V42 Issue 2

PRESSURE UNDER

The beginnings of burnout

Students are feeling the pressure and the concern of burnout as academics and extracurriculars ramp up with the school year. The mounting demands create intense stress, leading some to contemplate quitting their activities as a way to cope. The looming motivation of college admission adds to the pressure, making the competition increasingly fierce.

Pages 16-17

Wins Elected the 47th President of the United States, former President Donald Trump wins the race with 277 Electoral College votes to Vice President Kamala Harris' 224. Five states have yet to be called; all content in this issue of the Eagle Edition is current as of press time, the morning of Nov. 6. A more in-depth coverage of the election will be featured in our December issue and on our website: esdeagleedition.org.

Donald Trump

The Episcopal School of Dallas

Photoillustration by Jamie Henderson, Gracie Nealon, Anoushka Sinha

Photo illustration by Jamie Henderson, Gracie Nealon and Anoushka Sinha

News

Election season strains families and friendships

Discussing politics often lead to conflict; navigating conversations is essential to maintaining harmony

Lauren

Shushi | Co-editor-in-chief

Senior Caitlin Hills is excited to hear her sister’s voice on the other end of a phone call with her mom. Because her sister is in college states away, Hills cherishes these moments. Soon, the conversation takes a turn as her sister and her mom begin to talk about an ever-inflaming topic: politics. The conversation becomes heated, eventually devolving into arguing and hanging up the phone.

“My parents love to talk about politics,” Hills said. “But I act like I don't hear a thing. What do I say when my parents ask me who I voted for? I don't want to start something or have them think I made the wrong choice.”

Hills is not the only one who differs from her family on politics; many families and friendships are strained, or even broken, during election years. According to an October 2022 poll conducted by the New York Times and Siena College, nearly one in five voters said that politics had hurt their friendships or family relationships. In the same poll, close to half of the voters in the survey admitted making judgments about other people based on their politics. Hills tends to not talk about her beliefs to avoid arguments with her family.

“For policy issues such as abortion or the economy, my parents and I have similar beliefs,” Hills said. “It's more so on the actual candidates where we disagree a lot about personalities and stuff like that. Because of that, I don't talk about politics much with my parents. I try to stay far away from it because I don't want conflict.”

A September 2023 report conducted by the Pew Research Center, a nonpartisan organization that informs the public about worldwide issues, found that a majority of

Americans find it stressful to talk politics with people they disagree with. Around six in 10 adults say having political conversations with people they disagree with is generally “stressful and frustrating,” while a third say these types of conversations are generally “interesting and informative.” Senior and first time voter Josephine Bank also finds political conversations with her family to be stressful.

“Honestly, [politics] come up all the time in my family,” Bank said. “Sometimes, feelings are a little too strong and it's hard to talk about things, which I kind of hate. I feel like people should always respect each other even if you disagree.”

One reason voters feel more inclined to personally attack their family or friends on their views roots in political rhetoric today. In findings from the same September 2023 poll, large majorities of adults in all political and demographic groups say that the nature of political debate has become less respectful and fact-based in recent years: an overwhelming 84 percent of adults say political debate has become less respectful over the last several years, and 78 percent say debate has become less fact-based over the last several years. Senior and first time voter Brady Osterstock believes that the nature of politics has become more extreme.

“In my opinion, there are two big things that have led to a rise in arguments [about politics],” Osterstock said. “I think parties have had to take more extreme stances recently to try and reach more niche groups as different concerns arise… and with developing issues in things such as media and international conflicts, you find people who think very extremely and I find that extremity is often preyed on to cause people to become more emotional about a topic.”

I've discussed politics with people I trust before, and I ve gotten to hear their side, and it’s made me less one-sided. At the same time, you have to make sure you re both going into it as if it s a discussion, not an argument.

Brady Osterstock Senior and first time voter

Bank believes people fight over politics because issues are personalized, and due to cognitive dissonance, many are not willing to change their beliefs. People see their differences as ones based on basic morality, values and character, and that cannot be overlooked.

“Politics are so polarized, and I really feel like the reason people get so mad is because everyone sees certain issues as black and white,” Bank said. “No one is willing to find a happy medium with each other. If we could just learn to compromise and not scream at each other... or even the candidates dogging each other is not necessary.”

Osterstock agrees that as a young voter, it is hard to watch debates or political ads that solely attack another candidate, as it feels like a bad example of decorum in debate.

“Politicians themselves have slowly moved away from more civilized ways of debating,” Osterstock said. “I feel like it's become a lot more attacking. Politics have become much more about attacking your opponent than selling yourself on why you’re the best candidate.”

Political attacks can transfer to friendships; Bank has experienced this phenomenon during political conversations where she felt disrespected.

“I have had conversations [with friends] and then sometimes felt shut down before,” Bank said. “I had a different opinion than someone else and I got shut down rudely. If someone else is voicing their opinion, I try to listen to them and research what they're telling me, because I could be right, and I just didn't know.”

Hills does not know what the best policy is when discussing politics with friends, but she believes that not talking about it may be the best option.

“Talking about politics is hard because I feel like we're still so young,” Hills said. “So

much of what we hear is influenced by the media, so it's hard to have a conversation when I personally don't feel like I'm super well educated on policies or candidates. I usually don't talk about it with my friends who I disagree with because I don't want to start drama or arguments.”

Many people aim to avoid arguments when discussing politics, leading to avoidance of important conversations.

“Luckily, my family tends to get along a lot [about politics],” Osterstock said. “There are disagreements, and it can get a little heated, but never too heated. We'll never change our opinions of each other because we all understand that we're entitled to our own opinions. It’s very important when discussing politics to understand each person has different things they value based on the way they were raised or based on the way they live, and that different parties represent those different values.”

In a 2023 study on conflict management published in the National Library of Medicine from the Hoopes Vision Research Center, researchers found that conflict can, in fact, be positive if managed properly. Conflict can promote cooperation, critical thinking, new ideas and alternative resolutions. Osterstock has experienced it.

“I've discussed politics with people I trust before, and I've gotten to hear their side, and it's made me less one-sided,” Osterstock said. “At the same time, you have to make sure you're both going into it as if it's a discussion, not an argument. You have to hear them. You can't interrupt them. [People] aren’t just picking who they vote for for some random reason. As long as you can respect that, you're in a good place. You have to do it in a manner in which you don't let things escalate to yelling or lose the base topic for senseless yelling.”

AN IDEOLOGICALLY OPPOSED FRIENDSHIP

According to a 2024 Springtide Research Institute survey, few young people would stop speaking to someone who strongly opposed their political views. “If one of my friends is voicing their opinions on politics, Bank said. “I always try to listen to them and research what they’re saying. Photo created with the help of AI

The Political Pulse

Election Updates: Community Impact and Latest Developments

Tracking polls shape student and faculty voting decision

Candidates prepared during the month of October for their final debates, influencing swing states

Lilly Traylor | Staff writer

In the months preceding the election, students, faculty and parents considered their voting options, with periodic tracking polls playing a prominent role. Those polls not only gauged public sentiment, but also influenced whether individuals felt motivated to vote, impacting the election outcome.

During that period, candidates Donald Trump and Kamala Harris were influencing swing states to lean left or right for the upcoming election. States like Pennsylvania, Arizona and Michigan were three of the seven battleground states that candidates Trump and Harris invested extensively into to spread their ideas and policies.

“This election cycle has been anything but traditional, so there are no more scheduled debates at this time,” upper school history teacher Tim Woodward said ahead of the elections. “I think both candidates are really trying to maximize their efforts in swing states, especially Pennsylvania, which is the biggest swing state worth 19 electoral votes, and so most of the money [from both parties] is being funneled into… bigger swing states.”

A candidate’s success is dependent on their impression on their audience and their campaign style. According to Republican U.S. Representative for the 24th Congressional District of Texas Beth Van Duyne, candidates who lead a hands-on campaign influence their audience to vote for that candidate.

“In the months leading up to an election, truly effective campaigns are 100 percent focused on the voters who can make or break a candidate’s success,” Van Duyne said. “My 2020 election to Congress was a very interesting example of how our campaign, despite operating during the early days of the Covid pandemic, persisted in making personal contact with key voters and demographics whom we felt were imperative to winning what was a slightly Democrat leaning seat.”

Van Duyne led a hands-on campaign in her 2020 election during the pandemic, which she found to be an imprint on her voters. She continued that campaigning style in her subsequent elections.

“Our Democrat opponent chose to stay in isolation and rely heavily on television, radio and digital ads rather than person-to-person conversations,”

Van Duyne said. “Even though we were outspent by $3 million and former President Trump lost the district by more than 19,000 votes, we were able to demonstrate to voters how I would be a more effective voice in Congress for their priorities and ultimately earned more than 10,000 split-ticket votes that allowed us to prevail.”

Democrat Julie Johnson, who ran for the 34th Congressional District in this 2024 election also led a hands on campaign, leaving her own mark on voters by personally communicating her message and connecting with residents.

“Candidates today are using a mix of traditional methods like door-knocking, town halls and phone banking, as well as digital strategies through social media, targeted ads and email campaigns. These approaches help us reach a wide range of voters, but what’s really swaying undecided voters is personal connection and trust,” Johnson said. “When people hear directly from candidates or their supporters, when they can ask questions and share concerns, they’re more likely to be moved.”

Due to the tight race for office, daily opinion polls tracked popular vote across the nation before the election. These tracking polls were largely accurate to the date they were released; however, they oftentimes did not accurately reflect the winner of the election.

“It’s good to see [popular vote] patterns over time, as it’s always going to be a snapshot of where the race stands, and so it’s hard to predict something that’s going to happen in a month from now,” Woodward said. “You never know what is going to happen over these next couple of weeks, so it’s hard to put all your stock in a tracking poll.”

While polls are usually a way to measure the popular vote, they can demotivate U.S. citizens to vote for their desired candidate. History shows that tracking polls are not direct indicators as to who will win the election.

“Polls are simply another tool of measuring voter interest and support. They should not be considered the sole means of judging a candidate’s standing or momentum within an electorate,” Van Duyne said. “Several factors that campaign professionals will take into account include polling, voter registration, success of voter identification efforts, demographic changes, growth or decline of certain populations, earned media and absentee ballot ap-

Polls can give us a general snapshot of where things stand at a certain point in time, but they are far from the full picture. Voter engagement, turnout, and the energy on the ground can shift rapidly, especially with young voters.

Julie Johnson Democrat candidate who ran for the 34th Congressional District in this 2024 election

plications when evaluating the state of any given race.”

Polls display demographic information on the current popular vote in the election, however the election outcome is determined by the people, and who chooses to vote, rather than numbers on a survey.

“Polls can give us a general snapshot of where things stand at a certain point in time, but they are far from the full picture. Voter engagement, turnout and the energy on the ground can shift rapidly, especially with young voters,” Johnson said. “I believe elections are decided by the people who show up, not by numbers in a survey. So while polls can offer some insight, they don’t determine the outcome—the voters do.”

Polls are intended to display the candidate’s popularity, but they generally place a positive or negative connotation on the candidate’s campaign. According to Roy Fletcher of Fletcher Consultants out of Baton Rouge, Louisiana, a political consultant group working on Republican and Democratic campaigns, the polls presented throughout this past election provided some advantages and disadvantages for both Republican and Democratic candidates.

“Private polls, within the campaign, are not as much about the horse race as they are the campaign message, the demographic targeting and the measurement of the effectiveness of the campaign, specifically paid media,” Fletcher said. “I have always contended private poll numbers should never be released to the public, because they can provide an advantage to the campaign. It makes no sense to share an advantage.”

During the 2016 election, candidate Hillary Clinton was predicted to win the election, according to tracking polls, after the presidential debate and until the election. However, Donald Trump won the election, partially because Clinton’s supporters saw her high likelihood of victory and so they felt less inclined to vote.

“[Hillary Clinton] was predicted to win the popular vote in a lot of tracking polls,” Woodward said. “However that’s not how you win the presidency, and so I also think it may have given too much reassurance to some people where when you think it’s a done deal, you don’t go out and vote if you feel like your vote is not going to matter.”

Tracking polls are often thought to be unreliable and an inaccurate representation of the election’s outcome; others argue that when conduct-

ed correctly, they do provide accurate information.

“I think when [tracking polls] are averaged together, especially with reliable polls that are done by professional firms in reputable places, I generally… trust them a little bit more,” Woodward said. “Finding the right demographics is hard to do; it’s hard to find 18 to 24 year old voters who are willing to talk to someone about a tracking poll, so those numbers are always going to be more difficult to guess.”

Many 18-year-old voters spent the month before the election making their final decisions for their voting plan and participation in tracking polls.

“I [was] very excited that I [could] vote in this upcoming election. I feel like voting is one of my first steps toward adulthood because I believe it is one of my responsibilities as an American,” senior Sophie Stager said. “I think it will allow me to feel more connected and rooted in the way America was founded and in the future of America.”

Each vote has an impact, as the outcome of the election comes down to the every last vote.

"To first-time voters, especially students, this is your opportunity to shape the future you want to live in and your vote carries weight," Johnson said. "Don’t underestimate your impact—elections can come down to a handful of votes, and your decision could make the difference."

Candidates and voters are administering these polls, significantly impacting the outcome. Each vote matters, no matter which candidate is leading.

“Vote like the future of our nation depends on you. Vote with an understanding that the choices you make today will shape the country you will inherit,” Van Duyne said. “Do not go into the voting booth without researching the actual records of success of each candidate.”

On the night of the election, Trump took an early lead and kept it, with Indiana and Kentucky going red while Harris won Vermont. By Wednesday morning, Trump had confirmed wins in the battleground states of Georgia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, and was leading in Arizona, Michigan and Nevada. According to The Hill, this was the first time in two decades that a Republican candidate won the popular vote. This is also the first time since Grover Cleveland that a president has been elected for two non-consecutive terms.

224 Democrat Kamala Harris

Republican Donald Trump 277

Standardized exams undergo significant changes

ACT/SAT shortens test, changes to benefit test takers and relieve stress

Sophia Sardiña Co-editor-in-chief

With less than two minutes remaining, an entire science passage to read and six questions to answer, senior Benjamin Moorman frantically begins the last page of the science section of the ACT. Despite his months of studying and countless practice tests, Moorman still struggles to finish the test.

Moorman is not alone.

According to CollegeVine. com, the ACT Science section is deemed one of the most challenging sections of the test because of the skills required: interpreting experimental data and answering each passage in five minutes.

“Reading and science were my hardest sections mainly since they were the last ones and I started to get tired,” Moorman said. “Science is a harder section because you have to read the passage and any additional graphs and pictures.”

Similar to the SAT, the ACT began offering a digital version of the test in February according to the official ACT website.

“I think that the ACT has heard the feedback that the SAT has been getting with the benefits for the students with becoming digital,” College guidance coordinator Katherine Montgomery said. “But so far, everyone that has given us feedback on the digital version of the ACT didn’t like it.”

The SAT became digital in March of 2023, shortening the test to two hours and changing the test for-

mat. Reading passages are shorter with one question per passage as opposed to 11 questions per passage. And, the math sections now allow calculators on both sections.

“The biggest advantages with the digital SAT is the amount per question and the way the reading changed,” Montgomery said. “It benefits students with learning differences, but regardless students have felt less stressed coming out of the SAT than in years past.”

The digital version has been seen as a huge step up as it relieves students from too much stress, and is seen as an equalizer to students with learning disabilities.

“The digital version of the SAT is set up really well to benefit students with language based learning differences,” upper school learning support counselor Ashely Beck said. “Also just in general a huge benefit of anything digital is the quick turnaround time of scores.”

The ACT began offering a digital version of the exam in order to enable students to “maximize their performance and confidence,” according to ACT.com.

“I like how you have the option to choose between online or a paper test for the ACT,” Moorman said. “I chose the paper ACT because I do not like taking tests on the computer and I perform better on paper.”

In spring of 2025, the ACT is making the science section optional. The scaling of the test will continue to be ranked on a scale of one to 36.

“I think the new shorter test will be a huge benefit to students because it will be

These changes are a well needed improvements. I think [students] will have less stress going into [the ACT] and, we hope, present their best knowledge.”

Ashley Beck Upper school learning support counselor

less stressful,” junior Chambers Jones said. “The hardest section for me was the science and with that being optional I think it would help.”

Instead of the exam taking three hours, it will now take one and a half hours to two hours to complete, depending on whether the student takes the optional sections.

“My biggest obstacle was time, so considering that the new version will allow more time per question is a big advantage,” Moorman said. “Considering that there are only three sections to study for and take, it’ll make taking the exam easier.”

The new ACT will feature a shorter English and reading section. The English section will have 50 questions instead of 75. The reading section will have shorter passages allowing more time per question.

“I struggled with test stamina and not getting tired throughout the entire test, so with the sections having less questions and more times will be a huge plus,” Jones said. “I also believe that making it shorter will better test your knowledge.”

In an interview with Forbes in July, ACT CEO Janet Goodwin said that “This change is designed to make the testing experience more manageable for students, enabling them to perform at their best without the fatigue that often accompanies longer exams.” But for many students, time and stamina were the biggest challenges.

“With a shorter test with more time per question, I think this will inflate scores,” Moorman said. “In a time

where ACT/SAT scores are already high due to test optional policies, I think this will make the problem worse.”

Regardless of the changes, the ACT will adapt their scaling to the new version in order to ensure that the test remains fair.

