Eagle Edition V39 Issue 1

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THE EAGLE EDITION EPISCOPAL SCHOOL OF DALLAS STUDENT NEWSPAPER 4100 Merrell Road Dallas Texas 75229 214.358.4368

V39 No. 1

Friday September 24 Twenty21 esdeagleedition.org

Afghanistan falls Following United

States withdrawal of troops and support, Afghanistan falls to the Taliban, chaos ensues page 2

Cheer changes Cheerleading team welcomes changes and new policies, including new positions and adjusted try-outs page 23

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@theeagleedition @eagleeditionesd @esdeagleedition

Division spreads over the gender equality of the athletic department.

Many look to differences and similarities in facilities, funding and school spirit to explain perceived inequalities. Athletes weigh in, looking at national and international sports leagues as root causes for school-wide debates. pages 14-15

Battle for the trophy.

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Photoillustration by Maddy Hammett

2 Eagle Edition

Episcopal School of Dallas

e news

Afghanistan falls to the Taliban Chaos erupts as final U.S. troops are withdrawn

By Easterly Yeaman Staff writer

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ept. 11, 2021 marked the 20th anniversary of the devastating attacks of 9/11. What followed was a 20-year war, spanning four presidencies, ending in chaos as a full withdrawal from Afghanistan caused panic to civilians. On Aug. 26, 2021, at least two suicide bombers from the Islamic State Khorasan, better known as ISIS-K, attacked killing civilians and United States service I GUESS IT COULD’VE members outside BEEN HANDLED Kabul International Airport in response BETTER IN THAT to pressure from THERE COULD’VE BEEN U.S. counterterrorism.

MORE OF A WARNING According to GIVEN TO THE PEOPLE the Council on Foreign Relations, IN AFGHANISTAN. following the 9/11 MAYBE THE PULLOUT attacks, former President George COULD’VE BEEN W. Bush signed a SLOWER SO THAT joint resolution to PEOPLE HAD TIME TO permit the use of force against the GET OUT BEFORE ALL perpetrators of THE CHAOS WE HAVE 9/11. On Oct. 7, 2001, Operation RIGHT NOW. Enduring Freedom was set in motion as the U.S. military Neel Mallipeddi bombed Taliban Junior forces. Along with bringing Al-Qaeda and Osama Bin Laden to justice, the goal of the U.S. Special Forces was to end the use of Afghanistan as a shelter for terrorists.

“President Bush was the one who originally sent troops in there and their goal was not to wipe out the Taliban nor was it to create a democratic state for Afghanistan,” chemistry teacher Walt Warner said, speaking about how his outlook on the situation was affected by the loss of a close family friend in Afghanistan. “The original goal of the mission was two-fold. [It] was to try to locate Osama Bin Laden and capture him or kill him, and to prevent Isis from taking over the country and turning it into a training ground for Islamic fundamentalists, terrorists.”

By 2003, the U.S. got to the point where they had moved from combat activity in Afghanistan into a time of stability and reconstruction. A joint declaration involving former President George

“

W. Bush and Afghan President Hamid Karzai stated the goal was for the U.S. to “Help organize, train, equip and sustain Afghan security forces as Afghanistan develops the capacity to undertake this responsibility.”

Aaron Muller*, a former U.S. government official, worked in Afghanistan for over 20 years to work on that mission.

“The first time I was in Afghanistan [in the early 2000s] I was there as part of the governments counter-terrorism mission to support our Afghan allies to hunt down Al-Qaeda terrorists and to help develop the institutions for the government of Afghanistan,” Muller said. “After 2015, I was there working for U.S. defense technology company providing equipment training and support to the Afghan National Security Forces.”

President Biden announced on Nov. 12, 2020, well before his presidential inauguration, that the number of troops in Afghanistan was to be cut in half before Jan. 2021. Under the U.S.-Taliban agreement instituted during Trump’s presidency, the deadline for a full withdrawal was May 1, 2021; however, Biden delivered a new plan to remove all troops by Aug. 31, 2021.

“Obviously we couldn’t keep going on with this war forever,” junior Neel Mallipeddi, who had been reading about the events as they unfolded, said. “I don’t think it should have happened sooner but it should have been a little bit more gradual so it wasn’t just all gone at once and everyone was left.”

Following Afghan President Ashraf Ghani’s departure from the country on Aug. 15, the Taliban swiftly captured Kabul and the presidential palace. According to Time Magazine, in some areas where Afghan forces surrendered, the Taliban was able to seize the U.S.-supplied ammunition, gunpowder, helicopters and more.

Over the course of the war, around $83 billion was spent to support the Afghan National Security Forces. Though supplied with sufficient arms, Afghan forces were not able to overcome the Taliban’s attacks.

“The single largest factor in the collapse of the Afghan security forces and the government was the withdrawal of U.S. support and U.S. forces,” Muller said. “This was mandated by a decision made by our president in April.”

On Aug. 16, 2021, chaos

erupted at the Kabul airport as crowds gathered at its gates, and Afghans clung onto departing planes and tried to enter jet bridges from the tarmac. According to the CFR, in response, 6,000 American troops were deployed to secure the Kabul airport and help with the evacuation of U.S. personnel. Later that night all flights from Kabul were suspended.

“I don’t think [Biden’s extraction] has been the best but I don’t think any president would really be able to pull it off,” sophomore Brayden Girata, who has kept up with news from Afghanistan in the past, said.

“With the resources he’s had to handle it, I think he’s doing a decent job.”

According to Foreign Policy Magazine, the Taliban government is likely to return to imposing Sharia law, Islam’s legal system which is derived from its holy book, the Quran, as well as from sayings and teachings of the Prophet Muhammad. Women fear losing their jobs and only being allowed to leave the house with a male relative amongst other restrictive rules. It is unknown whether it will be as restrictive as pre 2001-conditions, where women were beaten for small “transgressions.”

“One of the things that came out of us being over there that I thought was a big positive was helping Afghan women be able to not be subjected and systematically abused the way the Taliban does,” Warner said. “If there’s one thing about the whole withdrawal piece of it that makes me the most uncomfortable is the fear that Afghan women and Afghan nationals who have helped our troops are going to be killed and or jailed and treated horrible.”

According to The Washington Post, Aug. 26, 2021 marked the deadliest day for America in over a decade as bombings at the gate of the Kabul airport and a hotel nearby killed 13 U.S. service members and at least 200 civilians. Of the 13 killed were 10 Marines, two soldiers and one Navy corpsman. One hundred and fifty five more people were injured including 18 Americans.

“I think that because it wasn’t caused by the Taliban that it couldn’t have been prevented because it’s from an outside political organization that was trying to get into the conversation,” Girata said. “So based on the quick

takeover of the Taliban I think it would have happened either way.”

According to The New York Times, The U.S. ordered an airstrike killing two ISIS-K affiliates and injuring one in retaliation for the airport bombing. Both targets were confirmed to be involved in the attacks, one being the “planner” and the other a “facilitator.” The planner and an ally were driving when the MQ-9 drone struck, killing them both and injuring another person nearby.

“Maybe in a way retaliation could be from the side of ‘we’re not to be messed with’ in a way,” Mallipeddi said. “It also might start a cycle of endless retaliation, but you never really know how they’re going to react to it.”

On Aug. 29, U.S. forces carried out another drone strike on a vehicle suspected to be transporting ISIS-K suicide bombers. Later, The Washington Post reported that assessments by a physicist and former bomb technician said that there was no evidence to confirm the car contained explosives. The driver and passenger inside the car were killed along with three children who approached the vehicle after the missile was fired. An Afghan family reported a total of seven people outside the car were killed in the drone strike.

“It killed innocent bystanders.

That always brings up the morality thing, like do the ends justify the means,” Mallipeddi said. “I guess there’s a lot of opinions on that, and I think in the end if they’re innocent it wasn’t really that worth it but that’s always just my personal morals.”

President Biden has reported that only about 100 to 200 Americans remain in Afghanistan, and some of them are dual citizens. Around 90 percent of Americans that wanted to leave the country have left.

“What happened in Afghanistan was not the result of 20 years of mistakes, and it was not result of Trump’s faulty policy,” Muller said.

“It was specifically the result of the president’s decision to withdraw forces, which was a historically bad mistake. It has undermined our national security very clearly, created a humanitarian crisis and left 37 million people as potential victims of a terrorist regime.” *The government official asked to remain anonymous for personal reasons and is referred to as Aaron Muller in this story.

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HOPEFUL TO CATCH A RIDE Afghan citizens climb atop airplane on Aug. 16 attempting to flee the country overtaken by the Taliban. Photo by Wakil Kohsar/AFP via Getty images/ TNS Photo illustration by Easterly Yeaman

percent of upper school students do not approve of the way President Biden handled the troops’ withdrawal from Afghanistan Source: Upper School Eagle Edition Poll of 174 students

September 24, 2021

News

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Ida arrived, New Orleans was prepared As the storm caved in, New Orleanians held their breath.

By Abby Baughman Staff writer

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ew Orleans, Aug. 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina, the third most powerful hurricane that season, broke half of the levees flooding over 80 percent of the city. On the 16th anniversary of this catastrophic storm, Aug. 29, 2021, the city was hit again.

Hurricane Ida, the fifth-worst hurricane to hit the continental U.S., reached New Orleans.

This time, however, the city was prepared— the levees held.

New Orleans spent $14.5 billion on levees, pumps, seawalls, floodgates, and drainage after Katrina in order to be better prepared for the next disastrous storm. Ida was projected to be more dangerous than Katrina.

However, the new levees were designed to withstand a storm surge of 30 ft.—Ida’s surge was 16 ft.

“There’s not been a storm that affected the levees like Katrina did,” Tulane sophomore Claire Callahan said. “Ida was a test to see if they actually fixed the problem. I felt scared because of what happened with Katrina, and no one knew whether they actually fixed the problem.”

The damage from Katrina can be mainly attributed to the levees breaking. The flood walls had withstood for decades but couldn’t hold the unprecedented 28-foot storm surge Katrina brought. The hurricane took 1,855 lives, over 40 percent by drowning. In addition, Katrina destroyed more than one million homes, and hundreds of thousands of people became homeless. Overall, Katrina ended up causing $125 billion in damage.

“The flooding from Katrina was what devastated New Orleans because the eye of the hurricane didn’t even hit Louisiana; it hit Mississippi,” Tulane sophomore Lily Baughman ’20 said. “The levees were repaired and improved after Katrina, but their integrity hadn’t been intensely tested until Ida, so many people were anxious about whether the new levees were going to hold.”

While the new pumps were able to protect much of the city during Ida, there was still damage. The storm claimed the lives of 82 people, 26 of those were in Louisiana. Initially, New Orleans’ power had been shut off to avoid electrocution, but later, completely shut down. As a result, over a million people were without power and air conditioning, and many were left vulnerable to heatstroke. Universities like Tulane University and Louisiana State University shut down their

campuses, and sent students home.

“I am worried for the students still on campus,” Louisiana State University freshman Emma Van Pelt said. “I know students at Tulane [that won’t be able to evacuate] if they didn’t have someone to come pick them up.

A lot of people, especially the freshmen, don’t have cars. A lot of people were stuck because they couldn’t get in someone’s car, or they didn’t realize that it was going to be this bad until it was too late.”

The storm surge of Ida was, at worst, 16 feet compared to Katrina’s worst of 28. Even though Ida was a category four storm and Katrina was a category three, the storm surge of Katrina was worse due to the storm’s winds. They reached out 98 miles from the eye and had a maximum landfall speed of 125 miles per hour, while Ida’s winds reached out 37 miles at a top landfall speed of 178 miles an hour. Because of Katrina’s wide-reaching wind, the storm surge was much higher.

What determines the hurricane categories is wind speed, not rainfall or storm surge.

“It always depends on how long [the wind] blows hard,” AP Environmental Science teacher John Gallo said. “So if it blows hard for a little bit, then it stops, it won’t be too damaging. But if it’s sustained, high speed it could be damaging to structures and people.”

The new drainage system can remove 4.7 inches per hour. In both 2017 and 2019, these drainage systems were overwhelmed by rainfall. Both years, the rain was around 9 inches. However, during Ida, the drainage system kept up. New Orleans has 24 pumping stations that can pump 400,000 gallons every hour. Katrina’s rainfall was, at worst, 12 inches. In contrast, Ida’s worst rainfall was 20 inches.

The pumps were able to keep flooding minimal even when the city was without power because the pumps have designated backup generators that stayed intact.

“The new pumps can keep up with pumping the water out if they don’t lose power,” Scott Goetsch, eighth grade science teacher, said. “They’ve got the biggest pumping system in the world, after Hurricane Katrina, so I think they can hold on as long as they keep power.”

The winds of hurricanes pushing water onto the land cause storm surge. This wall of water can be up to 30 feet high and go

100 miles inland. The job of levees is to minimize and keep out storm surges. A levee is a wall in the shape of an isosceles trapezoid.

The levee can be as tall or short as required of the area. Levees keep rivers from flooding. For example, the ones in New Orleans serve to keep the Mississippi River from flooding into the city and storm surges out in case of a hurricane. The levees in New Orleans mainly protect the heart of the city and can be up to 30 feet high.

“That’s good as long as [the levees] hold up,” Gallo said.

“Levees prevent the water from coming back into the city, protecting it.”

When levees break, the flooding can be catastrophic.

For example, Katrina flooded 80 percent of New Orleans because the levees held back all the water and then broke.

“If a levee breaks while holding back the water, it will act as a dam breaking and release water rapidly; that is one of the problems,” Geotsch said . “The rapid release is bad, but if there was no levee at all, the city would be underwater anyway.”

A possible solution to avoid flooding is to replace the levees along the Mississippi river with setback levees. A setback levee works by having a levee sit right along the edge of the river on one side, and on the other side, the levee is a few hundred feet back, allowing the growth of wetlands and possible flooding to minimize.

But setback levees require space that New Orleans does not have.

“It’s hard for New Orleans [to have set back levees] because the city has grown to fill in that space. So, unfortunately, there’s not enough space to have them set back,” Goetsch said . “New Orleans is stuck between Lake Pontchartrain on the north and the Mississippi River on the south, so there’s not much room there.”

While levees are the manmade defense against Hurricanes, nature’s way of protection provides strong security. Wetlands can defuse the energy of a storm.

For every 3 miles of wetlands, a storm surge loses one foot. Once the wetlands are underwater, they can no longer absorb water or slow hurricanes. The wetlands like the ones of Louisiana historically have not survived rising sea levels at around three millimeters per year. If the annual sea rise is between 6 to 9 mm, the Louisiana wetlands could be entirely overtaken by water within the next 50 years. According to

climate.gov, from 2018 to 2019, sea levels rose by 6.1 mm.

“Limiting climate change is the big solution for restoring the wetlands,” Goetsch said.

“Climate change is definitely hard to deal with.”

The cause of the ocean rising can be mainly attributed to global warming. As temperature rises, glaciers and ice sheets melt. As a result, within the last 100 years, the Louisiana wetlands have lost the equivalent of the state of Delaware’s size to the sea. Currently, a footballsized amount of wetlands drowns every hour and 40 minutes.

“Since New Orleans is below sea level, the ocean rising over the wetlands is a major concern,” Baughman said. “A lot of work and research is being done to protect, restore and strengthen the wetlands, and I hope it is enough to keep New Orleans and the rest of Louisiana safe.”

Global warming has affected the severity of hurricanes as well.

Although there will not be an increase in tropical storms, the number of tropical storms that become hurricanes will continue to increase, as well as the severity of hurricanes. A research article published June 2020 by the NOAA and the University of WisconsinMadison examined tropical storms from 1979 to 2017. The frequency of hurricanes above category three increased by 15 percent.

“Climate change appears to be a catalyst for making hurricanes worse,” Goetsch said. “The warmer the air and water are, the more water can evaporate into the air. That evaporated water provides the energy that powers the hurricanes.”

The warmer the ocean is, the more momentum a hurricane can pick up before hitting the Continental U.S. When ocean temperatures rise, they evaporate more water; this water gives energy and mass to hurricanes and tropical storms. The warming waters along with the disappearing wetlands can only make New Orleans hurricane damage more devastating.

“These higher temperatures have higher amounts of energy to basically sustain [hurricanes],” AP Physics teacher Mathew Varvir said. “They don’t peter out as easily as they can, and they travel further. Additionally, that also means that they typically are going to be just stronger in scope and are going to have higher level winds. [There will be] increased levels of rainfall [and], all these other effects, like more flooding [and] severe damages.”

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THE LEVEES WERE REPAIRED AND IMPROVED AFTER KATRINA, BUT THEIR INTEGRITY HADN’T BEEN INTENSELY TESTED UNTIL IDA, SO MANY PEOPLE WERE ANXIOUS ABOUT WHETHER THE NEW LEVEES WERE GOING TO HOLD. Lily Baughman ‘20 Tulane sophomore

ATLANTIC STORM ACTIVITY The two charts on the left compare the number and severity of hurricanes since 1980 Number of named storms Number of Hurricanes Major hurricanes that year [category three or Higher] A Louisiana family travels by boat to their home after it flooded during Hurricane Ida, on Tuesday, Aug. 31, 2021 in Barataria, Louisiana. “I’ve lost everything in my trailer because of the hurricane,” Fusto Maldonado said.

“I’ve lost everything, my family has lost everything and we’re now trying to find help. We all live in this area and now its all gone.” Photo by Brandon Bell/Getty Images/TNS Chart by Abby Baughman

1980 - 1990

2000 - 2015

A look at current events affecting the enrivonment around the world

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Source: National Hurricane Center and Central Pacific Hurricane Center

4 Eagle Edition

Episcopal School of Dallas

Classrooms, furniture updated over the summer Common areas, workspaces renovated over the summer to enhance student learning

CURVY CUSHIONS Sophmore Charlotte Wilson sits on the new furniture in the commons to talk with friends during study hall. “I think the furniture is very nice and versatile,” Wilson said. “The couch in the middle of the commons is my favorite part.” Photo by Gina Montagna

the old computer lab into a cozy area with bean bag chairs, floor pillows and blankets.

“One of the main things we wanted to do was transform the computer lab that didn’t get used a lot and was kind of awkward in how the computers were laid out,” Lyons said. “We wanted to find ways to introduce a more fun and relaxing area in the library, so what we did over the summer was we moved the entire middle school fiction collection into this room.”

The creation of the new publications lab has made it easier for students involved in newspaper, yearbook, Literary magazine and Journalism I to collaborate with one another. The large classroom contains communal tables, making it easier for students to work together on stories or page layouts.

Across the hall from the journalism lab, the robotics classroom was expanded over the summer, as the computers were taken out and replaced with new tools, such as a 3-D printer and a laser cutter.

Also, later this year they are hoping to add a garage and turf behind the classroom so that they can race their robots.

“They really opened up the robotics room to give us more

space, [and] I am pretty sure they knocked down the back wall, ” sophomore Daly Ryder said. “The room is way more open. I had a class in that room last year and it was very cramped and we would all be at desktops very close to each other. Now we have lots of room to do whatever we need to do.”

In the Frank building, the strings room underwent a massive renovation, knocking down a wall to make room for more chairs and instruments. There was a need for a bigger classroom as the number of students taking the class has drastically increased. Although they got rid of the private practice rooms, musicians now have enough space in the classroom to practice as a complete orchestra. The new space has proved useful as every seat in one of Damien’s classes is taken. He is hopeful that this new room will give his students the space they need to grow as musicians.

