BA Today Fall/Winter 2021

VOLUME 19, Fall/Winter 2021

Opinion Letter From The Editors

Camille Buckner ‘22 and Ben VanDerHeyden ‘22, Co-Editors-in-Chief

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he basic definition of empathy, according to Merriam-Webster dictionary, is “the action of understanding, being aware of, being sensitive to, and vicariously experiencing the feelings, thoughts, and experience of another of either the past or present without having the feelings, thoughts, and experience fully communicated in an objectively explicit manner.” In fewer words, empathy means the capacity to understand and feel the feelings of others. To feel empathy is to intimate gesture that is imperative to a functionally compassionate society; but it can be challenging to empathize with someone, especially if you cannot directly relate to what they are going through. Its commonly confused counterpart, sympathy, is much different. Sympathy is the feeling of pity or sorrow for somebody else’s circumstances, while empathy is putting yourself in that person’s shoes and actively feeling with them, not for them.

To empathize requires active listening, a skill our community could improve at.

According to Bayside’s former school counselor, and current head of Upper School, Mrs. Cindy Fredrick, “Empathy means taking the perspec-

tives of others. Even though you may not have the same experiences or background as another person, we are all connected. Empathy means to relate emotionally to somebody.”

Who better to explain empathy in the context of Bayside than the new counselor herself, Mrs. Virginia Gordon. To her, empathy means “a deliberate effort to see the world through someone else’s lens. It is an exercise of compassion.” As a licensed counselor, Mrs. Gordon frequently encounters empathy in her career and has to be empathic herself to properly address her clients’ trauma. As she explains in her counseling sessions, “I can feel their emotion but also value their experience as unique.” In regards to her ability to empathize, Mrs. Gordon says, “[it] equips me with sufficient understanding to help them navigate and ultimately become an overcomer.”

When asked how empathy can positively impact the student body, Mrs. Gordon said, “building [empathy] within the student body could promote more fulfilling relationships, better communication with loved ones, and more ease in the workplace or school.” Additionally, “If you have empathy, you are less likely to judge others harshly, and, therefore, you are

doing yourself a favor in not harvesting bitterness. You are exercising compassion which, over time, promotes innerjoy and wellness.”

Here at Bayside, Mrs. Gordon, being a new addition to the Bayside family, primarily sees empathy in the teachers and faculty who have welcomed her.

Being empathetic will also help you avoid what psychologists call “fundamental attribution error.” That is, automatically attributing a person’s (typically negative) behavior to an innate characteristic of their personality, rather than different situational factors. By being conscious of this natural human tendency, you can use empathy to put yourself in another’s shoes.

Empathy breeds compassion and is imperative in healthy relationships.

Here at Bayside, there are many ways you can exercise empathy, whether it be working on listening more to others or even just checking in on someone if they are having a hard time. This goes beyond the student body as well.

Teachers need empathy, too! So, next time your teacher is taking a little longer to put in that test grade than you would like, try to put yourself in their shoes!

Staff & Contributors Editors-in-Chief Layout Editor

Camille Buckner, Ben VanDerHeyden Miranda McDonald

Copy Editor

Kate Ginger

Photo Editor

Cole Boswell

Reporters

Faculty Adviser

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Wilson Engeriser, Leah Jha , Isabelle Rutland, Rylee-Ann Roberts Emma Burgess

BA Today is the student publication of the Bayside Academy Upper School journalism class. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the entire staff, faculty, student body, or administration.

If you are a student interested in submitting content, email batodaysubmissions@gmail.com.

Bayside Academy 303 Dryer Ave. Daphne, AL 36526 251-338-6300 baysideacademy.org

On The Covers: Front: Bayside Acadmey’s naugeral Lighting of The Trees! [A. Leblanc] Back: [A. Niel]

Opinion Empathy can definitely be seen among the Bayside faculty, but does it exist within the student body?

We interviewed three highschoolers to see what they thought.

What does empathy mean to you? Do you know what it means?

Peyton Phillips, ‘22: I think that to be empathetic is to really understand what someone else is feeling and wanting to be there for them. You have to put yourself in their place and be there to comfort and help them through whatever they are going through.

Joseph “Jenkins” Lilley, ‘23: It means to put others in a position to be able to express their feelings and say what they want without having to worry about other people judging them.

Libby Moore, ‘25: Empathy means to understand what other people are feeling and to try to connect with them in the most genuine way.

Do you think that the student body as a whole is very empathetic? Why or why not?

Peyton Phillips, ‘22: No, I don’t think it is empathetic at all because I think that a lot of people put themselves before others. I think that if people understood the way that they make other people feel, then we would be a lot more empathetic, but Baysiders do not really care about thinking about how other people feel. For a short time, Pine Mountain healed the lack of empathy in the senior class because we really did open up to each other, but it faded really quickly.

Joseph “Jenkins” Lilley, ‘23: I think some parts of it are somewhat empathetic and other parts, not so much. There have been some instances where the student body is able to come together and be empathetic towards someone who is going through something, but there have been other instances where it has acted in the opposite way.

Libby Moore, ‘25: No. I don’t think anyone at this school in any of the grades is very empathetic. Everyone has their own group, and they do not try to get to know anyone else better. Because of this, they end up not understanding who their peers are and what they are going through.

In what ways do you think we can become more empathetic?

Peyton Phillips, ‘22: We can be more empathetic if individuals [are] open to the idea of thinking about other people and their feelings and caring about them. I don’t really know what the path to the solution is. I just know that the crux of the problem is selfishness.

Joseph “Jenkins” Lilley, ‘23: We can become more open-minded and not as judgemental, especially in some grades more than others.

Libby Moore, ‘25: The different groups can mix, and people can get to know other people better, from learning their names to learning about who they are and what they are about.

Although student definitions of empathy tend to vary, they all tend to agree that the student body has a lot of space to grow empathetically. Opening up to others and having trust in the good will of peers would contribute to a more genuine environment of empathy at Bayside.

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Opinion Mobile Ballet’s Major Milestone Kate Ginger ‘23, Copy Editor

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ith soaring leaps and a zesty flair, Victoria Blakely stole the stage, debuting in Katia Garza’s original choreography, The Princess and the Frog. Alongside members of Mobile’s PACT theater company, Blakely captivated the audience in an unprecedented production, making history as the first African American to star in a Mobile Ballet production since the company’s establishment in 1987.

Katia Garza, Mobile Ballet’s artistic director, envisioned this production as a celebration of last year’s Mardi Gras, which was delayed due to the pandemic.

Based on the Disney movie set in New Orleans, the show added a local flavor, taking place in downtown Mobile. Garza, however, was completely unaware that Mobile Ballet had never had an African American dancer star in a produc- [R. Pavan] tion until she and Blakely were being interviewed by Fox10 News.

Garza explained in an interview with BA Today, “I know how important this is for the African American community becauseas I said onstage, I’m Latin… Mexican, and I know how hard it is, sometimes, to go against what people think … I am with them in that feeling and how proud they were of having the first lead, but I did not know at all.”

While being the only current African American company member in a predominantly white studio, Blakely

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says, “In the beginning, it was a little weird, but, of course, as we got older and everyone was more familiar with each other,… that welcome was full on.” However, when asked about certain aspects that highlighted these differences, she responded resoundingly, “Pink tights. Of course, I’m a dancer of color, so wearing pink tights in a performance is a little different because it kinda cuts a different line.”

When she wears flesh-toned tights, her lines are more similarly accentuated

to a white dancer wearing pink tights.

Line, a classical ballet term, is used to describe the fluidity, connection, and shape between points on a dancer’s body.

“When I first started going to intensives, I didn’t know dancers of color could wear flesh toned tights and ballet shoes. It took a few years for me to hop on the trend because, of course, I grew up with a studio of pink tights, pink ballet shoes.” Now, Blakely attends class wearing flesh-toned tights.

In regards to casting, Garza described how her intentions were to

give Blakely an opportunity to grow.

“It was never my intention to do it because she was African American.

I gave her the role because she is a strong dancer and because it’s her senior year… I want her to have the opportunity she deserves.”

Over prior years, Blakely has performed in Mobile Ballet’s annual Nutcracker production as the Spanish lead and in Garza’s original Beauty and the Beast production as Plumette. “I feel like [having a lead role is] a bigger responsibility,” she elucidates.

“There’s a greater chance for you to mess up.”

After learning of her casting, Blakely describes, “I was blown away. I had a feeling it was there, but I wanted reassurance.” In hindsight, she had nothing to worry about; as Garza recalls, “From the moment I thought of the ballet, I had her as a character, so everything was built for her.” Fittingly so, when, “putting [her costume] on for the first time,” Blakely recounts, “it felt like it was mine.”

In the weeks before the performance, Blakely received national media coverage. “Honestly the way it came and how it came… It was a lot.”

She was even featured on a nonprofit organization’s Instagram page called @browngirlsdoballet. Having cultivated a following of nearly 150k Instagram users, this page seeks to promote diversity and empower young African American women.

