ANYA PANT Staff Writer
Highlighting
AdminStaff
THE KNIGHT TIMES
new and returning leadership PAGE 2
Students come together for Field Knight’s return
“During Freshman Orientation, the class was met with advisory bonding time alongside laptop preparation and a recap of EHS values. Short yet informative, it was but a small glimpse into the school’s environment. The event served to open a door, one that revealed an abundant, and perhaps intimidating, community that students would soon find themselves apart of. ”
A big part of Field Knight is the worldfamous Musical Chairs competition, which is a big hit with all. Everyone participated in singing the School Hymn.
Before the last year for incoming seniors, the Senior Welcome Breakfast serves as a hospitable and gracious honor, recognizing their journey and tenure at Episcopal High School before students start their final year and then leave for college. This acknowl edgement of their final year provides the opportunity for seniors to hear advice from administrators and faculty and to be mind ful of making the most of their last year at Episcopal.
Among the groups that performed at the event were Cheer, Impact Dance, Pep Band, and Pom. In addition, they also had relays that included the students, faculty, and parents. Seniors got a chance to take their banner photo as well.
This year’s Senior Breakfast celebrated the graduating Class of 2023.
Learn more about New Knight Orientation on Page 2 News that Stands Out
Incoming students begin their journey at Episcopal
The breakfast consists of several speak ers who impart advice, wisdom, and posi tive wishes to the incoming seniors before they start their last year at Episcopal High School. The speakers for the Senior Wel come Breakfast this year included Head of School Mr. Ned Smith, Associate Head of School Mr. Kim Randolph, Principal Mr. Antonio Avalos, and representatives from the Alumni Office.
What better way to kick off the 20222023 school year than with Field Knight. Since I am an incoming freshman, this is one of the many events that I was looking forward to participating in the most be cause of how it starts the year, making the entire school feel like a community.
Freshmen Isabella Hicks, Hannah Hicks, Hadley Holmes, Lauren Bohn, and Alexa Choi gathered in the Underwood Student Center as part of Freshman Orientation, which took place August 15-16. New students learned about the EHS community and how to navigate the campus and received their laptops. Photo by Mrs. Jessica Brown.
Return of
The annual Senior Welcome Breakfast is an event that commemorates seniors be fore they officially start their final year at Episcopal High School.
In addition to the guest speakers, the se niors had photos taken for the Senior Style Show. Seniors also received small gifts such as keychains and bumper stickers specific to their class.
Historically, Field Knight lands on the first Sunday of the school year, which this year was August 21. Field Knight is underwritten by the Dads Club and Par ents Association. It was held in the Alkek Gym and started at 5:30. Students showed up wearing their Got Blue shirts to show school spirit and participated in numerous activities and watched many performances.
ALEX GONZALES Staff Writer
Impact dancers Berkeley Deutsch, Lydia Berckley, Olive Martin, and Lili Shore perform at Field Knight on Sunday, August 21. The event welcomed the entire EHS community. Photo by Mrs. Jessica Brown.
IZZIE SONG Staff Writer
Changes to
Field Knight is also of historical signifi cance to EHS, started in 2000 according to Mr. John Colello, Dean of Parent Pro grams and School Legacy. The tradition was started to begin the school year with spirit, fun, and fellowship for all.
Student
August 2022 4650 Bissonnet, Bellaire, Texas 77401 www.ehshouston.orgVolume 38, Issue 1
Official Newspaper of Episcopal High School
New Knights welcomed to EHS
INSIDE Features 2-3 Culture 4-5 Opinion 6 Sports 7 Knight Shift...................... 8
Fall Sports Practices start back for many programs PAGE 7
Class of 2023 kicks off year at annual breakfast
The school year just began, but the EHS Performing Arts Department has been hard at work preparing for performances.
Dr. Antonio Avalos is excited about his new role as principal. Photo by PhotoJ.
EHS Onstage announced its season a few months ago and is set to put on Puffs, Julius Caesar, and Mamma Mia this school year in the Underwood Theater. Rehearsals are already underway for Puffs, which is a comedic retelling of Harry Potter from the eyes of a group of Puffs, the Fourth House. It introduces three new heroes who are navigating their way through the world of magic school.
STEM-based events and lectures, as well as many challenging math competitions. With so many fun activities ahead, this year will certainly go down as one of the best in Math Club history!
June with yearbook, moviemaking, and photojournalism workshops.
Mrs. Evelyn Cambria will serve the Episcopal community as Associate Head of School. Photo by PhotoJ.