“The ACT has done a lot of research on how to scale [scores] based on the changes, and I can see why students think it’s unfair,” Montgomery said. “With the SAT change, the last generation felt that it was unfair, but then again, I think that the ACT is going to adjust.” Efforts to alleviate the difficulty and stress of both tests have led to changes in their format, hoping to provide students with a more flexible testing experience, according to KD College Prep, a college preparatory program that specializes in SAT and ACT test prep and college consulting.

“I don’t think that the new version gives that many advantages to new test takers,” Jones said. “The original version has been around for so long and I think it is finally time to change test taking, so this is a step in the right direction.”

The changes made to both tests are said to be in efforts to alleviate the stress surrounding both the ACT and SAT. “I think students have always had an issue with the ACT just because it is such a fast test, you have to move really quickly to complete it,” Beck said. “These changes are a well needed improvement. I think [students] will have less stress going into [the ACT] and, we hope, present their best knowledge.”

CONFLICT PERSISTS ONE YEAR AFTER OCT. 7, 2023 HAMAS ATTACK ON ISRAEL

According to AP News, on Monday Oct. 7, Hamas launched rockets at Tel Aviv, a city in Israel, while Hezbollah fired over 170 rockets into northern Israel, prompting Israeli airstrikes in Lebanon. Memorials were held nationwide in Israel. While the Israeli government held an official ceremony, families of victims and hostages organized an alternative event, voicing frustration over security lapses and the ongoing captivity of loved ones. Over a year after the initial Hamas attacks, the war conditions in the Middle East have continued with no signs of improvement. According to the Hamas-run health ministry, around 41,000 people have been killed since the war began. The humanitarian situation in Gaza has escalated to disastrous levels with Gazans facing food shortages, disease and 1.9 million people being displaced from

their homes, according to Atlantic Council experts. There is now high potential for direct conflict between Iran and Israel as missiles and drones were fired in early October. According to BBC News, “Iran’s supreme leader says enemies will receive ‘crushing response.’” As of Oct. 31, seven people in northern Israel were killed by two Hezbollah rocket attacks. Authorities classified these events as the deadliest day of strikes in months. The Washington Post reported on Nov. 3 that UNICEF’s director warned those who remain in northern Gaza are at immense risk of death due to disease, famine and continued attacks. Israel reestablished its military campaign in northern Gaza in early October, striking specific targets and surrounding areas, claiming it aims to prevent Hamas fighters from reestablishing themselves.

18-year-olds headed to the polls for the first time

Eligible seniors registered and voted for the Nov. 5 presidential election

For Dr. Elizabeth Goat-

ley, director of diversity and inclusion, voting was a large part of her childhood. She donated snacks to poll workers at her church and, being the first generation in her family born with the right to vote, she was aware of her privilege and duty to participate in elections.

“When my parents were born African Americans, [they] didn’t have the right to vote, so it was woven into the fundamental values of my family that you take every opportunity to add your voice into the governing of America through your vote,” Goatley said. “So as long as I can remember, my parents organized voter registrations.

Goatley wanted to become more civically engaged this election year, so she became a deputy registrar for Dallas County. She has registered first-time voting seniors as well as faculty who moved to Texas and needed to change their state registration. She handed out a total of six self-registration forms and registered four people on campus to vote in the national election.

“What I love about registering people to vote, is that you get to see the excitement that citizens have for their country,” Goatley said. “For first-timers, it’s the pride that

their voice is finally included, for those re-entering the voting process, it’s the recommitment to engage with your government, to utilize your right for your voice to be heard. And for those of us who are longtime, regular voters, it’s like a family reunion.”

According to “The Youth Vote in 2022,” an article by the Center for Information & Research on Civic Learning and Engagement, CIRCLE estimated that the national youth turnout for the 2022 election was 23 percent. In 2018, the turnout rate was 28 percent, and it was 14 percent in 2014. Also, during their poll of youth aged 18-34, CIRCLE found that 57 percent reported that they were extremely likely to vote; youth voter’s biggest concerns include inflation, cost of living, jobs that pay a living wage, gun violence and climate change.

Given that one must be 18 or older to vote, many seniors did not have the opportunity to vote in this election. According to a Nov. 4 poll of upper school students, of 100 seniors, 40 seniors responded with 20 saying they were eligible to vote, and 18 who planned to vote.

Senior Katherine Clark voted early on Oct. 5 at University Park United Methodist Church. The voting process was much easier than she anticipated.

“I was scared I messed something up when I registered but it was so simple,” Clark said. “You just walked in, they checked if you registered, and then went to your

polling booth.”

Because the election was anticipated to be a close one, Clark believed it was crucial for everyone to vote.

“It was empowering and I felt heard,” Clark said. “The poll workers also made a big deal because it was my first time voting.”

Senior Brady Osterstock also voted early; he casted his vote on Oct. 27. Although he didn’t pay much attention to the debates prior to the election, he kept track of policies and news.

“I was always planning on voting in elections when I turned 18,” Osterstock said. “Voting is something that my family values a lot, and it’s kind of something every time someone turns 18, their parents in my family have taken them to go voting for the first time.”

Osterstock drove with his

parents to the church where he voted and explained to him the voting process, but allowed him to be independent in his voting. Like Clark, he thought the overall voting process was easier than he expected.

But the voting process was not smooth for everyone.

When senior Lyle Hawkins went to vote during the early voting rounds, she was turned down.

“I was so frustrated because I went on conference day to vote with my mom, and I was so excited, and I [went] to check in, and [the poll worker] said that she could not find my registration,” Hawkins said.

“So then I went to talk to the judge, and the judge found my registration, but [they] said it wasn’t valid until Nov. 17. I was very confused because I registered on Aug. 5, and so I didn’t get to vote.”

Brooke Ebner | Web editor

by Eagle Edition staff

Accidents and stolen spots affect the parking lots

Parking challenges lead to plans for improvement

not doing my job correctly.”

But students need to renew their parking sticker every year

While walking back to his car on a recent visit to ESD, Camden Konradi ’24 noticed a dent in his car. He searched for the culprit, but no one admitted to hitting his car. Konradi spoke to the security guards, and together they looked at the security camera footage in order to find the culprit.

Dents, accidents and near hits have occurred for years around 4100 Merrell Road. Director of Campus Safety Jody Trumble saw a crash on the ESD property a few years ago.

“Once, a teenage driver hit an ESD trailer parked on Merrell, and it flipped their SUV. The doors opened [on impact],” Trumble said. “Thankfully no one was injured, but she was terrified.”

Many of these accidents occurred due to a lack of ample parking spaces. Trumble knew that ESD needed more parking to avoid these incidents, but achieving this reality was difficult.

“[There are] things like sports fields, green spaces and buildings,” Trumble said. “These all create challenges for parking spaces.”

There needed to be a space for students and teachers to park without worrying about their vehicles. Hence, student parking stickers were created.

“If a student pulls into the parking lot and another car is in their spot, they have just set back their day,” Trumble said. “Students are here to learn, and if something silly like finding a parking spot is taking away from that, I am

“The stickers are changed annually so alumni returning for an event cannot get away with parking in their old spot and steal an existing student’s spot,” Trumble said.

Some of the parking lots where teachers park also experience some issues, but instead of parking spot theft, there can be a parking spot shortage.

“[The teachers] are trying to prepare for their day while balancing their professional obligations,” Clark Family Head of Upper School Matt Peal said. “But it’s frustrating not to have a space. If we aren’t giving them what they need with [parking spots], we aren’t prioritizing them in the way they need to be.”

Without space in the primary teacher’s lot, many teachers have to park in the gravel lot on Eagle Family Way which can cause teachers to fall behind schedule due to the early morning walk across campus. However, ESD has been working on plans to improve the parking situation since 2010.

“About 15 years ago, the former senior lot changed to what is now the faculty and staff parking lot in the West Wing,” Parents Association Associate Head of School Ruth Burke said.

Another significant change took place when ESD bought the houses along Montwood Rd., now named Eagle Family Way, making it available for ESD members to park on this road.

“This all happened in 2020 right when lower school came

when everyone was struggling with parking, so that was a huge help," Burke said.

In 2022, the south side of campus was rezoned, granting ESD full access to the gravel lot and Montwood Rd. Before 2022, ESD had to obtain city approval in advance to use the gravel lot or Montwood Rd. for event parking.

“The school was allowed around 10 major events per year for when we could use the lot and street for parking,” Burke said. “We would go down our event list by requesting the lot and street for Grandparents’ Day, Homecoming and other major days in our school year.”

Once the rezoning case was passed, ESD was free to use both of these spaces for parking whenever needed, but more improvements are to come.

“There are still more plans for opening up parking in the future,” Burke said. “The idea is to create a new entry and carpool loop that goes all the way around, stretching out the carpool line and creating a

A Rapid Rundown

ROBOTICS PARTERS WITH FOSTER

The ESD robotics team has grown from around 10 students to about 20 active participants since it first started in 2022.

The program, which first partnered with Foster Elementary during the 2023 school year, introduced robotics and engineering to students. As part of the club, students interact with robots and learn about the engineering and design processes behind building robots.

“Our goal was to give kids hands-on experience with robotics and show them the different aspects of what we do, member of the robotics team and senior Josephine Bank said. We had our club members help the children engage with the robots, and some of

CARTER BLOODCARE DRIVE

The National Honors Society partnered with Carter BloodCare to host a blood drive on campus on Oct. 29.

Donors, who must be 16 and older, give blood to the blood bank, which supports individuals with cancer and other treatments.

NHS is sponsored by academic dean and upper school science teacher Amy Henderson and upper school math teacher Susan Weil.

“The NHS has so many different layers, Henderson said. “It s a really great organization.

Along with organizing the blood drive, NHS members earn points for participating in the drive.

“All the NHS members get points for donating or having someone donate on their behalf, Henderson said. “If they are unable to

HONOR SOCIETY BAKE SALE

NATIONAL

The annual National Honor Society bake sale was held during the upper school conference day on Oct. 30, from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. and raised roughly $500.

Academic Dean and upper school science teacher Amy Henderson, along with math teacher Susan Weil, is the NHS sponsor.

The sponsors and NHS treasurer senior Jake Infante organized the bake sale for both conference days of the school year.

“NHS has always done a bake sale, Henderson said. “[It is] In order to give back to the community [by] donating money.

The NHS members cook baked goods,

our leaders gave presentations on how to get involved in robotics and engineering.

As the team continues to spread their knowledge of robotics, they enhance their outreach program through going to Foster Elementary.

“Since robotics now counts as a community credit, we’ve seen more student involvement and productivity, Bank said.

The program has impacted many participants: it encourages students to develop their leadership skills.

“It has taught me lessons in teamwork, strategy, sponsorships and digital design, Bank said. “I’ve always been interested in business and marketing, and this experience is helping me prepare for a future career in that field.

donate, they also can walk people back to class.

Once people sign the form to donate blood, they undergo a screening to determine their eligibility. NHS members sign up to walk other donors back to class after they draw blood.

“Anytime we have a disaster, a lot of times blood is needed, Henderson said.

Twenty-three people donated during last year s drive compared to 41 this year, Out of these 41 donors, 23 of them were first timers.

First time donor and senior Katherine Clark originally decided to donate to figure out her blood type, but was moved by the cause.

“I was empowered by donating, Clarke said. I want to support people who need it.

such as cookies and cupcakes, to collect money from the ESD community.

Members aim for a few hundred dollars because their goal is to raise money for local charities. At the end of the school year, the NHS students decide who they want the money to benefit. Currently, they are planning to donate to St. Judes.

“No funds from NHS bake sales go towards ESD; they go towards a charity, senior and NHS president Dana Friedrich said. “We choose the charity at the end of the year, so we aren t sure where the funds will go yet, but we are thinking of donating the money to St. Judes hospital.

better traffic flow system and to construct new permanent parking lots there as well.”

This would make the carpool line easier to access and would alleviate the traffic backup on Merrell Rd. during morning and afternoon carpool. The plan sets up a wider road for the drivers, and it lessens the chaos during carpool hours.

“Two-laned roads around the carpool road for lower school are a part of the plan, and will hopefully keep traffic flowing at a better pace,” Burke said.

Another part of this plan is tearing down the facilities building in the student lot to open up 100 to 125 parking spaces, creating a new facilities building on the south side of campus and another smaller parking lot for overflow. This plan is expensive and will take time to implement.

“It’s a priority goal to accomplish in the near future,” Burke said. "We hope this could be something we work on for the next 50 year mark."

CONFERENCE DAY TREAT Students come into the study commons as they wait for their conferences on Oct. 30. They were greeted by National Honor Society seniors who sold sweet treats for $1. The profits were donated to charity. Photo by Jack Coben

STUDENT GIVING BLOOD Senior and NHS member Benjamin Moorman donates blood during the Oct. 29 blood drive. “It was my

blood, Moorman said. “But

Photo by Sheridan Bailey

PLAYING WITH ROBOTS Senior Jess Coit, cheers on a Foster Elementary student while they make their robot move automatically during the program outreach day at Foster on Sept. 13, Photo by Josephine Bank

Lincoln Clarke | Staff writer

CARPOOL TRAFFIC

Students cross a congested Merrell Rd. during carpool to get to the student parking lots. After school, I am always rushing to get to my car and beat the long line out of the parking lot-especially on the days need to get out quickly for cheer, sophomore Margaret Esposito said.

Photo by Lincoln Clarke

Hurricanes hit the U.S. coast and unsettle the community

Consecutive storms inflict damage on coastal states, send shock waves through ESD

Sheridan Bailey | Staff writer

On Thursday, Sept. 26, afternoon turned to evening while the seamless blue that typically graces the Florida skies was replaced by ash gray clouds. The wind whipped palm trees and the sides of buildings, and nothing could prepare Florida’s Gulf Coast for what awaited in mere hours.

It was 11:10 p.m., nearing midnight, when Hurricane Helene made landfall, leaving nothing but devastation and desolation. Just weeks after Hurricane Milton shattered the area, Helene’s violent tornadoes added to the destruction and inflicted even more damage.

Many members of the ESD community have family and friends who were forced to evacuate and leave their belongings behind. However, in hopes of easing discomfort during the daunting time, Fr. Nate Bostain added a prayer in chapel to all who were affected

by the hurricanes.

“I have people in Florida that are extended members of my family, I have people that I was in college with, and I have people that I have done ministry with,” Bostain said. “I feel a lot of empathy for them. I can’t imagine having to leave everything behind and then go somewhere and not know what’s going on with all of my valuables, everything that I’ve collected as an adult and my kids’ childhood memories.”

Upper school fine arts teacher Juan Negroni wrote the prayer that was read during the upper school chapel, as he too has been personally affected by the recent hurricanes. Negroni grew up in Puerto Rico, where hurricanes were a part of life. Although he was never immune to their impact, his lifestyle adapted to the frequent storms. Negroni eventually moved to Texas, but he has family in Florida who were forced to evacuate because of the recent hurricanes.

“My family in Florida drove six hours north to go to a hotel in a safer area,” Negroni said. “They were affected economi-

HURRICANE AFTERMATH

First responders navigate their way through the Swannanoa River in North Carolina on Sept. 29, 2024. Encompassed on all sides by the immense destruction inflicted by Hurricane Helene.

Photo by Travis Long/The News & Observer/TNS

cally, and when you go through these processes one too many times it becomes like muscle memory.”

As hurricanes and tropical storms become more frequent, those who live in coastal areas prone to hurricanes must become acclimate to these storms.

“The storms are getting stronger. So even for the same number of storms, the number that are a real problem goes up because they are strengthening,” Adam Sobel, a climate scientist at Columbia University, said in an interview with National Public Radio in 2023.

“I think it is important for the public to take [this] seriously.”

The consequences of consecutive hurricanes are lethal, this happened in 2005 when Hurricanes Rita and Katrina hit the Gulf Coast. In the future, not only will the strength of hurricanes and tropical storms increase, but also the frequency of these storms will as well.

“By 2100, such consecutive shocks will become relatively commonplace, according to the new analysis,” according to a new study by climate scientists at Princeton, climate scientist Ning Ling said. “If people are being hit by flooding and wind damage over and over, there’s less time to recover.”

The National Weather Service reported that Hurricane Helene touched down in the Big Bend area of Florida, but primarily impacted the Southern Appalachians. Helene killed at least 230 people and caused as much as $47 billion in property damages. And in North Carolina, 92 people are still unaccounted for.

fected millions.

It is not uncommon to hear that the rising strength and supposed rising frequency of hurricanes is attributed to climate change, but upper school science teacher Walter Warner disagrees.

“There is not enough data that has been collected to be able to say with any statistical confidence whether or not climate change has actually affected things,” Warner said.

“The frequency of hurricanes has remained relatively constant over the last 25 years. That statistic has not changed.”

Climate change could still impact the intensification of tropical storms and create hurricanes. This is attributed to the fact that ocean temperatures are rising,creating more of a temperature differential within the weather system.

“You have an increase in the water vapor content of the storm system, and you have a bigger temperature differential,” Warner said. “Now, what you have is the conditions for a more virulent storm than you would have had if the surface temperature of the water had been lower.”

This year’s hurricane season was extremely violent, with the Atlantic Ocean consistently producing tropical storms and hurricanes above seasonal averages. Since Milton, no hurricane has touched down on American soil, but there have been some close calls. Tropical Storm Oscar created a nationwide power outage in Cuba on Oct. 21, 2024 and left six people dead. Oscar then headed straight for the Bahamas, but it was

The State Fair of Texas returns for the 138th year

The fair promises new activities, festival games, a competitive Cotton Bowl game

As sophomore Henry Lanyon ventured through the crowds of people, he was met with the smoky smell of turkey legs, the view of Big Tex towering over him and memories from past years.