Opinion As a Mobile Ballet company member and Blakely’s understudy in The Princess and the Frog production, I remember how the studio filled with raucous applause when she finished her noteworthy solo to the song “Almost There.” This electric energy was recreated on the opening night of the performance, Saturday, October 16.

Amidst this energy, Blakely explains, “I try not to have any [emotions] because I would psyche myself out, so I just try to stay clear-minded and just go with the flow of everything because anything, honestly, can happen.”

And sure enough, no performance is without its mishaps. “Of course the first three seconds of the show, I end up on the floor,” Blakely remarks, “but the way I played that off made everyone question, ‘Oh, it’s okay. She was supposed to fall; it wasn’t like she actually fell,’ when really, everyone onstage knew, ‘Oh, wow. She just fell.’ As soon as I walked offstage after that scene, the emotions just rushed through, but I had to just calm myself down because it was okay.”

Her mental strength and courage shone through, carrying her to the final bow. When the last curtain rose and audience members erupted into a standing ovation, “I felt like I had made a big accomplishment,” she describes. “... because, of course, all of the little girls were there… I felt like I

[C. Mackin]

gave them all an opportunity to actually get somewhere… to say, ‘Oh, I can do something like her someday.’” At the end of each show, dancers filtered out of the back doors of the Saenger to greet the anxiously awaiting audience scattered with family and friends of cast members and little girls dressed

as Tiana. Garza acknowledges, “... it was very important for all the kids, the little princesses… to see themselves onstage.”

Days later, after the excitement of the performance had dwindled, Blakely received a letter from State Representative Barbara Drummond

“I felt like I gave [the little girls...an opportunity to actually get somewhere, to say, ‘Oh, I can do something like her someday.’”

congratulating her on her historic achievement and commending her leadership and dedication to performing arts. Blakely was completely caught off-guard. “Am I noticed? What is going on?” she asked. “I didn’t even know what to say…”

Garza concludes, “... at the end when I saw [the show], I thought that it was beautiful. I was very happy.”

Working alongside Blakely in the studio, I never imagined her hard work would lead to a historic milestone in the African American and Mobile community.

[C. Mackin]

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Opinion Bias Spreads Rampant in Media Camille Buckner ‘22, Co-Editor-in-Chief

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he field of journalism has become corrupted by bias, especially in recent years.

Political parties in our country are becoming increasingly more radicalized, polarized, and divided, causing an irrational inability to listen to each other. We undermine each other’s opinions and blatantly refuse to hear or read anything that we do not agree with. Subjectivity in the media has become a paramount problem in our society today.

Right (Republican) and left (Democrat) leaning news outlets ( Fox News and CNN) have never been uncommon, but in recent years, the once hazy lines have been thoroughly solidified in many cases.

The reason that bias in the media is problematic is that it spreads “fake” or exaggerated news. The

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proper, yet somewhat dated term for this phenomenon is “yellow journalism.” Yellow journalism is the exaggeration of facts that stray from the truth in any published news piece. The problem is that when younger, more naive, and less politically-informed individuals read these convincing fake news reports, they may mistake them for the truth when parts of it may be fabricated. This threatens the stability of our country.

The party division prevalent in the United States is undeniable.

Political parties are becoming increasingly extreme and disagreeable. Democracy is in jeopardy, as radical opposites attack one another and unreliable news sources publish more opinion than they do fact, fueling the fire. The concept of pol-

itics, a major aspect of the news and its subjectivity, is in itself riddled with artifice. In his book, Empire of Illusion, American journalist Chris Hedge says, “Political leaders no longer need to be competent, sincere, or honest. They need only to appear to have these qualities.”

The same seems to be for the media nowadays. It is corrupt and misleading.

In a time of polarization and disinformation, journalists must be keenly aware of any bias and take on the responsibility of maintaining objectivity. It is more important now than ever that people have accurate and reliable news sources when reading up on the latest endeavours in the United States.

Opinion It’s Not Just a Word

Rylee-Ann Roberts ‘24, Staff Reporter

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t’s the summer of 2021. You’re in a car with your friends, singing along to the radio. The profane lyrics of the song you’re singing are censored, but your friends’ mouths are not. Something about hearing that word from your white friends––even in a song––ƒeels off to you. Your voice trails off as the song continues. Even after the song ends, the word echoes around in your head: Why were they comfortable saying that? Am I overreacting?

Should I say something? Does it matter since they’re my friends?

The word has been around since the 1600’s, holding the weight of condemned black souls for centuries. The derogatory term––which I’ll refer to as the n-word––never fails to leave a fresh wound when spoken, despite being hundreds of years old. Elizabeth Pryor, associate professor of history at Smith College, discusses this derogatory term in her TED Talk, “Why It’s So Hard to Talk About the N-Word.” She says, “The six-letter word is like a capsule of accumulated hurt. Every time it is said, every time, it releases into the atmosphere the hateful notion that black people are less.” Although the slur shouldn’t be spoken by some, that doesn’t mean it should never be discussed. In fact, it needs to be.Different variations of this word can be found in pop culture, history, and literature. Its prevalence forces one to wonder: what exactly is a derogatory word, which voices do you listen to, and how does a word’s context affect its meaning?

According to Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary, a slur is defined as “an insulting or disparaging remark or innuendo” that has “a shaming or degrading effect.” Slurs are typically used to target a specific minority or marginalized group. The n-word was originally used to refer to black slaves shipped to the Americas in the early 1600s. Randall Kennedy of the Washington Post writes, “When John Rolfe recorded in his journal the first shipment of Africans to

Virginia in 1619, he listed them as ‘negars’...No one knows precisely when or how [earlier versions of the word] turned derisively into [the n-word] and attained a pejorative meaning. We do know, however, that by the end of the first third of the nineteenth century, [the n-word] had already become a familiar and influential insult.” Throughout history it has morphed into the slang term we frequently hear, originally planted into the mouths of white slave owners and watered with hate, growing rapidly like a malignant weed.

Historians, journalists, and researchers, in and outside of the United States, have debated the controversial nature of the word and its place in American vernacular and culture. Krissah Thompson, The Post’s first managing editor for diversity and inclusion, writes that the n-word is “a shifty organism that has managed to survive on these shores for hundreds of years by lurking in dark corners, altering its form, splitting off into a second specimen and constantly seeking out new hosts, all the while retaining its basic and vile DNA...it defies black-and-white interpretations and hard-and-fast rules.” In an interview discussing the term, Professor Andrews, an instructor of black studies at Birmingham City University in Birmingham, England, describes the original use of the word as a name for a black labrador who was the mascot for the Dambusters, a Royal Air Force 617 Squadron in World War II: “Part of the thing about the N-word and why it was used for the dog and why it’s used in that kind of affectionate way is because [black people] were seen to be like animals.”

The hatred and elitism stemming from this word is evident elsewhere in history. A poem titled “[N-Words] in the White House”was published in newspapers between 1901 and 1903. The poem was written referring to Booker T. Washington, a

black man, who joined President Theodoore Roosevelt for dinner in 1901. In response to this unorthodox occurrence, Democratic Senator of South Carolina Benjamin Tillman argued that “The action of President Roosevelt in entertaining that [N-word] will necessitate our killing a thousand [N-words] in the South before they will learn their place again.” This “killing” was seen in the form of mob murders without legal action or agreement, otherwise known as lynchings. According to the NAACP, from 1882 to 1968, 4,743 lynchings occurred in the United States. The last recorded lynching in America was in Mobile, Alabama, across the bay from our bluff. In the words of Leada Gore, Alabama journalist for Al.com, “In 1981, 19-year-old Michael Donald’s body was found dangling from a tree in Mobile. The murder, carried out by members of the Ku Klux Klan, is sometimes referred to as the last documented lynching in America.”

So, can a word with such evil connotations and surrounded by such evil actions be used in a more justified context?

As time has progressed, black individuals have ‘reclaimed’ the word. Samuel Sturaro and Fabio Fasoll of University of Surrey emphasized the action of reclaiming. ‘’Instances in which Black people use the N-word to label themselves are referred to as episodes of ‘reclaiming.’ This use of derogatory labels by stigmatized people is often meant to be an action to ‘take the power back’ and transform offensive terms into neutral ones. Still, reclaiming is a risky process, given that may be perceived as non-offensive and empowering only under certain conditions.’’ These “certain conditions” typically imply the use of the word in a less-demeaning context. For example, from the mouth of a black musician in a song lyric. Similarly, when used in educational literature, the word can enlighten the reader.

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Opinion To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee and The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, bring the reader back to the time when this word was wrongfully owned. Elizabeth Pryor, in her previously mentioned TED Talk, discusses how the n-word makes its way into our lives as teenagers. “It’s in the music they love. And in the popular culture they emulate, the comedy they watch, it’s in TV and movies and memo-

rialized in museums. They hear it in locker rooms, on Instagram, in the hallways at school, in the chat rooms of the video games they play.

It is all over the world they navigate.

But they don’t know how to think about it or even really what the word means.”

Derogatory words hold weight.

They are not “just words”; they have an inherently degrading nature. It is important to acknowledge a word’s

history and significance in the eyes of the people it has dehumanized.

