ilhouette S
COLUMBUS SCHOOL FOR GIRLS
VOL. 59
W e l c o m e To C S G ! A Note From Dr. Graham Cameron Tiefenthaler, XII
CSG’s Upper School is happy to have Dr. Kellen Graham to fill our Upper School Director position starting July 1, 2020. Dr. Graham attended Lafayette College where he majored in English before furthering his study with a PhD from Temple University. He taught at Temple for over a decade before transitioning to his position in upper schools. He taught English literature at the Haverford School in Pennsylvania and then took a position at the Cannon School in Concord, North Carolina. He has led them as the Academic Dean of the Upper School for the past few years. We are so excited to welcome him into our community and are ready to share our traditions, love of learning, and enthusiasm with him! "Dear CSG Upper School, My wife Virginia and I can’t wait to join the CSG family! We are called to the school’s mission,
Dr. Graham will serve as CSG's US Division Director beginning in the fall. Photo Courtesy of Ben Simon.
its commitment to student-teacher relationships, its vibrant learning community, and, above all, its remarkable girls and young women. The collective energy, kindness, and dedication of everyone at CSG inspired us during our campus visits and made us feel at home. All of you, especially seniors, are in my thoughts during this unprecedented time. I’m amazed by your courage and resilience. I am also grateful to our innovative, hard-working teachers, who have not skipped a beat in moving us to virtual teaching and learning. When we return to campus, I believe we will come back stronger than ever. Getting to know you and building relationships is my top priority. Please stay tuned in the coming weeks for details about how we can connect this summer. In the meantime, please know how grateful I am to serve as your next Upper School Division Director. I’m so proud to be a Unicorn! Go Unies!"--Dr. Graham
Senior Day: Behind the Scenes
Ahlam Jallaq, XII
As we near the end of the school year, Senior Day is fresh in our minds. From the secrecy of the theme to the excitement of being able to wear free clothes and eat sweets during the day, Senior Day sets the tone for Spring Break and the final months of the school year. To learn more about planning Senior Day, I spoke with this year’s planning head, Greta Schoettmer, XII. Greta said that the most enjoyable part about being Senior Day head is “seeing all of the awesome ideas that the senior class has come up with.” She goes on to say, “I just get to organize who does what and then watch all the amazing ideas come together and see my class start to make Senior Day actually happen.” As a senior, I agree that Senior Day has been a way for the seniors to bond as a class and to each contribute in a small way to put something together that will be fun for the whole school.
The first step to planning Senior Day is deciding on a theme. Collectively, we chose for our theme to be Monsters Inc. Greta says, “I think that there was some disappointment from a couple seniors here and there because the theme we ended up choosing wasn’t their first choice, but the one we went with had over twice as many votes as the next most popular idea.” Although there was a little initial disagreement, Greta did such a great job delegating and planning that we all enjoyed the process! Additionally, Greta continued to say that
“making compromises is the best way to [resolve disagreement], but there [weren’t] many situations we had to resolve anyways, which I’m super thankful for.” Senior Day is always a fun and exciting time of year. However, this year’s Senior Day held special meaning to the Class of 2020 as it was our last time being together as a grade and our last time being together as a school. We worked to start Spring Break as well as distance learning off on a note of positivity as well as fun!
Class of 2020 on Senior Day. Photo Courtesy of Dr. Profe Miller
ISSUE 4
Spring 2020
Distance Learning: Pros and Cons Ruthie saar, x
COVID-19 is preventing us from seeing our friends, families, and doing our normal every-day activities. One of the precautions we are making here at CSG is online schooling to protect everyone in our community. But what is it really like to be distance learning, for both the students and faculty? What are the pros and cons of this new format, and is it preferred over our traditional ways? For CC McLarty, IX, being home all the time and managing her own schedule is a big adjustment. She likes waking up whenever her heart desires and doing her work at her own pace. But she recognizes that there are some difficulties: “It’s harder to get in contact with teachers because normally, I could just go and see them. Now I have to email or ask on a group Zoom.” She admits this can be intimidating. She also feels that online school is hard socially because she can’t see peers that aren’t in her classes. However, she thinks it has been a good experience so far and finds that she has a lot of free time to spend. She prefers “normal” school to online school any day because “being without [her] friends is the worst.” Ms. Miranda appreciates that “we’re staying safe and doing our part to flatten the curve of COVID-19 cases.” She says, “We’re all still learning something, even if it’s just how to use Loom and Zoom.” She enjoys being with her two dogs and showering them with hugs. While she thinks our safety is key, she can’t help “feeling as though [she’s] in a constant state of panic.” She also finds it harder to develop lessons for online school: “It takes me 2-4 times as long to prep for a class. I know what I want to do, but trying to be clear, concise, and meaningful with the work I’m giving my students takes a lot of time.” Although she has had to modify her classes, she thinks some of the elements of online school will stick. She explains, “I’m getting the hang of Google Forms [...] and I’m liking the ‘comment bank’ on Google Classroom.” While it has been a big change, she believes that normal school will always beat online school, especially since there aren’t any CSG lunches at home.
Mara Sims, XI, enjoys not having to get dressed every day and sleeping in, yet she admits she feels overwhelmed: “Keeping a regular school schedule is hard because there are some assignments for ACE classes due on BDF days [and vice versa], as well as more work for some classes than usual.” Additionally, she yearns for the parts of school that we took for granted. “I also miss things like sitting in the Unicorn theater for announcements and cramming into classrooms for class meetings. We can’t do any of these things online.” As a junior, she won’t be able to partake in certain customs, like launching rockets in physics class or filling in the seniors’ seats in the theater. It makes her sad that Student Council elections weren’t run like in the past. She pointed out, “A bunch of the little traditions that signal the end of our school year and the beginning of our time as the school's new leaders will either have to be moved online or eliminated altogether.” Many others may feel this same disappointment, but at least we are ensuring our safety in quarantine. Mr. Hartshorne agrees that in-person school is preferred. To him, nothing can beat being physically in classrooms and meeting with students, as he says that “having class over the computer simply seems colder and less personal.” He explains how forming bonds with faculty and students over a screen is much harder than it is in person. Furthermore, teaching science is not an easy task, especially online. Mr. Hartshorne described, “I’ve also needed to go into the lab to record lab experiments in order to have the students get as close to a lab experience as possible.” Without hesitation, he revealed that recording and editing videos can be a burden, and giving out tests is challenging. Needless to say, many of us would much rather return to normal school than stick with online school. Despite the unexpected finish to the school year, we can take this period to spend precious time with our families, sleep in, and become experts in online platforms we didn’t know existed! When we return to school, the appreciation and gratitude for our regular lives will be more prevalent than ever.
