V41 Issue 2

EAGLE EDITION The Episcopal School of Dallas student newspaper

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Vaping: a teen temptation

The increasing use of e-cigarettes in high school prompts discussions over intentional advertments, health implications and social pressures. Branding targets teenagers with playful, colorful packaging.

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Friday, Nov. 10, 2023 V 41 | Issue 2 4100 Merrell Rd Dallas, TX 75229

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Middle East War

A look into the history and complexity of the Isreal Palestine conflict.

Page 2

Sports Support

Teammates and adminstration rally behind athletes who have struggled during their seasons through hard times .

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Photo by Alexandra Warner

This package is not a real product and was created for visual storytelling.

Photoillustration by Charlotte Traylor and Charlie Massoud Photoillustration by Iris Hernandez and Charlie Massoud

2 | Eagle Edition

The Episcopal School of Dallas

News

PSAT changes Underclassmen reflect on the challenges and benefits of the new digital PSAT format.

Page 4

Israel Hamas war divides nation; ESD remains united A look into the roots of a decades long conflict

By Charlotte Traylor | News Editor

War protests

From left: A woman holds a sign during a protest calling to bring back the hostages that were kidnaped during Hamas' attack, on Thursday, Oct. 19, in Tel Aviv, Israel  Faiq Ady protests during a pro-Palestinian March in Pershing Square, Los Angeles, on Oct. 21. Photo credit: (Amir Levy/Getty Images/TNS), (Irfan Khan/ Los Angeles Times/TNS).

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decades-long conflict escalated to war in Israel and Gaza after Hamas, the Palestinian militant group that has been designated a foreign terrorist organization and governs Gaza, infiltrated Israeli communities on Oct. 7.

They killed more than 1,400 people and took more than 200 people hostage. Shortly thereafter, Israeli airstrikes rained down on the Gaza strip. Israel shut off electricity, food, water and fuel in Gaza, resulting in dire living conditions. As of Nov. 6, more than 1,400 Israelis and more than 10,000 Palestinians have died, according to AP News.

English Department Chair Tolly Salz, who is Jewish, believes education on the history and frustrations of Palestinians and Israelis is essential at this time.

“October 7 is not the beginning, nor is there just one side of [this conflict],” Salz said. “The history is so complex, and it [raises questions such as:] who owns land? To what degree does the government have eminent domain? Who gets to decide who owns land?”

A Palestinian member of the ESD community, Alex Hart*, has wrestled with such questions as well after losing more than 35 members of their extended family in Gaza.

While they are well connected to their Palestinian family history, Hart was not aware of their family in Gaza.

“In the span of a couple hours, I found out that I lost 35 members of my family that I had never met and that I didn't realize were in Gaza,” Hart said. “So needless to say these past three days have been extremely challenging.”

In response to the news, Hart attended a candlelight vigil and a poetry circle to honor lost lives in the conflict and grieve their loss. Hart also attended an Oct. 21 “Free Palestine” protest in downtown Dallas. Blake Levin, a Jewish member of the community, experienced similar fear and shock upon learning news of the Hamas attack.

“When I woke up on Saturday morning my husband had already been up for a couple of hours,” Levin said. “‘You are waking up to a different reality,’ he told me.

As soon as I read the newspapers I thought of my family and friends who live across Israel. It is such a small country that many of them were close to where the attacks took place.”

Soon thereafter, Levin received messages from her Israeli family and friends, ensuring them of their physical safety, but emotional distress.

“My nephew was stuck in the shelter for 10 hours with his pregnant wife, his brother in-law went to save him with his soldiers,” one of the messages Levin received said. “They are at my sister’s now.

It’s horrifying, little by little we find out about more people [we know] that were killed or kidnapped or unknown what happened to them.

Just can’t believe what happened, just can’t believe it.”

Pinpointing what prompted this violence is impossible, but the region’s complex history lends perspective to the frustrations of Palestinians and Israelis.

“Palestine is an occupied territory,” upper school history teacher Phil McCarthy said. “Israel controls the livelihood of these Palestinians in Gaza. So you have a whole new generation in Gaza who are unemployed, cannot see their family, or many times do not have freedom of movement.”

“

The history is so complex, and it [raises questions such as:] who owns land?

To what degree does the government have eminent domain? Who gets to decide who owns land?

Tolly Salz

English Department Chair

This dire situation has developed ever since World War I, when the Ottomans lost this territory to the British, and since World War II, when the Palestinians lost this territory upon the creation of the Jewish state of Israel in 1948. “[Britain issued] the Balfour Declaration, where the British say they will [support] Jewish immigration into Palestine,” McCarthy said. “So we start to see [more] European Jews move to Palestine. Here, we see the beginning of a conflict.”

At the time, this land was populated by Palestinians, Muslims, Jewish and Christians, so the Jewish migration prompted a shift in demographic and cultural norms.

Zionist movements pushed for the establishment of Israel as the Jewish homeland, intensifying the issue.

Another large swath of Jewish

migrants fled to this territory during World War II in response to the UN Resolution 181 and in an attempt to escape the Holocaust and persecution in Europe. Resolution 181 called for the partition of Palestine into Jewish and Arab states, with Jerusalem being an international city. Jews accepted this plan; Palestinians did not, resulting in the 1948 war. During this war, Palestinians were forced out of their homes on Al Nakba, or “the Catastrophe.”

“They were forced out. So my mom's family left by boat and my dad's family left by car,” Hart said.

“They started a whole new life in Lebanon.”

After nearly a year of fighting, Jews emerged with the majority of the land. Palestinians retained land in the east of the territory, known as the West Bank, and a small strip of land on the Mediterranean coast, known as the Gaza Strip. Although this arrangement was settled, no peace treaty was signed, allowing for further conflict after this initial war. “[The conflict] is like somebody weaving a tapestry of and for a place,” Salz said. “And then the people [who live in the region] who get the tapestry, did not ask for tapestry; they just are given this tapestry, and all people are pulling its threads and just tying knots in places in such a way that nobody has any sense of autonomy and freedom.”

The most promising step towards peace was the Oslo Accords, where the Palestinian and Israeli leaders recognized their respective nations in 1993 under President Bill Clinton. But, relations headed south with Hamas’ attacks and further Israeli settlement in the West Bank.

In 2003, the two-state solution was revived, complete with specific checkpoints to gradually ease into two separate states. Regardless, failure of Palestinians and Israelis to meet such checkpoints led to a continuation of conflict.

“The road to the Oslo Accords has fallen adrift, as both sides have not met these checkpoints,” McCarthy said. “And with a cycle of violence, both sides politically don't feel that a two-state solution is possible anymore.”

In past years, Israel has occupied the West Bank and claimed Jerusalem as their capital, ignoring Palestinians’ claims to East Jerusalem. Israel occupies both territories by building gated settlements for Israelis, limiting space for Palestinians to live.

Meanwhile, Hamas won the election over the Fatah party in 2006. Hamas now controls the Gaza

Strip and has indiscriminately fired rockets at major Israeli cities, with greater violence in the past months.

“The only prediction I feel safe in saying is I feel [the conflict] will get worse before it gets better, unfortunately,” McCarthy said.

Others worry a resolution is not possible, as both Palestinians and Israelis have deep ties to the land.

Hart is hopeful for a solution but acknowledges the likelihood of a worsening situation before peace.

“It takes a world power like America or somewhere in Europe to call for a ceasefire,” Hart said. “And I really hope that they can come up with a solution that works for everybody, like everyone becomes a citizen. [They could] call [the nation] something else, so it's not Palestine or Israel.”

Even more than a war, the conflict is a humanitarian crisis.

The U.S. has most recently sent additional military aid and supplies to Israel in response to the crisis, as well as committing $100 million to Palestinian refugee support.

The World Health Organization and UN World Food Programme have sent large shipments of food, water and medical supplies to Gaza, where there is no escape or access to health services. Much of these resources have not been allowed into Gaza by Israel, further exacerbating the situation.

“So considering that half of the Palestinian population in Gaza are children, then if 10,000 have died, 5,000 of them are children,” Hart said. “This is where I draw a hard line as a parent and teacher. So the part that I'm devastated by is all these innocent children are caught in this mix, and they shouldn't be.

And that's a humanitarian crisis.”

Considering the magnitude of loss in the region, peace is the common, uniting goal. Death tolls have sharply climbed, especially in Gaza, with promises of further violence in the coming days, months and most likely years. As mentioned in daily ESD prayers, ESD community members seek an end to such violence.

“I truly believe that everyone is entitled to live in a healthy and safe environment where our kids can grow and flourish,” Blake Levin said. “In the end, when these horrifying events take place, everyone loses, there are no winners. We all suffer and we all are in pain. My hope is that these devastating events might hopefully open the possibility for another round of peace talks.” *These members of our community wished to remain anonymous for personal reasons and are referred to as Alex Hart and Blake Levin in this story.

News

November 10, 2023 |

Texas at a crossroads

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Shaken grounds of Nepal On Nov. 3, an earthquake shook Nepal. As of press time, the 5.6 quake killed 157 people, injured 184 and destroyed thousands of homes. Rescuers were sent to provide aid, but operations were delayed due to the fact that many of the villages lay on mountains and could only be accessed by foot. The quake was felt as far as New Delhi, India. Thousands of people were forced to sleep on the cold streets on Saturday night.

Damage of the quake

A man looks at damaged houses in the aftermath of an earthquake in Nepal's Jajarkot District on Saturday, Nov. 4.

Photo by Prakash Mathema/ AFP/Getty Images/TNS

Acapulco in the eye of the storm On Oct. 25, a category 5 hurricane, Otis, struck the resort city of Acapulco, Mexico. Experts say the storm was the strongest on record to hit the Pacific Mexican coast. The city, with over one million citizens, had little time to prepare. As of press time, government officials said that 46 people died and 58 people are still missing.

One hundred and twenty hospitals and clinics in the area reported damage. Ten thousand troops were deployed to the city, but they lacked the proper materials needed to clear fallen trees and mud.

Many structures including high rises and hotels were completely damaged, as well as the area's tropical rain forest. The city is still in the process of recovering and over 1,600 citizens are in shelters, according to the Associated Press.

Flooded aftermath

Aerial view of damages caused by the passage of Hurricane Otis in Acapulco, Mexico, on Oct. 28.

Photo by Rodrigo Oropeza/ AFP/Getty Images/TNS

Iceland's strike for equality Thousands of women in Iceland went on strike for greater gender equality in Reykjavik, the country’s capital on Oct. 24. The prime minister, Katrín Jakobsdóttor, joined the strike. Ninety percent of Icelandic women took the day off of work and domestic duties to fight for change. Schools, banks and businesses closed to support an end to unequal pay and gender-based violence. Only one bank in the island nation remained open. As the strike took place, medical clinics were only treating emergencies. According to campaign organizers, this is the seventh strike by Icelandic women regarding gender equality.

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n increase in illegal immigration has caused debate in Texas due to its border with Mexico.

According to the Pew Research Center, the number of immigrants has risen 400 percent over the past year, and many towns are struggling to accommodate the number of migrants.

On Sep. 19, the town of Eagle Pass, Texas, which borders Piedras Negras, Coahuila, Mexico, called a state of emergency regarding the number of migrants arriving illegally. The United States Republican Party has advocated for the U.S. to tighten border control policies, and the Party leaders are considering sending more troops to support the current border patrol agents.

"Texas has launched Operation Lone Star in an effort to curtail immigration," history and government teacher Adam Walsh said. "We're gonna run into federalism problem because normally states aren't allowed to conduct affairs with foreign nations. Its Federal jurisdiction.

For Texas to attempt to do this is like trying to take a square peg and jam it into a round hole."

Texas Gov. Gregg Abbott started Operation Lone Star in March 2021. It was budgeted $2 billion and focuses on border control. One aspect of this plan was to secure the border between New Mexico and Texas. Because the border between Texas and Mexico is much stronger than the border between New Mexico and Mexico, immigrants will often go into New Mexico and then travel to Texas.

Abbott plans to deter this issue by building a wall between New Mexico and Texas. This barbed wire wall is not as large or expensive as the Texas-Mexico border as it estimated to cost $11 million, as opposed to $12 billion.

However, many believe it is ineffective because most migrants take cars to travel into Texas instead of moving on foot.

Another aspect of cross-state travel that Abbott wants to limit is through the Rio Grande River.

Texas spent $850,000 on a 1,000foot line of buoys meant to stop water travel. He also had a 60-mile line of barbed wire installed on the bank of the river.

House Bill 4 makes illegally entering the country a crime punishable by two years in prison.

Many Democrats oppose this bill because they think it will deter asylum seekers.

While there are people opposed to an influx of illegal migrants coming into Texas, there are also organizations and local nonprofits helping the migrants, such as the Human Rights Initiative of North Texas, Equal Justice Center and Southwest Key programs. These organizations provide legal aid and medical services, and they accept volunteers and donations.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott called for an investigation to discover if nongovernment organizations have been helping immigrants plan and

pursue illegal arrival into the U.S. “In light of these reports, I am calling on the Texas Attorney General’s Office to initiate an investigation into the role of NGOs in planning and facilitating the illegal transportation of illegal immigrants across our borders,” Abbott said in a letter to Paxton. “[I am ready to] craft any sensible legislative solutions [Paxton’s] office may propose that are aimed at solving the ongoing border crisis and the role that NGOs may play in encouraging it.”

The situation is resulting in a political tug-of-war, and people are vocal about their opinions on the topic. While many focus on the need to enforce existing immigration laws, others are concerned that the militarization of border control violates human rights and is inhumane.

Senior dean and Spanish and Immigration in America teacher Marcela Garcini is adamant about understanding the full story and acknowledging the humanity of the immigrants.

Texas wrestles with a surge in illegal immigration, igniting a debate over border policies and humanitarian concerns

By Emma Allen | Staff writer

“

These people need to understand that immigration is more complicated than just coming to our country. We need to see it through the human perspective.

Marcela Garcini

Senior dean and Spanish and Immigration in America teacher

“People are scared,” Garcini said. “I know people in Florida who just went back to their home country because of fear. People need to understand the fear factor.

We have not experienced the need of leaving our country. No one leaves their land because they want to. Sometimes it's either you leave or you die. These people are human, and that needs to be understood.”

Garcini has multiple friends and acquaintances who have dealt with migration issues, giving her insight into the people who are not given a choice.

“I know people who are under Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals and have been waiting for the situation to be defined,” Garcini said. “I know people who have needed to go back to their country. It is very heartbreaking to see families separate. People need to understand that immigration is more complicated than just coming to our country. We need to see it through the human perspective.”

Prime Minister joins strike

Iceland's Prime Minister Katrin Jakobsdottir arrives to attend the European Political Community summit at the Palacio de Congreso in Granada, Spain, on Oct. 5.

Photo by Thomas Coex/AFP/ Getty Images/TNS

Walking the border

Migrants with children walk by razor wire fencing after crossing the Rio Grande River from Mexico into the U.S. close to the Eagle Pass International Bridge II on Sunday, May 22, 2022, in Eagle Pass, Texas. A federal judge ruled Monday, Oct. 30 that border patrol agents cannot destroy the razor wiring.

Photo by Juan Figueroa/The Dallas Morning News/TNS

4 | Eagle Edition

The Episcopal School of Dallas

PSAT transitions to online format, students adapt New test brings anxiety to some and excitement to others

By Abby Baughman | Co-EIC

J

unior Cindy Lin nervously taps her foot while sitting at her desk. She is taking the second half of the PSAT and can’t stop analyzing the questions. She knows she should worry about answering them but she can’t stop comparing them to the first half of the questions. She's nervous they’re easier, and she messed up the first half.

Students take the PSAT from freshman through junior year. Freshman take their own version while sophomores and juniors take the same test. The test sophomores and juniors take is called the National Merit Scholarship Qualifying Test.

The online PSAT ensures no two students take the same test.

The test changes based on how the student answers previous questions.

“Another big change is [the] adaptive [format],” Montgomery said. “So, for example, how you do in the first module of either reading and writing or math, the second module will adjust. If the questions start getting easier, that means you probably didn't do as well in the first module.”

Some worry that the test’s adaptive format could increase students’ anxiety. Instead of just focusing on answering the

questions, some may focus on the question’s difficulty.

“The way [the test] is supposed to get progressively harder kind of worries me a bit because I don't know how much harder it was supposed to get,” Lin said. “So considering that, I'm not sure if I did as well as I liked.”

However, not all students felt anxious over the new format.

“I told myself to do my best in hopes of winning a national merit scholarship, but I was not stressed and did not do anything to prepare for the PSAT because it was not for a grade,” junior Lyle Hawkins said. “I like the way that the test was split into four sections, and I tried not to worry about the difficulty of the questions and just do my best on the easy and hard questions.”

According to the College Board, the SAT has been digitalized to offer more flexibility for when and where the test can be taken. In the fall of 2023, the PSAT also moved online.

“I went into this year's PSAT feeling a little bit nervous because I usually do not like taking tests online at all,” Hawkins said. “I am used to working math problems out by hand, showing my work, annotating readings, and just marking up the pages of my assignments and assessments.

After taking the test, I realized that I really didn't mind taking it online.”

The PSAT is three sections long, consisting of reading, writing and language and math, and has been lengthened by 35 minutes to be a total of two hours and 45 minutes.

“I think the biggest change is the reading passages,” College Guidance Coordinator Katherine Montgomery said. “So what used to be these long, multipleparagraph passages that would have 10 questions is now going to be 54 short passages and one question per passage. It should be easier for reading comprehension and just getting through questions faster.”