However, just acknowledging this information is not enough. This is a call to action; for everyone to listen and change for the better. Freedom of speech matters and should be valued, but this freedom becomes problematic when it infringes someone else’s worth. Encourage others, and yourself, to be mindful of language and the significance it holds.

Closing the Gap Between Mental Strength and Mental Health Kate Ginger ‘23, Copy Editor

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he term “olympian” refers to one of the twelve greater gods of ancient Greece. So, yes. God-like.

All-powerful. The pinnacle of humanity. Tremendous physical attributes without the imprecise flaws human beings possess. A commodity that we serve on international television every four years, adorned with the patriotic colors of their respective countries.

Will they bring honor to their country?

Or will they “choke”?

Amidst cheering for my own country, I, like many viewers of the Olympic games, forget these athletes are also people and not Greek gods to be placed upon unattainable pedestals. And like most of us at one time or another, they have experienced mental struggles whether it be a phenomenon in gymnastics known as “the twisties” or more mainstream mental health struggles people experience like depression and anxiety.

During the 2020 Olympic Games earlier this year, Simone Biles dropped out of women’s gymnastics all-around competition to prioritize her own mental and physical health. In an Instagram story, Biles described “the twisties,” a mental block she experienced where “[she] literally [could] not tell up from down. It’s the craziest feeling ever. Not having an inch of control over your body… [I]t’s honestly petrifying trying to do a skill but not having your mind and body in sync.”

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Biles’ courageous choice, an act of self-preservation, paved the way for future athletes to choose their physical and mental well-being over the enormous pressure to succeed.

However, this decision was widely debated; according to Vanity Fair, sports radio host Clay Travis appeared on Fox News, stating, “I think this is a massive issue for the United States women’s Olympics gymnastics team that she’s decided to quit in the middle of competition.” Furthermore, Charlie Kirk, an American activist and radio talk show host, asserted that America is “raising a generation of weak people like Simone Biles.”

On the other hand, “[b]eing an athlete, you’re supposed to be this strong person who doesn’t have weaknesses, doesn’t have any problems,” Michael Phelps, former competitive swimmer and Olympic gold medalist recognizes and continues to say that, “No, that’s wrong.” How can we reconcile this gap between mental strength and mental health? Sacrificing one’s mental health can be seen as an act of mental toughness. Adversely, protecting one’s mental health is often seen as a sign of weakness, a deficiency in one’s mental strength.

This attitude around athletes’ mental health not only affects Olympic athletes, but also some of our very own at Bayside. But without the weight of one’s country upon them, where

does this pressure to succeed come from? Dealing with this self-inflicted pressure is its own battle, one that Bayside’s athletes struggle with everyday. “Definitely, the most pressure comes from myself,” Marlee Moore ‘23 asserts, and Causey Thompson ‘24 agrees: “Nobody’s forcing me to be like this, go to college here, or win this tournament… it’s more just me telling myself.”

However, the impact of this pressure may prove to be detrimental.

“When you’re putting all your time and your effort into something and you’re not getting anywhere, it’s infuriating,” Moore explains. Coach Beebe, head of the Bayside golf team explains, “You have to be ready mentally to beat the stress or pressure, so [it doesn’t] affect your performance negatively.

Especially in young athletes, they have self-doubt, guilt, fear of failure, [and] negative self-talk.” To achieve this mental readiness to compete, an athlete has to know their limits, when to push through a minor injury and when they are putting themselves in danger. At the end of the day, setting these personal boundaries is not an act of weakness but an act of bravery: something only athletes, themselves, can truly judge.

News Maggots in the Living

Miranda McDonald ‘23, Layout Editor

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aggots, the gnocchi-like vermin that burrow and feast on living and non-living things. The fly larvae typically hatch within twenty-four hours of being laid. Popular breeding areas include feces, decaying animals, trash cans, broken drains, or any other unsanitary places. Though maggots are most commonly associated with filth and decay, did you know they are an instrumental source of health and growth?

Maggot therapy has actually been used for centuries.

The first doctor to ever document maggots as beneficial to health was Ambroise Pare, a French surgeon in the 16th century.

Unbeknownst to him, a patient, who was missing about a hand sized chunk of his skull, was infected with maggots. Pare studied this patient along [I. Rutland] with the maggots and, miraculously, the patient survived the injury. Centuries later, it was used in World War I. Dr. William Baer documented the impact of this theory as a beneficial treatment for soldiers . He monitored wounds that were infested with maggots by accident and according to his notes and observations, the maggot-filled wounds experienced expedited healing process compared to others. After the war, Dr. Baer continued his research at John Hopkins University by testing the effects of sterile maggots on wounds. Because of his groundbreaking data, maggot therapy was used in hospitals across North America by the 1930s.

In 2004, the Food and Drug Association (FDA)approved and labeled

maggot therapy (MT) as a medical device for non-healing wounds.

Maggot therapy goes by many names, like larvae therapy or maggot debridement therapy. MT involves the use of medical grade, common green bottle fly larvae being placed either bagged or directly on the wound. Patients must meet strict requirements before being eligible for MT. A few of these qualifying conditions include vascular ulcers,

diabetic foot ulcers, and other pressure injuries.

Flies have four stages of life: eggs, larvae, pupae, and adult flies. Once the eggs are laid under monitored conditions they are sterilized and packaged. When the larvae reach their final destination, they are either placed directly onto the infected area, or they are bagged. In either case, the insects are then bound to the wound by wrapping cloth around the injury.

This usually consists of five to eight maggots per square centimeter. Once larvae are full, they tend to wiggle away from their meal. Binding the insect to the wound restricts them from leaving the site and forces the larvae to devour more bacteria. After about

three to seven days, the larvae must be removed from the wound before they reach the third phase, pupae. Because they are considered medical devices, the used maggots are a biohazard and must be discarded in a safe manner. A common method is by disintegrating the baby flies. Treatments usually consist of doing this process two to three times, to truly decimate infections.

So, how does MT work? Maggots perform three important tasks: debridement, antimicrobial activity, and stimulation of new tissue growth. As maggots burrow into the wound, Their spinelike grooves scrape and loosen dead tissue from the area.

This machine-like movement is why the maggot is considered a medical device. The bug then extreates digestive enzyme juices that liquify the expired flesh, so it is ready for consumption. The wiggling and secretion even promote the growth of new tissue. A major part of maggot therapy is draining the liquid from the bandaged area. The living tissue is not harmed during this process.

Although many doctors are not aware of MT’s existence, it has been relentlessly tested by the FDA, the National Center for Biotechnology Information, and other various science foundations to be proven as a beneficial treatment. Most insurance plans even cover the cost of the treatment.

With the rising awareness of this groundbreaking procedure, maggot therapy has the potential to become a new norm in the medical profession.

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News The Alabama Opioid Crisis Camille Buckner ‘22, Co-Editor-in-Chief

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he notorious opioid crisis plagues all of the nation, but the severity of its presence in Alabama is especially alarming.

Although the issue has been addressed from the angle of physicians who were overprescribing, opioid abuse remains ever-present in Alabama.

To understand the crisis from a medical perspective, BA Today spoke with Spring Hill Emergency Physician, Dr. Chad VanDerHeyden. He explained that the strength of medicine being prescribed in Alabama does not often correlate with the necessity. He expressed that this incongruence is unparalleled by states like California and Arizona, where he had previously worked. “When I came here there were parents that were demanding that a teenager with a sprained ankle get an opiate. It was shocking to me.”

Dr. VanDerHeyden also shared many first-hand experiences he has had with “drug seekers” in the ER and expressed concerns with the frequency of overdoses. A drug seeker is someone who seeks narcotics from a physician or licensed prescriber. Dr. VanDerHeyden sees on average one to two patients every shift for whom opioids are an underlying problem. He elaborates, “I would say that every two or three shifts that I’m working, I will get an ambulance call where the ambulance is asking me to declare death as a result of overdose.”

The vast prevalence of drug seekers in the ER causes major complications when doctors deal with patients experiencing pain. Dr. VanDerHeyden stresses, “If you think about it, the patient is going to be saying to you, ‘but I need this pain medicine, because I hurt.’ Well, an addict is going to say the same thing because their withdrawal is that they hurt.” Patients will use false names, travel across states, or get somebody else to seek drugs for them in desperate efforts to obtain opioids, fuel their own drug habits, or to divert the pain meds for mon-

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ey. This exploitation of the medical industry makes it challenging for doctors to decipher between addicts and patients experiencing real pain.

Dr. VanDerHeyden elaborates, “If I spend all my time trying to police that, then the worst case scenario is if I miss real pain in somebody. It is one of the hardest parts in emergency medicine because the ones who are there for drugs will go crazy if you do not give them drugs.”

To understand how addiction specialists are encountering addiction in their field and combating the issue, BA Today spoke with Dr. Luke Engeriser, a psychiatrist with a specialty in addiction medicine and medical director of a new Behavioral Health Crisis Center in Mobile, which is a short-stay facility meant to serve as an alternative to hospitalization.

Despite improvements on the medical front, with enhanced caution in prescribing opioids, addiction specialists like Dr. Engeriser have seen an increase in addicts and opioid overdose deaths, since the pandemic.

