Issue 03 2022

Tower THE

ISSUE 03 – MMXXII

In This Issue 08 Cat Lounge 10 AP Exams 12 Taylor Swift 16 Tyler Boynton

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

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

COLOPHON The Tower is printed by Streeter Printing Company in Mira Mesa, CA. The Staff uses Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator to arrange photographs and graphics, and distributed 300 copies of Issue 03 to the Bishop’s community. Typefaces include Saonara for the cover; Public Sans for the headlines, bylines, and subtitles; Minion Pro for the body text. 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.

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CONTRIBUTORS Editors-in-Chief Leila Feldman Crystal Li

Graphics Editor Isadora Blatt Online Editor Spencer Ralph Story Editors Sydney Chan Summer Hu Copy Editor Bella Gallus Staff Writers Aiden Afshar Nora Bitar Ben Brown Camille Greenlee Dane Jorgensen Reagan Kliber David Lai Lucy Marek Lisa Pan Kayden Wang Emeraude Westlake Joyce Wu Melanie Yau Faculty Advisor Ms. Laine Remignanti

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by Aria Liu (‘23)

Aria Liu’s (‘23) art, displayed in the Bishop’s library from October 26–December 22, portrays themes of identity and self-expression.

The work featured on this issue’s front cover is titled “wonder,” and the piece centered on the back cover is titled “imperfections.” As Aria describes, this collection represents her artistic journey, from her “realistic style beginnings” to her “quirky era of cartoon surrealism” to what it is today.

social media Follow us!

Instagram: @thebishopstower Spotify: @thebishopstower Website:

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corrections Issue 02

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

As a publication, we found copy mistakes, misnaming, and poor punctuation at various points in our last issue. Most significantly, on page 7, Sofia Hayden’s (‘25) name was misspelled as Sophia, and in a photo on page 10, Chase Peckham was misnamed as Clay Peckham (‘26). Small punctuation and formatting errors appeared in the article on the page as well. We want to take responsibility for our mistakes and formally apologize to all whom we have hurt or dishonored. In an effort to do better, we are re-evaluating our copy editing and clearing process to make sure such errors will not occur again.

It seems that San Diego has an unapologetic tendency for rainy mood swings — I swear, just weeks ago, we were basking in a midsummer-esque sunlight and entertaining those why-is-it-so-hot’s when conversation found pause.

In this time of firsts and lasts, I also find myself in swinging moods. For the first time, I wore my maroon senior polo and felt the morning stroll to the rec room become a habit, submitted my early college applications during these hustling months, and on one fateful evening, finally tried apple with peanut butter. However, it is also my last fall as a student, writer, and journalist in a beigewalled high school, vacation-central La Jolla, and blissful seventeen-year-old angst.

I would also say that this is a time of firsts and lasts in general for our community of Bishop’s. This fall season is the first in quite some time that we are celebrating in close normalcy—not separated in congruent Zoom boxes or socially distanced with three-person lunch tables. It has also been great seeing people’s maskless smiles, a transition that happened just a number of months ago.

School spirit on campus feels like it’s at an all-time high; traditions like Bishbowl, Back to School Knight, and the Blessing of Animals this year highlighted that sense of community and camaraderie amongst classes we’ve all missed so much. And, obviously, though school work for you freshmen, sophomores, and juniors may seem like everything during this time of pre-thanksgiving-break rush, remember to appreciate the passing moments. Maybe next year, you would be looking back on this period with fondness and nostalgia.

Issue 03 of The Tower every year is published around mid-November, and this year is no different. Don’t get me wrong, though I love all of you, both my teachers and classmates equally, Journalism class has always been the highlight of my day. Imagine working on a group project with people from all grade levels — in the big Scripps room — with frequent laughter-filled discussions, and a shared love of reporting. But the highlight of the highlight of my day would have to be those magical layout evenings, as the previous Editor-in-Chief Sariah Hossain (‘22) would say.

During this time, I find myself holding all sorts of enriching conversations with fellow staff members like Nora Bitar (‘25) about Taylor Swift’s newest album, Reagan Kliber (‘24) on whether or not “Zaboomafoo” is an actual kitten’s name at the Cat Lounge, or Dane Jorgensen (‘24) about The Bishop’s Locker Room’s shining reviews on one of our peer football players. Of course, I cannot forget about the group discussions we’ve had, while munching on garlic knots, surrounding Lucy Marek’s (‘25) piece on our campus sports requirement, Emeraude Westlake’s (‘24) AP Exams investigation, and Kayden Wang’s (‘25) riveting outlook upon the recent popularity of chess.

Clearly, there’s a lot going on around our campus community—I urge you, dear reader, to be a part of that. Anything, even swinging moods. Try something new for the first time and keep in mind the clichéd advice of remembering the passing moments; let’s spend our time of firsts and lasts together, fearlessly.

Dear Bishop’s,

So much love,

Crystal Li

Co-Editor-in-Chief

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CAMPUS

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Overtime

Lucy Marek

Students grapple with the time commitment of the sports requirement

Tackling The Truth

Dane Jorgensen

Varsity Football star Tyler Boynton’s (‘24) success

LOCAL & BEYOND

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The Cat Lounge: Where Best Fur-iends are Made A look into a familiar La Jollan window

Reagan Kliber

CULTURE

12 14 16

APs: APprehension or APpreciation?