Notably, there were some similarities in the group, including a total of ten Wil liams, three Ellas, and three Jacks. Match ing names aside, each incoming student contributes a uniquely personal aspect to their grade and to the school.
JAYLNN WOOLEY Production Editor
Mr. Kim Randolph leads EHS as Associ ate Head of School. Photo by PhotoJ.
Arts Pillar begins in full swing
EHS Dance put on a performance, the Emerging Dance Concert, August 27 after preparing for the event through preseason. Feauting multiple guest artists, Elevate compitition team, Impact team, and Rep ertory team, the dance program worked hard to start off the year with a bang.
This year, Dr. Antonio Avalos will be replacing Mr. Randolph as Principal. Dr. Avalos has much experience in high-level administration positions across Houston. Before coming to Episcopal, he served as principal of Northbrook High School and has gathered extensive administra tion and teaching experience by working in public schools for the past 23 years. Outside of the office and classroom, Dr. Avalos enjoys attending sports evens and spending time dining with his wife. Mr. Avalos grew up going to private Catholic schools from grades 1-12 and says that EHS brings back fond memories of his time at school, and he is excited to “work with everyone who is a part of this great institution.”Inaddition to introducing a new prin cipal, Episcopal High School welcomes back Mrs. Evelyn Cambria, School Direc tor of Finance and Operations, who will also be partnering with Mr. Randolph as Associate Head of School. She is extreme ly grateful for all her time she has spent at EHS and for the community she says has blessed her with a place to call home.
The Knight Times ∙ August 2022Features ∙ Page 2
For the 2022-2023 school year, Mr. Kim Randolph will be returning to EHS, not as Principal, but as Associate Head of School. He will now coordinate with Pil lar Heads to prepare the school for special events such as Honors Chapels and Awards Chapels, as well as working col laboratively with the entire administrative staff. He is excited about his new position, but he is especially excited to join Mrs. Karen Foster in teaching forensic science.
With the start of the new school year, the EHS community welcomes new faces to the administration team as well as some returning members in new positions.
With the beginning of the new year, fresh faces dot the landscape of Epis copal’s hallways. The incoming Class of 2026 board from a large array of locations, including 41 different middle schools and 39 zip codes across the Houston area. Such variety of sources has created a diverse freshman body eager to get to know EHS and its offerings.
Don’t forget to follow Math Club on both Instagram and Twitter under the user @ehsmathclub for top quality math memes, updates on meetings, and fun, demanding puzzles.
IZZIE SONG Staff Writer
even is Math Club? Math club is a fun orginization run by Dr. Papa konstantinou to challenge and engage students. According to Epsicopal High School’s website, Math Club’s mission is “to challenge the brightest and most passionate math interested students and inspire them to participate in monthly Texas Math League Contests. Students participate in regional, national, and inter national competition, as well as engineer ing events around Houston”
I hope everyone has had an amazing summer and start to the school year. This year is going to be packed with inspiring
Mrs. Willcutt’s freshman advisory comes together to celebrate the new school year. Photo courtesy of Mrs. Willcutts.
for the EHS art community to enjoy. With the productions, showcases, exhibitions, and daily experiences, there is always something going on in the Arts Pillar.
Class of 2026 joins the Episcopal community
Hey y’all! I’m Sarah Yates, and I’m so excited to be your Math Club president thisSoyear!what
Theater Program Coordinator Mr. George Brock works with actors in the Under wood Theater in preparation for the fall play Puffs Photo by Madeleine Berckley.
SIMONA KARNANI Staff Writer
The Dean of Arts and Innovation, Dr. Jay Berckley, is excited to see all the art come to life. “So, whether you’re already making plans to come sing with us dur ing Mamma Mia, be inspired with one of our gallery exhibitions, see Hollywood’s future stars on film at Studio Movie Grille, or anything in-between - there is some thing for everyone in the EHS Arts Pillar.”
Puffs hits the stage September 16-18, so be sure to attend and be transported to a world of magic.
Slice of π
was met with advisory bonding time alongside laptop preparation and a recap of EHS values. Short yet informative, it was but a small glimpse into the school’s environment. The event served to open a door, one that revealed an abundant, and perhaps intimidating, community that stu dents would soon find themselves apart of.