“We already had a big problem with opioid use in our community before the pandemic, and unfortunately, the use of opioids has gone up significantly the past two years due to stressors associated with the pandemic.”

Psychiatrists and addiction specialists are at the forefront of treatment. A major challenge addicts will face early on in their recovery is withdrawal. As Dr. Engeriser explains, “Although not usually medically dangerous, [withdrawals] can be extremely uncomfortable with generalized body pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, trouble sleeping, and severe anxiety being some of the common symptoms.”

Upon using safer medications to relieve withdrawal symptoms and to avoid more dangerous drugs like heroin or fentanyl, addicts will need persistent support in staying sober.

Often, patients will be referred to addiction recovery programs to facilitate

progress and prevent relapse.

Dr. Engeriser explains that the problem often originates in the doctor or dentist’s office when a person is prescribed an opioid to relieve pain following a surgery or procedure. “Most people will take the opioid for a short period of time and will stop, but there are some that may continue to experience pain and need to take medication longer. Others might continue to use the medication because it relieves feelings of depression, loneliness, or anxiety. This can be the beginning of a cycle into addiction.”

Opioid abuse impacts all aspects of a person’s life. “In someone with an opioid use disorder, we typically see physical dependence, tolerance and withdrawal, and compulsive use, which may cause broader problems in relationships, work or school, and general life functioning.” The devastating and destructive nature of an opioid addiction is precisely why it is imperative to assist those who need help toward recovery.

Despite the gravity of the issue, there are ways that the medical industry is combating opioid abuse. One major way doctors prevent prescribing to drug seekers is by using a nationwide database. Dr. VanDerHeyden explains that the database provides an objective way to identify drug seeking behavior and prevent prescribing to the wrong people. Beyond this, though, there is room for improvement on the front of making rehabs and treatment facilities more accessible. As Dr. VanDerHeyden urges, “I think that we need to have more options [readily available] and provide primary care doctors with more options to give addicts, because right now all I can do is say ‘I’m concerned that you have a problem’ and tell them to look up narcotics anonymous on the web.” Treatment facilities should also be made available for the uninsured, given that many addicts lack health insurance. Another way to alleviate the

News problem would be to expand the database that doctors use to incorporate more states and facilitate efficiency in its usage.

Dr. Engeriser emphasizes the need for de-stigmatization around drug and alcohol addiction as the primary means for addressing the problem.

“We can all help to decrease the stigma by educating ourselves that drug and alcohol addictions are medical disorders, people struggling with addiction

are suffering, and most wish they could be free of their addiction.” He urges, “The best way to interact with someone with a substance use disorder is through compassion rather than judgment.”

Opioid addiction is a dangerous and grave problem in Alabama. Although the crisis has improved from a medical standpoint, there are still many changes that need to be made to work toward eliminating opioid abuse

in our state and nationwide.

If you or someone you know is struggling with opioid abuse, contact the 24/7, 365-day-a-year treatment referral and information service, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)’s National Helpline: 1-800-662-HELP (4357). Locally, someone with a mental health or substance problem can call AltaPointe Health at 251-4502211.

Enjoy It While It Lasts

Miranda McDonald ‘23, Layout Editor

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very year, Bayside 5th graders are enchanted by nature and wildlife on their field trip to Dauphin Island Sea Lab. Dauphin Island has been capturing the curiosity of people for centuries, even dating back to 1100 CE. Native American skeletons from this time period were found by the French in 1699. The amount of skeletons led the French to believe there was a massacre; this led to the nickname “Massacre Island.” The American Indians used Dauphin Island for a source of fish, clams, oysters, and other shellfish.

Evidence of the discarded bones and shells can still be found all over the island. In fact, Choctaw and Creek tribes from Florida used the island as a source of food until the 1830s when they were forced to move west.

Unfortunately, the island that has held a special place in every student’s heart might be sinking.

The island’s shape resembles a drumstick. It is divided into two sections: the Eastern side and the Western side. The Eastern side is the round widened end and is made up of mostly sand dunes and pine trees.

These offer the Eastern side more protection from erosion and flooding. On the other hand, the Western side is the long strip of land where

more expensive houses reside. Since the land on the west end is flatter, it is prone to flooding.

Due to the frequent flooding and continuous rise of sea levels, house values are rapidly dropping in Alabama. A study done by Columbia University and First Street Foundation discovered that from 2005 to 2017, the value of houses has dropped by about $157 million.

On Dauphin Island, resale value has dropped about $23 million within the 12-year time span.

In an interview with upper school chemistry teacher, Mr. Sam Small, he commented, “Someone said, ‘it’s so silly building houses on barrier island because it basically is a huge sand bar’, and there is some truth to that.”

He went on to explain that, “Dauphin Island is a barrier island. Its constantly shifting sands; it is never the same. Even after a tropical storm, you see erosion and changes in the size of the island from aerial views.”

According to University of Birmingham at Alabama’s wbhm.org, the total landmass has decreased by 16 percent over the past 50 years.

Dauphin Island Sea Lab director Ken Heck, predicts that the low western side of the island will submerse in the next 30 to 40 years In past years, Dauphin Island has been unmercifully bombarded with storms, each wreaking their own

havoc on the terrain. On September 12, 1979, Dauphin Island saw one of its first substantial storms in the modern era. Frederic was a Category 3 hurricane with 12-foot tall storm surge and 120-mile-per-hour wind hurricane that swept through the Gulf Coast, destroying about 150 homes and the only bridge to the island. For the next few years, citizens’ only way to and from the island was the ferry from Mobile.

Since then, other major hurricanes, such as Katrina (2005) and Sally (2020), have desecrated the land.

“My grandmother has had three houses on the island since 1950.

The first one was destroyed by Frederick in 1979, the third by hurricane George 1998, and the third is on the East side of the island now.

After Hurricane George, the house was completely gone. We drove about half a mile up the road, and the house was… buried in the sand,” he recounted.

Mr. Small’s story of destruction is one of many. Dauphin Island has a choppy, dim history of ruthless weather. The future of Dauphin Island, unfortunately, doesn’t have a positive forecast. So, in the meantime, go fishing in the blue water, visit the Dauphin Island Sea Lab and recount the memories made there, or learn the full history of the island at Fort Gaines. Enjoy it while it lasts.

BA Today I 11

News Chaos in Cuba

Miranda Mcdonald ‘23, Layout Editor

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ith the rise of COVID-19 infections and the collapse of the public health system in Cuba, the tension has erupted. In July of 2021, Cuban citizens took to the streets in protest against the failing government.

A majority of Cuba’s income and goods stem from tourism. Due to strict U.S. sanctions for traveling, Cuba’s tourism has fallen drastically, which has affected Cuban foreign exchange income. This, along with strict trading sanctions surrounding COVID-19, has caused the country to fall into massive debt.

With the surge of new cases and lack of income, food and medical supplies have dwindled. Finding basic medicines, such as antibiotics or cough syrup, is nearly impossible, and a meal on the table is never guaranteed. The uncertainty of survival has triggered a frenzy of anxiety, panic, and rage.

According to John Hopkins Coronavirus Resource Center, Cuba

had around 705,000 COVID-19 infections and around 6,000 deaths since the beginning of the epidemic 2020. The small Mediterranean island of Cuba only had about 12,000 recorded cases in all of 2020. As of August 2021, the number of cases has multiplied by 58 times due to the new Delta variant.

Cuban infectious disease researcher Eduardo López-Collazo believes these statistics may have been skewed. In “Overwhelmed

by Coronavirus, Cuba’s Vaunted Health System Is Reeling” by The New York Times, López-Collazo explains the “mystery” surrounding his sister’s death. Despite testing positive for COVID-19 twice and being hospitalized to monitor low oxygen levels, her death certificate states that she died from pulmonary thrombosis, a blood clot that occurs in the lung. López-Collazo believes the Cuban government has been systematically changing death certificates in order to appear as a more efficient country. To some,

this is a conspiracy theory, while to others this is the truth.

On July 11, 2021, civilians took to the streets in protest of the government, demanding change. The rallies originated in San Antonio’s de los Baños, a town 21.6 miles outside of Havana.

President Migues Díaz-Canel rapidly responded to the situation by sending out a formal statement calling “revolutionists” to take to the streets. This was preceded by teams of police arresting almost 500 protesters.

Through the widespread use of media, news of the revolt extended to the rest of the island before the internet was abruptly shut down by the government. Within the next few days, the entire Republic of Cuba was in protest.

While tensions have waned and action has ceased since the initial outbreaks, this monumental outcry for help has hopefully brought attention to the government’s issues and may spark a change for the better.

Mayhem in Moldova

Cole Boswell ‘22, Photo Editor

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ocated in Eastern Europe, in between Ukraine and Romania, the country of Moldova is in a state of emergency. The country’s main gas supplier, Gazprom, cut supplies by a third due to a contract between Moldova and Gazprom. The company demanded that the nation pay double the original price of gas in order to maintain a continuing contract.