Emeraude Westlake The benefits and drawbacks of taking Advanced Placement exams

Knights on a Chess Board

Kayden Wang How the Bishop’s chess scene has developed into a thriving community

Meet Me at Midnight

Why Taylor Swift’s Midnights is her most groundbreaking album to date

Nora Bitar

THE BELL

18 19

Sydney’s Suggestions // Kyle’s Cartoon Corner Top Ten

Photo courtesy of Sydney Chan (‘24)

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OVERTIME

Lucy Marek

Students grapple with the time commitment of the sports requirement

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ill I have enough time for my homework? Can I be on varsity this year? Are office hours really necessary? These questions may seem unrelated, but they all have one thing in common: they can all be spurred by discussions surrounding Bishop’s sports and the PE requirement.

The requirement for upper school—two PE credits, or two seasons of a sport or activity, for everyone except seniors— has long been a subject of debate, and for good reason. There are pros and cons to having a requirement, something the coaches and students alike are acutely aware of.

The coaches “Believe that part of wellness is the kids moving and being active,” explained Chair of Physical Education and Health Coach Meghan Carr, “because your brain can’t work if your heart doesn’t work.” Director of Student-Athlete and Coaching Development Mr. Shane Walton echoed this sentiment, clarifying that the PE re-

quirement is meant to enable kids who might otherwise be less active to “get their blood flowing and their heart rate up” and to encourage physical fitness.

But that isn’t the only function of sports; in fact, many studies have shown that they can be just as effective at improving mental wellbeing as physical health. According to Harvard Health, engaging in exercise can relieve

time commitment for sports, in addition to homework and extracurriculars, can be overwhelming for students.

Chloe Shiue (‘24), who participates in kung fu outside of school and played for the Bishop’s field hockey team her sophomore year, described her experience on the team as fun, but tiring. She said she “would be too drained after practice or a game to focus on homework,” adding that “whenever I had free time, I was just doing homework.”

This is a pervasive feeling among students: appreciative of sports, but exhausted by them. As Riley Lincoln (‘25), a Varsity Girls’ volleyball player, put it, “the time commitment can be a lot for people, especially since Bishop’s is such an academic school.” With such an emphasis on academic excellence, it can be difficult to carve out time for sports; and if students are able to, “It’s just hard to manage both aspects of your life,” Riley said.

But many students can also

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anxiety by diverting your attention from what you are anxious about, decreasing muscle tension, increasing the availability of serotonin, and activating frontal regions of the brain (which helps control our reacting system to real or imagined threats).

Despite these benefits, however, some students think that requiring them to participate in sports may result in the opposite of the desired effect—a

Photo courtesy of Neil Zhu (‘25)

This is a pervasive feeling among students: appreciative of sports, but exhausted by them.

see the benefits of the sports requirement; even those who think it also causes some stress and fatigue.

Chloe, in addition to commenting on how tiring on-campus sports can be, also mentioned that they are “a good break from school” and an opportunity to try something new.

Celeste Oder (‘26), who sails both for the school and for the Coronado Yacht Club, emphasized the advantages of sports by saying she’s “noticed that [she’s] a lot calmer and happier after sailing. It’s almost de-stressing.”

This might not be the effect of exercise for everyone, however, which is why students have

their own opinions about how the requirement should be handled.

Tyler Boynton (‘24), a football and baseball player, expressed that “the sports requirement should be a little bit more laid back. It’s a little bit strict at the moment and it really takes away from the academic experience.” Riley also suggested that the requirement be adapted from demanding two credits to one credit.

Students aren’t the only ones with suggestions, improvements, and exceptions, though; as Coach Carr explained, “You can get your PE credit through a number of different ways.” She elaborated, saying that seasonal sports, optimal

performance, general fitness, Advanced Theatre Production (ATP), dance, and yoga all qualify for a PE credit, and students should choose those that best fit their schedules and make them happiest.

Not all students may be happy with the sports requirement, but it appears that it will remain in effect for a while longer; and until something changes, coaches continue to urge students to try new sports that interest them and continue with those that make them happy.

Neil Zhu (‘25), pictured here at the top of Black Mountain, has been cycling for three years and is “glad that Bishop’s [gave him] the opportunity to continue [his] hobby.”

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TACKLING

THE TRUTH Varsity Football star Tyler Boynton’s (‘24) success

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he football season is in full gear, and as playoffs have begun, one name persists in all talks of Bishop’s Football: Tyler Boynton (‘24).

A junior on the Boys’ Varsity Football Team, he is the Hercules of the Bishop’s football mythos. As with all legends, echoes of his feats ring through your email inbox:

Dane Jorgensen

“Tyler Boynton ('24) is a man on a mission.”

“Boynton was and has been unblockable all year.”

“Offenses are having nightmares about him.”

“Tyler Boynton was unstoppable on defense and wreaked havoc on La Jolla’s offense all night.”

“Boynton played offense like he was on a mission to destroy.”

–The Bishop’s Locker Room

Unlike Hercules, Tyler did not strangle a snake in his crib as an infant.

Instead, Tyler claims that he was “born playing football,” starting in YMCA flag football leagues since he was able to walk. Tyler’s Bishop’s football debut was in middle school flag football. Nick Marvin (‘24), Tyler’s middle school teammate, recognized that his “undisputed strength coupled with his sheer unconquerable nature made him a feared opponent at any position in the game.”