Students are now allowed to use a calculator during the entirety of the PSAT. The old test had a calculator section and a non calculator section. This was meant to test students on their ability to work through math problems without the help of a calculator.

“I think that having access to the calculator throughout all of the math section is really helpful for students, especially if they're dependent on their calculator,” Montgomery said. “I also think that our kids these days are much more adaptive to a digital format of things. It's been on paper since

before computers were invented.”

Some students thought the new format made the test easier.

Junior Cindy Lin has not received her results back, but believes the test has changed.

“I would definitely say that the reading and math sections got easier,” junior Cindy Lin said.

“There were new elements added to the reading. At the same time, there were certain parts that were harder too. There are certain geometry questions on the math section, which were definitely harder.”

Changes in the PSAT also mean changes in National Merit Scholarship. In the past, these scholarships were awarded based on percentage, so the scores were not the same year to year but there was a range of scores that meant students will likely receive one.

However, the test changing means students don’t have a rough idea of how well they need to perform in order to qualify.

“The piece that I would definitely say is easier overall because of the writing section, that does concern me because the entire curve will be like moved upwards,” Lin said. “So it might be harder to get the National Honor Scholarship, because you'll have to get higher scores to be considered top percent.”

Illustration by Abby Baughman | Co-EIC

A Brief Breakdown The latest events around the ESD campus— in brief

Homecoming of the brave

Senior and Homecoming Queen Caroline Bagley crowns senior Charles Liu as Homecoming King at the dance on Oct. 14.

Photo by Drew Dundon

Blood Drives Save Lives

On Oct. 17, ESD parent Matthew Lovitt donated blood for the NHS blood drive.

Photo by Alexandra Lovitt

New Belonging Committee

Hanging above the fire place in the commons, this portrait has resided at ESD for years.

The new belonging committee reflects these values of faith, hope and love.

Photo by Abby Baughman

Homecoming of the Brave When deciding the homecoming theme, the Student Council wanted to emphasize the school’s pride in America.

Homecoming, “Land of the Free, Homecoming of the Brave,” took place Oct. 10 through the 14. Spirit week started on Tuesday with “Boots versus Suits,” and students dressed in Western or business attire. On Wednesday, students wore accessories from their favorite state, Thursday was an “all-out USA” theme, and Friday was a spirit dress day.

“My favorite tradition is the mums and garters,” sophomore Alex Eastin said. “It is special to have something to remember from past homecomings.”

Faculty Student Council sponsor Marissa Infante pushed the council to ensure that the theme was unifying and unrelated to politics.

“The Student Council came up with the idea that they wanted this to be about being American,” Infante said. “They did not want to make anybody feel they did not belong.”

Even though the football team lost the Homecoming game 47-7 against The Kinkaid School, it did not deter students from having fun.

“We didn’t play to our full potential, so the team and I were pretty bummed out,” varsity football player Josh Logan said.

“Even though we lost, we didn’t let that ruin the dance the next day.”

Seniors Charles Liu and Caroline Bagley were crowned Homecoming King and Queen at the dance on Oct. 15.

“I was really surprised and ecstatic,” Liu said. “I'll also use [being king] as fuel to inspire me to work harder and work smarter towards benefiting our community.”

Blood Drives Save Lives Members of the National Honors Society, sponsored by Amy Henderson and Susan Weil, organized the annual upper school blood drive that took place on Oct. 17. Students were encouraged to donate during their study halls or before school, as the process only takes about 45 minutes.

After students donated blood, NHS members ensured each donor felt well and safe to go back to class. “[For] everyone who donates blood, there’s a certain time period after that you have to check and make sure [they’re] not going to faint,” Bergman said. “NHS [walks] anyone who gives blood to their next class to ensure they are okay.”

There are many restrictions on who can give blood, and the screening helps identify who is and who is not eligible to donate.

“You must be at least 16 [years old] with parental consent or older,” Henderson said. “You cannot be sick, take certain medicine, or [have] donated blood in the past eight weeks. You also cannot have gone to certain countries approved by the Red Cross in the past six weeks and must weigh at least 110 pounds to give blood.”

NHS members work closely with Carter BloodCare employees.

Kevin Sneed, a consultant and donor recruiter for Carter BloodCare, has worked with ESD’s donation program since 2018.

“Our statement is that one donation can help save three lives,” Sneed said. “They have plasma, which is used for transplant patients. Platelets, which are used for cancer patients.”

New Belonging Committee Ann and Lee Hobson Head of School Dave Baad has finalized his plans for the new Belonging and Engagement team at ESD. The team will focus on faculty and staff job fulfillment, making sure they feel more included in the community.

“Earlier in the year I really wanted to focus on purpose and belonging, which was focused towards the students, but I also feel the same way about all employees,” Baad said.

The committee is still a work in progress but is currently developing a strategic plan for the group, which includes finding more members. Baad wants a member from every division to be a part of the committee.

“I do believe every adult here is a teacher, no matter what their function is, because I think students watch everything,” Baad said. “They watch how we interact with each other; they watch how the school operates. I think we're constantly teaching you through modeling.”

Head of Human Resources Officer Bernadette Gerace is responsible for organizing the group, and the meetings will begin in about three weeks.

Baad wants ESD to be known as a great school to work at and hopes the Belonging and Engagement board will help accomplish this.

“I want people to think about ESD when they think about living in Dallas and being a teacher or working in a school,” Baad said.

“When people ask them, ‘Where's the best place to work in Dallas?’ the answer is unquestionably ESD.”

News

November 10, 2023 |

5

Chaos in Congress, new speaker brings new divisions

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ebatable uncertainty gripped the nation as the possibility of an Oct. 1 government shutdown became increasingly likely.

The original shutdown was postponed until Nov. 17, just three hours before the set deadline, when the Senate passed a short-term bill to keep government funding at existing levels. The bill was passed in hopes of giving the government more time to address the funding crisis and the catastrophe that is $33 trillion worth of debt.

The bill was first introduced by former speaker of the house, Kevin McCarthy. It was created after weeks of back-and-forth between Republicans and Democrats, rooted in a failed Republican stopgap bill that originally included funding for Ukrainian aid. The new funding bill was passed by the House with an 88 to 9 vote, then passed by the Senate, and finally, was signed into law by President Joe Biden on Sept. 30.

“I think it was a controversial move,” sophomore Arden Bowen, who is known to be passionate about politics, said. “But I think it needed to be done because the government literally can't function if they're in a shutdown.”

The bill allocates $16 billion in emergency disaster assistance and extends the Federal Aviation Administration’s funding until the end of the year. Although it does not include funds for Ukrainian aid, Biden has made it clear that helping Ukraine is still a U.S. priority.

“We cannot under any circumstances allow American support for Ukraine to be interrupted,” Biden said in a statement on Oct. 3, “I fully expect the speaker will keep his commitment to the people of Ukraine and secure passage of the support needed to help Ukraine at this critical moment.”

With new violence in Israel and Gaza, many wonder how the government will navigate delivering aid to two countries during this unsettling time.

However, shortly after this bill was passed, a historic vote on Oct. 3 ousted the speaker of the House. Kevin McCarthy’s 269-day-long position as speaker reached its close after a 216 to 210 vote, a paralyzing move for Congress. The rebellion, pioneered by conservative Rep. Matt Gaetz, gained traction after McCarthy’s collaboration with House Democrats to avoid a government shutdown. The House Freedom Caucus, a coalition of several hardright lawmakers, threatened the outing for days as the possibility of McCarthy working with Democrats loomed. “[McCarthy] wasn’t representing the political power he was voted into representing,” Conservative Student Union member Katherine Clark said. “He shouldn’t side with the opposing party just to get through this shutdown.”

While McCarthy did collaborate with Democrats to pass the short-term bill, House Democrats made it clear that they owed him nothing, especially after McCarthy’s inquiries in impeaching President Biden several weeks earlier. Although many Democrats didn't take the efforts to remove McCarthy seriously at the beginning, 208 Democrats eventually voted to oust him. Republican officials were also sent into a frenzy after infighting cost them their majority.

“McCarthy’s outing illustrates a lot of the concepts that we talked about in class,” AP Government teacher Tim Woodward said.

“Representation of parties, partisan politics and the ability for the House of Representatives to function. In order for the House

to function, there needs to be a speaker of the House. And currently, they are without one, so no business of the House can be done.”

Republican congressman Mike Johnson was officially elected as the new Speaker of the House on Oct. 25, after a 22 day period of an interim speaker. Johnson’s election came as a shock to many, as one of the most unrecognizable members of Congress is set to

“

Government is supposed to be about compromise, and it's supposed to be about concessions.

Tim Woodward

AP Government Teacher

navigate one of the most difficult positions. Questions about Johnson’s competence for the job have been circulating due to his lack of experience in Congress and age. The Louisiana Republican must negotiate with Biden and Senate Majority Leader, Chuck Schumer, to keep the government open and deliver aid to Ukraine and Israel while still attempting to keep his party happy.

Experts are unsure if there will be a government shutdown even after this short-term bill.

The House has 45 days since the passing of the short-term bill to come to a government funding agreement.

“We need the government functioning so that they can do their job and that we can continue

to make America a better place,” Bowen said.

The decision is set to come out on Nov. 17, but Woodward predicts the government will more than likely wait till the last minute again.

“I imagine that they will wait as long as possible just to make as many agreements and put as many amendments on the bill as possible,” Woodward said.

If the House does not come to a consensus and a government shutdown occurs, it will heavily affect many aspects of the country. The general rule during a government shutdown is that if something is not “absolutely necessary” to the country, it will be temporarily defunded.

The shutdown could have a catastrophic impact on the economy as it prevents many people from going to work.

Government jobs such as Department of Motor Vehicle workers and Transportation Security Administration officers have the potential of being furloughed, national parks would close, and the VISA process would slow down significantly, hurting international travel both in and out of the country.

As the weight of the country rests on lawmaker’s shoulders, there is nothing the people can do besides play a waiting game, one that will likely not be answered till the very last moments of Nov. 17.

“Government is supposed to be about compromise, and it's supposed to be about concessions and reaching across the aisle,” Woodward said. “And when parties cannot do that, and it affects millions of people, then there's something wrong with that. Something needs to change if people aren't willing to cooperate so that our government can do its very basic functions.”

America's congress struggled to prevent a total shutdown amid bickering and disagreements

competitors would raise theirs in response. Although almost every part of the lawsuit that talked about Project Nessie was redacted, the Wall Street Journal was able to obtain some information from unidentified sources.

The lawsuit claims that “Amazon’s Project Nessie has already extracted over [censored amount of money] from American households.”

“The FTC’s allegations grossly mischaracterize this tool,” an Amazon spokesman said in an interview with the Wall Street Journal on Oct. 4. “Project Nessie was a project with a simple purpose — to try to stop our price matching from resulting in unusual outcomes where prices became so low that they were unsustainable.

The project ran for a few years on a subset of products, but didn’t work as intended, so we scrapped it several years ago.”

The FTC still has to prove to a court that Amazon is in fact a monopoly, a process that could take several years. In the meantime, Americans can expect Amazon to operate as normal.

“Amazon could argue that they're a natural monopoly,” Livingston said. “[And] that they are naturally doing something well, and they serve the consumer and they serve the greater good.”

The online giant was sued by the U.S. government for monopolistic practices.

By Valentina Boltchi | Staff writer

Amazon: Hero or villain?

A

mazon has long dominated American households. The iconic blue and gray vans and boxes branded with the A to Z arrow are ubiquitous across the United States.

Initially founded as an online bookstore in 1994, 30 years later, the company sells video games, groceries and everything in between. With a market cap estimated by Forbes Magazine at $1.339 trillion, Amazon is the world’s largest e-commerce company in operation today.

“I think it’s crazy,” sophomore Courtney Del-Cid said. “They’re taking over the world. My parents get everything from Amazon.

They bought me a desk yesterday, and I’m not even joking they buy everything from them. And I get all my books from there too.”

But on Sept. 26, the United States Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit against the ubiquitous company.

“Amazon’s unfair and monopolistic conduct has broken the competitive process,” the FTC said in the lawsuit. “[Amazon’s] conduct also harms…shoppers and sellers alike, by depriving them of the benefits of open, fair competition and allowing Amazon to exploit its monopoly power without facing the competitive checks of a free enterprise system.”

The FTC is a government agency that manages companies and controls business practices in the marketplace. One of their priorities is regulating the power of corporations and ensuring that no one company has too much power.

Oftentimes, antitrust laws are used to keep the market fair. “[Antitrust legislation] protects consumers from high prices and low output, which is typically what a monopolist does,” upper school business teacher Amy Livingston said. “What's interesting about this case is that … Amazon's being

accused of doing something too well. So Amazon keeps prices low and output high, which benefits consumers.”

In the lawsuit, Amazon is being accused of monopolistic conduct.

“Amazon’s illegal conduct has stifled competition across a huge swath of the online economy,” Deputy Director of the FTC’s Bureau of Competition John Newman said in a statement on the FTC’s website. “Amazon is a monopolist that uses its power to hike prices on American shoppers and charge sky-high fees on hundreds of thousands of online sellers.”

Amazon’s low prices and free shipping are often what attracts users to the website.

“I feel like [Amazon] is a great business strategy,” senior Simran Malhotra said. “Compared to Ebay and a lot of other stuff, they don’t have free shipping, and so now I feel like I’m a lot more inclined to buy stuff [from Amazon] now that I don’t have to pay for shipping.”

The FTC is focusing on the wellbeing and treatment of Amazon’s sellers and competitors. It claims that other companies are unable to compete with Amazon because it has too much power in the marketplace. However, the FTC is using antitrust laws that typically protect consumers from outrageous prices to make an argument against the company that excels at offering cheap goods.

“If the FTC succeeds in making this argument, then they have set a precedent where they're revamping the antitrust legislation,” Livingston said. “[Then] it can be applied not just in instances where the FTC feels that consumers are being taken advantage of, but it can also be applied when they feel that there's unfair competition in the marketplace.”

Amazon claims that if the FTC were to win the case, consumers

would suffer.

“The result would be fewer products to choose from, higher prices, slower deliveries for consumers, and reduced options for small businesses — the opposite of what antitrust law is designed to do,” Amazon General Counsel David Zapolsky said in a statement on the Amazon company website.

Although Amazon is a retail giant, not all of its products are produced by the brand itself. Some of the products for sale come from the standard Amazon store while most of the others come from Amazon’s marketplace. The marketplace is a network of sellers, some in the U.S., and some around the world, that Amazon buys products from and re-lists on its website.

Amazon reports on its website that “more than 60 percent of sales in the online store come from independent sellers — most of which are small or medium sized businesses.”

The treatment of Amazon’s third-party sellers and competitors is the bulk of the FTC’s lawsuit.

Amazon was allegedly using an algorithm, referred to in the lawsuit as Project Nessie, that tested Amazon’s power to influence prices in the digital marketplace.

“Amazon was using the Nessie algorithm to monitor prices and watch them as they bounce up and down,” Livingston said. “So if a merchant raised their price by $1, then Amazon would raise their prices by $1. They were also monitoring, I believe, Target and other online merchants, and they were trying to adjust [their prices] that way.”

The process of lowering prices based on competitors’ prices is called tacit collusion and is not illegal. However, Amazon was allegedly also doing the opposite: using project Nessie to raise their prices and see how much their

By Maggie Chein | Business Manager

Illustration by Maggie Chein

6 | Eagle Edition

The Episcopal School of Dallas

Life

Spanish service Upper school students volunteer at nearby schools to help bilingual students.

Page 9

Student-led proposals drive changes in school life Business Management class presents innovative ideas to administrators

By Elliot Lovitt | Copy Editor

E

arly release on Fridays. No sermon during Eucharist.

Replacing Wednesday blazers with quarter-zips during the winter. Switching Senior Hall with Junior Lounge. Although some of these changes could never come to fruition, others show promise.

The Business Management class practiced their project management skills through a proposed improvement to the school that would benefit student life and culture. Students were tasked with exploring an area of school life that could be improved, whether it was scheduling changes, uniform changes or another aspect of student life.

“We have a project over planning and how managers and leaders make plans for whatever organization that they're in,” economics and business teacher Amy Livingston said. “In order to make it more relevant, I have the kids identify something on campus that they would like to see an improvement.”

In addition to creating a plan, students interview teachers or administrators who relate to the content of their pitch to receive feedback and discuss the practicality of the proposals.

“I've had a couple of different requests by student groups to come in and pitch ideas and their ideas are on making the student experience better,” Clark Family Head of Upper School Matt Peal said. “Some of them are doable. I think that what they're trying to do is get repetitions in the practice of brainstorming and proposing ideas and thinking through the whole proposal process.”

While some project ideas are not as feasible to implement because of logistical issues, others have more potential to be put into effect.

“One of the projects was

discussing the feasibility of moving the senior lounge off of the West Wing and over to where the juniors are,” Peal said. “That, to me, is a doable thing. I'm curious why or how the seniors came to be in the West Wing. Do they actually prefer that space?

I'm big on giving seniors those last year rights.”

“

[The project] is teaching them about the whole planning process. They have to create a plan in which they identify what their mission is for their plan and how it relates to the ESD mission. The point is that they're taking charge and seeing what goes into a planning process. I tell them to dream big.

Amy Livingston

Upper school economics and business teacher

Seniors Lauren Sharpe, Tripp Black and Hayden Parker proposed an alternative schedule on Fridays to increase productivity. Classes would be shortened from an hour to 45 minutes, and the school day would end at 2:50 p.m.