The smell of funnel cake, turkey legs and corn dogs hits visitors in the face as soon as they step into the Fair Park grounds. Every year, the State Fair of Texas hosts more than 200 food vendors and locations to find these foods. Endless variations of fried foods, drinks and desserts are available all around the fair.

“I like the Fletcher’s corn dog,” Lanyon said. “It is definitely my favorite. The fried Snickers [were] not as good as I expected.”

Vendors compete to win a Big Tex Choice Award, and the competition is fierce. This year, the Dominican Fritura Dog won the best savory food, Rousso’s Cotton Candy Bacon On a Stick won the sweet food category and Texas Sugar Rush Pickles received the prize for most creative.

“I had the funnel cake,” sophomore Samuel Olson said. “I did not get to try any of the crazy foods.” These exotic foods are just some out of hundreds of dishes that attract people to the fair. The Lay’s potato chip drink, cookie butter nachos and the Hot Cheetos Korean corn dog were among the

many new attractions this year.

“I always get fried Oreos,” junior Harrison Teegarden said. “[Those are] my favorite.”

But people come to the fair for the rides as well. The flashing lights, bright colors and sound of peoples laughter characterize the 73 rides and roller coasters on Midway. The Love Bug, the Pirate and Anti-Gravity are the first attractions you see when entering.

Other popular rides include the sling shots, swings and haunted houses.

“We went on the Helix 360, that one was scary,” Teegarden said. “It was fun, but I was freaking out.”

Carnival games and activities can be found all over the FunWay. Players compete against themselves or others to win prizes that vary from toy trumpets to Boston Celtics basketballs.

“I played the popping balloon game,” Olson said. “I won a giant stuffed animal.”

For many, finding a time and day to visit the fair is difficult and people tend to want to go during off-peak hours to avoid the crowds, but due to its popularity, the fair is almost always busy and filled with people of all ages.

“A Saturday morning or early afternoon [is the best time to go],” Teegarden said. “But try to beat the crowd whenever you can.”

Many teens and young adults go to the Fair late at night. When the lights are brighter, families with younger kids have left and fireworks

the year the State Fair of Texas was first held, making it the longest-running fair in the U.S.

Going into the fair I was expecting to have loads of fun by riding new rides and trying lots of new foods, but especially by spending time with my family.

Henry Lanyon Sophomore

are set off. But at 5 p.m., security does not allow guests under 18 to enter the fair without an adult who is 21 or older. This rule can leave guests shocked and disappointed when they are told they can’t enter the fair. One adult is allowed per six kids, which tends to cause irritation among guests who arrive and are unaware of the new rule.

“We had to leave early,” Teegarden said. “It was just annoying. I would have liked to [do more].”

The prices at the fair are notoriously high. It costs $15 just to enter the fair. To enjoy food, ride rides and play games, visitors must purchase coupons which start at $10 for a stack of 10. The amount of coupons needed ranges from eight to 40, with larger rides requiring more coupons. According to the Dallas Morning News, the average family spends around $300 in one day at the Fair, excluding entry tickets.

“It [is] supposed to be cheap fun,” Teegarden said. “But, it is really expensive. I drove, I paid. It's just not as fun to be conscious of all the adult stuff.”

Fair Park, where the State Fair of Texas is held, is home to the famous Cotton Bowl Stadium. The fair hosts the annual Red River Rivalry game, where the University of Texas at Austin plays Oklahoma University. Texas and OU flags pack opposite sides of the stadium, creating an environment where fans unite to cheer for their team.

“I look forward to the game

[every year],” sophomore Colby Chipman said. “I love the [University of Texas] and the team so much. I think there is so much energy at the cotton bowl and everyone is happy to be there no matter what.”

Due to the large crowds, traffic all around Fair Park is notorious and finding a parking spot is hard. To avoid this congestion, many take the DART train or pay for rideshares to avoid the $30 parking fee.

“To get to the game we took a Feti,” Chipman said. “Fetis are great for big groups. They are very fun and have colorful lights in them.”

People will squeeze as many people as possible into DART trains, leaving little room to breathe.

“It was so hard [to find parking],” Lanyon said. "It took us 40 minutes.”

The endless variations of attractions, entertainment and food at the State Fair of Texas leaves people excited to come back year after year and try new rides or foods. The comfort of familiarity mixed with the thrill of novel interactions brings the crowds back.

“Going into the fair I was expecting to have loads of fun by riding new rides and trying lots of new foods,” Lanyon said, “But, especially by spending time with my family. [These] expectations were completely met by going on the ride The Beast for the first time, trying the Fletcher's Corn Dog and having lots of laughs with my family.”

percent of students who went to the State Fair of Texas stayed for three to four hours 27 1886

percent of upper school students attended the State Fair of Texas this year

AIMING TO WIN BIG

Sixth grader Tripp Everett attempts to win the bottle tossing game and earn a giant stuffed animal at the State Fair of Texas on Oct. 12. He only knocked down two of three milk bottles and lost. He later went on to win a Boston Celtics basketball at the Three Pointer Game. 'It's so rare to win a game," Everett said. "It's a big deal, and really exciting when you do." Photo by Sloane Everett

Sloane Everett | Staff writer

A TREASURED TRADITION

While most students know of this cheerleading tradition, for those who are new to upper school, the black light pep rally comes as a shocking surprise.

“Coming into high school with an older sister, I had already heard a lot about the black light pep rally, freshman Searcy Mae Ferguson said. “I was blown away by the energy in the gym when the lights turned off. It was so much fun.

Staff writer Kate Lewis pulls back the curtain on the black light pep rally preparation. From

setting up the blackout tarp, to perfecting the routine, cheerleaders

SET UP TIME

The preparation for the black light pep rally is the most intense all year. It sometimes takes several weeks to order the supplies, make the routine and set up the area.

“It is the most hands-on setup, cheerleading program director Megan Schroeder said. “I have to order the lights weeks in advance.

Before the event, the cheerleaders place 45 black lights around the mats. The cost for these special lights is $760. They also blackout all the windows that surround the gym, ensuring that it will be pitch black when the lights go out. In order to tape up the large windows in the wrestling room, cheerleaders use their stunting skills to lift a flyer to hang the black tarps.

During the routine, the black light casts a glow on the cheerleaders' white uniforms, making them shine brightly in the dark.

“Using a stunt to put up the tarp is so much easier than getting a ladder out, junior Sophie Slotnik said. “We are able to use the stunting skills we already know how to do to get the blackout job done.

ESD Cheer's Blacklight pep rally the Curtain

THE LAST RALLY

Since the fall of 2018, the ESD varsity cheerleaders have performed an action packed glow in the dark pep rally to commemorate the senior athletes.

“As much as I look forward to the black light pep senior Brooklyn Singer said. “I dreaded it this year because I knew it was my last time after four years on the team. As the last pep rally of the year, senior athletes are highlighted in multiple ways. The senior cheerleaders finish off the routine with a senior-only dance. The rest of the cheerleading squad squats on the back of the mat, while the seniors get one last dance.

“Getting to finally be the seniors that are dancing in the pep rally felt so surreal, senior and cheerleader Ella Floyd said. “It was so special and honestly very emotional knowing that was the last black light pep rally we will ever do.

FOR A GOOD CAUSE

During the month of October, the cheerleading team switches out their normal black spanks for pink to honor National Breast Cancer Awareness Month. During the routines, as the cheerleaders jump and tumble, the pink spanks stand out and strike the crowd.

"I loved wearing pink spanks because not only is it a great pop of color in our uniforms," sophmore Madison Stiles, pictured left, said. "It carries an amazing message to honor Breast Cancer Awareness Month."

Photos by Kate Lewis

Senior classes leave lasting legacy with class gifts

Class of '25 to purchase class gift, holds multiple fundraisers

Ethan Pham | Sports editor

After raising money and organizing events, class leaders will have a chance to allot the funds and impact their school at the end of the year. Each senior class not only leaves a long-lasting legacy at the school but also contributes a class gift to ESD in order to cement their legacy at the school.

While the class of 2025 has not decided on their class gift yet, they have started fundraising to raise money. The senior class representatives, Ethan Pham, Katherine Clark, John Schindel and Nina Rastin, brainstormed over the summer about ways to raise money for the class. Clark, as a senior class leader, took the initiative to create a yard sign for seniors.

“Our class spent a tremendous amount of money on class activities last year that made last year so fun. I knew our budget was not where we wanted it to be, so we talked as a team of leaders and came up with the idea for the signs,” Clark said. “I used some of my media-making abilities and came up with a design and worked with the eagles nest. It was simple and very successful.”

Clark emailed the design to Gabrielle Harrington, Eagles Nest manager, who placed the order of signs for the senior class, which say “We Are CLA25IC Class of 2025.” The signs sold out quickly and the class raised close to $1200.

“I knew that the seniors last year had yard signs and I wanted to make some as a fundraiser this year for our class. So, Mrs Garcini and I helped create a design and go through the Eagles Nest,” Clark said. “The sale was very successful and we were able to fundraise and use all of that money towards the top golf day. The signs are very fun and vibrant and so when driving around Dallas you know our class is very well represented.”

The senior class leaders also organized a Raising Canes lunch fundraiser spearheaded by Clark. The leaders contacted Raising Canes through the CEO, ESD parent AJ Kumaran, to plan the fundraiser. Canes appreciated the senior class efforts and worked out a deal for the students. Canes sold one box combo for $7.20. The boxes were sold to the students for $12.00, resulting in a $4.80 profit for each box sold to the students.

“We made a really good profit from the fundraiser. We made around $1500. Not only that, but everyone seemed to really enjoy it, Schindel said. “That definitely seems like a success to me.”

A Google form was sent to students to fill out whether they wanted either one, two or three box combos. The orders were then sent to the Eagle Nest to charge students for their orders, and all the proceeds benefited the senior class. The class of 2025 raised $1,473.70 from this one event and plans on hosting three more Canes fundrais-

The senior courtyard brings in a good vibe and it's a community place and that's what we want as a school.

Marcela Garcini Senior class dean and Spanish teacher

ers throughout the year.

“[It was] incredible and well organized,” Senora Garcini said. “And the most important students are taking the lead organizing projects and fundraisers for the entire school.”

The class of 2025 has already made a few purchases for the senior courtyard. Members of the class reached out to the class leaders and requested a spike ball set and bucket golf set.

“The senior courtyard is great because it’s a place where everyone in the grade can go to sit outside and enjoy the day,” Senior Jake Elliston said. “It’s a great break from sitting in classrooms all day.”

These games will be passed

down to the following class for each senior class to enjoy. “I feel really good because for a long time, you had a lot of students that they wanted to be inside and now the people are utilizing the senior courtyard, and people either talk or chill, and I think buying the games was a good choice from the class leadership. The vibe is always very chill, comfortable,” Garcini said. “So that means that the students are happy, and I know that they have a lot of stress right now with college applications. But I think the senior courtyard brings in a good vibe and it's a community place and that's what we want as a school.”

We proudly support the Eagle Edition

SENIORS IN THE COURTYARD

[From left] Seniors Evan Terra, Brady Miltenberger and Bobby Massoud play the popular cornhole game.

Photo by Ethan Pham

Independent Studies Program ignites lives of purpose

Students explore possible future careers and passions

As senior Jamie Henderson walks into a lower school classroom, she is immediately greeted by the beaming faces of primer students and is reminded of how grateful she is to be taking the elementary education independent study.

The Independent Studies Program started in 2022 and offers upper school students the opportunity to pursue additional interests not available within the regular ESD curriculum. The system is an outlet for students looking to stand out in a particular area, specifically when applying for colleges.

Chief Academic Officer Rebecca Brady is one of the faculty members navigating the program. She, along with Academic Dean Amy Henderson, are working to develop a well-defined program to demonstrate student’s unique areas of skill and interest.

“When students have an area of interest that goes beyond the curriculum that we offer, they have the opportunity to work one-on-one with our faculty members to explore that area of interest,” Brady said. “There are certificate programs to guide research, reading and their topics of study.”

Since starting this program, ESD has only had nine students participate in an independent study, thus making it a large priority to grow and market the program. Amy Henderson directs the process of incorporating structure and guidelines into these studies.

“So what we are going to do next year is only allow students to take one independent study each semester,” Amy Henderson said. “Whereas in the past there haven’t been any guidelines in that area.”

Past studies have had a more varied and relaxed curriculum that often changes depending on the sponsor.

Adding more consistency enables students to trust the value of their study.

“We want to implement check-in points regulating when assignments should be completed, and add pass-fail grades,” Amy Henderson said. “We would love if next year after the student finishes an independent study, they can do a presentation that showcases the effort that they put in.”

Jamie Henderson is the only student this semester participating in a study. With the help of her sponsor, English teacher and Associate Chief Academic Officer Dr. Lindsey Cullins, Jamie Henderson is doing a independent study on elementary education. English Department Chair Tolly Salz suggested Jamie Henderson to contact Cullins as she thought Cullins would provide great support and mentorship.

“I’m learning about phonics and the science of reading because I want to major in education,” Jamie Henderson said. “Specifically I’m thinking about a career path of teaching that area when [children] first start to learn how to read.”

This year was Cullins’s first year sponsoring an independent study, calling her to take a step out of her normal classroom setting and partake in

LEARNING TO LEAD

Senior Jamie Henderson and English teacher and Associate Chief Academic Officer Dr. Lindsey Cullins prepare in Cullin’s office for a primer classroom visit. “I love working the kids, Henderson said. “Tutoring gives me great experience for when I go into teaching.

a more complex version of teaching.

“Jamie talked with college guidance, claiming to be interested in becoming a teacher and learning more specifically about early childhood literacy,” Cullins said. “It’s a combination of additional reading, doing some professional development training, and then going into classrooms and seeing actual teaching strategies.”

However, considering the variety of these courses, there arises a challenge of creating a consistent rubric that all students and teachers can follow. Before any changes were made, Cullins was expected to fabricate her own curriculum for her study.

“I think one of the hardest things about an independent study is what grading looks like,” Cullins said. “The route I’ve taken with my student is to set an agenda consisting of things we want to do, and things I expect. Sometimes, I give her a reading, and she comes back to share notes and debrief. And then her major grade at the end is an accumulated portfolio that she’s been building throughout the course.”

The class is a mixture of hands-on tasks and reading.

Jamie Henderson expresses how she enjoys the variety within the course and especially loves participating in actual lower school classes.

“Sometimes she does little mini-lessons, or I watch videos of people teaching. We also discuss a lot of different teaching methods,” Jamie Henderson said. “And my favorite part is going into lower school classrooms to observe and help lower school teachers. I love helping Mrs. Campbell with primer.”

With the independent studies program still undergoing improvement, it will continue to allow aspiring students to seize the opportunity to act upon interests and set themselves up for the rest of their lives.

“I visited a college that I’m thinking about going to, and their academic dean introduced me to the person who teaches kids how to read and handles that section of phonics learning,” Jamie Henderson said. “And I didn’t even think about that as an option until then, and, when she said that, it just clicked. And I was like, that’s what I want to do.”

Barrett Coble | Staff writer

Photo by Barrett Coble

Costumes and community

On the night of Oct. 31, junior Harrison Adams knocks on the door of a house with green, eerie lights and carved jack-o'-lanterns.

Dressed as Oppenheimer wearing a long, black trench coat and a brown, pork pie hat, Adams only wants one thing. As the door slowly creaks open, he shouts, “Trick-or-treat!” and the homeowner greets him with a smile, holding a bowl of fun-sized candies.

“I think my costume helped me [get more candy] when trickor-treating,” Adams said. “But, given the fact that it was a solid costume and not super recognizable, I don't think that made it or broke anything.”

Implemented last year by Clark Family Head of Upper School Matt Peal, students can wear their costumes at school on Halloween. During lunch, the administration holds a costume contest where competitors must catwalk in front of the judges to show off their looks. One student wins a $50 gift card prize per grade for the solo contest category. For the group contest category, one overall group wins and receives a $10 Eagle’s Nest gift card per person. Though the contest is based on self-nominations, the Student Council encourages everyone to participate and show off their creativity.

I think if we can do the little things like wearing [Halloween costumes] at school, then it's perfectly appropriate to mix in this let-your-hairdown kind of fun.

before Halloween, so I thought it would be a [great idea] to dress as Doug.”

Dressing up in costumes does not have to just be for students, but can be enjoyed by faculty and staff as well. Various faculty and staff departments dressed up in group costumes to show their Halloween spirit. For example, the upper school English department dressed as a coven of witches, and Peal and Assistant Head of Upper School Max Auge dressed as Mario characters.

“[We] debated several costume options this year, from famous authors to different parts of the poem ‘The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock,’ and even ‘Grammar Police’ before settling on a coven of witches,” upper school English teacher Heather Cernoch said. “Witches are often depicted in literature as powerful, independent women who live outside the norms of society. [They] are fascinating because they are often misunderstood but also give off an allure that's impossible to ignore.”

Though costumes are a prominent part of celebrating Halloween, other celebrations are popular in the ESD community. Many visit a pumpkin patch, go to a haunted house, watch a scary movie and attend a Halloween party. Junior Sophie Slotnik feels that Halloween spirit goes beyond dressing in costumes or trick-or-treating.

“My friends and I went to a pumpkin patch, picked out the largest pumpkin we could find and carved it into a jack-o'-lantern,” Slotnik said. “We also made Halloween cookies from scratch and watched a scary movie together.”

Due to the exciting lead-up to Halloween, many students celebrate Halloween on Oct. 31 and extend the celebration to the following weekend in what is known as “Halloweekend.”