Tyler was drawn to football like a moth to a blowtorch. Tyler said, “I loved how everything off the field seemed to vanish until the end of the game.” The cathartic release of tackle

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football gives Tyler a “feeling of freedom that comes with running around on the open field.”

Fundamental in his love for the sport is “being part of a hardworking team with an unbreakable bond.”

Playing with his teammates gives Tyler “a sense of pride and accomplishment that [he can’t] find anywhere else.”

Tyler started his varsity football career in his freshman year as a backup linebacker and running back.

Last year, as a sophomore, Tyler moved to the offensive and defensive line.

His move from linebacker to lineman during his sophomore year was not an easy one. Tyler was moved to the position due to a lack of players

at the position and he was initially disappointed. “Rarely are the big stars and household names found on the line, so I was worried about never getting any recognition for what I did,” he said.

Tyler thought that his size limited his capability of greatness, yet, after a few games, he started to love the position and really “ found his groove.”

Now, standing nearly six feet tall and weighing 235 pounds, Tyler has surpassed what he thought were his physical limitations.

Like a comic book superhero, when he dons the football uniform, the fun and friendly giant becomes a San Diego football player’s worst nightmare. But unlike your usual nightmare,

Photo courtesy of Dane Jorgensen

Tyler can bench press 300 pounds.

The Knightmare was given the title of the “The Truth” by upperclassmen his freshman year, and it’s a name Tyler still carries with pride. The legend of Tyler’s moniker is best told by his teammates.

Starting linemen Declan O’Donovan (‘25) explained, “They call Tyler ‘The Truth’ because you can’t escape him.”

For starting linebacker Henry Armstrong (‘25), “playing behind [Tyler]can almost be frustrating, because every time you are about to make a play in the backfield, he is already there clobbering their running back.” Henry continued, “they call him ‘The Truth’ because he is the most overpowering player on the field at all times, [and] the truth hurts.”

The truth does, in fact, hurt; Tyler’s stats for the last nine games boast 69 tackles—44 of those in the backfield for a loss of yards, nine sacks, one forced fumble, and one blocked field goal.

His stat block may leave many to ask what it is that sets him apart from other players. The Truth accredits his success to his coaches, along with his ability to enjoy the game. He said, “there is never a moment [when] I feel that I am not having the most fun on the field, even when I’m tired, panting, [and] trying to catch my breath after one of our incredible receivers catches a ball 90 yards down field.”

Tyler said his favorite meal is a “30-piece chicken nuggets with a diet coke from Chick Fil A.” With his insatiable appetite, The Truth’s eyes are now fixated on his next big meal, University City.

“They call Tyler ‘The Truth’ because you can’t escape him.”

–Declan O’Donovan (‘25)

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THE CAT LOUNGE:

WHERE BEST FUR-IENDS ARE MADE A look into The Cat Lounge’s familiar La Jollan window

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long Torrey Pines Road, The Cat Lounge’s broad window reveals cats Walrus, Dumpling, and Pumpkin Head taking naps on cat trees, trying to catch feathers, and feeling the love on people’s laps.

According to its website, The Cat Lounge is a non-profit cat “rescue and adoption center” that aims to “Rescue, Rehabilitate, [and] Adopt” cats out to the community. A not-sohidden gem, the Lounge is beloved by many Bishop’s community members.

“If any Bishop’s student wants to visit to see the cats or adopt a cat, they have student discounts, so bring your student ID!” said Jennifer Xiao (‘24), who recently visited.

Even if they don’t plan to adopt, Bishop’s community members are invited to spend the day with the

from a breeder, the puppy mills, or Craigslist, so that people can start making more conscious decisions.” “I think a lot of people just don’t know,” she reasoned, and visiting the Lounge “is a great way to show them the work that’s done and then have them contribute.”

Renee Wang (‘24) volunteered there during the COVID-19 pandemic and remembers her time as a positive experience. She spoke of a friendly environment that “helped [her] realize that it was easier to care for cats and animals than you would expect” and boosted her serotonin levels.

“Everybody was

Reagan Kliber

and gave me a hand, it started spreading,” she said.

Before she owned The Cat Lounge, Ms. Shamloo was an attorney for animal rights. “The legal process takes years to see any results, and I wanted to do something more handson. So I left the field, and I spent the next six years working in animal welfare in different ways,” she said. The responsibilities Ms. Shamloo undertook during this time have influenced her current work. “I think about when I worked at other places, other rescues

There are two spaces that visitors can spend time in at The Cat Lounge: one for kitten and one for cat interactions.

shelter’s cats for a small, discounted entry fee that goes towards taking care of the cats. Marina Khoury (‘24), who also visited The Cat Lounge, said, “It was a really good experience, and the staff was super nice.” She added that “logistically, [her visit] went really smoothly.”

Ms. Renee Shamloo, owner and executive director of The Cat Lounge, explained that visiting the Lounge helps it towards achieving her number one goal in running the organization: teaching the public about animal rescue “as opposed to buying

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really happy and in a good mood…and you make a lot of friends very quickly,” she said.

The Cat Lounge’s website says that its volunteers take care of cats and kittens and oversee animal interactions with the public. Ms. Shamloo explained that the Lounge depends daily on its loyal volunteers, and described the community’s initiative to support the Lounge as a chain reaction. “Once the community stepped in

and shelters…[and] that has really shaped how I want to be an executive director with my staff, guests, and volunteers,” she said.

Eventually, after considering how she could channel her interests and skills into promoting animal welfare, Ms. Shamloo arrived at an idea that would change cats’ lives: “Let me take a cat cafe and make it a twist!