“We started talking about [how] on Fridays [during the] last period of the day, nobody really gets anything done, and classes are really disruptive,” Sharpe said. “That's how we came to our decision to make it an early release. We started off by making a mock schedule and figuring out which teachers and administration we could talk to and who controls all of that.”

Sharpe and her group met with Assistant Head of Upper School Maximiliano Augé to discuss their proposal and receive feedback. They also posted a poll for students on Schoology to vote if they were in support of their proposition, which received overwhelming support for early release on Fridays.

“The early release project stood out to me, as did the proctored study hall project and the uniform vest instead of blazer,” Augé said. “These groups asked good questions and provided justification.

These were all solid thought experiments. The early release proposal has some merit, but there is a galaxy of constituents who would need to be involved and an array of programming needs that would have to be considered before something like this is implemented.”

Sharpe plans to take her project beyond the Business Management class as she has worked on influencing the administration to implement her group’s plan. Even though the potential change likely would not happen before she and her group graduate, they hope that future Eagles can enjoy their proposal.

“The poll from the students really showed that it was very popular,” Sharpe said. “I've talked to a few teachers here and there, and a lot of them agreed that it would be a good idea. We just

have to keep going back and forth with Mr. Augé and answering his questions and addressing the problems.”

Sharpe and her group are not the only ones to continue their proposals past the class project.

The water fountain in Senior Hall used to only have the water bottle filler until a Business Management group from last year pitched to add a drinking fountain because students without a water bottle were unable to get easily accessible drinking water.

“The kids met with [Director of Facilities] Jay Michael, and they went through the finances of what it would take to actually get that taken out and have what's in there now,” Livingston said. “I talked to Jay Michael, and he identified how much it would cost to actually take [the bottle filler] out, get that switch. They did a workup of how much water it would save to have the kids have the fountain with the water bottle filler.”

In addition to the new water fountain, a past Business Management group is responsible for the location change of the off-campus lunch check-out computer. Previously, seniors had to check out in the West Wing, eating into the limited time allotted for off-campus lunch; the group proposed to move the computer from the West Wing to the Cook Building, making the location more convenient after Chapel. Another past group suggested improvements to the badge system to increase the badge’s usefulness.

“The important thing is not so much the kids are like saying, ‘Okay, we want to get this done.’

And then if it doesn't get done, they get bummed out about it,” Livingston said. “The point is that they're taking charge and seeing what goes into a planning process.

I tell them to dream big.”

A fresh fountain

Left: Prior to this year, there was only a water bottle filler in Senior Hall. Last year's Business Management class pitched to add a drinking fountain in addition to the water bottle filler. Right: Senior Kieran Awbrey drinks from the new fountain. "I enjoy drinking water from the water fountain because it's more convenient than just having the water bottle filler," Awbrey said. "It's nice not having to crowd around people when drinking water." Photos by Maddy Hammett and Elliot Lovitt

97

Percent of students said they support an early release schedule every Friday.

Source: Schoology poll of 248 students

96

Percent of students said they support wearing a quarter-zip pullover instead of a blazer on Wednesdays in the winter.

Source: Schoology poll of 193 students

80

Percent of juniors and seniors said they support keeping the Junior Lounge and Senior Hall the same.

Source: Schoology poll of 148 students

Life

November 10, 2023 |

HEARDby theBIRD

““ "IT IS IMPORTANT THAT STUDENTS UNDERSTAND THAT SCIENCE AND RELIGION CAN BOTH BE IN PARTS OF THEIR LIVES."

“I love the [Summer Fridays] lip balm because it smells so good and keeps my lips from getting dry.”

Estee Bines '26

Walter Warner Chemistry teacher

"I got the TikTok sound where its like "what is a Bibble? Plugh" and then I was like "Oh my god, I must be Bibble."

Margaret Shirey '24

“

I just watched the movie with my mom and thought it would be funny for Brooks and I to dress up as Risky Business.

”

Gwyn Moore ‘24

“I created this account to spread positivity and inclusivity at ESD and hope to share smiles and record positive moments of ESD students. My favorite part about running this account is seeing how enthusiastic and involved ESD students want to be with this account. It’s nice to see how many smiles I get each day that show that ESD students care about sharing moments of happiness and spreading positivity.”

Anonymous @esd_.smile creator

50 PERCENT OF UPPER SCHOOL STUDENTS PREFER PEPPERONI TO CHEESE PIZZA.

49 PERCENT OF UPPER SCHOOL STUDENTS PREFER CHEESE TO PEPPERONI PIZZA.

Compiled and illustrated by Maggie Pickens | Staff writer

7

8 | Eagle Edition

The Episcopal School of Dallas

Administration plans a final senior class visit to Wolf Run Location changes for the annual senior retreat prompting Wolf Run trip

By Brooke Ebner | Web Editor

SEN24TIONAL

The senior class at the senior retreat at the YMCA Collin County Adventure Camp in Anna, Texas on Aug . 20.

Photo provided by Yearbook Staff

D

uring a senior class officer meeting over the summer, Spanish teacher and senior class dean Marcela Garcini announced that the senior retreat was being moved to a new location this year, ending the long-standing tradition of seniors going to Wolf Run one last time for the senior retreat. Some seniors were not happy. Senior Charles Liu had fun at the retreat despite originally being disappointed that it wasn’t at Wolf Run. “I was upset at first, [but] then it turn[ed] out that the adventure camp was actually much better,” Liu said. “It had a lot more activities and had a huge swimming pool.”

Wolf Run has been a unique part of the ESD experience for both students and faculty.

Beginning in the first grade and going all the way through senior year, each grade level typically makes at least one trip out to the

ranch every year. “[From first through fourth grade,] it’s some trip that’s usually associated with some part of their curriculum that continues in the middle school,” Eddie Eason, assistant director of outdoor education, said. “They all go to the ranch doing something curriculum-related, but they also have camping trips on top of that or in other places in the high school.”

This tradition started around 1996-1997. In the upper school, freshmen and junior advisories go to Wolf Run for overnight advisory retreats in the fall. This allows the new advisories a chance to bond outside of the school setting; the freshmen focus on belonging, the juniors on leadership and the seniors on bonding with their class.

For the first time in a while, this year’s senior retreat took place somewhere else. Since the class of 2024 has 107 students and Wolf

Run can only accommodate 100 people, the seniors went instead to the YMCA Collin County Adventure Camp in Anna, Texas, from Aug. 19 to 20. This camp

“

I was upset at first, [but] then it turn[ed] out that the adventure camp was actually much better.

Charles Liu Senior

has a swimming pool, obstacle courses, zip line and many other activities that Wolf Run does not have.

“I know that people wanted to go to Wolf Run, and it’s like

our symbol of [our] school, but we [couldn’t] stay there because they [didn’t] have enough bunk beds for the entire class,” Garcini said. “The retreat is made for [the seniors] to have a moment [where they] actually spend a lot of time with [their] classmates [and] with their advisors, and I think that changing that scenario was pretty good.”

Some faculty also missed going to Wolf Run for the retreat.

Amy Livingston, upper school economics and business history teacher and senior advisor, was one of them.

“Personally, I love being at Wolf Run just mostly because of the history of Wolf Run, so I did miss being there,” Livingston said.

“That being said, this year's senior retreat, I thought, gave them a lot of opportunities to bond.”

A couple of months into the school year, the class realized that they wouldn't have a chance to visit Wolf Run one last time before graduation.

“I know everyone would want to go [to Wolf Run] one last time,” Senior Class President Caroline Bagley said. “Usually, that would be the senior retreat, but since we didn’t go then, I think everyone would like to go back one more time [before we graduate].”

Through Garcini’s brainstorming and discussions with the senior class officers and Assistant Head of Upper School Max Augé, the decision to go back to Wolf Run during a special programming day in February was made.

“We have a couple of things that we planned for them [like] yoga,” Garcini said. “I’m trying to build the schedule with a committee that we formed so the kids will be the ones deciding what activities we have.”

November 10, 2023 |

Life

Let's talk about...

College Apps

‘‘ Addie Click '24

How many colleges are you applying to?

Addie Click:

I'm applying to three schools. I'm not nervous about it. I feel pretty confident in myself and the schools I'm applying to.

Simran Malhotra:

I'm applying to 18 to 20. I'm a bit overwhelmed, but it's going well so far.

Charlie Massoud:

I'm applying to 11 schools. I'm done with all my applications except for one.

Sean Browne:

I’m applying to one school, and I’m feeling pretty good. Junior year I committed to play lacrosse for UVA, so I really only had to apply to one school. So that kind of made it easier on me for the application process.

How has the workload been regarding college applications?

AC: I finished all my essays at the

beginning of the school year because I only had eight supplements to write.

Each issue, the Eagle Edition gathers four ESD students to have a round table discussion about a relevant and timely topic. This issue, the topic is College Applications.

Co Editor-In-Chief Easterly Yeaman talked with seniors Addie Click, Charlie Massoud, Sean Browne and Simran Malhotra about applying to colleges.

Charlie Massoud '24

And so it was easy to get that out of the way. I'm glad I got out of the way.

I submitted all my applications in September, so I also got that out of the way. So it's been way less stressful.

SM: For me, it's been pretty busy. I

had 17 [essays] to write for the early rounds. So I'd say it's been like two to five hours everyday working on them based on how much homework I have.

CM: I haven't had too much difficulty with the supplements or the essays. I finished mine over summer.

Do you guys meet with your counselors often?

AC: I had a counselor outside of

school for the summer, which is how I finished all my essays and applications so quickly. So I don't meet with Ms. Gonzales that often, but I come in for questions. Especially when I was submitting the common app, I came in to see her about questions.

SM: I usually meet up with

mine every week to go over my supplements.

9

Simran Malhotra '24

Sean Browne '24

CM: [I meet with mine] once a month maybe.

used to just being open about it, and just like helping each other.

SB: I've met with mine a couple

SM: We're pretty open about it

Have any of you felt senioritis yet?

CM: With my friends, everyone's

times, but it's usually just emails going back and forth just clearing things up.

CM: Yeah.

AC: Yeah, I definitely don't try as hard at school because I don't have to submit my first semester grades anywhere I don't think.

SB: Yeah, [I’m] definitely feeling the senioritis. Especially after getting applications done it almost feels pointless.

AC: Yeah, I agree with that. After I finished my applications I kind of stopped trying as hard.

How do you feel talking to your friends about college applications?

too. We discuss ideas. I mean, there is a level of secrecy but it's not overbearing. pretty open. Everyone's applying to a totally different group of colleges from Ivy Leagues all the way to ACC and UT.

SB: Yeah, we're pretty open about

applications. I feel like a lot of the guys are not really insecure or overwhelmed as much, so we're pretty open about it.

Are you excited to see where everyone else is going?

AC: Yes, I can't wait. This is what I'm most excited for. I just want to see where [everyone in] our grade ends up.

AC: Our friends talk about it a lot. It's kind of stressful sometimes because we're all applying to the same colleges. But I think we've gotten

ESD and DISD students learn from one another

J

unior Benjamin Moorman arrives at Foster Elementary every other Friday at 7:40 a.m. to give one-on-one tutoring to a first grader.

Some days, he guides them in learning math skills like subtraction; others he teaches how to read. And his Spanish skills come in handy when he helps bilingual students understand the material in both English and Spanish.

"I get to see them progress every week until the end of the year,” Moorman said. “If they're struggling with something, I help them and watch them grow until they finally understand it.”

ESD partners with Walnut Hill Elementary, Foster Elementary and Caillet Elementary in a DISD tutoring program where students are sent to each school to volunteer in classrooms. Particularly at Walnut Hill Elementary and Foster Elementary, students are each assigned to a specific classroom. ESD students who are experienced with Spanish are put in classrooms where teachers teach bilingually, and students who do not speak Spanish are put into classrooms that are explicitly taught in English. This allows for both ESD and DISD students to practice language skills and learn from each other.

“Freshman year, I did not know that much Spanish, and I accredit the program with helping build my Spanish skills,” senior Kristin Doebele said. “Sometimes using Spanish with the kids is easier because [it allows them to] be more comfortable.”

In these classrooms, ESD students help foster a learning environment. Depending on the particular teacher, volunteers range from helping the students with one-on-one tutoring to working with the classroom as a

whole. Students who volunteer in this program go through training sessions and background checks to ensure they are qualified to work with the kids. If qualified, these student volunteers have to watch a video on the “dos and don'ts” of working with the children and follow specific learning plans given by the teachers.

“

It's a program that you are very committed to, and you see the growth of the students you're working with.

Marcela Garcini

Upper School Spanish Teacher and Senior Dean

“It is kind of hard sometimes because [the students] tend to have a hard time focusing,” Moorman said. “I have learned to have more patience for working with little kids.”

Upper school Spanish teacher and senior dean Marcela Garcini, one of the founders of this program at ESD, did not know how big this program would become. The program began with only one student in 2013. Being in its 10th year, the program now has more than 40 students including an Honors Spanish IV class. Garcini is more than pleased with the outcomes of what she has created.

“Having the opportunity for [our students] to change

someone's life with just one hour of [their] time every two weeks makes a difference,” Garcini said.

“Putting some empathy and time allows [our students] to improve their education.”

This learning program is different from regular community service opportunities because students go to an assigned school on a biweekly basis. Since classroom visits are routine, the elementary school students can personally connect with the specific volunteer, and many of them look forward to the day of the visit. With most of these schools having a socio-economic disadvantage, ESD volunteers help fill in the gaps. Many of these schools don’t have enough teachers for smaller classrooms and also have limited one-on-one contact between students and teachers. This program allows the younger students to get the most out of the lesson and helps them get clarity on areas they are having problems with.

“My main goal is that if you have [started the program] your freshman year, you finish through your senior year,” Garcini said.

“It's a program that you are very

committed to, and you see the growth of the students you're working with.”

Upper school Spanish teacher Ninotchka Beavers takes her class to Caillet Elementary before school once a week as part of her curriculum. Her students tutor children in kindergarten and first grade, as many of them are just beginning to read. Since most of these students are bilingual, ESD students use their Spanish skills to help them learn how to read in Spanish.

“I feel like we get more out of it than what we're giving, and I think my students feel that way, too,” Beavers said. “It teaches them responsibility, accountability, leadership and serving the community, which is so essential.”

Any ESD upper schooler can join this learning program, no matter if the student only speaks English.

“Somebody who's serviceoriented, who wants to help the community, who wants to be involved and wants to be part of something great should join this program,” Beavers said. “They must be committed to doing it because it is a big commitment."

ESD students visit public elementary schools to volunteer and help students with their studies

By Reese Rawson | Staff writer

Walnut Hill Elementary Visit

Students at Walnut Hill Elementary about to visit their assigned classrooms on Oct. 6. "I saw the Schoology post and knew it was something I wanted to do," sophomore Tatum Reynolds (sitting on the first row, far right) said. "This opportunity allows me to use and improve my Spanish through communication with the kids."

Photo by Marcela Garcini

10 | Eagle Edition

The Episcopal School of Dallas

Admissions' applications surge, set new record Increase in applicants creates a more competitive environment

By Emmy Moss | Staff writer

S

ophomore Estee Bines sighs with relief while walking out of the Independent School Entrance Examination after multiple weeks of studying and cramming to prepare herself for this test. But it is not over yet; now Bines has to wait and see the results of her scores which will determine her high school decision.

Hundreds of kids in the Dallas area apply to new schools that are increasingly getting more competitive each year. ESD has a competitive application process that expects well-rounded students, whether it’s in the classroom, on the field or outside of school.

This past year, ESD had a combined total of 890 applicants compared to the 2021-2022 school year, which had a total of 649 applicants, a 35 percent increase in applicants. Factors such as

Covid-19 have contributed to this increase in applicants, making the process more competitive for students. “[ESD has] seen an overall increase in applications in part due to our new lower school building and the excellent teaching going on in that space, especially since Covid-19,” Director of Enrollment Management Cindy Newsom said. “There's definitely been more interest in independent schools since Covid-19; for security reasons, we were a little bit more flexible during some crazy times.”

The increase in competition has been noticed by parents who are now trying to get their kids a spot in beginners. A parent who has asked to remain anonymous has already gone through the process with their children in lower school and is now applying for a spot in beginners. She agrees that spots at ESD are filling up fast compared to

Applications over the past three years

27% (649 applicants) 2021-2022

36% (843 applicants) 2022-2023

37% (890 applicants) 2023-2024

Graphic by Emmy Moss Source: ESD admissions office

previous years.

“We think that it has been more competitive compared to [my older child],” Mia Jackson* said. “Since we went through the application process with our older children, it seems like there are more applicants.”

“

We always are going to look through the lens of whats best for the child.

Cindy Newsom

Director of Enrollment Management

Other factors such as diversity are important to ESD in order to build a dynamic and balanced community.

"In our intention to be more reflective of the Dallas market as a whole, we are ever mindful of the school's strategic initiative to increase diversity, in all its forms," Newsom said. "I think our process is specifically designed to make sure we look at the whole child as they relate to our mission of igniting lives of purpose."

Children of alumni and faculty is also a factor that is considered by the admissions committee. This is referred to as the Community Applicant Policy, meaning that if two kids seem to be equal in every way, the spot will go to the child of alumni, siblings or kids of faculty.

“We value our alumni, we value our siblings, we value our faculty, staff, kids,” Newsom said.

“So we try to work extra close with those families and make sure we're giving them every chance in the admission cycle.”

Depending on the previous school, some kids have months if not years to prepare for the ISEE

test while others do not have that kind of preparation available. This difference in resources can cause an uneven playing field, making it important to the admissions committee not to base a decision completely off of their scores.