“On the weekend, I went out with some of my friends and we celebrated the holiday,” Slotnik said. “But on actual Halloween, we got dinner, watched a scary movie, stayed in and went trickor-treating. I wanted to have a chill night because we all had school the next day.”

Culture crash

Swifties and Carpenters win big

On Saturday Oct. 26, pop star Taylor Swift stunned fans when she invited fellow singer, Sabrina Carpenter, on the stage at Ceasers Superdome in New Orleans during her Eras Tour. Swift asked Carpenter, “Why aren t you here with us? The two celebrities joined each other in a mash-up of Carpenter's hit song, “Espresso, leading into Swift' s song, “Is it Over Now? “ and then back to one of Carpenter's songs “Please Please Please, “ according to People Magazine. However, this was not the first time the pair performed together as Carpenter has joined Swift in her shows in Mexico, Argentina, Brazil, Japan, Australia and Singapore.

One Direction Liam Payne's tragic death

Singer and former member of the boy band One Direction, Liam Payne, died in Argentina on Oct. 16, when he fell from the third-floor balcony of the CasaSur Hotel where he was staying. Payne was visiting another member of the band, Niall Horan, during this visit, according to BBC News. Payne fell at 5:07 p.m. and the police arrived minutes later. Since his death, the former One Direction bandmates, Harry Styles; Louis Tomlinson; Zayn Malik and Horan, have paid tribute to Payne on social media. Payne leaves behind his 7-year-old son, Bear.

“I recognize that I ask a lot of students, but there also has to be a balance to this and we have to have some fun,” Peal said. “There has to be chaos in our life at times. I think if we can do the little things like wearing [Halloween costumes] at school, then it's perfectly appropriate to mix in this let-your-hair-down kind of fun.”

Sophomore Jake Loftus won the individual costume contest and a $50 gift card prize for his grade, dressed as Doug from Liberty Mutual Group's LiMu Emu and Doug commercials. When the Student Council announced his win at the pep rally on Nov. 1, he was initially surprised but felt that his costume deserved the first-place prize.

“I have always found the random insurance commercials funny,” Loftus said. “I had seen a lot of Liberty Mutual commercials

Most of the time, costume planning is not simple. According to sophomore Colby Chipman, she found her inspiration from TikTok and Pinterest after seeing various costumes of girls dressing as Audrey Hepburn. People try to find a costume that is original, appropriate, affordable, creative and will ship in a timely fashion.

“I try to spend at most $100 [on my costume] because I think you can get high-quality materials for fairly cheap,” Adams said. “At the end of the day, it's supposed to be fun, not too expensive.”

Because uniforms are required at school, these dress up days help portray sides of students that are not normally shown.

“The perk of dressing up for Halloween at [school] is that we normally have to wear uniforms, and we're kind of restricted from our creativity,” Slotnik said. “And so, I think being able to dress up helps showcase that [creativity] and shows our community who we are behind our uniforms.”

Rodrigo's Netflix debut

Netflix dropped the one hour and 44 minute movie, “Olivia Rodrigo: Guts World Tour documentary on Tuesday Oct. 29. The documentary features Rodrigo's August Los Angeles sold-out concert at the Intuit Dome. In February, Rodrigo began her worldwide 18-month tour with over 100 shows; it will end in the summer of 2025, according to Screen Rant. The director of the movie, James Merryman, has done similar productions for famous singers, such as Beyonce and Shakira. This movie features Rodrigo “Guts, which was released in September of 2023.

Jennifer Lawrence does it all

Actress Jennifer Lawrence announced her second pregnancy with her husband Cooke Maroney on Oct. 20. Lawrence and Maroney’s firstborn, Cy, is 2 years old. Lawrence is currently producing two movies, both centered around women's struggles, according to Vogue. Lawrence and Hillary Clinton co-produced “Zurawski v. Texas,” a documentary about strict anti-abortion laws in Texas; it premiered on Oct. 25. Lawrence also co-produced the movie Bread & Roses, a documentary about Afghan women living in Taliban controlled Kabul.

Series

New York Yankees in the early innings in game five of the World Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers made a comeback to win the 2024 World Series, 7-6. The Dodgers were expected to win early in the season from their newly acquired talents:

and

who were secured with over $1 billion worth of contracts, according to Major League Baseball News. The team faced many trials on their way to victory, including the injury of Freddy Freeman, the World Series Most Valuable Player. They also had to come back from their record of 1-2-0, which would have eliminated the Dodgers in the first round for the third year in a row. The team persisted and won their 21st World Series title.

Reese Rawson | Views editor

Matt Peal Clark Family Head of Upper School

LAUD LORAX Sophomores Madison Stiles, Kate Lewis and Lincoln Clarke dress as O'Hare, the Lorax and the Once-ler from Dr. Seuss' "The Lorax."

Photo by Cheney Mathes

After losing a five-run lead by the

Shohei Ohtani, Yashinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow

Teoscar Hernandez,

Photo by Christina House/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Photo by Kate Green/Getty Images/TNS

Photo by Michael Blackshire/ Los Angeles Times/TNS

Photo by Wally Skalij/Los Angeles Times/TNS

Photo by Christina House/ Los Angeles Times/TNS

Dodgers win World

Pet Palooza

among reptile enthusiasts because of their small size. Gladys is now about 30 years old, whereas the average lifespan for captive blue-tongued skinks is between 15-20 years.

“Being an omnivore, I usually feed her some high protein dog food doused with reptile vitamins and calcium, Gallo said. “I’m glad to report she eats very well.

Paw Patrol

Theresa Harris

Each issue, the Eagle Edition features the most exciting pets around campus.

Social media manager Valentina Boltchi highlights four of the science department's animal friends.

UPPER SCHOOL CHEMISTRY TEACHER

THESE SWEET FACES BELONG TO upper school chemistry teacher Theresa Harris. Poncho and Lefty, English bulldogs, have filled Harris’s home with laughter since they were born last Valentine’s day. Harris adopted the puppies after her prior bulldog, Otis, passed away unexpect-

“We knew Otis was irreplaceable and we decided to wait before we considered Harris said. “Until we spent two quiet evenings without puppies, our house is not meant to be quiet.

Poncho and Lefty are brothers who had already been separated from their other sibling, so Harris knew she had to adopt both of them.

“While they are brothers, and the same age, Lefty is almost twice as big as Poncho, Harris said. “But Poncho is the boss!

Walter Warner and his wife adopted their 7-year-old tabby cat, Missy, around a year ago. Missy was taken by her previous owners to be euthanized for a digestive issue, however, the vet could not euthanize her for such an easily fixed condition. When the vet called the Warners asking about adoption, they knew they could not pass her up.

Missy was the only other cat in her home, so she is not very excited to be sharing the space with Warner’s dogs.

“The dog tries very hard to be friends with Missy, Warner said. “But Missy will lurk under the table and swat at the dog when she walks by.

However, Missy also has an undercover sweet side.

“When she thinks we aren’t around, Missy will sit with the dog and look out the porch window at the squirrels in the backyard, Warner said.

SEVENTH GRADE SCIENCE TEACHER Laura Baker adopted her St. Bernard Woozley from a breeder in Victoria, Texas. Woozley is 3 years old and weighs 165 pounds. St. Bernards are a special breed of dogs as they sleep about 20 hours a day and do not require any exercise.

“We really wanted a dog but are gone so much that we wanted a pet who would be happy being alone during the day, Baker said. “Woozley is the perfect pet for us. Woozley is named after a ski run in Telluride called “Woozley’s Way. While Woozley loves to hide in the backyard, his large size makes him pretty obvious as shown in the picture above.

Arts

Coming together for the fall play

"The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time" cast prepares for opening night

Amidst the clatter of new props and the scent of fresh paint, junior Evellyn Hargrave recites her lines on stage in preparation for the 2024 fall play. Ever since she received her role on Oct. 16, Hargrave has been focused on nailing her performance by working closely with the other nine cast members in “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” which will be on stage at the Bray Theater from Nov. 14 to 16.

“The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time,” a theatrical production created by Simon Stephens, is based off of the mystery novel written by Mark Haddon. The storyline revolves around the death of a neighbor’s dog which is investigated by a young boy named Christopher Boone. Throughout the play, the audience is introduced to multiple characters from Christopher’s internal thoughts and memories.

Hargrave’s love for the fine arts sparked at a young age. She has been involved in dance classes and theater productions since she was very young.

“I started dancing when I was 2,” Hargrave said. “I did the mandatory musicals in elementary school but my first production outside of school was in the fourth grade.”

Many people have inspired Hargrave throughout her life, igniting her interest in musical theater and her appreciation for the arts.

“I have always been a dancer and I also spent a ton of my childhood singing,” Hargrave said. “One of my babysitters when I was in the second grade always put on ‘Les Miserables’ and ‘Phantom’ for me to watch. From then on, I was immediately like, ‘I'm in.’”

While rehearsing for the play, Hargrave and the other cast members have taken a unique approach in interacting with the set’s elements.

“We're doing a lot of projection work which I think is

going to be really interesting,” Hargrave said. “A lot of the set is going to rely on lighting and how we position people.”

Despite Hargrave’s experience in the arts, the pressure of her academic studies and extracurriculars create challenges for her while she rehearses for the school play.

“The whole process of preparing for opening night can be very stressful and hard to manage,” Hargrave said. “First I have school, then I have play rehearsal until five and then I go straight to the dance studio. But, overall when I get to perform, the play is a huge outlet for me.”

Senior Jake Infante agreed that being on stage is an enjoyable experience. He wanted to participate in the fall play after starring in the 2023 spring musical last year, landing himself a main role in “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.”

“This is my first year participating in the school play,” Infante said. “Last year [my friend] told me that I should try out for the musical the day before auditions happened and I said, ‘okay, why not.’”

Infante said that his experience singing in choir pushed him to join the winter musical last year. After auditioning for last year’s musical, “Anything Goes”, he received the lead role Moonface Martin and was applauded by the audience for his exceptional performance.

“I tried [the musical] because I had been doing choir previously,” Infante said. “It was a lot of fun so I was like why not audition for the fall play this year.”

In addition to the cast members, there are many people behind the scenes who help prepare for the annual fall play. Upper School Technical Theater Director Ronnie Watson and Performing Arts Department Chair Lauren Redmond collaborate to bring the play to life each year.

“I have been designing sets at ESD since the winter musical in 2023,” Watson said. “The show was ‘The

We're doing a lot of projection work which I think is going to be really interesting. A lot of the set is going to rely on lighting and how we position people.

Evellyn Hargrave Junior

Hunchback of Notre Dame.’” Student members working in the 2024 theater tech crew have helped bring “The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time” set to life.

“As of this semester, we have a nice size crew that comes after school every day to build and prepare for the play,” Watson said. “So, that has been a great development in order to get our work done.”

Redmond’s role as the director overlaps with Watson’s technical duties. The stage and theater tech directors collaborate to create the production.

“Typically, the director [is] responsible for setting the vision, or concept, of the production, and working with the actors on stage,” Redmond said. “The technical director [is] responsible for all of the technical elements of the production, which involves scenery, costumes, lights and sound. In most instances, we share the load.”

While Watson creates the set for the play, Redmond is typically in charge of crafting the “concept” behind the production itself. Watson took a creative approach to execute the set design, in order to accurately portray the lead character’s internal thoughts.

“Our current production will take an unconventional approach in the sense that there is very little actual three-dimensional scenery,” Watson said. “We are employing the use of large projection screens to help illustrate the inner world of the main character Christopher.”

Senior Xander Bromberg stars as Christopher, a talented young boy who tends to struggle with understanding others emotions due to the fact he is on the autism spectrum.

“Funny enough, I didn't actually get cast as Christopher in my first audition,” Bromberg said. “Unlike previous years, we had auditions last spring so that peo-

ple could choose to commit to the fall production before sports.”

In order to prepare for auditions last spring, Bromberg repeatedly read over the play’s script. Despite his dedication to landing a role in the fall play, he was originally not cast.

“To prepare, I ended up reading over the entire script, watching a production of [the play] on YouTube, practicing the monologue a lot and getting feedback from Mrs. Redmond the day before,” Bromberg said. “That being said, I still wasn't [originally] cast.”

Two weeks before school started, the student who was originally cast as Christopher became unable to participate in the show. This sudden change in casting called for a second round of auditions, giving Bromberg a second shot at earning a part in the fall play.

“We held another round of auditions and I got the part,” Bromberg said. “I asked Mrs. Redmond what I did to change her mind and it turns out that by preparing so much before auditions, a lot of my natural instincts and movements looked less authentic. I got way too in my head about it. Coming back from the summer, I relaxed in the auditions. Everything ended up feeling much more natural.”

Despite Redmond’s love for auditions, she admittedly does not always find the process of casting students easy or enjoyable.

“The simple answer is that it's never easy and it's not always smooth sailing,” Redmond said. “I have ideas of what I'm looking for in my head and I'm fitting that with who shows up and what they bring to auditions. [On the other hand], I love auditions, because it's amazing to see what each student does.”

Tickets are $5 per peron and are on sale know on https://esdallas.seatyourself.biz/

FALL PLAY REHEARSAL

Seniors Xander Bromberg and Milam Olsen practice their lines in the Bray Theater while rehearsing for the fall play on Nov. 4. "It is really interesting to watch the different pieces come together," Bromberg said.

Photo by Stella Bartley

Stella Bartley | Staff writer

Featured Artist

Juan Negroni | Revaluation of Origin

With paintbrushes in hand and completed artworks on the walls, upper school art teacher Juan Negroni welcomed the community into his world of creativity, showcasing his recent artworks in a solo art exhibition at Galleri Urbane in Dallas. The exhibition, Revaluation of Origin, was on display from Oct. 5 to Nov. 9.

From childhood inspiration to a teaching career of two decades, Negroni s talent transforms his anxieties into vibrant expressions.

Negroni specializes in drawing and painting, working primarily with watercolor. His journey as an art student began in printmaking; however, it was his early childhood experiences that revealed his passion for art.

“[My older brother] used to draw a lot and I used to follow him around and try to copy whatever he did, Negroni said. “So I think that s when I started realizing that wanted to draw, not necessarily that I could draw, but that I wanted to draw.

This school year marks his fifth year teaching at ESD, but he has spent nearly 20 years as a teacher, beginning his career in Puerto Rico.

“I started as a student working for different museums in Puerto Rico and then I went through their educational programs and one thing led to another, Negroni said. “Before I knew it, I was teaching the classroom.

Among the pieces Negroni exhibited, a small watercolor of a boxing male figure is his favorite. Instead of wearing boxing gloves or headgear, his arms and head are transforming into a rock. The piece took him only a few hours to paint, however when people ask how long it took, he claims the answer to that question always depends on his age.

“When I get that question, I usually say whatever age am, Negroni said. “So like right now, I could say that painting took me 45 years because it s an accumulation of all the knowledge have.

The uniqueness of his work also lies in the titles. He titles his works with unique phrases to evoke challenging thoughts

“Some of the names I use, or titles I use for my work, it s more of like a riddle, Negroni said. “And sometimes they are longer than they should be.

Art relieves Negroni s anxieties, so he has continued to create art throughout his life. There is also a sense of achievement that comes with his finished works.

“I often underestimate myself, Negroni said. “But when I have the work in front of me or someone is interested in [me] showing it or [them] acquiring it, then I feel some sort of validation.

2023

Watercolor on paper 12" x 9

for a perpetual solitude

2024

Mixed media on panel 10" x 8" Galleri Urbane used this piece to promote Negroni's solo exhibition.

Emma Allen | News editor

Competitive high school can drive teenagers to

Story

and

photo

illustration by Jamie Henderson | Managing editor, Gracie Nealon | Staff writer and Anoushka Sinha | Arts editor

AFTER SHE HESITANTLY FLIPS OVER HER GRADED PRE-CALCULUS QUIZ, SOPHOMORE WENDY CHEN RECOILS AT THE SIGHT OF A 67 PERCENT WRITTEN IN GLARING RED INK. SHE QUICKLY COVERS THE GRADE AND CHOKES BACK TEARS, DOING EVERYTHING SHE CAN NOT TO CRY IN A ROOM FULL OF UPPERCLASSMEN. CHEN TOOK HONORS PRE-CALCULUS, A CLASS USUALLY TAKEN BY JUNIORS, AS A FRESHMAN. SHE HOPED TO START OFF HER ACADEMIC CAREER STRONG WITH HIGH GRADES IN HER FIRST SEMESTER CLASSES. AFTER RECEIVING HER THIRD QUIZ GRADE OF THE YEAR, SHE FELT HER DREAMS OF GRADUATING AT THE TOP OF HER CLASS SLIPPING OUT OF REACH.

In a world that rewards success, teens feel a constant pressure to excel in every aspect of their lives. The competition to attend the best possible college motivates high schoolers to cram their schedules with demanding classes. Any time spent away from academics is devoted to extracurricular activities that enhance their résumés, resulting in week after week of early mornings, late nights and little time for leisure.

“I always feel stress to do well in everything, and it’s exhausting always working all the time,” Chen said. “There’s not a lot of time where I am sitting around doing nothing… I work myself way too hard, I don’t get to breathe and I’m just so tired.”

In her book “Never Enough: When Achievement Culture Becomes Toxic — and What We Can Do About It,” Jennifer Wallace highlights the detrimental effects of unrealistic expectations of perfection on young adults.

“Our kids are absorbing the idea that their worth is contingent on their performance — their GPA, the number of social media followers they have, their college brands — not for who they are deep at their core,” Wallace wrote. “They only feel they matter to the adults in their lives, their peers, the larger community, if they are successful.”