By declaring a state of emergency, Moldova would be able to purchase gas from other companies, which would allow for cheaper prices

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and a greater supply. According to the Head of Ukranian gas transmission, Sergiy Makogon, there is only enough gas to ensure 67% of Moldova’s current needs. Ukraine has agreed to continue pumping gas to its neighbor that consumes nearly three billion cubic meters of gas per year. This occurrence has multiple leaders concerned for the wellbeing of the nation. The Prime Minister of Moldova, Natalia Gavrilita, stated, “We face a critical situation.” Andrei Spinu, another Moldovan politician, exclaimed

that a contract with Gazprom “was not justified and not realistic” for Europe’s poorest country. Political experts say that Russia wants Moldova to pay the consequences for electing a Prime Minister who is Pro-European. With the state of emergency expiring by the end of November, Moldovan government officials hope to secure enough gas to supply the nation for the winter season.

News Apprehension in Afghanistan Ben VanDerHeyden ‘22, Co-Editor-in-Chief

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n August 15, 2021, Kabul fell. After 20 years of fighting, the United States began to slowly extradite themselves from the War in Afghanistan, leaving the war in the hands of the now former Afghan government. After two weeks, Kabul and the rest of Afghanistan fell to the Taliban.

The Taliban’s brief ruling stint in Afghanistan from 1996 to 2001 has left many Afghans unsure and nervous about what their new government will look like in 2021. In the late 90’s, the Taliban ran Afghanistan based on a strict interpretation of Sharia law (Islamic law based off of religious precepts from the Quran), resulting in harsh punishments, such as public whippings, amputations, and even beheadings. As a part of their ultra-conservative values, the Taliban also held very tradition-

al views on the rights of women; they barred them from going to school and work and required a male guardian to accompany them wherever they went.

Today, the Taliban has made promises to the world that they have changed over the past 20 years; however, these promises carry little to no weight. They have promised general amnesty to all of the former government officials and U.S. allies and have promised a slight reform in their views on women. They have said that women will only need a male guardian while on a trip of three days or longer, and they will allow women to attend schools and go to work, albeit segregated from men.

Multiple reports have emerged of ex-government officials being executed by Taliban fighters; however, the neophyte govern-

ment continues to promise the reinstatement of ex-government officials to their respective offices.

Many Afghans, nevertheless, fear the new Taliban regime; thousands fled on board commercial airlines and foreign airlifts from the Kabul Airport, creating a scene reminiscent of the final evacuations from Saigon at the end of the Vietnam War. ISIS bombed the airport on August 26, killing over 60 Afghans and 13 U.S. military personnel, who were aiding in the mass exodus of terrified Afghans.

After the deaths of over 2,400 Americans and the injuries sustained by over 20,000 Americans all to the outcome of the Taliban regaining power, all that we can do is to wait and watch to see what this new government will mean for Afghanistan and the world.

[CNN]

BA Today I 13

News Texas S. B. 8 Law

The Effects of Anti-Abortion Legislation May Be Felt Nationwide

Kate Ginger ‘23, Copy Editor

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n August 31, 2021 in Texas, Senate Bill 8 (S.B. 8), banning most abortions after six weeks, went into full effect. The law allows any private citizen to file a report on anyone who performs an abortion or assists in acquiring one. Successful lawsuits allocate 10,000 dollars to the plaintiff. This is currently our nation’s most restrictive abortion measure.

Once any cardiac activity has been detected, usually around six weeks, abortion procedures are prohibited by the legislation; however,“[i]t is extremely possible and very common for people to get to the sixth week mark and not know they are pregnant,” Dr. Jennifer Villavicencio, lead for equity transformation at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, told the New York Times. Also, it is estimated that around 85 percent of women seeking abortions are at least six weeks pregnant. Elizabeth Nash, state policy analyst for the Guttmacher Institute, a research organization that supports abortion rights, noted the “narrow exceptions,” stating that abortion is permitted “if the pregnancy could endanger the mother’s life or lead to ‘substantial and irreversible impairment of a major bodily function.’” The law allows no exceptions for incest or rape.

Throughout Texas, women seeking abortions are traveling to clinics in Colorado, New Mexico, and Oklahoma; “[h]owever, not every patient can afford to seek out-of-state care,” Lauren Fraizer, Director of Communications and Marketing at Planned

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Parenthood Southeast points out.

Abortion clinics in surrounding states are inundated primarily with Texas residents who have the financial resources to seek other options, this being primarily a wealthier, white demographic. The American Public Health Association (APHA) states, “Women of lower socioeconomic status and women of color in the United [CC] States have higher rates of abortion than women of higher socioeconomic status and White women.”

Essentially, women at risk of losing their jobs or who are unable to find childcare are those who are in the most need, yet they are being required to carry their pregnancies to term under current legislation. APHA continues, “These disparities are related to systemic hardships experienced by disadvantaged communities, including decreased access to health care, higher levels of stress, exposure to racial discrimination, and poorer living and working conditions.”

S.B. 8 legislation deputizes private citizens to sue anyone who performs or “aids and abets” in an abortion procedure, infringing upon doctor-patient confidentiality. Frazier asserts, “Abortion is a personal choice, and it is not a politician’s place to interfere with that decision.”

Despite Biden’s statement that “[his] administration is deeply committed to the constitutional right established in Roe v. Wade nearly five decades ago and will protect and defend that right,” there is a likelihood that this landmark Supreme Court decision, which protects a woman’s choice to have an abortion, will be overturned. On September 1, the Supreme Court approved the ban, effectively halting Roe v. Wade protections, but on October 6, a federal district court filed a preliminary injunction, blocking S.B. 8 until Texas appealed to the Fifth

Circuit Court.

Now the ban is back in place, and it has become more apparent that “abortion access is at risk across the country,” Fraizer states. In regards to ongoing anti-abortion legislation, she elaborates, “Lawmakers in several states have already begun drafting copycat laws similar to S.B. 8. Alabama, Mississippi, and several other states have constitutional amendments on the books to ban abortion completely if Roe v. Wade is ever overturned.” On December 1, the Supreme Court will hear Mississippi’s bid to overturn Roe v. Wade. The state is arguing to enforce its 2018 law prohibiting all abortions after 15 weeks.

“The [Mississippi] case is a promising opportunity for the pro-life movement to have the biggest Supreme Court win since 1973,” said John Seago, legislative director for anti-abortion group Texas Right to Life. “We are optimistic.” However, according to Neelam Bohra, reporter at the Texas Tribune, “Legal experts say the court is likely to make a narrower ruling, rather than overturning Roe v. Wade, which means it could strike down the Mississippi ban without touching Texas’ law at all.” Under these circumstances, Roe v. Wade may be upheld, permitting abortion on a federal level while anti-abortion legislation can still restrict access in individual states.

In the case that Roe v. Wade is overturned, abortion access for women will be further restricted across the nation.

Student Life A “How To” Guide to College Applications Cole Boswell ‘22, Photo Editor

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he moment is now: Senior year.

All the preparation for college is finally coming into use, but it all begins freshman year. Bayside allows its students full access to be able to understand the steps of college admissions, which is provided by college counselors Marry Ann Willis and Ellen Blackwell. Now that I am a senior, I can reflect on my previous years to help other students, who will follow the same journey of college searching and admissions.

Even though freshman year does not seem like an important year for the college journey, it truly is. In fact, every year is extremely important. It is helpful to become a member in clubs for extended periods of time, and by starting freshman year, colleges see your dedication to a specific interest of yours. Also, freshman grades do matter. Colleges will see your semester average in every class you take. If you have lower grades freshman year, make sure you strive to excel to have an upward trend of grades throughout high school.

Although it’s not quite time to panic, sophomore year is when you should start to think about what type of college or university you would be interested in. Factors can vary from a school’s size, majors, or location. Once

you find out your interest, using Scoir’s feature with college search will provide a list full of potential suits. From there, you can start to narrow down and formulate an idea of where you would like to go.

Next, the most stressful year: Junior year.

For many reasons, that is. From school work to college searching, the third year of highschool tends to cause the most stress. But, this year is essential towards contructing your college list. By the end of this year, you should have a list of colleges that you would like to apply to that vary from targets to reaches. This is also an important year to show demonstrated interest, which is where a majority of colleges track to see how many times you have engaged with them through virtual programs, tours, or emails. Doing this shows your interest and likelihood of attending that particular college. But remember to find a way to balance coursework, as well as embarking on the college

journey.

Okay, panic. Senior year has been insanely overwhelming because of the seven classes I take, my part-time job, the four clubs I’m involved in, tennis, writing an overload of college essays, filling out financial aid forms, college interviews, and constant trips to Mrs. Blackwell’s office, seeking assistance.

Over the summer, I prepared my college list and began to think about what I would write about in my Common App essay. Once the school year starts, I advise you to begin writing all of your essays and finding out what supplemental essays you may need to write for particular colleges. Make constant lists to keep track of all deadlines and tasks, in order to be as stress free as possible.

While the college admissions process may be daunting, following the steps from the college counselors truly does allow for a smooth ride. You can reach out to them through email or you can schedule an appointment with them in person. Just know every year counts, so keep focused, and work hard every year to reach your full potential.