“The kids that go to Good Shepherd, St. John's, Lamplighter, St. Philip's, Wesley Prep., have a little bit of an advantage as far as being prepared on how to go through the application process,” Newsom said. “[We] take some of the bias out of those that prep and those that don't, and [ask questions like] can they do our academic work here at ESD because we always are going to look through the lens of what's best for the child.”

Although the tests and preparation are stressful, the actual application process can be very smooth and straightforward. Bines, a sophomore who transferred from Hockaday to ESD this past year, has insight on how the transferring process may be less stressful.

“The only really stressful part was the ISEE because I had never taken a test like that before,” Bines said.“My experience [with the application] was really smooth and all the information was where I could find it.”

For ESD, the goal is not to apply more stress in the application process, but to make sure that each kid is finding the right spot for them whether that is at ESD or another school in the area.

The most important component when looking at an applicant is how well they reflect ESD’s mission.

“One of the things that we really measure in our surveys year after year is how well did they get to know the school's mission of igniting a life of purpose through the development of an educated conscience,” Newsom said. *This parent asked to remain anonymous for personal reasons and is referred to as Mia Jackson in this story.

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CULTURE

November 10, 2023 |

Life

CRASH W

12 4 3 Matthew Perry leaves a legacy

“Friends” star Matthew Perry, who played Chandler Bing for 10 years, was found dead in his hot tub at his home in Los Angeles on Oct. 30 at around 4 p.m. Perry was most well known for his role in “Friends,” but also wrote the book “Friends, Lovers, and the Terrible Big Thing” and transformed his Malibu, California, mansion into a sober living facility that operated until 2015. He struggled with addiction and was honored with the Champion of Recovery Award from Obama Administration's Office of National Drug Control Policy in 2013 for his efforts to help others recover.

Raiders run into double trouble

On Oct. 31 the Las Vegas Raiders fired both their head coach, Josh McDaniels, and general manager, Dave Zeigler. “I wanted to thank them both for their hard work and wish them and their families nothing but the best,” Mark Davis, the team's owner, said. The team named Antonio Pierce as their interim head coach and for their general manager they announced Champ Kelly as an interim.

Heidi Klum flaunts her feathers on the red carpet

A worm, an alien, Shrek and most recently a peacock; these were all the most recent Halloween costumes of Heidi Klum. This year she dressed up as a peacock with 10 Cirque du Soleil acrobats around her. Compared to other years, this Halloween, Klum focused less on makeup prosthetics and more so on her other 10 people. She picked a peacock because she thought the dynamic way the birds spread their wings and a Cirque du Soleil type performance would go hand in hand.

5

Jada and Will Smith divorced since 2016

11

Opening doors for new relationships

hat started as a project for the senior class to connect with the lower school turned into the upper school pitching in to help make lower school carpool more fun and engaging.

Senior dean and upper school Spanish teacher Marcela Garcini came up with the idea and is in charge of organizing it every Wednesday afternoon. Now, there is a program where upper schoolers who have a study hall last on Wednesdays spend their time chatting with lower school students, opening car doors and making sure their new little friends get into their car safely at the end of their day.

“I had to ask other classes to do it, but it has been fantastic,” Garcini said. “I think that the teachers in the lower school really appreciate the fact that we’re pretty much taking over. A lot of my seniors have M block and cannot help because we can only help on Wednesdays, so not all the seniors are available.”

But this activity is not only for the seniors, it is open to all of upper school students and adults on campus. There have been days when the admissions team, facilities and various teachers help with carpooling as well.

All helpers must go through a training session before beginning, where they learn how to safely put the kids into the car.

“You have to learn how to open the door, and you have to be careful when the cars are moving,” Garcini said. “I think that now we're well trained.”

After training, volunteers are assigned a cone with a specific color and each kid has a number.

Parents pull up with the number in their windshield and each kid is sent to a specific cone. The volunteer then waits until the car is at a stop, helps the child into the car and closes the door, making sure they are safe and situated before they let them go.

“The kids get to talk to the high school kids, they love that,” Garcini said. “So they have little conversations, and wherever the mom comes through, they open the door, and they are sure that the kid is sitting on the chair, and they close the door.”

Assistant Head of Lower School Amy Cuccia asked a group of second graders their thoughts

Upper School students help out with lower school carpool

about the upper schoolers helping them with carpooling. The responses were overwhelmingly positive; although she could not say specific names as everyone was answering at the same time, she recalls a few responses; some of them said how they liked it when the upper schoolers talked to them and asked them their name. Another response talked about how they thought it was cool because they recognized

By Jamie Henderson | Arts different sports players, like field Editor and Social Media hockey. One response said how Manager they thought it was weird at first and they were a little scared, but after the first-day jitters, they started to look forward to seeing their new big kid friends every Wednesday.

And the upper schoolers love it too. Senior Margaret Shirey helped out during her study hall one Wednesday and now tries to do it whenever she is able to.

“

"The kids love talking to the high school kids.

They have their little conversations until their moms come through."

Marcela Garcini

Senior dean and upper school Spanish teacher

“I was really nervous at first because I had a bunch of stuff to do, and I was really hoping this is a good use of my time,” Shirey said. “I hope I’m actually helping because if I'm helping them, that's a good enough use of my time, and it was totally fun, and they were so thankful.”

This program provides a new connection between the youngest and the oldest students in our community.

“I think that brings a really cool connection between us on one campus, but I think that we are in different parts, and sometimes we don't connect to each other,” Garcini said. “This allows for the connection.”

During an interview in “Today”on Oct. 11 2023 with Hoba Kotb Jada Smith revealed that she and Will have been living “completely separate lives” since 2016.

Kotb asked about the cause of the crippling of their relationship. “By the time we got to 2016, we were just exhausted with trying,” Jada said “I think we were both kind of just still stuck in our fantasy of what we thought the other person should be.”

FNAF haunts watchers and players

The terror-filled game-to-movie adaption of Five Nights at Freddy’s hit the screen Oct. 27. The movie centers on the main protagonist, Mike Schmidt, who takes a job as a security guard at Freddy Fazbear's Pizzeria. As he begins his job, he realizes that the extremely creepy and eerie animatronics seem to be alive. Mike, who has limited safety and materials must defend and fight for his life, and eventually his sister’s, until the morning. Will he make it?

New little friends

Sophomore Mithul Nadampalli opens the door for first graders Odette Deforey and Olivia Schwalb during afternoon carpool.

"It's really fun because we never really get to see the big kids," Schwalb said . Photo provided by Cindy Newsom

12 | Eagle Edition

The Episcopal School of Dallas

Arts

Ceramic creations Margaret Shirey describes the inspiration behind her various ceramic pieces. Page 13

Fall play fills theatre with suspense New fall play , "The Innocents" is darker and grimmer than plays before.

By Sophia Sardiña | Life Editor

Fall play

Junior Jamie Henderson right) and eight grader Harper Cernoch (left)act in one of their dress rehearsals. "I am looking forward to the performances coming up," Cernoch said. "It is going to be so much fun to be able to scare people who come to see this scary play."

Photo by Lauren Redmond

T

he theater lights dim, and the best type of play for this time the once cheery bright room of year, as the play started on shifts to an eerie ambiance.

Nov. 9 and will run through Nov. Ghosts haunt the stage, 11, right after Halloween. adults scurry in fear and the “I think the timing and the mystery daunts the manor. themes of this play really go The audience sits at the hand in hand,” junior Xander edge of their seats, anticipating Bromberg, who plays Miles, said. the disappearing figures as they “Especially because the play has appear once more. darker elements with horror, it.”

“The Innocents,” a play based Two of the characters are nonon the English novella “Turn of speaking as they are evil spirits the Screw'' by Henry James, is an that haunt the manor.

English horror story written in the late 1800s filled with thrill and suspense.

The setting is an English manor that is haunted by spirits which possess the children of the manor. The 1898 play follows a This is definitely one of woman who becomes the legal our scarier plays with guardians of two orphans, Miles and Flora. As soon as she arrives Halloween, there will be at the home, she begins seeing spirits of Peter Quint and Miss some suspense and we Jessel. After the housekeeper of the manor takes Flora to live with hope people will come her uncle, the governess is left along for the ride. alone with Miles.

The ghost of Peter Quint Lauren Redmond and his spirit begin possessing Upper school fine arts teacher and director Miles and haunting the manor, and throughout the story, the governess tries to save Miles from him. However, the story is known for its dark and twisted ending.

“This is definitely one of our “The non-speaking characters scarier plays with Halloween,” are what I am most excited Lauren Redmond, upper school about,” Redmond said. ”They are fine arts teacher and director, so unique because they pop up said. “There is going to be some and appear randomly throughout suspense and we hope people the play.” come along for the ride.”

This unique aspect has been “Turn of the Screw” has been somewhat easier because these adapted and filmed 27 times; two characters only need to however only 12 are direct focus on their places, rather than adaptations that tell the original focusing on learning their lines story. In recent years, the latest and portraying the appropriate adaptation is “The Turning,” the emotions. only minor difference is that this Seniors Lily Bergman and movie focuses more so on the Charles Liu are the two voiceless governess’ delusions rather than characters. Liu plays Peter Quint the kids. who died in an “accident” and However, “The Innocents” haunts the boy Miles. Bergman has been regarded as the best plays Miss Jessel, an old adaptation of “Turn of the Screw,” governess who haunts the manor according to Screen Rant. “The and the little girl Flora.

Innocents” follows the exact story “I am most looking forward of the original novella, with the to being able to work with a same characters, themes and great cast and such a unique and motifs. unusual role,” Senior Charles Liu “It’s not that well known as a said. “Peter Quint is different from play,” Redmond said. “But, there any characters I have previously have been so many adaptations played as I focus more so on of both the novella and the movements and facial expressions Innocents that are famous.” than anything.”

With different elements of Not only is “The Innocents” a horror, gore and suspense, “The different playwright with parallel Innocents” is said to have been themes from previous years, the

“

dynamic of the cast has changed with the absence of last year's seniors and with a new addition to the cast.

“The play this year is truly night and day from last year,” Redmond said. “And it is evident that the cast has changed a lot since we lost the seniors.”

Last year's Fall play, “Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead,” focused on similar elements of thriller. Both plays focus on dark or grim topics such as death and abandonment “Even though plays in the past have been scary like this one, this one seems darker,” Bromberg said.

“The plot is just more chilling, especially with the two characters that do not speak.”

Last year’s fall play had around eight cast members, whereas this year there are six, one being a middle schooler.

Eighth grader Harper Cernoch was brought up to play an 8- yearold girl. Because she's in middle school, she was seen as the perfect fit for the role. Her character, a young girl named Flora, gets possessed my Ms. Jessel.

"Acting in upper school has been interesting and challenging," Harper said. "Nevertheless, I am so excited and honored to act in it."

Although there have been some minor struggles with the absence of seniors and with the cast being smaller than last years, the play has been moving swiftly with a good dynamic and environment with the cast.

“It is a different experience and environment than last year,” Redmond said. “But, I have definitely laughed more and they get along so well.”

But in some aspects, members of the cast believe that the smaller cast has more benefits with more repetition and more one-on-one help.

“It is definitely easier to have a smaller cast with only six people,” Liu said. “Everyone is able to focus a lot better and get individual help and it is easier to bond with everyone as opposed to a bigger cast.”

Regardless of hiccups with auditions and the play lacking the usual cast it has, the play has been coming along.

“Even though we have a newer cast, everthings coming along nicely,” Bromberg said. “Everyone is learning a lot and overall, it is just a really fun play.”

The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes

By Suzanne Collins

Review by Maggie Chein | Business manager

I, like many people, was first introduced to “The Hunger Games” universe in middle school and quickly became entranced by the intense action and layered characters. The original trilogy remains high in the rankings of books I’ve read. When I heard there was going to be a prequel, I was skeptical: there was no way a book published 10 years after the conclusion of the original series could measure up. I’m thrilled to be able to say I was wrong.

“The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” by Suzanne Collins is the prequel to “The Hunger Games” trilogy set 64 years before Katniss Everdeen and Peeta Mellark enter the arena. It follows Coriolanus Snow, future leader of Panem, and the moral struggles he faces as a mentor to Lucy Gray Baird in the 10th Hunger Games. Collins returns to the world of “The Hunger Games” as effortlessly as if she never left, and the plot twists and world development make “Songbirds” sound as if it could have been written right before the originals.

While “Songbirds” has the same tone and energy as the original books, there are some continuity issues between it and the original, and the ending left something to be desired. It felt rushed. The last 50 pages had a lot more going on than the beginning of the book, disrupting the flow. That said, “Songbirds” also provides insights into the trilogy, and I constantly came across ‘Easter eggs’ while reading. District 12, Lucky Flickerman and the tribute system are all familiar to readers of the original trilogy, but the time difference between it and “Songbirds” makes old characters and plot lines more interesting.

“The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes” has been developed into a movie by Lionsgate Films and will star Rachel Zegler as Lucy Gray Baird and Tom Blyth as Coriolanus Snow. Hollywood greats Viola Davis and Peter Dinklage will also feature in the film, which comes to theaters on Nov. 17.

Arts

November 10, 2023

13

Ceramic Creations Glazed to Perfection Margaret Shirey '24

By Anoushka Sinha | Staff writer As she sat down at the wheel ready to begin a new ceramics piece, Margaret Shirey, a junior at the time, didn’t realize this piece would soon become her favorite one. The piece? A chip and dip bowl.

As a self proclaimed “perfectionist,” Shirey, who is now a senior, made sure everything was as clean and perfect as possible up until the glazing process.

Wanting to experiment with the glazing, she dunked the piece in every glaze possible and put it into the kiln for firing. After being fired, Shirey noticed cracks and separation where the glazes overlapped, but she ended up loving the way it looked. Shirey now uses this blue chip and dip bowl every night to hold various items such as her jewelry, phone and apple watch.

Shirey has always had an interest in the arts, especially 3D work. She was first introduced to wheelthrowing when she came to ESD her freshman year.

“Freshman year, I also did studio art,” Shirey said.

“Through middle school I tended to paint a lot, but I would want to paint on little figures. So the 3D aspect of it is always what I've been drawn to.”

Instead of sticking with something more familiar, like studio art, Shirey chose to continue with ceramics and wheel-throwing throughout high school. Not only did the art medium interest her, but former wheel-throwing teacher Barbara Brault inspired her to continue as well.

“Wheel-throwing just felt more natural to me,” Shirey said. “Mrs. Brault, our teacher at the time, really influenced my decision as well. I liked being able to get things done in class and come up with ideas at home, as opposed to taking my artwork home with me to work on or finish.”

Shirey’s favorite things to make on the wheel are chip and dip dishes, also known as double-walled vessels because of the inner and outer walls created while throwing on the wheel. “I can really add my personality to that piece, and it is really fun to glaze,” Shirey said.

On the other hand, her least favorite pieces are bowls or lidded figures. “[They are my least favorite] just because I'm such a perfectionist and it's so tedious to do,” Shirey said.

Sad Flower Bowl

"I made this bowl thinking it needed something extra, and I decided to add this sad looking flower onto the inside of it!"

Alligator Bowl

"When I had taken this piece off the wheel it looked oddly inflated in a way, and I decided to add texture to the outside to provide some contrast. I used our Andrea’s green glaze and ended up with a cool alligator looking bowl!"

The First Trinket Dish u

"This was the first piece I had trimmed a foot on!

The bottom is clean and it created a pedestal for the piece to sit on, and it remains special to me because usually you don’t keep your first attempt at something in ceramics. "

The Blues u "This piece is my all time favorite! I find it ironic because I was such a perfectionist with this piece before glazing- I made sure it was clean and perfect, and then I dunked and layered it in every glaze possible. It’s beautiful though! You can see where the glazes overlap, some of them cracked and separated. I use it on my nightstand to hold my jewelry and charge my phone and apple watch."

Asymmetrical Trinket Dish

"I was playing around with asymmetrical pieces and how I could keep the integrity of a form but add on. I intended to copy the same glaze as the other white dish, but it turned out even better!"

14 | Eagle Edition

The High School

Habit

That is Hard to Kick Story by Iris Hernandez | Managing Editor, Beau Mcknight | Staff writer and Lauren Shushi | Views Editor Graphics by Iris Hernandez | Managing Editor and Lauren Shushi | Views Editor

The sweeping trend among students It’s a typical high school hangout. Chick flicks, junk food and gossip — all part of the usual. But one student, Kayla Bardot*, takes her first-ever hit of a vape, a hit that will prompt her to get her own and develop a dependence on nicotine.

Vaping has been the most common tobacco product among teens since 2014.

In 2022, 2.55 million high school and middle school students vape, according to The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“I was 15,” Bardot said. “That’s when I got my vape. I had tried it once [before then], and I didn’t like it.”

Vaping often starts young and is introduced by a teen’s environment or friends.

Peer pressure, weight loss and stress relief are all common reasons teens find themselves vaping.

“I felt peer pressure to [get a vape] because everyone around me was getting one,” Bardot said. “I just wanted to fit in, be perceived as cool for doing it, even though [I now know] vaping is not cool. At first, I wasn’t addicted. I didn’t even really like doing it… then I ended up getting addicted.”

A nicotine dependency can develop within days or weeks after starting, so it doesn’t take long to get addicted. Vaping also takes a toll financially, as the price can range anywhere from $10 to $50. “[For me] it varies anywhere from $15 to $25,” Bardot said. “[I replace it] about once every two or three weeks. Some places are cheaper for one brand, and some places are more expensive for the same brand. It really depends on where you go. I have recently been going to a gas station, but I used to go to a shop. There are better options at the station.”