A part of growing up is understanding one’s intrinsic value and becoming comfortable with who they are. This process is disrupted when teens feel pressured to gain recognition and make the people in their lives proud.

“Adolescence and young adulthood is a time of incredible change and growth,” Associate Director of Emotional Wellness Meredith Stuelpe said. “It is very important for teens to feel valued and loved unconditionally. Teens need to know that they can make mistakes and have bad days and that does not change their value as a person. Without feeling secure that they are valued unconditionally, an adolescent will most likely be hesitant to take the risks necessary for growth; they will be afraid to fail because that might mean it will lower their GPA and disappoint their teachers, peers or loved ones.”

At the center of “toxic achievement culture” is the belief that success leads to happiness. However, the journey to meet these high expectations of achievement is exhausting, with teens often sacrificing their mental health in hopes that the end reward is worth the struggle.

“I feel like I literally never leave burnout,” Chen said. “I feel like I’m always sludging my way through everything.”

The college facade

As much as sophomore Maanya Jyothinagaram tries to keep college off her mind, she can’t shake the feeling that she won’t get accepted to a top university, or won’t get accepted at all. Although she is in 10th grade, she is taking 3 AP classes, and she feels that her performance on every assignment in those classes matters.

Challenge Success, a research-based organization affiliated with Stanford University, surveyed 43,000 high school students from across the country in 2020 and found that more than two-thirds of those students are “often or always worried about college admissions.”

“College is getting harder and harder to get into, like UT changing their policy from top six percent to top five percent auto-admit,” Chen said. “You see on social media all these dramatic posts of people crying because they took eighteen APs and still got rejected. It stresses [me] out so much, because [I] think ‘wait, am I doing well enough to get into a good college?’”

In the race to secure a spot in a prestigious college, high school students have loaded up on AP classes, taking as many as four in their sophomore year. Associate Director of College Guidance Bonnie McCown believes that advanced classes, if not properly balanced, can lead to burnout.

“Kids sign up for a lot of advanced classes, and sometimes it’s the first time they are taking [an] AP,” McCown said. “They may [get] in over their head with APs [and] take too many rigorous classes all at the same time. I think juniors feel like it’s the last full year of academic work before they apply to college, and they feel a lot of pressure to end on a strong note before they submit applications.”

According to Wallace, GPA-focused students have become “disaffected learners,” driven to earn a high grade rather than develop a true interest in the subject. Junior Maggie Chein is feeling the pressure and drag that-

comes with junior year.

“I couldn’t find a single person at ESD who isn’t taking at least one class purely for the grade boost or because they think it’s just going to be easy, and I don’t think school is something for the subject matter at this point,” Chein said. “It’s more like building a résumé for getting into the right college and that kind of pressure.”

Because selective colleges admit students largely based on academ ics, teens have linked their GPA with their value as a person. Sopho more Lara Thomas* confesses that her self-worth rises and falls with every test score.

“I definitely feel like my worth is tied to the grade that I get,” Thomas said. “If I did badly on a test or didn’t achieve the grade I wanted to on an essay or a quiz, I will start to feel bad about myself. I have a lot of personal standards in specific subjects; I deem myself to be good at English, good at history, if I’m not receiving A+s when I get my grades back, I feel like a total failure.”

In addition to boosting their GPA with advanced courses, high schoolers pad their résumés with unique extracurriculars and extensive hours of community service — anything to stand out to colleges. Jyothinagaram feels pressure to maintain a flawless, well-rounded image.

“I feel like everything has just become so stressful,” Jyothinagaram said. “I have to be on top of extracurriculars, grades, activities, community service, and they all have to be perfect. [I feel like] colleges are looking for someone who’s perfect in all of those areas.”

Some students are actively presenting to colleges what they assume will intrigue the admissions committee, creating con trived personalities in the process. In her book, Wallace quotes a senior attending a rigorous public school in Brooklyn, New York about the ironic situation.

“Many of us have to resort to fake personalities with fake passions in order not to fall behind in ‘social status’ and the college process,” the student said. “In the hopes of seeing us for who we are, they’ve made us become who we aren’t.”

The college-centric mentality of modern teenagers stems from the belief that success, which can only be achieved with a top-notch edu cation, leads to a good life.

“The academic level of your college for sure determines [your fu ture],” Thomas said. “I know I think about my future a lot and what I want to do, what will genuinely make me happy, while also taking into account what will give me a stable income. It’s such a mature mindset to develop at such a young age.”

The growing pressure on teens has also become a pressure to par ents, as they feel responsible for the success of their kids. This has led to increased parental involvement in their kids’ academics.

“In privileged communities, sometimes pressure comes from the student wanting to be as successful or more successful than parents, [or] a need to maintain a certain level of income or status,” Stuelpe said. “On the other hand, some parents might… push them to have suc cess in a way they did not. Some parents see their children’s success or failure as a reflection of themselves or the job they are doing parent ing. Children naturally crave validation, especially from their parents and getting good grades, into a good college or a sought after job.”

This pressure usually comes from a place of love; they want their kids to have a successful life, but it is pressure nonetheless. Junior Cate Stephenson feels that both internal and external pressures con tribute to stress regarding academics.

“I have a lot of internal pressure, but there’s some pressure from my parents, and I don’t think they mean for it to be, but it’s just kind of high expectations for me,” Stephenson said. “Once you start achieving things, you’re expected to keep [achieving] more and more.”

All this pressure to achieve has created an environment in which working yourself to the brink of burnout has been normalized.

“I really don’t [manage stress],” junior Maggie Chein said. “I kind of work until I have a breakdown, and then hope that coincides with a weekend, and then I go again.”

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environment

A closer look at extracurriculars

Senior Jesi Geier has always been involved in sports. Starting her freshman year, she participated in crew in the fall, swim and basketball in the winter and crew and softball in the spring. This means she was involved in a sport every season, sometimes balancing two at a time.

According to a Nov. 4 poll of 163 students, 82 students reported feeling more pressure associated with athletics and 57 with extracurriculars.

“Especially junior year, it was difficult to try to get everything done while also waking up at 5 in the morning to go swim, then get home and actually have the work ethic to do things,” Geier said. “It was just not fun.”

The mentality that college takes priority is gradually seeping into younger age levels, creating an overachieving generation that fill their schedules with extracurriculars to appeal to colleges. Wallace discusses how every activity is not about enjoyment but achieving excellence.

“The past several decades have given rise to a professionalized childhood, in which seemingly every minute of a child’s life is managed to maximize their potential,” Wallace wrote. “Athletics and extracurricular activities have become increasingly competitive, adult-led and high-stakes. These kids are running a course marked out for them, without enough rest or a chance to decide if it’s even a race they want to run.”

Choosing activities is another stressor, because picking one that is not sustainable could potentially be a setback. Colleges look for consistency and a clear passion; this expectation is difficult to manage as a freshman with four years ahead and so many opportunities. Because students feel they have to participate in unique activities to distinguish themselves from other applicants, they are not spending time on their true passions. Chen feels this nagging when she plays piano.

“When I play piano, it’s so conflicting,” Chen said. “I love it so much, and it’s so therapeutic to me. But I feel bad when I play because I [wonder if] with the time I’m using to play piano someone else is doing the extracurricular that actually matters.”

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Youth sports are no longer just for enjoyment, but now are highly competitive.

“Coaches, for example, are now part of a nearly $20 billion competitive youth sports complex, one that pushes kids to specialize in one sport yearround at a very young age, even at the risk of overuse injuries,” Wallace wrote in her book. “Kids aren’t getting the chance to find their real interests because they feel they have to enroll in demanding, outstanding activities to appear unique to colleges.”

Pressure from parents also increases with extracurriculars, as parents project their own desires on their children. Senior Connor Kowaleski, who will continue playing lacrosse at Binghamton University, felt frequent stress while playing his sport, especially during the recruitment process.

“After that [process], I was in junior year, I still had to keep going, so during the school year and stuff. So it was really long for me and I didn’t get to actually commit until the end of this summer in July,” Kowalewski said. “It was really long and honestly it made me think about if I actually wanted to play in college or not just because it had been so long.”

The art of balance

High school students juggle packed schedules that often leave little to no room to breathe. As students struggle to decide what to prioritize, they fall deeper into a state of burnout, where the ability to balance everything becomes an uphill battle that jeopardizes their mental health.

“To avoid burnout is just so hard. We want to push students to fulfill their potential and not just give up when things get hard,” Stuelpe said. “Sometimes that’s at the expense of a student who maybe is taking on way too much. I would [recommend] working with your advisor, working with your parents and working with your college counselor to [decide], does this really matter?”

For a student with a full schedule of extracurriculars, the source of their pressures can vary from day to day. While each activity provides unique challenges, they could also act as a getaway from the stress of other activities.

“I feel like I experience burnout every week, but it’s not at the same time or for the same stuff,” junior Evellyn Hargrave said. “This past week, I found a lot of joy in ballet and the [school] play, and we had auditions for the musical, so that was [generating] a lot of joy for me. But I was falling so behind on my work, and I felt burnt out from my workload because I was spending so much energy on these other things. So I think each week, it’s something different. For me, it’s more about a battle of balancing it all out.”

As students learn to navigate the challenges of their schedules, social connections consistently take a back seat to their other academic and extracurricular responsibilities. These social interactions and connections, however, are often key to providing an escape from the pressures of other activities.

“My schedule doesn’t permit me a lot of social time, so anytime that I can go out and see my friends, or go to a gathering of sorts, that’s exciting for me,” Hargrave said. “What’s also been a relief is going to church and just being in the presence of something that feels bigger than myself. That takes a lot of stress off, and I get to see other people from various communities where this is what we have in common. It’s not a skill set we have or [that] we’re this good at this so that’s why we’re friends. It’s just we’re here for that same thing.”

But many teens find that spending time with loved ones helps alleviate the pressure. Relationships with other people play a vital role in a balanced high school life as they not only provide a sense of belonging amidst the chaos of high school.

“I like venting to my friends a lot, they always make me feel better,” Stephenson said. “A lot of my friends helped me realize that most of the stuff just isn’t that deep. When I feel overwhelmed, I always turn to them. They understand what I’m going through, and it feels good to have people to share those feelings with.”

Many recognize that the academic and social lives of students can often get overwhelming, and personal well-being should be prioritized. Though everyone copes with their stress differently, finding supportive relationships and having passions can mitigate the feelings of burnout and help students better manage the pressures and expectations in their lives.

“A little pressure is good, but what helps is taking it literally one day at a time,” Hargrave said. “It makes it feel like I have to do less but if I think about everything a week ahead it feels more mentally fatiguing because I’m expending energy on something that I’ll have to do later. I found that once I separate everything that I’m doing, I’m able to be more in the moment for things. I’m enjoying my [activities] more because I didn’t spend all day stressing about them or dreading it.”

*Names have been changed to protect the anonymity of the source.

Views

Staff Stance

Chapel talks are most impactful when centered around stories

Daily worship is a fixture of student’s lives. Students listen to 180 chapel talks per year, but pinpointing the most memorable services was simple for the newspaper staff. Senior Jamie Henderson was touched by senior Tessa Cabrales’ story of finding home, and junior Stella Bartley was moved by alum Charlie Neuhoff's story of “big love.” Moreover, Gracie Nealon and Barret Coble fondly recall Chaplain Matt Stout’s stories of playground troubles and Margi Gras and middle school English teacher Adina Richman’s experience with teaching the Holocaust. The message of each homily varies, but the delivery is similar: these homilies are centered around stories. The newspaper staff agrees that chapel talks are most engaging and impactful when centered around stories. Obviously, the staff's preference is not representative of the student body; yet, the student body had similar opinions. Thirty eight percent of students prefer story-based homilies in an Oct. 8 poll of 112 students, while 37 percent prefer chapel talks centered around interactive activities.

At first glance, interactive activities and stories appear to have a weak correlation. However, both of these techniques encourage the audience to emotionally invest in the story’s protagonist, in the success of their peers or self in an interactive game.

These preferences have scientific and psychological backing. Neuroscientist Paul J Zak researched the neurological

reaction of humans to storytelling, observing the presence of blood oxytocin after subjects listened to a character-driven story. Oxytocin is a chemical that amplifies one’s empathy and directly correlates to a human's helpfulness.

Moreover, storytelling captures attention, especially if the story follows a traditional narrative arc. According to Saint Maria College, students are most engaged when they are active recipients of information, such as storytelling or interactive activities.

“We discovered that, in order to motivate a desire to help others, a story must first sustain attention – a scarce resource in the brain – by developing tension during the narrative,” Zak wrote in an article for the Harvard Business Review. “If the story is able to create that tension then it is likely that attentive viewers/listeners will come to share the emotions of the characters in it, and after it ends, likely to continue mimicking the feelings and behaviors of those characters.”

You might experience this phenomenon after watching a movie or completing a compelling novel because storytelling is both engaging and inspiring for audience action.

Moreover, newspaper staff members appreciate student homilies, due to the potential for student to student connection. Sophomore Stella Bartley was moved by alum Charlie Neuhoff's story of “big love” and losing his mother, especially after personally experiencing parental loss.

“Students feel lonely, espe-

BY THE NUMBERS

According to an Oct. 8 poll of 112 students, 38 percent prefer stories, 37 percent prefer interactive games and ten percent prefer a performance.

cially at a young age. You can feel like an outcast and feel like no one would understand what you are experiencing,” Bartley said. “When students open up to other students about these [experiences], it is so touching. You realize that you aren't really alone.”

On another note, students best respond to stories with one clear message because they attend chapel after three mentally challenging classes.

“I just love chapel talks that follow a clear path, ones that have one example and clearly connect to a theme or idea of life,” an anonymous respondent of an Oct. 8 poll wrote.

Students enjoy interactive games for this reason: activ-

Shifting social events builds friendships

Jamie Henderson | Managing editor

Charlotte Traylor | Copy editor

The middle school days of jumping at Urban Air with friends, playing with dolls, going to Pin Stack and making your own lip glosses have long been replaced by the cycle of dinners, Starbucks runs, parties and spending money. These limited options for spending time with friends have become expensive and repetitive. Charlotte and I often discuss this reality, so when brainstorming for our column, we decided this trend would be the perfect topic. It is time to replace the meal-centered hangouts with activities to be more wallet-friendly. Ideas that do not involve spending money include a slideshow night, which was a trend on Tik-

Tok where all of your friends pick a funny topic and make a presentation to share. One could assign a Disney character to each friend; maybe you would compare someone in your friend group to Sleeping Beauty because they never go out and are always sleeping. These nights require some preparation but have no cost and foster funny memories. Another zero-cost activity is supporting your friends either by going to sports games, performances, arts shows and whatever else your friend is involved in. Senior Libby Miller went to a home volleyball game to support her friend on Sept. 21. “Going to support my friend Dana at her volleyball games is something I enjoy

Challenge yourself to break these norms and treat dining out as nourishment rather than a convenient option or a social event.

doing because I know it’s nice to have a friend there watching,” Miller said. “It is also fun for me to see my friend doing something besides school I know she enjoys and has worked hard for.”

From personal experience, walking out after a performance to hugs, cheers and flower bouquets is one of my favorite parts of theater. It shows how much my friends care about me and my hard work.

Another low-cost activity is making a craft at home, such as cup painting, or making senior memory boxes, painting picture frames or the seasonally appropriate activity of pumpkin carving. Baking is another option, and a delicious one as well. Charlotte and I love trying new recipes like chocolate strawberry bark and making gingerbread houses during Christmas time. Other cozy nights staying in can include playing cards, board games or making different themed food boards like a fruit or dessert board. The idea is to spend time together and be creative.

However, it would be a shame to discount the equally exhilarating activities that cost money. The State Fair, Six Flags, ice skating and concerts are some of our favorite experiences. Even though you have to pay for them, screaming your head off on a roller coaster or trying the newest fried concoction at the State Fair makes it worthwhile.

ities demonstrate one clear message. On the Oct. 8 poll, students expressed their appreciation for Assistant Head of Middle School Allison Darnell’s optical illusion homily. Her homily encouraged audience participation, while clearly and creatively linking back to the message of empathy. Before ending this column, I would like to clarify the staff’s intention in writing a piece on chapel talks. We are trying to provide insight into students’ experiences in the All Saints Chapel by sharing which techniques foster optimal engagement. There have already been countless impactful homilies this year, and we are certain many more will follow.

Charlotte and I have attended both Taylor Swift and The Weekend concerts and agree that these are some of the best memories we have together.

Finally, organizing a Fantasy Football League is a great experience, especially if you create interesting prizes for the winners and punishments for the losers. My brother’s league punished the loser with 24 hours at Waffle House, and his friends visited the loser throughout his 24 hours, fostering unforgettable memories.

Unlike the typical dinners these activities focus more on the bond and not the food. Susan L. Smalley Ph.D. said in Psychology Today, that she sees food as a form of nourishment and that it needs to stop being a source of entertainment. This resonated with me because the entertainment and constant eating out is not good for your body.

According to a U.S. Foods poll of more than 1,000 Americans in 2023, 44 percent of Americans dine out to socialize and 51 percent dine out for convenience. Challenge yourself to break these norms, and treat dining out as nourishment, rather than a convenient option or a social event.

Overall, the shift away from meal-centered hangouts needs to begin, ultimately fostering more meaningful time together. The benefits from this shift also focus on food as a nourishment, not an activity.

the opinion of the Eagle Edition staff, and it does not reflect the opinion of the school, newspaper advisor, faculty or staff.

