The Knight Times / April 2021 Issue 9

News that Stands Out

THE KNIGHT TIMES Official Student Newspaper of Episcopal High School

April 2021

4650 Bissonnet, Bellaire, Texas 77401

www.ehshouston.org

Volume 35, Issue 9

A Knight for the Arts

Episcopal hosts special St. Jude’s runathon event

A live showcase honoring performing and visual arts students

BAILEY JUNELL Editor-in-Chief On Saturday April 10, Episcopal High School faculty and students joined St. Jude Hospital to host a runathon. The event was created to help raise money for the St. Jude Children Research Hospital, which helps find cures for cancer and other diseases in children.

St. Jude Research Hospital is a leader in research and treatment for childhood cancer and other life-threatening diseases in children. The hospital is funded through donations, and no family with a child going through treatment ever receives a bill.

The runathon was hosted on the Episcopal track. The goal for the participants was

“Thank you to everyone who participated in the runathon and donated to St. Jude. You are greatly appreciated!” = Mya Broughton to run or walk around the track as many times as they could within an hour. Beforehand, these runners had family or friends make a pledge to donate a certain amount of money per lap.

Many students participated in this event, including the majority of the track team who helped put together the event. Each and every person ran at his or her own pace, but some members of the track team clocked in an impressive 32 laps in an hour despite having a meet the day before.

Sophomore Mya Broughton, who is an ambassador for St. Jude’s Leadership Society, organized the runathon. This event has raised money for the children who receive treatment from St. Jude’s.

Here are the instructions to donate to the fundraiser: First, go to this website http://events.stjude.org/episcopal_knights Underneath a maroon-colored button labeled join team, click the grey button with a white border tagged named Donate to this team to donate. Once clicked, fill out the form with the appropriate information.

Once filled out, click the maroon button at the bottom labeled Donate, and you have successfully donated to St. Jude on behalf of EHS.

INSIDE Senior Style Show The Island Knights Senior Style Show

PAGE 2 Recycling A look at recycling on and off campus

PAGES 6-7 Features ........................ 2-4 Culture ......................... 5 Special Feature ............. 6-7 Entertainment ............... 8 Knight Shift.................. 9 Opinion ........................ 10 Sports ........................... 11-12

In the final performance during A Knight for The Arts at the The Rustic Downtown, the theater program performed “Gaston” from the spring musical Beauty and the Beast. The night was filled with entertainment, food, and fun for all. Photo by Mrs. Kate Philbrick.

ESTEFANIA LOPEZ-SALAS Staff Writer

The EHS Arts Pillar hosted a live showcase to celebrate the hard work of many performing and visual arts students. The event was held on April 11 at The Rustic Downtown. Over 120 student-artists from every arts discipline participated. The live performances, artwork displays, and videos recognized the impressive accomplishments of the students and faculty.

Learn more about The Knight for the Arts on Page 2

Student body selects new officers for the 2021-2022 school year during elections CORY KARDESCH Copy Editor Student Council elections for the 20212022 school year were just completed, and those chosen to lead the student body next year are Beau Edwards, President; Caterina Cruces, Vice-President; Craig Choi, Secretary; and Jazzmin Duncan, Parliamentarian.

Every year at this point in the school year, applications and elections take place for Student Council. Student Council is a group of students, led by faculty advisors, who are elected for a position and who seek to improve the school, create new ideas, and be the voice for the students and their classes.

Student Council officers are comprised of the Student Body President, Vice President, Secretary, Parliamentarian, and a ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade Class President with two Co-Vice Presidents. The purpose of the class presidents and vice presidents is to represent their respective class, represent their class on the Honor and Discipline Councils, work with their Grade Level Dean, and lead class meetings.

The Student Body President serves over the weekly Student Council meetings, the Student Senate meetings, acts as a member on Honor and Discipline Council, and represents EHS at events on and off campus.

The role of the Vice President is the same as the Student Body President, except he or she does not lead weekly meetings or meet with Head of School Mr. Ned Smith every month, but does organize and maintain records for all student clubs.

The Parliamentarian tracks attendance for Student Council and the Senate, and the Secretary creates the agenda and takes minutes at each meeting. Elections are usually held in person, with class elections taking place during class meetings, and student body elections take place during Chapel with a debate in front of the whole school, but due to COVID-19 this year and last, elections were held virtually, with each candidate recording this or her speech and answers to debate questions for everyone to hear.

Class elections took place April 13 following class specific speeches, and students could vote for their respective grade level representatives. Class election results were then announced on Friday, and the re-

sults were as follows: Class of 2022 President- Blake Stanley Co-VPs - Lawrence Cook, Cory Kardesch Class of 2023 President- Bella Bourlon Co-VPS - Hutch Coward, Chandler Hollis Class of 2024 President- Bradley O’Donnell Co-VPS - Reagan Gabel, Reagan Johnson

New Student Body officers are inducted in Chapel. Photo by Mrs. Lauren West.

Features ∙ Page 2

The Knight Times ∙ April 2021

A Knight for the Arts celebrates Freshman Field Day substitutes for student successes at The Rustic missed Retreat due to pandemic ESTEFANIA LOPEZ-SALAS Staff Writer On Sunday, April 11 at The Rustic Downtown, a new and exciting event, A Knight for the Arts, was held to celebrate the diverse Arts Pillar at Episcopal High School.

There were music selections from the music ensembles and performances from the dance and theater programs. There was also a video piece from publications, a selection of films from the advanced moviemaking and animation classes, and art displays from the studio arts programs.

The Rustic also offered dinner before the event began.

The Arts Pillar at Episcopal first decided to hold this event due to the lack of live performances in front of audiences because of Covid-19. With this event,

guests could watch, celebrate, and enjoy the hard work of many students from the EHS community, even through the many obstacles of the pandemic. This event was a way to celebrate the visual and performing arts programs that Episcopal has to offer.

The Rustic is an enormous venue that has been practicing the health and safety protocols which allowed it to hold such a great show for EHS. Everyone still practiced caution with social distancing, masking up, and good hygiene. Many faculty, staff, and students came to see the many accomplishments of the students involved in the EHS Arts Pillar.

It was definitely a night for the books, filled with great entertainment, great food, and great fun, and it was a EHS school showcase like never before: a showcase that featured the entire EHS Arts Pillar in great style.

A Knight for the Arts was held this year at The Rustic, located in Downtown Houston. Photo courtesy of Mrs. Philbrick.

CLAIRE FRANKFORT Staff Writer Anybody who has been on Freshman Retreat knows the drill. Get to school at 7:00 a.m., drive to Camp Allen, experience team building exercises, sleep in cabins, and come home the next day. Part of the fun is that it is before school starts, so everybody’s face is new, and it is a great chance to meet new friends. The Class of 2024 got this experience a little differently, and due to the pandemic, a little later, but it was just as much fun.

Students and teachers arrived at EHS on Virtual Wednesday, April 21 and went straight to their advisories in rooms throughout Trotter. There, each advisory gathered their spirit gear and advisory flag and then met on the football practice field for various games as a group.

Later, advisories returned to the academic building to compete against each other in Advisory Face-Offs. The groups played Jeopardy, Spelling Bee, Rock Paper Scissors, and Geography Trivia.

Freshmen also got to experience their first pep rally, complete with a singing of the school hymn and the Knights Fight chant, all from the bleachers of Simmons Field.

From there, students ate lunch on the picnic tables and participated in activities in bounce house locations with music playing in the background.

The last event of the day was the Amazing Race, when advisories moved to different stations and were asked to play a

number of competitive, timed games.

Freshman Reagan Gabel said, “The Field Day was so much fun. I haven’t gotten to hang out like that with my advisory before, so it was really nice to be able to get to know them more... and the weather was so pretty!”

In the end, the 2021 Freshman Field Day was just as fun as any retreat year, and while it wasn’t at the beloved Camp Allen with an overnight, freshmen still got to bond with their classmates.

Freshman Jack Connor took up the challenge to race down the bouncy house course during Freshman Field Day. Photo by Bailey Junell.

Class of 2021 dazzles audience in triumphant return of style show CLAIRE FRANKFORT Staff Writer EHS 2021 seniors strutted down the runway in clothes from various stores April 18 as part of the annual Senior Style Show. Wearing selections from stores like St. Bernard, Alice and Olivia, Intermix, Orvis, and Tootsies, the Class of 2021 all made sure to look their best.

The show was put on twice, separating senior parents based on last names. Each parent filled out an attestation form upon arrival and were spread out across the bleachers. Only two parents were allowed per student. If parents could not attend or if extended families was interested in watching their seniors walk the runway, it was livestreamed on the EHS website.