Some students are against vaping and don’t see the point. According to an Eagle Edition poll taken on Nov. 6, 67 percent of ESD students have never vaped. “I don’t vape for obvious health reasons, and the more important reason I see no need to vape in my life,” Sophomore, Michael Peralta said. “Vaping would never be a solution. There is no way in life you can feel happy by vaping. You have fallen into a pit; your brain is now wired to not feel happy anymore.”

Even some that do vape are against it. However, they are often not as passionate about it.

“I mean, it’s everybody’s choice,” Bardot said. “I wish I didn’t vape. I wish nobody vaped, but to each their own.”

Many nicotine-dependent students are interested in quitting. Fifty-two percent of young people want to quit vaping, according to The Truth Initiative. Ten percent of ESD students who vape have attempted to quit. However, some of these students would feel uncomfortable asking the school for help.

“It’s not really any of the school’s business,” Bardot said. “They don’t need to know about that. I wouldn’t feel comfortable and would rather go to a therapist or a rehab facility or something like that.”

In 2020, the Food and Drug Administration banned vapes with flavors other than menthol and tobacco, as they were more likely to attract underage users. Despite this, many places still sell them. Students are able to use fake IDs to acquire the banned products. The FDA has created an enforcement plan and has begun to crack down on the stores distributing the more appealing flavors like fruit and mint, as well as ELF BARS and EscoBars. In October, the FDA banned the menthol and tobacco flavors of the second most popular vape brand, Vuse, with 24 percent of vaping students in America using it.

“I used to use Esco Bars, but they got banned by the FDA,” Bardot said. “ So now I’m trying to figure out a new brand. Some brands last longer. It doesn’t really matter to me, but some people really care about which brand they use. I now use Tyson, Mike Tyson’s vape brand.”

Students don’t just use them during their free time. Vaping is an all-day addiction.

“In the morning I’ll hit it like once or twice,” Bardot said. “Then mid afternoon, I’ll hit it a couple times. And then when I’m home from school and before bed, I’ll be hitting it consistently.”

Despite the ban and the known health risks, people are still using and purchasing the banned devices. While some may have the desire to quit, many struggle to actually achieve the nicotine-free lifestyle.

“I’m pretty healthy,” Bardot said. “I eat well, I exercise and I’ve been doing it for a long time [without] any side effects. But, I feel like in the future, like in the long run, [that] there will be side effects. I hope to be able to quit one day.”

The transition from cigarettes to vaping In recent years, teacher, Marie Archer* has frequently noticed artificial air wafting from the bathroom. This flavorful smell was not around two decades ago, but the advent of vaping in replace of the odorous cigarette has created a new wave of consuming nicotine in the form of small, portable and electronic devices.

“I have noticed that sometimes when I go into the bathroom, there is a very artificial, fruity smell,” Archer said. “It’s like a green apple or sour apple, strawberry or cherry. Just smells that are not typically part of any perfume that people actually wear on their bodies.”

Vaping, a relatively new innovation, is now a prevalent craze among young people.

The variety of flavors and accessibility of the product has contributed to its rise to popularity, along with the perception that they are a healthier, more convenient alternative version of cigarettes.

“I think vaping came out around the year 2000,” Archer said. “It was about the time I went to college, and when I came back to Dallas in 2004, e-cigarettes were everywhere. From my perspective, as someone who is older, it was originally supposed to be a way to get people to stop smoking.”

Chinese pharmacist Hon Lik invented the modern e-cigarette in 2003,

27 percent of students have vaped before *These names have been changed to protect the anonymity of the source.

75 percent of students know someone who is addicted to vaping

November 10, 2023 |

which was called Ruyan or “smoke-like.” Lik was motivated by his father’s death from lung cancer and his own addiction to cigarettes to create an alternative form of smoking that was less harmful to users.

“Vapes are a highly humanized product that relieve many of the withdrawal symptoms of conventional cigarettes, letting users enjoy nicotine alongside potential lower risks than cigarettes,” Lik said in an August 2020 interview with Imperial Brands Science. “They are, of course, only for adult smokers. Overall, I’m satisfied and gratified to witness this revolution that’s changing the lifestyle of millions of adult smokers around the world.”

Lik’s impact on the tobacco industry is now staggering. According to a Sept. 2023 report by the American Lung Association, the 2022 National Youth Tobacco Survey shows more than 2.5 million middle and high school students use e-cigarettes, making it the most common form of tobacco product among youth in the United States.

“The scary part is that [vaping] is now actually marketed towards young people and sold for them to want it,” Archer said. “[For] people my age, around 40 and above, there isn’t a lot of interest because it’s just not appealing. I think for young people though, the flavors and social aspects are really appealing, but we don’t really know how bad it is.”

The ALA attributes the younger generations’ attraction to vaping to the strategies e-cigarette companies use to appeal to youth. They cite that almost 85 percent of middle and high school students who vape reported a use of flavored e-cigarettes, the most popular flavors being fruit, candy, dessert or other sweet flavors, mint and menthol. Other tactics used by these companies are their ads that portray their products as healthy, corporate sponsorships and discounts and coupons to get young people to try their products.

“When people used to use cigarettes, there was a lot of smoke, it really smelled, it hurt and it made people cough, but vaping doesn’t do any of that,” Archer said.

“There is really no smoke, everything goes away pretty quickly and it smells good, but I think what’s bad is that a lot of young people do it all the time.”

A survey conducted by Neil McKeganey and Tiffany Dickson published in 2017 in the National Library of Medicine confirmed that some smokers had positive views on e-cigarettes because of the greater range of settings and variety of flavors, a lack of an offensive smell coming from the product, a reduced overall price compared to combustible tobacco products and less associated harm to themselves and people close to them.

“I don’t personally like [cigarettes],” Bardot said. “I’ve tried them. I don’t like the taste or smell.”

Another aspect that aided in the popularity of the e-cigarette was the rise in Americans’ consciousness of the negative effects of smoking in the late 20th century.

According to a 2014 report by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on the health consequences of smoking, Americans’ behaviors and attitudes toward the cigarette changed dramatically since 1964, when the first report from the Surgeon General on smoking was released. ESD parent Robert Shushi remembers the shift in public attitude and policy from the ’80s to now.

The perception of smoking was still cool in the ’50s and ’60s,” Shushi said. “People still smoked on airplanes and in restaurants, but then when I was young, in the ’80s, that perception definitely waned. Smoking started to be banned from public places and restaurants. There were more and more ads against smoking from the ’80s and then the early 2000s that really highlighted the negative effects of tobacco without pulling any punches. There was no sugarcoating it. You would see people with holes in their necks and other graphic images. These ads had never existed in such a graphic, punch-you-in-the-face kind of way.”

Since people have increasingly shifted away from cigarettes in favor of vaping, perceiving it as a better and often safer alternative, concerns over potential health consequences and the need for public education on the risks associated with e-cigarettes are on the rise.

“I think teenagers or young people in general are always finding a way to get that next ‘cool thing,’” Shushi said. “There’s this evolution of finding a cleaner-looking way of getting that fix of tobacco, which intrigues a lot of our youth. And so now you see the advent of the vape and where cigarettes were, when I was a teen, the thing people were trying to smoke in the bathroom, now it’s the vape. In another 20 years, who knows what it will be.”

Hidden health hazards As vape advertisements continue to be directed toward young audiences, health concerns for the growing generation arise. Nicotine, THC (marijuana) and other drugs found in vapes are highly addictive and extremely dangerous for their users. According to the National Institute of Health, the primary age of vape users is 13-20 years old, some as young as middle schoolers.

“Consumption of nicotine is known to have effects as teens are developing, and so does alcohol, and it’s known to have impacts on the development of your frontal lobe,” Maximiliano Augé, former biology teacher and current assistant head of upper school, said. “Nicotine and body development do not mix.”

Upper school student Aimee Frost* agrees with Augé and says vaping affects students physically while doing sports.

“When running, I get shortness of breath on the field,” Frost said. “I don’t notice effects all the time, but there are some moments where it really stands out.”

As of 2020, there have been under 3,000 people hospitalized and 68 deaths from excessive vaping in the U.S. Despite being a relatively new invention, vaping has rapidly become a worldwide epidemic.

ESD parent and trauma surgeon at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas and Fort Worth, Dr. Matthew Lovitt, has experienced these cases firsthand since they began to appear in 2019.

In most cases, according to Lovitt and his partners, they have reached the point where the patient has failed all medical therapy for their lungs. They are left with no other choice but to perform an Extracorporeal Membrane Oxygenation, where the blood is removed, oxygenized, and returned to the body due to the copious amount of carbon dioxide left in the lungs.

“The only thing we can do to keep them alive is to use this [ECMO] machine to help oxygenate their blood… worst case scenario, the lungs are completely destroyed, and there’s very little we can do for those people,” Lovitt said. “Most of these people are not a candidate for lung transplantation, which is really the only long-term solution.”

Lovitt explained that while the ECMO procedure is effective for some and fails for others, there are no long-term treatment options for lungs affected by the chemicals in vapes. This is just the beginning for many new and young vape users, so the future of these users’ health is completely unknown. “[Vaping] is incredibly bad for you, and you never know if this is going to happen to you,” Lovitt said. “They do it for a while, and then all of a sudden, they go out, and it happens out of the blue.”

In addition to these hospitalizations, vaping causes psychological setbacks and is tied to mental illnesses that can be highly destructive for young adults. These mental effects might not appear statistically, but they can be observed in young adults’ behavioral patterns and moods.

“Substances release dopamine and other important chemical messengers in the brain in such a way that disturbs the brain’s normal regulation of dopamine and overall mood,” said Will Straughan, a representative working with Soundcheck, a substance prevention network that ESD uses to educate students. “This tricks the brain into thinking that an unhealthy behavior, such as vaping nicotine or THC, is a meaningful event worth repeating.”

Although vaping is often used as a coping mechanism, in the long run, it makes whatever one’s problems are worse and harder to deal with.

“When people aren’t learning how to handle and manage their emotions, they’re using [vaping] as a coping mechanism, but it’s a very unhealthy one,” Associate Director of Student Wellness Merredith Stuelpe said. “Teens turn to vaping as a way to feel something different.”

Just like knowledge is absorbed faster by growing children and young adults, so are habits. The feeling one gets from vaping can, and most times does, become something that people rely on to feel good, ultimately resulting in addiction.

According to a Nov. 6 Eagle Edition poll 75 percent of ESD students who responded said they know someone who is addicted to vaping.

With vaping and other substances being present in the community, ESD educates the student body through Soundcheck, an organization whose. Representatives are all individuals who have been addicted to and negatively impacted by drugs, all with a different story to share.

“You can at least hear that message from individuals that have walked that walk, and they’ve had those challenges,” Augé said. “It’s time and money well spent.”

Some students in the community agree with Augé’s statement, particularly enjoying Soundcheck’s visits to school because all their conversations with students occur in a private environment with no teachers present.

Sophomore Will Cook said that the information Soundcheck provides helps him make healthy choices as a teenager.

“I thought [Soundcheck] was very educational and taught me a lot more about decisions to make in my teenage years,” Cook said. “I also like it because it really creates a connection between the students and the speaker.”

Straughan understands that teenager have pressures and challenges in all areas of life, but strongly advises teens to stay away from substances.

“High school is a time of curiosity, risk-taking, and a really strong willingness to do things that make us feel like we’re part of something, to fit in,” Straughan said. “Strive for meaningful connections, awesome friendships, and getting to know this world unclouded by the effects substances can have on life now and in the future.”

10

6

percent of students who vape have attempted to quit

percent of students were successful when trying to stop vaping

4 percent of studentswere not successful whe trying to stop vaping SOURCE: Nov. 6 poll of 156 upper school students

15

16 | Eagle Edition

The Episcopal School of Dallas

Views

Vlogger Villians Life Editor Sophia Sardiña believes family YouTube channels shouldn't exploit their children for fame. Page 19

Staff Keep Congress young 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.

The Eagle Edition believes Congressional terms should have a limit

R

ecently deceased Dianne Feinstein from California was the oldest serving senator at 90 years old. The average age of senators is 64 years old, and the average age of members of the House of Representatives is 57, while the median age of American citizens is 38.9 years.

The Eagle Edition staff believes that U.S. Senators should be limited to two 6-yearterms and members of the House of Representatives should be limited to six 2-year terms.

As John F. Kennedy once said, “The future promise of any nation can be directly measured by the present prospects of its youth.” How will the young have the ability to fulfill that promise when the average American is 20 years younger than those representing them?

The nation is no doubt divided over differing political beliefs.

However, one opinion that Republicans and Democrats, as well as most American citizens, can agree on is that senators and members of the House of Representatives should have term limits. According to a Pew Research Center poll, 87 percent of the Americans surveyed supported term limits for members of Congress. In addition, according to the Washington Post, a separate poll reported 86 percent of Republicans and 80 percent of Democrats support term limits.

In a Nov. 6 poll of 156 Upper School students, 49 percent believed term limits should be imposed on members of congress

while 10 percent believed they should not.

Some argue that having unlimited terms allows for more experienced politicians to run our country. And while this may be true, the benefits of having fresh perspectives outweigh the cost of possibly losing experienced congressmen and women.

In addition, if senators are limited to two terms and members of the House are limited to six terms, this still allows for efficient time for them to gain that invaluable experience, as each can serve up to 12 years.

An alternative solution that allows for a younger congress would be setting age limits.

However, because people age differently, it would be unfair to set these limits; a candidate's age should not necessarily prevent them from being elected or serving.

Instead, term limits can provide a cap to how long

members can serve, preventing senators and members of the House from holding a position into their old age. This would ultimately allow for the younger generations to continue filling those seats.

According to CNBC, in 2016, America’s democracy index fell below eight, placing it in the category of a “flawed democracy.” This score doesn’t imply America isn't a functioning democracy; rather, CNBC attributes the decline to a “dwindling trust in government, elected representatives and political parties.” This can be seen by a Pew Research Center poll that found only 19 percent of Americans “trust the government to do the right thing.”

So, how can Americans gain more trust in their government? In addition to making Congress younger, term limits could also increase citizens’ overall trust in their elected officials as new senators and members of the House better represent and are

more connected to and engaged with the American people.

Elected representatives are meant to serve Americans by being citizen lawmakers.

However, when senators and members of the House serve for, say, longer than 20 years, they become career politicians who are disconnected from the experience of their fellow Americans outside of Washington, D.C. According to a survey conducted by the University of Maryland in February regarding congressional term limits, a majority of Americans believe that elected representatives who serve too long in their position “have too much security in their seats, reducing their need to be responsive to their constituents.”

Representative governments are meant to be a representation of the active members of a nation's society, but Congress does not meet this goal. Only about 5 percent of congressmen and women are between 25 and 40 years old, while 33 percent of the American population over 25 represents this age group. The more congressmen and women who accurately represent and actively serve the American population, the more trust U.S. citizens will have in our government.

With term limits set on members of Congress, not only will our government finally include more representatives from the younger generations who have fresh perspectives, but, overall, citizens could gain more trust in our elected representatives to run our country.

Illustration by Easterly Yeaman | Co-EIC

A Music Moment with Iris and Lauren Lauren Shushi and Iris Hernandez discuss the benefits of attending concerts

By Lauren Shushi | Views Editor

L

istening to music is something that is extremely personal to me and essential to building connections. From bonding with my dad in the car while listening to The Smiths, to gushing over Romeo Santos’ music with my mom, to sharing an AirPod with my best friend in class — music matters in my life.

In the same way that I believe that sharing a book can be an intimate look into a person’s psyche, music, perhaps even more so, is a beautiful looking glass into the brain of whoever is on the other side of the headphones. How do they connect to the lyrics? How do they not? Do they like a fastpaced, rhythmic beat or a slow serenade? Who are their favorite artists, and why?

The answers to these questions create a new connection between me and a person over music, and one place where the connections music form is most apparent is at concerts. Sharing music at concerts is one of the best ways to form quality bonds with loved ones, create long-lasting memories, boost your own mental and physical health and more.

Solely based on anecdotal evidence, I can attest to my belief in the benefits of the concert experience. On April 1, I saw

Taylor Swift in concert during her Eras Tour with a friend and was blown away by the entire experience: the live songs, the dancers, the stage, the lights — it was all incredible. Now, I look back on videos and pictures of that night and remember it fondly as an unforgettable experience.

But do not just take my word for it. Studies show that going to concerts is actually beneficial to your mental and physical health. A 2016 study by Daisy Fancourt and Aaron Williamon published in the National Library of Medicine showed that going to concerts reduces cortisol levels in the body, which is the stress hormone linked to heart disease and diabetes. Another study done by Ph.D. David H. Bradshaw and colleagues in 2012 on the “Effect of Music Engagement on Responses to Painful Stimulation” shows that listening to live music can trigger a release of endorphins, thus relieving physical pain.

Another reason to go to more concerts is for the communal experience. For example, I saw Maluma, a Colombian rapper and singer, with my mom on Oct. 14, 2020, in concert. I got to see more of the Hispanic culture during this event, along with when I saw Romeo Santos with my mom just

recently on Oct. 22. It is amazing how people of all backgrounds can come together during a concert to see an artist that they love. Collective effervescence, a sociological concept coined by Émile Durkheim, is the sense of communal energy and shared feeling that people get when they come together for a single purpose. Concerts in public spaces are one of the best examples of collective effervescence.

Studies also show that along with other genres of live music like pop, hip-hop and rock, classical music performances are known to benefit listeners by reducing stress. An article published by the Gramophone Newsletter in 2015 included research conducted by the Royal College of Music’s Centre for Performance Science.