Remove the cafe. Just make it a lounge. Focus on adoptions,” she remarked.

The Cat Lounge’s mission began when Ms. Shamloo went to animal shelters that had high animal killing rates. During her visits, staff members directed her to cats that would be euthanized by the end of the day. “[One] day I left with 18 neonatal kittens,” Ms. Shamloo said. “That was one day,” she added, seriously, “and imagine the next day how many lives were at risk.”

Taking the cats to her apartment, Ms. Shamloo worked on rehabilitating them and adopting them out—the other part of The Cat Lounge’s mission. But, as she continued in this process, she realized that “if [she] wanted to make more of an impact, [she couldn’t] be doing it out of an apartment.”

Soon after Ms. Shamloo established The Cat Lounge in 2019, the pandemic hit. But, despite its tolls, it gave the Lounge an opportunity to flourish. “During

the height of COVID, when everyone was in lockdown…I think I was doing over 230 adoptions a month…and our average is usually 70-100,” Ms. Shamloo reminisced. In an interview last year with the La Jolla Light, Ms. Shamloo attributed this influx of adoptions to the fact that more people had time to care for a pet.

Whether they want to start an animal care-centered organization or not, Ms. Shamloo advised individuals who want to start their own non-profit to “do [their] research before [they] make that jump…get the experience first, [and] find a mentor.”

She also encouraged Bishop’s community members that “sometimes people feel powerless at making a difference,” but “there are always ways to help…you matter and you can make a difference.”

Photos courtesy of Reagan Kliber (‘24)

Cats at The Cat Lounge are well cared for: free to live as they please and provided with an abundance of structures and toys.

“Our number one goal is education— really sharing with the public how rescue is done.”

– Ms. Renee Shamloo, Owner and Executive

Director of The Cat Lounge

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APs: “S

APprehension OR APpreciation?

ome teachers I know seem to feel relieved that the pressure of preparing students for their class’ AP test is gone. This pressure, however, has fallen largely on us students,” said Maya Krolik (‘23).

Advanced Placement (AP) tests are three–hour long multiple choice and free response exams that focus on certain subjects administered at schools in April or May. According to Director of College Counseling Ms. Wendy Chang, Bishop’s students take an average of five to six AP exams in their high school career—rendering several weeks of school time virtually dedicated to these tests. But are they even helpful to students? The School is still dedicating a lot of time and energy into the administration of AP exams, despite their official separation from the College Board curriculum at the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year.

Since the 2017-2018 school year, Bishop’s has been transitioning away from AP curriculum-driven classes to Honors courses.

These courses cover similar material, but allow more flexibility for teachers and interesting topics for students. At the beginning of the 2021-2022 school year, an AP Update on Knights News announced a complete dissociation from the College Board curriculum, reasoning that, “AP courses that were replaced with Honors courses have improved the overall academic experience for students while giving our faculty more pedagogical freedom.”

This switch caused a lot of controversy. Some students preferred the convenience of AP curriculums over the flexibility of Honors classes. Maya said, “I think that the AP classes themselves are more valued in the college application process. So it’s a little bit discouraging to know that you have to selfstudy now for all these.” However, Maya maintained that the Bishop’s Honors academic curriculums are still valuable. The issue is they are designed “for a different kind of open-ended learning that the College Board just happens

to not recognize,” she said.

Ms. Chang added, “I think AP exams can serve great purposes, when they work, and I think they’re really useless… when they’re not necessary.” There have been instances where students get a year’s worth of college credit, saving them tens of thousands of dollars. However, many colleges no longer accept AP credits. Students often waste time and money studying for exams when they might not yield a desirable score.

One main reason students take AP exams is that passing scores can translate to college credit. According to the College Board, although it is not standardized across all colleges, most United States schools will translate an AP score of four to eight credit points that can go toward the 120 credit points needed for a Bachelor’s degree. Taking an AP exam for a world language college credit can also be valuable. Ms. Chang said, “There are colleges that have a language requirement, and a lot of the time students can waive that requirement” if

The benefits and drawbacks of taking Advanced Placement exams Emeraude Westlake

is its cost. At Bishop’s each AP exam costs 110 dollars with an additional 40 dollars for late registration.

Students at Bishop’s still take AP exams despite the School’s course curriculums being independent from the College Board’s AP syllabuses. The general consensus from the interviewed Upper School students is that if an AP exam was offered for an Honors class, the student would take the exam. Nancy Waldman (‘23) said, “For certain subjects, [the dissociation of the School from AP curriculums] hasn’t really affected my priorities because I still take them, no matter if it’s technically an Honors course.”

Bishop’s students often assume that the more AP exams they take, the more appealing their application will look to colleges.

Ms. Chang explained that this is not necessarily the case.

French Four Honors teacher Mme. Rikke Sommer corroborated, “I taught for a long time at the University of California San Diego and we did look at the scores in French. A score of four would get you into the second quarter of the second year directly and a five would get you into the last quarter of the second year.” In addition, studying for the AP language exams increases students’ proficiency in the language. Mme. Sommer said, “I can say from over 20 years of experience out there that folks who had done the AP preparation and taken the class were much better prepared and had much better skills than the students who didn’t.”