Bookstagrammer Leslie Robins, XII I’m sure most of you reading this article have at least one personal social media account where you post about your vacations or maybe outings with your friends. But Ms. Emily Ables, CSG's newest addition to the Marketing department, doesn't post selfies on her Instagram; she shares pictures of her books. I had the chance to chat with Ms. Ables about herself, her “bookstagram,” and her experience at CSG so far. Ms. Ables had her first experience with social media-curating during her sophomore year of high school when she started a book Instagram page. She explained, “I didn’t really have any friends that liked reading, and I wanted to post about the books I was buying or reading [...] so I just started a new [account].” She continued, “No one else was only posting about books at the time.” Ms. Ables began posting pictures of book covers and bookshelves, and she gained about 7000 followers on her own in a year. Her account then became really popular when Instagram featured it on their page. According to Ms. Ables, the page “gained 20-30,000 followers in about 36 hours.” The account, @blueeyedbiblio, is now followed by verified accounts such
as The Strand Book Store and Reese Witherspoon’s Book Club. Of course, I had to ask for Ms. Ables’s favorite books, and she listed three: S. E. Hinton’s The Outsiders, Sandra Cisneros’s The House on Mango Street, and Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar. She shared her reasons for picking these books: “I get the most out of reading when reading books from other people’s perspectives. You see things that you haven’t experienced before, and you gain empathy for those sorts of people through that experience.” Ms. Ables started working at the Marketing and Communications department of CSG in January. Having attended Columbus Academy for high school, she had heard of CSG, but she didn’t know much about it until she came to work here. However, she told me, “When I came here and began to talk to people, I realized it was a really special place.” When asked what she thought was so special about CSG, Ms. Ables replied, “I really like the idea of girls having a space that’s created just for them where they’re being told, ‘You can literally do anything.’” I was inspired in part by Ms. Ables to create a bookstagram on behalf of the CSG Book Club to post recommendations from members of the CSG com-
munity. Now more than ever, it is important to share something as a community, and what better way to spend the extra time we all have than to read a new book? If you want to check out or submit recommendations, make sure to follow our bookstagram at @csgbookclub or Ms. Ables’s at @blueeyedbiblio!
Above, the Southern Reach Trilogy, and below, Ms. Ables poses with a favorite book. Photos courtesy of @csgbookclub and Ms. Ables.
2 School
The Case of the Mixed Milk Angelina Kofman, X
As CSG foodies, we have different food habits on display in the dining hall that vary in “out there-ness,” ranging from simply using BBQ instead of ketchup to putting hot sauce on pizza. But one particular food habit from our very own teachers has stood out: mixing chocolate milk with regular milk. There are only three teachers who mix their milk: Sr. Pryor, Mr. Hartshorne, and Dr. Doden. When I asked Pryor why he started mixing in the first place, he said it was out of “pure admiration for Hartshorne.” Hartshorne corroborated this, saying that Pryor had copied his lunch habits. Hartshorne said that he had started to drink milk during lunch, and Pryor started right after. Hartshorne then switched to chocolate milk, and Pryor copied. Then finally, Hartshorne mixed his milk as a joke, and Pryor copied again. Hartshorne has “always liked milk,” but found that mixing had a preferable taste, saying his discovery was a “happy accident.” This happy accident applied to Pryor, and soon after, Doden. Although Doden originally told me that he mixed his milk as symbolism for the philosophic change the Nixon Administration had on the Farm Bill in 1974, he actually started
after Hartshorne and Pryor to “try it out.” Pryor claimed it made it less chocolatey, and Doden said he mixed it to make it less thick. They each developed a signature ratio. Pryor prefers a 2/3 chocolate to 1/3 2% milk, also saying that our current chocolate brand is better than the last. Doden creates a half and half mixture using 2%, though he prefers whole milk, because he’s a “big fan of dairy fat.” Hartshorne uses two chocolate and two 2% cartons, which he pours simultaneously into a beaker/mug that holds two cartons at once. All three only mix milk at school. Although they all have milk with cereal, Hartshorne is the only one who’s an avid milk drinker, drinking milk three times a day, and can drink a “gallon in two days.” What started as a happy accident over twenty years ago has blossomed into one of the most controversial lunch habits at CSG, garnering amusement and raised eyebrows from all.
Mr. Harshorne mixes a perfect ratio. Photo courtesy of Angelina Kofman, X.