Style Show volunteer parents and coordinator Mrs. Ursaline Hamilton transformed

Alkek Gym into a room fit for a show, including a beachy backdrop and bright lights. Each senior walked out in his or her outfit three times on a runway built as a square. Then, seniors lined up in alphabetical order and walked out to their name, major, and fun question.

Upon arrival to the gym, seniors met with makeup artists and hairdressers to touch everybody up for the big day. The theme of the show was “Island Knights,” which meant students walked out with leis, flower clips, coconut drinks, and sunglasses.

“I was so happy that the school made the Style Show work. Every senior class has had the experience of getting their hair done with friends, and so it was really nice that we got to do the same,” said senior Tinley Kane.

So, to the Class of 2022, start thinking about poses because you’re next.

Seniors celebrated the return of the Senior Style Show. Taking to the runway were Quon Marion, wearing Saint Bernard, and Randall Holstead, wearing Tootsies.

Photos by Sophie Martin.

more films that feature people of color and culture? According to Ms. McHenry, yes, we all do.

“The young filmmakers and writers Walt Disney has been adding more see the problem” of a lack of culture and diverse protagonists and storylines to its diversity, she added. marketing, specifically projects that add Currently there are mainly shows that to the conversation about the inclusion of include one race, but soon we will see people of color (POC) in today’s moviemore diversity in pop culture. Not only is making world. diversity on camera important but behind Episcopal graduate Elaine McHenry the camera is too.

‘20 attends New York University and has “What some people don’t seem to unchosen to major in moviemaking. Ms. derstand is that there needs to be diverMcHenry “found it somewhat detrimensity behind the camera to create a more tal to [her] self-esteem to look at Disney accurate and well represented narrative movies and TV shows and not see anyone when it comes to people of color stories,” that looked like [her]” when she was McHenry adds. growing up.

Disney is creating more diverse characThis is not only an issue for the African ters and storylines in baby steps, but in the American community but every racial film world, they serve as significant leaps community; children who view television forward. are forced Disney has to idolize created the characEunetta ters they T. Boone couldn’t Comedy see themWriter’s selves in.

Scholarship, Recently which funds released writers from Disney diverse films like back“Soul” and grounds “Raya and who want the Last to focus on Dragon” the genre add to the of comconversion edy. Ms. of inclusion McHenry, Photo courtesy of Elaine McHenry. because along with “they allow the viewers, “want to see more programs people of color to look at a character that that allow more accessible ways for peothey love and say, ‘Hey, that looks like ple of color to get their voices heard,” and me. That could be me.’” this scholarship is breaking racial barriers.

Does society look forward to seeing LEANA GREENE Staff Writer

The Knight Times ∙ April 2021

Features ∙ Page 3

Students return Student choreographed spring dance concert: to full week of Connectivity was livestreamed on April 16 in-person class BAILEY JUNELL Editor-in-Chief

On April 16 the student-choreographed spring dance concert occurred virtually.

Due to COVID the event was filmed and edited as a livestreamed event available on the Episcopal website for everyone to watch. This year’s show was called Connectivity and featured two acts.

Act 1 consisted of six different dances choreographed and performed by students.

The first dance “Dream of You” was cre-

ated by senior Samantha Ho. The second dance “All Those Years” was designed by senior Elena Cokinos. Next, junior Kendall Aldstadt’s piece “Levitation” was performed. The following piece was “Waves” and was choreographed by Aileen Paredes and Zoe Meshberger. Next, “Six Feet Under,” created by Kendall Blalock, was presented. Finally, Caterina Cruce’s piece “Colourway” finished out Act 1.

“The Spring Dance Concert is always so much fun! It’s a great way to get people from all areas at Episcopal, not just dance,

to participate in the arts in some way,” said Randall Holstead.

The next act began with Morgan Garrett and Bria Woodard’s piece called “Breathe in the Night.” Following that was Samantha Ho’s second dance, “Promise.” Next, “On the Floor,” choreographed by Elizabeth Cabes, was performed. Then came the piece “Oblivion,” created by sophomore Olive Martin. The final dance in the act was Eliza Thompson’s “Broken.”

The finale was choreographed by Elena Cokinos. “Back Home” incorporated music from Miley Cyrus. It featured every senior involved in the show, including Gwendalyn Diaz, Morgan Garrett, Samantha Ho, Randall Holstead, Nora Lawless, Lindsey McNear, Mia Mithoff, Bria Woodard, and Elena Cokinos.

During the recording of the Dance Concert, students filmed their pieces which were then edited together and featured in a virtual concert. Photo courtesy of Ms. Kristina Burgess.

CRISTIAN MUNOZ Staff Writer With the unanimous consent of the EHS COVID Planning Group, the school planned for the return of on-campus Wednesdays instead of virtual Wednesdays starting April 28.

May 5 and 12 will also be on-campus Wednesdays, which consists of a normal school day starting at 8:00 and running until 3:15. The schedule each day would feature Advisory at the start, all seven class periods, and a 40-minute lunch. Students who have opted into remote learning for the month or are on a COVID-related absence will still be able to join their classes via Microsoft Teams.

Virtual Wednesdays have been a significant change this year, so the EHS Planning Group felt that it would be wise to initiate a full week of on-campus classes before the school year ends. Hopeful that EHS will be able to return to a normal weekly schedule in the fall, leadership believes that on-campus Wednesdays will help to acclimate students, particularly those new to EHS, to this type of daily and weekly schedule.

Please mark your calendar now for this on-campus schedule for April 28, May 5, and May 12.

Thespians revel in national EHS returns to live performance Shakespeare competition with student directed one-acts is chosen by a panel of judges made up of EHS teachers with Shakespeare knowledge. The first-place winner then comEvery year EHS participates in the Napetes with other first-place winners around tional Shakespeare competition.

Houston. The winner of the Houston Normally, without Covid, EHS students competition goes on to compete nationally pick a monologue and sonnet from a with students around the country. chosen collection. The first-place winner This year EHS students were asked to pick a monologue from a list. The first-place winner, unfortunately due to Covid, will not be competing in the Houston competition.

On the bright side, the top three winners were able to perform their monologues at the Rustic during A Knight for the Arts. The first-place winner is Lydia Berckley, the second-place winner is Sara Faulconer, and the third-place winner is Taliana Stoy. They are thrilled to have the opportunity to perform in front of Sara Faulconer (2nd), Lydia Berckley (1st), and Taliana Stoy an audience for the first time (3rd) are the winners. Photo courtesy of Sara Faulconer in over a year.

SARA FAULCONER Staff Writer

Arts Pillar recognizes students for numerous accomplishments SARA FAULCONER Staff Writer Every year the Arts Pillar recognizes students who show outstanding performance, hard work, and creativity. This year there are 172 nominees, among whom 67 will win a trophy.

Although this year has been less than normal, the Arts Pillar is still planning on having an in-person award ceremony to honor the nominated students.

The school wants to ensure these talented students are able to be recognized for their achievements and celebrate their

victories.

By awarding students who have shown hardwork and attained creative levels while often outside of their comfort zone, the Pillar can make more students aware of the arts and to try new things they might have never considered.

Whether it is picking up a paint brush, dancing in the studio, singing with Mr. Ashby, snapping the perfect picture, building a set, performing in front of an audience, or writing for the newspaper, EHS hopes all its students will embrace their creativity in the Arts Pillar and strive for greatness in all the things they do.

LILY O’GORMAN Staff Writer The EHS Theater Program was thrilled to announce a return to live performance with student directed one-act plays that were showcased earlier this month in the Underwood Theater on March 22.

This year’s student directors, Addie Elmer ’21 and Grayson Van Gundy ’23, led 15 of their peers in the creation and presentation of three one-acts, respectively: Asleep at the Wheel, 3 Characters Figure It Out, and Upper West Side Story.

SDOA (student directed one acts) has been a tradition at EHS that allows students to work collaboratively and independently to produce high quality performances. Being led by peers also helps weaken the feeling of intimidation that often accompanies auditions and rehearsals, and, as Addie Elmer put it, it is a great introduction for those who are “not sure if they want to jump right into one of the big shows to get comfortable in the theater program.”

For this reason, SDOA is a great way

to dip a toe into the pool of the EHS Performing Arts in a low-risk environment.

With the added challenge of COVID-19, the directors and actors prioritized distancing and mask wearing during rehearsals and the performance.

Taylor Schugart, David Andrews, and Alena Haney perform in Addie Elmer’s one-act “Asleep at the Wheel.” Photo by Mr. Brock.