“The room was made larger, [and] bigger is better,” Demian said. “When I started teaching here in 2014 there were just 10 students [ranging] from lower school to seniors who were taking strings. Now there are more than 80 students taking strings.”

Now that all students are back in-person, these renovations will allow students to have a productive school year. Teachers and students alike are thrilled with the improvements and new technology which l will make for a more robust school experience.

“Mrs. Arvizu and I are constantly working to make the Gill Library a dynamic and engaging space that inspires learning and collaboration,” Lyons said. “We are excited to be back at full capacity this year and to have students and faculty using the library throughout the day. We think that these library renovations along with the other exciting changes around the school will allow us to have a fantastic year.”

Chapel Comeback

First Impre22ions

Delayed Departure

Chapel in 2020 was fragmented:

Many back to school senior

During a typical year, annual field trips give students the opportunity to learn, bond and form long-lasting memories. In middle school, sixth graders travel to Washington D.C., seventh-graders to Camp Champions and eighth graders to Colorado. Upper schoolers will often take day trips or spend a night at Wolf Run. Even though the school’s administration is removing many Covid-19 restrictions, longdistance field trips are unlikely to come back this year.

The first trip that got canceled was the eighth grade trip to Colorado. The middle school administration canceled the trip a few days before the student’s planned departure.

“There’s some anxiety about overnight trips [that are] a long way away,” Head of Upper School Henry Heil said. “In conversations about [overnight trips far from Dallas], there’s a concern [that] if somebody gets COVID, what do you do?”

Traditionally, the film and theatre students go to New York City every year for a few days where they collaborate and make a short film together, and each student is assigned a job to do on set. While the trip is mainly for film students, some theatre students travel as well to act in the film.

“It’s a lot of late nights and early mornings,” senior Nia Bethea said.

“Just getting a feel for how actual films are made.”

Although long-distance field trips are unlikely to come back, field trips to the school’s ranch, Wolf Run, will continue. Along with Dallas-area day trips.

“Wolf Run would be fine, close enough to, if there was a Covid case, [we could] transfer people back safely,” Heil said. “We will continue to do as much as we can locally.”

By Alex Warner Views Editor

By Abby Baughman Stafff writer

By Olivia Hohmann Social Media Manager

O 10k Amount of dollars spent on the middle school reading room

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Amount of dollars spent on the new engineering room

brief NEWS

A deeper look at current events and happenings on campus

ver the summer, walls were torn down and new furniture was bought to improve classrooms and facilities that students use on a day-to-day basis.

Both teachers and students are hopeful that these changes will allow everyone to make the most out of this year.

The commons, library, publications lab, robotics room and strings room have all been revamped. These renovations included new furniture, updated classrooms, increased space and new tools. All of these changes were made to enhance students’ learning experiences within the spaces.

“I am excited about all of the changes around the school,” strings teacher Adrian Demian said. “I think these renovations will allow the students to have the best ESD experience possible. We as teachers are always trying to give our students the best tools so that they can succeed.”

The arrival of new furniture has brightened up spaces around

livestreaming, no Eucharist and, thus, no formal uniforms. And even though in-person chapel is back, some of its traditions are still not present, such as singing and some Eucharist rituals, due to Covid-19 protocols. “[Chapel protocols are] decided by our safety committee here at ESD,” Father Nate Bostain said.

“They are looking at the best science that we have, in terms of infection rates, and right now they are telling us it is not safe to [sing or have wine at Eucharist] with that many people indoors.”

But the biggest change to chapel is the school’s new chaplain: Father Nate Bostain, better known as Father Nate. On one of the first days of chapel, Bostain asked the students to “adopt him” into our school community, and after two weeks of school, his request was taken seriously as several students came to his office and introduced themselves. Rev. Tim Kennedy thinks the community has welcomed him “pretty well.”

“He comes with a huge background of things that he’s done and he’s worked with students for a long time,” Kennedy said. “I think he’s really excited to be here.”

Bostain calls his first year at ESD his “research year.” He chose ESD because of its “commitment to Episcopal identity” and the school’s great learning programs, but he also wants to prioritize people who are not Episcopalian.

“We want to remove barriers that would stop people from really experiencing the fact that they are loved, that they have been made for a purpose, and that they contribute to not only this community but the world at large,” Bostain said. “We want to find a place for all kinds of voices.”

By Iris Hernandez Staff writer

the school, one of them being the commons. The old wooden chairs have been replaced with white chairs with colorful cushions, and there are new couches for students to sit on. The new furniture not only freshened up the school house building, but also made it easier for students to talk and collaborate with others. The Gill Library received a summer makeover as librarians Mary Jo Lyons and Cathy Arvizu transformed the library into a more functional space. They have created an environment where students can get their work done or simply take a break from their busy lives.

“Our goal is to help make the library as functional as possible for students,” Lyons said. “We worked hard over the summer to help make the library a place for students to work on homework, collaborate with other students and to take a break from life and read a book.”

One of the librarians’ goals was to transform the old computer area into an inviting place where students could read and relax.

They worked all summer to create

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➌ A BREATH OF FRESH AIR ➊ Chaplain Nate leads the seniors through daily worship at the Senior Retreat. ➋ Senior Kate Elliston paints her parking spot a geometric design. ➌ Journalism class members in 2019 travel to New York City for the CSPA conference.

Photos by Grace Herburger and Eagle Edition staff

traditions take place the week before school starts. And with school slowly returning to a sense of normalcy, events like the Senior Retreat and gathering in the Senior Courtyard on the first day of school were able to occur.

“At the senior retreat, I got a lot closer with my advisory and grade,” senior Emilye Dullye, who joined ESD as a freshman and attended the retreat on Aug. 28, said, “we did a lot of grade bonding like skits that demonstrated diversity and inclusion and charts with our hopes, dreams and fears for the school year.”

Another big senior tradition, the painting of the designated senior parking spots, took place the first week of Aug. Seniors primed their spots on Aug. 2 and painted their designs on Aug. 6.

“Painting a parking spot is a fun way for us to come together as a class and get to help each other paint while also expressing our creative side,” senior Avery Vafa said. “My parking spot is a painting of Shrek that says ‘get out me swamp,’ and then, I crossed out swamp and [wrote] spot.”

Along with these senior traditions, seniors usually arrive early on the first day of school to hang out with friends, show off their cool backpacks and parking spots, and take pictures.

“The best thing about senior backpacks is just to see what funny ideas people come up with,” senior Ryan Eggar said. “My backpack has shiny tie dye all over it with ‘LOVE’ on it in bright colors. These senior traditions definitely help school feel like it used to.”

News

September 24, 2021

Variants spread, people question pandemic end Many more look to vaccine for protection, concern spreads surrounding children’s health

By Katherine Mote News Editor

Graphic by Katherine Mote News Editor

W

hile the pandemic has been the main headline for almost a year and a half now, with constant updates about health guidelines and precautions, Covid-19 has become a constant news update that seems to change or contradict itself several times over. That being said, with the presence of the Delta variant returning to our seemingly “post Covid-19 world” and new information about vaccines, Covid-19 updates are necessary.

“The main difference with the Delta variant is that it is 10 to 15 times more contagious,” local pediatric ear, nose and throat doctor Amy Brenski said. “Because of that fact, it spreads rapidly.

Specifically, it seems to spread very rapidly in families.”

News of this variant has posed threats to students’ safety and education as school returns. Texas’ mandate for no mask-wearing has amplified the voices of those who are immunocompromised, as well.

Sophomore Jack Lattimore’s father is immunocompromised, and he struggles with newly relaxed Covid-19 restrictions.

“So many people around us only care about themselves and how they’ll fare if they get the virus, but once you have someone who is at serious risk if they get Covid, you just start to worry more,” Lattimore said. “When I see people out and about living their daily lives as if nothing has changed, it’s just weird.”

While the school does not allow optional online learning this year, the school’s families rely on the school’s protocols and rules.

The main concern is the risk of spreading the virus outside of school when not wearing masks.

“This is particularly pertinent right now, because children, most of whom cannot be vaccinated, are returning to school,” Brenski said.

“Many schools are not allowing any mask-wearing. Children,

especially young children, can carry the disease with very mild to no symptoms. They then take it home and give it to their elderly grandparents or immunecompromised parents [and] if parents or grandparents are unvaccinated, they are much more likely to require hospitalization or experience extreme and severe illness.”

The school and other private institutions can decide whether or not to have a mask mandate.

Unlike public schools who can’t require masks, private schools believe they are able to keep infections down and maintain more normal conditions with the mask requirements.

“Especially with the mask mandate being lifted and no one wearing masks in public anymore it’s just confusing, because for them it’s basically out of sight out of mind, but for me and my family it is always going to be a nagging fear,” Lattimore said. “Just being in-person can lead you to getting sick and potentially infecting someone who could get incredibly sick from it, [including my dad].”

Coming back into school this year, minor changes were made to the Covid-19 protocols from last year. For example, the chapel is now allowed to be at full capacity and one way hallways have gone away; however, the administration’s rules are similar to last year’s regarding mask-wearing and social distancing at lunch.

“The school adapts to and follows the science and the recommendations of the Center for Disease Control and local authorities,” upper school biology teacher Max Augé said. “Our health and wellness is foremost on the mind of the health and safety committee and of our leadership.”

The Delta variant has been all over the news in recent months, but the less talked about Lambda variant seems to pose more of a threat to vaccinated individuals.

The variant appeared in South America in the summer of 2020.

“The significant thing about this variant is that it is less likely to be neutralized by antibodies,” Brenski said. “In other words, natural immunity or a vaccineinduced immunity may not be as effective at fighting it. With this variant, you may be more likely to experience severe illness requiring hospitalization.”

Overall, the vaccine has proven to be effective in preventing the spread of the virus. The mutations have become roadblocks, however, but the vaccine itself is designed to reject all forms of the virus, leading to success in blocking most mutations.

“Vaccines are the safest and most effective way of preventing serious outcomes, long-term hospital stays, respirators and death,” Augé said. “Mutations are the nature of genetic material. As a consequence, boosters are to be expected and will improve the efficacy of the initial vaccination.”

On Aug. 23, the Pfizer vaccine was approved by the Food and Drug Administration for those over the age of 16. With the FDA backing the vaccine, the vaccination rate has risen.

However, it’s unknown how much effect the approval will have, knowing that most who were willing to get the vaccine already got it.

“There is a fundamental lack of understanding of the complex process that the FDA uses to approve a new drug,” Brenski said. “The hold-up with this drug had little to do with its safety and efficacy. It had more to do with manufacturing, storage and distribution. In order to get FDA approval, you have to have all of the steps of the production of a drug planned for all contingencies and potential problems. Given the special needs of the storage, this was also a special consideration.”

Because it is now fully approved, doctors can now make the decisions to give patients booster shots or the ability to give it to a younger patient if needed

due to their health conditions.

It also opens the door to the possibility for workplaces and schools to require the Covid-19 vaccine in addition to other required vaccines, such as polio.

Brenski’ healthcare facility is located in Frisco but is managed by Cooks Children’s Pediatric Surgery Center in Plano, which has already mandated vaccination.

“Delta Airlines, Boeing and the Armed Forces are mandating the vaccine except for religious or medical reasons.” Brenski said.

“That will probably provide a good test case for conflict with the Executive order by [the Texas] governor and Florida, for example. Initially, [Gov.] Greg Abbott had said that no company could require vaccination or proof of vaccination from its employees or clients, due to its emergency authorization.”

According to Gov. Abbott, the vaccine and masks are not allowed to be mandated, eventually leading to the consequence of his own decision when he contracted Covid-19 in early August.

“It’s my understanding he received the monoclonal antibody therapy, not readily available to everyone,” Brenski said.“He continues to defend each Texan’s ability to choose to wear a mask or be vaccinated. However, when it comes to public health concerns, your choice as an individual has the potential to affect many other people. It is not simply a matter of choice.”

Texas was put in a difficult position with Covid-19, and Texans continue to suffer with new variants. Hoever,according to the New York Times, 62 percent of Texas’ adults 18+ were fully vaccinated as of Sept. 22 “Before the pandemic, Texas had one of the highest rates of unvaccinated children in the country,” Brenski said. “Texas also has some of the highest numbers of uninsured people in the country.

This is a lethal combination in the face of a pandemic.”

“

“VACCINES ARE THE SAFEST AND MOST EFFECTIVE WAY OF PREVENTING SERIOUS OUTCOMESLONG-TERM HOSPITAL STAYS, RESPIRATORS AND DEATH.” Max Augé upper school biology teacher

5

6 Eagle Edition

Episcopal School of Dallas

WORX program returns, provides opportunties Seniors recieved summer internships based on their interests through

By Satori Griffith Photo Editor

WORXING HARD Annie Heldman works on her summer internship.

She published articles and paintings for Sarah Chenault, an independent artist. “It was an amazing experience to be able to participate in the publication of art pieces,” Heldman said. “I am hopeful to be able to do this as a career one day.”

Photo by Satori Griffith

T

he doctor took the sterilized scalpel in his hand and began the surgery. It was just another routine colonoscopy with Dr. Weisberg late in the evening on a routine Wednesday during the summer. Suddenly, something shocking was discovered, a large mass. Dr. Weisberg had never seen anything like that before. It was massive compared to all of the other polyps. Using the hot snare, he removed all of the mass and inspected it upon its removal.

The mass, so unique, got packaged and sent to the Mayo Clinic to be examined. A rare finding, one that shocked the doctors, and it was witnessed by a high school student.

Senior Kai Robinson, experienced something that usually takes years of training and school to be able to see, but he got to witness it as a high school student.

Through the WORX program, an internship program offered to rising seniors by the school, Robinson was able to be involved in an internship that allowed him to pursue his passion in the medical field.

“It was an amazing experience to be exposed to something new,” said Robinson. “Learning about the medical field from an up close perspective gave me a lot of insight into what it is really like to be a doctor.”

Managed by the college guidance team, the WORX program provides students with the opportunity to expand their career awareness, introduce new life skills and render valuable exposure to various fields of interest. Students are immersed in different job platforms tailored to their interests and skills.

Internships are usually in the medical, business or law fields. Senior Emma Sochia also experienced a rewarding summer internship. After going through the interview process and getting assigned an internship at Milliard Diamond Concierge, Sochia began her new job during July. She met with clients, designed jewelry and managed social media platforms, Sochia was involved in the behind the scenes aspect of running a business. From making Tik Toks to taking pictures, Sochia took part in the company’s online marketing and customer service.

“The WORX program helped me figure out what I want to do when I get older,” said Sochia. “I have always been interested in public relations and marketing, so

my internship gave me a real sense of what the business world is like.”

The internship program contains a wide range of opportunities for students with all different types of interests. It is rare to be exposed to these types of rigorous job-like conditions, mirroring what it is really like to work in a particular field.

Robinson’s internship took an interesting approach in the medical field. Interning with Dr. Weisberg, at Digestive Health Associates of Texas, Robinson met with patients and observed medical procedures like endoscopies and colonoscopies.

“My favorite parts of the internship were hearing about the business side of medicine as well as also being able to see the procedures themselves,” Robinson said. “Medicine has so many unseen aspects that influence a provider’s decision, it is fascinating to watch.”

The WORX program builds relationships within the business world for students to use to their advantage. The program does not only provide experience, it also creates a foundation for college applications, an impressive signal to show motivation and work ethic within students. It also assists in helping shape students’ choices in choosing a college major.

Senior Annie Heldman saw these opportunities first hand while interning with an independent

artist based in L.A., the Sculptra Gallery. Heldman created lesson plans, designed a website, researched grants and contacted art galleries. She got to work closely with art museums and even show off some of her own paintings. If it was not for Covid-19, Heldman would have also been able to travel to California to participate in an art show, an amazing opportunity to learn more about what it is like to be an artist.

“My favorite part of my internship would be reaching out to the various museums to sell her art,” Heldman said. “It made me feel so grown up and important.

It was quite the reality check that I was being trusted with such important tasks [and] that my internship relied heavily on [me] to grow her business.”

The internships give students the opportunity to build their resumes and form an idea of what their ideal job would look like. Director of College Guidance Chris Gonzales has been a part of the WORX program since 2013, she coordinates and manages the program. Gonzales has observed students gain a lot from their internships, like how to plan, advertise, and coordinate events.

“The WORX program gives ESD juniors the opportunity to go through a job application and interview process,” Gonzales said. “They also gain exposure to

a professional field of interest to strengthen their understanding of college majors and career preparation.”

While most internships are conducted in person and at offices, senior Erika Batson worked from home this summer. Batson wrote for a teen website called yooou.life which focuses on the navigational lives of young girls. She created subscription packages, wrote about fashion and helped advertise the blog, Batson was immersed in the online business world.

“I got to experience how my passions are applied to the job industry,” Batson said. “My experience with the program helped me figure out what I wanted to major in in college.”

There is a lot to learn from working up close with specific jobs, especially those that pertain to interesting fields. The WORX program is a useful tool, expanding experiences and showing students the ropes to running a successful business.

“I have learned a lot this summer and was so grateful for the opportunity to work with someone that shares my same interests,” Heldman said. “Throughout my internship I found things that I liked and things I didn’t particularly enjoy, but I used every second of my time to learn about the industry and all the different aspects that go along with it.”

Earth-shattering

“Art” de Triomphe

The end of an era

At 9:15am local time on Sep. 21 a 5.9 magnitude earthquake hit near Melbourne, Australia.

The epicenter was determined as Mansfield, just 81 miles from Melbourne. So far there are no reports of injuries or deaths.

Australia sits in the middle of the tectonic plate which in most cases should protect it from serious earthquakes similar to this one.

Just a day before the streets were filled with bricks and crumpled buildings, those same streets were overflowed with protestors over the month-long lockdowns that accompany the recent spread of the Covid-19 Delta variant.

The Arc de Triomphe was wrapped in fabric as a tribute to artists Cristo and Jeanne-Claude.

The monument is covered in 25,000 square meters of silverblue colored recyclable fabric. It will remain in place for 16 days from Sept. 18 to Oct. 3. It was assembled in remembrance of Cristo and Jeanne-Claude who passed away in 2020 and 2009, respectively. Cristo’s wish was for the Arc de Triomphe project to be completed after his death.

Before the project could be installed workers first made a large system of brackets and scaffolding to protect the sculptures and carvings.The monument is now open for visitors to enjoy.

Angela Merkel who has been chancellor of Germany since 2005 will not run in the next election on Sept. 26. She has been in power for 16 years and has been a leading player in global politics. She was wildly successful, specifically, for moving her conservative Christian democratic union closer to the center of the political spectrum.

She has a quality of bringing people to gather and formulating solutions, which is why her career has been so prosperous. She was the first female chancellor in German history and is a trailblazer because of her position in male dominated political sectors.

TOTAL TREMBLE An earthquake hits Australia, leaving destruction and rubble across the city of Melbourne, Australia. Photo provided by Freecountrymaps.com DRAPED IN FAME The famous 163 foot monument is featured covered in a light airy fabric designed by artist Cristo.

Photo provided by Nathalie Dimitrijevic MARVELOUS MRS. MERKEL Former chancellor of Germany announces she won’t run for re election after being in power for over a decade.

Photo provided by Raimond Spekking/Wikipedia.org

around THE WORLD A quick overview of international events compiled

by News Editor Katherine Mote

News

September 24, 2021

7

Teacher reflects on 9/11, father’s legacy On 20th anniversary of 9/11, Phil McCarthy shares his experience as FDNY family member

By Phil McCarthy Guest Writer

A

nybody who knows me knows my favorite season is the fall.