We Heart the Hartshornes! Cameron Tiefenthaler, XII If you ask any upper-schooler to describe the relationship of the Hartshornes, they’ll swoon and say they’re the cutest work couple, just like Jim and Pam from The Office. But just exactly how did this fairytale love story commence? Their journey didn’t start off as dreamily as one might expect. Fifteen years ago, Mrs. Hartshorne, who was then Ms. Dickman, had taken a new position as an Upper School math teacher and was assigned to the classroom that had previously been used for the yearbook class led by Mr. Hartshorne. When
she entered her new room, there were old boxes of yearbook supplies scattered about, and Mr. Hartshorne, after being asked if they could be moved, quickly retorted to let them be. After this initial conversation, our two lovebirds remained distant and uninterested until the ice finally began to thaw. As the years progressed to 2009, they started talking between classes and realized they might be compatible. They were determined to “decide within two months whether the relationship would work or not to protect their professional relationship,” as Mr. Hartshorne stated. When they started dating, they tried to keep their personal lives private, yet “dating in front of 200 high school girls was a challenge.” Both recall later
discovering that the senior class had a poster in the Commons charting all of the locations the lovebirds were spotted together. The senior super sleuths, however, weren’t always correct, as the class included locations that the couple never visited. Their first date unfolded just as one would expect. After a conversation one day, Mr. Hartshorne asked Ms. Dickman out to dinner to an Italian restaurant. They both remember having a pleasant conversation, and they proceeded to go on more dates. About eight months after they had started dating, Mr. Hartshorne’s proposal plans began to take shape. On Halloween, he took his soon-to-be fiancé to “The Phantom of the Opera” and dinner, and then he made an excuse for the both of
them to go back to his place to let out his dog. He had previously covered his house with roses and proceeded to ask her to marry him. While he claims “she waited five minutes to say yes,” Mrs. Hartshorne states she replied in a matter of seconds. When it came time to break the news to the CSG community, they did it the only way CSG faculty members would; they made an announcement. Everyone cheered for the soonto-be married couple. Mr. Hartshorne remembers the seniors suggesting that the couple get married right after graduation as the tent, chairs, roses, and 50+ bridesmaids would all be prepared! Despite everyone’s hopes for how that picturesque wedding might unfold, the Hartshornes decided to get married
with their families over winter break, and the rings surprised everyone once they returned. What can we take away from their storybook relationship? Mrs. Hartshorne emphasized the importance of finding a spouse who shares the same goals and priorities, besides the commonplace questions one may ask while dating. She says, “All the things you do during dating aren’t really indicative of whether you’ll have a good marriage because […] in a real relationship, you deal with finances, split up chores, parent your children, and more.” Because the couple was on the same page about their goals and asked the correct questions before tying the knot, they’ve been able to enjoy a swoon-worthy relationship that we can all aspire to have!
Global
Advisors: Dr. Hattaway
How To Help During COVID-19
Dr. Miller
Haley Tobias, XII
Editors-In-Chief:
The rapidly spreading COVID-19 disease is affecting people everywhere in a countless number of ways. Many are losing loved ones, becoming sick themselves, losing their jobs, or even finding themselves struggling to pay for vital resources such as food. The media continues to say the best way to help with this crisis is to stay inside. This is true, but it raises the question:how do we help the people that cannot afford to stay inside? Food pantries are vital to many communities, more now
Cameron Tiefenthaler, XII Haley Tobias, XII Club Coordinator: Lily Shayani, XII Junior Editor: McKenna Merriman, XI
than ever. More families every day are having to turn to food pantries because they cannot rely on school meals while schools are closed or they just lost their job and do not have the income to support their families. A safe way to help out at your local food pantries while also practicing social distancing include donating money or contributing to the Food Bank’s “Virtual Food Drive.” Food pantries around the country continue to preach that funds are most needed in order to buy food in bulk, so while food donations are helpful, a donation of the money you would have spent on the food might
Staff Ahlam Jallaq, XII
be more useful. You may also choose to contribute to or start your own Virtual Food Drive. These are sites where people can shop for foods and select a location to which the food will be delivered. This makes fresh fruits and vegetables and many more vital food options acces-
sible to those in need. Best of all, anyone can contribute as long as they have the link to your food drive! Save yourself the shopping trip, and make a bigger impact right from your own home. Another way you can donate your time and resources during this crisis is by making
Haley Tobias, XII takes cans to her local pantry. Photo courtesy of Haley Tobias, XII.
Addie Mykel, XII Leslie Robins, XII Kiera Rennick, X Ruthie Saar, X
3
Cameron Tiefenthaler, XII is busy making masks. Photo courtesy of Cameron Tiefenthaler, XII.
masks. There are many different hospitals and charities asking for masks of any kind for the essential workers. Download a couple of simple patterns for masks, order fabric online, and get sewing! Lastly, since it might be harder for some students during this time to access their teachers, donating your time as an online tutor might help.
Meeting with students over facetime or Zoom is a great way to interact! You can promote this on social media or by email. Now is a time where we all need to come together to help everyone in need, so continue to stay inside, keep social distancing, and try to occupy some of your free time by finding a way to help others!
Climate Change in the Midst of Coronavirus Ruthie Saar, X COVID-19: the pandemic that took the world by storm. While many people might see this as a sort of reincarnated plague, is it really as inconvenient as we say it is? In some cases, the answer might be yes. But for the planet, this epidemic might be (surprisingly) beneficial! However, some economists predict that it is only a matter of time before the environment is in peril from workers’ determination to catch up on lost work or return back to their normal habits. Ta k e H o n g K o n g , China, for example. China is
known as one of the most polluted countries in the world, contributing to “30% of the world’s CO2 emissions annually,” according to CNN author Rebecca Wright. However, “the average number of “good quality air days” increased 21.5% in February,” which is around the time the virus began spreading. This is a great improvement! Additionally, changes in travel are currently being discussed and debated. Travel has a large impact on the earth, as pollution from planes, trains, and cars is released into the atmosphere in large amounts. Meehan Crist from The New York Times
Empty streets due to coronavirus, photo courtesy of Pixabay.
states, “lifestyles that include… frequent long-distance travel already [seems] ethically questionable in light of the climate crisis.” On the other hand, however, writer Beth Gardiner from Yale Environment 360 says that these changes in emissions and pollution are merely temporary and will rise back up as soon as people can return to work. Many
believe that consumption will be much larger than before once everything has returned back to normal; gas and many other products will be in such high demand that pollution rates will increase more than they ever had before. While coronavirus might not mean that all of our pollution rates will stay low forever, either way, we are able
to change the outcome. The virus is inspiring people all over to change their habits for the planet's sake. If we alter our ways by doing things such as carpooling rather than driving your own car, we can turn this situation around for the better! The environment doesn't have to continue to go downhill if we put certain modifications into action.