The Bishop’s English department was the first to detach itself from the College Board AP curriculum in the 2017-2018 school year. English Department Chair Dr. Anna Clark said that AP English exams are “not good indicators of creativity, style, voice, [or] original thought,” all components valued in Bishop’s English classes. She continued, and said, “I don’t think spending [time] on an AP English test makes

Many Honors courses at Bishop’s have an accompanying AP exam. It is often hard to know if taking the exam is worth the extra studying.

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they get a score of four or five.

Many Honors courses at Bishop’s have an accompanying AP exam. It is often hard to know if taking the exam is worth the extra studying. Honors Biology teacher Mr. Ben Duehr said, “I don’t know how many of those students will benefit from [the AP exam].” Some students may skip to a more advanced course or register for classes early, he said. Ms. Chang said, “It doesn’t hurt, right?

Something that doesn’t hurt versus something that’s actually helping, those are two different things.” Good AP exam scores won’t negatively impact a college application, but the benefit they provide may not be significant.

Another negative factor of the exam

Photo courtesy of Emeraude Westlake (‘24)

sense.”

tive AP curriculum, Ms. WilExplaining another liamson said “I think I’m in the reason for the transition away minority of this and I’ll probably from AP-centered courses, Honget booed by a bunch of teachors United States History teachers here, but I wish that all my er Mr. Matthew Valji said that students would take it because I the School’s curriculums have think it would just make it more a reputation for academic rigfun. Like, we’re all in this team, or and excellence. On the other we’re all in this together.” hand, the “AP system is one that In addition, even after the is based on a curriculum develrenaming of AP courses to Honoped by a private corporation, ors classes, some departments’ the College Board. And we don’t curriculums have not changed necessarily align with the College that much. In the case of French, Board in every area.”

Mme Sommer said, “It’s valuable Most Honors classes work across the board anyway offered at Bishop’s do prepare because that’s what you want to students for the exam. Calculus Many students choose to “self-study” for AP exlearn regardless of the exam. So, AB teacher Ms. Dolores Wil- ams using specified prep-books or other materials you know, I think the exam is liamson said, “You guys should not a bad thing.” Mme Sommer to supplement Honors classes’ lessons. just see what happens [when you still prepares her students for the take the Calculus AB AP]: you’re essay and cultural comparison who are going to take it are already ready before going to be prepared.” Mr. Duehr added that all the other AP tests.” of the French AP exam. She said, “that’s still a he prepares everyone for the Biology AP exam.

Ms. Williamson also goes over the useful thing to be able to do in French… it’s not He said, “The class is on a trajectory to prepare format of the AP test in her classes. She ex- lost or wasted time.” students for it,” even after the renaming of the plained, “I do think that you have to prepare The School still devotes a lot of time course to “Honors.” them for it because there are [test-taking] tricks to AP exams despite being detached from their However, as Honors Biology teacher to the AP test. So if I didn’t do any review of program. Mr. Duehr said, “We clearly faciliDr. Lani Keller said, “What I tell my students what the AP test looks like, it would be a dis- tate and support AP tests on campus, and for is you should not take it for fun because it’s service.” certain courses and grade levels, ‘normal’ acnot fun. It is a three-hour test. It’s painful.” Dr. Of the seven interviewed teachers ademics are quite altered to allow for students Keller believes that students should not take from all academic departments, the majority to sit for these tests. There is a discussion of the the AP Biology exam unless they have a “good expressed their preference for a curriculum mixed messages we send when we dedicate so reason” to take it, whatever that may be. “A lot that is not specified to the AP exam. Mr. Duehr much time to these tests when we’re not actuof students,” she said, “know that some of the said, “We like the flexibility that not being an ally teaching AP classes.” Mr. Valji said, “My colleges that they’re going to apply to will take AP class allows us to go off on different tan- sense is that we are supportive of students who credit for [AP scores]…if you have a good rea- gents if we want to—and we do.” choose to take AP tests, but that we are not son to take it, you should totally do it.”

This freedom can also benefit stu- binding our curriculum to the College Board Dr. Keller also explained that some dents. Mme. Sommer said, “at least from my in the way that we used to.” courses do not require that much additional perspective, it’s fun: more fun what we read, The pros and cons of AP exams mean so-called self-studying because of the overlap what we write, what we listen to, what we that the decision of whether or not to take an of course material. In the case of Honors Biolo- watch.” Dr. Keller said, “When students are re- AP exam becomes at once more complicated gy, she said, “[Teachers] do not give [students] ally jazzed about a topic, we can delve into that and less significant: does it make sense for your time to study [for the AP], but if they’re study- a little bit deeper.” goals in high school and college or will you eming for our cumulative exam, that is studying Contrasting the majority preference of teachers brace the dissociation between the School and for the AP exam.” Adding to this, Mr. Duehr who teach Honors courses without the restric- the AP curriculum and opt-out? said, “Our test is in late April so that students

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KNIGHTS ON A CHESS BOARD “I t’s an entire world of just 64 squares,” says a quote from the popular Netflix show The Queen’s Gambit. New York Times reports that the number of Chess.com users – a website dedicated to everything chess – doubled from 8,000,000 in October 2020 to around 17,000,000 in 2022. Among these new and old chess players, many are Bishopians who’ve found themselves swept up in the recent craze.

A major source of chess’s popularity are social media stars who’ve formed an internet chess community. Some stars are people called chess Grandmasters who’ve started content creating careers on platforms such as Twitch and YouTube.