In Texas, fall is the time when the summer heat starts to break, Friday night lights are back and the memories of summer vacations (and our tans) are still fresh. Growing up in the Hudson Valley, fall was the time for soccer season, picking apples at the orchard and the best time to take in nature as the leaves changed colors.

But just like many New Yorkers of a certain age, as we flip the calendar from Aug. to Sept. we somberly remember the tragic events of Sept. 11, 2001 and how that day changed our lives. Almost 20 percent of Americans were not alive before 2001. If you are part of this 20 percent (and even if you are not) I would implore you to not let this Sept. 11 pass without taking a moment to read, watch or listen to some of the stories of those who survived the attacks.

The events of Sept. 11 laid bare the truth of the human condition: that we possess in ourselves both the power to do unspeakable actions of evil and magnanimous actions of good.

I don’t remember much from 2001. I was in fifth grade, and because of my youth, I was shielded from the true nature of events. I remember the school guidance counselor coming into our class and telling us a plane hit the World Trade Center, and I remember parents pulling their children from school out of fear of further attacks. It was not until I was older and more cognizant of the magnitude of the attacks that I realized how lucky I was that my father was home that morning. My father, James McCarthy, has been a firefighter in the city of New York my entire life and was home on the morning that the New York City Fire Department responded to the deadliest fire in its entire history.

On the morning of Sept. 11, the first plane crashed into World Trade Center 1 at 8:46 AM. The official response time of the FDNY was five seconds. Within minutes, firehouses from across the city burst into action and all across Lower Manhattan the scream of fire trucks could be heard.

Hundreds of firefighters responded that morning, and three hundred and forty three would never make it back home.

To celebrate Martin Luther King Jr. day the past few years, I have had my sophomore world history class read King’s speech entitled “On Being a Good Neighbor.” In this speech, Dr. Martin Luther King highlights the altruism of the Good Samaritan who, as many of us know, stopped to help a traveler on his way to Jericho who was robbed and left for dead.

This Sept. 11, I would ask you to join me and reflect

on the actions of the firefighters responding to the attacks on the WTC and the altruism they showed. Like the Samaritan on the road to Jericho, the firefighters on that day had the capacity for universal altruism.

They did not run into the burning towers to save their families, loved ones or even friends.

They risked their life because they saw another human being in need. We remember their actions because they remind us that there are numerous Jericho roads of life.

As Dr. King noted in his speech “the true measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience but where he stands in moments of challenge and controversy.” Too often as Americans we need a horrific tragedy to remind us how many people and how much of our way of life we take for granted. Too often, to paraphrase Dr. King, we find reasons to not help people, reasons to convince ourselves that our fellow man is not our neighbor and, thus, their livelihood is not our responsibility.

There is something my father said in an interview conducted about a decade ago that has always stuck with me.

When you go back and watch the news coverage from that morning, you can see civilians running away, but you don’t see any firefighters running away. There is no doubt in my mind that many of these men and women were scared.

I have met many firefighters, and they are normal salt of the earth people.

They are parents, coaches, scout leaders, volunteers, community leaders, the list goes on.

They are not beyond the reach of fear.

But, unlike many of us, they did not let their fear lead to paralysis. Too often we are overcome with the concern of self-preservation and ask ourselves what will happen to us if we stop and help. Instead, the firefighters flipped the question and

“

THE EVENTS OF OF SEPT. 11 LAID BARE THE TRUTH OF THE HUMAN CONDITION: THAT WE POSSESS IN OURSELVES BOTH THE POWER TO DO UNSPEAKABLE ACTIONS OF EVIL AND MAGNANIMOUS ACTIONS OF GOOD.

asked what would happen to them if they didn’t help. Many had to climb 50 or 60 flights of stairs with up to 75 pounds of gear on. But none of them ran away.

It would have been easier to be compassionate by proxy or maybe wait for others because it was too dangerous. But none of them ran away.

In the days, weeks and years following the attacks on Sept.

11, the rallying cry was that Americans would “never forget” the heroism shown that day. In New York, it is hard to forget.

Every Sept., there are religious services dedicated to the souls of the departed, the reading of names at Ground Zero and, in almost every commuter town, people pay their respects at local memorials.

As many of us have gotten older, part of never forgetting has grown to teaching the next generation about what happened that day. Those too young to remember will innocently ask questions and many of us, still trying to make sense of that day, will attempt, with a lump in our throats, to explain the unexplainable. When remembering 9/11 we can choose to talk about those who wished to destroy and cause harm or we can remind others of those who had an active commitment to the love ethic. I would implore you on this anniversary to reflect on those whose actions shake us out of the apathy of everyday life and remind us what it means to live a life of universal altruism.

Phil McCarthy Upper School History Teacher

FDNY FAMILY From top: Phil McCarthy stands in front of his father’s fire truck with his siblings, Erin and Charles McCarthy in early 2000s. • Phil McCarthy’s brother, Charles McCarthy, poses with his father James McCarthy in his New York Fire Department uniform. Photos provided

by Phil McCarthy. • Left: In a 1999, the twin towers of the World Trade Center dominate the New York skyline. Photo by Jay Clarke/ Miami Herald /TNS

Page design by Gina Montagna, Editor-in-Chief

8 Eagle Edition

Episcopal School of Dallas

life

Online services replace in-person activities Food delivery, online shopping, streaming services rise in popularity

By Olivia Hohmann Social Media Manager

C

onvenience, easy access and comfort prove to be the most popular trends to come out of Covid-19.

Quarantine allowed many to replace going out to movie theaters, restaurants and stores with easier at home alternatives. And it looks like this trend is here to stay.

Now, after quarantine, 62 percent of students in a poll from September I PREFER STREAMING 10th still prefer SERVICES TO MOVIE to use online alternatives, THEATERS BECAUSE such as using IT’S A LOT MORE streaming services, food CONVENIENT TO JUST delivery apps WATCH A MOVIE IN MY and online shopping,to ROOM THAN HAVING in-person TO GET READY AND activities According DRIVE OUT TO SEE A to the news MOVIE IN A THEATRE. network CNBC, streaming services are Mia Harrington taking over the Junior movie market and putting box offices out of business—people spent 44 percent more time streaming television shows and movies at the end of the fourth quarter in 2020 than in 2019. Movie theaters used to be the place to go, but now with the easy access of streaming services, such as Netflix, Amazon Prime and HBO Max, people are staying home.

“I prefer streaming services to movie theaters because it’s a lot more convenient to just watch a movie in my room than having to get ready and drive out to see a movie in a theater,” junior Mia Harrington said. “I used to like going out to movies with friends, but when they closed due to Covid-19, I watched a lot of Netflix in my free time.”

Here in Dallas, the cost of a single movie ticket at an AMC theater ranges between $10.69 and $13.69, not including buttery movie theater popcorn, king-sized candy and soft drinks. The price of going to the movie theater starts to add up, and although streaming services require a subscription, people think they get more out of it.

“I like streaming services more than going to movie services because I feel like there is a wider

“

selection of movies. I also enjoy the fact that I can easily find a certain movie with a quick search of the name” said sophomore Addison Page.

People are able to watch whatever movie they want, whenever and wherever they want. The selection of movies is wide and contains a variety of genres. The movie world is truly their oyster. According to Insider, teenagers spend nearly 33 percent of their daily video consumption using Netflix, a popular way for teenagers to find TV shows and movies, as the service recommends shows for users.

“I learned to enjoy watching streaming services in the comfort of my own home,” Harrington said.

“Instead of paying $10 for one drink at a theater, I can make my own drinks and snacks at my house for a lot less money.”

When people sit at movie theaters, it can sometimes be hard for them to get comfortable, especially when they have loud people sitting around them.

“A lot of my friends have movie rooms, so it’s more comfortable at their house than at a theater.

I even would prefer to watch a movie in my room than I would at a theater now,” Harrington said.

When streaming services started to take over the movie industry people realised how much they enjoyed being able to watch things in the comfort of their own home. People even set up tents, watched movies outside and in the pool and created themed nights to match the selected movie, something that is not possible in theaters. Although the majority of people prefer to use streaming services, there are still others that find the whole experience of going out to the theater rather exciting.

“I prefer theaters to streaming movies because I like the communal feel of a theater. It’s one of the few places where it is really comfortable to be alone and in a crowd. I think that love of watching movies in a theater may be generational; I remember going to movies as a family, and then with friends, and then for date nights...it used to be a big part of growing up” said English teacher Adian Richman.

During Covid-19, it also became popular to do Teleparties, formerly known as Netflix watch parties, with friends. Teleparty is a Google Chrome extension where people can log into their Netflix and other streaming service accounts. Once

they log in, they can invite their friends to watch with them. They can watch the same TV show or movie and communicate via a chat bar on the side of the screen.. This allowed people to feel connected with others.

“I used to use Netflix watch parties during quarantine as it was very accessible,” Page said. “All of my friends could log on and we could watch movies together. It was super nice as it was an easy way for me to keep in touch with them during Covid-19.”

Similar to the growing popularity of streaming services, food delivery apps such as DoorDash, Favor and UberEats have provided a convenient alternative to eating at a restaurant. Since Covid-19 limited people to eating out, they turned instead to food ordering apps, which allowed them to order from their favorite restaurants. Some, however, still prefer to eat out, such as Harrington.

“I think ordering food through an app like Favor is easy, but I prefer going out to eat,” Harrington said. “In early 2020, my family used food ordering systems a lot to avoid in person contact during the worst of Covid-19, but as restrictions decreased, so did our usage of these apps.”

Even though people are ready to go back out to restaurants, online food ordering apps are still just as popular. According to Morgan Stanley, the U.S. food delivery revenue in 2020 was $26.5 billion. These apps make people’s lives easier. Especially when teenagers are studying or getting home from sports late they are able to order something to be delivered.

“I don’t use these services often, but when I do it’s because they’re a lot more convenient,” said Harrington “Sometimes I won’t want to drive to get food, and I’m willing to pay the extra fee to get it delivered to my house.”

Online shopping has become more popular these past years.

Oftentimes, when people go into a boutique or shopping center, they have to go through racks and racks of clothing just to find that one piece of clothing that they truly want. Stores are also trying hard to boost their online presence through social media and their websites. Stores will sometimes offer special discounts and early access to certain items when a buyer shops online. For example, stores will do Holiday and/or

one day discounts only online.

Additionally, online coupon codes on websites such as RetailMeNot allow shoppers to find exclusive online discounts that might not be available in-person.

“I prefer online shopping because stores like Lululemon have limited colors of clothes in store, and when I shop online they have a wider selection,” freshman Jane Leopard said. “Also, sometimes when I go to the stores, they are sold out of my size, but on the websites they often have it.”

And Leopard is not alone.

According to a recent survey 56 percent of students prefer shopping online.

According to Digital Commerce, online shopping hit $791.70 billion in sales during 2020, up 33 percent from 2019. But even though the pandemic impacted online shopping, it was still popular before lockdown.

“I’ve always liked online shopping even before Covid-19, as it is easier when trying to find the type of clothes you want,” Leopard said. “I don’t have to go to the store and search around for hours.

I can just easily find it with a quick search.”

Both online shopping and inperson shopping have their pros and cons. There are people who find both styles of shopping fun and effective.

“I like both online shopping and in-person shopping! I like to be around other people, overhearing snippets of conversation, seeing what they like and don’t like.

I’m a sensory person, so I like touching all the fabrics or smelling all the perfumes,” said Richman.

“Shopping online is quick and easy, and I love when my purchases come- it’s like someone sending me exactly the gift that I wanted!”

Online platforms make it easier for people to watch shows, dine and shop. Through the click of a button or through a quick Google search, everyday tasks become easier . The time during quarantine allowed everyone to realize how easy it is to use technology. Now, so many people rely on technology for basic activities, many people wonder if we will return back to normal prepandemic life.

“With the easy access of technology everything online is so much easier,” Leopard said. “I still enjoy going out to the movie theater, but online shopping and streaming services are nice as they are much more accessible.”

Graphic by Emily Lichty Editor-in-Chief

Life

September 24, 2021

9

Summer classes create new learning environments Summer classes affect students’ productivity during school year

Graphic by Elisabeth Siegel Life Editor

By Elisabeth Siegel Life Editor

F

lipping through her textbook, junior Camila Rivera prepares for an upcoming quiz. The class is small and the students are engaged in discussion. She opens up her phone and sees photo after photo of her friends at the beach or in the mountains, while she is still sitting at school for eight more hours. She is at school in the middle of June.

And it is summer break.

While some students choose to spend their summer at camp or traveling the world, many students choose to spend more time in the classroom. Whether it could be to ease their academic workload, to free up room in their school schedule or to help fulfill their credits, 15 percent of students have taken a summer course at school, according to a Sept. 20 poll of 174 upper school students.

Rivera took ethics, government, honors computer science and health classes over the past two summers in order to make more space in her school year schedule.

To lessen stress during the school year, many students like Rivera get required credits out of the way

during the summer.

“My parents expect me to take harder classes to improve my resume,” Rivera said. “Taking the easier classes during the summer gives me more room to take honors and AP classes and also have a study hall during the school year. Summer courses definitely brought me ahead and helped my stress.”

Students use summer classes in order to move up to more advanced levels. In order to take AP math her senior year, freshman Samantha Wu decided to spend her summer taking Geometry.

“I was bored during the summer, so I wanted to get some classes out of the way,” Wu said.

“I also thought this would be a good opportunity because I always wanted to be one level higher [in math].”

Director of Summer Programs Mike Schneider has observed that many students take summer courses to be on an accelerated path in certain subjects. But it also appears that many students don’t take summer classes because they want to take the AP version during the school year.

“I think some kids take a full schedule because they feel the pressure from a college entrance perspective and then that makes summer school a necessity,” Schneider said. “Now the flip side is some kids won’t take government in summer school or economics because they want to take AP, so that can go either way.”

Students have observed many other advantages to taking summer courses. According to recent data from the Center for High School Success, ninth graders with fewer courses each term stay on track at a significantly higher rate.

“I knew sophomore year and junior year would be really stressful, so I was ready to take advantage of summer classes,” Rivera said. “If needed, I had more one-on-one time with the teacher because I didn’t have to worry about other academics, sports and community service. Honestly, I think there was more of an advantage since you have less time.

They really teach you what you need to know, and they help you out more since the teachers don’t have any other classes to teach.”

Often, students believe that

summer courses are easier than the same course during the school year. The reality is that lesson plans are sped up, but teachers have less classes to teach while students have less classes to take.

“I think most kids do better in summer school because it’s the only class they’re taking so there are fewer distractions,” Schneider said. “And when you take something more intense and at an accelerated speed, you’re a little bit more immersed in it so you can retain what you’ve learned in a shorter period of time. It’s also a more relaxed environment, and I think most people do better in that.”

Ethics teacher Tolly Salz, who taught the class during the summer, said that there are many differences between the summer classes and regular classes, but it is not necessarily easier.

“What might take three days in the school year, over the course of a week actually takes one day, without the other distractions, responsibilities and duties students have to other subjects,” Salz said. “I can go further into the subject or concept without feeling that the students are overwhelmed and stressed about eight other assignments they have to do that day.”

Salz usually teaches the college essay writing classes during the summer, but this summer was the first time that she taught summer ethics. She highly recommends taking summer ethics due to the environment and ability for students to dive deeper into the subjects.

“I fell in love with not only [ethics], but what the students were doing and how we were able to listen to one another and show respect for one another’s ideas,” Salz said. “I had such a great group and I felt like I got to know them in a very special way.”

At the same time, many summer school students miss out on their summer break and vacation activities.

“Yes, you’re being productive, but you’re not having fun while everyone else is out hanging with friends,” Rivera said. “I was stuck in school for eight hours, but it was nice to get it over with now that I think about it. I only recommend summer school if you don’t want to have to focus on doing it later.”

“

I THINK MOST KIDS DO BETTER IN SUMMER SCHOOL BECAUSE IT’S THE ONLY CLASS THEY’RE TAKING SO THERE ARE FEWER DISTRACTIONS Mike Schneider Director of Summer Programs

Pandemic weakens school spirit Horde Board works to bring back student excitement sports games

By Sloane Hope Business Manager

A

s the clock strikes 8:30 on an early Tuesday morning, Horde Board co-president Carson Langston brings to order the first of many meetings to come. The topic on hand: restoring school spirit to its former glory.

For years, many ESD students believed that the school had one of the most energetic and spirited student bodies in the DFW area, however, much of this spirit has been lost over the past two years because of lockdowns and restrictions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. According to a Sept. 20 poll of 174 students, 39 percent of students said that they believed school spirit was on the decline prior to the pandemic.

In an attempt to rebuild the spirit, seniors Carson Langston, Lauren Sedwick and Charlie King created the Horde Board, a student organization created to maximize school spirit. This year’s presidents are hoping to push spirit into every facet of the community, making the student body closer than ever. So far, the Horde Board has created multiple social media accounts dedicated to informing students about

upcoming festivities, organized game dress themes and begun brainstorming new traditions, all of which they hope is just the beginning.

“I think the majority of the student body would agree that spirit is a huge part of what makes ESD,” Sedwick said. “We really want to make sure that the entirety of each grade is represented and feels comfortable coming to every game and is excited about every game. We also want to make sure everyone is getting information about themes, games and anything else via social media or Schoology so that everyone feels included.”

In the past, the senior class has been responsible for maintaining and cultivating school spirit, both at games and in school, but when King saw the lack of devotion and excitement for this cause last year, he took matters into his own hands, much to the annoyance of his older peers.

“Every year, the senior class makes a large Facebook group that everyone in the upper school is invited to join for the purpose of announcing sports games and

cultivating spirit,” King said. “Last year, the seniors made a Facebook group and didn’t tell anyone, so I decided to make my own and invite everyone. I felt like it was my job to step up to the plate and unite the school considering it was my older brother who started the Facebook group tradition, and I wasn’t going to sit idly by and watch the tradition die. In the end, I think [the class of 2021] was just mad because more people joined our group than theirs.”

Not only was the pandemic and loss of spirit detrimental to the overall wellbeing of the student body, but it also greatly affected players on the sports field. Until the late spring, only parents and families were allowed in the stands to view home games, which proved problematic for the morale of all athletes.

“Having fans brings more purpose to the games,” varsity football captain and senior Ryan Ainsworth said. “The players want to be out there more and we as a team feel more rewarded for all of our work during the week when we score and can look over at a rowdy student section getting just as hype as we are.”

The 2019-2020 school year was interrupted several times due to the fire, the tornado and the pandemic while 2020-2021 was interrupted by the pandemic and the snow storm. The senior class is the only grade in the high school that has experienced an uninterrupted, normal year: their freshman year. As a result, many (themselves included) feel the seniors are responsible for reintroducing many fun school traditions that the other grades may have forgotten about or not even experienced at all.

“It’s crazy to think that half of the high school has not experienced many traditions like the upperclassmen have,” sophomore and Horde Board member Addie Click said. “It’s a weird feeling because it’s your second year in high school, so you feel like you should be used to everything, but in reality, you haven’t even had a normal high school year. Being a member of the Horde Board, I’m excited to bring the spirit back to my grade and the rest of the school community while also taking part in traditions that many may have forgotten about.”