Summing up the success of this year’s one-acts, Grayson Van Gundy said, “It’s one of the best creative experiences I have had” because “it is such a collaborative environment,” and “it is such a joy to come to rehearsal to let the show grow.”

Mathieu Gay and Connor Smith during the Upper West Side Story directed by Grayson Van Gundy. Photo by Mr. Brock.

Features ∙ Page 4

The Knight Times ∙ April 2021

Graduation traditions altered CLAIRE FRANKFORT Staff Writer Senior year comes with a plethora of festivities, from the small events like athletic Senior Nights and getting to leave Chapel first to bigger ones like Style Show, Baccalaureate, and the big guy, Graduation. The whole year is filled with fun ways to reward the seniors for their hard work over the past four years, and these special moments are what make the year so special at EHS. Covid had other plans. This year, there was no leaving Chapel early or Homecoming Dance or even the Senior Nights that students remember. Through all of this, though, the administration has tried its best to make do with the many changes.

The first of many end-of-the-year senior events happening in May will be Leaving Tree. Leaving Tree has been a long-time tradition, starting as far back as 1997.

This year, Leaving Tree will be held on Saturday, May 15. Seniors will be divided into three groups based on alphabetical

order. The groups will come in shifts from 11:00a.m.-2:00p.m. Each senior can bring two parents to the event.

The second tradition is Baccalaureate.

Most graduated seniors remember walking out into the Chapel with Pomp and Circumstance playing in the background, parents sitting in seats, and faculty in caps and gowns. This ceremony is the religious side of graduation. Seniors are blessed and many prayers are said. Instead, the Class of 2021 will have a virtual ceremony this year.

The chaplains are still working out the details. The following day will be the much-awaited Graduation. Held on Simmons Field, seniors will gather to receive their diplomas. Specifics on that are still in the making, but it is hoped that the seniors will remember this day for years to come.

With seniors having only a couple of weeks left at Episcopal, they must remember that senior year in high school only happens once, and even with the given circumstances, senior year will be filled with events that they all can remember.

The EHS chapter of Quill and Scroll, an international honor society for journalism, is beginning to lay its foundation by electing officers. Photo by Bailey Junell.

Honor society inducts members JAZZMIN DUNCAN Staff Writer Episcopal High School has recently introduced a new chapter of Quill and Scroll, a special international honor society for journalists. This chapter of Quill and Scroll was introduced by junior Jasmine Greene and sponsored by Mr. David Framel, the Student Publications Coordinator. The chapter is looking to begin with service activities with Episcopal as well as outside of the community.

Officer positions were appointed recently. After reviewing applications from students, all of whom were rising seniors, Mr. Framel appointed Jasmine Greene as President. Rounding out the executive board were Jazzmin Duncan, Vice

President; Claire Fortney, Parliamentarian; Connor Smith, Secretary; and Leana Greene, Treasurer.

With officer positions determined, the new chapter of the honor society held an induction ceremony for membership on Wednesday, April 28. Held in the USC Gallery, guests were not permitted to the ceremony due to COVID-19 restrictions.

During the induction, members were required to sign a book verifying their membership and were given pins, badges, and for some, graduation cords, symbolizing their tie to Quill and Scroll.

Members of the new chapter are excited and anxious to begin laying the foundation of the organization, carrying out service projects, and furthering their work in journalism.

Light and Shadow starts publishing SARA FAULCONER Staff Writer

Seniors were fitted and received their cap and gowns for graduation. Photo by Mrs. Lauren West.

Seniors prepare for college life during campus workshops CRISTIAN MUÑOZ Staff Writer Historically, EHS seniors attend a series of workshops and an alumni panel in the final quarter of their senior year. The school hopes to equip students with safety information and support resources from experts as well as let them hear from some alumni who share what they wish they had known before they left for college.

Over the years, topics have included Academic Transition and Managing Learning Differences; General Time Management; Intercollegiate Sports Participation; Managing Stress and Homesickness; Money Management; Residential Life Options and Considerations; Campus Sexual Assault Prevention and Awareness; and Seeking Summer Jobs/Internships.

This year, the workshop has been con-

solidated into one day in order to account for social distancing constraints. Senior students attended a workshop during fifth period on Wednesday, April 7, with Dr. Richard Baker. Dr. Baker is the Executive Director for Institutional Equity and the Title IX Coordinator at Rice University.

Dr. Baker graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with honors, then earned a Doctor of Jurisprudence (J.D.) and a Ph.D. from Texas Tech University, holding the distinction as the first African American to do so. Dr. Baker also served as the Assistant Vice-Chancellor and Vice President of the Office of Equal Opportunity Services for the University of Houston prior to his tenure at Rice.

The Class of 2021 heard from this charismatic expert about undergraduate life and continuing to build skills in establishing healthy boundaries and maintaining relationships.

Each year the advanced creative writing class publishes a nationally-recognized student literary magazine.

EHS students and faculty submit their original writing and artwork which the class reads and chooses for publication using a blind submission process. The class not only picks the work but also creates a theme for the magazine and gets together with an outside artist who helps put their creative masterpiece together.

This year the creative writing team is small, with only eight editors. Mrs. Hillary Houle, longtime instructor of the class, is excited to show this group’s “meaningful literary magazine” that they put together.

Not only has the team “worked really well together,” but they also have two production editors, which has only happened one other time.

The production editors, Carson Clingman and Madeleine Berckley, are busy theater students, so the dual role makes it much easier for them to finalize pieces with Mrs. Houle.

This year two production editors isn’t the only thing that is different. Normally, the class is split into prose editors and poetry editors, meaning students are split into scoring poetry or short writing pieces.

This year, due to the smaller class, each student was able to read and score every piece.

After the class chooses the final pieces, Mrs. Houle then reaches out to individual students with suggested edits.

The Light and Shadow production team works on putting together the literary magazine. Photo by Sara Faulconer.

The Knight Times ∙ April 2021

Culture ∙ Page 5

My Distraction Crib with Sydney Coward This is the last column I will be writing, sadly. Seniors do not write for the May issue.

I watched this movie a while ago, but I thought it would be cool to do a parallel movie/book review for my last dance. I’m not a big rom-com kind of person in case you couldn’t tell from the other movies I’ve reviewed, but it’s a good one.

Serendipity is set in New York City during Christmas time. Jonathan Trager (John Cusack) meets Sara Thomas (Kate Beckinsale) at Bloomingdales, touching hands while reaching for the same pair of gloves. Ooooo, romantic! A mutual attraction leads them to have a deep conversation over dessert at Serendipity 3. She believes fate determines the majority of her life decisions. Moments after the pair leave the restaurant, they return to retrieve left-behind items.

Let it be known both are in relationships but decide to explore the idea of fate. Even though they seem so right, it just doesn’t work that way. Sara writes her phone number on a piece of paper, but then it blows away before Jonathan can get it. They decide to put their numbers on something else. He writes his on a $5 bill, and she puts hers in Gabriel Garcia Marquez’s Love in the Time of Cholera.

Flash forward a few years: Jonathan is engaged to a girl named Halley, and Sara is being proposed to by Lars … on the same day. Both experience cold feet and attempt to reconnect. My favorite part of this whole movie is when Jonathan’s soon-to-be wife gives him a wedding gift, a copy of Love in the Time of Cholera.

Halley says (don’t quote me on this because I don’t know the exact words but), “I got you a copy of your favorite book, Love in the Time of Cholera. You’re always picking it up in every bookstore we go in or newsstand we pass.”

Sara flies from San Francisco to New York City to try and find Jonathan after second guessing her current boyfriend.

Her friend Eve convinces Sara to give up because it is the most unrealistic thing ever, and the two end their chase at the restaurant Serendipity. The $5 bill Jonathan wrote his number on was given to Eve as change from their dessert You would only need one brain cell to

figure out how the movie ends, but to be fair, I won’t tell you.

I don’t have enough space to keep writing as I would like, but for my book choice - Love in the Time of Cholera. I just finished reading it. Highly recommend. It’s a bit boring at first, but it gets moving.

COVAX planea distribuir 38 millones de vacunas contra COVID-19 BAILEY JUNELL Editor-in-chief Más de cien paises o territories ya han recibido más de 38 millones de vacunas contra COVID-19. Este es a través del programa COVAX, que es una organización que trabaja para llevar las vacunas a los países más pobres o los que no se las puede pagar. Específicamente en las Américas, 36 países planean recibir vacunas a través de este programa: 26 con sus propios fondos y 10 que no tendrán que pagar.