The study covered the positive benefits of classical music in that it physically prevents stress as audience members experienced a reduced level of the stress hormones cortisol and cortisone.

Now, concert attendance is back on the rise since the decline of live music during the pandemic.

According to an article posted

by Variety Magazine in May, Live Nation, an entertainment company, posted their recordbreaking quarterly earnings at

$3.1 billion in revenue, which were up 73 percent from the same period last year. Major tours in 2023, such as Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, Drake, the Jonas Brothers, Adele, SZA and more, are causing fans to show up and show out again.

People may counter with the fact that concert tickets are often expensive. According to Business Insider, tickets for Bruce Springsteen’s 2023 tour on StubHub cost at the high end $570. In these moments, it is important to remember that there is always a range of ticket prices, as the lowest cost of the Springsteen tickets are around $30, and also that concerts are an unforgettable experience. For an artist that you really love, concerts are worth the price. Attending concerts is a tangible way to support the work of a musician and their industry, especially for smaller artists whose ticket prices are often more affordable.

To support your favorite artists, improve your mental and physical health, gain an unforgettable experience and share connections with people because of music, concerts are the best way to achieve this. The live music experience is unmatched in terms of the joy and positive benefits to your psyche while listening.

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November 10, 2023 |

HEADDAEH

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Illustration by Valentina Boltchi | Staff writer

A

Christmas begins right after Thanksgiving

Christmas starts December 1

By Valentina Boltchi | Staff writer

By Charlotte Tomlin | Sports Editor

s the cliché goes, Christmas is truly “the most wonderful time of the year.” From nostalgic Christmas songs to decorating gingerbread houses, Christmas presents ample opportunity to create memories and spend time with those you love.

Who wouldn’t want this amazing season to last as long as possible?

We often categorize months according to their major holidays, like October being the month of Halloween festivities or July being the month of the Fourth of July.

However, for such a major and intricate holiday like Christmas, it deserves more than just a month.

For me, the Christmas season begins right after Thanksgiving. I, like many others, look forward to Christmas the entire year leading up to it. As Thanksgiving comes to an end, the excitement level is just too high to wait until December to start getting into the Christmas spirit. Taking the days between Thanksgiving and the start of December to plan, decorate and get into the spirit just makes the Christmas season that much more enjoyable. Then, by the time December starts, you will be fully indulged in the spirit and ready to take in the season in its entirety.

Starting Christmas at the end of November gives me more time to get organized for the season. Christmas time comes with many responsibilities, like buying gifts, decorating your house and preparing meals. Being a good gift giver is like an art, and like any other art, you must have adequate time and practice to become amazing at it.

And let’s not forget about Black Friday, which presents the ideal opportunity for all gift-buying endeavors. Black Friday always falls after Thanksgiving Day and includes heavy discounts in almost

all stores across the nation — another beneficial reason to start your Christmas season in November.

You can also start embellishing with Christmas decorations during this time.

Decorating your house before December gives you more time to decorate beautifully and make sure every intricate detail is to your liking.

Another factor to note is that decorations aren’t cheap. According to NBC DTX, the average person pays $78 for a live Christmas tree and $104 for an artificial one. In addition, the costs of ornaments, wreaths and other miscellaneous decorations tend to add up.

Having these decorations displayed for longer means that you are truly getting the best use out of them, making the often steep prices more worth it.

Additionally, the increased jollyness and spirit you will radiate as opposed to people who start celebrating Christmas in December, is another advantage of starting to celebrate early. While everyone else is stressing about decor and planning, you will be fully organized, and avoid the stress that might accompany rushed planning. These few extra days give you more time to get adjusted into a Christmas mindset, therefore you will be teeming with spirit by the time December hits.

It also allows you more time to do many of the beloved Christmas traditions, such as decorating gingerbread houses, going on carriage rides or singing Christmas carols. These events often take time to organize and occur and are hard to plan last-minute in December. Also, who doesn't want more time to do the things they love? These long-lived traditions bring joy and surprise to otherwise ordinary life, and are sure to cause an increase in dopamine in Christmas-loving individuals.

Percent of students think Christmas starts after Thanksgiving

I

want to preface this by saying I adore Christmas. Nothing makes me happier than driving home from Christmas dinner and taking the scenic route while looking at all the extravagant lights. I always get chills on my arms during “Silent Night” — the magic of the season is really just unparalleled.

However, part of what makes Christmas so special is the rarity of it. Imagine if Christmas was year-round: it wouldn’t feel special to hang a wreath on your door, to listen to Christmas music or to wrap Christmas presents. Therefore, I believe wholeheartedly that the Christmas season starts on Dec. 1.

My passion for this topic starts with Thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is the most underrated holiday in my opinion. You get to spend time with family without worrying about whether or not they like your gifts, you get to give thanks for the sole purpose of giving thanks and the food is always amazing. Many people jump straight from Halloween to Christmas, and Thanksgiving becomes an afterthought.

Thanksgiving often gets overlooked because it is so close to the start of Christmas, but I believe that people should preserve the sanctity of Thanksgiving by keeping November a Thanksgiving month and letting December be a Christmas month.

Not to mention, there’s a reason an Advent calendar does not start on the day after Thanksgiving. This year, Advent starts on Dec. 3. Since the whole meaning of Christmas is about the birth of Jesus, it only makes sense to follow the Advent calendar when celebrating Christmas.

However, while I might be passionate about reserving November for Thanksgiving, many stores and corporations do not feel the same way.

According to CNN Business, Amazon and Walmart initiated Christmas sales

58 6

as early as October in 2021. This year, Home Depot started selling holiday decorations in August. Additionally, Costco has Christmas decorations sitting side by side with Halloween decorations in the warehouse stores. So, the push for Christmas to start earlier is not only driven by our own thoughts but enforced by businesses around us. If you see Christmas decorations in Home Depot in October, you begin to get excited about Christmas time, even if it’s two months away. By rolling out these decorations months before the actual holiday, stores are pushing you to forget about Halloween and Thanksgiving and instead focus on Christmas. Christmas has become increasingly commercialized in recent decades, only amplified by events like Black Friday, Cyber Monday and Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade, which all serve as a green light to start spending for Christmas.

But speaking of Christmas shopping and presents, one of my favorite things is the smell of the pine tree that sits decorated in our living room all of December. But it’s hard when we have to throw away our Christmas tree the day after Christmas because the needles are falling off. According to Better Homes and Gardens, the lifespan of Christmas trees is four to five weeks. So, if you get your Christmas tree before Dec. 1, it might not even make it to New Year’s.

There is no question that the Christmas season should begin after Dec. 1, allowing ample time for Thanksgiving to be celebrated while also devoting a whole month to Christmas. This preserves the uniqueness of Christmas and also the magic of the season that we all look forward to every year. That way, you can still put pumpkins on your porch for Thanksgiving and have a Christmas tree that lasts the whole month of December.

Percent of students think Christmas starts Dec. 1

SOURCE: Nov. 6 poll of 156 upper school students

18 Eagle Edition

The Episcopal School of Dallas

Staff member Margot Cathey embarks on a mission to find the "perfect" fall donut. Her review focuses on fall flavor, icing and texture.

KRISPY KREME

MUSTANG DONUTS

As Oct. 31 crept up, Krispy Kreme launched a new collection of Halloweenthemed donuts. While many prefer the traditional, warm glazed donut, the new Scooby Doo Frankenstein donut was a real eye-opener. As I walked into the store, patiently waiting for my order to be ready, the aroma of cookies-andkreme Hershey bars filled my nose with great smells. It reminded me of the original glazed donut, mixed with the sensation of trick or treating and ripping open all of my candy. The donut consisted of delicious purple icing which thoroughly stained my fingers, but just as I bit into the purple iced donut, a warm filling of cookies and kreme oozed into my mouth, filling it with a sweet and silky sensation. The doughnut with Oreo crumbs on top along with a cold cookie and cream milkshake was the ideal spooky treat.

After a chilly, breezy walk down Hillcrest Ave. on a Tuesday morning before school, I entered the one and only Mustang Donuts. The locale is always decorated according to the theme of the season; this month’s fall theme did not disappoint.

I thought it would be difficult not to buy my favorite chocolate twist donut, but once I saw this incredible cinnamon donut, it wasn't hard to change my usual order. When I sat down and opened the box, I couldn't wait to take my first bite. As I bit into the donut, the warm, sweet and woody taste of cinnamon burst into my mouth, reminding me of a regular-flavored glazed donut with hints of a Cinnabon but with an even better consistency. This fall donut fell into the ranking for a great fall donut.

6601 Hillcrest Ave #D



5118 Greenville Ave.

HOLE LOT OF YUM THE SALTY DONUT On a recent warm Friday afternoon, my dad and I took a trip to The Salty Donut after hearing wonderful reviews. I ordered the Pumpkin Spice and Brown Batter donut with brioche dough. As they called my order number, I eagerly walked up to the counter with high hopes for my donut. I could feel the thick, warm donut blazing through the bag, as the smell of pumpkin spice diffused out of it. When I first bit into the donut, my teeth sunk into the fluffy, crispy brioche dough. The pumpkin icing melted into my mouth, wincing at the strong hints of cinnamon.

Although the donut was great, it was very heavy and a bit too sweet for my taste.

2049 N Pearl St



YUMMY DONUTS I slammed my car door, jogging into the store to escape the cool fall weather.

The smell of cinnamon filled my nose and reminded me of Thanksgiving. I patiently waited in line ready to order my all-time favorite: sugar spice donut.

Ordering the donut at the counter took me back to my lower school soccer games on chilly Saturday mornings when we would stop for a donut. I expected the donut to taste the same as it always had, but a new unexpected flavor burst into my mouth and it was 10 times the taste than it had been prior.

Every taste bud in my mouth went numb due to the extravagant taste of cinnamon sugar, reminding me perfectly of my favorite season and unquestionably holding the title of the best fall donut.

4355 Lovers Ln.



KRISPY KREME While I eagerly anticipated the Scooby Doo-themed donut from Krispy Kreme, my excitement turned into mixed emotions. Visually, the donut was a masterpiece, capturing the memories from my favorite childhood TV show.

However, the taste didn't quite align with my expectations. The combination of a warm, glazed donut with blue frosting and gooey green candy filling sounded delicious, but in reality, it fell short. The multitude of frosting flavors, including orange, lime and blue raspberry, along with the regular glaze, contributed to an overwhelming sweetness that overshadowed the savory notes I associate with a classic donut.

5118 Greenville Ave.

 Photos by Margot Cathey | Staff writer

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November 10, 2023 |

Family channels are harmful to kids' development

F

rom birth to your awkward stages of puberty, a camera is capturing every single moment of your life — all filmed, documented and scripted. Your parents, behind the camera, publish these moments and make a profit out of your personal events.

This is the reality of family vloggers and their children. Every day, parents film their children and post the videos on social media channels hoping to gain fame and fortune. However, constant internet attention, demanding standards and work for children can be harmful to their development and their childhood.

Family vlogging became popular in the late 2000s when a father, Shay Butler, began uploading videos of his children in 2008 and it exploded from there. Families began posting and filming every aspect of their kids' childhoods. In recent years, family vlogging has expanded its content, and not for the better.

With the popularity of TikTok and YouTube, family vlogging became easier and more accessible to families. Nevertheless, on any platform, recording your kids in this manner creates negative consequences.

It is unnatural for kids to constantly be filmed and recorded.

Legally, there are a set number of hours that kids can be filmed for work depending on their age.

In Hollywood, there are strict regulations against child labor, such as the Jackie Coogan Law that states: between the ages of

six to 9 years old, kids can only work an average of five hours a day; for kids between nine and 16, the limit is seven hours; and for 16 through 17-yearolds, the maximum is 10 hours.

However, due to the accessibility and unchecked nature of new platforms, these laws do not apply.

“

It is understandable to share wholesome moments, birthdays, school dances, etc; however, there should be a limit on family vloggers to how much they can exploit on the Internet regarding their children.

What makes vlogging different? Why should families get free reign over how much labor their children are doing?

The same laws regarding pay and working hours must apply to all types of child labor, including family YouTube channels.

Although Hollywood seemingly is a stricter environment than a home, in some instances, the pressure coming from parents far exceeds the pressure on

professional child actors.

Not only do harsh standards affect these children, but they also must handle the physical and verbal abuse that comes with family channels. Parents believe because their kids are their family, they can treat and talk to them however they please. One example is the Ace Family.

Rising to fame in 2016 with the birth of their first daughter, “The Ace Family” is a YouTube channel run by Austin and Catherine McBroom. Their channel mostly revolves around pranks on their children. It is evident that in their videos their children experience traumatic events such as being physically and verbally abused and sometimes even sexually. In late June of 2020, in a video the Ace Family posted, Austin McBroom was “showing off his gains” and proceeded to slap his daughter on her rear-end in the means of “entertainment.” In a later video that circulated on Twitter and other news platforms, you can see his youngest daughter flinch in response to Austin raising his hands “jokingly” about hitting her.

And the Ace Family is not the only family accused of child abuse. Recently, the parents of the family channel “8 Passengers,” Ruby and Kevin Franke, and Ruby’s business partner, Jodi Hildebrandt, were accused of six accounts of child abuse.

Franke rose to prominence in 2015 through her channel “8 Passengers,” which featured her, her husband, Kevin Franke, and their six children. Their channel had a following of nearly 2.3

million, with content revolving around their children as they filmed everything from family dinners to disciplining their children on camera.

Franke frequently collaborated with Hildebrandt to talk about parenting and relationship advice.

However, Hildebrandt’s life coaching had been scrutinized for being extreme with child neglect and discipline.

Although no one batted an eye towards the family’s dynamic, things changed when their 12-yearold son was found by a neighbor emaciated, with open wounds and duct tape on his wrist and ankles on Sept. 5 of this year. The boy had escaped out of the Hildebrandt’s basement, asking for help from his neighbors. The police were involved and found their 10-yearold daughter in the Hildebrandt’s basement, extremely malnourished and bruised. All six children were rushed to the hospital, and Franke and Hildebrandt were soon taken into custody, later getting charged with six counts of felony child abuse.

While I recognize that these are extreme cases, parents should understand that filming their kids throughout their lives and using them for economic gain is harmful to them. It is understandable to share wholesome moments, birthdays, school dances, etc; however, there should be a limit on family vloggers to how much they can exploit on the Internet regarding their children by applying the same laws of child actors to these family channels and their children.

Constant media attention on kids damage their childhood

By Sophia Sardiña | Life Editor

Best Eye Care/ Eye Doctor

By Elliot Lovitt | Copy Editor

I

don’t enjoy driving. Frankly, I loathe driving, although I cannot quite put my finger on why. To combat my dislike of driving, I have turned to podcasts to make my experience more enjoyable.

Whether it’s “Celebrity Memoir Book Club” — two comedians who read different celebrities’ memoirs and analyze them — or “History That Doesn’t Suck” — an entertaining retelling of history — I love podcasts, regardless of how “serious” the subject is.

Podcasts are not only a form of entertainment that passes the time while driving, cleaning or doing other mundane tasks, they also benefit our mental health. A 2016 study from UC Berkeley found that listening to narrative stories stimulates the brain; listening to comedy podcasts can lower cortisol levels, and in turn lower stress levels. Laughter really is the best medicine. Meditation podcasts, according to Good Housekeeping and Medical News Today, release oxytocin, which is related to trust, developing relationships and empathy. Different types of podcasts produce different effects on the brain, but the bottom line is that listening to podcasts improves our overall wellbeing.

Podcasts offer a more accessible way to continue learning beyond the classroom. From adults who have not been to school in decades to teenagers who want to expand their learning or hear about a topic that is not typically covered at school, the wide variety of podcasts (over three million options) allows people of all ages to learn. A 2023 poll from the Pew Research Center reported that 55 percent of American podcast listeners’

major reason for listening is to learn, and 29 percent listen to stay up to date on current events. For my AP Comparative Government class with Law and Government teacher Adam Walsh, each student was assigned a different podcast episode about Chinese politics and culture, ranging from the education system to nuclear power. We presented our takeaways to the class to divide and conquer China’s expansive political culture.

In my opinion, using podcasts in the classroom is a fun and effective way to engage students and an alternative to typical lectures.

Today, it feels like “selective hearing” has become an epidemic plaguing all generations. Podcasts could potentially be a solution to this problem as they force the brain to concentrate and focus on the words of the podcaster and increase information retention. According to Reading Rockets, a research-based media literacy initiative, podcasts train listening comprehension skills in both conversational and formal contexts, and they help people refrain from zoning out because they have to actively listen. Additionally, a 2022 journal published in the National Library of Medicine reports that listening to podcasts provides social and informational gratifications and that frequent podcast listeners are less attached to their phones than those who do not listen. For me, listening to an interesting podcast is a great excuse to get off my phone and be productive.

With a free Spotify account, millions of podcasts are available at our fingertips, and there is truly a podcast for everyone. They give us an easy way to laugh, learn or meditate without having to put in much effort.

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19

20 Eagle Edition

LETTER to the EDITORS

Students adapt to the dress code, receive privileges

By Maximiliano Augé Assistant Head of Upper School

LETTER from the EDITORS

Trying new activities brings excitement to social life

By Easterly Yeaman and Abby Baughman | Co-EICs

The Episcopal School of Dallas

All "free spirit" dress days from now on

I

love an ESD spirit dress day, when the excitement of game day is palpable, especially when coupled with our athletes' game jersey wear. And if a spirit dress day translates into more fan participation, even better.