Map showing drop in China's air pollution after coronavirus quarantine. CNN World, CNN, 17 March 20, https:// www.cnn.com/2020/03/16/asia/china-pollution-coronavirus-hnk-intl/index.html. Accessed 24 April 2020.
4 Corona Fun
A Te a c h e r ' s D a y i n Q u a r a n t i n e McKenna Merriman, XI
Many of us have spent the last couple weeks watching Netflix, baking bread, dying hair, or going on walks with our parents. I could not help but wonder what my teachers have been doing. Instead of asking them, I gave myself the answer. Here you will find completely notmade-up, day-to-day schedules of your favorite teachers over their quarantine.* Sr. Pryor has been having some emotional detachment issues from being away from his beloved stick for so long. He decided to join Dr. Doden on one of his morning hikes to make his own stick by salvaging a tree branch. Although it is not as good as the last, he has been taking it on walks, giving it food and water, and using it as a social distance measurer. I am astounded to an-
nounce that Dr. Reverend William “Profe” Miller has knocked Charli off of her throne and is now #1 on TikTok. After four long weeks of Renegade-ing, Say So-ing, and Stutting up Heathers, he has earned his spot. He has also now watched every single Spanish music video on the internet and has actually joined CNCO. Much to the excitement of her kids, Mrs. Pfeiffer has taken this opportunity to start prepping Nolan and Lena for APUSH. The first couple weeks went well, but each day gets more stressful because “WE HAVEN’T EVEN GOTTEN TO THE WAR!” Every day Dr. Doden gets back to his house from his 8-mile morning hike at about 6 am. He has been catching up with friends from his multiple lives,
and also learned how to make focaccia. After taking note from the senior skit, Dr. Hattaway and Ms. Seese have decided it would be best for their relationship that they do not quarantine together. Ms. Seese has instead reached out of her comfort zone to watch Bravo shows, and Dr. Hattaway has already begun reading Othello to her daughter. After a long few weeks, Dr. D has not only launched his own podcast called "Daily Dilemmas Delivered by Dr. D," but has also beaten himself in over 30 boardgames. All this, and he discovered the true meaning of life. The science jocks have spent their quarantines actually trying to find a cure for corona over Zoom. The only reason they have not found a “solution” yet
is because of some interruptions. Dr. Nelson’s snake is a little too adjusted to her being home 24/7, and has been weaving in and out of her testing equipment, leaving her constantly trying to control it. Mr. Hartshorne has been late to each Zoom meeting because he’s trying out a new hair gel made of 2% milk and Vaseline because he cannot find any in stores. Dr. Sweeney cannot keep focus during the meetings, as he is still trying to process his kids' backpacks constantly in his kitchen, just sitting there, waiting to trip him. That, AND he is still dealing with the trauma of not being able to tell his students they can’t drink coffee in his class. And for Ms. Gullett, she still hasn’t been given the log-in. Mrs. Tiefenthaler has also been adjusting to this well, and has replaced her doorbell.
She loves the new working space, but has been seeing A LOT less visitors than normal. Dr. Swarlis and Ms. Yoho have been missing their library space. Both have renovated their houses to make the kitchen a free talking space, their offices a silent space, and their living rooms a whisper zone. Even though you may feel well acquainted with your teachers’ lives now, I encourage you to actually reach out to them. It doesn't matter if you haven't had this teacher since freshman year; sending them a quick email with maybe a nice dog picture will brighten their day and let them know you care about them. The more we can spread kindness and love throughout our community, the better! *These events are fictional… or so we think!
Summer Can Stay Breads Are... on the Rise? without Going Away! Lily Shayani, XII
When thinking of summer break plans, you might picture spending time outside with friends, going to festivals and the beach, or maybe even going on exotic vacations. This year, however, plans are bound to look a little different. With so many trips, festivals, and other events being cancelled, we are going to need to find new ways to fill our time. Luckily, anything is possible with a sunny day and a good playlist! Summer is the best time to go to an outdoor concert or music festival, and it still is. Put on your perfectly planned outfit and body glitter, because they are now coming to you! Many artists are putting on live virtual concerts via platforms such as Instagram live and YouTube. Not only are these entertaining to watch, but they also help the artists or a charity of their choice. For example, proceeds from The UnCancelled Festival, hosted in early April, went towards supporting independent musicians struggling during this time. Google “live virtual concerts” for an updated schedule, as they change all the time. If you were hoping to add some pieces to your collection at an arts fair, take to Etsy! Etsy, an online marketplace for independent sellers, is an amazing place to find unique and unusual items. Not only are you able to make fun purchases, but you are also supporting indepen-
dent artists and business owners. For added effect, do your online shopping outdoors to simulate the “festival” atmosphere. Although your vacations might be canceled, there is still so much to explore. You don’t even have to leave the comfort of your car! On a warm night, it is nice to just drive around and tour your own neighborhood. Roll down the windows and play your favorite music as you are taking roads that you generally don’t take. Extra points if you get lost (so long as you have your phone handy)! Just make sure to drive responsibly. Ohio isn’t exactly known for its white sandy beaches and crisp blue water, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t go to the beach! Get your quarantine gang together and throw a tropical themed party on a warm day. Make tropical drinks, play good music, and do whatever you’d normally do on the beach. If you feel so strongly about it, you could even order a kiddie pool online so you can “splash in the waves.” Tanning, reading, and playing with a beach ball are equally acceptable activities. Maybe it’s not the beach you pictured, but it’s close enough! If we all do our part and stay in, maybe we’ll be able to go out and attend that concert or go on that beach vacation sooner than later. But even if not, it isn’t impossible to still have some fun.