Illustration by Charlotte Traylor

with

ELECTROLYTES

Assistant web editor Beau McKnight reviews electrolyte powder packets of

agreeTO

Students debate the necessity of the Electoral College in light of the 2024 presidential election

The Electoral College weakens citizen's voices and political efficacy

Charlotte Traylor Copy editor

Over our nation's history, we have inched towards truly democratic elections by passing the Fifteenth, Nineteenth, Twenty-fourth and Twenty-sixth Amendments. Each amendment has reversed traditional voting practices as our nation advances and embraces equality. However, one element of inequality remains: the Electoral College. Under the Electoral College, citizens have varying degrees of influence in the presidential election depending on one’s geographic location. We must replace the Electoral College with a popular vote to accurately represent our citizen’s concerns and strengthen our nation’s democracy.

In Texas, each elector represents 758,000 citizens, whereas in Wyoming, each elector represents a mere 194,000 citizens, according to the 2020 U.S. census. A vote in Wyoming has nearly 4 times the weight as a vote in Texas, diminishing the influence of voters in Texas or other populous states. This system was established in 1787 to recognize rural citizens’ votes and ensure campaigning in rural areas, even if their population was disproportionate to urban areas. But, the current system prioritizes the rural vote over the urban vote, suppressing the concerns that impact a larger ratio of Americans. Further, swing states receive disproportionate amounts of attention and relevance in the presidential election due to the nature of the Electoral College. Candidates focus their attention on swing states because securing their electoral votes is often the deciding factor in an election. According to the Portland Press Herald, 96 percent of general election campaign events were held in just 12 states during the 2020 election. Therefore, voters in safe states do not receive adequate education or exposure to the opposite party. This phenomenon further reinforces the prominence of one political ideology in these states and further polarizes the nation. The system also diminishes political efficacy in left or right-leaning states, discouraging

citizens’ political participation when the Electoral College’s leaning is predetermined.

Some states are attempting to institute a presidential popular vote by passing the National Popular Vote Interstate Compact, a state-led initiative that requires electors to vote for the popular vote winner. According to the U.S. Newshire, Maine, Colorado and other states support this compact. However, this state-led initiative is not the correct approach to reprimanding the Electoral College; this issue should be addressed at the federal level.

Others argue that the transition to a popular vote is a Democrat concern because Democrats Hilary Clinton and Al Gore won the popular vote but lost the electoral vote in 2016 and 2000, respectively. However, Republicans will be in danger of losing elections if Texas continues its current trajectory toward becoming a swing state.

“Joe Biden performed better than Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama did in the state when he lost to former President Donald Trump by 5.6 percentage points,” reporter Will Dupree wrote in an article for the KXAN news source. “Clinton lost Texas in 2016 by nine percentage points, while it was 16 percentage points for Obama in 2012.”

Without the guarantee of Republican electoral votes in Texas, the Republican party will lose influence. This concern would be mitigated if presidents were elected by popular vote, preserving the voices of the millions of Republicans in Texas.

TThe Electoral College protects and stabilizes American democracy

Coben | Staff writer

he Electoral College is an institution within the United States government that provides stability and balance during the presidential election. It was created by the founding fathers and was designed to protect the interest and opinions of lower population states. The Electoral College is often debated whether it should be replaced with the popular vote, but it guarantees that each state and collection of people have a voice within the country's democratic foundations.

Each state gets as many electors as it has members of Congress. In total, there are 538 electors. To win the presidential election, a candidate needs at least 270 electoral votes.

The Electoral College assigns each state a specific number of electoral votes; each vote is represented by a member of Congress. Congress is made up of both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The Electoral College allows smaller communities to have a voice and promotes the circulation of diverse opinions. Without it, states with a large population would dominate the elections.

Under the current election system, candidates must strategically campaign in swing states, such as Arizona, Georgia, Michigan, Nevada, North Carolina and Wisconsin. Presidential candidates spend a majority of their time in swing states because these states have historically flipped between parties, giving each party a chance to win over undecided voters.

The Electoral College also creates hinge states. A hinge state’s electoral votes can determine the result of the election. In this election, where former President Donald J. Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris are the candidates, an American

statistician named Nate Silver predicted that Pennsylvania was this election's hinge state.

According to upper school history teacher Travis Gilmore, Nate Silver became famous in 2008 when he correctly predicted the electoral map.

“Silver [claims] that if Trump wins Pennsylvania then his chances of winning the election go up 90 percent, and the same thing goes for Harris,” Gilmore said.

Without the Electoral College, groups such as Iowa Farmers and Ohio Factory Workers would be ignored in favor of catering to metropolitan areas, according to a post on ProCon.org, a website that publishes unbiased information. Without the Electoral College, these groups would have an inconsequential voice in the popular vote.

“The current Electoral College system creates a needed balance between rural and urban interests and ensures that the winning candidate has support from multiple regions of the country,” South Dakota Representative Tina Mulally said in a 2024 interview with ProCon.org.

Throughout history, the winner of the popular vote has only lost the Electoral College vote five times, most recently in 2016 when Donald J. Trump ran against Hillary Clinton. Clinton won the popular vote while Trump won the Electoral College which granted him the presidency. With only five out of 46 presidential elections in our nation’s history reflecting this situation, it is clear that the Electoral College works.

Our presidential elections must be determined by popular vote, rather than electoral vote, to fairly represent people’s concerns and return political efficacy to citizens in safe states, reinforcing the democracy that our nation was founded upon. SOURCE:

“The office of President will never fall to the lot of any man who is not in an eminent degree endowed with the requisite qualifications to lead the country,” founding father Alexander Hamiliton wrote in the 68th essay of the Federalist Papers in 1788 where he defended the process of selecting a president.

The Electoral College should stay in place as it gives states with less population a larger voice within the United States democratic system.

Jack

Illustration by Charlotte Traylor

Political polarization enhanced by social media, threatens democracy

Red and blue, Republican and Democrat, Conservative and Liberal: these are all terms that drive political polarization. Fox News and CNN each perpetuate a different message, as well as many social media influencers. Some are vocal, some are not. Some are respectful, some are not. However, in many instances, such as with Brooke Schofield, an influencer with millions of followers and host of the Canceled Podcast, publicly sharing her political views led to a highly polarized reaction from her fanbase. These factors contribute to the polarization and single-minded perspective prevalent all across the country, not only affected the recent election, but also the future of the United States democracy.

The United States is not the first country to experience political polarization on an alarming level, according to the Carnegie Endowment, an internationally recognized institution whose goal is to promote international cooperation. If there is no attempt to weaken the political divide, the Carnegie Endowment predicts three outcomes: backsliding within democracy, erosion from democracy to electoral autocracy (a system that combines authoritarian and democratic methods) and democratic collapse. Democratic collapse has occurred in Argentina and most recently Thailand. However, depolarization and sustained democracies are possible; it simply requires unity.

To this day, I spend more time on social media than I do watching news channels, which means I am consuming more news from social media than I am from reliable sources. This practice is similar for many Americans. As reported by a Pew Re- search Center News Platform fact sheet, 54 percent of surveyed Americans received their news from social media and 27 percent received their news from podcasts. This highlights the role influencers play in shaping the opinion of large audiences.

Oftentimes, those influencers then become biased to gain more followers and, as a result, ultimately end up distorting their messages. According to a Penn State University research article released in 2023, this only increases polarization. It is not only influencers who have this effect, but also the echo chambers that are present on social media sites. Echo chambers are when one has a severely biased experience on social media that removes opposing points of view. For example, if a social media user is more conservative their social media feeds would be strictly conservative and there would be no liberal perspective on their feed, according to the Moody College of Communication at the University of Texas at Austin. This phenomenon is caused by social media algorithms present on their sites.

Candidates of this election cycle were aware of the algorithms and role that influencers have on shaping

If

polarization continues to

increase, it

will lead to the decline of our established democracy.

Sheridan Bailey | Staff writer

their followers’ opinions, which is why the candidates increasingly began creating partnerships with influencers. They also grew their social media accounts on TikTok, amassing millions of followers. For example, Democratic nominee Vice President Kamala Harris introduced Kamala HQ to TikTok and made headlines by sitting down with social media influencer and podcaster Alex Cooper. Republican candidate former President Donald Trump took a different route but still with the same goals in mind, appearing with streamer Adin Ross and YouTuber Logan Paul. In an attempt to appeal to a younger audience, both candidates also collaborated with music artists: Harris sat down with Migos's Quavo and Trump with rapper OT7 Quanny. In the long term, candidates fostered audience polariza- tion to benefit themselves in the election. However, it does not benefit democracy or the greater good of America. Americans who have consistently expressed a conservative or liberal perspective have more than doubled in the past 20 years from 10 percent to 21 percent, according to Pew Research center. In the same report, the overlap where the two parties typically both find common ground and have shared beliefs has diminished, resulting in a loss of a middle ground. The reason that the margin is dwindling may be due to social media; regardless, the increase in political polarization directly results

in conflict and an overwhelming majority of single-minded perspectives.

Polarization equates to division, meaning future elections and America itself will become more divided as time passes. As reported by the Penn State survey previously mentioned, in future elections parties will have to rely on moderates and independents. The term moderate simply refers to stabilization and inclination to support the broader good, rather than the success of a particular political party. However, there are fewer moderates, and in turn, the middle ground continues to dwindle, this is prevalent in a space like Congress. According to a publication on the Stanford University Institute for Economic Policy Research, Congress is already polarized because moderates are not running for office. As a result, moderates are essential in decreasing polarization and preserving our democracy.

Social media enhances the already polarized nature of this country, increasing division and threatening the established democracy. Historically, the U.S. has always been divided notably in issues regarding race and equality; however, in regards to the recent political divide, democracy has begun to take a hit. Changes must be made by individuals in this country in order to decrease the threatening political polarization. The American people must broaden their perspectives and allow the voices of others to not only be heard but understood.

The Talk

Netflix show breaks the internet

"Monsters:

The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story" resurfaces homicide case

editor

“Monsters: The Lyle and Erik Menendez Story” is a nine-episode docu-series that has taken the world by storm. The show premiered on Netflix on Sept. 19, encapsulating the case of the real-life brothers, Lyle and Erik Menedez, convicted in 1996 for the murders of their parents, Jose and Kitty Menendez. Initially, the boys pleaded not guilty and claimed that the mafia likely killed their parents. They soon changed this consensus and pleaded guilty during the beginning months of their trial. After two trials and seven years after murdering their parents, the jury found them guilty, and they were sentenced to life in prison without parole. However, after almost three decades, the brothers continue to claim that they killed their abusive parents in an act of self-defense. But, why has this case resurfaced nearly 30 years later?

Made by the same creators of the “Dahmer” series released in 2022, criticism arose about the show and its purpose. Many debate whether drama/thriller shows like these are meant to honor the

victims’ stories or to glorify and romanticize these criminals. The Menedez brothers’ story does not involve victims outside of the family, and its outcome is still debated today, leaving a gray area in the morals of watching these true crime shows. We believe these shows have a huge impact on pop culture, both positive and negative, but should not erode the basis of how these crimes are remembered.

“Monsters” has sky-rocketed in the media and is currently ranked in Netflix’s top ten most nationally watched shows. In the first week of release, over 12.3 million viewers watched the series, according to Wrap.pro. Interestingly, the show outpaced both “The Perfect Couple,” which logged 10.4 million views in its third week, and season four of “Emily in Paris,” which scored 9.2 million views just over two weeks after its release. Even when we were first brainstorming for our column, four people chimed into our conversation, asking, “Are you guys talking about the Menendez brothers?”

Not only has the Menendez brothers’ story taken over pop culture life, but it is also consuming the mass media.

It is publicly accepted that the Menendez brothers were attractive, especially in their teens and early 20s, during

We believe these shows have a huge impact on pop culture, both positive and negative, but should not erode the basis of how these crimes are remembered.

their trial’s duration. Because the boys’ case was highly mediatized, the brothers gained a lot of national attention and admirers, creating a surge of letters and pen pals. When asking our moms about the Menendez brothers, they mentioned how they and their friends would see them on TV, and one of them even wrote to the brothers.

Actors Cooper Koch, who played Erik, and Nicholas Alexander Chavez, who played Lyle, are becoming popular due to their portrayals of the brothers and their appearance. Because they both played the roles so well, video edits of the actors and their lines are popular on TikTok and Instagram. One of the most popular edits shows Chavez saying to a camera, “Hey mafia, after what we’ve been through, I’d like to see you try.” This is a reenactment of something Lyle actually said to the press when asked if he feared the mafia would come after them.

The actors are not the only ones who gained popularity; various songs from ’80s R&B duo Milli Vanilli like “Girl You Know It’s True,” “Girl I’m Gonna Miss You” and “Blame it on the Rain” have received similar uproars. According to Billboard, the overall streams for Milli Vanilli’s entire catalog “leapt 114 percent after the release of ‘Menendez Story,’ crossing 552,000 official on-demand U.S. streams during the period of Sept. 20-23.” Additionally, producer NomaD created a remix to “Blame it on the Rain,” and gave it an updated feel to Milli Vanilli’s vocals in the song,

further shining a light on the hit. We have noticed this song all over our TikTok “For You Pages,” and even hear people singing it at school or in public.

Further, people are trying to emulate the Menendez brothers' look by wearing an “’80s, wealthy, Beverly Hills” style clothing. One might wear a Ralph Lauren sweater, a colorful polo shirt and snug shorts. We also know multiple people who dressed up as one of the Menendez brothers for Halloween. With the show's attention on the brothers, discussion about their sentencing has surfaced. Even Kim Kardashian, an advocate for prison reforms, is calling for the release of the Menendez brothers. In early October, the Los Angeles district attorney’s office announced that they were given new evidence in the Menendez brother’s case, highlighting their parent’s abusive behavior. The next known hearing for their case is scheduled for late November. If the judge rules that the brothers are entitled to a new trial, the DA may decide to offer a plea bargain of a lesser charge of manslaughter, releasing them from prison on time served. The case is constantly changing, and it is hard to tell where their fate is. Although the brothers and their show represent peak ’80s fashion and music, this does not take away from the fact that they are murderers. But, needless to say, we hope justice is served and that the jury takes into account the new evidence of the boys’ abuse.

Valentina Boltchi | Social media manager Reese Rawson | Views

from Letter the Editors

In the chaos of college applications, volleyball, classes and life, Lauren and I have found ourselves wishing for the date to read Nov. 1, 2024. We were certain that on that date, when all of our applications were submitted, our stresses would be relieved and we could finally appreciate the renowned “Senior Year” experience. Yet, in the midst of all of this wishing, we realized that we were also wishing away some of the short time we had left. After we had finished our first quarter check of high school, I remember, now senior, John Schinel commented, “We are one-sixteenth done with high school.” In the moment, the fraction seemed trivial, and thirteen-sixteenths seemed so incredibly far from our reach. We still had our first Homecoming, our first final exams, our first Winter Formal, sophomore year, junior year and senior year. Yet, through the havoc of stressing about honors biology, Homecoming dresses and studying for our first “real” finals, freshman year came to a close. But, Lauren and I were not phased the slightest bit, knowing we still had three more years. As we entered our sophomore year, we were met

with the challenges of AP World History and honors chemistry. Lauren and I both dreamed of May 11, 2023, the AP testing date for World History, and for the week of our school finals. While we focused on our tests, we feared and anticipated the afternoon of May 11 to finally be free of World History. Busy with studying and enjoying our time as sophomores, we soon became juniors.

From freshman year, Lauren and I heard the dreadful realities of junior year. As naive sophomores, we thought that we were lucky enough to avoid the truth. Yet, the inevitable dread of junior year struck us both. With AP classes stacked on our schedules, sports, studying for standardized tests and preparing for college applications, junior year met our gloomy expectations. The rumors were true, junior year is not with the weak. Engulfed in studying and stress, Lauren and I barely managed to find time for ourselves. When there was not a physics test, there was an AP US History test; when there was not a reading for AP Language and Composition, we had a presentation in Spanish. It was as thought every week was "test week."

Co-editors-in-chief Sophia Sardiña and Lauren Shushi recall their experiences together in high school, and share the importance of not wishing your time away.

Throughout the mess of junior year, Lauren and I found ourselves begging to be seniors. “We just have to make it through May and then our life will be smooth sailing,” we would tell each other. We thought that senior year would relieve all the stress junior year brought.

And here we are now.

What we have taken away from these four years is that there is never a better time than enjoying that present than the present.