COVAX espera entregar por lo menos

2000 millones de vacunas durante este año. El programa está distribuyendo todas las vacunas aprobabas como AstraZeneca, Pfizer-BioNTech, Moderna y el Instituto Sérico de la India.

Uno de las próximas iniciativas para paliar este desafío económico tendra lugar en un encuentro virtual por los Estados Unidos. Este encuentro virtual reunirá a los líderes del mundo para estimular los recursos.

COVAX asegura la forma más rápida e igualitaria de administrar vacunas seguras y eficaces para llegar a todos las personas en riesgo de todos los países del mundo.

The first round of COVAX allocations began with India, Ghana, and Cote d’Ivorie, starting with the SII/AZ vaccine. Photo courtesy of who.int.

New fashion trends making popular moves this summer LUCY HOWLEY Social Media Coordinator

Images courtesy of postermuseum.com and Amazon.com.

Slice of π

JAKE SIEGEL Guest Writer Hey, everyone, I’m Jake Siegel, the treasurer of Mu Alpha Theta. During our last meeting of the year in April, we had Math Club officer elections on Teams.

We will announce the new Math Club and Mu Alpha Theta officers in the next issue.

There are still some Math Club masks available, so if you would like to purchase one, they are only $3 and can be charged to your student account.

Just go to Dr. P.’s room, A130, to get one or more. Enjoy the math puzzle!

Math Club election results: PresidentKathryn Bragg; Internal VP - Ava Gami; External VP - Paige Naughton; Secretary - Austin Piegari; Treasurer - Cameron Lu; Chair of Women in STEM Lecture Series- Elena Small; Co-Chairs of Social

Spanish Corner

Media Committee - Daniel Thompson and Olivia Chapman; and Officer Shadows Sarah Yates, Amelia Novotny, and Evan Ringwald.

If you are looking to spice up your closet for the up-and-coming Summer 2021 season, I researched the new women’s clothing trends from fashion magazines like Vogue, Harper’s Bazaar, Cosmopolitan, and Elle, so you don’t have to. I compiled a list of reoccurring themes from these articles, and here are my results.

To start, the runways were full of vibrant colors, especially hues like yellow, caramel brown, pastel “sorbet” tones, and pops of blue. If you need some new ideas for outfit inspiration, you can look to the trendy “monochromatic magic” theme that often took the form of a whole outfit made from a single color or just simply black and white. Bralettes have also made a blazing comeback from their popularity in the 90’s. You can pair the small strappy top with the popular wide leg pants and oversized blazer jacket with shoulder pads that often appeared on the runways.

Some other trendy details in clothing were fishnet patterns, cut outs, sharp angular shapes, relaxed sequins, and “midriff flossing” (which was described as a series of crisscrossing fabric and wraparound details resembling dental floss that can emerge from skirts, tops, or dresses). A few more trends carried over from the spring season, such as the corset, stripes, light weight cotton dresses, floaty maxi dresses, and the ever-so-powerful cape.

Finally, to finish off your outfit, you should pick up some white knee-high boots, thong-heeled sandals, or just decorated sandals in general.

Moving onto accessories, the 1950s head scarf has made a comeback and crept into famous designer’s runways. I also saw many unique handbags with fringing details or yellow details. Gold jewelry is still in style, along with the “beach pearl” necklace and colorful beaded jewelry as well. Finally, to my dismay, the bucket hat is STILL in style. When will it end?

The summer’s hottest new trends feature sequins and bralettes. The season will also be filled with vibrant colors and some spring layovers. Photos courtesy of vogue.co.uk.

Special Feature ∙ Page 6

Special Feature ∙ Page 7

The Knight Times ∙ April 2021

How the world combats the recycling crisis

EHS recycles to curb environmental impact CONNOR SMITH Opinions Editor Throughout the past decade, the United States has been involved in a recycling crisis as Americans continually produce more trash every year. With a crisis this big, one might assume that the problem can only be fixed on the federal level. However, this is not true, as the best way to combat this crisis occurs in the local community. So how has Episcopal High School helped in the war against trash?

For starters, it is worth it to know that Episcopal has actively participated in a recycling program, as evident with the bright blue bins scattered around campus. When asked about the recycling program, facilities administrator Mr. Robert Buckelew described the program and how recycling containers are placed in every classroom and office and next to every printer on campus.

“Each night,” he said, “the custodial crew is asked to place all non-contaminated recycling materials in a separate recycling dumpster outside the USC.” While there are multiple programs in place to recycle much of the trash students and teachers produce on campus, many of these programs are repeatedly undermined through lackluster participation. The issue comes when these recycling bins are contaminated with food, drinks, or other non-recyclable materials. If this happens, the entire container is considered unrecyclable and gets moved to a trash processing

plant instead of a recycling center.

Though this concept might seem counterproductive, it is necessary for Episcopal’s legal protection. Mr. Buckelew expanded on this rationale: “Our experience in the past is that many times, the community members

Poor planning cripples United States’ recycling infastructure

with recyclable materials, one piece of trash could ruin an entire batch of potentially recyclable items. This, as Mr. Buckelew puts it, is where Student Council comes in.

In almost every Student Council election cycle, recycling is addressed. Sadly, many

CONNOR SMITH Opinions Editor For a while now there has been a daunting recycling problem in the United States involving both federal and local government.

The problem is that recycling has become too expensive for local governments to participate in, leading to mismanagement of recycled materials and an influx of trash.

Before 2018, the United States recycling plan was pretty simple: sell it to China.

However, in 2018, China enacted a policy known as National Sword, which banned the imports of most plastics and other recyclable materials. While China used these materials to fuel their massive manufacturing industries, they soon realized that American trash couldn’t be repurposed and would end up in extensive landfills.

With the average American going through 4.51 pounds of garbage a day, recycling

Dylan Osowski ’24 participates in EHS recycling. Photo courtesy of Chris Lahoti. are placing contaminated materials in the smaller containers, causing our custodial staff to throw those contents into the regular trash in an effort to avoid fines.”

Even though EHS has a robust recycling program, it ultimately cannot be used to its fullest due to user error. While most recycling bins around campus are filled

became a more pressing matter. Since the US shipped most recycling to China for little to no cost, there was not much recycling infrastructure. This oversight made recycling near impossible and can be very expensive. For example, Renee Cho of Columbia University found that in 2017 the city of Samford, Connecticut, made $95,000 by selling recyclables, while in 2018, after China’s new policy, the city spent $700,000 to recycle.

Recycling has become too expensive and difficult for local government to handl,e so what are the solutions? The best solution to this would be to make companies more responsible for the waste they make. This is called a circular economy, where governments and companies alike create a closedloop system for all recyclable materials. If federal and local governments instituted new policies regarding this economic system, many recycling issues would be resolved across the US.

of these effective ideas, such as recycling education, posters, and contests, are never implemented into the EHS community for any of a number of reasons. While Episcopal is fully capable of recycling all usable materials, without cooperation, recycling will continue to be a problem not only in the school but the greater community.

Fast fashion contributes to the global trash crisis through non-recyclable clothes LUCY HOWLEY Social Media Coordinator If you are like me, you’ve probably walked past popular stores in the mall, like Zara or H&M, without a single thought of how devastating these “fast fashion” brands are for our planet. The term “fast fashion” is used to describe clothing brands that produce an abundance of inexpensive, low-quality items and are commonly advertised as new products on a weekly basis by relying on outsourced and often underpaid labor from factory workers overseas.

This marketing technique has been increasingly speeding up trends and shortening clothing seasons, meaning those outfits you bought last spring are probably already out of style for this upcoming season. These companies burn through the planet’s natural resources in order to constantly supply these

A model protests the toxic impact of fast fashion on the environment. Photo courtesy of BBC.

The only answer to the recycling crisis across the United States is to make companies responsible for their trash output through goverment regulation. The graph above shows how the United States still barely impacts the level of plastic waste through recycling, while also giving an answer to the recycling crisis. Diagrams courtesy of Cisco (top) and Statistica (bottom).

Due to the consistent reliability of China to buy trash from the United States, recycling infastructure has become underdevloped. Photo courtesy of WIRED.

Companies research new recycling techniques for the war against garbage CHRIS LAHOTI Managing Editor

Popular stores like Zara and H&M have resorted to “fast fashion,” which has plagued the environment with non-recyclable clothing. Photo courtesy of Vogue. short-lived items, not to mention the amount of waste the companies leave behind when a trend dies out, and the stockpile of those products ends up at a landfill. Although, consumers contribute to this issue as well.