Cameron Tiefenthaler, XII Need a break from all of the seriousness? Over the past few weeks, many of us have been practicing hobbies, whether it be learning guitar, perfecting photography skills, spending more time with nature, or binging a new Netflix show. For me, I’ve been in the kitchen spending quality time with my KitchenAid, bread flour, and oven. During the first week of break, I tried Japanese milk bread which has been popular for several months on baking platforms and was on my list to bake. A cooked flour and milk mixture, called Tangzhong, combined with the unique spiraled rolling method make this bread
lofty with a delectable and tender crumb. I used the recipe from “Bake from Scratch,” and every hour I waited for the dough to rise was surely worth it. In contrast to the soft, sandwich bread, I also made a crustier loaf that’s best served with some herbed butter or olive oil. This rosemary garlic bread from “Taste of Home” calls for instant yeast (also known as quick or fast-rising yeast) and can be thrown together in much less time than your typical loaf. Also, I like to braid this loaf to add to the visual appeal, but you can make rolls or a regular loaf if you please. With all the newlyfound time, I’m not the only one who’s been whipping up new creations. Because of bread
Cameron Tiefenthaler, XII, pictured with one of her braided buns. Photo courtesy of Cameron Tiefenthaler, XII.
baking’s rapid rise in popularity, there’s a shortage of yeast in the grocery stores. If you don’t have any in your pantry and you’ve tried your local bakery for supplies, you can make your own sourdough starter by fermenting flour and water on your counter. The natural yeast in the air will get trapped in the mixture, and within a week, you’ll have the perfect starter to make a few loaves of bread. From brioche and milk bread to rye and sourdough, there are so many recipes and types of bread to try that it’s impossible to go wrong! If you have some flour, be it all-purpose, bread, or even self-rising, there’s a delectable recipe just waiting for you to pick it up! Let’s give rise to some lofty loaves!
5 Life and Arts
Bravo vs Bachelor: Which is Superior? Lily Shayani, XII
Everyone talks about Bachelor Monday, but what about Bravo everyday? I have paid my dues to the Reality TV world from Toddlers in Tiaras to Dance Moms, but I have since settled on the Bravo network which, through all of my trial and error, I can confidently say is the best reality show network (thanks, Andy Cohen!). Why? It all comes down to the literal meaning of the phrase “reality television.” Reality TV, with the exception of competitive reality shows such as Project Runway (also seen on Bravo), is meant to give viewers a glimpse into the lives of outrageous characters. In just one episode of any Bravo
Leslie Robins, XII What TV show has been on for over 15 seasons, is the source of multiple spin-offs, and receives over 8 million viewers weekly? If you answered with the critically-acclaimed show Grey’s Anatomy, you’d be right, but that’s not the ABC show that I’m thinking of. I’m talking about The Bachelor! The Bachelor has been on since 2002 and is currently in the midst of its 24th season, making it one of the longest-running programs in ABC history. It has also inspired over five spin-offs in the United States (including
show you can see anything from people casually going to work (and, of course, getting into a fight with their partner, ex, boss, etc.) to throwing thousand dollar dinner parties (and getting into a fight). What draws people in is that week after week, season after season, viewers make deep connections with the cast members. Regardless of if they are living in a mansion in Beverly Hills or on a boat, you can always rely on your favorites to be there for a good laugh… or cry, and to simply be relatable. On The Bachelor (and its spinoffs which make up “Bachelor Nation”), fans don’t get the opportunity to see the “reality” of the lives of the cast members,
nor the satisfaction of seeing them come back for another season of drama. Thus, the drama stays surface level, as most of these bachelors and bachelorettes don’t have enough history to make their fights complex. Dr. Hattaway, a fellow Bravoholic, goes further as to describe the shows on the network, specifically the Real Housewives franchise, as “positively Shakespearian.” In contrast to the superficial fights on The Bachelor, Dr. Hattaway recounts the times that the Housewives have staged coups to overthrow the “queen,” committed social media slander, and even “had redemption arcs after prison time!” Even as a teacher of
Shakespeare, she says that “they feature revenge plots and tragic twists that put Hamlet to shame.” From Bravolebrities like real (ex) countesses to faux-queens to bartenders in WeHo, these people and their complex storylines add value to the shows that is unseen in The Bachelor franchise. Every season of The Bachelor is supposed to end in marriage, so the value of the show and the contestants rely on this one task. The luxurious vacations, challenges, and other contestants are nothing more than roadblocks. Even if this “task” is completed, there are only 18 couples that have stayed together throughout all 49 seasons that make up “Bachelor
Nation” (including Bachelor in Paradise, where multiple couples get engaged). In order to not leave viewers hanging, the season finales of Bravo shows (usually followed by a handful of reunion episodes) are somewhat conclusive, but leave you wanting more. The stories of the casts are long from over. The contestants on The Bachelor go back to their true reality, whereas our favorite Bravolebs keep living their authentic lives (just not followed by a team of cameramen). Instead of defining your week with Bachelor Monday, consider Shahs Sunday, VPR Tuesday, or Housewives every day of the week. @pilotpete just can’t take the heat.
the popular shows Bachelorette and Bachelor in Paradise), not to mention twenty-seven international versions. While the Bravo channel has existed since 1980, it originally focused on performing and visual arts. It didn’t make the switch to reality TV until 2003, which, for those keeping track, is one year after The Bachelor began airing. It’s also pretty safe to say that the so-called “Bravolebrities” are not, in The Bachelor lingo, “there for the right reasons.” Where Bachelor contestants are on the show to presumably find love, Bravo stars are in it for the money and fame. One huge difference between The Bachelor and Bravo’s
programming is that contestants on The Bachelor are not paid for their appearance. In contrast, Bethenny Frankel was earning over $1 million per season before leaving Real Housewives of New York. The more screentime and storylines the Housewives (and other Bravo show cast members) have, the more they get paid. This ulterior motive takes even more of the “reality” out of reality TV and causes small disagreements to become full-blown, over-thetop arguments, purely for the sake of screentime and money. Just in case hard numbers aren’t enough to convince you, some of your peers and teachers offered their reasons for watching The Bachelor. Ms.