During our last first day of high school in English class, Mr. Ruedi gave us the poem “Birches” by Robert Frost to read. “So was I once myself a swinger of birches. And so I dream of going back to be…I’d like to get away from Earth awhile and then come back to it and begin over.” As Lauren and I finished reading the poem we shot a look at each other. We realized that the line about wishing to go back to childhood epitomized how we both felt entering our senior year together. The speaker of the poem seemed to grapple with leaving childhood behind as he “dream[ed] of going back to be [a swinger of birches],” and while neither Lauren nor I have swung on birch trees, we both felt that same wish. Throughout high school, we had wished for future dates, for junior year to be over and to be where we are now, but now we realize that those

to Letter the Editors

Each November, thousands of possible poets, nascent novelists and sort-of short story creators “gather” to try their hands at writing a novel. It’s NaNoWriMo time! Or, National Novel Writing Month. We will log on to the host website and commit to writing a number of words or pages, getting up earlier in the inky, hushed chill of morning or staying up later into the blueblack velvet-dark, creaky night to reach that elusive goal. Most of these musings never become missives: these are just for the writer; no one else reads them. Something about the clackety-clackety keyboard keys or the scritchyscritchy pencil nibs cre- ates an ideal soundtrack to these darker days after we have fallen back, one hour more to wonder, create, rest. Let’s all be inspired by these amateur authors to embrace our own limited “powers” and “stretch them out,” as Rilke commissions us in his poem, “As Once the Winged Energy of Delight:”

Wonders happen if we can succeed in passing through the harshest danger; but only in a bright and purely granted achievement can we realize the wonder….take your practiced powers and stretch them out…

What dangers must we pass through to achieve this wonder? Perhaps the most dank danger is that of external validation, of the need to build the resume, of the always looking forward to some unrealized expectation of “success,” measurable by a certificate, a number, a slot, a space, a role, a rôle, an admission, a job, a trophy… We should not eschew reaching goals, yet how often do we experience that “winged energy of delight” while doing so? Delight means “great pleasure,” and it’s “winged” because it transports us out of the doldrums of schedules and to-dos and the resumé. When do you lose time because you are so immersed in your own being, your own creating, your own

Enjoy your family, friends, teachers, advisory, classes, clubs, activities, athletics for their own sake, for the joy and curiosity they spark within you.

learning? I fear we have become so focused on that nebulous abyss of “the Future” that we hurry right on by “Now.” Why shouldn’t today’s “you” be at peace, if not delighted? Too often we do things for the Future. While we should attend to our future needs, what about the Things that bring us joy for their own sake? Aristotle once said, if I may paraphrase him: If there is some end in the things we do, which we desire for its own sake, clearly this must be the chief good. Knowing this will have a great influence on how we live our lives (Nicomachean Ethics). He argues that desiring something for itself is the highest or best good of humankind. Imagine how we might live if we prioritized pursuing the good, particularly the chief good. We might still become whatever it is we dream, and we might even be happier while doing it. Consider: you spend 12 years working “to get into college.” Then you get into college. And you spend 4-? years working toward getting a job. Then you spend decades working toward… a promotion? retirement? These goals are good-no question. I also ask: who are we while pursuing these goals? Who are our internal selves, those voices that accompany us on the commute, that tell us stories in our heads as we fall asleep, that keep us from being lonely even when alone, that prop up our hearts in the midst of anxiety or distress? Who are you, who am I, when not being weighed and measured by the public and our peers? How do we resist being merely swept along?

wishes have come true. For us, senior year has not felt real. Seeing our ESD2025 Decisions Instagram page has brought nothing but a harsh reality check. In less than nine months, we will all be going our separate paths and enjoying new firsts. As seniors, we promised ourselves to enjoy every class and opportunity. We try to go to every game, every performance and every senior night to optimize our time left. While we might still wish for the mayhem of college applications and decisions to end, we try to find the value in it after realizing that in only a few months, our time at ESD will soon be a fond memory. So, Lauren and I have stopped wishing for the future. The future will come soon enough, and it is important for everyone, including freshmen who think that senior year is light years away, to settle into the present. Enjoy the time you have. Although Lauren and I cannot restart high school, we both know that college will hold the same firsts as high school once did. What we have taken away from these four years is that there is never a better time than enjoying that present than the present.

A few hours writing acceptable, fine or even glorious prose will not give us this internal self; however, pursuing hobbies and in- terests for their own sake gives us back to ourselves. They remind us that our internal, personal self is worth tending to and caring for, for its own sake. For the fun, the discipline, the delight. Eagles, this November, I challenge us to go without shaving if we must. And to also try a hobby (I personally embroider, play piano, crochet, watercolor, bake, write, camp, read, gar- den and do none of these things consistently or well, oh well!).

I challenge us NOT to ask our senior friends about their plans for college and beyond; instead, ask them about themselves–what brings them joy and delight? How are they spending their days? Annie Dillard reminds us that “The way we spend our days is how we spend our lives.” Let’s spend our days in pursuit of success, of course, but also in pursuit of fulfillment. Thoreau, my favorite, exhorts us to “live in the present, launch yourself on every wave, find your eternity in each moment…There is no other land; there is no other life but this” Today is as much your “real” life as graduation days, wedding days, firsts and lasts of all kinds. ESD is a rigorous, beautiful training ground for the future; it can also be a playground right now, if we allow and encourage each other to make it so. Enjoy your family, friends, teachers, advisory, classes, clubs, activities, athletics for their own sake, for the joy and curiosity they spark within you.

Natalie Webb | Upper school English teacher

Sports

Trainer's room overflows with athletes

Multiple injuries across sports causes an increase in the number of people visiting the trainer every day

On a warm October afternoon, junior Stella Wynne rushes to join the cheer routine after spending the first 15 minutes of practice in the trainer’s office waiting to have her ankle taped. She joins the practice but misses the warm-up, and she is now ready to get through the day without any injuries.

The three trainers, Crystal Howard, Lesly-Loudmar Mathurin and Caitlyn McGuire, are in the trainer’s room every day after school to help athletes with taping, icing or simply stretching. However, the room is always filled with multiple athletes from every sport, creating a chaotic atmosphere.

“I think we do a really good job as a staff of taking care of everybody to the best of everybody's ability,” Mathurin said. “I think that most athletes can say that they do come to the trainer, they do get stuff done and at times, it could take longer than usual, but we do a good job of making sure that everyone gets taken care of.”

The largest portion of the athletes in the trainer's room after school are football players, usually with long-term injuries that keep them coming in day after day. Senior Rett Detwiler is in the trainer's room every day after school, averaging one hour per visit.

“My time spent in the trainer's room is very efficient. I do all my exercises in a timely manner with the correct amount of rest between each exercise,” Detwiler said. “I know what I am

supposed to do every day, so I do not need a lot of help from the trainers.”

Athletes feel that they are lucky to have three full-time trainers. McGuire worked at MacArthur High School in Houston before coming to ESD, a school in the 6A District. This means that they have a minimum enrollment of 2,275 students and McGuire was one of only two trainers who saw around 60 student-athletes throughout the span of a day, excluding those who got hurt throughout the day.

“It's a hundred times better than what I'm used to,” McGuire said. “This is actually a bigger training room compared to what I've had [at MacArthur] with more athletes. So working here and being able to utilize this space is actually easy for me, and so I'm happy with it.”

Because the lack of trainers is not the problem, some students believe that a larger trainer’s room could make the experience less crazed and allow for more work to be done.

“The trainer's room could be more efficient if it was bigger. The room is usually pretty packed before practice, making it a bit chaotic,” Detwiler said. “We could possibly add students who have been correctly trained to tape athletes.”

Although the trainers would like to have a bigger space, this also comes with its downsides. Trainers aim to create a welcoming environment, so a larger facility may increase the amount of athletes coming in to lounge. A smaller space filters out some of the athletes who do not need any real work done.

I think we create a really positive environment in there, so kids aren't really afraid to come in there just [to] be themselves.

Lesly-Loudmar Mathurin Associate Athletic Trainer

“A bigger room means more people, more space, so that means other people come in and linger,” McGuire said. “So having the small space gets them out so they don't want to linger because they're not getting the attention they want.”

But there is a social aspect to the trainer's room. Many athletes are drawn to it before practice as a space to be with friends.

“I think what happened after school is that everyone comes in at one time, and a lot of times, people or certain students don't really need anything done, they're just hanging out in the athletic training room,” Mathurin said. “I think we create a really positive environment in there, so kids aren't really afraid to come in there just [to] be themselves.”

Mathurin has been a trainer for 14 years, five of those being at ESD, and has gotten to know every athlete that comes in and out of the room. Because of the regular visits of most of the students, Mathurin is able to get an idea of who is coming into the room and how to prepare for the afternoon rush before the athletes pile in.

“Something that we always try to do is ask students if they need something after school to email us and let us know so that we can make accommodations to make sure that they get taken care of,” Mathurin said. “That way they have priority over other athletes who may just have practice or may just have weight [lifting].”

This way, Mathurin, Howard and McGuire are able

1 out of 10

to get an idea of who needs immediate attention after school and who is able to wait or treat themselves.

“I've been doing this for a really long time, and so Crystal, Caitlyn and I all do a good job of not getting stressed out when we have all the kids at the same time,” Mathurin said. “We do a really good job of making sure we point out who needs who has priority and who doesn't.”

Athletes are able to notice the trainer's organization and process of treating the most serious injuries first, giving them a sense of the duration of their visit.

Sophomore Stella Crispin plays volleyball and goes to the trainer before every game and is able to get treated in a timely manner because of the priority that comes with playing in a game.

“Usually when you have a game you're first priority, so it only takes a few minutes,” Crispin said. “But, if you're in there after school it just kind of depends on how many people are there.”

Many of the athletes with long-term injuries, who are more seasoned in the trainer's room, can do their exercises without calling the trainer's attention, making it seem like they do not have a reason for being in the trainer’s office.

“I think we all do a good job of not getting stressed out when we have all the kids at the same time,” Mathurin said. “And sometimes it doesn't look like that when you're on the outside looking in, but you kind of have a plan for the madness.”

Percent of students spend 15 to 30 mins. in the trainer per visit

Percent of students have gone to the trainer's room Source: Nov. 4

Students go to the trainer four to five times a week

EAGLES IN THE TRAINER'S ROOM

Associate Athletic Trainer Lesly-Loudmar Mathurin tapes senior Ella Floyd's wrist during the afternoon rush in the trainer's room on Oct. 31. “At the end of the day, we do a really good job of taking care of everyone who needs to get taken care of, Mathurin said. Photo by Emmy Moss

Emmy Moss | Life editor

Team relationships grow on the road to Austin

Cross country members set new PRs while bonding through card games and a stop to Buc-ee's

Gracie Nealon | Staff writer

fter nine intense rounds, failed attempts at bridge shuffles and competitive bickering, amidst two empty bags of Chipotle chips and strewn Halloween candy wrappers, junior Rohit Gundluru completes his hand with a much-needed king and reaches for the spoon on the table, snatching it from senior Jack Cronin and claiming victory.

On Saturday, Oct. 25, the varsity cross country team traveled to St. Andrew’s Episcopal School in Austin for a much-anticipated 5K against highly ranked teams. The meet was a success; freshman Zach Fish, with his time of 18:30, finished 59th out of 200 runners, followed by freshman Shridhar Gowrishankar, who set a personal record with a time of 19:23. All girls in attendance set personal records as well, with freshman Charlotte Peppard beating her previous record by one minute and 40 seconds.

Cross Country and Track Program Director Evan Hadrick was impressed by the team’s performance.

“I’m very happy with the meet,” Hadrick said. “I’m proud of the girls that were able to come. All of [them] PR-ing at the same time, it’s definitely a good feeling for a coach, to feel like everything is working for every athlete.”

The drive to Austin started off strong with a stop at Bucee’s, a massive travel center and Heaven on Earth to Texans. Buc-ee’s sells southern staples like brown sugar -short-rib, glazed pecans (which elicited arguments over pronunciation among the athletes) and infamous chocolate fudge. The team took photos with the beaver mascot and shopped for pajamas. Hadrick admits that the pit-stop was non-negotiable.

“I’m a big Buccee’s fan,” Hadrick said. “I rarely drive past a Buc-ee’s without stopping. I got my usual sliced brisket sandwich and tried cake batter popcorn.”

After arriving at the hotel, the athletes played games like football, putt-putt and the card game Spoons. The purpose of these activities was to bond, something the runners have done well this season. Sophomore Ellie Beshear believes that travel

ing as a team further solidifies relationships between teammates.

“I feel like [our team] has bonded well, and I think it's because of the shared experiences of the team,” Beshear said. “The cross country team is a lot smaller than the cheerleading team or the football team, so it's easier to know everyone.”

Although cross country is considered a solo-sport, it is mentally and physically demanding, so team friendships are a must for these athletes. Gowrishankar attributes his

CHEERING ON TEAMMATES

Junior Vienna Thompson and sophomore Ellie Beshear cheer on freshman Zach Fish as he picks up his pace toward the finish line. “Cross country is difficult because it's all in the head, Thompson said. “It s so easy to get down on yourself when you don t hit a certain time or when you don t feel 100 percent, but that s what teammates are for: to cheer you on even when it's hard to see the finish line in your head.

success this season to both hard work and enthusiastic support from his teammates.

“My teammates definitely motivate me,” Gowrishankar said. “It’s good, because when you’re running in the heat of the moment, you want to hear someone cheering for you. It helps you run faster.”

And cross country has allowed new students, like Gowrishankar, to connect with people with a shared interest and find those who support them. Beshear feels that relationships with teammates and coaches have made her high school experience exciting and less stressful.

“Last year when I was first starting at ESD, I was strug-

gling to transition because I had been at my previous school for eight years and was not used to a different school environment,” Beshear said. “Cross country helped me bridge that gap.”

In a diverse team of all age levels and both boys and girls, teammates have grown close through a shared challenge.

“[Cross country] asks you to do the hard part of all the other sports as the whole sport,” Hadrick said. “It's a lot easier to manage when you feel like you’re in it with other people also going through the hard stuff. It’s nice to build a community of people that you might have not necessarily chosen otherwise.”

Photo by Gracie Nealon

Eagle

eye

PierceDavis

What is it like being on the cross country team? Being on the cross country team is different from any other sport due to the constant running and amount of work you have to do to improve.

What is the biggest challenge you face as a runner?

The most difficult part for me is mentally being strong to finish the race. You have to have a strong mindset to run at 7 a.m. on a Saturday for your school.

What inspired you to join the cross country team?

As a new student I learned that joining a new sports team was a good way to meet people and wanted to run faster and get more in shape.

How does cross country interfere with other sports?

Cross country interferes with other sports because of the early meets and that they are one hour away. This makes it hard to get to [soccer] games on the weekend.

Every issue, the Eagle Edition highlights two athletes who stand out on the field for their respective sports.

Q &

Interviews and photos by Betty Wheeler A

ErinMuriungi

What inspired you to start playing volleyball?

I started playing volleyball because I was inspired by my friends who were playing at the time. In sixth grade, I decided to try it out after years of gymnastics, and have loved it since then.

What has been the most memorable moment of being a part of the volleyball team?

[Going to] SPC last year. I had so much fun bonding with my teammates and hanging out in each other's hotel rooms. It was such a fun experience and a good end to the season. I also loved watching the slideshow of funny pictures that the captains made at the end of the season for the banquet.

What do you enjoy most about playing volleyball?

enjoy the laughs we share every morning at practice and getting ready together afterward. Although we hate waking up early for practice every morning, it has made us so much closer because we spend so much time together.

What is the most important part about being a part of a team? Finding a connection with your teammates and being able to look past others' mistakes without getting frustrated with each other.

What advice would you give to a younger volleyball player? would tell [her] not to let her mistakes get to her. Once you mess up, move on and focus on fixing where you went wrong, and keep a good attitude towards everyone on the team.

Winning streak comes to an end

Football loses 28-27 to St. Mark's, falling short for the the first time in 10 years

The student section goes silent as the ESD varsity football team attempts a two point conversion, hoping this play will put them in the lead with 36 seconds on the clock. Students, coaches and administration wait in anxious anticipation for the play to begin. As the clock started to run, the ESDs falls short, losing the rival game 28-27 to the Lions.

As the ESD student body prepared for the greatest rivalry of the season, excitement rolled across the upper school.

“I've heard a ton about the big rivalry, and I'm excited to just be a part of it, and just help my team [run],” freshman Daniel Hoffpauir said. “It's just a normal game but I know there's a lot riding on it, and I feel like as a team, we're all going to come together with the pressure and have a great game against [St. Mark’s].”

Although the ESD St Mark’s game is based on the game’s score, other factors contribute to the rivalry. Senior Tessa Cabrales believes the theme and overall spirit of the game contributes to the electric atmosphere

“I think that because it's been such a long lasting rivalry, people kind of build up anticipation and it's always been our last game of the season which makes it fun,” Cabrales said. “I think keeping the same camo theme for every

game gets everyone super excited and people can use the same stuff as [years previous] and build on their outfits.”

As the game started, ESD led by 21-7 going into halftime, but by the third quarter, St. Mark’s made a comeback by tying the game.

“We came out hot and played well in the beginning but gave up the momentum towards the end of the second half. After that everything kind of fell apart,” Hoffpauir said. “[As a freshman in my first St. Mark’s game] it was a lot like I expected, lots of trash talking and chippy plays, it made the game fun. It was really disappointing knowing that we definitely could have won, but every game I play is fun when I am with my teammates. I love being out there with everyone.”

As the game progressed, the student section was filled with intensity, compassion and excitement. Sophomore Ryan Cole cheered on his team with enthusiasm as he watched this rivalry.

“Everyone came out with high energy in the first half and we gave ourselves a comfortable lead,” Cole said. “Coming out in the second, the momentum switched and we couldn't catch a break, but the effort was there and the environment was awesome.”

Looking at the record, ESD varsity football beat St. Mark’s ten years in a row. However, ESD did not continue the winning streak.

“I think that everyone was excited that it could have been

LAST 2024 RUNOUT

"Going into the St. Marks game I was super excited because it was my last football game ever," senior wearing jersey number one Johnny Willingham said. "I knew I wasn't going to play because I fractured my hip earlier this season, but suiting up with the team still meant so much."

For it to be a good rivalry, both sides need to experience the winning and losing and I think that makes the rivalry even stronger.

Thad

Athletic Director

Lepcio

our eleventh year beating St. Mark’s, but I think ESD played hard and everyone gave it their all in the last game,” Cole said. “Of course some mistakes were made but everyone put all their effort into it. We came out good in the first half, but overall I think everyone played hard.”

Although the Eagles did not end the season with a win, ESD students enjoyed watching the last game.