The Eagle Edition staff made a good argument for "free spirit" days. I would like to provide some context to our guidelines for spirit dress day. More often than not, Mr. Laba, my predecessor, would announce spirit dress days with the caveat that uniform bottoms were required. This guideline was in place to encourage students to wear bottoms of an appropriate

length — after all, we are an Episcopal school and a uniform school with certain values and standards to uphold. In my new role, I thought I would be consistent and transparent by codifying this guideline in the student handbook.

As the year began, Mr. Peal and I set out to build on and improve on aspects of student life in the hopes of improving the overall safety, accountability and experience of all ESD students.

What I thought might take months to implement took only weeks.

As has been made perfectly apparent, upper school students have an amazing degree of

adaptability when it comes to new expectations, especially when reasons are justifiable.

In a matter of weeks, students adapted quickly to a higher set of expectations and greater accountability. The number of behavior incidents is down, students hold themselves accountable by serving their detention as assigned, absences are reported in advance, students sign in and sign out on time, and yes, most shirts are tucked in.

The common argument is that you have to take care of the big things in order for everything else to fall into place. I would argue that in our case, progress on the little things has helped

us make progress in safety, attendance and accountability — all necessary components of our founding tenet of disciplina: disciplined work within a community of learners. My goal is to improve on an already great community experience.

I provide you with this brief "State of the Union" address to say you have earned the privilege of wearing free and appropriate bottoms on free spirit days.

Use this privilege in good spirit. Keep up the great job.

And if you misstep (you're only human), I'll be there to guide you through the lesson. I am still your teacher at heart. Be good, do good.

Old friends, new adventures

B

eing friends with the same group of people since middle school, sometimes we struggle to find new things to do together. At some point, we got bored going to dinner at the same three places: Mint, Flower Child and Torchy’s Tacos. So lately, we’ve been branching out, and we think you should too.

Easterly: Our first fun event was what we called “board night.” At the time, it was a trend on TikTok for friends to all bring different themed food boards modeled after a traditional charcuterie board.

I hosted and Abby brought a charcuterie board, Margaret a breakfast board, Sophia a dessert board, Ava a fruit and dip board, Cara a sushi board and Elliot a candy board. It ended up being way more food than we could all eat, but we had fun admiring each other's works of art and eating good food.

Romanticism | By Wren Tan

More recently, we tried our hand in painting. Elliot had the girls over for her birthday party and we sat around a table in her backyard, ate delicious Italian food, then an artist from a company called Paint the Town guided us through our own personal painting experience.

Although our instructor guided us through painting the reference picture, a beautiful glass vase of flowers, she emphasized throughout the lesson that we could paint whatever we wanted and that there were “no mistakes, just happy accidents.”

After making a couple of “happy accidents” and getting paint all over our hands, we all revealed our completed paintings to one another. Each was unique and told a different story. For example, mine had a darker, somber theme to it while others were bright and happy. Some had spring colors and others had fall colors.

Abby: Fall is by far my favorite season, so when the weather began to get chilly, I had a bunch of friends over to carve pumpkins.

We first went to dinner together and planned. We looked at Pinterest and Instagram for fun pumpkin designs and recipes. We each found a design we like and we also found a tutorial of making fall themed ice cream sandwiches using the Pillsbury printed sugar cookies.

Then we headed over to Trader Joe’s, and although it is not the traditional pumpkin patch, they have a cute outdoor area full of pumpkins. We all picked out our favorites. Mine was small and lopsided while Easterly’s was definitely the biggest. After we were all content with our choices, we went over to Tom Thumb and picked up pumpkin carving kits and cookie dough.

When we got back to my house, we started setting up. We

laid out newspapers in order to not make a mess. We also put the printed cookie dough onto baking sheets. I made sure everyone collected the pumpkin seeds in a separate bowl. We seasoned them with a variety of different flavors and baked them in the oven. We had sweet cinnamon, salty and spicy pumpkin seeds — I liked the salty the best.

After we finished carving, we ate our snacks while watching a scary movie. We had so much fun throughout the night and made a lot of memories. I highly recommend carving pumpkins and watching movies to switch up what you do with your friends.

Although it is easy to do the same activities you're used to over and over again, trying something new changes up your dynamic. We talk about different aspects of our lives that don’t normally come up.

If it weren’t for Elliot’s birthday party, I wouldn’t have known how talented some of my friends are.

November 10, 2023 |

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21

22 Eagle Edition

The Episcopal School of Dallas

Dashing dogs dance

Sports

Eagles give support In the face of adversity, Eagle athletes provide a helping hand to their teammates and coaches. Page 25

Texas Rangers bring home long-awaited victory After a record-breaking postseason, the Rangers win first World Series

By Charlotte Tomlin | Sports Editor

Rangers lead the way

From left: Senior Caroline Bagley stands with her mom at Game 2 of the World Series on Sat. Oct 28. "Going to the World Series with my parents was such a cool experience, and I had so much fun watching the game," Bagley said. "Even though they lost, it was still a blast!"  Junior Vaughn Langston waves Texas Rangers towels with the crowd during Game 2. "Although we didn't win, the atmosphere was electric," Langston said. "We were at the top of the stadium and everybody around us was standing up, cheering, and having a good time."

Photos provided by Caroline Bagley and Vaughn Langston.

A

group of juniors and seniors huddle around a TV, warming their hands in front of a fireplace. Twelve years have passed since the Rangers last made it to the World Series, and a whole new generation of Texans have become die-hard Rangers fans, dedicated to supporting their team in the postseason.

“We’re winning in the 11th inning, I’m calling it right now,” junior Vaughn Langston announces to a group of friends watching Game 1 of the Rangers’ World Series run.

“And I’m jumping in the pool.”

Everyone laughs, and a few shake their heads with smiles on their faces. After tying it up in the ninth inning, the Rangers battle it out against the Arizona Diamondbacks until the bottom of the 11th. As Langston and his friends watch Ranger’s right fielder Adolis Garcia walk up to the plate, nerves and excitement settle in their stomachs. Everyone watches with bated breath as Garcia swings and misses. The next three pitches miss the strike zone, and with each missed chance at a hit, the group grows tenser. Finally, Garcia swings, hitting a home run out of the park, and Langston and his friends go wild. The Rangers have secured their first win of the World Series, and now it’s time for Langston to live up to his promise.

“Whenever it is a tight game, I have to stand up, and everything seems to work out,” Langston said.

“Game 1 was tight, but Adolis Garcia's walkoff home run in the 11th inning was electric.”

After a tough couple of years, with management changes and losing records, the Rangers have battled against all odds to become this year’s World Series winners.

“This team is extremely resilient,” lifelong Rangers fan and math teacher Lisa Bottoms said. “Consider that they led the division for almost the entire season and had the chance to win the division if they would've won the final game of the regular season in Seattle. But, they didn't do that. All that meant is that they had a different path to take. They ended up being road warriors;

they were undefeated on the road during this World Series run.”

In 2021, the Rangers broke records — but not on the baseball field. In a 24-hour period, the Rangers dropped $556 million to sign Marcus Semien, Jon Gray and Corey Seager. No MLB team has ever before, or since, spent that much money in such a short period of time.

“The trades we got [have been the key to the Rangers success],” junior and Rangers fan Katherine Clark said. “If it weren't for Chris Young and the trades he made, then we wouldn't be having this conversation.”

Seager and Semien, especially, have made an impact both on the Rangers dugout and the fanbase.

“

I was 5 years old the last time they made it [to the World Series], so it was surreal. I was in a little bit of disbelief when the Rangers won the World Series.

Vaughn Langston Junior

“[Some of my favorite moments were] anytime Corey Seager would become emotional,” Bottoms said. “He is extremely stoic, so when he showed his emotions, you could see that his reaction definitely inspired his teammates. His home run that tied the game in Game 1 was epic. Also, Marcus Semien's triple and home run in Game 4. He is a leader on this team, so it was amazing to see him break out like that. He'd had a slow offensive postseason until then.”

Alongside Seager and Semien, the Rangers bullpen has been

crucial to the Rangers’ success.

“This might be a semi-hot take, as the Rangers bullpen is infamously horrible, [but] I personally think that the most crucial factor to the Rangers’ success this year are the pitchers,” Rangers fan Ava Loftus said. “In the off-season, they picked up stars like Nate Eovaldi and Jacob Degrom, the former who has been absolutely essential all year. With other talents such as Jose Leclerc, the Rangers have been able to dominate.”

After (nearly) breaking the bank to sign crucial players, the Rangers broke records. They went 11-0 on the road in the postseason, an all-time postseason record for the MLB. “Throughout the season, the Rangers were a team that had streaks,” Langston said. “We had hot streaks early on, but cold streaks caught up to us, so when it came to the playoffs, the Rangers needed a hot streak, and they delivered.”

Along with the whole team breaking records, individual players have also had stellar postseason success. Adolis Garcia broke the record for most RBIs (runs batted in) in a postseason for a single player with 22.

“The most obvious standout player is Adolis Garcia,” Loftus said. “He comes through when needed and is a home run machine.”

Garcia’s game appearances were cut short when he exited Game 3 with an oblique injury.

He was removed from the World Series roster, alongside Max Scherzer, who exited Game 3 with a back injury. However, these injuries didn’t stop the Rangers from pushing forward and claiming the World Series title.

“Injuries [were a challenge],” Bottoms said. “When one guy went down, the next man stepped up and did his job. Look at what Travis Jankowski did in Game 4 after Adolis Garcia went down… incredible. But, it's been like that the entire year. It truly has been an entire group effort.”

The Rangers have faced challenges head-on, beating unlikely odds to become World Series champions for the first time

in team history.

“The Rangers were the true underdogs,” Clark said. “They were the wildcard seed and only had a 2 percent chance at the beginning of the season to win the World Series.”

Many ESD students had the opportunity to attend a World Series game here in Dallas, a truly once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

“I know that it has been huge to go to the World Series again after so many years,” senior Caroline Bagley said. “It definitely means a lot to the fan base. My dad and his friend have had season tickets for years that they usually sell, but we decided to use them for this game. I attended Game 2 in Dallas with my family and friends.

The atmosphere at Globe Life was amazing. It was super loud the whole time, and the fans stayed until the end.”

During the Rangers’ last World Series run, the Rangers and the St. Louis Cardinals battled until the Cardinals emerged victorious in the 11th inning of the seventh game. Two times during the 2011 game, The Rangers were one strike away from winning the World Series.

“I was 5 years old the last time they made it [to the World Series], so it was surreal,” Langston said. “I was in a little bit of disbelief when the Rangers won the World Series.

It was still a weird feeling that the Rangers were even in the World Series in the first place.”

For older Rangers fans, the devastating 2011 loss makes the 2023 win even more rewarding. To celebrate their win, The Rangers hosted a parade in Downtown Arlington, with over 500,000 people in attendance, according to WFAA. The crowd cheered Seager on after he was named World Series MVP for the second time in his career.

“The 2011 World Series was such a heartbreak for the Texas Rangers and their fans,” Bottoms said. “So, my emotions this time were all over the place, from tears to fist bumps to yelling. From 1-10, my excitement level is a 10. We've waited so long for this, and most die-hard fans have stuck by our Rangers through all the highs and all the lows.”

EAGLE EYE

Sports

November 10, 2023 |

23

Every issue, the Eagle Edition spotlights two athletes that have excelled in their sports, highlighting their experience as student-athletes at ESD.

Interviews by Maggie Pickens and Emmy Moss | Staff writers

RYDER SANDS &

QA

What are you looking forward to in the season?

Definitely SPC. We've been working so hard, and the team has really collaborated and built chemistry throughout the season, so I'm excited to see what we could do.

What's your favorite memory from field hockey so far?

Beating Fort Worth Country Day in overtime.

That was probably the best experience of my field hockey career. We worked so hard, and all our hard work finally paid off.

What are your thoughts on winning SPC? I definitely think we have a good chance. It all comes down to how much we want it. At the end of the day, we are a very driven team. And I think that if we all play like we played in Fort Worth Country Day, we could definitely win.

How have you impacted the team?

I think that, not me as a whole, but the sophomore class has definitely impacted the numbers on the team. We've definitely created more of a family rather than just a team.

What's your favorite thing about the Field Hockey season The community. I know that's so cliche, but we work with each other all the time. The field hockey [team] is not just a team. We're a family, and we are all friends.

AARON SADA &

QA

What makes cross country fun and what do you love about it?

I love running. When I was little, I didn't use to run much. I didn't exercise [much]. It's a way that really gets my mind off things so that it helps with peace.

How have you made an impact on the team? What do you bring to the team?

My personality is one that seeks and is determined to improve myself every day. I try to give it out my best every day, and I try to outrun Declan. He's pretty fast.

What have you learned about yourself since you started running?

I learned that you can only reach consistency and improvement through constant sacrifice, because comfort and complacency destroy ambition.

What has been your most successful race and why?

My best race time was 20:02, which is not ideal, but I’ll get better. At the end of the day, the goal in running is to improve every day, no matter how fast someone runs or where he or she places. The sky’s the limit.

Photos by Charlotte Traylor | News Editor

24 Eagle Edition

The Episcopal School of Dallas

Sports Editor Charlotte Tomlin and Staff writer Ethan Pham join forces to share their perspectives about being student-athletes at ESD. Tune in to the biweekly podcast!

E

very fall athlete has experienced the disappointment of being told, “It’s too hot to go outside,” especially in the 100-degree days of the preseason. With one turf field, football and field hockey have to split practice time. In the summer, this means football goes from 6 a.m. to12 p.m. and field hockey practices from 5 to 8 p.m. With temperatures reaching 110 degrees, field hockey and football had to practice inside, and cleats don’t have much traction on the gym floor…

Each season, regardless of sport, there is always a debate between the girls and boys of “who gets the turf?”

During lacrosse season, the boys and girls teams alternate day to day. During soccer, the varsity teams split the turf every day. But during the fall, football has the turf every day. A constant debate between fall athletes is why football gets the turf everyday and field hockey is on the grass.

ETHAN: As a football player I think we should get the turf majority of the time because we play on turf most games throughout the season, and it is easier to get to and from the trainers’ office. Every team we have played besides Episcopal High School and St. Johns has had a turf field, so I feel like it is better to get acclimated to the conditions we will be playing in. Also, it doesn’t hurt as bad to get tackled on turf because it is a much softer landing.

With grass it is a much harder landing when getting tackled. The turf is also closer to the trainers’ office, and, unfortunately, there are a lot of injuries that occur during football season. After every practice, about 10-15 football players go to the trainers after school to get taped or to receive some sort of treatment. A couple of significant injuries happen during practice each year, and it is easier for our trainers to

get there. However, I understand that field hockey plays their home games and many away games on turf, so I think it is a little unfair that we get it everyday.

CHARLOTTE: As a field hockey player, my argument looks nearly identical to Ethan’s. All of our home games and the majority of our away games are played on the turf, so practicing on the grass changes our game. On the grass, it takes much more force to push a ball across the field compared to the turf. The ball travels much faster across the turf, so it’s difficult to make adjustments to our game if we’re not practicing where we play. However, it’s unfair to ask the football team to practice on the grass, when they play nearly every game on turf. Another aspect of this is the field lines. There are no goalposts or football lines on the grass field, and field hockey lines are just painted onto the turf field during the fall. So, it is easier for the field hockey team to move from field to field, but it does make me wonder why there are no goalposts on the grass field and no field hockey lines stitched into the turf.

Was there an expectation that female sports would be content practicing on the field that they don’t play on?

We think there is a compromise that comes with its pros and cons. We think ESD should replace the grass field with turf, so that either team can get turf when they practice. Getting another turf field would also prevent canceling practice due to rain because there would be no grass that gets wet and muddy.

However, the issue that comes with this is the heat in the summer.

Whenever the turf is too hot to practice on, the football and field hockey teams would go to the grass or practice inside. Field hockey even rented an

indoor facility so that we could practice on a turf field instead of on the gym floor. So if each field was turf, then a lot of summer practices would be taken inside, and each team would lose a lot of important practice time.

On the other hand, college and professional sports teams fight to have grass fields to prevent injury. Many players blame turf for non-contact injuries because it doesn’t have enough traction to change direction. In those higher levels of football after high school, the field they play on is reserved only for the football team. Many high schools have to account for all sports teams using the field, so they pick turf.

Looking at ESD facilities and the limited space we have to work with, we both agree that replacing the grass field with turf is the most effective solution.

Teams that play on turf could have games on the same days, instead of juggling middle and high school schedules — which sometimes leads to no practice space for a team. In the summer, both teams could practice in the early morning to avoid heat.

Teams would be able to practice where they play, which we both agree would lead to more success for ESD athletics.

“Dedication makes dreams come true.” ― Kobe Bryant “Dedication makes dreams come true.” ― Kobe Bryant “Dedication makes dreams come true.” ― Kobe Bryant

We proudly support the Eagles.

Sports

November 10, 2023 |

25

ESD sports Instagram accounts unify the community

O

n any given Friday afternoon after class lets out, students eagerly reach for their phones to open up Instagram in anticipation of the newest post from the ‘esdhorde’ account.

Through these posts students find out the theme, time and place about that night’s game.

This thrill isn’t limited to just the Horde; ESD is full of sports Instagram accounts from cheer, crew, field hockey, lacrosse and football. Teams can advertise games and show team personality to the student body through the accounts providing portals to the various athletes’ lives.

“I think [the various accounts] are really important," sophomore Cate Stephenson said. "It lets people know when and where the game is, the theme, and just helps to unify everyone.”