Abell explained that she likes The Bachelor better than Bravo because of “the notion that ideally, the people fall in love and it ends happily...it’s not just a bunch of people arguing with no purpose. [Bachelor] is a little bit of a competition, and there’s an endgame.” Grace EmmeneggerConrad, XII, also appreciates the competition element of the show, and she likes “to make a game out of it by guessing the potential winners, to make predictions, and to figure out what was the producers’ doing and what’s real.” She also enjoys keeping up with the couple after the show to see how long their engagement will last. Finally, Ms. Seese adds that she prefers
The Bachelor because it’s “less scripted;” the people on Bravo shows are just “celebrity wannabes,” while on The Bachelor (though a couple of contestants may want to become influencers) they’re almost all there to “actually try to win… or find love.” All in all, many viewers agree that season 24 is the worst Bachelor season yet. And the reason for this, according to reality TV-reviewing site Refinery29, is that this season’s drama has caused it to become too similar to The Real Housewives. So, seeing as The Bachelor’s worst season is still up to par with Bravo’s most popular franchise, will you accept this rose and agree that Bachelor is superior?
but along with this entertainment comes addiction. The endless stream of fast-paced, loopable videos paired with the catchy, addicting background audios make it hard to put down the phone. According to ABC News, in 2019, the average teen spent more than 7 hours looking at a screen, not including time spent doing homework. The addictiveness of TikTok only perpetuates this trend: Before being isolated due to Covid-19, Lily O’Leary, XII, remarked, “TikTok is definitely addicting—I probably spend two or three hours on it some nights.” Now, she reports that this number has risen.
Additionally, the TikTok community isn’t always the most welcoming. It isn’t rare to see comment sections on videos filled with cruel jokes about the video-makers physical appearance, and at times entire trends stem off of making fun of one person. The shamelessness of the bullying seen on TikTok is often much greater than the types of behavior seen on other apps, like Instagram. This could be in part due to the perceived anonymity of the app, as it focuses more on absorbing and commenting on others’ content than maintaining a network of friends and posting things for them to see.
In addition to the bullying, some users have raised concerns about racial and social issues present on the app. Prominent TikTokers (such as Chase Hudson, a 17-year old with 14 million followers as of February 2020) have been recorded using racial slurs, and sexist, racist, and otherwise insensitive videos often gain hundreds of thousands of likes and pop up on users’ For You Pages. Ahlam Jallaq, XII, recalls when #WorldWarIII was trending on TikTok: “Jokes that were extremely insensitive towards people living in the Middle East were all over my ‘For You Page’, and as some-
one who is Middle Eastern, it was really unpleasant to see.” TikTok is great for many reasons: it’s a platform that’s full of creativity, and it brings people together in many ways, whether it’s through laughing at videos together or doing TikTok dances in unison. In these trying times, it’s important to find ways to stay digitally connected with others, and TikTok fills that need to an extent. However, the app definitely does have some shortcomings, and it is important that we make sure to prioritize our mental health and digital well-being over the Renegade and the Hype House.
Is Tik Tok Too Toxic? Addie Mykel, XII
As Covid-19 traps us indoors, many teens have looked to the app TikTok to solve their growing boredom. TikTok was created in 2018 when a Chinese tech company bought and rebranded the app Musically. Since then, it has amassed over 1.65 billion downloads and is the second most downloaded app in the world on both the App Store and Google Play. The app’s appeal comes from its abundance of comedic content, its quickly-changing dance trends, and its algorithm which allows users to watch videos catered specifically towards them. The app is entertaining,
Scoop Some Fun With Ice Cream Kiera Rennick, X
During quarantine, I know a lot of us are spending our time learning and trying out new skills. Cooking seems to be an especially popular one, but I haven’t seen many people trying to make the comfort food that is ice cream. If you have an ice cream churning machine, then it can be an easy make, but ice cream machines can be expensive, sometimes even hundreds of dollars. I did some research and compiled a flexible, machine-free recipe that can help in your ice cream making escapades! 1. First, make your ice cream mix! Do this however you want and you can find plenty of recipes online. Typically, ingredients may include milk, sugar, heavy cream, and some sort of flavoring. Combine your mixture in a small bowl. 2. Next, get a large bowl and fill it up about halfway with ice. Add and stir in ¾ cup rock salt (any coarse salt will do!). 3. Add the small bowl with your ice cream mix into the large bowl. Bury the mix completely in the ice without letting the iced salt enter the small bowl. 4. Use a hand beater to beat the mix for about 10 minutes, or whisk for 15 minutes. It will get very cold to the touch so
you might want to partially put a towel over the bowls to prevent splattering! 5. Next, fully cover with the towel and put both bowls in the freezer for 45 minutes. 6. Remove both bowls from the freezer and lightly mix with a spoon to break up the ice cream that cools on top. The mixture should be the consistency of loose pudding, but if it isn’t, put it back in the freezer and check again in 5 minute increments until it gets there! 7. Then, mix the ice cream again with the hand mixer for 5 minutes. It should reach the texture of softserve. 8. Lastly, remove the small bowl from the large bowl and cover with plastic wrap or bee’s wrap. [Note: Bee’s wrap is a more environmentally friendly alternative to plastic wrap and is made of beeswax, jojoba oil, and tree resin.] Press the wrap down so it touches the surface of the ice cream and freeze for 2 more hours or overnight. 9. Take out the small bowl with your ice cream and enjoy! This will make creamy ice cream that, if done right, mimics the ice cream you can get in shops! If you want a quicker or simpler snack, there are plenty of really easy recipes that just involve putting the mix into the freezer, or into two bags with ice!