“The game was so fun because everyone was packed into the stands, singing chants, listening to music and having a great time which just made the game so enjoyable,” Cole said. “Being able to watch our football team go out there and compete is the whole reason we are there and it's always fun to watch them play.”

Sophomore William Elliot, a previous St. Mark's football player endured his first game as an ESD player against his old team.

“It's always interesting playing your friends in any meaningful competition because you want them to succeed,” Elliot said. “But in order for that to happen, one of your teammates has to fail. It's the epitome of bittersweet.”

As the game came to a close, ESD athletic director Thad Lepcio shared his opinions regarding the tough loss, on top of a big rivalry and an overall difficult game.

“You know it's obviously disappointing for the boys and for the coaches, and that's always a tough way to end the season, you know

you never want to be on the team where the streak ends, but my hope is that we learn from it,” Lepcio said. “We figure out we don't want another year like we just had, and we go into preparation for the 2025 season.”

As difficult as the loss can be for the players and overall student body, the game highlighted the resiliency of the ESD team.

“Ultimately, [St. Mark’s] got the ball to their athletes and they made more plays to the end of the game. The pain that came with the result rooted from the seniors being so disappointed because they led the team that lost the streak.” Elliot said, “The realization that that was the last we'll ever play with that group is a sad one. I hope the loss will serve as a motive to play for the seniors that we let down this year in the following season.”

Although the game was a tough loss for the football team, Lepcio believes in the importance of not letting the loss fester over into other seasons, and treat it like any other game.

“It was an awful moment, but we can't let this be the defining moment for the ‘24’25 season. For it to be a good rivalry, both sides need to experience the winning and the losing and I think that makes the rivalry even stronger,” Lepcio said, “I've been a part of some rivalries that can go into 15-16 years and it almost loses the excitement. My hope is that this fires us up even more.”

Photo by Katherine Clark

Margot Cathey | Buisness manager

Sports editor Ethan Pham offers his insights on the life of student-athletes at ESD as well as his takes on sports. Through his personal experiences and analysis, he sheds light on the challenges, triumphs and daily routines of balancing academics with athletics.

Tand rushing for the morning lift is one I will not miss next year. Playing high school football requires hard work every day of the week to just play a mere couple of hours on game night.

Between waking up early and staying up late studying for a test, high school athletes manage to persevere through a season. Most people do not understand how hard it is to play a sport and do school work.

A normal day at school for

school work packed in between. This leaves minimal time for students to get their work done efficiently and get eight to 10 hours of sleep, which is a healthy amount according to the Sleep Foundation.

Senior William Stahl, who plays varsity football, said the amount of work is mentally taxing. And the last thing he wants to do when he gets home from football is do your schoolwork.

“So the lack of sleep is bad, it's like you have to pick

your battles. Like, some days I might have to sacrifice watching film or sacrifice doing an assignment till the next day when I don't really want to, but I just have to, because sleep is key,” he said.

As an athlete, I certainly have felt the struggles of managing time while being exhausted. Playing a sport definitely teaches players how to juggle different priorities in life, which is a good but challenging skill to master. I am very grateful for experiencing struggles in the early stages of life, so later in life I will be more prepared for more important duties in the workplace and in my family.

Week by week, over a long season, football players' bodies are destroyed every day. The wear and tear on player’s bodies is not recognized enough. Practically every live snap in practice at least one player is getting tackled or hit. Playing through a whole season without getting any sort of injury is very rare.

Personally, I have only had two real injuries with breaking my wrist and spraining my ankle. Howev-

The daily struggle of high school athletes

er, my body has a lot of lingering issues all across the board. These injuries that aren’t big one’s yet and just little things players need to play through because that is part of the job. I was always told by my lacrosse coach there’s a difference between being banged up and injured.

Football season truly begins in the spring which is meant to get back into the groove of playing football after not playing for months. Then after two weeks of spring players go into rigorous summer training every day every week throughout the summer to get strong and in shape for the real season. The end of summer workouts leads to two a days which is where teams fit two practices into one day which is very exhausting. Going through all of that prior to a whole season is very demanding on players bodies. Players simply don’t get enough rest time to ever feel 100 percent healthy.

However, the physical demands are only part of the struggle, the mental demand is also tolling.

There are some days where I do not see my parents because I am out the door at 6:30 a.m. and home at 7:45 p.m. Players need to have a certain love for the game to stay consistent with this schedule. There were so many times where I did not want to practice, and I did not want to wake up early, but I knew that I needed to sacrifice in order to better my team's chances at winning a championship. My team and I do this work because it pays off on Friday nights.

I cannot sum up the feeling of running out onto the field on game night with my teammates, who I have worked hard with every week. But it is not all about winning championships. As a four year varsity football player, I have never won a championship in football, however I am still extremely proud of myself and all my former teammates for the bonds we made struggling in practice to then playing under the bright lights. The sacrifices made throughout the season are all worth it at the end of the day.

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A row to remember on the Charles River

ESD rowers compete at the regatta the Head of the Charles in Boston, the world's largest regatta

Josephine Holmes | Staff writer

Four thousand eight hundred, four thousand six hundred, four thousand two hundred.

The meters decrease as senior Nina Rastin plows through the Charles River, telling herself to trust her training and herself as she competes in the largest regatta in the world.

Once a year, ESD rowers pack their bags and fly to Massachusetts to compete in a world-renowned regatta: the Head of the Charles. The event attracts crowds of up to 400,000 people from all around the world, including viewers of all ages, college coaches, friends and family. The regatta, which started in 1965, is held on the Charles River in Boston, Massachusetts. Collegiate teams, high school teams, club teams, masters and para-teams can compete at this regatta.

“The participants are from all over the world, and within each category, there are a number of participants who are world-class, both at the youth level and at the collegiate level, and then at the senior level and so forth,” Middle School Learning Specialist and Crew Program Di-

rector Adam Jones said. “Anyone who’s anyone in rowing is going to be there.”

From Oct. 18 to Oct. 20, senior Nina Rastin and juniors Jackson Maddox, Sawyer Stuelpe and Chaz Frederiksen competed at Head of the Charles. Rastin and Stuelpe competed in singles while Maddox and Frederiksen competed in a double together. These four rowers traveled, competed and bonded with each other in Boston.

“When I went my last year, my junior year, I was more focused on keeping the bid because if I don’t get top half, then I can’t go again,” Rastin said. “So now I’m back to actually try and do something with the bid.”

To compete at the Head of the Charles, individuals need to submit an application. Once accepted, a rower is only allowed to row in one race at the regatta. To earn guaranteed admission into the regatta in the ensuing year, the crew must place in the top half of the finishers or else the crew loses that bid.

“If you finish in the top 50 percent of your field or category, then you qualify for the following year,” Jones said. “So because the crews we’ve sent over the last few years finished in the top half, they’ve been invited back, and then the committee

400k

number of spectators at the Head of the Charles

ANTICIPATING THE RACE

Smiling, senior Nina Rastin prepares to head off for her Head of the Charles 8 a.m. race on Oct. 20. "Winning races is what we've been working for and what we've put hours of our time working towards," Rastin said. "So I know I've done the work, just need to trust myself that I'll deliver."

Photo by Meredith Stuelpe

If you're racing in the fall anywhere in the world, and you say, I want to measure up against the best in the world, you would go to the Head of the Charles.

Adam Jones Crew Program Director

looks favorably upon other entries that we put in when we do well.”

The regatta is highly selective so there is always the chance an application may not be accepted, meaning every single rower’s performance is instrumental not only to their success but to the future success of the team.

“The committee looks carefully at how programs are performing and picks who they think are going to be the competitive crew,” Jones said. “If our crews perform well, that may open doors for the people who follow in their footsteps.”

While ESD only started to send athletes to the Head of the Charles in the past three years, the school’s program sends multiple students a year to this prestigious regatta. Rastin has represented the ESD varsity girls' crew team for the past two years, securing her 2024 participation with a top-half finish in 2023 her junior year.

“Sometimes it’s hard because the girls are my team, so it’s hard to go through such a big race without my team around me,” Rastin said. “[The guys] are always super supportive and they’re always so helpful. Coach Snyder, he’s another one of our coaches; he is always so helpful.”

Nothing good ever comes

easy, so every practice counts, especially when preparing for an important regatta.

“I was just doing a ton of volume, like strokes on the water, and also refining my technique in the single because being in a single is different than the quad,” Rastin said. “In the single it’s literally just you and your technique and staying clean because one wrong move throws the entire thing off balance.”

Beyond its enormity, the Head of the Charles consumes Boston. The event brings about a passionate and intense atmosphere.

“My favorite part of the Head of the Charles is the rowing environment, which is so different from Dallas,” Rastin said. “I love being able to walk around and seeing all the rowing elements in Boston, like the amount of schools that practice on Charles; it’s insane.”

Going to Boston is an exciting experience for both new and returning rowers. From those under 17 to competitors over 90, the regatta is a unifying competition.

“They’re [as] competitive as they come,” Jones said. “If you’re racing in the fall anywhere in the world, and you say, I want to go measure up against the best in the world, you would go to the Head of the Charles.”

2.6k

number of entries in the Head of the Charles

828

number of clubs competing in the Head of the Charles

Source: Fifty Grande.com and Regatta Central.com

Kenan Prieto-Akmansoy plays at Juventus Residency Academy in Italy

Five thousand two hundred and sixty-seven miles away from Dallas, Kenan Prieto-Akmansoy ’27 wakes up early every morning, gets out of bed and heads to the soccer field. The first words directed at him within his school day are in Spanish, Italian and English.

In Turin, Italy, Prieto-Akmansoy excels in soccer at Juventus Residency Academy where many of the coaches and kids from all over the world speak different languages. He has made new, good friendships, while still being in contact with his friends back home.

“For the first month I was here, I was talking with a lot of my friends every day,” Prieto-Akmansoy said. “I try to text my closest friends as much as possible, and call them every once and a while to catch up on everything.”

The Juventus Residency Academy is a project with Juventus Football Club, a professional soccer team in the Serie A league that allows players to live, study and train with professional-level coaches, staff, resources and campus.

“I would say that my favorite part about soccer in Italy is definitely how professional it is,” Prieto-Akmansoy said. “Here in Italy, we have several coaches and staff members who all have very specific roles and jobs that all help me improve a certain part of my game, both on and off the field. Being connected with Juventus FC, the students and

soccer players at the acad emy receive special access and opportunities.

“Each player gets a sea son ticket pass to watch every single game at the [Allianz Sta dium],” Prieto-Akmansoy said. “We get to watch a game at their home stadium basically every week and might meet the first team players later on in the year.”

Prieto-Akmansoy was drawn to the program by the professional atmosphere and the amount of opportunities that come from the club.

“It is just a different cal iber than ESD [soccer] which makes it hard to compare the two,” Prieto-Akman soy said. “At this level, you can’t have a weakness and if you have a weakness players and coaches will see it and use it against you – it’s just like a dif ferent level.”

Another big difference be tween ESD and Juventus is the schooling. The classes are on line and must be completed by the end of the semester, rath er than specific due dates for each assignment. “I can choose to not do a certain subject, or school in general, for however long I want, as long as I complete the entire course before the end of the semester. Not to mention, ‘school’ here consists of everyone going to the dining room and sit ting quietly, completing work all on their own, without any teachers,” Prieto-Akmansoy said. “While it can be difficult to keep up with all the work and stay on pace, I love the

Sophomore starts his international soccer journey

system because I can tailor the amount and quality of school work depending on the day. For example, I would want to do far less work on game days compared to off days.”

There is not a class schedule like ESD because soccer is prioritized at Juventus Residency Academy. His schedule changes but typically consists of a warmup in the morning, a small breakfast, a two and a half hour practice, followed by lunch and school.

When they finish school, they train for another hour either in the gym or on the field, then head to dinner.

Because Juventus Residency Academy is a boarding school, there is not a lot of time for off-campus activities.

“In Dallas, outside school hours, I can do whatever I want, whenever I want. However, here in Italy, every single minute is planned, and I’m told when, where and what to do,” Prieto-Akmansoy said. “There is very little freedom over here, because, as I said, every minute has been planned to best prepare us for the next day's practice or game.”

Playing soccer at this high of a level requires sacrifice, such as completing school and being away from loved ones.

“Since soccer is the main focus of each day, that is where most of my thoughts and energy [go] into, which is why completing school work can be hard,” Prieto-Akmansoy said. “[In] summer in Dallas, I spent so many hours with friends and family, in Italy, where [now] I don't see any of those people at all.”

LAST RESORT

Prieto-Akmansoy played goalkeeper at ESD and plays the same position at Juventus Residency Academy. He jumps to knock a balll over the crossbar in the 2024 SPC semi-finals in Houston.

These sacrifices have been worth it; Prieto-Akmansoy’s team has only lost one game. However, moving to Italy has been difficult for Prieto-Akmansoy.

“The [things] I miss the most are all my friends and

family back home,” Prieto Akmansoy said. “Another thing I didn't think I would miss as much is all the daily occurrences that I took for granted, such as the food, the weather, my bed, my room [and] my shower.

Students and staff at ESD are rooting for Prieto-Akmansoy and are excited about his opportunity.

“I think it is an amazing opportunity for him not only for his soccer development but for him to be immersed in another culture,” Athletic Director Thad Lepcio said. “I hope he learns a bunch and comes back to ESD ready to share.”

ESD head soccer coach Phillip McCarthy, who coached Prieto-Akmansoy on the varsity soccer team last year, is also hopeful for his growth as an athlete.

“Obviously it was a blow when Kenan told us that he was going to be in Italy this year instead of playing for us, but it's an amazing opportunity for Kenan to get professional training at the Juventus Residential Academy,” McCarthy said. “So I think it's gonna be amazing; it opened up a lot of doors for him in his career, so I think it's a great opportunity you couldn't turn down.”

Ryan Cole, a friend of Kenan and a sophomore at ESD, is also optimistic about the future of Prieto-Akmansoy.

“Kenan was one of my good buddies while he was here, and his leaving was sad,” Cole said. “I miss him, and I hope he has a lot of success [with soccer] at Juventus.”

Prieto-Akmansoy plans on returning to ESD next year, after completing both semesters at Juventus.

“I will grow a lot from [playing with Juventus],” Prieto-Akmansoy said. “I’m here for a year because it’s an experience of a lifetime.”

Craighton Jefferies | Staff writer

Photo provided by Charisma Photography

The roar and soar rivalry

The ESD and St. Mark’s competition extends beyond the field

Alexa Sardiña | Cartoonist

As football season winds down, a familiar emptiness begins to settle in. The weekly anticipation, the thrill of each game and the shared high and lows with friends and family, all start to fade. Although the season was rough, it is important to reunite. After all, it is only the end of fall sports. With winter sports around the corner, it is important to not get hooked up on one loss, but instead work towards the future.

Eagle Edition

Bartley, Sheridan Bailey, Annabel Brown, Lincoln Clarke, Jack Coben, Barrett Coble, Sloane Everett, Josephine Holmes, Craighton Jefferies, Kate Lewis, Gracie Nealon, Lilly

Traylor and Betty Wheeler Cartoonist

Alexa Sardi ña Sophomore cartoonist

THE PATH TO NOW

In celebration of ESD's 50th anniversary, The Eagle Edition staff is going through the archives looking into areas of the school's growth over the years and the path to now.

The second timeline highlights the evolution of ESD's Student Council, from the inaugural year in 197677 to the present.

The first Student Council, shown in the middle photo, was established during the 1976 school year, two years after the school's founding. Members were elected based on recommendations by faculty and approval from Fr. Swann. The first three members of the student council were President Tom Mullin, Vice President Scott Arnold and Secretary Ellen Luce.

STUCO currently works in planning various school dances and events, with certain dances being planned by different grades. Sophomore STUCO members are in charge of planning the Winter Formal Dance, where students dress up in a variety of fun costumes. Some recent themes that the STUCO members have decided on have been dynamic duos and iconic movie pairs. Junior STUCO members are tasked with planning Technotica; the neon themed dance which kicks off the school year.

The entire council works together to plan the biggest dance in the fall: Homecoming.

The ESD tradition, No Shave November, which STUCO is in charge of, began in 2015 under the instruction of French teacher Geraldine Owens, former STUCO sponsor. During the month, upper school students can buy wristbands at the Eagle's Nest to earn certain privileges, the most popular one being upper school boys growing out their facial hair without having to shave for the month, per the handbook's rules. The proceeds of the fundraiser benefit St. Jude's Children's Hospital.

From the first three members of student council in 1976 to a fully functioning, multi-branch student government in 2024, STUCO's role in the school continues to make an impact with the support of current senior and Student Body President Tessa Cabrales and upper school biology teacher and STUCO sponsor Marissa Infante.

JAN 2003

The Student Council planed and set up the dances. In 2003 the

in the City." The Student Council set up the dance so that students had to enter through a taxi, making students feel like they were in the big city.

OCT 2024

NOV 2015

In November of 2015, the Student Council created No Shave November, a contest where boys do not shave the entire month. In 2015 they raised $3,340 for The American Cancer Society. Each year ESD holds a best beard contest. In 2015 the winner, pictured to the left, was senior Matthew Senter.

Student council plans many activities throughout the year including dances, fundraisers and contests. One of the holiday themed contests is the Halloween costume contest in October. The winners receive a fun prize awarded by student council. This years winners were seniors Kent Lanyon, Alden Rodgers and Roman Jovanovic.

The first Student Council, pictured to the left, participated in projects like selling Valentine carnations and decorated treats.

Winter Formal theme was "Holidays

Kate Lewis | Staff writer Valentina Boltchi | Social media manager