Customers hop on these short-lived fashion trends, and because they spent so little on the clothing, they don’t feel bad about throwing it away or donating it. According to a study in 2016, Americans throw around 14 million pounds of clothing in the trash a year; that’s about eighty pounds per person, and the number has only increased since.

The sad reality is that only 0.1% of clothing collected by charities and take-back programs is recycled into new textile fibers.

The material from these companies - think places like Zara, H&M, Zaful, Boohoo, or Forever21 - is too low quality and unsustainable to be remade into new items.

Donating your out of style clothes might clear them out of your closet, but it doesn’t clear them out of our oceans and landfills.

So, how can you help?

The bright side is there are many attainable solutions within reach. You could invest in higher quality clothing from sustainable brands or stop purchasing from those trendy, cheap stores. There are plenty of stylish and sustainable products from stores you know. Brands like Athleta, Patagonia, Reformation, and even ASOS ECO offer environmentally friendly attire that is still up to date on fashion trends. According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency, if consumers worked together to keep all the toxic clothing chemicals out of landfills and instead put their clothes into a recycling program, it would be similar to taking around 7.3 million cars and their carbon dioxide emissions off the road.

So maybe think twice next time you go on Zara’s website or the next time you clean out your closet and toss your clothes in the trash. If we combine our efforts, we could put an end to this impending crisis.

When one hears the word “recycle,” people often default to three categories: paper, plastic, and glass. Recently, how-

ever, advances in science have led to new developments in the recycling and conservation industry. New techniques are improved upon every year, and some of them are on the verge of being a part of our ordinary lives.

With building construction requiring

A robot designed by Omer Haciomerglu was created to reduce the environmental impact of the demolition industry. Photo courtesy of CORE77 Design Awards.

large amounts of resources, demolition contributes a significant amount of waste.

However, Swedish scientist Omer Haciomeroglu has developed a robot, dubbed ERO, capable of disassembling concrete buildings without the use of explosives or other heavy-impacting techniques, using pressurized water to break up the concrete and mixing it into a form immediately reusable in new projects. Additionally, the water itself can be recycled. Haciomeroglu’s invention provides an eco-friendly alternative to the currently inefficient process of demolition.

Recycling giant Terracycle has partnered with several organizations to combat the problem of difficult material recycling, starting with cigarettes. Roughly 38 million Americans continue to smoke, littering sidewalks and public areas with leftover waste. Terracycle has developed a method for recycling cigarette butts, converting them into shipping pallets and composting leftover tobacco, and it hopes to extend this project to other types of nontraditional recycling materials.

Most people trade in their cell phones and smartwatches without a thought. However, the rise of consumerism has in turn brought a rise in hazardous electronic waste, particularly from batteries. In light of this, technology company Apple designed a 29-armed

Terracyle has led the charge in the development of new recycling techniques aimed at traditionally unrecyclable materials, such as cigarettes. Photo courtesy of The Revelator. robot that salvages parts of discarded or damaged iPhones, using precise movements to carefully separate each and every component. Apple later sells said components to potential recycling vendors that prioritize in metals like aluminum, copper, and tung-

sten, repurposing these materials for a life beyond the landfill.

Recycling is a constantly developing industry. With the continuous rise of new, eco-friendly methods, the world has hope for a greener future.

Entertainment∙ Page 8

The Knight Times ∙ April 2021

Bad Bunny, Justin Bieber, and The Weeknd come to Houston this summer LEANA GREENE Staff Writer After a year of living through COVID -19, Americans have become restless for the return of concerts and music festivals and have high hopes for the summer of 2021; unfortunately, most live events have been rescheduled and postponed.

Live entertainment will be the last to return to society, says Rolling Stone magazine. Artists from a variety of genres, such as Bad Bunny, Justin Bieber, and The Weeknd, have extended their tour dates to the end of 2021 and beginning of 2022 in hopes of seeing a positive breakthrough with the recently released vaccines.

Latino Reggaetón artist Bad Bunny has released his tour dates for “El Último Tour Del Mundo.” The three-month tour will start strong in Denver, CO in February and end in Miami, FL in April, hitting Houston at the Toyota Center on February 16.

Canadian pop artist Justine Bieber will begin his “World Tour” in San Diego, CA on June 2 and end the three-month tour in

Sacramento, CA on August 15, coming to Houston August 5 at the Toyota Center.

Originally, Bieber had to reschedule 19 arenas due to COVID safety protocols.

The Weeknd’s “After Hours Tour” is a worldwide event with featured artists Sabrina Claudio, Don Oliver, and Black Atlass. Kicking off in Vancouver, BC on July 14, and ending in London, UK on November 16, the multi-artist tour is highly-anticipated.

Abel will come to Houston on February 24 at the Toyota Center.

For his “After Hours Tour,” The Weeknd is expected to perform in Houston this summer along with featured artists Sabrina Claudio, Don Oliver, and Black Atlass.

Photo courtesy of The Toyota Center.

CONNOR SMITH Justin Bieber plans to come to Houston this summer for his “World Tour.” Photo courtesy of Rolling Stone.

CHRIS LAHOTI

HOT TAK ES

with Jazzmin Duncan

*SPOILER ALERT

his shield to Sam and asked him to take on the role of the next Captain America. DeDisney recently completed its second spite Cap’s wishes, Sam decides to donate Marvel series, The Falcon and the Winter the shield to the Smithsonian, concluding Solider (TFATWS). Proceeding just weeks that no one other than Steve could do the after the conclusion of the hit series Wantitle justice. daVision, TFATWS has broken the record Sam’s decision to give up the shield for the most-streamed premiere episode. is not without consequences. The govThe program is currently streaming on ernment decides to open a deadly can Disney+. Episodes air weekly every Friof worms when it awards the shield to day, starting on March 19. veteran John Walker. Walker, a decorated war hero who has won three medals of honor, is anxious, fearing that he won’t be able to fill the shoes of Steve Rogers, but ready to take on the role nonetheless. Sam and Bucky repeatedly clash with Walker, seeing him as nothing but a stain on the name of Captain America. Despite his endless qualifications and accolades, Walker frequently faces disrespect at the hands of Sam, Bucky, and even civilians, and grows frustrated at constant flack he receives. Eventually, he lashes out, brutally killing a man with the shield that was once viewed as a symbol of hope.

Along with John Walker, another group, the Flag Smashers, poses a threat to the main characters.

The Flash Smashers are a group of violent revolutionaries advocating for life to go back to how it On the heels of its hit series WandaVision, Disney has re- was immediately after leased the record-setting original series The Falcon and “the Blip,” or when Thathe Winter Soldier. Image courtesy of imbd.com. nos wiped out half of the world’s population.

The show follows the lives of Sam Wison The show tackles the issues of Walker (Falcon) and James “Bucky” Barnes and the Flag Smashers and adds com(Winter Soldier) after Steve Rogers, the mentary on topics like white supremacy, old Captain “Cap” America, relinquished PTSD, and political corruption.

When we think of classic video games, a few come to mind. Super Mario Bros, Galaga, and Pac-Man are all very popular games to this day, but in our opinion, no game has remained so popular throughout its existence more than Tetris. While many popular game titles over the years rise and fall, Tetris has remained popular and even grown its fan base with new ways to play.

Created in the mid-1980s by Soviet programmer Alexey Pajitnov, Tetris soon spread to the western world through Nintendo’s integration of the game with the 1989 Gameboy. With close to 80 variants of the classic block placing game spanning multiple generations of gaming, Tetris continues to grow and remain popular.

If you don’t already know, Tetris is quite simplistic in nature - the only controls being to spin, move left or right, and drop.

The goal is to survive for as long as possible by placing blocks to form rows of

10. Every time you complete a row, it will disappear and leave more space for new blocks. Over time the blocks will begin to fall faster, making it difficult to keep up. Recently Tetris has even expanded to letting players go against each other, with Tetris 99 becoming a widely popular multiplayer experience.

The easy controls and an infinite number of strategies have made Tetris popular among all people, but the game has other benefits as well. Tetris has been proven to improve reasoning and critical thinking, with writer Jeffrey Goldsmith adding that “Tetris trains your brain to stop using inefficient gray matter, perhaps a key cognitive strategy for learning.”

If you are looking for a fun way to improve brain function while having a good time or a way to show off to friends with double t-spins and combos, we highly recommend trying out Tetris.

Documentary Seaspiracy exposes the impact of commercial fishing LARA VERSTOVSEK Staff Writer A fairly new documentary on Netflix, which has already hit the top charts in the U.K. and the United States, Seaspiricy, is definitely one to sit down and watch.