Zoom-batim Gabriella Cain, XI: "Ohio's weather is like a sine graph." Ms. Seese: "You could say it's sinuseasonal." Mr. O'Grady: “This is a college preparatory school so you need to know how to trash talk as a skill in your quiver as you move on to college!” Maddie McCurdy, XII: "A lot of people got cool things like socks from their colleges and I just got a sticker" Ms. Seese: "I got debt." Dr. D: "Hey, I'm not any more dead inside than anyone else." Mr. Hartshorne: “The closest I come [to a social media addiction] is an actual dietary addiction, and that’s me and M&Ms.” Mr. Neimi: “I think life should be a musical. There are some emotions that require a person to just burst into song. We’ll see if that happens today, never can predict those things.” Ms. Seese: “No, I do not have beef with Kanye.” Mr. Neimi: “Sometimes this world is cold, dark, and cruel, but you know what helps? The quadratic formula. It’ll always be there for you.”
Student Voice
6
Advice for Juniors! Haley Tobias, XII
Juniors: you’re about to be a senior, you might be stressed, you’re scared, and you don’t know where to start. As a current second semester senior, I’d like to give those of you in this position some advice. First off, the Common Application is already open! The rollover occurs on August 1st, which means colleges can add or take away questions, and anything that changed from the previous year will be available to you on this day. Mrs. Schultz recommends only entering the basic information and letting your college counselor help you with the college-related questions once back in school. Let your counselor help you with your activities list, but before talking to her, brainstorm possible ideas. Ideally, another way to utilize your summer well would be to go on college visits. This will cut down on the amount of schools you apply to and help make your decision easier. Because universities have closed for the summer, virtual visits are a great way to get a feel for what you’re looking
for in a campus. I would also recommend doing research on the area surrounding your campus to determine if you would be happy in a city, college town, or a mix of both. I also highly recommend taking the July ACT and studying in June. If you aren’t happy with your score, the July test is a great chance to improve it. Senior year gets overwhelming more quickly than you could imagine. Having homework while never feeling like you are completely done because you have to write other extra college essays, or to fill in your Common Application, or to apply for scholarships, can get seriously stressful. The best thing I can recommend is learning good time management. You will want to have the time to think about your options and do some research rather than feeling like you are rushed and have too much on your plate. While on the subject of stress, in order to reduce it immensely, start planning your May Program over the summer or the beginning of senior year. Seniors are not kidding when we say the deadlines sneak up on you fast. I had three potential internships fall through, and op-
portunities such as traveling take a lot of time to plan. Don’t wait for someone to give you a list of requirements; if you have an idea, you’ll find a way for it to fit the requirements. For a fun twist, you should definitely make a bucket list with your friends for activities you hope to do over the school year like going to brunch or visiting places around Columbus, such as Other World or Haunted Hoochie. Make time for your friends! Don’t stress all the time over college and school! You don’t have that much time left with them, and it goes by faster than ever. Pertaining to the Senior Commons, have someone form a “Commons Clean-Up List” for the semester so you don’t lose this very valued space and always have a clean area to work. You should also have one class member order bows to hand out at Boot Camp so you have them for the first day of school. If you take anything away from this article, think about this: don’t stress too much; you’re going to be okay. Be prepared, but being over-prepared will most likely stress you out more, so just run with it and have fun!
Learning How to Vote Isabella Luckage, IX
With Ohio’s state primary postponed and the general election coming up in November, voting is on many people’s minds. In the United States, citizens under the age of 18 are not allowed to vote for those who will be representing them in their government. As a result, many young people are uninformed about the candidates. When a group of Form IX students was polled about their thoughts on the presidential elections, a majority said they did not have an opinion on which candidate they would vote for, if they were of age. A student who wishes to remain anonymous responded to the poll saying, "I haven’t researched the candidates enough. I don’t feel comfortable making a decision." Schools should be educating all students about elections, even if they cannot vote. Even if students cannot vote, they can still make an impact. When teenagers are determined about something, they can share their views and make themselves be heard regardless of voting eligibility. For instance, high schoolers who are educated about presidential candidates could work to convince voting adults like their parents that one candidate is superior. This would be beneficial: students could feel
elections does not mean that they won't be able to vote in 2024. If students are educated about the candidates, then they will be more prepared to vote in the next elections. This way more people will be voting for who they truly believe is the best candidate. A majority of the Form IX students polled for this article reported that they would currently vote for someone because their family had made them believe that was the best candidate without doing any research. One student who wishes to remain anonymous said they would vote for Donald Trump, explaining, “Because my parents have made him appear as a strong candidate; I am not politically active enough, in my opinion, to use my own thoughts for [this] decision." While some high school students may vote for someone simply because of who their family is voting for, further education would change this. According to the Washington Post, “Many young people do not vote because they never learned how.” High school students should be educated in school about the candidates and their beliefs in order to understand how their president could affect their lives as US citizens. In the long run, educating students about the elections will lead Haley Tobias, XII (top), Amirah Lomax, to the best candidates being voted XII (top), and Helen Hoag, XII (bottom) into office, and a greater interest in voting and politics. voted for the first time with pride! like they have a voice in their community, spark important conversations, and later develop a politically active life during adulthood. Another reason high school students should be educated about the presidential candidates is that many candidates run for president for more than one term. Therefore, just because someone cannot vote in the 2020
7 Senior Goodbyes
To the Class of
I couldn't have asked for better people to spend these past seven years with. I will forever cherish all the memories I have made in my time at CSG. Thank you to the Class of 2020 for being my second family. I love you all!
-Helen Hoag
When I think about how I have spent nearly every day of my life since kindergarten with the class of 2020 and how those days have come to an end, I am filled with so much sadness, but also so much gratitude because I couldn’t have asked for a better group of people to grow up with. From playing monster tag on the PYC playground to singing throwback songs with everyone in the senior commons, I have made memories at CSG that I will always cherish. I love this class with my whole heart and am always inspired by how each person in it is one of the kindest, smartest, and most hilarious people I know. You guys are my second family, and I will miss you more than anything!!