Mary-Ann Willis (left) and Ellen Blackwell (Right). [C. Boswell]

BA Today I 15

Student Life The Color of Math

Isabelle Rutland ‘24, Staff Reporter

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ne of the most divisive questions that you can ask a student is, “What color is math?”

Students who like to stay organized often dedicate a specific color to each school subject. They buy a specific color binder for one subject or write their homework in colored ink that corresponds to a certain class. This seems like a fun, practical idea; however, students take these color associations very seriously. The question of what color goes with each subject has the power to spark a heated debate that can carry on for an entire class period.

Why do students feel so strongly about color coding? What are Bayside’s most popular color-to-class combos? And, how do Bayside’s results compare to other schools?

It is undeniable that color is one of the most important aspects of the human experience. Perhaps students are so fond of color coding because it has the potential to improve memory performance and cognitive function. A study done as early as 1976 recognizes the link between color and increased attention. However, not everyone has the exact same response to the same colors. As Colorpsychology.org puts it, “We feel color. How or what we feel about it varies from person to person….Color perception is subjective, and certain colors have a very universal significance.” With color being so subjective, it makes sense that students would have wildly different opinions on color coding. One person may see the color green and think of growth, while another is reminded of sickliness. This begs the question: Is it even possible for us to agree on what color goes with which subject?

A survey of Bayside’s students and faculty revealed that red and blue are the two major contenders for “the color of math.” Various sources consider red and blue to be two of the most evocative colors, albeit for different reasons. The color red is energizing,

16 I BA Today

powerful, and proven to be able to raise a person’s heart rate. On the other hand, blue is orderly, mentally soothing, and can lower blood pressure. Sophomore Ivy Steiner is firmly on team blue. She offered her explanation: “Math is stable. Other subjects have [exceptions]...but math has rules. Once you find the right answer, you’re calm, and for me, blue is calm.”

Senior Cole Boswell disagreed and got straight to the point: “I hate math. It makes me angry, and red is angry.” He cited the 2015 Pixar movie Inside Out as proof.

Student journalists of The Sagamore, Brookline High School’s award-winning newspaper, conducted a similar survey in 2020. Their results show unexpected similarities to Bayside’s color preferences: Science is overwhelmingly green, English is yellow, and foreign language is, by a small majority, purple. A survey done by Reddit user bekahbuxi echoes the same results, almost down to the percentage. Consider, for example, the most popular color for science. The Sagamore reported a majority of 76.1% for the color green; Reddit user bekahbuxi reported 75.3%, and Bayside stands at 70.1%.

It seems that even across schools, students are waging similar color wars.

However, there’s no need to swap out your blue science binder for a green one. There is no definitive, correct answer to the debate, and no color is psychologically proven to fit better with a specific subject. There is only each person’s individual preference, as everyone’s experience shapes his or her perception of color differently.

Whether you think math is red or blue, you can be sure of one thing: the next person over will be equally as stubborn in their opinion.

Student Life Should Schools in America teach Arabic Numerals as Part of their Curriculum?

Ben VanDerHeyden ‘22, Co-Editor-in-Chief

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his poll is aimed to test the gut reaction to a question that we more likely than not do not understand.

Arabic numerals are simply the numbers 0-9. Yeah, it’s really that simple.

Does this reflect any sort of racial prejudice? What if this reflects a lack of desire to learn something on top of Spanish or French, if Arabic numerals evokes an image of learning a new language? What if we actually knew what arabic numerals implied and just hate anything related to math? The poll answers all of these questions but fails to specify just exactly what guided our gut reaction. Those who answered ‘no opinion’ either did not care about answering the question or did not want to make any hasty assumption when not understanding the question. Those who answered ‘yes’ either understood the deception behind the question or

made an assumption based on curiosity in learning about a new culture or language. Overall, this poll does not serve to make serious accusations of the respondents, but rather, it encour-

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ages us to reflect on how quickly we make assumptions and to understand that it might be better to understand a question before answering it.

Yes 123 Upper School Students responded to the poll

No

New Student Spotlight: Bishop Burkhalter Rylee-Ann Roberts ‘24, Staff Reporter

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oung business owner, football star, and new freshman, Bishop Burkhalter is an entrepreneur and star defensive player who has brought his talents to Bayside Academy.

Coming from Spanish Fort, he says the change to Bayside has helped and continues to help him build better relationships with his instructors, which has helped him grow as a student. The coaching staff has impacted him in the same way. “You know, Coach Laz is a classy dude. I love Coach Laz and all my coaching staff. Both [Bayside and Spanish Fort] have been great schools. I’m just happy to be here.” When asked how football has influenced him, his response was unexpected. “Really, my first love is basketball,” he said. However, what he [David Cain] explained next suggests that football athleticism is in his quarterback at Rhode Island Universigenes. One of Bishop’s brothers is a ty. Given his brothers’ achievements, linebacker at University of California, the Bayside community looks forward Los Angeles, and his other brother is a

to seeing what path Bishop will take. Bishop’s future plans include a move to the sunshine state: “I just wanna end up in Florida, anywhere in Florida, rather be Miami. That’ll be the goal.”

In addition to football, Burkhalter owns a successful shoe resale business, 251kicks. He was inspired to start this business by his love for shoes and fashion. Although Bishop has had multiple buyers, and the business is a success, it wasn’t always that way. He says his first attempt in 7th grade failed. He then took a year to think about the business, and Bishop now runs the account at on his own at 15. When asked about his weirdest experience with a buyer, he said, “I had a guy pull up to my house at like 11 o’clock. It ended up going through. Kinda scary, though.” Bishop’s message to anyone wanting to start their own business “is to just start, because everyone starts somewhere.”

Bishop’s love for athletics and entrepreneurship is already making an impression at Bayside Academy.

BA Today I 17

Student Life New Admirals Steering the Ship

Cole Boswell ‘22, Photo Editor and Isabelle Rutland ‘24, Staff Reporter

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ith every school year comes new challenges, but two familiar faces around Bayside are having to adjust to an entirely different routine. Mrs. Frederick and Mr. Richardson are taking on new roles in Bayside’s administration: the positions of Head of Upper School and Dean of Students, respectively. BA Today interviewed Mrs. Frederick and Mr. Richardson separately to learn more about some of their new responsibilities and their histories at Bayside.

Arguably, the most daunting job in the whole of Bayside is the Head of Upper School. The position consists of direct contact with students, faculty, and parents, as well as keeping track of finances, admissions, and athletics. Former counselor Mrs. Frederick has stepped up to the plate and will be taking on the responsibilities of Interim Head of Upper School this year. Mrs. Frederick has three kids who are enrolled in or have graduated from Bayside: Avery (‘16), Annie (‘25), and Dawson (‘35). She began her educational career as a college counselor at The University of Jackson and later became Director of College Counseling.

When seeking employment at Bayside, she planned on doing the same work; however, the college counseling spot was filled, and Bayside needed an Upper School counselor. Though at first hesitant, she later fell in love with her new role. Now, after six years working at Bayside, her daily routine has completely shifted. “It’s very exhausting.

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It is night and day, it is weekends, it is never-stopping, but it is also energizing … Obviously, it’s more responsibility, and it’s daunting.” Mrs. Frederick feels that morale has been low due to COVID-19, and her hopes are to stay attentive to students’

voices and lift Bayside’s spirits.

Mrs. Frederick’s background in administration and her excellent listening skills from her time as a counselor allow her to take a perceptive and novel approach to leading the Upper School.

Since landing here in 2011,

Mr. Richardson and Mrs. Frederick pose for BA Today [K. Snell]

Student Life Mr. Richardson has become a seasoned expert in Bayside’s inner workings. His involvement in student government and as a grade dean had given him a taste of the administrative side of things, making him well-suited for his new position as Dean of Students. However, his time as a teacher had him used to a much more structured routine.

Mr. Richardson described this unexpected change: “The rhythm of my day has shifted, and I’m still trying to figure out what that is, exactly. I’m absolutely enjoying it very much so far, but it’s hard for me in the morning to see, ‘This is what’s going to happen in my day.’” After graduating from Saginaw State University in 2007, Mr. Richardson went straight into teaching, first in Charleston, South Carolina, where he met his wife, and now, at our own Bayside. For him, helping young people on their journey and sharing his own life experience is the most rewarding part of the job. Mr. Richardson went on to express his enthusiasm for the new role and his readiness to learn. In fact, he spoke of his love for learning often throughout the interview.

Of the Southern Mystique class, which he has been teaching alongside Mr. Robertson, Mr. Richardson said, “It changed a lot of the way that I taught. It really inspired a new curiosity for learning in my own professional life.” Mr. Richardson’s affinity for knowledge wasn’t always present, however. Ironically, his feelings towards school were somewhat apathetic when he was a student. Bearing his own school experience in mind, Mr. Richardson wants to encourage students– particularly seniors– to savor their time at Bayside.

He urged, “It’s going to be done before you know it. Don’t rush it, as much as you want to. Try to enjoy as much of this as you can.”

Although they have separate, unique backgrounds, Mrs. Frederick’s and Mr. Richardson’s ideals align in many ways. Both expressed a desire to take students’ well-being into account.