One of the most active and followed accounts is ESD Cheer, which made its first post on Aug. 9, 2017, and has been consistently posting since then. This account is also one of the few sports accounts not run by student-athletes but instead by the program director and varsity head coach Megan Schroeder '09.

“I think asking students to do one more thing during their busiest seasons is a lot of pressure,” Schroeder said. “We have a big audience and need to keep a consistent brand from year to year, which is hard if someone new runs it every year.”

Cheer makes a wide variety of posts, including performances, announcements, birthdays, senior spotlights and hype reels. Not only do they post throughout cheer season, but also during offseason and even summer.

“I keep a content calendar for consistent posting but also post on the fly often,” Schroeder said. “The account serves several purposes, including getting our name out there to those not in the community, information

for parents and students, and highlighting accomplishments and athletes.”

Unlike ESD Cheer, the ESD Crew Instagram is one of the newest sports accounts, posting for the first time on Feb. 9. Posts range from sunrises on the lake to the team’s placings at various regattas. They also utilize stories to keep students updated on a more regular basis.

“It's cool to post what we're doing and just [represent] the team,” junior captain and account owner Nina Rastin said. “When we have upcoming races, we like to post more and show off what we're doing. It's not an everyday thing because it's a lot to keep up with, if we get good film one day, we’ll just post it.”

Being on the water the majority of the time limits their posting activity compared to other sports.

The team relies on each other to provide content for various posts and stories.

“It's hard to film on the water because our coaches don't film for us, and since we're in boats, it's [difficult] for us to film for our teammates,” Rastin said. “That's why I think there's a lot of effort that goes into it.”

With posts dating back to April 2016, ESD Field Hockey is another active student-run Instagram account. They have story highlights filled with posts for every season since 2019 and make posts ranging from game announcements to team pictures and also, senior spotlights.

“I [post] almost every day at practice and if we have a lift, and then when we have games, which is usually Tuesday and Thursday,” senior captain and Horde Board President Addie Click said. “We do story posts a lot [of] what we're up to in practice, so I would say we are definitely more active than others that I've seen.”

In addition to the various competitive sports running their own Instagrams, the ESD

Mountain Biking program has also created an account. While not a conventional sport, Mountain Biking is under the upper school physical education program.

“I know that it's supposed to be a bit more of a joke, but I think that it's good that people are at least recognizing that the program is out there,” senior and mountain biking captain Slaton Strey said.

“I think [the sports accounts] are good, especially with Mr. Lepcio’s new goals to be able to raise awareness of some of the smaller sports and athletic programs at the school.”

The ESD Horde Instagram account is considered the center of ESD spirit on social media across the student body. They post for almost every sport during their season and have been posting weekly for football games.

“The Horde posts if there's a big football game or whenever a fall, winter, or spring sport has a game,” Click said. “If another ESD Instagram tags us in a post, we can repost it, and then we'll tag their Instagram if we post something about their sport, but we usually do our own posts.”

Students across various grades contribute to this account, from people who actually make the posts and stories to students contributing through graphic design. Sophomore Bauer Berkley was interested in graphic design and wanted to collaborate with the Horde in its artistic aspects.

“I reached out to them, and showed an example I made for them, and they brought me along,” Berkley said. “The Horde was already [established], so I wasn’t going to have to do all the growing [for a new account] also, the graphic design there was lacking.”

While all of these accounts are student or faculty run, there is one account run by athletes’ parents.

The ESD Football Parents' account, which has been posting since May 10, 2022, is run by

parents Lauren Swann and April Willingham.

“It was [created] to help keep other parents informed on what's going on and get everybody excited for the game or what's coming down that week, Homecoming, whatever it is,” Swann said. “But it's also a good information source for people that use social media a lot, just another communication outlet.”

All these accounts share achievements with the community and also spread awareness about sports that may not otherwise be in the spotlight.

“I think [the accounts] are beneficial to sports, especially for games like field hockey, I wouldn't know about it if it wasn't on the Instagram accounts,” Stephenson said. “I think all these accounts do a really good job of bringing people together to celebrate every sport at ESD.”

Social media platform creates excitement and boost school spirit

By Anoushka Sinha | Staff writer

Poaching Season

The Horde posts their last gameday graphic of the football season for the ESD vs. Saint Marks game. The post shows ESD players against a forest themed background to reveal the game's theme: camo.

Screenshot from the @esdhorde Instagram

Teammates support each other on and off the field

G

rowing up, he dreamed of starting for the ESD varsity football team. To prepare for the season, he devoted his entire summer to training and practicing with the rest of the team. But instead of stepping on the field, junior quarterback Johnny Willingham spends his Friday nights supporting his team from the sidelines, his movement restricted by a brace covering his back and stomach from his waist to chest.

Despite his dreams of being the Eagles' quarterback, Willingham only got to play two varsity minutes this year. Willingham suffered an injury to his back, ending his junior season prematurely. For the two months following the injury, he has had to wear the brace for 23 hours a day.

“I got two stress fractures in my back and two stress reactions on my back spine plates,” Willingham said. “This happened from overuse and growing.”

His injury was built up from stress from previous summer practices and workouts. Constantly throwing a football and twisting his back on every pass resulted in the season-ending injury.

After the football team heard the news, they immediately took action. They got him a rolling backpack to help take further stress off his back and show him support. Every team member and other members in the community signed the backpack.

“It made me feel good about the situation because it showed the team cared,” Willingham said. “It's very helpful and it's much easier on my back to roll it around instead of [carrying] it.”

Despite doctor’s orders, Willingham did anything but rest.

The injury did not stop him from

contributing to his team.

“I've been helping out with the team by signaling the offensive play calls that Coach Williams gives me,” Willingham said. “I've also just tried to show up and give a good attitude to make people around me have a good attitude with good energy.”

“

There's a lot of homework that I was not used to doing. And it's taking a toll on me, and it started to add up.

Evan Terra Junior

Willingham’s energy impacted his team throughout the season.

He took all the love and support he received and gave it right back to his team.

“Somebody [is always needed] with a positive attitude to keep the team going, so I took the role upon myself” Willingham said.

And Wilingham’s efforts were noticed by his team, especially one of the captains. Senior captain Harrison Cates feels more motivated to lead a team with players like Willingham. “[Supporting Johnny] feel[s] good because he's supporting our team,” Cates said. “[He] really cares for this team, and his character is really selfless.”

Just a year before Willingham’s

season ended, the resilience and support of another ESD athletic team was tested. On Sept. 14, 2022, across the street from the football field, a life-threatening emergency occurred while junior Katherine Clark was warming up for practice. Clark had a seizure, but her field hockey team reacted quickly by hopping the fence and calling 911, and she was escorted to the hospital in an ambulance with Associate Director of Athletics and Wellness David Tollison. The field hockey team thought it was best to write letters to Clark instead of continuing their practice. A member of the field hockey team, sophomore Ryder Sands said the team wrote funny letters to cheer Clark up. “[The seizure] was a mindaltering experience, but made me realize how close our field hockey team is,” Sands said “The whole team was honestly in shock, especially when she came to morning practice two days later.”

Teammates came up with the idea of creating stickers that read ‘KC’ to put on each player's stick to show support for Clark.

“The captains thought it was a good idea [to get the stickers],” Sands said.”So we would always be thinking about Katherine, on and off the field.”

Clark felt immense support from her teammates following the scary experience and throughout her recovery.

“The team was amazing and very supportive knowing that they cared a lot about me,” Clark said.“[I felt] very loved and appreciated, and I knew that I could count on them to support me through the process of recovery.”

Teams not only support one another on the field, they also push each other in the classroom.

New to ESD junior Evan Terra had to adjust to a transition from a big public school to a small private school and has faced some challenges.

“Academic wise it's been hard,” Terra said. “There's a lot of homework that I was not used to doing. And it's taking a toll on me, and it started to add up.”

When his team and community saw Terra struggling, they stepped in. Terra’s football coach, Jeff Lewis, noticed he was struggling academically and got him a math tutor whom he meets with every week to get extra help.

“It helps with a lot of stuff,” Terra said. “I have gaps in my learning, and it's a lot right now, but once I get all caught up, I'll be doing good.”

Terra was very appreciative of all the support he got. He said “Coach Lewis is very generous by getting me extra help and I am very appreciative of this” Willingham has nothing but good things to say about the support he felt from the ESD community after his back injury.

“The ESD community is very supportive in many different ways,” Willingham said.

“One was that the ESD community has really shown its supportiveness to me. [The aftermath of my injury] made me really understand how supportive this community is because even though they knew I wouldn’t be playing the rest of the season, they still wanted to be very supportive of me.”

Through much adversity, ESD athletes make it through with the help of their teams

By Ethan Pham | Staff writer

Braced and backed

Junior football player Johnny Willingham shows his back brace which he wears everyday under his uniform. Next to him is his rolling backpack, which his teammates signed and got for him to make carrying around his school books easier. Photo by Ethan Pham

26 | Eagle Edition

The Episcopal School of Dallas

Challenges and triumphs: SPC Tournament Recap Volleyball, cross country and field hockey compete at SPC championships

By Brooke Ebner | Web Editor

T

he buses on the way back from Fort Worth on Nov. 4 were quiet compared to the ride on the way there.

Lost games, a concussion, a sprained ankle and an injured shoulder all created challenges during the SPC tournament for volleyball, cross country and field hockey.

From Nov. 2 to 4, these teams wrapped up their season at the fall 2023 Southwest Preparatory Conference Championships in Fort Worth. In each of these three sports, each team is split up into either the 3A or 4A bracket.

Volleyball competed in the 4A bracket while field hockey and cross country competed in the 3A bracket.

“It is a little complicated as to who plays in 3A and who plays in 4A,” Thad Lepcio, director of athletics, said. “Basically, because of our enrollment, we kind of fall in the middle of 3A and 4A, and so they look at our records from the previous two years and determine whether we should be 3A or 4A.” Unlike the other three sports, the SPC championships for football only is a championship game for the top two teams. This season, football competed in 4A but did not make it to SPC. Richard Williams, upper school science teacher and football program director still thinks that they had a successful season.

They were just two games short of the championships.

“I think the season went very well considering a lot of the challenges that we had to face,” Williams said. “We ended up with [an] above 500 record [and] played some tough opponents.

We ended up ending the season with the 10th year in a row defeat of St. Mark’s.”

Field hockey went into SPC

seeded third and confident from their last couple of games during the regular season, particularly their overtime win over Greenhill on Oct. 27.

“We’re currently seeded third and so of recently we’ve been playing really, really well,” Ava Loftus, senior and captain, said.

“We’ve been having these super close and intense games. I don’t want to say the specifics, but I think we can go pretty far.”

Lepcio also thinks that field hockey’s strong juniors and seniors helped contribute to their season’s performance. Field hockey won their first game in the bracket over Holland Hall School 1-0, and ended up losing in the semifinal vs the Casady School 1-0. They then played Fort Worth Country Day School for third place, and ended up losing in overtime 0-1. Despite placing fourth at the tournament, field hockey had a strong season and set school records such as the best season record. Senior and captain Addie Click ended up injuring her shoulder during one of the games.

“I know a lot of us, including myself, hoped to place higher, especially after such a recordbreaking season,” Loftus said.

“Although the result was not perfect, I had so much fun bonding with my team for one final time and will look back on the experience with fond memories.”

Due to concussions and injuries, volleyball had a challenging season. Before SPC, captain and senior Ellison Mattocks recognized how all of the team’s injuries made the season difficult.

“I think our season’s been hard because we’ve lost so many people,” Mattocks said. “Our team is changing every single day

even now, so I think we’re kind of in as good of a shape as it can be.”

Before SPC, Lepcio also recognized how volleyball’s bracket was challenging as it included many teams from Houston. Also, the team is very young as eight seniors from the team graduated last year.

“Volleyball is really good in Houston and we don’t get to see the teams in Houston very much,” Lepcio said. “But St. John’s and Kinkaid are fantastic, and Hockaday here locally are really good.”

Mattocks got a concussion during one of the games.

Volleyball ended up placing eighth place in the tournament.

Cross country’s meet was at Athletic Performance Ranch in Fort Worth. Cross country’s girls team consists of five runners while the boy’s team has six.

“I’m looking for Declan and Charlotte to maybe really shine in that race, but everyone is improving in every race,” Lepcio said. “And I know we’ve had a couple injuries there. We might be able to put a team score together, and I hope we can, I think that’s important.”

Cross country did end up having enough runners to have a team score unlike in the past couple of years. The girls placed sixth and the boys placed seventh.

Additionally, senior Wheeler Wood ended up spraining his ankle during the meet.

"This meet had the most difficult course, but all of our team's hard work this season paid off, and we saw great improvement in our race times from the start of the season," freshman Gracie Nealon said.

"Charlotte Traylor even brought back a medal, and we're all super proud of her for that."

Last SPC run

For the first time in a couple of years, the cross country team received a team score, the girls placed sixth and the boys placed seventh.

"We worked really hard, and we had a good season," senior Wheeler Wood said.

"Everyone raced at SPC."

Fockey's final game

Field Hockey had a recordbreaking season.

"We played really great throughout the season," senior Makenna Harvey said.

"We came up short in the end, but it was a really great year."

Bump, set, SPC

Although volleyball played some challenging teams at SPC, sophomore Erin Muriungi thinks the team bonded. "I think we ended up playing very well and were able to compete," Muriungi said. "The last day was pretty challenging, we had an unfair ref, and it was very emotional."

Photos by Ryder Sands, Alex Eastin and and Ryann Parker

theboldbungalow.com

Eagle Edition

November 10, 2023 |

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eagledition=crossword 1

Across:

1: 5-Minute Crafts might provide a life ____ 2: Style used for an AP Psych paper 3: City in TX but also a form of transportation 4: Homecoming king and first name of 7 across 5: Popular Beyonce song 6: Who you might call to fix your computer 7: Computer science teacher 8: EMTs often perform 9: Teacher who did a chapel talk about Mean Girls

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Down: 1: LOL 3: Pertaining to what the NHS drive pulled blood from 4: Basis of Harmony 10: It might burn if someones talking about you 11: Friend 12: AP Psych's field trip experiment 13: Homecoming Queen 14: Name of Father Harmuth's boxer 15: Where someone may do what the centerspread discusses

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Last Issues winner was: Addison Page!

The first person to fill it out correctly and send a picture to yeamane@esdallas.org gets their name published in the next issue.

EAGLE EDITION

Editors-in-Chief Abby Baughman & Easterly Yeaman Managing Editor Iris Hernandez

Eagle Edition | vol. 41, issue 2

Business Manager Maggie Chein

BYLINE POLICY

Copy Editor Elliot Lovitt

All articles, graphics, photos, art, columns, page design, reviews or other material produced by Advanced Journalism students carry the creator’s byline with the exception of the Staff Stance, which is the official, collective voice of the Eagle Edition.

News Editor Charlotte Traylor Life Editor Sophia Sardiña

Arts Editor Jamie Henderson Views Editor Lauren Shushi

Staff Writers Emma Allen, Valentina Boltchi, Margot Cathey, Beau McKnight, Emmy Moss, Maggie Pickens, Reese Rawson, Anoushka Sinha

Sports Editor Charlotte Tomlin

Cartoonist Wren Tan

Web Editor Brooke Ebner Social Media Manager Jamie Henderson

Faculty Adviser Ana Rosenthal

MISSION STATEMENT

The Eagle Edition is a student-produced newspaper published six times a year with the intent to educate in a professional manner and provide a voice for the Community. The Eagle Edition has earned Gold and Silver Crowns from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, Pacemaker Awards from the National Scholastic Press Association and Gold Stars from the Interscholastic League Press Conference. Circulation is 1000 copies, and the student population is 782.

ADVERTISING POLICY

The Eagle Edition is partially funded through advertising.

The editorial board reserves the right to refuse ads not in the best interest of our readers. Ads are sold in 1/8 page increments. Please contact the Business Manager: cheinm@esdallas.org.

EDITORIAL POLICY

The staff abides by the Society of Professional Journalists’ Code of Ethics. The opinions expressed in this newspaper do not necessarily reflect the views of the adviser, faculty or staff. This is a student-run publication and a forum for student voices. All images in the Eagle Edition are student produced, republished with permission, are in the public domain or fall within fair-use practices for criticism and news reporting.

Eagle Edition | vol. 41, issue 1 The Episcopal School of Dallas 4100 Merrell Rd. Dallas, TX 75229 eagleedition@esdallas.org (214) 358-4368

Eagle Edition

November 10, 2023 |

FlashkcaB The Eagle Edition's

Each issue, the Eagle Edition staff goes through the archives searching for relevant photos to share with the community. In honor of ESD's retired maroon color, we are using it in our Flashback.

Ten years ago, the Eagle's homecoming theme was "Born in the USA!" Similar to this year's theme, "Land of the Free, Homecoming of the Brave." Students dressed up in patriotic wear throughout the week and celebrated our nation.

Hoco Royalty

Lucia Colonetta and Daniel Hull win 2013 Homecoming Queen and King at the Friday night football game.

Stars and Stripes u

Students wear their best patriotic attire during Chapel.

Rock With the White

Flag Flying into Hoco Week

Cheerleaders hype up the crowd at a 2013 Homecoming Pep Rally.

Junior Shalom Nwakibu waves the American flag to celebrate the "Born in the USA" theme.

Patriotic Pals

Freshmen Henry Rathjen and Trey Scardino go all out for a U.S.A. dress-up day. All photos from the 2013 Carillon yearbook

Mini Helmet Display Cases ballqube.com

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