69

Percent of upper school students believed that school spirit decreased during the pandemic

82

Percent of upper school students believe that school spirit has increased this year after the pandemic Source: Sept. 20 US Eagle Edition Poll of 174 students

10

Eagle Edition

Episcopal School of Dallas

hallway

By Iris Hernandez Staff Writer

chatter

“ A compilation of the most interesting and hilarious out of context conversations overheard at school

We are all the same distance from the ground.

”

Phil Bryan, English teacher

Kathryn Bakewell ‘24

“

I GOT UP IN THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT. IT WAS DARK, AND I DIDN’T TURN ON ANY LIGHTS, WHICH I SHOULD HAVE. I SMASHED MY TOE INTO THE EXERCISE BIKE THAT’S IN MY ROOM. I’VE DONE THIS HUNDREDS OF TIMES, I’VE AVOIDED IT, BUT THAT NIGHT I JUST PLOWED RIGHT INTO IT, AND BROKE MY TOE.

“

She’s not a stranger, She’s an Eagle.

”

Amber Donahue ‘23

“

What’s for lunch?

Murder.

”

Anonymous vegetarian sophomore

Scars may

heal, but people still see them.

William Lett ‘24

“IS TK SECRETLY PITBULL? “ as posted in room 133

“We have a golden retriever named Lola. We have a cottage up in Michigan. Lola had quite a long fur [at the time] and she [did] a lot of swimming in Lake Michigan.

Her fur tends to get matted [while swimming]. She came back to Dallas with lots of mats. I took her in to have her groomed and I said, ‘I know you’re going to have to shave [the mats] but don’t shave right down to her skin’.She assured me that she wouldn’t. I go to pick her up, and I’m looking through the window. There is a dog on the table, but it doesn’t look like Lola. It looked so sad and was staring at me. I asked ‘Is that Lola?’ The groomer said, ‘Yes, I think she looks great!’.”

Barbara Brault, Ceramics teacher

Life

September 24, 2021

11

cul

SH

e C r RA u t A variety of the top trending pop culture phenomena compiled

by Life Editors Elisabeth Siegel and Grace Worsham

1T

College admissions policies shift during pandemic, counselors maintain strategies

YEEZY VS. DRIZZY Rapper Drake released his sixth studio album, “Certified Lover Boy,” just five days after rapper Kanye West released his tenth album, “Donda.” Since the artists were so competitive during the rollout process, it’s no surprise that fans immediately started making comparisons. As far as streaming is concerned, “CLB” beats “Donda” by ranking the top-debuting album of the year so far.

2

Fletcher’s corny dogs has released its only food in 79 years that requires a fork, signifying the ongoing trend of creative state fair food. This Dallas Hot Bird Dog consists of a smoked turkey hot dog, battered and fried, then split open, topped with a mound of mac and cheese and fried jalapenos with a drizzle of Cholula hot sauce.

A creation worthy of even Big Tex himself.

Actor Timothée Chalamet, singersongwriter Billie Eilish, poet Amanda Gorman and tennis player Naomi Osaka hosted the 2021 Met Gala themed “In America: A Lexicon of Fashion.”

As fashion’s biggest night of the year, the star-studded event honors the creativity that fuels the industry.

4

3

END OF AN ERA After a controversial fifth season and anti-Asian remarks from several housewives, Real Housewives of Dallas will not be returning for another season. The racist incidents began in season four and escalated as the show progressed. After the continuous surplus of low-ratings, Bravo has finally discontinued this ninth installment of the reality show.

OUT OF THE DARK New Zealand singer Lorde released her first album in four years, “Solar Power.” Featuring backing vocals by singers Phoebe Bridgers and Clairo, the songs contain a lighter, freer and more playful tone than her last album, “Melodrama.”

6

By Miles Wooldridge Staff writer

MAC DOG

AMERICA À LA MODE

Seniors adapt to changes in admissions trends

5

he competitiveness of the college admissions process has been a constant in the lives of high school seniors for decades. However, since Covid-19, this process has been restructured, and students are having to find ways to cope with the changing educational landscape.

With schools across the nation varying their return to in-person strategies, colleges are receiving limited amounts of data from students, and, according to the Georgetown University Office of Advancement, many are rethinking the way they accept students entirely. Because in-person standardized testing is still not allowed in some locations, most schools have gone test-optional. As a result, most students only send in their tests if they are proud of their grade, so the average grade is skewed up. According to a report published by the Common App, 46 percent of applicants sent their test scores in the 2020-2021 season, which is in stark contrast to the 77 percent in 2019-2020.

Institutions that did not require standardized tests went from 40 percent to about 91 percent. While Covid-19 can be recognized as the catalyst for a more official abandonment of standardized tests, the argument against them has been built up now for years.

“I think the combo of GPA and written personal statements is the best way for colleges to evaluate students,” senior Sydney Knodel said. “I am not a big fan of standardized tests and I don’t think they are as good of indicators for skill level compared to academic honors, GPA, etc.”

She is not alone in this opinion. States like California have passed legislation making all standardized testing optional and allegations of bias have been in circulation long before lockdowns and mask mandates, so the role of standardized testing may be diminished for good. Another noticeable trend is the increase in the amount of college applications per student.

The National Association for College Admissions Counseling (NACAC) found that 36 percent of students applied to seven or more colleges in 2016, which is double the rate of 10 years prior. And Pew Research Center reported that colleges that admitted less than 20 percent of applicants received 110 percent more applications between 2002 and 2017. The same report showed colleges are not accepting more students at rates fast enough to match the rising number of applications per year, so colleges are becoming unavoidably more competitive. At ESD, these trends are visibly reflected in the student body. According to our college advisory department, ESD seniors submit 8.2 applications each on average. This is far above the NACAC’s reported national average, but taking into account that ESD is a college preparatory school, this figure

is only slightly higher than is typically recommended. Gonzales said that applying to six or seven schools generally works best for students.

“If you apply to 20 schools, no matter what [the college guidance department does] you’re going to be working half of your senior year on all of the extra stuff,” Gonzales said.

“Nothing makes [the process] more stressful than that.”

She believes it is important to recognise the detrimental effects of applying to too many colleges, not just for oneself, but for our peers.

Gonzales also believes that the more schools that a student applies to, the less the student generally knows about each school. And getting into more colleges can be less of an advanI AM NOT A tage because a student BIG FAN OF may not know if they actually want to go STANDARDIZED to the school they got TESTS AND I into. Simultaneously, if a student applies and DON’T THINK gets into a competitive THEY ARE school, but they don’t AS GOOD OF plan on attending, it still becomes significantINDICATORS ly harder for the stuFOR SKILL LEVEL dent’s peers to get into the same competitive COMPARED school. By choosing to TO ACADEMIC pursue bulk instead of “controlling your list,” HONORS, GPA, in Gonzales’ words, you ETC. could be ruining another student’s chances of getting into their Sydney Knodel dream college.

Senior Data that thoroughly explains college admissions in a post-Covid-19 world is very recent and still hard to find, but as more is released, it is hard to see how things will ever be quite the same. Even so, there is plenty of hope.

College tours are once more being done in-person. ESD’s College Essay Writing and College Application Workshop courses were offered and attended by Knodel and many other seniors over the summer.

Knodel is “so grateful for all the help” that the College Guidance Counselors have provided. Research into schools as well as beginning the application process has taught her that she would be happy pretty much anywhere on her list.

“My guidance counselor are always going out of their way to check in on me and make sure I have everything turned in on time,” Knodel said. “They have helped me narrow down what [colleges] I am interested in. I am fully prepared for the next stage of my life.”

“

BLUE’S LAST CLUE

Childhood cartoon Blue’s Clues celebrated the show’s 25th anniversary with a heartwarming video from original host Steve Burns. This trending video already has over 20 million views and has caused a striking sense of nostalgia for millennials across the nation.

WE LOVE YOU The season two finale of the Netflix series “You” left fans wanting more, and as promised, Netflix has confirmed the return for season three in Oct. A released teaser video reveals that Joe and Love are not only married but are expecting a baby boy as well.

7

LOOKING TO THE FUTURE Senior James Click meets with the Director of College Guidance, Chris Gonzales, to review his plan for the college process. Throughout the fall, seniors are in and out of the college guidance office to prepare their applications. “I have enjoyed my experience with the college guidance department,” Click said. “I am in my counselor’s office at least once a week.” Photo

by Miles Wooldridge

12 Eagle Edition

Episcopal School of Dallas

arts

MIXED MEDIA

King of the strings Junior Henry Hamlin’s violin career is just beginning

By Easterly Yeaman Staff Writer

N

ervous thoughts race through junior Henry Hamlin’s mind as he steps up to perform a piece he’s been working on for the past three months. Often practicing three hours a day, Hamlin has dedicated most of his time to preparing for this one moment. After playing his favorite piece yet, the hard work pays off as he accomplishes his biggest feat so far in his violin career.

Hamlin has made many achievements playing the violin and always finds time to practice despite his busy life. Traditionally, violin is known in classical music, but Hamlin enjoys playing country with bands in the I PREFER PLAYING Dallas area.

Hamlin began MUSIC MOST PEOPLE playing the violin at CAN RELATE TO. SO I the age of four after LIKE DOING COUNTRY his parents put him in lessons, giving MORE ACTUALLY. him a starting CLASSICAL IS A LOT point to do what he wished with music.

LESS IMPROV THAN “My first PLAYING WITH OTHER memory of playing violin is playing a BANDS, AND IMPROV 1/16 size violin,” IS A LITTLE MORE FUN. Hamlin said.

“Nine inches Henry Hamlin total. I started Junior out by playing the exercise “pepperoni pizza” as a rhythm exercise. I’m very thankful for the opportunity my parents gave me at such a young age.”

Recalling his very first recital, Hamlin can’t remember much considering that he was so young at the time.

“I remember being really little and very nervous during my first recital,” Hamlin said. “I don’t remember much else.”

“

SHINING ON STAGE Henry Hamlin preforms with Logan Brothers Band on stage at the Empire Room in Dallas Design District on June 26.

“Playing with a band in front of an audience is very fun,” Hamlin said. Photo provided

by Henry Hamlin

Adrian Demian, the orchestra teacher at ESD, said he first met Henry through lower school strings.

“I started at ESD in 2014, a long time ago. He was in what, third, fourth grade, something like that,” Demian said. “We also have lower school strings, and he was one of the only ten string students at ESD.” Nowadays, Hamlin tries to find time between school, basketball and social life. He normally practices every day, sometimes practicing three to four hours a day when a performance is coming up. With more practice and experience, some violin players are able to keep playing even if they do mess up during a performance.

“I think that one big thing that distinguishes an experienced player from an inexperienced one is the ability to play as if you never messed up,” said Hamlin.

“The best players are able to act as if it was what they were supposed to do.”

When playing in front of an audience, the fear of making a mistake is always in the back of his mind, yet some spectators are not able to tell if he does mess up.

“The majority of audiences don’t know what is exactly correct to play,” Hamlin said. “I’ve had performances where I thought I played horrible but the audience didn’t notice. It really depends on the occasion.”

Hamlin also explains that the audience is much different when he plays country music with local bands though they vary from concert to concert.

“Playing with a band in front of an audience is very fun. Every audience is different,” Hamlin said. “Some are more engaged than others.”

When playing classical, it can take months to learn an advanced piece, but easier ones he is able to learn in minutes. Hamlin rarely memorizes his classical pieces, but

he does memorize fiddle breaks which he explains are similar to a solo.

“When I play country music rather than classical music they call the violin the fiddle,” Hamlin said. “You typically have instrumental breaks within a song as opposed to when people are singing -- kinda like a solo.”

Recently, Hamlin competed for the Texas Private School Music Educators Association, and he says it’s his biggest achievement so far. In the competition the highest score a musician can receive is a one.

“This year I did Meditation by the opera Thai’s. It was for TPSMEA, which is the Texas private school music educators association, the solo competition,” Hamlin said. “I got a one for regional and a two for state.”

Apart from playing classical pieces, Hamlin also plays country music with local bands, like the Logan Brothers band, and prefers it to playing classical.

“For me it’s really fun. Classical music’s cool and all, but I prefer playing music most people can relate to,” Hamlin said. “So I like doing [country] more, actually.

Classical is a lot less improv than playing with other bands, and improv is a little more fun.”

Demian explained that research shows students who play an instrument for at least two years typically have higher SAT and ACT scores.

“It’s instant feedback, and you know how you did. It’s something that otherwise students learn when they start driving, you know, that you cannot zone out for one instant,” Demian said.

“It’s the same when they play an instrument, so in other words, it teaches you how to focus and how to focus for longer and longer and longer periods of time.”

Playing an instrument is a hobby many stick with throughout their entire lives. Demian explains that he has met people who still

play in their 70s and 80s.

“If they can find a way to enjoy what they are doing then they are going to stick with it. Playing an instrument, you can do that and have a fun time all through your life,” Demian said. “I am part of a community orchestra in Irving, and there are people there who are in their seventies and eighties.”

Hamlin can easily continue taking lessons and playing with an orchestra into college and beyond.

In Demian’s experience, orchestra took him all around the world.

“He can continue taking lessons. Also, there are more and more colleges that, knowing the benefits of music, are starting or growing an orchestra program,” Demian said. “In my case, I got to see the world. I traveled as a member of touring groups going to Turkey, Spain, Switzerland, and Germany. Plus, the fact that Henry’s playing bluegrass, he can always be a member of a band.”

Demian mainly works on classical pieces with his students, including Hamlin though country music and improvisation includes a whole new aspect of violin.

“It takes a village to raise a child. He learns from his dad, and I think he plays in a band with his dad. Part of learning how to improvise is also understanding the chords and some music theory,” Demian said. “This year Henry is taking AP music theory with Mr. Snyder, so that’s further gonna help him inform his improvisation because he’ll get to learn about chords.”

Violin opens up multiple avenues for Hamlin. He enjoys playing both classical and country on the violin and plans to keep on playing into adulthood and throughout the rest of his life.

“It’s what I’m best at. It’s what I care about the most because it will get me farther than the other stuff I do for fun,” Hamlin said. “I definitely plan on keeping music as a lifetime hobby.”

September 24, 2021

Arts

13

meet

the

cri ics

A compilation of staff and community opinions of recent art and culture phenomena, highlighting a specific piece of media, events, films, wcollections, performances and music.

Shipwreck or smooth sailing

As season two of “Outer Banks” hits Netflix, the staff and community shares their opinions on the series return

N

ear-death experiences, fight scenes, characters coming “back to life” and plenty of moments of suspense: season two of Netflix’s hit series “Outer Banks” returned this summer for even more plot twists than expected, and is guaranteed to keep viewers on their seats. The series is based around four teens— John B, Pope, JJ and Kiara— living in a fictional town on the Outer Banks of North Carolina in pursuit of lost treasure and discovering what happened to John B’s father, who was presumed to be dead.

The ending of season one left viewers on a cliff hanger when characters Sarah Cameron and John B fled North Carolina because John B was being framed for murder by Sarah’s dad, Ward Cameron.

Although season two might have taken over a year to be released, all of the drama still spilled over into the season.

The beginning of season two begins with Sarah and John B in the Bahamas, the only place they were able to escape to after fleeing the Outer Banks. Sarah and John B begin scavenging for the gold after realizing that it has been transported to the Bahamas only to have to escape once again and ultimately return home to the Outer Banks. As the season continues, the group is faced with several problems including John B being arrested for murder, attempting to find an ancient cross, and being stuck on the Cameron’s ship in order to rescue Sarah and retrieve the cross. Although it seemed like it might be difficult for the writers to top season one of the series, season two provided even more drama than the first.

Similarly to season one, season two of the show ended on a cliff hanger as the group finds themselves stranded on a deserted island. “Outer Banks” season two provided adventurous plot-twists, death-defying tasks, and ultimately lots of anticipation for season three.

The new season of “Outer Banks” was very good. I watched the whole season in an entire day. My hopes for this season were very high since it took so long to come out and I did end up thinking it was very entertaining. My only negative feedback about season two was that it did start to get repetitive by the end of the season. People kept supposedly “dying” but then suddenly they were back to life a few episodes later.

It started to make the show get more and more confusing. Even though I didn’t really love that part, I still continued to watch the whole season. Both the opening episodes and ending episodes of the season were so climactic with the characters on the run.

I would give this season a seven out of ten rating and will definitely watch season three.

By Esme McGaughy Guest Writer

I was very excited for season two of “Outer The new season of Netflix’s series “Outer Banks” to come out because I of how much Banks” was much better than season I enjoyed the last season. I watched the one. Although season one did provide new season this summer while I had the plot twists and action-packed scenes, flu. The ending was very suspenseful in my season two gave viewers what no one was opinion when John B’s dad suddenly was expecting. Season two included tons of alive after pursued dead. That part was intense action scenes and the biggest plot very confusing to me. One part I especially twists that definitely shocked me. Overall, did not like in season two was how often season two kept me intrigued about what John B was almost killed off in this season, was going to happen to the characters or those parts made the season even more how they were going to get out of difficult intense. I also really did not enjoy Sarah situations. After watching season one, I did Cameron’s brother this season, Rafe. He not know how the writers would go about seemed to somehow make everything making season two just as interesting as so complicated. Overall, there was a lot the first, but they ended up exceeded the going on in season two. It had a lot more expectations I had. action than season one, especially with the Bahamas episodes where John B and Sarah By Keil Neuhoff were having to escape and the ending Guest Writer episode of the season. I am excited to see where the series goes in season three.

By Fia Collins Guest Writer

By Kara Dross Web Editor

Photo by Jackson Lee Davis/Netflix/TNS

14

Eagle Edition

Episcopal School of Dallas

J

unior Caroline Ragan puts on her field hockey uniform first, the key to getting in game mode. Next comes the ponytail, split into two braids. Left braid is done first, and always shorter than the right. Then, she picks out a navy headband to match her navy and white jersey. After the headband, Ragan watches “I Can, I Will, I Must,” by Eric Thomas, her favorite motivational video on youtube. A must do.

F

or years, womens and mens professional sports have been under a magnifying glass. News headlines, with their unflattering angles, have uncovered blatant inequalities on and off the field.

This debate has not only been prevalent in national news, but also in collegiate and scholastic news.

In recent years, this topic has become increasingly polarized in the community, with a stark divide between those who perceive inequalities between the gendered sports and those who do not. Many female athletes in the community hold the notion that there are inequalities between boys and girls teams, sparking frustration and a lack of motivation within the teams.

FACILITIES

Throughout the community, it is widely debated whether or not boys teams at the school are given better facilities over the girls teams. From a recent poll of 174 students, 50 percent of female athletes and students feel the boys sports at the school were given better facilities over the female sports teams. Five percent of male athletes and students feel that the girls teams receive better facilities than boys teams, and 30 percent have not noticed girls teams receiving better facilities.

“When I was in middle school, only the [boys] lacrosse lines were on the turf,” junior Caroline Ragan said. “As a womens lacrosse player, it was difficult to see an inequality in a sport that is supposed to be equal, especially at a school that I thought treated the female to male balance well.”

Director of Athletics, Dan Gill acknowledges little inequalities among the facilities, priding himself in making decisions unswayed by gender bias. With regards to adding additional field hockey lines, the decision was made to not add the lines based on the actions of other schools along with the view of the school’s personal needs.