During Freshman Orientation, the class
With newcomers having several years left to spend walking these grounds, EHS hopes that the introduction properly pre pared them for the beginning of their high school careers. There lies ahead unknown experiences and new faces, but the trials of freshman year serve to build a strong foundation for the remainder of their time here. The Class of 2026, just as any other, has a distinctive place in student body and is sure to leave an impact on EHS’ history, both individually and as a collective.
Preseason is a time to get a leg up on the school year and meet new classmates. The Arts Pillar launched events back in
New administrators lead EHS
For any juniors and seniors interested in joining the math honor society, Mu Alpha Theta, an application will be sent out soon.Mu Alpha Theta is a society opened to 1th and 12th graders aimed to promote math accomplishment and excitment for the subject. The mission states that the or ginization aims “to inspire a keen interest in mathematics, develop strong scholar ship in the subject, and promote the enjoy ment of mathematics in high school.”
More recently, theater, dance and music have been active on campus with work shops and rehearsals. Theatre students were active in preseason this month during a week-long workshop hosted by a variety of Freshmanpeople.Mary Katherine King at tended and said that “it was fun to meet new people who are part of the theater community.”Episcopalis introducing multiple new courses available this year in the Perform ing Arts. Additionally, a variety of trips have been planned throughout the Pillar
SARAH YATES Guest Writer
John Drexel will be returning to EHS in the Religion Department as a teacher for both Old and New Testament. He is an alum of Episcopal High School, and after graduating he attended Davidson College and returned to EHS to teach for five years. He and his wife then moved to Honduras to serve at a ministry for children. Before returning as a teacher to EHS, he taught for one year at Houston Christian.
Teaching World History I, Mr. Peraza is joining EHS from Washington D.C. He en joys traveling, golfing, and hiking. Along with teaching, he will be an assistant coach for the swim team. His favorite food is beef fajitas, and his favorite movie is Boyhood. He looks forward to being involved in both the athletic and academic pillars.
Michael Codringtom English
Stephanie Colson Wellness
Mrs. McMillian will be joining the Well ness Department as the new volleyball coach this school year. Before coming to EHS, she worked at St. Agnes as the direc tor of student activities, Zumba instructor, and wellness teacher, along with her role as head volleyball coach. Her impression of EHS is a fresh start to find new oppor tunities. She enjoys spending time with her family.
Mr. Beam joins EHS as the new Music Program Coordinator and is excited about the opportunities for growth within his pro grams. Coming from John Cooper School, he is teaching band, orchestra, and comput er music. He loves the community at EHS, saying “everyone, students and faculty, have been so supportive and kind.”
Chelsea Bass English
The Knight Times ∙ August 2022 Features ∙ Page 3
John Herda World Languages
Ms. Lord joins us this school year as a new teacher in the Math department, teaching both Algebra 2 and Precalculus. Moving here from Live Oak, Florida, she is excited to get to know her students and the other faculty members. Her hobbies in clude running, reading, and playing guitar. Her favorite food is butter chicken.
Joe Beam Performing Arts
From Brooklyn, New York, Mr. Co drington enjoys writing poetry, playing sports, and collecting vinyl records. He will be teaching English II and is coach ing JV football. He is grateful to the EHS community as he feels he has already been welcomed with “open arms.” He is excited to meet everyone and learn alongside his students. We are excited to be able to wel come Mr. Codrington to EHS.
Ms. Bass, who will be teaching English I Honors, A.A. Voices, and Sci-Fi Litera ture, comes from St. Agnes Academy. She was there for six years and is an alum. She is most excited to step out of her comfort zone as she joins a new community. Her first impression of EHS was that the food is great. Her favorite movie is Remember the Titans, and her favorite celebrity is Ri hanna!
Mr. Bove is joining us from Louisiana. He previously taught at a Catholic high school in Baton Rouge. He will be joining the History Department, teaching Ameri can History and World History I. He looks forward to being a part of a community that is so close and values the Four Pillars so greatly. He enjoys cooking, baking, read ing, and playing the piano. His favorite food is pizza.
Rev. Katie Gould Religion
Kanika Clark History
Stephanie Colson will be teaching health and coaching lacrosse starting this fall, coming to EHS from Westminster, Mary land. She cannot wait to meet her students and coworkers and get to know them. She is excited to be a part of a culture that breeds excellence, stating that “EHS is a school that is an intellectual and fun school that provides endless opportunities for stu dents and staff.”
Mr. Schmidt is teaching World History I and World Religions as part of both the Religion and History Departments. He is coming to us from the University of Hous ton as an adjunct professor. He grew up in South Florida and got his master’s degree in North Carolina. EHS’s level of support for its students and teachers has impressed him, and he is excited to be at a school that values student-centered teaching.