“I just enjoy being here to share this experience and try to share things that I’ve learned or just be there to listen– maybe just be someone who says, ‘Hi,’ on a day when no one else is saying hi to you,” remarked Mr. Richardson.

In response to student feedback, Mrs. Frederick and the staff are continuing to work out the kinks in this year’s highly disputed upon schedule. “Which was Mr. Montgomery’s brilliant idea before he left,” she’d like to point out. Mr. Richardson also plans to focus his support on Bayside’s clubs and student organizations.

“I just want students to recognize that if they have an idea and they want to put the time and energy into it, there are a lot of people on this campus and the

resources that will help support you to get there,” he said, and encouraged students to get in touch with him.

The BA Today staff wishes

“If I’m not in touch with the student voice, then I’m not doing my job … because at the end of the day, we want happy students, to be honest with you.”

- Mrs. Frederick Mrs. Frederick and Mr. Richardson the best of luck on their future endeavors at Bayside.

As a whole, we hope to see our community strengthen and come together. Connection with students and faculty is the administration’s major concern, and keeping that in mind is sure to lead to a successful year.

We’re glad to have these Admirals at the wheel! [K. Snell]

BA Today I 19

Lifestyle Pawsitively Purrfect

Wilson Engeriser ‘23, Staff Reporter

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aldwin Humane Society is a non-profit organization based in Baldwin County, and it has been serving the community for 41 years. They help the community by hosting events for adopting animals, spaying and neutering, keeping unwanted animals off the streets, and finding those animals loving homes. They have saved over 5,000 animals in their 41 years of service. Because Baldwin County is so rural, many people view animals, especially dogs, as a tool or as chores instead of family members to love.

Baldwin Humane Society is a no-kill agency. One of their main focuses besides their adoption center is their store called Uptail Resale. It’s a donation-based store, and the money they make from the store is invested straight back into the humane society and the animals they save. It also helps pay the multiple employees within the organization. They are also the first county-wide animal welfare agency in our area.

One of the most heartwarming opportunities Baldwin Humane Society has to offer is their “Pawsitive Therapy.” It’s a group of volunteers and pets that visit the local nursing homes and assisted living facilities.

As research suggests, interactions with animals can help decrease cortisol levels (stress-related hormone). By

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bringing them to assisted living homes, the animals also help decrease loneliness and boost overall morale.

Along with volunteer opportunities like foster care and general maintenance, they also host festivals such as Hound Dog Music Festival in the fall which is always a huge hit. Another major event that the Baldwin Humane Society hosts is their Annual Fall Art Contest, which is open to students from Kindergarten through 12th Grade in Baldwin County. Finally, the Soiree by the Bay is happening on December 17. It will be an elegant dinner with a silent auction, and you can sponsor the event as well, which gives you tickets, recognition, gifts, and more!

You can also get involved through volunteer opportunities listed above or even adopt a pet yourself! There are many amazing pets, waiting to become an integral part of your family. For just under $200 for a puppy, $150 for an adult dog, $100 for a kitten, and $75 for an adult cat you can adopt a new friend into your family.

Although the Humane Society is not allowing walk-in visits at their adoption center, making an appointment is super easy. The Adoption Center is located at 22886C Highway 98 in Fairhope, Al. After you adopt your pet

from the Humane Society, you can also get them spayed and neutered there for under $100. The low cost for both adopting and spaying and neutering your pet is something that the Humane Society prides itself on. They try to make things as cost efficient as possible in order for more pets to get proper treatment. They also help many families with medical care and partner with veterinarians around Baldwin County to achieve this goal.

As executive director Abby Pruet pointed out, there are over 75,000 homeless cats in the Baldwin County area.

The best option for dealing with that is catching the cats, giving them the proper vaccinations, and spaying and neutering them, then releasing them into the wild. In doing so, there will be fewer homeless kittens. If you only catch them and don’t release them back then Pruet described that the vacuum effect ensues: “When cats are removed like that, more cats will eventually move in.” One of Ms. Pruet’s favorite things about working at the shelter is that she “[loves] watching a cat or dog come in and seeing the immediate change in their spirit once they realize they are safe and that there are people around who want to help them.” Remember, there’s always a way to help the animals, and even the smallest action helps!

Lifestyle

Finley Takes her a bit to become comfortable, but a lovable friend for your family!

Max More of an older friend with some aches and pains but a loving companion!

Ramona A super energetic and loyal buddy who also loves food!

Basilio A little bit anxious and sensitive but can still be an amazing friend!

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Lifestyle ESRT Takes On New York Isabelle Rutland ‘24, Staff Reporter

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his fall, a group of talented actors and actresses from across Baldwin County traveled to the Big Apple for a once-in-a-lifetime performance. Daphne’s Eastern Shore Repertory Theatre (ESRT) puts on professional, high-quality performances for the community, the most widely acclaimed being their annual Theatre on the Bluff event in the spring. However, the ESRT family was recently presented with a unique opportunity: to bring their talent all the way to New York.

ESRT received special permission from the Grammy and Academy award-winning lyricist and composer of Godspell on Broadway, Stephen Schwartz, to present Godspell Jr. at the Naumburg Bandshell in Central Park. The comedic and heartfelt performance retells stories from Jesus’ life, complete with chart topping songs, spectacular dance numbers, and a powerful message of kindness, tolerance, and love. Unsurprisingly, a heaping amount of time and effort goes into putting on such a dazzling show, both on the stage and behind the scenes. Genevieve Magli, a sophomore at Bayside, commented on the efforts of the ESRT Auxiliary, who do anything from promotional and fundraising work to assisting with showtime needs. “The Auxiliary and the moms did so much work for the costumes. It’s incredible. And without them, we wouldn’t have half the show that we do.” Genevieve has been involved with ESRT for two years and described performing in New York as surreal. “In the moment, you’re not thinking about the fact that you’re performing in Central Park onstage.

But then afterward, I was like, ‘I just performed in Central Park.’ How many people get to say that they performed in Central Park?”

Central Park is not the only stage that ESRT members have rocked. In the fall, ESRT divides into two teams,

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each performing a different show at the Junior Theatre Festival (JTF), a festival that brings student musical theatre troupes from across the country to compete and celebrate young people’s theatre. In January, ESRT’s JTF West team will travel to Sacramento, California to perform Godspell Jr. once again, while the younger members of the JTF East team will travel to Atlanta to perform Seussical Jr. Meg Haynes, a senior at Bayshore Christian School, has been involved with ESRT since 2018 and will be performing in Sacramento with the JTF West team. She described her experiences with the rest of the cast. “Our travel teams are always so incredible.

It’s such a talented group of peers that I get the pleasure of working with all the time. We truly are like family, and when we go on trips together, it really just brings us so much closer. And, I won’t lie, there can be some competition within the cast at times, but we never let it break us apart.” Although

this will be Meg’s final year with the company, she expressed excitement for ESRT’s future. “[We have] a lot ahead in the near future with competition season approaching and the 2022 bluff show starting next semester. Especially now that we’ve been to [New York] and really put our name out there, I think there are a lot of unknowns in store for ESRT, and I can’t wait to see where it takes [us].”

The professionalism and dedication of the entire ESRT family– students, parents, sponsors, and supporters– shines through in their performances.

Through their participation in the Junior Theater Festival, their annual Theatre on the Bluff event, and this special production of Godspell Jr. in New York, ESRT is shining light on Baldwin County’s incredibly talented host of performers. Their efforts to raise a generation of successful actors, singers, and dancers have put them on the map in the world of the performing arts.

Bayside students Frannie Partin (‘24), Jessie Phillips (‘24), Addie Tripp (‘24), Elle Brown (‘23), Genevieve Magli (‘24), and Charles Carey (‘21) performed in Central Park with ESRT. [B. Glisson]

Lifestyle Happy News: Mindset is Everything Camille Buckner ‘22, Co-Editor-in-Chief

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he power of your mind is limitless. The brain’s plasticity makes it easy to implement a shift in mindset that will perpetuate inner peace and happiness. The common mantra, “think positive” is a very effective method in living a happier life. Ego often prevents us from seeing things for what they are and reaching acceptance in situations out of our control. Our egos keep our thoughts centered around ourselves. We take things personally because our brain makes everything about

us. We have upwards of 50,000 thoughts a day, a mere 10,000 of which are positive. Again, the ego is to blame. It traps us in a destructive

cycle of overthinking and selfblame and keeps us seeking control.

Sometimes, it is okay for things to be out of our hands. The truth is, consciousness is adaptive.

Culture often influences brain development, so forming new neural habits is entirely possible. Meditating, one method of forming new neural habits, trains our brains to remain in the present moment, which is crucial in reaching acceptance and subsequent bliss.

In theory, we create our own realities through selective and habitual thoughts, practices, and outlooks. Mindset is everything.

Bayside Students practicting meditation and mindlfulness

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Lifestyle

Athletics Is Bayside Actually Good at Sports?