“According to FieldTurf, at that time, no other schools in our area had ever installed more than five sport lines to a single turf competition field,” Dan Gill said. “We did however, add the requisite tick marks on the turf for field hockey, so that it could be easily lined and used as a venue for competition. We have also kept Founders Field as a dedicated space for their program in the fall season. As our campus physical plant has continued to evolve, the athletic department has felt very supported in our capital improvements efforts and will continue to work with our coaches to thoughtfully consider and work to address any facility needs that may develop through the appropriate process.”

percent of male athletes surveyed have felt unequally treated compared to female athletes

percent of students surveyed notice more support for boys teams than girls teams

Gill also said that they have also kept “Founders Field as a dedicated space for their program in the fall season. As our campus physical plant has continued to evolve, the athletic department has felt very supported in our capital improvements efforts and will continue to work with our coaches to thoughtfully consider and work to address any facility needs that may develop through the appropriate process.”

The issue of inequalities perceived among athletic facilities is not a seasonal topic. The debate continues into all sports seasons, plaguing the female athletes who feel they’re not being treated equally by the school.

“It’s really disheartening that the field hockey lines aren’t stitched onto the turf, since it’s where we have most of our practices and games,” sophomore field hockey player Ava Loftus said. “It sometimes feels like the school ignores field hockey.”

Gill, along with the rest of the athletic department, work with various coaches and community members to decide exactly what improvements should be made to facilities. He also said that none of our peer north zone schools within the SPC have access to a turf facility for field hockey or girls lacrosse and often rely on ESD’s hospitality to execute their postseason tournaments during inclement weather when applicable.

“The athletic department considers itself very fortunate to have the athletic spaces available to us and continued support from facilities to both annually maintain and upgrade,” Gill said.

The widespread frustration among female athletes makes no exception for softball players. Some softball players feel neglected, noticing the boys baseball team getting preferred treatment in multiple instances.

The facilities department, along with Gill, review the athletic spaces yearly to, according to them, ensure that there are no inequalities between sports teams. According to the department and Gill, the cages have been fully updated.

“In collaboration with our facilities department, we annually review all our athletic spaces to ensure that we are working towards the necessary capital improvement projects that best meet the needs of our coaches and studentathletes,” Gill said. “In 2018, we expanded the north parking lot in response to the addition of the lower school building. This resulted in the baseball batting cage being removed and thus expedited our need for replacement.”

The softball team will begin using the updated batting cages in the spring, or at the beginning of their season.

“Consistent with our original timeline for this capital improvement project, the softball batting cages were recently upgraded/updated this fall through the support of our facilities department,” Gill said. “ The scope of this project keeps us in compliance with our zoning regulations as well.”

Ragan, along with others on the varsity girls lacrosse team, noticed that last season their sport didn’t receive new uniforms and equipment while their male counterparts received new amenities.

“Last year, each player on the boys team received new helmets, gear, balls, whereas we received uniforms from the prior season and that was it,” Ragan said. “I do see an inequality in the funding, regardless of how much there supposedly is, or who it comes from.”

Sometimes, according to Gill, new uniforms and equipment are given to teams from private donors, which is the case with the boys new lacrosse uniforms from the 2021 season. Other new equipment, like lacrosse sticks and shoulder pads, is provided by the players themselves.

“At ESD, we require each boys lacrosse player to provide at their own expense [two to three] sticks, helmet, along with arm and shoulder pads,” Gill said. “In addition to those requirements, we also assess our families in a process developed between program director/team parent for other apparel items not provided within our operating budget. [For example,] team meals, team jackets, sweat suits, shooter shirts, etc. On average, these out of pocket expenses can range from $1,000-$2,000 per player depending on their previous playing experiences.”

But not everyone agrees that there is a disparity, some students believe that the facilities are distributed equally between girls and boys sports, giving each team the opportunity to perform equally.

“I think the fields are distributed equally,” Tyler Garcia * said. “During lacrosse season, the boys and the girls had to split the turf.”

And some students believe that indoor facilities offer equal resources for both girls and boys teams, leaving no room for disparities.

“The girls and the boys locker rooms are pretty equal,” Maverick Lee* said.

“I think they’re the same size and have the same amenities.”

Some athletes that play co-ed sports believe that treatment between the male and female athletes is fair.

“For tennis they are treated pretty equally,” senior tennis player Rider

percent of male athletes surveyed have not noticed girls teams receiving more accolades, better facilities, better equipment, etc

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percent of students are more likely to attend a boys sports game than a girls sports game

September 24, 2021

Centerspread

15

Sports equality discussion polarizes community

By Maddy Hammett, Copy Editor Charlotte Tomlin, Assistant Web Editor Elliot Lovitt, Staff writer

‘‘

aman said. “We switch off what courts we play on.”

The directors of each sport, along with Gill, split up the facilities equitably fore fall, spring and winter seasons.

“Prior to each season, we sit down with the program directors of teams at share multiple field or gym spaces,” Gill said. “There is a great deal of nsideration given to which team will use which space on a given day or week rass field vs turf field; main gym vs downstairs gym) based on many factors. e ultimate goal is to ensure that the student-athletes on these teams have ual opportunities to compete and train in the Fitness Center, Jones Stadium d the Competition Gymnasium.”

Girls varsity lacrosse coach Maggie Koch works with the boys varsity lacrosse ach Jay Sothoron before each season to decide field distribution between the rosse teams.

“Coach Sothoron and I meet prior to the season and go through the schedule d break it down day by day for Upper and Middle school,” Koch said. “We eck in regularly with one another and see if we need to make any changes sed on weather, rescheduled games, track meets, middle school games and so . Working with multiple teams’ schedules is challenging but it is very easy to rk with Coach Sothoron to figure out field usage.”

Funding for sports, according to Gill, remains nearly equal between boys and ls departments, although there remains a $3,000 disparity between the boys d girls budgets.

“Funding is equitable based upon the number of teams and student-athletes rticipating within a given sport,” Gill said. “There is some fluctuation annually pending on how many teams are offered within a given sport from grades ven to 12.”

According to Gill, girls sports (field hockey, volleyball, basketball, soccer, rosse, softball) receive $23,000 of funding every year. Boys sports (football, sketball, soccer, baseball, lacrosse) receive $26,000 of funding per year. Co-ed orts: wrestling, cheer, crew, cross country, golf, tennis, track & field, receive 4,000 of funding every year. The $3,000 disparity is due to the equipment quired for boys sports such as helmets and shoulder pads.

Despite perceived notions of inequality in equipment for boys and girls rosse, Koch affirms that the equipment is equitable for girls lacrosse.

“I cannot speak on how things are kept equal as that is not my job, I can, wever, speak specifically on my program and that is to say that all of our uipment needs are met,” Koch said.

Beyond the debate regarding the athletes, indisputably, the department of hletics has taken great strides in ensuring a diverse group of coaches make up e community.

“We are arguably the most diverse department on campus and have taken eat pride in moving our strategic diversity equity and inclusion initiatives ward,” Gill said. “Additionally, we specifically added a role for a female ength [and] conditioning coach in 2018 to best support the needs of our udent-athletes and have a female leading our athletic training staff as of 2020.”

TUDENT BODY ATTITUDE

Within the student body, strong opinions about whether or not inequalities e prevalent among the sports community divide students and administrators.

Some believe that the increased attendance at male sporting events is simply cause of southern culture and the cultivation of student body events centered ound the football team. On the other hand, some notice inequalities and see e attempts for equality as futile. And some don’t see any inequalities between e teams at all.

But regardless of the differing opinions surrounding the topic, it appears at there is a common denominator among the student body: everyone has opinion.Junior Hudson Blackburn* feels that Texas culture has cultivated an itude in the community that places a greater importance on male sports.

“People and parents are more into watching mens sports like football, pecially in Texas— that’s just the way it is,” Blackburn said. “It is obvious that ens sports are a little bigger of [a] deal than womens at ESD. I don’t think ere’s a problem, and if there is, it would be because more people like to watch ens sports. There’s nothing to be done. You can’t change someone’s opinion.”

Beyond the facilities, student support for different teams are also at the nter of the conversation. It appears to some that the student body favors ys sports over girls sports. In a poll of 174 students, 73 percent reported ing more likely to attend a boys sporting event over a girls sporting event. e disparity between the attendance at the boys sporting events and the girls orting events has taken an immense toll on some of the girls varsity lacrosse ayers.

“I would say we [as a team] will get discouraged when it comes to games,” gan said. “The attendance at games for mens lacrosse is high, but for womens

It is my hope that ESD becomes a community where at every sporting event, more people can go, and that they show up in great number.

Dr. Elizabeth Goatley, Director of Diversity and Inclusion

lacrosse, there may be five to 10 students attending. The only time we have ever had many spectators was at our district championships, where we had to highly advertise [our victory].”

This difference in attendance is noticeable to students outside of the girls varsity lacrosse team, as well. Sean Browne, a sophomore boys varsity lacrosse player, acknowledged the stark difference in attendance.

“When we had a playoff game, everyone was there,” Browne said. “But at the girls’ playoff game, no one showed up.”

The unequal mindset held by many in the student body is not only apparent to spectators and administrators, but rather dishearteningly, it has become apparent to female athletes in the community. Female athletes struggle with this notion, leading to a loss of motivation.

“I would say the issue is within the student body’s mindset,” Ragan said.

“There is nothing more I can say to advocate for women’s sports since it is already a fixed mindset. No matter what any of us do, there will always be a different outlook on womens sports than mens at ESD. It is difficult to live with the fact that our sports are overlooked by mens. I’m not sure it will ever change but the best we can do is try.”

And when it comes to parental support, there is a perceived difference as well. Within the community, parents and students have taken it upon themselves to make merchandise for boys sports events, failing to bolster the same energy for the girls sports teams. Last Spring, parents took the initiative to order ‘Beat Jesuit’ T-shirts that were given to each student in the upper school free of charge, in an attempt to gain more attendance at the boys lacrosse team. T-shirts have not been made and distributed for a girls sporting event in the past three years.

“The student body definitely has a priority on boys lacrosse,’’ Ragan said.

“This is easily seen in the “Beat Jesuit” shirts from last year. The guys made a shirt for a regular season game and everyone attended whereas our team had a game the same day for district semifinals and I think 15 students came out. It was difficult to see firsthand the priorities of the student body since our game was just as big and not many people cared to come see.”

The attendance at the baseball and softball games parallels the attendance seen at the girls and boys lacrosse games. The lack of attendance has elicited the same feelings of discouragement among the softball players.

“It’s a lot of parents [in the stands],” senior Nia Bethea said. “Sometimes the baseball team will come over and watch for a little bit and support us. But it’s a lot of parents and people’s family members.”

It is well known among the community that girls sports games have lower student body attendance. This appears to be the crux of female athletes’ frustration.

“Yesterday was my first time going to a field hockey game,” Director of Diversity and Inclusion Dr. Elizabeth Goatley said. “I was in the stands and it looked very different from when I attend Friday night football games. And so I can recognize how for student athletes, if you are expecting the same amount of cheer and recognition and accolades from your school community as any other specifically male identifying sport is, it can look different”

PAST HISTORY

Ten years ago, this subject was equally as prevalent in the community.

However, the divide did not stop at gender as there was a clear separation between the “popular” and “unpopular” sports.

“I think there was some disparity between treatment of the mens and womens sports, but I also think there was a huge difference in how sports were treated based off their popularity,” alumna Shelby Conine ‘14, three sport athlete and manager of the baseball team during her time at ESD, said. “For example, both the boys and girls soccer teams weren’t treated as well as the basketball team because that was the more popular sport.”

During her time at ESD, when the athletic department was not overseen by Gill, Conine also recognized the differences in game scheduling for boys and girls soccer.

“The girls soccer games were usually midweek games and had the 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. time slot,” Conine said. “The boys more frequently had Friday night home games.”

We were unable to confirm the validity of Conine’s statements prior to print.

But according to the athletic department, the school does not schedule most games, rather, the games are scheduled by the Southern Preparatory Conference. The school however does have more liberties when scheduling nonconference games.

“All conference game dates are scheduled by the SPC,” Gill said .“ Nonconference game dates are scheduled by each program director/head coach in collaboration with the athletic department. We do not prohibit the scheduling of non-conference games on any specific days except Sunday or unless it presents a conflict with another on-campus event. The program directors/head coach of each sport that plays on the turf have equal opportunities to schedule Friday night games if desired.”

While some perceive differences in boys and girls teams, others attribute perceptions to outside factors.

“I recognize that sometimes for our students, it may feel like things are inequitable, but the processes are the same,” Goatley said. “Sometimes what that looks like is that because we are a little microcosm of the greater society, some of the same issues that happen in greater society, on a national scale can feel the same inside our community. But it doesn’t necessarily mean that we’re living under the same type of policy issues.” *these students’ names have been changed at their request.

percent of female athletes surveyed have felt unequally treated compared to male athletes

percent of students surveyed attended more boys lacrosse games than girls lacrosse games

16 Eagle Edition

Episcopal School of Dallas

While many bakeries in Dallas offer a variety of sweet treats and cookies, Life Editor Grace Worsham set off to find the chocolate chip cookie that tops all the rest.

A classic bakery, JD’s Chippery has been serving cookies in the Park Cities area since 1983. The bakery sells a variety of classic non-iced cookies and an assortment of muffins. Although they sell many ordinary flavors, they have a more original variety of chocolate chip cookies than the other bakeries. To accompany the classic milk chocolate chip cookie is semi-sweet chocolate chip, semi-sweet chocolate chip with nuts and peanut butter milk chocolate. Even though all chocolate cookies sound great, the milk chocolate was chosen to truly tell if this old bakery’s classic is the best. When I arrived, the bakery was sold out of both the milk chocolate and semi-sweet chocolate chip cookies, but allowed me to take a fresh milk chocolate chip cookie that was three minutes from coming out of the oven. The cookie itself is quite small and thin but has a nice brown color on the outside. The cookie does taste very similar to the Cookie Rack, but the chocolate chips are larger and provide more of a combined flavor.

It could use a pinch more of salt but is great overall for a price of just $1.10.

Originating in Fort Worth, this bakery has now replaced what used to be Paciugo Gelato in Inwood Village. J-raes takes on much more than cookies, including ready to sell cheesecakes, cupcakes and cake balls. Their most popular cookies are inch-thick, almond, sugar cookies coated with royal icing in fun shapes and designs, such as fidget spinners and dinosaurs. They do sell a variety of cookies, though, including the classic chocolate chip. This cookie sells for $2.50 and is around the same size and thickness of a Crumbl chocolate chip cookie. It has a nice toasted brown color on the outside and, from first looks, seemed to be the most delicious. The taste of the cookie is a little too sweet with an overwhelming taste of brown sugar and could definitely use some more salt. The semisweet chocolate chips are a good size and are well dispersed throughout the cookie. The dough itself tastes very similar to the JD’s Chippery cookie, but the more bitter chocolate creates a slight contrast.

Overall, I think the cookie is pretty good, and is a great size for the price.

Cookie rack is a small chain of bakeries that has recently opened a new third store on Lovers Lane. This small-owned bakery challenges the large iced Crumbl cookies with their array of cookies including cookie dough, lemon poppyseed and the seasonal cookie of the month: orange cream. The bakery offers twotiered cookie cakes shaped in numbers for birthday celebrations and cookie decorating lessons as well.

Although they have titled their classic chocolate chip cookie as “naked” among the iced, they claim that “this one is not your basic batch.” At first glance, this cookie is much thinner than the rest, but just as wide as the Crumbl cookie. An immediate difference between this cookie and the rest is the size of the chocolate chips. Cookie Rack uses mini chocolate chips, but they use a generous amount of them that are spread throughout. The taste of the dough itself is one of the best, with an equal balance of sweet and salty. The size of the chips don’t overpower the taste of the cookie. Regarding price, this cookie is almost as much as Crumbl’s: $3.75. Cookie Rack chocolate chip cookie’s appearance is underwhelming, but the taste is great. I would recommend this to any chocolate chip cookie lover.

Tiff’s Treats bakery has two locations in Dallas: Hillcrest Road and Ross Avenue, but has grown to 68 shops nationwide. Tiff’s has the classics, but has also expanded to brownies, cookie truffles and even ice cream. The bakery has also creates a variety of original desserts including tiffblitz (vanilla ice cream with homemade chocolate chip cookies, brownie bites and crumbled sugar cookies), tiffwich (customizable cookie sandwiches) and frost em’s (chocolate, vanilla or strawberry frosting in between two warm cookies).

Altogether, the bakery has a variety of great sounding treats, an alternating cookie of the week and a variety of chocolate cookies. The cookie itself is the thinnest and smallest of all the cookies reviewed, with a light brown color. It is soft and tastes sweet at first, but has a hint of saltiness that stops the sugar from overpowering. The chocolate chips are small, but pair well with the small cookie size. With a price of just $1.25, this cookie is definitely worth it. The staff also asks if you want the cookie warmed when you buy it, which makes the cookie even softer and more delicious.

Crumbl bakery has exploded across the Internet as these famous pink packaged cookies are now located in more than 200 stores across the country. The bakery is known for their unique and exotic weekly flavors such as pina colada, cinnamon pretzel, cornbread, brownie sundae and more. Although these seem like great cookies, or according to Crumbl “the world’s best cookies,” how does their classic chocolate chip compare to the rest? The cookie itself takes first place for the most expensive cookie, totaling to $3.98, but it is also fair to say that it is the largest and thickest cookie of the five reviewed. At first glance, it looks a little pale, without the crisp look of a classic chocolate chip cookie. The cookie is served warm, which creates a gooey center with melted milk chocolate spread throughout. It has a soft texture and even though the dough itself is sweet, the cookie has hints of saltiness. The downside to this monster of a cookie are the chocolate chips. These milk chips are large and often overpower the whole cookie with one bite. It would have a more appealing taste if the chips were semisweet instead. Crumbl would not be my first recommendation for a plain chocolate chip cookie, but their fun weekly variety of flavors is definitely worth a try. Nevertheless, this cookie is good, and I would recommend it to anyone who loves milk chocolate.

Photo by Grace Worsham, Life Editor Graphic by Emily Lichty, Editor-in-Chief

September 24, 2021

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The opinions expressed in this section of the Eagle Edition do not necessarily reflect the views of the newspaper staff, school, adviser, faculty or staff

STAFF STANCE

The staff stance reflects the opinion of the Eagle Edition staff and it does not reflect the opinion of the school, newspaper adviser, faculty or staff.*

Teachers should be able to do what they do best: Teach.

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ased on ESD’s founding tenets, ESD students are given a wellrounded education, covering the various perspectives of history, literature, science, art, math and religion in order to cultivate an educated conscience that recognizes the dignity and worth of every individual. The history curriculum taught at our school provides us with in-depth history education, something the Eagle Edition staff wishes to see represented in all Texas schools.

The Eagle Edition believes that politicians should not be able to silence the true history and thus present situation of black and brown Americans.

The school should continue to promote diversity and equity, whether it’s through our curriculum or when training our teachers. We believe that all schools, public or private, have the duty of teaching honest history to their students.

Students should be given the opportunity to study and inquire about current issues in the classroom when being taught about culturally relevant topics.

Racism does not have to define our futures if we learn how to tackle it in our institutions.

In June, despite objections from educators and civic groups, Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill aiming to regulate topics of systemic racism and its current effects in K-12

public school classrooms, which went into effect Sept. 1. Now, public school teachers walk on eggshells due to a lack of clear instruction on what they cannot teach. The Eagle Edition believes that students should be told the truth about structural racism and other forms of oppression in the United States.