On Chess.com, a Grandmaster is the highest obtainable title for chess players and many are an inspiration for Bishopians such as Neil Zhu (‘25) and Jasper Jain (‘23). Jasper, co-president of the Bishop’s chess club, said, “I have a lot of [favorite] chess players…I like Eric Rosen who’s a really strong Grandmaster but he also just seems like a good person.” Neil’s favorite player is Daniel Naroditsky, a 26-year-old Grandmaster

from America. “He’s very educational and he explains moves in very great detail,” Neil explained.

The Bishop’s chess community, however, is unique in the sense that others, such as Julia Bonaguidi (‘23), can take inspiration from those around her to learn chess. Julia recounts, “I started playing chess at the beginning of my junior year. I first joined [the] chess club because my sports coach made references to chess which I didn’t understand. I took it as a challenge to learn how to play chess.” She also notes the willingness of many Bishops students to help newer players, saying it “is what makes Bishop’s such a special place.”

Other players, like Neil, found their beginnings beyond the Bishops community. He said, “I saw my friends playing it…I started playing a bunch of games online and I played in a couple tournaments in downtown San Diego.”

Now, Neil is in the 93rd percentile of players on Lichess, a website similar to Chess.com.

The sudden rise in popularity hasn’t gone unnoticed. Neil mentioned how he sees students playing chess “everything single free period.” This enthusiasm made him describe how “[chess] is way more popular [at] Bishops than any of the schools [he] went to.” Jasper adds on to this observation, saying: “I don’t think [chess] was that big a few years ago… now there are a lot of people who are really into it and that’s across all grade levels.”

The chess boards outside Bentham, something everyone has inevitably passed by, has a long and impactful meaning for the Bishops chess community.

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Julia attributed the growth to the chess club itself.

“Jasper Jain,

How the Bishop’s chess scene has developed into a thriving community Kayden Wang Daniel Xu (‘23), and Ryan Davis (‘23) have done such a great job of building up our school’s chess club as well as teaching newcomers how to play the game.”Jasper observed “a lot of people who play chess at Bishops started getting really into it and I think we are generating a chess community.” He added, “They’re realizing that it’s a beautiful, creative game.”

Chess’s sudden rise to popularity has also brought the spotlight onto recent controversies within the greater chess community. On September 4 at the Sinquefield Cup, Magnus Carlsen, a popular Grandmaster, withdrew from the tournament, implying that his opponent, 19-year-old Hans Niemann was cheating. They were paired again in the Julius Baer Generation Cup where Carlsen resigned after only making two moves against Niemann, according to The New York Times. These actions sparked a flurry of online controversies, debates and theories between the two Grandmasters.

Chess.com published a report on October 4, 2022, which released information about Niemann’s previous matches and his record on the website.

As of October 21, 2022, Niemann is suing Carlsen for defamation, and wants $100 million to be paid in damages.

Neil finds that this controversy, in some ways, can benefit the chess community as a whole. “I think it’s not a good event, but I think it’s increasing chess’s popularity because the news is spreading everywhere,” he said. Neil noticed how this has brought more attention to the community and even people who aren’t actively involved have become more aware of recent events.

Jasper noted,“Maybe there have been some sensational headlines…but I don’t know if it’ll result in people going to the game.” Despite this, he added, “A lot of people have come up asking me about it just because I play chess,” showing “people are talking about it [and] that’s good.”

Photos courtesy of Kayden Wang (‘25)

A trip to the second floor of the library during lunch or X period is often marked by a lively crowd surrounding the two chess sets, signifying the important role that the library has played in chess’s popularity. The crowds are a result of Library Director Ms. Alisa Brandt putting out chess sets for Bishop’s students last year.

Ms. Brandt mentioned how there was a similar chess craze about 15 years ago, around 2007. Back then, students played on the painted chess boards outside the Bentham steps which can still be seen today by students leaving or entering the double doors.

Neil also finds that chess promotes interactions among students. “It’s a very social game, you can chat with your friends while playing,” he said. “I think interpersonal differences have a way of disappearing at the chessboard and for a few moments that you’re there, you just have this blank state” Jasper added, “And it’s for that reason that it’s very easy to connect with people over the game…You can turn those initial sparks into deeper connections and it’s a good way to meet a lot of new people.” Julia agreed by saying, “It’s sort of like a universal language, or in some cases an “ice breaker.” You get to meet new people you probably wouldn’t have otherwise had an opportunity to meet.”

While recollecting the various memories that he created through chess, Jasper fondly recalled nights with his friends: staying up “way too late yelling at each other about blitz chess” or trying to find a way around difficult positions.

“It’s been a lot of fun getting to learn the game with them.”

Julia also remembers playing

The library has become a hubbub of chess, many students playing on the two sets or opting to use their computers. chess with a random college student while she was on her official visit to UC Berkeley. “I was at a restaurant and a random college student challenged me to a game of chess. I lost, but then I had a nice conversation with the guy. Honestly, that was one of the moments that gravitated me towards choosing UC Berkeley: the spontaneity of playing chess with a stranger.”

Ms. Brandt agreed that chess is “a great social thing to do.” She added, “I think it works really well with the students here because it is a mental game; you have to have some planning and thought about your next step.”

The social aspect, however, may not be all positives. Neil said,“It’s very fun [to play in the library] but I understand it can be disruptive to people who are trying to study.”