Ali Tabrizi, a 27-year-old British film maker and environment/marine life activist, dives into the issues that the fishing industry creates on our planet. As the film progresses, Tabrizi is continuously consumed in the detrimental problems that surface in his investigations of the truth behind mass commercial fishing. Heavy topics and graphic scenes of ocean pollution, slave labor, purposeful killing of innocent

animals, and aggressive, secretive governments, along with exposing so-called ‘environmentalist organizations,’ are all covered throughout the film.

As most in the world are not vegetarians or vegans, this documentary might change eating habits. A multitude of famous celebrities, such as the Kardashians, have been heard promoting vegetarian lifestyles after watching Seaspiricy.

The one thing which is fairly disappointing about the film, and also can be seen in the complaint comments of the Seaspiricy Instagram page, is how easily the title “Conspira-SEA” slipped the creator’s minds. Nevertheless, this documentary is definitely one that will make you think.

Seaspiracy is the newest docuseries on Netflix. Photo courtesy of Hashtag Legend.

The Knight Times ∙ April 2021

Knight Shift ∙ Page 9

To Whom It May Concern:

To Whom It May Concern:

My good sir, it recently came to my attention that you believe bowling is superior to mini-golf. I find this extremely shortsighted on your part as there is no possible scenario in which bowling is more exciting than mini-golf.

For starters, mini-golf is more diverse in activities. If you were to bowl, you would only do one thing - roll a heavy ball down a lane to hits pins. Sure, you may chat with friends while waiting for your turn to bowl, but in all honestly, this is quite boring. With mini-golf, however, you and your friends work your way through a variety of holes filled with different obstacles such as pirate ships, dragons, and windmills. Unlike bowling, you can play mini-golf and keep conversations with your friends at the same time, allowing you to constantly stay in the action.

I cannot fathom why, after all this, you would continue to believe bowling is somehow better than mini-golf. Not only is mini-golf more fun and exciting, but you can have a better time hanging with friends and family alike. I hope one day you can set aside such ridiculous opinions and understand the truth. Mini-golf is unmistakably and undeniably better than bowling.

For what reason could you possibly conceive the notion that mini-golf maintains superiority over bowling? Why pitter patter with a putter when you can experience the thrill of a strike? For a friendly outing, bowling will always overshadow mini-golf.

Bowling’s casual atmosphere allows groups of friends to engage not only in friendly competition but in conversation as well. Additionally, bowling alleys are not subject to the whims of the weather.

Designed to be an indoor sport, one might enjoy himself or herself at any time of the year. On top of it all, one cannot deny the convenience of ordering a delectable meal whilst waiting for a turn. The convenience of the various amenities allows for a multisensory experience without detracting from the spirit of the game.

Mini-golf subjects its participants to hellish summers and freezing winters. Additionally, the strain of constantly bending over to awkwardly swing what can essentially be viewed as a metal stick pales in comparison to the relatively light toll of the fluid bowling motion.

I implore you to see reason. Why align with the weaker sport? Choose the activity you will enjoy. Choose bowling.

Sincerely,

Sincerely,

A discontented individual

Another discontented individual

Cartoon by Lily O’Gorman

PhotoJ Photo of the Month

Junior Paul Smith waits for a pitch during home action on Jess Borg Field. Photo

by Sophia Black.

Speaks Out “If Episcopal were to add an unconventional sport to the athletic program, what should it be?”

CLAIRE SPEDALE Quidditch

GIBBS FERTITTA Sporting Clays

CHRISTOPHER MERRIAM Porta Potty Racing

ELENA SMALL Bowling

OLIVIA CHAPMAN Hot Dog Eating Contest

CAROLINE HUTH Beach Volleyball

MR. EVAN CHASTAIN Daisy picking

JONATHAN REDDING Curling

MATHIEU GAY Human vs. Horse Marathon

MRS. ROBIN OWENS Fencing

Opinion ∙ Page 10

The Knight Times ∙ April 2021

Consumer practice of double standards disheartening SYDNEY COWARD Business and Circulation Manager Over the past year I’ve seen too many examples of double standards, and it’s starting to get a little bit irritating. Before I proceed, I am neither for or against big business; instead, I use it here as an example of the practice of double standards which has become prevalent, especially on social media.

As everyone is probably aware, Amazon practically runs the world. It’s the top distributer of basically everything, leaving Jeff Bezos drowning in money. Because of his success, many people use his situation to voice their negative take on large corporate-controlled financial and business activities and have made him the poster boy for big business.

Scrolling through Instagram, I’ve seen derogatory posts about him, comments like, “Jeff Bezos has enough money to end world hunger and have some left over,” and “This man is selfish and evil.” Others detail how he’s “the scum of the earth - evil and selfish.”

Now comes the fun part. The same people that post these comments are shopaholics (I am too, so no hate here), but when

they record themselves in their private Instagram stories, some videos start with introductions such as, “Guys! Look at these earrings I got! I’m so obsessed with them.

I got them off Amazon in multiple colors.”

Okay, I get it. We all had shopping addiction experiences during quarantine, but if you publicly slam a business owner and his business ideas/values but turn around to support it… makes no sense, right?

There’s a difference between walking the walk and talking the talk. My aunt, who is very firm in her beliefs, walks the walk. She has worked for Habitat for Humanity and is part of an organization that helps Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals children. By taking actions to support her statements and beliefs, it makes a difference in current situations rather than saying one thing and doing the other.

Posting various current world problems on your Instagram story doesn’t do much except allow people to read it, process it, or click through it. If you have a strong belief, go out there and do something! Flooding Facebook or Instagram doesn’t solve the problems.

If you are firm in your beliefs about large corporations dominating the market, as in the example here, you can eliminate dou-

ble standards in your life by changing your habits. There are several local independent coffee shops and book shops that can be an alternative to buying coffee from business giants like Starbucks and books from Barnes and Noble. If you need a jump start to take action, try coffee from Luce Avenue, Foam Coffee House, Amsterdam Co., Cavo Coffee, Minuti Coffee, Drip Coffee

Café, Agora, and Grinders Coffee Bar or books from Brazos Bookstore, Kaboom Books, Blue Willow Bookshop, Murder by the Book, and Becker’s Books.

Though some of us may unintentionally practice double standards in everyday life, implementing behaviors that demonstrate an awareness of the practice is a good start to living free of them.

Swift’s social activism plagued with hypocrisy JAZZMIN DUNCAN Staff Writer Taylor Swift is not the person she paints herself to be. She is a proud feminist and constantly pushes the “#girlboss” narrative. Now, I know, there are multiple ways that this could be angled. I could make her out to be a radical, third wave feminist who is an undercover misandrist (which isn’t true), or I could give a valid critique of her and her actions relating to the feminist movement. While the former claim would be fun to defend, it’s a vast overdramatization of the situation. In reality, Swift constantly pushes the idea of equality but shies away from the topic of racism, and villainizes the African Americans who call her out, effectively making her a hypocrite.

Taylor Swift, an outspoken activist, tends to have some serious blindspots when it comes to her advocacy. Her activism often leans toward the performative side and typically only benefits white women.

Photo courtesy of Pitchfork.com.

A prime example of this would be her Twitter interaction with Nicki Minaj in 2015 after the announcement of VMA nominations for Music Video of the Year.

Minaj was upset that her video for “Feeling Myself ft. Beyonce” wasn’t nominated, even though it was undoubtedly one of the biggest videos that year. Swift, on the other hand, did receive a nomination for her music video “Bad Blood ft. Kendrick Lamar,” which was also a good video, but not nearly as impactful as Minaj’s.

Minaj released a series of tweets expressing disbelief at the snub as well and dismay over another snub for her video “Anaconda.” She mentioned how “other girls,” particularly those with “very slim bodies” who had been nominated, hadn’t impacted “the culture” nearly as much as she, implying that the snub was due to racism and body-shaming. Swift saw this tweet and thought that it was directed at her. She quickly flipped the situation and said that Minaj was “pitting girls against each other.” Minaj had valid criticism of the frequent snubbing of black artists, but Swift felt the need to respond to this by villainizing Minaj. This shows Swift’s tendency to weaponize the feminist movement with the classic “What happened to girls support girls?” question whenever she is confronted or feels like she’s being confronted, about biases that benefit her.

Don’t get me wrong. Swift has faced a massive amount of misogyny, from which she has rightfully defended herself. However, having to face misogyny at every turn has allowed her to paint the narrative that she is the victim 100% of the time when that simply isn’t the case. She makes herself out to be a damsel in distress and frames the situation in a way that makes her opponent, especially when the person is black, seem aggressive and irrational. Her activism for people, including all women, is performative and may even be a marketing scheme, as she has shown through her interaction with Minaj and other black people. What she has demonstrated is a clear apprehension about listening to the voices of black people when faced with genuine concerns regarding race, while she appears only willing to readily advocate for the rights of white women.