According to the bill, teachers cannot teach that “slavery and racism are anything other than deviations from, betrayals of or failures to live up to, the authentic founding principles of the United States.” Given the genocide of Native Americans and the enslavement of Africans by many of the country’s founding fathers, the U.S. originated from racism. Teachers cannot teach our country’s history without touching on such topics. Therefore, this bill is making it illegal to be frank to public school students, 73 percent of whom are children of color, according to a Texas Tribune survey. According to a Sept. 10 poll of 174 upper school students, 15 percent support Abbott’s decision to sign the bill.

Under the law, teachers can’t be “compelled to discuss a particular current event or widely debated and currently controversial issue of public policy or social affairs,” according to Talia Richman and Emily Donaldson for the Dallas Morning News, and connect it to class topics.

Social studies educators are not allowed to teach that a

person is inherently racist, sexist or oppressive, either consciously or unconsciously.

School districts can’t require any training that presents race or sex stereotyping or blame.

They also cannot require students to learn about the Klu Klux Klan and that the group’s white supremacy is “morally wrong.” The 1619 Project -The New York Times’s Pulitzer Prize-winning work reframing American history around slavery and the contributions of black people -- is explicitly called out in the legislation.

Many conservative pundits have misinterpreted racial equity work done by professors, like the 1619 Project. According to many Texas educators, including Equity Education Consultant Salandra Grice, the approaches that teachers take when teaching race are much different than how rightwing politicians characterize it. Anti-racist teaching efforts affirm and empower students to make sense of their identity, communities and society.

Schools are pledging to tackle disparities among children of color when it comes to academic achievement, discipline and other issues, far from incurring guilt in white students or establishing racial superiority.

The new vague requirements in the legislation have confused teachers and led them to fear for their jobs when discussing any current event

in class. At least four school administrators in Southlake left amid backlash for leading inclusion and diversity efforts.

James Whitfield, the first black principal of Colleyville Heritage High School, chose to speak out after the death of George Floyd, but was suspended after being accused of having “extreme views on race.” Individual teachers are receiving vicious attacks for simply teaching the truth about American history and current events.

The reality is that racism is still present in our country.

Progress for underrepresented groups is encouraged only to the extent that benefits the status quo, and concepts such as color-blindness and meritocracy are myths that need to be resisted. Students are questioning why their schools and neighborhoods are so segregated, why police brutality is a commonplace, why it is so hard to vote and why more people of color are dying from Covid-19. Students are already talking about current issues outside of the classroom and trust their educators to speak about them, but the new legislation could remove productive debate and conversation about such issues. Schools should be safe spaces where students are able to talk about difficult topics and make sense of the pastworking toward igniting lives of purpose.

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THE SCHOOL SHOULD CONTINUE TO PROMOTE DIVERSITY AND EQUITY WHETHER IT’S THROUGH OUR CURRICULUM OR WHEN TRAINING OUR TEACHERS .

*Approximately 80% of Eagle Edition staff members stand behind this staff stance

Photoi by Emily Lichty Editor-in- Chief

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Episcopal School of Dallas

Eagle Edition

Reading the classics benefits everyone Maddy Hammett Copy Editor

M

ost people have the same reaction when hearing the mention of classical literature. For many, the topic elicits an eye roll, or some type of disgruntled complaint, maybe even a repulsed glare. While these reactions are warranted by some means; I think the classics have been given a bad rap.

I have noticed in our community, and more specifically in the readers I know, that many reproach the idea of classical literature because of the immense challenge they pose. Classics are defined by Merriam-Webster as being the literature of any language in a period notable for the excellence and enduring quality of its writers’ works. Classics are typically not easy to read. This ALTHOUGH THEY MAY is something well INITIALLY PRESENT known and is the THE READER WITH biggest reason why so many stray GREAT STRIFE, IT from the genre as IS INCREDIBLY a whole. I have found that the WORTHWHILE TO people who are the POWER THROUGH most dissuaded are, ironically, THESE DIFFICULT people of very BOOKS. high intelligence.

For instance, a poll of 142 upper Maddy Hammett school students Copy Editor sent on Sept. 10 reports 49 percent of students prefer contemporary literature while only 17 percent prefer reading the classics. For many of these students who pride themselves on their intelligence, they find it difficult to challenge themselves with a classic out of fear of feeling insufficient.

Although they may initially present the reader with great strife, it is incredibly worthwhile to power through these difficult books. Take Jane Austen’s work, for example. Austen is revered as one of the best authors in all of classic literature. Her most famous novels Sense and Sensibility and Pride and Prejudice hold ubiquitous familiarity among

“

readers. Austen is a staple classic author, having produced many novels with unmatched prose.

A study conducted in 2011 at Michigan State University reports that reading classical work, in particular Jane Austen, can be incredibly beneficial for the brain.

Natalie Phillips, Michigan State University professor of English, placed participants in an MRI machine and monitored their brain flow while participants read the works of Austen. Phillips found that the blood flow in the participants’ brains while they read, increased in more areas than when the reader participated in more casual reading. The MRI scans show increased blood flow in areas of the brain that typically activate while doing particularly intense reading, studying and solving complex problems.

“This research suggests that core skills in the liberal arts have immense cognitive complexity,” Phillips said to MSU’s publication, MSU Today. “It’s not only the books we read but also the act of thinking rigorously about them that’s of value, exercising the brain in critical ways.”

Beyond being an incredible exercise for your brain, the classics provide the reader with a maximized vocabulary, strengthened emotional intelligence and social perception, and my personal favorite, give the reader the ability to understand obscure literary references. John Johnson, professor of psychology at Penn state, discovered that this kind of literature may also improve personal ethics. Concentrating on 19th-century British novels, John Johnson believes that the readers who were engrossed in the books were able to apply their reading of ethically good and bad qualities of a person to real life, naturally increasing ethical behavior.

“We were not surprised to find that the protagonists evoked feelings of fondness and admiration while protagonists aroused feelings of anger and contempt,” Johnson said in “Hierarchy in the Library: Egalitarian Dynamics in Victorian Novels” article appearing in the December issue of Evolutionary Psychology. “We believe that the purpose of this kind of literature is to activate emotions that

THE MARKUP WITH MADDY encourage people to engage in ethical behavior in real life.”

A common argument made by critics of the classics is that the classics are written disproportionately by wealthy white men from centuries ago. While this is unfortunately true for some of the classics, there are many exceptions to this rule in which the readers can gain greater cultural sensitivity and awareness. In recent years, classics have been redefined. Books from all corners of the world from a range of time periods have been inducted into the classic genre, improving upon the significance of reading these said classics. Things Fall Apart by Nigerian author Chinua Achebe, One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabríel Garcia Márquez, and Another Country by James Baldwin to name a few, are all books that have been inducted into the classics realm. These books all encompass the intricacies of race, sexual orientation, and culture while simultaneously displaying high-quality prose.

“Reading classics can allow you to understand the complexity of the past,” stated an article from Patrick Henry College of Liberal Arts. “We can never understand our own age if we do not understand the mentalities, the experiences, the wisdom, and the folly of previous

ages. To understand the horrors of Nazism, read ‘Anne Frank’s Diary of a Young Girl.’ To understand the evils of American slavery, read Frederick Douglass’ gripping autobiography. To understand the spell of communism that resulted in the Cold War, start with Marx’s ‘Communist Manifesto.’”

In my personal life, I have benefited indefinitely from reading the classics. Austen has improved my vocabulary. Harper Lee has helped me to better understand the brutality of segregation in the south. Camus and Dostoevsky have both challenged my understanding of ethics. Gabriel García Márquez has changed my perception of Spanish culture.

Baldwin offers insight into the intricacies of racial and class distinctions. Orwell has affected my understanding of society and how we govern. The works and life stories of Jean Rhys, Simon de Beauvoir, Sylvia Plath, Virginia Woolf and Margret Atwood have all helped me to better understand the difficulties of having been a woman before my time, and the parallels of sexism in the contemporary world. All of these authors and all of their works have struck a chord deep within me and have done so with efficacious talent.

Evacuation from Afghanistan was flawed Miles Wooldridge Staff writer

W

hile reasonable people can disagree on the legitimacy of America’s presence in Afghanistan, it is the majority position that the evacuation was a massive failure. But what went wrong? Was this inevitable? Why does America keep making the same mistakes? What is our actual job on the international stage?

The “America first” populist view is that we have ourselves to blame. Bumper-sticker slogans about ending “forever wars” and “bringing the troops home” have become a rallying cry for many on the political left and right.

However, bumper-sticker slogans have a tendency of leaving out greater truths.

In foreign affairs, the simple solution is not always the best one, so I have taken the liberty of identifying a few of the biggest, most common mistakes that politicians make in dealing with our allies and enemies.

The first major problem is a universal theme of politics, which is that the incentive structure is wrong. A politician’s job is to tell the people what they want to hear, and “we’re going to end a war” is an easy message to give. Public relations is more important than solving problems, so President Obama, President Trump and President Biden all fell for the easy campaign promise strategy and won a couple votes. None of them ended a war.

This is a hard truth to come to terms with. Politicians oversimplify the self-diagnosed problems and solutions of America to make every policy seem like the best policy they have ever supported, and no one bothers explaining the trade-offs involved in pulling troops out of Afghanistan. Billions of dollars in military assets were left to the Taliban according to the Government Accountability Office. Now without an air base in Afghanistan, troops going anywhere in the Taliban-occupied geographical region would need to fly in from the United Arab Emirates or Qatar, hours away. Our troops may be gone, but hundreds of American civilians and tens of thousands of our Afghan allies are still stranded.

With zero casualties in the last 18 months, our country decided that now was the time to arbitrarily pull

everyone out which, ironically, led to American casualties. Basic civil liberties of Afghanis, especially of women, homosexuals and religious minorities, have been rapidly stripped away. The Taliban still wants death to America and yet, NPR, USA Today, the New York Times, The Washington Post and countless other news sites published headlines that the war is over.

Unfortunately, ignoring a war does not make it go away. Wishful thinking is blindness to the reality of what is actually happening abroad, and what is happening abroad is our fault.

The next problem is one of perspective. On Sept. 10, 2001, the general consensus in America was that we were in a time of peace.

If you asked Al-Qaeda, they would say we had already been at war for years by that point.

Because Americans live in such a protected environment, we assume the best of our enemies. We expect them to participate in war our way, to negotiate our way and to respect the basic elements of justice that we have decided are the standard. This naivete softens us to a point that we are constantly shocked by our rivals. Whenever large companies are hacked by Russian nationals, when we must face the guerrilla warfare tactics of the Vietcong and when two planes run into the

twin towers, we don’t know how to react. We don’t often fight wars where the other side has rules of engagement.

This is why making concessions almost never works. When we make deals on the assumption that our enemies want peace and have our best interests in mind, we will be taken advantage of.

In 2015, in an attempt to reach a friendly and stable relationship with the Iranian government, President Obama signed one of the worst deals in history. The Joint Comprehensive Plan of Action forbade the regulation of nuclear testing in Iranian military facilities by the international community. It also gave the Iranian government access to $150 billion in frozen federal assets to be used in welfare programs for the impoverished citizens of Iran. Ayatollah Khamenei immediately used the money to fund terrorist organizations like Hezbollah and Hamas, pocketing what was left.

The phrase “we will not negotiate with terrorists” may be cliched, but it needs to be rediscovered as an American principle.

The final problem we’ve been unable to solve is perhaps the hardest to give a direct answer to. The fundamental question of foreign policy is deciding the

role of America in the world around us. America is a country of innumerable flaws, but I can undoubtedly state that it is the best country. We have the most just, most free, highest functioning governing system ever devised. And while we should not feel obligated to right every wrong in the world, the obligation to our allies should be placed in the utmost importance.

Our country has not made that clear. Our habitual retreat from wars we get bored of has left many of our most valuable friends, be they Afghani resistance fighters or translators, extremely vulnerable.

With a track record like ours, I can’t see how anyone would help us in the future.

The last few weeks have been an embarrassment. I would like to say that this was a shock, but the strong leadership of our state department led to what President Biden called “unparalleled results.”

In reality, this was all predictable.

Numerous reports published by our own government, including one by the Director of National Intelligence, acknowledged the high probability that this exact scenario would play out. Because we ignored this and the lessons of the past, we made the American government look stupid and weak, and while we aren’t weak, we just might be stupid.

September 24, 2021

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con

Should Texans need a license to carry a handgun?

Graphic by Kara Dross Web Editor

Miles Wooldridge Staff writer

Pro: No

This June, Texas became the most pro-gun state in the union, which is a very good thing. Gov. Greg Abbott signed seven bills expanding and protecting gun rights. The most important changes include the official recognition of Texas as a “Second Amendment Sanctuary (HB 2622),” the abandonment of many holster restrictions (SB 550) and a bill allowing for constitutional carry (HB 1927).

The image that comes to the mind of an opponent of these bills is a crazed hick brandishing a massive hand-gun for no other purpose than to generally disturb the peace. The assumption is that shootings will skyrocket after legislation like this. While the fight to curb homicide rates through gun restrictions is a noble one, these ideas are all based on a misunderstanding of what leads to gun homicides and what prevents them.

Most gun homicides take place in urban, low-income areas, despite urban environments being the most heavily regulated. Cities like Chicago and Baltimore are in the top 10 cities for gun deaths per capita, according to the FBI, but they also enforce some of the most restrictive gun laws in the country. Texas, a state with about double the registered guns (725,000) of the second highest gun-owning state (Florida), has no cities that make either list. On the national level, the FBI also reported 10,258 guns used in homicides in 2019, and the National Shooting Sports Foundation reports there are about 434 million guns legally owned in the U.S.. This means that about 0.002 percent of American guns are actually used in shootings. The idea that the owners of over 99.997 percent of guns are being punished for the actions of a few people is devoid of logic.

Furthermore, focusing on open carrying restrictions is a misguided way to address gun violence because open carriers are not the problem. Criminals, or people with intent to commit a crime, are far more likely to carry a concealed weapon, but convicted criminals are already prohibited from carrying at all. Adding more laws does not tend to discourage someone who is already planning on breaking laws. In other words, no one has ever opted out of shooting up a public place because he realized that brandishing his gun might make people uncomfortable. The only people that are harmed by restrictions are law-abiding citizens who are no longer allowed to defend themselves. Obtaining a license for open carrying is still an option in the state of Texas, just not required, and you still must be 21 years old to own or carry a firearm at all. It is also important to keep in mind that anyone who chooses to carry is still subject to the rules of any private property, so the vast majority of social environments will remain gun-free.

If concerned about gun violence in Texas, review the numbers and recognize that mass shootings are a statistical abnormality of which constitutional carry laws aren’t the cause. I also recommend learning how to operate guns safely whether or not you plan to ever own one.

In the Lone Star State, the right to keep and bear arms isn’t going anywhere.

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percent think Texans should be able to carry without a license

Kara Dross Web Editor

Con: Yes

You are browsing the aisles of a grocery store, doing your weekly grocery shopping, when all of the sudden you find yourself noticing someone in the aisle is carrying a gun on their side out in the open. This is not a hypothetical situation.

Since Sept. 1, Texans can carry handguns without a license or training. This legislation was signed into law on June 17 by Gov. Greg Abbott. House Bill 1927 eliminates the requirement for Texans to hold a license to carry handguns if they are 21 or older and are not already prohibited by state or federal law to possess a handgun. Abbot’s signature sealed what many refer to as the “constitutional carry” for Texans. Under this law, Texans can carry a handgun either concealed or carried openly in a holster.

Under the previous gun law, Texans were required to pass a safety course, submit fingerprints, complete six hours of training, a shooting proficiency test and background check to get a license to carry. According to a Sept. 20 poll of 169 students, 77 percent believe permits/licenses should be required for Texans in order to open carry a handgun. Now, the new permitless carry law strips those requirements. As of now, 15 states require a permit to carry a handgun and five states prohibit people from openly carrying handguns in public in the United States. With Texas no longer requiring permits to carry, it will join the 30 other states in the United States who allow permitless carry. According to an April 2021 University of Texas/Texas Tribune poll, 59 percent of people said adults should not be allowed to carry handguns in public without licenses or permits. Despite common arguments claiming open carrying will provide safety for those who do carry, it also endangers the safety of those who do not open carry. Seeing someone armed in a public place can possibly jeopardize those around, and also creates a feeling of uncertainty and unease for the people surrounding.

Although the law restricts criminals and those already prohibited by the state, that doesn’t decrease the possibility of reckless use among those who are eligible to carry.

Although 30 other states allow permitless carry, this new law in Texas makes it easier to carry firearms despite repeated instances of gun violence. In the last 10 years, Texas has had seven mass shootings. On Nov. 5, 2017 a 26-year-old gunman opened fire at the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs during Sunday morning services, killing 26 people and wounding 20 others. On Aug. 3, 2019, a 21-year-old gunman open fired at a Walmart in El Paso killing 23 people and injuring 25. Although some may argue carrying a gun can provide protection against instances like these, the bigger issue is that people will still be able to buy guns and now carry them around in public places without permits. Allowing permitless carry after repeated instances of gun violence in Texas will cause more violence and loss or life than it will safety and protection.

78

percent think Texans shouldn’t be able to carry without a license Source: Sept. 20 poll of 174 upper school students

Let’s welcome concerts back, with safety Satori Griffith Photo Editor

F

or a year and a half during the pandemic, concerts seemed to be one of the most dangerous settings.

Now, concerts are making a comeback, and thousands of people are buying tickets. Artists such as Pitbull, Harry Styles and Luke Bryan have come to Dallas on national and worldwide tours, bringing thousands of people out of their houses and into large social situations.

However, the reopening of these concerts does not mean the end of Covid-19, and it leads me to wonder why people are willing to take the risk of contracting the virus to go to a concert.

With the rise of Delta variant cases, the

chances of contracting the virus are much higher, even with more people getting vaccinated. The CDC said that “even if you are fully vaccinated, if you live in an area with substantial or high transmission of Covid-19, you – as well as your family and community – will be better protected if you wear a mask when you are indoors or in public places.”

Many students have to consider the possibility of contracting the virus and not being able to go to school. Senior Kathryn Sullivan had to decide whether or not she was willing to take the chance.

“I was looking forward to going to the Pitbull concert for weeks,” Sullivan said.

“But, with the new variant and more people getting it, I decided that it wasn’t worth the risk of having to stay home from school.”

But senior Major Parsons decided the opposite. “I knew the risks, but I don’t want to be scared of having fun,” Parsons said. “I think it is okay to go out in public places as long as you are careful.”

Concerts give people an opportunity to come together and enjoy live music. After being unable to enjoy anything like that for a year and a half, people realized they couldn’t take it for granted. It is important to be mindful of the risks that accompany going to a concert, but it is also important to allow things to start returning to normal.

20 Eagle Edition

letter

Episcopal School of Dallas

the

from

I

f you enter the wrestling room, you will no longer find a makeshift journalism lab. The folding tables, computers and countless electrical wires are gone.

The newspaper page drafts from our final issue are no longer taped on the wall, and there are no longer stacks of old issues in the middle of the room. We’ve moved.

Our new journalism lab, a shared space for all three school publications (the Eagle Edition, Carillon and Itinerary), is right in the center of the school community. It is a perfect combination of our past two rooms; it is spacious like the wrestling room but filled with the cozy personality of the old journalism lab.

We are nestled at the end of senior hall, in the midst of many other high WHILE THERE ARE school classes. Our MANY NEW AND view of the quarry is one of the best EXCITING CHANGES on campus.