NatalieMathLord
CJ Schmidt Religion and History
Katie Gould will be joining us this year as an Old and New Testament teacher with Reverend Art Callaham as her mentor. Coming from the Seminary of the South west, Austin TX, she is excited about the school’s mission and looks forward to be ing a positive influence in the lives of our school’s emerging young adults. Her hob bies include exercising, reading, and cook ing.
Tom Bove History
Mr. Herda comes to EHS this fall to teach Spanish II and III. He comes from Lyon College in Batesville, Arkansas, and is im pressed by its spirit of hospitality, values, and dynamism across the Four Pillars. His hobbies include reading, playing the guitar, writing reviews, playing tennis. He also enjoys travelling.
Mrs. Adams is rejoining the EHS com munity after working as a teacher and ad ministrator at St. Agnes. She will be teach ing English III as well as working with Coach Jones in the DCI office. She says that her favorite food is “a toss-up between everything bagels and Dal Makhani.” Her favorite movie is Avengers: Endgame. Mrs. Adams is so excited to be back with the EHS community.
Max Peraza History
Coming from the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Ms. Clark is join ing the EHS team to teach U.S. History and U.S. Government. She completed her Master of Education and has served on the teaching team for the foundation’s course, Leading Change. Her hobbies include trav eling and trying new adventures. She says that teaching is her “passion,” and she is thrilled to teach at Episcopal.
Richard May Math
Richard May is the new chair of the Math Department and will teach Geometry and AP Calculus BC. He is coming from Cin co Ranch HS where he enjoyed his time teaching for 13 years and sees joining EHS as an opportunity for a new challenge and change. He has been a resident of Bellaire for the last 15 years. He is very excited to join for the sense of community EHS of fers. He is an avid tennis player.
John Drexel Religion
Joining EHS from St. Pius X High School after thirteen years, Ms. Broussard is excit ed to join the EHS community. She loves Episcopal because of the welcoming and supportive community and is excited to meet her new students and colleagues. She will be teaching Geometry Honors as well as Algebra II Honors. Some of her hobbies include going to car shows, exercising, reading, and traveling.
Michelle Broussard Math
Cydryce McMillian Wellness
EHS adds new faculty members to multiple Pillars
Jessica Adams English
All in all, Summer 2022 was a time for experimentation, and hopefully by fall we all have more of a sense of what our style is.
West just released new glasses as a part of his Yeezy x Gap collab “YZY GAP.” They’re futuristic and kind of obnoxious…but in a good way. Another thing I’ve noticed this sum
nomically-challenged communities often not only have to bear the brunt of pollu tion but also have to house projects aimed at fixing the disasters themselves. West highlights this fact, noting that “asthma rates [in Houston’s Fifth Ward] edge close to 11%, compared with 7% in River Oaks.”
Something that will always be cool is jewelry. This can often either make or break your outfit. Men’s jewelry specifi cally is always fun to play with and ex periment and has definitely become more mainstream in the past year.
mer is that designer name brands are not must-haves anymore. Honestly, it just doesn’t look very appealing anymore on pieces. Thrifting is huge right now, so finding cool things doesn’t have to break theAtbank.theend of the day, who actually cares what brand you have on? If it’s a good fit, there’s no denying that.
Conocemos a México por sus cielos soleados y sus hermosas playas, pero recientemente se ha formado una sequía por casi la mitad del país. La Comisión Nacional del Agua de México declaró una emergencia por la sequía, y el gobierno está tratando de tomar medidas para ga rantizar el suministro de agua.
Furthermore, underrepresented, eco
Vintage New Balances make a trium phant return in the sneaker community. Photo courtesy of Sneakernews.com.
ESTEFANIA LOPEZ-SALAS Staff Writer
Kanye West makes waves in the athlei sure sphere with a new Gap collabora tion. Photo courtesy of gq.com.
Se ha dicho que La Niña, un ciclo cuando el Océano Pacífico comienza a enfriarse cerca del ecuador, es la causa de esta sequía. México tiene múltiples em balses y muchas han quedado básicamente vacías. Uno de los embalses de Santiago, México que alimenta a la ciudad está menos de 1% lleno mientras que otro está 46% lleno. Por lo general, el 60% del agua de Santiago viene de estos embalses y el resto de unos pozos subterráneos.