Businesses like Amazon have consistently faced double standards from consumers as their business practices are perceived as unethical. Customers have gone so far as to initiate boycotts and start petitions to reform, or completely dissolve, these businesses. Photo coutesy of Pixy.org.

The Knight Times Episcopal High School 4650 Bissonnet, Bellaire, TX 77450 713-512-3400

Head of School Ned Smith

Editor-in-Chief Bailey Junell

Associate Head of School Nancy Laufe Eisenberg

Managing Editor Chris Lahoti

Principal Kim Randolph

Copy Editor Cory Kardesch

Dean of Arts and Innovation Jay Berckley

Sports Editor Tinley Kane

Visual Arts Chair Kate Philbrick

Opinions Editor Connor Smith

Publications Coordinator David Framel

Business and Circulation Manager Sydney Coward

Photojournalism Instructor Japheth Storlie

Social Media Coordinator Lucy Howley

Photojournalism Co-Editors Sophie Martin and Karma Elbadawy

Staff Writers Jazzmin Duncan Claire Frankfort Lara Verstovsek Leana Greene Estefania Lopez-Salas Cristian Munoz Sara Faulconer Lily O’Gorman

Photographers Maya Basra Sophia Black Sydney Brooks Lila Henningsen Margrethe Jensen Sydney Kelso Jami Rassy Mimi Elizabeth Wilson

The Knight Times is a product of students in the Episcopal High School newspaper class, who are solely responsible for its creation and editorial content. The opinions expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent those of the Episcopal Board of Trustees, administration, faculty, and staff. Published ten times a year, The Knight Times is a non-profit educational tool. The staff encourages the submission of letters, editorials, and story ideas from the community, but reserves the right to edit and/or use said articles.

The Knight Times ∙ April 2021

Sports ∙ Page 11

Three EHS grads will likely get the call in the 2021 NFL draft TINLEY KANE Sports Editor The 2021 NFL Draft will be hosted this year in Cleveland, Ohio, and three of Episcopal’s finest football players have the chance to be selected. Speaking with Head Varsity Coach Steve Leisz, The Knight Times gained some insight on what each player offers and some history of their high school and collegiate careers.

Walker Little (left tackle) enters the draft as a graduate from Stanford Univer-

sity. Unfortunately for Little, the Pac-12 delayed the start of this year’s football season due to COVID-19. However, this didn’t stop him from getting prepped for what lies ahead in his football career.

Little moved out to Pensacola, Florida, and enrolled in virtual classes after the university officially announced his decision to prepare for the draft. In high school, Little was ranked by 247 Sports as the #1 player in the country and is said to go somewhere at the end of the first round and beginning of the second.

Jaylen Waddle enters the draft as a wide receiver and played three years with Alabama’s Crimson Tide. Waddle was a phenomenal athlete upon entering high school, participating in football, basketball, and track. He’s projected to be selected the highest out of the three boys, going somewhere between picks #5-15.

Once finishing his career under Coach Nick Saban, Waddle immediately went to Pensacola to declare for the draft. Waddle joined his teammate and Heisman Trophy winner DeVonta Smith and opted out of

having a Pro Day since having enough film available for teams to watch.

Originally recruited as a basketball player, Marvin Wilson was convinced by Coach Leisz that he could be a remarkable football player. Time would only tell how good Wilson would become as he started as a freshman on varsity, and by his sophomore and junior years was ranked #1 on 247 Sports. His Pro Day was held March 22, and he will graduate from Florida State University. Wilson is projected to be picked in the second or third round.

Stanford takes championship title in women’s March Madness CORY KARDESH Copy Editor If March is known for one thing, it is March Madness. The NCAA’s college basketball tournament takes place every year in March and is one of the biggest sporting events for viewers, and of course, betting on a perfect bracket.

With COVID-19 affecting March Madness last year, improvements were made so that 25 percent capacity at stadiums could be offered for fans to attend the games, and 17 percent capacity was made available for the women’s games.

This year was just as exciting and intense as any other March Madness, with Gonzaga, USC, Baylor, Arkansas, Michigan, UCLA, Oregon St., and Houston making the Elite 8. Gonzaga won over USC, Baylor over Arkansas, UCLA

over Michigan, and Houston beat Oregon St., leaving Gonzaga, Baylor, UCLA, and Houston in the Final Four.

The Final Four took place on April 3 with Gonzaga barely beating UCLA with a 93-90 final score, and Baylor defeated Houston 78-59, putting Baylor and Gonzaga in the finals. In the championship game on April 5, Baylor took the title convincingly with a final score of 86-70.

As for the women’s NCAA tournament, the last four teams were Stanford, South Carolina, UConn, and Arizona, with Stanford beating South Carolina and Arizona beating UConn. On April 4, Stanford and Arizona played in the championship, with Stanford barely winning with a final score of 54-53. With the season officially over now, fans are already excited and looking forward to another great year of college basketball.

Junior Lexie Hull (left) and freshman Cameron Brink (right) celebrate their monumental win against Arizona. Photo courtesy of The New York Times.

Major League Baseball’s Opening Day carries many surprises SYDNEY COWARD Business and Circulation Manager Major League Baseball’s Opening Day surpassed 2020 on so many levels but mainly because fans were allowed. Opening Day showcases the teams’ potential fresh out of spring training.

Ben Verlander has a new podcast called “Flippin Bats,” and he highlights the biggest takeaways from the monumental day (I highly recommend).

Big moments: Miguel Cabrera pursuing 500 homers and sliding into second thinking it was a double, but instead he had launched homer #488.

Dodgers messy mistake: Cody Bellinger’s homer tips off Raimel Tapia’s glove while Justin Turner, thinking the ball had been caught, returns to first base, causing Bellinger to pass him and be called out, though he was ultimately credited with an RBI single… interesting.

Phillies bullpen showing strong po-

tential throughout 10 innings, shocking reporters and fans! Can’t forget Bryce Harper’s cleats.

Shohei Ohtani being Shoeshei with a 107 mph line drive. Manager Joe Maddon is still stuck on 1985 ball.

Gary Sanchez blasting a 407 foot, tworun home run during his first-at-bat Pirates’ Ke’Bryan Hayes takes Cubs’ Kyle Hendricks deep in the first inning.

Now the favorite to win NL ROY Tyler Glasnow lasted 6 innings, allow-

ing no runs for the Marlins. His addition of a new slider this off season was showed off for 26 pitches.

History was made during Rangers vs Royals as both teams scored at least 5 first-inning runs.

Astros won and Zack Grienke turned around his bad track record of Opening Days with 6 scoreless innings.

Red Sox were swept by the Orioles and had a hectic start to the season, not able to get their stuff together.

Are these unpopular sports on the rise to becoming popular?

BAILEY JUNELL Editor-in-Chief Everyone has heard of soccer, tennis, rugby, and other mainstream sports, but have you heard of Cheese Rolling or Extreme Ironing? Chess Boxing? How about Tuk Tuk Polo? Or Unicycle Hockey?

These sports are some of the most unusual ones performed across the world. While they may be bizarre (or hilarious to just watch), each and every one of these rarely discussed sports have its own fan base and masters of the game.

To start, an increasingly popular sport in America is eating contests. Specifically, the Nathan’s Hotdog Eating Competition, which is held annually on the 4th of July.

The winner is whoever can eat the most in a certain amount of time. Recently, it has been gaining popularity, and just this past year, the ‘famous’ Joey Chestnut ate 75 hot dogs in 10 minutes (does that accomplishment deserve praise or disgust? or both?)

A very well-known sport but nonetheless one of my favorite random sports is curling. You may have seen it during the past few Olympic Games. Players slide stones on a sheet of ice toward a target area.

Another very cool semi-mainstream event is kayaking or canoe slalom, in which the contestants navigate through an upstream or downstream course in a kayak or canoe.

A new sport emerging in South Asia is Tuk Tuk polo. Created in Sri Lanka in 2016, the rules are essentially the same as normal polo, except the sport is played in “Tuk Tuks,” legit mini cars. Accidents on the field are considered fouls, and if one occurs, the players are switched out.