These disruptions forced the librarians to confiscate the chess boards temporarily to help students keep games

at a reasonable noise level. Ms. Brandt elaborated on the decision: “The goal of the library is to make it accessible to as many students as possible no matter what their goal is,” she said, “We constantly struggle with that balance between being a quiet academic place versus a place where people want to socialize.”

At the end of the day, whether you’re a Grandmaster or just someone who wants to try something new, chess is a game for everyone. Jasper summarizes, “The good outweighs the bad; it can definitely be frustrating [sometimes] but there are also highs.”

Ms. Brandt said,“chess is one of those games that are timeless…and I think it’s wonderful.” A lot more people are picking up the game as a result, which is a change that Neil views positively. Neil exclaimed,“Chess should be open to anyone who wants to play…I think everyone can play chess!”

“It’s a beautiful, creative game.”

– Jasper Jain (‘23)

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MEET ME AT MIDNIGHT Nora Bitar

Why Taylor Swift’s Midnights is her most groundbreaking album to date

M

idnights is raw and euphoric. It’s the sudden urge to scream at the top of your lungs. It’s the aftermath of the party when your hair is messy and your lipstick is smeared. It’s the thoughts that you hide locked in a cell, behind bars and doors bolted tightly shut. It’s falling in love.

It’s heartbreak. It is every conflicting emotion you have ever felt.

Singer-songwriter Taylor Swift released her tenth studio album Midnights at 12:00 a.m. EST on Friday, October 21 with the tagline “Meet me at midnight.” Highly regarded by the public, Midnights became the most streamed album in a single day in Spotify history on the day of its release. Among Swifties (Taylor Swift fans), it’s an exciting return to pop from her previous two indie-style records — folklore and evermore.

Naturally, Midnights has echoes of Swift’s older ventures into pop — 1989, reputation, and Lover. A similar genre, however, does not stop Midnights from having a sound unlike anything else in Swift’s discography.

In this new record, she experiments with an electric feel, overlaying heartbreaking lyrics with angelic, catchy beats. She makes you feel something heavenly with every song in Midnights. It is novel, out of the ordinary, and beautifully unique.

In her initial Instagram announce-

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ment of the album in August, she described the record as “the story of thirteen sleepless nights throughout my life,” and it is. And yet, she wants Midnights to be your sleepless nights too. She wants you to be lying wide awake in bed at 1:00 a.m. with an inexplicable feeling in your gut. She wants you to truly feel the album, as if you could hold it in your hands.

In Midnights, Swift is a million different people at once. In a crowd of people, she is every single face. She is every memory, every perspective, every piece of herself. She digs deep within the nooks and crannies of her mind, fishing out every emotion, every desire, every urge she has ever had.

And so, naturally, one part of her mind is dominated by pure, unadulterated, beautiful love. In this record, the romantic songs are melodic and mesmerizing — almost hypnotizing. “Lavender Haze,” “Snow On The Beach” (featuring Lana Del Rey), “Labyrinth,” and “Sweet Nothing,” characterize Swift’s six-year relationship with actor Joe Alwyn. It is stable and comfortable but that doesn’t make it any less rare or enchanting.

In “Snow On The Beach,” she sings about falling in love, as Del Rey accompanies her with backing vocals. Swift asks, “Are we falling like snow on the beach? / Weird but f**king beautiful…You wanting me / Tonight

feels impossible.” In “Sweet Nothing,” she sings, “They said the end is comin’ / Everyone’s up to somethin’ / I find myself runnin’ home to your sweet nothings.”

Here, Swift is sure. She is at ease, she is happy, she has absolutely fallen for Alwyn. Simple as that.

Yet of course Swift is no stranger to heartbreak, as many of her most famous hits (such as “All Too Well” and “Dear John”) have been about gut-wrenching breakups.

In Midnights, she expands on these heartbreaks. “Maroon,” “Midnight Rain,” and “Question…?” explore the complexity of her past relationships, their uncertainty, and their ultimate falls.

In “Midnight Rain” she sings, “He wanted comfortable I wanted that pain, he wanted a bride, I was making my own name.”

In “Question…?” she is endlessly inquiring about a relationship, as she brims with doubts and unsureness. “Did you wish you had put up more of a fight?…Does it feel like everything feels just second best after the meteor strike?”

Swift looks deep into her past experiences and analyzes them — deliberately not putting the blame on a single person as she truly searches for the full picture.

However, many of Midnights’ tracks are not about love at all. “Anti-Hero”

Photos courtesy of @taylornation on Instagram

and “You’re Own Your Own, Kid” deal with some of the darkest parts of Swift’s life. In “You’re Own Your Own, Kid,” she laments, “I hosted parties and starved my body / Liked I’d be saved by a perfect kiss.” In “Anti-Hero,” she shares her insecurities with just as much rawness. “I’ll stare directly at the sun but never in the mirror,” she says. Swift is so ashamed of herself that the self-destructive action of looking into the sun seems more appealing than having to confront her own face — and more abstractly, confront her own flaws and faults as well.

But what makes “Anti-Hero” so unique is its exploration of Swift’s guilt, of what mistakes she has made. It’s almost like she’s asking herself, What if I’m at fault?

What if they were right all along and I’m the villain? “Did you hear my covert narcissism / I disguise as altruism / Like some kind of congressman?” she asks. Later, in the ironically upbeat chorus, she even admits, “Hi / I’m the problem, it’s me.”

