('24)

Positions on positions

Art by Lucie Edwards (‘21)

[cover story]

36

Diversifying our Narrative

PC: Sariah Hossain ('22)

[the bell]

38 40

Corona-cation

Art by Lucie Edwards (‘21)

Top Ten Signs It's Winter at Bishop's

Design by Lucie Edwards (‘21)

Front and back cover thanks to Lucie Edwards (‘21) PHOTO CREDITS | Issue 04

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