Concrete batch plants across Harris County have sparked civil rights investigations. Photo courtesy of the Houston Chronicle.
Niña, which is a cycle when the Pacific Ocean begins to cool near the equator, has been said to be the main cause of this drought. Mexico has multiple reservoirs, and many have been left basically empty. One of Santiago, Mexico’s reservoirs that feeds the city is only 1% full while another is only 46% full. Usually, 60% of the city’s water comes from these reser voirs and the rest from deep, underground wells. If the usual August rains don’t come, water restrictions will have to be placed on multiple cities in Mexico, af fecting tourism and industrial production.
Drought devastates Mexico’s water supply. Photo courtesy of the San Diego Union-Tribune.
Si no llegan las lluvias habituales de agosto, se deberán imponer restricciones de agua en varias ciudades de México, lo que afectará el turismo y la producción industrial.
Looking forward, many Houston Repre sentatives hope to change the system from
The issue at hand is layered by systematic issues.According to West, “Because land has been cheapened by redlining, disinvestment, restrictive covenants and environmental racism, polluters concen trate unevenly across the region, often intentionally in communities of color and low wealth, compounding other issues and creating entrenched disparities”.
Data from the EPA compiled by the Houston Chronicle tells us there are at least 188 concrete batch plants in Harris County alone, housed disproportionately in low-income communities. Harris Coun ty Attorney Christian Menefee, a leader in the call for TCEQ’s accountability, argues that by failing to seek public comment during the permitting process, the agency did a great disservice to its citizens.
Menefee went on to say, “You can’t go into a community that has 80% Spanish speakers and folks who are limited in English proficiency and only submit stuff in English,” and if “[TCEQ is] not willing to [do their duties], we’re looking for the
The Lily Pad with Lily O’Gorman
YourLanguageCorner
What’s cool right now? This summer there hasn’t really been one specific thing that everyone is wearing or experimenting. I think there’s a little bit of beauty in that though because it challenges people to go out and play with pieces that they wouldn’t normally wear. This also allows for a little bit more origi nality, which is not something that this generation has been great practicing.
State Rep. Armando Walle said, “The issue is lax enforcement from the state,” and more power should be given to local health agencies since TCEQ consistently fails to prioritize the needs of Houstonians for monetary gain.
New Balances are lowkey making a comeback, and they have a lot of niche releases that are really fun.
The KnightCulture ∙ Page 4
F shion Sen¢e with Raigan Clay
EPAto make them… or cut their federal funding.”TCEQhas been historically known to flout environmental regulation, facing opposition from local government and the EPAin the past. For this reason TCEQ has been habitually referred to as “overly permissive.” The agency’s platform of deregulation means communities are facing severe health issues. Fern Uennatorn waranggoon, air quality police manager of the Environmental Defense fund (EDF) said “living near these facilities [means] you are exposed to higher levels of harm ful pollution,” including particulate matter, black carbon, and nitrogen dioxide. This pollution often manifests in serious health conditions such as reduced lung development in children, increased rates of asthma, bronchitis, heart disease, and cancer.Tomake it worse, according toAllyn West of the Rice University Kinder Insti tute, “Almost one-third of concrete batch plants in [Houston] are located a short walk from a school or day care.”
the inside out, requiring from TCEQ more than the “bare minimum” and demanding holistic consideration of the plant’s impact prior to the building process.
The great thing about fashion is that it’s all in the eye of the beholder and is subjective. For example, I’ve noticed rap artists specifically are starting to add platform/combat boots to their wardrobes. It’s literally the middle of August, but for some reason that’s the new wave everyone is Kanyeriding.
We know Mexico for its sunny skies and beautiful beaches, but recently a drought monitor has been placed in almost half the country. Mexico’s National Water Commission declared a drought emer gency, and the government is attempting to take steps to guarantee water supply. La
In this month’s rendition of The Lily Pad, I come to you with an issue close to home.Beginning this month, the EPA launched an investigation into the workings of the Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ) after the Harris County Attorney, among others, issued complaints about environmental justice in our home town. The complaints specifically regard concrete batch plants, plants that Lone Star Legal Aid say violate civil rights laws.According to the Texas Tribune, “the state environmental agency [allegedly] discriminated against racial and ethnic minorities and those with limited Eng lish proficiency” by “[failing] to provide information in Spanish” in the permitting process to build batch plants.