One of the coolest sports I found is extreme ironing. Yes, you read that right: extreme IRONING. While that may sound confusing, the sport is easy to comprehend. Essentially, contestants take their ironing board, clothing, and iron to the most remote and dangerous location they know and iron. This sport has taken participants all over the world - to the top of mountains, to the middle of the forest, or underwater. It all depends on how extreme the contestant is willing to go.

Last, in my opinion one of the best sports in existence is cheese rolling. Each year in Gloucester, England, there is an annual cheese rolling event. The rules of the sport are simple: a nine-pound round of cheese is rolled from the top of a hill, and the competitors run after this round following it to the bottom. The first person to cross the finish line is declared the winner and gets to take home the cheese.

Google a video of this; you won’t be disappointed.

There are many more incredibly weird sports, so here are some honorable mentions. Unicycle hockey. Essentially, it is hockey played indoors on unicycles.

Chess boxing, which is 3 minutes of chess followed by three minutes of boxing, repeats until someone loses in chess or gets knocked out. Muggle quidditch, based on the sport described in the Harry Potter series, is a complicated game designed to be played in the air. The game

was redesigned and mixes elements of rugby, dodgeball, and tag.

Nonetheless, these aforementioned sports are only some of the many incredibly bizarre and fascinating sports that are played in nations and different cultures all over the world.

In Gloucester, England, the widely known cheese rolling event is held every year.

Photo courtesy of Gloucestershire Live.

Spring Sports∙ Page 12

The Knight Times ∙ April 2021

Sports Brief

Boys lacrosse may be the “best team in years”

TENNIS LEANA GREENE Staff Writer The Episcopal varsity tennis teams have been working hard in practice and during tournaments.

The boys have had previous competitions against Emery, Houston Christian, St. John’s, Awty, and Kinkaid. They started strong with a 6-1 win against Emery at The Met. Against Kinkaid they played strong but suffered an unfortunate 4-1 loss.

Leading the team in this tournament was sophomore Nico Trullenque, who competed in a hard-fought match in singles, coming out with a respectable win.

The girls have competed against Emery, Awty, St. John’s, and Kinkaid and look to pick up a win.

The JV Coed team has competed against St. John’s, Kinkaid, and Awty and had some impressive wins.

April 16 was a big day for all tennis athletes who traveled to compete against St. Stephen’s and St. Andrew’s in Austin.

ESTEFANIA LOPEZ-SALAS Staff Writer Along with other spring sports, the boys lacrosse team has also been hard at work.

Practice has been almost every afternoon beginning at 4:00 at school. The boys have practiced in the heat, the cold, and in the rain, but nothing stops them from working hard and preparing for tournaments.

This year there will be no SPC, so the EHS boys lacrosse team is setting its sights and focusing on the city and state tournament. Some games and tournaments that the boys team has already played have been against Stratford, The Woodlands, Dripping Springs, Strake Jesuit, Cypress Woods, Kinkaid, Pearland, and many more.

The team is a senior-heavy group with about 17 seniors on the varsity team. All the players that make up the team are always working hard and determined to do

SOFTBALL TINLEY KANE Sports Editor Throughout the entire month of March, the Knights have managed to fall short in some games and secure some of the season’s biggest wins.

As the month began, the team had a rocky start, losing to HCYA and Pearland Dawson within the same week. The team took a pause during spring break to come back stronger for the home stretch of the season. After a week break, the team would set the stage to play its first SPC conference game against longtime rival Kinkaid.

The teams would be neck-and-neck until the top of the sixth as sophomore Emma Poirot hit a shot over the right field fence and secured the 5-4 win. This created momentum heading into the following week’s schedule as the team beat St. Pius and Pearland High School. The win over Pearland was once again a down-tothe-wire game, ending in the 6-5 win on Pearland’s night to recognize past state championship teams.

Continuing to play more conference games, the winning streak has been kept alive with wins over John Cooper and Duchesne as the Knights allowed two runs and racked up 33 runs in the twogame stretch.

GIRLS LACROSSE LUCY HOWLEY Social Media Coordinator After working diligently in practices often on weekends, the varsity girls lacrosse team has had four big wins against St. Agnes, Stratford, Houston Christian, and the Village School.

Although they had an upsetting loss against Kingwood, the girls are looking to show off their hard work in upcoming games against Klein, Lamar, and St. John’s, and finally perfect their techniques before the rapidly approaching SPC tournament in May. Coaches Jessica Adams, Emily White, Emily Barron, and Paige Moriarty, along with seniors Lucy Howley, Gwen Rippeto, Helen Young, Izzy Erlich, and Mary Carol Ray, are hoping to secure a high ranking spot in the SPC tournament this year.

Junior Max Stovall sprints toward the goal to score. Photo by Sydney Brooks.

their very best.

Most of the seniors have played together since freshman year, but the team has picked up players along the way, including new underclassmen. Sophomore Jackson Hearn has been a dominant attackman, taking on defending opponents twice his size and working his way to multiple goal games. With the introduction of new faceoff rules, Max Mifflin has stepped up to be a face off and go (FOGO) guy.

The team focuses on dynamics, technique, and fast-play, which has been both good and bad against opponents. This year's team is arguably one of the best lacrosse teams in EHS recent memory.

Although the team has had so much success, there have been a few changes in the mix with Covid. Masks are worn during games and tournaments, and there has been rescheduling of games because of the lack of space at locations.

TINLEY KANE Sports Editor

run against Clear Falls; Marco Guiterrez (senior) throwing a no-hitter in a big SPC conference victory against St. Andrew’s; and Gunnar Brown (senior), Paul Smith (junior), and Stephen Pena (senior) working together for a shutout against HCYA.

Baseball secures win upon win

It’s been nothing but wins for the varsity baseball program. Nothing has been able to put a stop to the team’s ferocious lineup and stellar bullpen.

The lineup is dominated by 5-6 seniors, yet the underclassmen don’t go unnoticed on the team, always finding a way to make an impact. Leadoff hitter Tres Organ (junior) currently leads the team in homeruns with three, creating the perfect combination of power and consistency in a leadoff hitter.

On the defensive side, the pitching dynamic of the Knights offers depth and versatility. The stats speak for themselves, with pitchers like Luke Bragga (sophomore) Tres Organ, squares one up to advance Marco Gutierrez. not allowing a single Photo by Margrethe Jensen.

Boys and girls golf prevails with limited season ESTEFANIA LOPEZ-SALAS Staff Writer Both girls and boys golf teams have worked extremely hard this season, even

Leana Greene practices the perfect swing. Photo by Mimi Wilson.

with all the changes due to Covid-19.

The girls team has been practicing on the new EHS putting green, at Hermann golf course, and at the Memorial Park golf course. The girls program has really grown since there are 19 new girls on JV and varsity. There are usually five or six tournaments, but this year there were only four. SPC has been canceled due to Covid-19, and there will only be a South Zone tournament on April 20 instead of a two-day SPC tournament. The regular season will finish on April 6 with a tournament at Quail Valley. This tournament will be hosted by the EHS golf team, and nine of the JV girls will be attending.

Coach Meghan Moake said, “Our goal each year for varsity is to finish in the top three, so we have been working hard and

hope to play well on April 20 to finish in the top 3!”

The boys team has been working hard as well. There are usually practices held at the Memorial Park driving range in addition to workouts in the EHS weight room, the short game area, and practicing holes on their own. For the South Zone tournament, only five boys attended, which was determined by tournament scores throughout the season, tournament and practice attendance, weekly scorecards, work ethic, and scorekeeping.

Coach Wayne Jones said, “We are really excited about this season, and the boys have really worked hard. We have finished in the top three of all the varsity tournaments we have competed in thus far this year.”

Track and field optimize their talents nonstop LARA VERSTOVSEK Staff Writer This track season has been entirely different for the Knights in many ways.

First, it has been challenging trying to ensure that there are enough opportunities for student-athletes to compete. Also, schools are limited on the number of teams that can participate at any given meet.

Thankfully, EHS has a track of its own, allowing the opportunity to host three meets this year.

Among the amazing student-athletes on the EHS team, two athletes who have stood out include senior Donovan Jackson and junior KitKat Kwiatkowski. Both have led a strong group of talented boys and girls from top to bottom.

In the most recent meet, the girls team won the Mickey Riggs Relays at Houston Christian while the boys team finished second.

Despite this track season not going as planned, the Knights are still training and competing to the best of their abilities.

Coach Isaiah Coleman said, “I have just enjoyed the fact that our student-athletes

have had the opportunity to compete. I would love for us to be able to compete at SPC this spring and accomplish our yearly goal of winning an SPC Championship for the girls and boys.”

Matt Harkness glides over the bar during his pole vaulting event. Photo by Margrethe Jensen.