This level of honesty, this willingness to point out her faults and share them with the world, makes “Anti-Hero” one of the strongest tracks on the album. This song has also been received well by the public. In the week immediately following its release, “Anti-Hero” charted first on the Billboard Hot 100, the Billboard Global 200, and the Billboard Global (the latter excludes all U.S. streams and sales).

Sometimes, however, Swift is tired of admitting her faults. In “Vigilante Sh*t,” “Bejeweled,” and “Karma,” she invites listeners to imagine her in all black, with dark red lipstick and a confident smirk. Here, her mindset is the polar opposite. Picture her saying, You want me to be a villain? Fine, I will be.

These songs are dark, loud, and powerful — reminiscent of her 2017 album reputation. They are the life of the party, the person in the midst of all the chaos that no one can miss. The Serena Van der Woodsens

of the world.

In “Vigilante Sh*t” she sings, “I don’t dress for women / I don’t dress for men / Lately I’ve been dressing for revenge.” In this song, Swift is taking back her power. She refuses to heed any attention to the media’s accusations of her, claiming she victimizes herself and vilifies those around her. She is not the anti-hero anymore, she is the villain.

And finally, Swift ends the album off with a bold closer: “Mastermind.” Characterized by a satisfying cadence and daring lyrics, Swift describes herself as calculating in this song. “I laid the groundwork and then, just like clockwork / The dominoes cascaded in a line,” she sings. Here, she worries that her relationship with Alwyn has been too orchestrated on her part, that she forced them together.

And yet, ultimately Swift tells us, she “Saw a wide smirk / On your face, you knew the entire time, you knew that I’m a mastermind.” Alwyn understands that she is a “mastermind,” but he loves her regardless.

Her complete self — with all the pieces attached — may not be perfect, no one is. But in the end, he still chooses her. They end up together. In Swift’s words, “Yeah, all you did was smile / ‘Cause I’m a mastermind.”

The end. Right?

But with Swift, nothing is predictable. Fans should have known she had something else up her sleeve, that “Mastermind” wasn’t the end.

Swift released seven extra tracks of Midnights (3am edition) at 3:00 a.m. EST on October 21. She announced these new songs on Instagram, explaining in her caption: “Lately I’ve been loving the feeling of sharing more of our creative process with you. So it’s 3am and I’m giving them to you now.”

The 3am tracks are no longer that crazed, uncontrollably intense feeling you get in the middle of the night. They are calmer, smoother, hauntingly beautiful with gorgeous imagery. They are the very beginnings of daylight, when you have at last accepted you won’t fall asleep.

With a slightly more acoustic feel than the 13 standard tracks of Midnights, the 3am songs allow for an even greater appreciation of her lyricism. In track fourteen “The Great War” she sings, “Knuckles were bruised like violets / Sucker-punching walls, cursed you as I sweet talk / Spineless in my tomb of silence / Tore your banners down, took the battle underground.”

No matter which song you are listening to, Midnights is the kind of record you will never forget. It’s the kind of album that mesmerizes you, that makes you want to listen to the songs again and again because they manage to get better every time you hear them. One of her strongest records yet, Midnights is proof yet again that Swift can — and will — succeed in any genre she wishes to adventure into.

She wants you to be lying wide awake in bed at 1:00 a.m. with an inexplicable feeling in your gut.

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SYDNEY’S SUGGESTIONS:

SOUP IN SAN DIEGO The cold is underway: time for some soup!

1.

Bún bò Huế - Pho La Jolla There’s nothing better than a big bowl of spicy noodle soup in the wintertime. My favorite part about Bún bò Huế are the thicker noodles and the deep, savory broth.

The use of shrimp paste, pork bones, and chili paste make the soup taste very full, and the Huế style pork sausage adds a spongy texture that pairs beautifully with the tender beef.

The thick noodles, thinly sliced beef, and tons of onions and chili oil at Pho La Jolla make for a savory dish that warms you up in seconds.

2.

3.

It’s no secret that I’m kinda (who am I kidding–super) in love with spicy food. However, Hinotez’s tonkotsu ramen is also offered without the spice aspect. Oftentimes, I’ve found some ramen spots around San Diego make the broth taste a little too heavy and oily. What I love about Hinotez’s take on this popular Japanese dish is that they manage to keep the broth full of umami, but still light enough that you could drink the whole bowl. The marinated egg is mellow and delicious, the corn adds a nice sweetness, and the sliced pork takes it up another level.

Pollo soup - El Rey Moro Taco Shop I wrote about this dish briefly in my Taquerias edition of Sydney’s Suggestions, but I couldn’t leave it out of this soup edition! The soup is a slightly-spicy chicken broth, filled with tender, fall-off-the-bone chicken. Dip a corn tortilla in this treasure chest of garbanzo beans, sliced avocado, and a healthy amount of cilantro for a perfect winter meal.

KYLE’S CARTOON CORNER An original comic strip

by Kyle Wang (‘29)

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Spicy Tonkotsu Ramen - Hinotez

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Photo courtesy of Sydney Chan (‘24)

Sydney Chan

TOP TEN THINGS YOU SHOULD GET A GRADE BUMP FOR

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Taking other people’s plates to dish drop Showing your teacher they gave you too many points on a test Finding parallel parking every morning Pulling up to Dr. G’s class simulations in full costume Wearing your skirt below your knees Laughing at the teacher’s jokes Making the class quizlet Saying “Would someone who hasn’t spoken yet like to speak?” in discussion

Going to bed before 11pm Singing along to the chapel hymns Tower 19

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