AHEAD, WHAT WE While we will LOVE ABOUT BEING definitely miss listening to the ON THE EAGLE music coming EDITION REMAINS from the dance room next door LARGELY THE SAME. and being only THERE ARE MANY one flight of stairs away from the WORK NIGHTS AND Eagles Nest, we DISTRIBUTION DAYS are undoubtedly excited to return AHEAD OF US. THERE last year’s ARE CHALLENGING temporary home BUT MEANINGFUL, back to the wrestling team.

INTERVIEWS This new home AND COMMUNITY doesn’t only make us more CONVERSATIONS. accessible to the school community (drop by to see us anytime, we are in room 136): It also represents a fresh start.

This first issue of the Eagle Edition is like most first issues of the year in that it represents a blank slate. For the two of us, this means beginning our roles as editors-in-chief, something the two of us have looked forward to for most of high school. For our staff and editors, this means new responsibilities and new goals.

All of us have new perspectives from summer opportunities,

“

Photo by Sloane Hope including our all-staff summer journalism workshop. Emily spent her summer as a mentee at the Dallas Morning News, learning alongside other student journalists at the Northwestern Medill Cherubs online workshop and designing a website for a local non-profit. Gina spent her summer with both Preston Hollow Life Magazine and ON Magazine as a contributing writer. She also had the opportunity to study with the School of the New York Times in an online creative writing course taught by published authors.

While we have a new environment and new perspectives, this year feels like a fresh start in a different way than normal. The past two years have tested our community, and, thus, our jobs as journalists. We have covered, and experienced, a global pandemic, divisive election, major snowstorm and a civil rights movement. We have taken a glimpse at how difficult, but rewarding, our job can become.

After a summer of reflection on the past year, we are ready for a new beginning. We are ready to jump headfirst back into our jobs as student journalists.

While there are many new and exciting changes ahead, what we love about being on the Eagle Edition remains largely the same. There are many work nights and distribution days ahead of us. There are challenging, but meaningful, interviews and community conversations. There are exciting reviews, thoughtful personal columns and informative news stories. There is a team of dedicated student journalists that resembles a family, and a school community that is willing to support them and give them room to grow.

It might seem like there is lots of time ahead of us. However, if saying goodbye to last year’s seniors has taught us anything, it is that time on the Eagle Edition goes by fast. When the two of us joined Journalism I class as

nervous freshmen three years ago, neither one of us could have anticipated how much our passion for journalism would grow and how much we would learn.

Becoming EICs together was something we dreamed of since the beginning.

Our partnership is something that we have been looking forward to for a long time. We worked together this summer to build a newspaper that equally displayed both of our personalities and styles. Our goal was to craft a design that was elegant, uniform and professional. A design that would not only highlight the fantastic articles and design created by our staff but also give the paper a distinct look.

Both our new design and our new room are just the beginning.

Our goal as EICs this year is to take the time we do have to share our passion for journalism with our staff so we can continue to pass it down to our readers, just as the EICs before us have done.

Hello upper school and welcome to the Student Council Corner, My name is Kai Robinson, and I am serving as your Student Council President this year! I have been on Student Council for the past two years and have served as a StuCo Class Representative as well as Class President. I really enjoyed my time in those two positions which is what led me to run for Student Body President.

Besides StuCo, I am also involved in other organizations on campus such as Vestry, Ambassadors and Mu Alpha Theta! You can also see me running for Cross Country or playing catch on the baseball field.

I am so excited to see the community come together this year as we rebuild after the pandemic and a crazy school year. My goal as Student Body President this year is to make sure that we are able to ignite our school spirit and create an even more welcoming place for everyone. I have already seen our school spirit making its return at our first pep-rally, football game and town hall. I know that there are so many more fun moments

and events to come, and I cannot wait to see how it all unfolds.

Last year was not at all what anyone expected. StuCo was not able to do events that we have done in the past and it was difficult to come up with new ideas. The council last year persevered and came up with ways to still engage the community with online activities despite the pandemic. StuCo is ready, and we hope you all are too, to get back into the swing of things and start this fall off with some fun! StuCo’s goal for this year is to bring back events from the pre-pandemic era and get everyone excited to be an Eagle.

So what is upper school Student Council working on right now? StuCo is currently working tirelessly to plan Homecoming week and the Homecoming dance.

Not being able to have a dance last year definitely was a kick to the stomach. Homecoming is one of the most important events when it comes to school spirit so without it, the community lacked a time to come together.

That is why our goal this year, as a council, is to make this the

best Homecoming week and dance of your high school career.

Be on the lookout for more information to come about the theme, T-shirt design and ticket sales. Looking beyond, once all of the Homecoming festivities have passed, Student Council will focus its efforts on the Noshember fundraiser as well as the traditional holiday celebrations.

We also have some top-secret ideas for fun activities throughout the year that we hope you all will participate in and enjoy.

We love hearing from the student body so please reach out to us! Student Council’s goal is to make the student body have the best high school experience possible. In order to effectively do this, we need to hear what you all have to say about how the council can effectively bring the community together. If you ever have any suggestions please let your friends on StuCo know.

Check back in Nov. for more information about what StuCo is working on.

Kai Robinson Student Body President

September 24, 2021

Views

letter

MOMENTS WITH to the

Polarity in Politics

Dear Editors, During a recent meeting of the ESD Parents’ Association Board, I was asked to reflect and present my thoughts on being part of the ESD community. Specifically, why I am proud to be part of the ESD community, what are the opportunities for growth and change within our community and what gives me hope for the future of our community. After much thought and contemplation, I decided to share what I presented with the Eagle Edition with the hope that my views and opinions will reassure our new families that the ESD community is strong and continues to be focused on the common goal of igniting our children’s lives with purpose.

While the past 18 month have been challenging, the vast majority of our community has been supportive, understanding and appreciative of the incredible work done by the ESD administration, led by Dave Baad and Ruth Burke, to ensure the safety of our students, faculty and staff. The swift transition to distance learning in March 2020, the return to school in the Fall of 2020 and the start of very normal school procedures in August 2021 were not easy feats, but under the leadership of our ESD administration, our children have been able to continue to learn, grow and thrive even under unprecedented circumstances. While I realize that the safety protocols implemented by our school in August have been met with some opposition, I am truly proud and grateful of our administration’s continued focus on the health and well being of our students, faculty and staff. Fortunately, I have been blessed with two healthy children, however, I realize that this is not the case with some members of our community. Students, families and staff that are immunocompromised, have long-term health issues and/ or undesirable medical diagnoses have faced challenges during the pandemic that I cannot begin to fathom or understand. These students, families and staff members are very much a part of the ESD community and without the mask requirements and safety practices put in place this fall, these members of our community would not be able to attend school. For some of these students, school is the most normal part of their everyday life and without it, they would be isolated from their peers and classmates, which I venture to say is just as harmful as the physical ailments that they struggle with on a day-to-day basis. The ESD mask requirement and Covid-19 protocols protect the vulnerable portion of our community and have taught my children to not only look to their own interests but also to the interest of others. Teaching our children compassion and care for our others could quite possibly be the most important lesson that they learned as a result of the pandemic.

As a member of the ESD community for over 10 years, I have never seen a better opportunity to grow, change, strengthen and unite as I do in the current environment. With conflicting views, frustration with the ESD administration and varying opinions, the divide within our community is present and will result in long term damage if not addressed. Might we, as a community, come together to discuss our concerns in a positive and constructive way rather than expressing our opinions on a social media platform. Might we consider how damaging a public display of opposition to our administration could hurt our children, the reputation of our school and negatively impact so many members of our community.

Publicly posting internal communications from our school’s leadership is not only inappropriate, it violates an important trust that exists between parents and administration. From the beginning of the pandemic, the ESD leadership has been forthcoming with information, policy changes and decisions being made regarding Covid-19. In addition to keeping us well informed, they have provided an open dialogue with the community and have encouraged us to share our opinions, voice our concerns and become part of the decision-making process.

By making our leadership’s communications public, we are jeopardizing their ability to effectively and privately convey important information to the community. I strongly believe that WE, the ESD community, can do better than to criticize our administration’s policies and guidelines on a public social media platform. Regarding other public posts made on this platform, I do not disagree with the opposition to inappropriate reading material made available to some of our younger students. However, we, as a community, can do better at questioning policy than to make this a public debate. I have every confidence that the ESD administration would welcome the opportunity to discuss and address any and all concerns with regard to this matter.

My hope is that we, as parents, will come together, reunite and again become ONE CAMPUS, ONE COMMUNITY. Lastly, I see hope for the future all around us. Every time our community rallies around a struggling family, I am reminded of the very reason why my family came to ESD and why we are so grateful to be a part of this community. Every time I witness our faculty and staff going the extra mile to help a new or physically impaired child navigate their way around campus, I am reassured of my family’s decision to entrust our children in the care of ESD teachers, faculty and staff. And every time I see a new family proudly place an ESD sticker on the back of their car, I am reaffirmed of the strength, commitment and welcoming spirit of the ESD community: I continue to be so very proud to call myself an ESD parent.

Sincerely, April Cook P’26 & ‘30

21

Growing tensions prove the need for more mutual respect

MO TE

T

his year, the presidential and the Senate races brought to light heightened tensions between Democrats and Republicans. While these feelings were underlying for quite some time, they seemed to have come out during election season.

As high schoolers, we are beginning to learn about politics and solidify some of our beliefs.

However, I have a strong belief that at an age where we can’t even vote, politics shouldn’t break apart friendships. According to a poll of 174 students, 66 percent of students think that politics shouldn’t break apart friendships.

While everyone has the right to their own opinion, morals can divide when they don’t align. I believe that it’s beneficial, if not necessary, to surround ourselves with people with different beliefs that diversify our views or bring to light an issue or opinion we might not agree with but can respect. The ability to have healthy dialogue and introspective conversations with classmates and friends is part of how we gain experience for social settings later in life or for the responsibility of voting.

During the 2020 Senate elections, it was close to leaning either way, especially in Georgia.

I saw my friends and classmates discussing what effects this race would have for the next election cycle. Similarly, in the presidential election, when the votes were considered inaccurate or convoluted, debates broke out between classmates and family friends. I know my family had several discussions about the outcome and veracity of the results, leading to many disagreements. The divide doesn’t stop at the branches of government, it proceeds to impact the parties themselves, forcing a divide between people that are supposed to agree and work together.

By Katherine Mote News Editor

For instance, in recent weeks, the House of Representatives has had difficulty bridging the gap between progressive and moderate Democrats. This issue is a byproduct of the struggles faced in Senate runoff elections and House elections within the past year. The Democratic party seems to split up into two radically different groups of progressive and moderate Democrats.

Moderate Democrats share a lot of common traits with centrist and moderate Republicans of decades past, while progressive Democrats push for more modern and social change, and it’s up to the House Majority Leader, Nancy Pelosi, to bridge the gap between the two.

One of the issues that brought this fissure to light is the Bipartisan Infrastructure Deal that will provide $1 trillion towards president Biden‘s economic and social agenda. The deadline has been set for Sept.

27 and at this time there are 10 conservative leaning Democrats that are willing to challenge the bill. The Democratic caucus very narrowly controls the house which brings about instability within the party. Democrats have a minor majority of 212-210, meaning they can only withstand three members challenging any given bill, assuming Republicans vote along party lines.

In order to stop the two sides from losing leverage on each other and as a contingency plan, Pelosi has tied the $3.5 trillion partisan package and the $1 trillion bipartisan package for physical infrastructure together. Pelosi has decided to turn the bills into a two-track strategy where they would move forward in tandem.

However, with this movement comes the risk that they could both fail. This move is shrewd when considering the only thing that will force two opposing views together is to unite them under a common goal of succeeding in any of their goals as a party, rather

than losing it all.

Among the broader divide is the separation between Democrats and Republicans. A Brown University study cited the reason America is more polarized than the United Kingdom, Australia or Germany. The study revealed that “political parties have become increasingly aligned with certain ideologies, races and religious identities.” The influence social media and 24-hour news has had on the American people is stark and is forcing the gap between both parties to grow larger. When members of both parties fail to recognize and respect each other, it becomes strenuous to create public policy that benefits both sides or even pass any sort of policy at all.

The pandemic and social justice issues throughout this past year have caused the parties to stand firm on their beliefs and, in a way, force the voter to one side or the other. In the past, the same issues were brought up each election cycle. Although important, most voters have a predetermined opinion on issues such as taxes and other business related topics.

However, this year, more personal issues like police brutality and a fight on medical and human rights have emerged and solidified voters’ party affiliation. The presence of social media creates a platform for the average American to spread ideas and beliefs as well as grow a deeper relationship with the candidates in their areas and see how they use the same platform to reach out to voters and appeal to the greatest number of people.

Because of all of these factors, our nation has suffered the consequences of the multiple types of divides and how they impact our nation’s ability to formulate change and make decisions, and the only way to fix it is to teach the idea of an open mind and diversify the people that surround us in order to gain a wider worldview.

Senior Slip-up by Sarah Cabrales

22 Eagle Edition

Episcopal School of Dallas

sports

Olympics spark wellness movement Athletes question mental and emotional toll when playing sports

By Grace Worsham Life Editor

A

Athletes reconsidered the impact sports have on mental health and the stigma associated with it after gymnast Simone Biles, a seven-time olympic medalist, withdrew in the preliminary rounds of the Tokyo 2021 Summer Olympics due to a disappointing vault performance.

Biles explained during a press conference the following day that SPOTLIGHT COMES before the event, she was struggling with a WITH POTENTIALLY mental block known GREAT JOY IN TERMS as “the twisties” where gymnasts OF BEING LAUDED, become disoriented BUT THE CRITICS and have no sense of direction. While her ARE ALWAYS READY. skill was questioned PEOPLE LIKE TO in her performance READ CONTROVERSY by many, it soon became apparent OR SCANDALS, SO that Biles was dealing GETTING YOUR HEAD with a mental situation that was IN THE GAME IS SO clouding her focus.

IMPORTANT BECAUSE With this, a surge of opinions arose about YOU CAN KIND OF her decision on the TUNE OUT AND THAT IS Internet.

“I know she WHAT HELPS MENTAL [received] criticism TOUGHNESS. for her choice, but there are always going to be critics,” Antonia Moran English teacher and Upper School English co-leader of wellness club Antonia Moran Teacher said. “She has to do what is best for her and not worry what other people think.”

Although, some disagree with Simone’s decision to drop out because she was committed and responsible for her part in the team. Senior Davis Baker who is

“

committed to the University of Pennsylvania for baseball, sides with this alternate opinion.

“Obviously, I don’t know Simone personally and get that the Olympics is incredibly stressful, but I still think that it was something she willingly signed up for and should have remained committed to,” Baker said. “Stress is simply a part of playing at a high level.”

Baker continues his argument by stating that Simone really had no real reason for dropping out and should not have added that extra pressure onto her teammates.

“If you’re a part of a team, especially a national team in the Olympics, you are 100 percent committed to everyone’s success and you need to give it all you have to win,” Baker said. “That doesn’t mean you’re going to win every game, match, or competition, but it means you’re going to give full effort no matter what. Unless you are legitimately injured or are in some dire situation, you really have no reason to drop out.”

Other athletes, such as Southern Methodist University soccer commit senior Grant Jungerman, believe it depends on the sport and that sometimes going through hard times makes you a stronger person.

“I have always been taught to compete through anything and use struggles and confidence issues as fuel to work harder,” Jungerman said. “I have never considered quitting when I feel mentally off or unstable because I have been consistently taught that the last possible thing I should do is quit.”

Although Jungerman emphasizes his willingness to push through mental obstacles, he believes this varies for different sports such as gymnastics where there is high risk of injury.

“I do not feel Biles made the

wrong decision because in a sport like gymnastics, there is a possibility of extreme injury if you don’t perform the way you learned to,” Jungerman said. “In a sport like soccer, there is really no comparable feeling.”

While Simone’s decision has led to debates, her actions have led to a movement emphasizing the importance of helping and protecting athlete mental health.

“I do think the emphasis on mental health in the Olympics is a positive movement,” Baker said. “It is something that should be a higher priority at every level of sports.”

Although the stress of sports can often cause negative emotions, the exercise aspect of athletics has shown to improve mental health and mood. According to Mental Health UK, participation in regular physical activity can increase self-esteem and can reduce stress and anxiety. Physical movement also plays a role in preventing the development of mental health problems. There are also many other ways to continue to benefit one’s health and help one balance stress and the fast-paced speed of life. Moran believes that daily meditation can help one stay in the present and relax more.

“My dad always used the motto ‘exercise solves all problems,’ and it definitely does help put things in perspective… but, meditation is also very beneficial,” Moran said. “I know people think it’s hard, but it just takes practice and even three minutes a day can help you focus on the “now” and calm down those what if’s. For athletes, it can help you focus on what is more deeply important, which is probably trying your best.”

According to Mental Health America, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping people suffering from mental illnesses and promoting mental health, meditation is acknowledged

as a tool to “master the mind” and science validates this claim, especially to help with mental illnesses such as depression, anxiety, ADHD, PTSD and schizophrenia. Moran supports this as well, and said that the brain can play an important role in not only how one thinks but also how one performs as an athlete.

“There is the visualization aspect to meditation as well,” Moran said. “If you [ask] yourself, “What if I mess up?’ that is what you’ll be focused on. Instead focus on making that shot or performing your best, because they say your brain actually takes steps towards making that a reality.”

Jungerman states that although he has become nervous and anxious during soccer games or practice, his emotions have never gotten in the way of his daily life.

He states that he has never really struggled with mental health, but has to work harder to keep up with the extra weight of sports with school.

“I’ve become used to being nervous and anxious before games, but it has not been something that has affected my performance in games, or personality outside of the sport,” Jungerman said.

“I struggle at times to balance school and sports, but I just have to consistently work hard to keep caught up.”

Knowing the importance of maintaining a healthy lifestyle, Davis has an established routine that helps him stay balanced with the workload of school and pressure of sports, while still trying to maintain a healthy mindset.

“I find a balance now in my life by not procrastinating my school work and getting it done early,” Baker said. “[This allows] time for workouts, practices and free time, which generally keeps me stressfree and happy.”

57

Percent of students who support Biles’ decision

52

Percent of students who have struggled balancing mental health and sports Source: Sept. 20 poll of 174 upper school students

Photoillustration by by Easterly Yeaman, Staff writer Biles photo by Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Sports

September 24, 2021

23

Cheers to change Coaches and captains make changes in the program from dances to tryouts

By Alexandra Warner Views Editor

S

enior cheer captain Mary Grace Altizer throws senior flyer Claire Wooley into the air at the Gene and Jerry Jones Family Stadium during the first home game of the year, she hopes to hear a roar from the crowd as her stunt group catches her performing the stunt perfectly.

Since everything was pushed back because of Covid-19, everyone is trying to get back to normalcy as quickly as possible.

With school sports coming back, cheer captains and coaches have come up with new ideas to benefit the program.

“Because of Covid last year, we didn’t have a normal season, so myself and the entire team really wanted this year to be the best year and that includes changes,” senior cheer captain Lauren Sedwick said.

“Some of our goals for the varsity team are to improve our team skills within our tumbling, jumps [and] stunt groups. We also want to make sure we improve our school spirit and just revamp and revitalize some things.”

One of the biggest changes the team has made is the famous “Fight Song” played at every football game. The chant had the same choreography since coach Megan Schroeder ‘09 was a cheerleader at the school.

“The Fight song was one of the chants that was a little tired, and it needed a change,” Altizer said.