Ben VanDerHeyden ‘22, Co-Editor-in-Chief

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ne would typically believe that any of the local 7A giants would completely obliterate any tiny 3A team, such as Bayside in any of the national sports rankings.

Bayside is a tiny school compared to the likes of Fairhope, Daphne, and Spanish Fort. However, due to last year’s performances on the tracks, courts, fields, and courses, Bayside not only outranked every single local high school, but they also ranked 3rd best sports program in the state (behind only Mountain Brook and Hoover) and 35th best in the nation in the recent MaxPreps Cup. As David defeated Goliath, Bayside defeated the entirety of Southern Alabama.

These rankings are not based entirely on how talented the sports program is, but rather, how successful it is. This allows smaller schools like Bayside to compete on a level playing field alongside some of the larger

schools in the state. Larger schools do receive more points as well as more popular sports, such as football.

Bayside’s state championship titles in four sports (girls swimming, girls volleyball, girls golf, and boys soccer) and runners-up titles in three sports

(boys golf, boys track, and baseball) gave them the edge in the national rankings. Bayside’s top 200 national rankings in girls volleyball and boys soccer and top 50 state rankings in baseball helped edge the Admirals ahead as well.

[CC]

Admiral’s Home Game Schedule Ben VanDerHeyden ‘22, Co-Editor-in-Chief

Varsity Boys Basketball 1. Dec 20-22 Admiral’s Classic Tour nament

Varsity girls Basketball

2. Jan 4 (Tues) Mobile Christian (AREA GAME) 7:30pm 3. Jan 5 (Wed) Elberta 7:30pm

1. Dec 28-30 Bayside Tournament

1. Feb 24 (Thurs) Bayshore 5pm

2. Jan 4 (Tues) Mobile Christian (AREA GAME) 6pm

2. Feb 28 (Mon) Elberta 5pm

3. Jan 5 (Wed) Elberta 6pm

3. March 15 (Tues) Faith Academy 5pm

4. Jan 11 (Tues) Orange Beach 7:30pm

4. Jan 11 (Tues) Orange Beach 6pm

5. Jan 18 (Tues) Faith Academy 7:30pm

5. Jan 18 (Tues) Faith Academy 6pm

6. Jan 21 (Fri) Chickasaw (AREA GAME) 7:30pm 7. Jan 28 (Fri) Cottage Hill (AREA GAME) 7:30pm 8. Feb 3 (Thurs) UMS-Wright 7:30pm

Varsity Boys Baseball

6. Jan 21 (Fri) Chickasaw (AREA GAME) 6pm 7. Jan 28 (Fri) Cottage Hill (AREA GAME) 6pm

4. March 25 (Fri) St. Michaels 5pm 5. April 11 (Mon) St. Paul’s 5pm 6. April 13 (Wed) Cottage Hill (AREA GAME) 6pm 7. April 19 (Tues) Gulf Breeze 6pm

8. Feb 3 (Thurs) UMS-Wright 6pm

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Athletics Bayside Volleyball: The Legacy Continues Wilson Engeriser ‘23, Staff Reporter

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nother resounding victory. Twenty state championships in a row.

A national record for both total state championships and most consecutive championship title. According to MaxPreps, Bayside Academy’s volleyball team, led by seniors Caroline Chastang, Luci Wilkinson, Ella Broadhead, and Gracie Sims, finished the season as the 1st overall team in 5A, the third best team in the state, and within the top 150 teams in the country, regardless of classification. They went on a 9-game tear, beating teams 3-0 enroute to beating East Limestone 3-0 for the state championship.

Finishing the season 57-6, they

[AL.com]

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also went 12-0 away.

The hardest challenge during the season was when Caroline Chastang got hurt. According to Coach Schilling, “She was the backbone of the team and a true leader among them.” The team rose above that challenge by fostering team chemistry around love and respect for one another, despite losing one of their key teammates and leaders to injury. They managed this loss by “reminding [themselves] of their purpose and their roles.” Coach Schilling is very proud of Caroline Chastang, Luci Wilkinson, and Ella Broadhead for making the All-State Team, along with sophomore setter Blakeley Robbins for winning MVP for the state cham-

pionship match at such a young age. Ella Broadhead also broke the 2000 kill mark, and she joins only three people in Bayside history to do so. Gracie Sims broke the 1500 kill mark.

Covid-19 had affected the team in previous years but this was the first year they were finally able to get back to road trips as a team. Coach Schilling says the trips are “tons of fun, so it was nice to get back to normal.”

Coach Schilling’s philosophy is that “success breeds success. I think when you win, it makes you hungry, and with this streak going on, nobody wants to be ‘that team,’ but the reality is that one day it will end, but we will just start a new one!”

Athletics The Cross Country Comeback Leah Jha ‘22, Staff Reporter

“I

’ve never seen a more beautiful race,” said assistant distance coach, Taylor Gray, after the Bayside Academy Women’s Cross Country team's first race of their 2021 season. That foggy morning, the women’s team emerged from their summer of training to a first place finish. From that day on, it was established that Bayside would be the team to beat until their first place finish at the State Championship Meet.

First and foremost, for those who don’t know much about the sport of cross country, the point system works inversely: the team with the least amount of points wins.

Also, only the top five athletes on each team can score points in the same way: the first place runner scores one point, the second place runner scores [Melissa Postle] two and so on.

Therefore, the best strategy to win is for your top five runners to finish first.

Throughout the first half of the season, the team traveled from meet to meet, practicing and perfecting their strategy. They placed first at the Daphne Invitational, solidifying their projected first place ranking in the state for the 4A classification.

Unfortunately, the Daphne Invite was the last meet that the full team competed in together.

The second half of the season was plagued with illness, injury, and conflicts, making the road to state a bumpy ride. At the Jesse

Owens Classic, only a week after the Daphne Invite, two of the top five were either not competing or unable to finish the race; nevertheless, the team adjusted for the setbacks mid-race and pulled off a first place finish.

The next week, freshman Marcella Covington was taken out for the rest of season after a foot injury chained her to a boot for six weeks.

Since Marcella was a member of the top five scorers, this loss seemed

game-changing. Despite the loss, senior Leah Jha pulled her weight and moved into the fourth position at the Baldwin County Championship Meet. The team “packed up” in the front, as Coach Joe Swagart would say, and ran a strategic race. For the first time in Bayside Cross Country’s history, the women’s team won the meet and became the County Champions. Additionally, four of the five top scorers were awarded All County Honors for finishing in the top fifteen and received medals.

Within the next week, senior and third position holder on the team,

Rhia Tkac, made the startling discovery that her club soccer championships and the cross country state championships were on the same day! In the end, she decided to complete her soccer season instead of competing the weekend of the cross country state meet. Though she was disappointed to prematurely leave the cross country team, she wished the team much luck.

With the loss of Rhia, the team dropped in their state ranking to second place by an excruciating two points, a tough reality to face in the days before their state qualifying meet.

The team, however, faced the new challenges with grace and finished first at the sectional meet. As a result, for the first time in Bayside history, both girls and boys teams finished first.

Despite it all, though, the girls team banded together and pulled off a first place finish at the State Championship Meet. The coaching staff said that the race was a race of heart and determination. When the girls team found out they won, they “couldn’t help but cry,” said freshman Catherine Doyle.

Though the season is over, plans for the future are still in the back of the coaching staff's mind. Coach Swagart hopes to secure multiple more wins for the rest of this year and the years to come.

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Athletics Why Y?

Wilson Engeriser ’23, Staff Reporter

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espite the Bayside student body’s obvious split in our opinions about Y-Period being at the beginning of school, research suggests that exercising during the morning before school improves academic performance. A 2019 study titled “Physical Exercise During the Morning School-Break Improves Basic Cognitive Functions’’

by Tilp and Scharf et.al, expressed that exercise before school benefits academic performance. More specifically, the study “[demonstrates] that motor-coordinative exercises appear to modulate specific academic performances (arithmetic competence) and cognitive functions (concentration ability, ideational fluency).” In simpler terms, exercise before school improves math skills, concentration during classes, and stimulates

creativity in students. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) also supports the idea of before school activity by saying “physical activity before and after school can benefit students by increasing their overall physical activity and improving their grades and test scores.”

As Cindy Frederick stated in an interview, “it also helps our middle school open up the weight training facilities… we can do weight training with 7th and 8th boys and girls, which has never been done before.”

This helps Bayside be more inclusive with their PE classes and helps reach milestones that have never been previously attainable. Mrs. Frederick also mentioned that one of the major cons to the new schedule is that it makes subs inaccessible. With Covid-19 and the new schedule that

What’s the Verdict?

115 students polled

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doesn’t allow for much fluidity with subs, many teachers have to scramble to find someone to cover for them.

With many coaches holding some practices in the morning, it helps many of them not have to scramble to find time for practices and not have to worry about losing students to after-school appointments or other commitments.

One of the other major cons is that with the new schedule, many teachers don’t have breaks during the day.

Despite some negatives with the new schedule, some believe the advantages outweigh the disadvantages. This also shows that despite any immediate judgement about the schedule, an early y-period enables Bayside to be divergent in its approach to athletics and academics, while implementing a research-backed approach.

Athletics

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