-Lily O'Leary
I’m so incredibly grateful for the fifteen years I’ve spent at CSG, and I know I wouldn’t be who I am today without it. I’m going to miss the teachers, the community, and most of all, the most amazing, supportive class anyone could ask for. There’s no one else I would’ve wanted to grow up with, I love you all so much!
-Leslie Robins
Thank you Class of 2020 for being such amazing friends. I've loved sharing the senior commons with you all this year and have the best memories of us just having conversations with whichever group of people has study at that time. Love you all!
-Erin Solomon
2020 Note from the Editors: Dear Silhouette readers, Thank you so much for trusting us with your schoolrelated news for the past year! We are so grateful for the smiles and excitement we witness when distributing our issues, the hearty laughter we hear when you read “Verbatim,” and the numerous ways each of you contributes to making our paper possible. Although this issue was not produced as planned, we thank you for your flexibility as we transitioned our publication online. We hope you’ve found this year’s editions extra special and satisfying for all your schoolrelated wants. To our staff and club writers, thank you so much for working with us this year; you’ve all been amazing, and we hope you’ll continue to write for Silhouette when we're gone. Thank you again, everyone, for your devotion to our cause, and best wishes for the rest of the school year! -Haley Tobias and Cameron Tiefenthaler
The past four years of my life have been unforgettable. CSG will always hold a special place in my heart thanks to you all. I'm so excited to see the great things all of you accomplish. Love you guys so much!
-Haley Tobias
CSG, thank you for being my second home for the last thirteen years, for giving me the opportunity to learn from such amazing teachers, and lastly thank you for giving me the most supportive and lifelong friends. Without all of the people who I’ve met at CSG I would not be the person I am today. I truly would not trade the last 13 years for a single thing. I love you all endlessly and thank you for everything you have done for me.
-Vara Mehra
Thanks to the class of 2020 for 15 great years - I’m going to miss you all sooo much!!
-Brooke Alexander
Thank you everyone who has made my 12 years at CSG so meaningful and special. I would like to especially thank my classmates who have been my best friends and second family through the years. I’m so thankful to have the amazing memories I do and can’t believe we have to say goodbye so early. Good luck to everyone in college and I love you all!
-Megan Hardy
Thank you to everyone, especially my classmates, for the best four years of my life. I will miss each and every one of you with all my heart. I love you all!
-Bella Lyons
Thank you guys for always supporting me no matter what, you're the best class anyone could ask for.
-Hannah Kwak
When
Qu a r a n t i n e
Corona Quiz Sunday, April 5, 2020
3:39 PM
Ruthie Saar, X
Where Should You Go After Quarantine? By Ruthie Saar, X
START
My extended family My friends
Who have you been missing the most?
is
over...
What are you sick of by now? School work
Staying indoors
What do you want to do?
Go out to eat Which sounds better?
Go shopping
Clothing item of choice? The mall
Mini golf T-Shirt Leggings
Which necessity is more important?
Choose one:
Which is more exciting?
Hand sanitizer Toilet paper
Hot
Mountains Cold
You Should Go to…
You Should Go to… You Should Go to…
The Amusement Park! Grab some friends and hang on tight!
Hot tub
You Should Go to…
The Beach!
The Ice Skating Rink!
The Spa!
Get that tan on and soak up the sun!
Bundle up and glide away!
It's been stressful-- time to rejuvenate!
How the Stars Say You Should Spend Your Days Lily Shayani, XII
Taurus: Happy zodiac month, Taurus babies! You love taking time for yourself and you deserve it! Make sure you still find fun ways to celebrate your month while at home. Compromising isn’t your strong suit, so take to Pinterest to make sure you can still have the best birthday ever. Aries: It’s hard to contain your fiery spirit, especially while social distancing! Put that bottled-up passion into finishing the semester strong, or find virtual alternatives to your favorite pastimes! Virgo: You love organization and order, but it’s hard because everything is so unknown right now! Instead of trying to plan for summer, put that effort towards doing at-home projects such as going through your closet or re-organizing your desk drawers. Aquarius: As a free spirit, it is hard for you to be sitting at home all day. Make sure to get outside and soak in the spring weather! Consider taking your pets for a walk or just sit and watch the sunset. Anything to make sure you are letting your inner Aquarius free! Capricorn: You Capricorns love to tick things off of your extensive to-do lists, but you might have found yourself with some unwelcome free time. Embrace this free time to relax and veg out. Don’t worry, next year will bring along plenty of things to keep you busy! Sagittarius: You always try to stay positive, but that can be hard at times of uncertainty and negativity. Make sure to do things that make you happy! Binge watch your favorite TV show or listen to your favorite song on repeat! Scorpio: The full moon will bring out your loyalty and passion, but also your strong opinions. As tensions run high during these hard months, it might be better to keep some of those opinions to yourself. Try to funnel your passion into hobbies that you’ve been wanting to try (you have all the time in the world now)! Articles Page 1 Libra: You thrive in peace and harmony, but have you been feeling a little out of balance? Consider switching up your playlist! Libras are naturally drawn to music and it is an easy way to reset your mood. New playlists can help change your perspective and get you motivated! Leo: Leos have no problem letting loose for some “self-care” time, but just remember that even though you are staying home, it isn’t summer yet! Let your ambition and competitive nature drive you to the finish line! Cancer: Cancers tend to be ultra-sensitive, especially in times like this! Although this seems like a good time to hide in your crab shell, it is so important to spend time with friends (virtually, of course). Be sure to find that balance, for your sake and those who you are quarantined with. Gemini: The last weeks of May are your time to shine, Gemini! Let your curiosity take over you as you finish up the school year and head into summer. Your loyalty and kindness will get you far, even if your adventures are just virtual.