“We completely redid [it] and now it’s kind of snazzy, and we even have new poms.”

Along with new chants and routines, the team voted a junior captain for the first time. Bryce Hill, who has been cheering since her freshman year, is in training for the next season when she’ll be a senior. She sees the value of this new position.

“It’s important because I’m learning how to be a good captain for next year, and I hope as a junior captain I can get closer [to] everybody so that we can work cohesively,” Hill said. “Since this is the first year that we are doing junior captains, I want to be a good example for the sophomores when we elect a new junior captain next year.”

All the senior captains were voted last year, and this year’s consist of Altizer, Sedwick and Charlotte Cooper. They plan on changing the program’s relationship with the football team.

They wrote out rules for football buddies to make encounters less awkward and more about bonding.

“We’ve always had football buddies, but it’s kind of been uncertain what that means,” Altizer said. “It’s always so awkward because you get assigned your football buddy and you’re like, ‘Okay, now what do I do,’” Altizer said. “We’ve already written out rules for that [to be] more of a partnership instead of ‘I’m gonna go buy you a bundt cake before every football game and we aren’t gonna talk after that.’”

The captains are also working on bonding with the junior varsity and varsity teams. In past years, the teams weren’t as close, so this year the captains are hoping to encourage the cheerleaders to get to know each other, especially with the underclassmen.

“I think as captain, this year my goal is to bring everyone together, because sometimes there can be a divide between junior varsity and varsity, and I don’t want [that],” Altizer said. “This year, I feel like we already are a lot closer than normal. Everybody talks to everybody and there’s no groups.”

Especially with the sizes of each team, bonding is crucial for

cheerleading because everyone has to trust one another while performing stunts or chants.

The tryouts this year were changed because of the record numbers of athletes trying out for cheerleading. Differing from other sports, tryouts are held over the span of four days in May because cheerleaders have to learn their material. “[On] Monday, the athletes learn all of the material, Tuesday we review, Wednesday we do a full mock tryout and Thursday is the actual tryout,” cheer program director and varsity cheer coach Megan Schroeder ‘09 said. “We are one of the sports at ESD that manages our roster size so not all athletes make a team.

Roster placement is based purely on tryout score, so no one is guaranteed a spot. To make sure everything is fair, we bring in outside judges to score the girls.”

Before cuts were implemented a few years ago, there used to be a junior varsity white team and a junior varsity navy team. The junior varsity white team had less privileges, but the coaches wanted to have a team to place each athlete who wanted to cheer.

“You had a lot of limitations if you were on junior varsity white, so it was almost like getting cut,” Altizer said. “You didn’t travel to all the away games, you didn’t cheer on the sidelines and you didn’t do pep rallies. [The coaches] figured that it’s not really fair for the junior varsity white girls and decided that it should just be varsity and junior varsity. So then, my sophomore year is when they started cutting.”

This year, captains and coaches noticed the tryouts hosted an abundant amount of talent, especially amongst the

underclassmen who do competitive cheer. This extra competition caused cheerleaders to work harder for a spot on the teams.

“I think the level of skill has significantly improved over these past couple of years which really raises the bar for incoming cheerleaders trying to make varsity,” Sedwick said. “During mock tryouts, we got to see everybody, and some of the freshmen are at the same skill level if not higher than some of the seniors.”

Schroeder has noticed the dedication that the cheerleaders have shown in tryouts over the years. Since she was a cheerleader, she’s also noticed the growth of the sport and how it has become more competitive.

“Cheerleading is now something that children start doing at a younger age, resulting in a higher level of skill by the time they reach high school,” Schroeder said.

“It used to be that people would try cheerleading for high school, and now we are at a point where people have been cheering for many years before they reach high school.”

Brooklyn Singer, a freshman on varsity, started cheerleading at a young age which allowed her to improve her skills to cheer at a higher level. She has been doing competitive cheer for seven years and is excited to cheer for the school. Singer’s BECAUSE OF COVID competitive cheer team outside of school, LAST YEAR, WE the Cheer Athletics DIDN’T HAVE A Wildcats, competed on NORMAL SEASON, America’s Got Talent in 2020.

SO MYSELF AND “I decided to join THE ENTIRE TEAM [school] cheer because when I was little, I REALLY WANTED always looked up to the THIS YEAR TO BE varsity cheerleaders,” Singer said. “It’s a sport THE BEST YEAR AND that I have loved and THAT INCLUDES worked so hard at to improve my skills since I CHANGES. was six.”

The varsity team has Lauren Sedwick been practicing during weekdays perfecting Senior cheer captain stunts and routines. The team is well connected with one another and have displayed professionalism.

“This team really focuses in and puts all their effort into team practices and routines,” Sedwick said. “Because the talent of our team has grown so much, everyone tries to make our routines the best they possibly can be.”

But besides getting better and stronger, Schroeder has other goals in mind as well.

“My goals for the year are pretty simple, keep everyone healthy, safe and accomplished,” Schroeder said.

“It is important for me to build incredible athletes but also incredible humans. As a coach, I want to set each athlete up for success on and off of the field.”

“

STUNTING STARS During the first home football game of the season, varsity cheerleaders lift up their flyer sophomore Madeline Mayer to perform a stunt to the spectators in the stadium. The team got to preform their routine in front of spectators for the first time in two years. “It was so fun finally having fans in the stadiums,” junior cheerleader Bryce Hill said. “Everyone worked so hard to perfect our routines and we were super excited and ready to perform!”

Photo by Sophie Goelzer

24

Eagle Edition

Episcopal School of Dallas

HALFTIME WITH HAWKINS Photo by Emily Lichty

New NCAA NIL rule will create positive change College athletes should be able to profit off of name, image and likeness

By Callie Hawkins Sports Editor

O

n Thursday, July 1, the National College Athletic Association changed the standing name, image and likeness rule, also known as the NIL rule, allowing college athletes of all divisions to profit off of their individual brand.

This rule change has sparked much debate among sports representatives in the world of athletics, but it’s not like this debate came about just because of the rule change. There has been controversy about this topic since early 2019, and years prior, but the first action taken that led to this new rule was on Sept. 30 of 2019. Sen. Nancy Skinner of California passed legislation that, starting in 2023, schools will be prohibited to punish students for accepting endorsement money.

Some believe that this was initially

detrimental and that the recent rule will add further detriment to the integrity of amateur college sports and sports as a whole, but others, including me, believe that this will be beneficial in the world of college athletics.

Although amateur college sports are meant to be fun and friendly, one aspect of being able to be so enjoyable by the crowd is the competition. Rivalry games, close scores, pushing for your team even though they might be the underdog and the anticipation of it all is how these college sports really affect people and make the experience of sports more exhilarating and exciting for the fans.

Now that this new rule has been implemented, more high school athletes are lured towards the chance to play at the collegiate level, and work harder to make the money that is on the table with this

opportunity. More talent and more people equals more competition.

Despite the fact that this might cause collegiate leagues to become less amateur, I don’t think that is an issue. Playing in college is almost as demanding as professional sports and sets up athletes for their future career, especially at the D1 level.

The more competitive, the better for athletes aiming for an even higher level of sports after college.

And for students who struggle to pay off their loans and housing, the endorsements would serve as an incentive to continue one’s athletic career into college. This is seen as another issue within the rule change because some may think athletes are using false motivation to play.

Some student athletes support the new NCAA, and think it’s a good way for them to make money, since the combination of

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Percent of students that think college athletes should be able to profit off of their NIL Source: Sept. 20 poll of 174 upper school students

their sport and school can be too time-consuming to get a job. Senior Rider Yeaman, who has recently committed to Washington and Lee to play tennis, agrees with the new NCAA. “The new rule didn’t really cross my mind while deciding to commit because I have known I have wanted to play in college for a long time,” Yeaman said. “But now that it is a rule, I am for sure going to take advantage of it, and it’s definitely motivated me more.”

Yeaman is right. While some might say that the wrong kind of people will be coaxed into this opportunity for the money, as a high school athlete who does not wish to go to college and play sports, I can vouch that high school athletes who are not completely dedicated to their sport will not waste their time on something that is not their passion.

Sports

September 24, 2021

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26

Eagle Edition

Episcopal School of Dallas

Students return to the stands Admission to home football games excites fans and teams

By Callie Hawkins Sports Editor

WE’VE GOT SPIRIT The student section of the bleachers were filled at the first home game on Sept. 3. Students dressed up in Hawaiian shirts and sunglasses for the beach theme. “The student crowd was so incredibly loud and cheerful, it was amazing,” junior Lyles Etcheverry (center) said. “It was so much fun to be there, and I think we encouraged the team a lot.

I’m really looking forward to future home games.”

Photo by Callie Hawkins

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fter almost two years of deserted stands in the Jerry Jones Stadium, student fans, parents and other spectators have been flocking to the bleachers to witness once again the glory of high school sports.

Due to Covid-19, sporting events were shut down during the spring of 2020 and strict guidelines were imposed on THE NERVES WILL who could and could not come to ALWAYS BE THERE, support at home BUT I FEEL LIKE I WILL sports games.

BE ABLE TO PERFORM This year, as goings-on at school BETTER WITH THE return to a sense CROWD. of normalcy, the administration decided to allow Patrick Burke students to attend all sports games, Junior which they believe will help bring the community closer and revamp school spirit.

“I am pumped that ESD will be having fans at football games

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this year,” varsity quarterback and junior Patrick Burke said. “As a player, I could tell there was a lack of energy last year on the field with limited people in the stands.”

Burke played back-up quarterback on varsity his freshman year and became QB1 last year.

“It’s nice to have a year as varsity quarterback under my belt, and I’d say I feel a little less nervous with the crowd being there knowing that I’ve done this before,” Burke said. “The nerves will always be there, but I feel like I will be able to perform better with the crowd.”

The “Horde” is a long-standing tradition at the school. Spirit Club runs the “Horde,” and they lead the student body by cheering at games and supporting the school. Because of the pandemic, the Horde dissipated, but this year, seniors Lauren Sedwick, Carson Langston and Charlie King have resurrected the club and are bringing the spirit back into the student body.

The board of the club, the Horde Board, is made up of Sedwick, Langston and King, and a boy and a girl from each grade level in the upper school.

“The Horde Board’s goal is

to elevate school spirit and get everyone to attend sports games and other school related events,” sophomore representative of the Horde, Addie Click said. “We have been discussing themes for games and have begun the process of designing shirts for rivalry games.”

Since attendance was not allowed at last year’s football games, this will be Click’s first high school game, along with all other sophomores and freshmen.

“With the exception of masks, I’m glad we get to have a relatively normal year,” freshman Mckenzie Clancy said. “High school football games are always fun to watch, so the students being able to attend is very exciting.”

Clancy is also a junior varsity cheerleader, and she will be able to cheer in the stands for most varsity games.

“I can’t wait to be there to support and cheer for our team,” Clancy said. “I’m really excited to be on the sidelines cheering and to perform halftime routines. We put a lot of time and effort into cheering, so it’s exciting to be able to go to the games normally.”

And the administration is as excited as the student body about

attending games.

“In the spring, students were able to go to off campus games such as [Highland Park] and the one lacrosse game at SMU, and it felt really good to see all of the students back together and being so supportive,” Head of Upper School Henry Heil said. “For me, this is something I’ve been really looking forward to, just to have everybody back in the stands together.”

Although some students may be apprehensive about attending, the administration has other concerns.

“I’m always anxious about these kinds of sporting events, but that has nothing to do with COVID-19,” Heil said. “I’m only anxious because I want to make sure that everyone is on their best behavior and that they represent the school well and that we support our team appropriately, but my anxiety doesn’t extend beyond that.”

The first home game took place on Friday, Sept. 3 against Trinity Christian. The stands were filled with family, away guests and supporting students.

“It was super exciting to see everyone in the student section and without masks,” Clancy said.

“I loved the [energy] and that everyone was always cheering and out there supporting.”

The varsity boys defeated their opponent 28-14, resulting in excitement and eagerness for the rest of the season, not only for the team but for everyone there watching.

“The first home game was awesome, [and] a great win against a good team,” Burke said. “I really enjoyed having the fans in the stands. The team really fed off of the energy of the crowd and helped us play better.”

Although Heil could not attend the game himself, other administrators reported to him with positive feedback over how the first game went. “[Assistant Head of Upper School Jeff] Laba, [Director of Athletics Dan] Gill, and I were all texting that night about the score and how other things [at the game] were going,” Heil said. “As far as I could tell, things went really well.

There was a huge crowd, both home and away, and overall I think it was just a great night for ESD.”

EAGLE EYE

Varsity Field Hockey Captain shares plans for upcoming season Annie Heldman’s 5-year career in girls field hockey brings memories and bonding experiences with team

Q A

Interview by Satori Griffith Photo Editor

When did you first start playing field hockey? What position do you like to play and why?

I started playing field hockey when I was new to ESD in 8th grade. I play sweeper (BackCenter Defense), and this has been my favorite position since I started [playing] field hockey because I get to see the whole field and guide the rest of the team to what player needs to be marked, who’s open for a pass, etc.

What is your favorite part of the game and how do you think the team is doing so far?

Have you ever played on a club team outside of school?

Do you want to play in college?

My favorite part of a game is halftime. When we all get in a huddle and are able to express what we are doing well, what we need to focus on, really anything that brings our team together. Along with half-time talks, I do love the feeling when we score a goal. I think our team is amazing this year! We all have a bond on and off the field and are constantly encouraging one another. We are obviously improving our skills everyday, but the excitement and encouragement is always there.

Yes, I decided to play for Lone Star Field Hockey and Futures program for a couple of years. It was such a fun experience to play with girls from all over Texas, and I was even able to be a part of the Youth 16 traveling team. Although I am not interested in the recruitment process, I would definitely love to join or create a club team wherever I end up going. I feel that field hockey would be a great experience to meet new people and be a part of a team.

Sports

September 24, 2021

27

Texas, OU make sudden move to SEC Conference shift ignites old rivalries, spikes debate amongst fans

By Sloane Hope Business Manager

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or almost as long as anyone can remember, the Southeastern Conference has been the powerhouse conference of college football, and over the summer, they acquired two more powerhouse schools: the University of Texas Longhorns and the University of Oklahoma Sooners.

When one thinks about the SEC, the schools that usually come to mind are the University of Alabama, Louisiana State University, and the University of Florida, among others. For years, the SEC has dominated the college football scene with minimal upsets, accounting for 12 of the last 20 college football championship wins.

Eager to get in on the action, UT and OU made shocking moves over the summer to join the SEC, much to the dismay of many current SEC teams.

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“I think that Texas moving to the SEC will be good for the program,” senior Adam Russell said. “Obviously with a new coach and transitioning to a tougher schedule, it can’t be expected that the Longhorns will be a powerhouse right away, but we should have a good recruiting class every year and eventually get there.”

Texas A&M University was one of those most opposed to the move, citing numerous SEC clauses in an attempt to block the two teams from joining. Many chalked up A&M’s long-standing rivalry with UT as the reason behind their opposition, a theory that A&M fans rebuked while UT fans pushed.

“A&M is upset that Texas is coming to the SEC because they are obsessed with us and they dislike Texas more than they like their own team,” Russell said. “The

move will take away any recruiting advantage that A&M has over Texas and they are scared.”

“Arkansas is easily the worst team in the SEC and UT got bulldozed by them,” A&M alum and upper school economics teacher Amy Livingston said.

“They think they can make it in the SEC? A&M isn’t scared to play Texas, we’re just too good to bother with them and give into their delusions.”

The potential move was first reported by the Houston Chronicle on July 21, after a high ranking college official mentioned a possible conference flip. UT responded to these rumors saying that “speculation swirls around collegiate athletics,” and that “[they] will not address rumors or speculation.”

On Monday, July 26, the Longhorns and Sooners informed their current conference, the Big

Editors-in-Chief Emily Lichty & Gina Montagna

Web Editor Kara Dross

Managing Editor & Business Manager Sloane Hope

Assistant Web Editor Charlotte Tomlin

Copy Editor Maddy Hammett

Social Media Manager Olivia Hohmann

News Editor Katherine Mote

Staff Writers Abby Baughman, William Custard, Iris Hernandez, Elliot Lovitt, Miles Wooldridge, Easterly Yeaman

Life Editors Elisabeth Siegel & Grace Worsham Views Editor Alexandra Warner Sports Editor Callie Hawkins Photo Editor Satori Griffith

Cartoonist Sarah Cabrales Faculty Adviser Ana Rosenthal

12, that they will not be renewing their rights after their contract expires in 2025. Following ensued a large number of conversations between the SEC, OU, and UT, which had apparently been occurring for months prior to the announcement. The current SEC schools had to vote on whether or not they approved of the move, which was a unanimous yes, and the SEC formally extended an invitation to both schools on July 29.

“I think it’s a good idea for both schools,” OU fan senior Sam Suarez said. “The rivalry will bring in more money for the SEC and being in a strong conference will bring more money for the universities, and result in more recruits for both schools.”

With the sudden move, many were worried about the effect it would have on the rest of the collegiate conferences. The

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exit from the Big 12 leaves the remaining teams like Texas Christian University and Oklahoma State University worried about what the move means for them, especially considering that UT and OU brought in big revenue.

There have also been rumors that the Pac-12, Big 12, and ACC have been in talks to combine to make a super-conference, which would leave only a few original conferences remaining.

“The switch is gonna leave a gap in the Big 12 since OU and Texas are the two top teams,” Suarez said. “But the Big 12 will fill those spots allowing the remaining schools to grow. Right now OU and Texas don’t have as strong of defenses as most of the teams in the SEC, but hopefully after a season or two of adjusting, the teams can build up their defenses and truly be competitive in their new conference.”

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Eagle Edition | vol. 39, issue 1 The Episcopal School of Dallas 4100 Merrell Rd. Dallas, TX 75229 eagleedition@esdallas.org (214) 358-4368

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28 Eagle Edition

Episcopal School of Dallas | September 24, 2021

what’s? in my locker

Invitation

for the western themed senior rally day

Schedule

leftover from the first day of school

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I LOVE THAT IT’S MY SPACE AND THAT I GET TO MAKE IT MY OWN. I ALWAYS PUT MY FAVORITE TREATS IN IT TO HELP ME GET THROUGH THE DAY .

Notebook

for taking notes during class

Virginia Nussbaumer Senior

Textbooks

for the French class where Virgina is a teacher’s assistant

Snacks

bought during late night Target runs

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fter a year where lockers were not used by students in order to follow Covid-19 safety protocols, senior Virginia Nussbaumer is excited to return to using and customizing her locker for the school year.

Nussbaumer has always considered her locker one of her favorite parts on campus, as it is a space she can fully customize on her own with a variety of snacks, personal reminders and photos.

“I love that it’s my space and that I get to make it my own,” Nussbaumer said. “I always put my favorite treats to help get me through the day. Also, I always have my books for the whole year so that I never forget any that I ordered at home.”

Traditionally, seniors, such as Nussbaumer, receive wooden lockers in senior hall, so the lockers are more

accessible to students and all in the same place. Often, parents put reminders on student lockers for rally days or school dances. Otherwise, the array of snacks and books Nussbaumer keeps in her locker looks similar to her previous lockers in the Cook Buidling and in the Commons “All my lockers have pretty much been the exact same,” Nussbaumer said. “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it. I always have new books for the year, and my taste buds have evolved for different locker snacks. I’m going to print out pictures soon to hang up on the door so stay tuned.”

By Emily Lichty and Gina Montagna Editors-in- Chief