The musical/drama Elvis, directed by Baz Luhrmann, follows the life of rock’n’roll icon Elvis Presley over 20 years. Before the film’s release this past June, lead Aus tin Butler was well-known for his perfor mances in teen-drama series.
novice Elvis fans loved the movie and its flashy colorful depiction of his story.
ISABEL O’GORMAN Copy Editor
Top Rotten Tomatoes critic Todd Gil christ said, “Luhrmann’s fast-cutting su per-montage style overpowers the subject matter, and the result is an impressionistic, jumbled highlight reel of Presley’s many accomplishments.”
The Knight Times ∙ August 2022 Culture ∙ Page 5
Many critics acknowledged that the mov ie was entertaining and fun to watch, but not accurate enough to call a biofilm. Go see for yourself, it’s still in theaters
The movie received lots of feedback from Elvis’ fanatics who felt it didn’t truly rep resent him in the way that they had hoped;
KYRIAKI POSTOLOS Staff Writer
Drake dropped his summer offering Honestly, Nevermind. This album received mixed reviews, and fans of Drake weren’t really vibing with the direction he took in this project. The album is in the category of dance/house. Drake has never produced an album of this genre. Many fans were confused as to why he would make an album like this. My hot take is that if you claim to be a Drake fan and have listened to projects like Views or More Life, you would see that Drake has been on this
Last, music fans got the release of Re naissance: Vol.1 from the queen bee her self, Beyoncé. This album was definitely not what I was expecting. With the release of “Break My Soul,” I was worried that the whole album would share that same vibe and…it did. The genre of the album is pop, but Beyoncé played with a house and dance vibe. One thing that should be praised on this album is her vocals. Her range truly shows that she’s a seasoned artist. This album is completely different from The Carters and Lemonade and was really meant to just be a feel-good project. I didn’t absolutely love this album, but I also don’t think Beyoncé has it in her to make a bad one. My favorites from this project were “Plastic Off the Sofa” and “Virgo’s Groove.”
Fans flock to see new Elvis film
Life lessons are many in Frankl’s memoir Man’s Search for Meaning
Man’s Search for Meaning explores the roots of happiness, offering evidence that happiness is not a result of external circumstances. Frankl’s experience in perhaps the worst imaginable situation - a Nazi concentration camp with literally everything taken from him - pushed him to find purpose and even moments of joy in the smallest details of mundane life. Ultimately, this practice allowed Frankl
to survive without succumbing to his envi ronment’s despair.
As a psychiatrist, he used this deep insight in his medical practice treating depression. He found that encouraging his patients to similarly find meaning in their own lives, for example, tending to a plant, could draw them out of or lessen their illness. Ultimately, his and his patient’s experiences serve as inspiration that hap piness can be found by anyone, no matter the situation.
Raigan’s Radio
In July, Steve Lacy released his third studio album Gemini Rights. Fans of Lacy were anxiously awaiting what he was going to do for this project. With the suc cessful release of singles “Mercury” and “Bad Habit,” Lacy created hype around the project. Many people would say Gemini Rights is the culmination of all the potential Lacy displayed on The Lo-Fis [my favorite Steve Lacy album] curated into a focused project.
Clockwise, Kendrick Lamar, Beyonce, Steve Lacy, and Drake. The popular artists released new albums this year to the mixed reactions of fans and music critics. Photo courtesy of vice.com, nytimes.com, the guardian.com, and facebook.com.
In Man’s Search for Meaning, Viktor Frankl recounts his time as a prisoner in Nazi concentration camps, reflecting on the strategies he employed to survive, and suggests the relevance of his experience in the world of psychiatry.
I discovered this novel upon asking my parents about their favorite books. When they independently responded with Man’s Search for Meaning, I knew I had to read it. I can now say that my parents were right, and I wholeheartedly believe everyone should read Man’s Search for Meaning
Total Gross Release Date 1. Top Gun: Maverick $683,438,969 May 27 2. Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness $411,331,607 May 6 3. Jurassic World Dominion $373,907,070 June 10 4. Minions: The Rise of Gru $350,240,940 July 1 5. Thor: Love and Thunder $332,146,873 July 8 6. Sonic the Hedgehog 2 $190,872,904 Apr 8 7. Elvis $144,853,303 June 24 8. Lightyear $118,271,115 June 17 9. Nope $113,793,605 July 22 10. The Bad Guys $96,713,440 Apr 22 11. Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore $95,850,844 Apr 15 12. The Black Phone $88,720,035 June 24 13. Where the Crawdads Sing $77,777,991 July 15 14. Everything Everywhere All at Once $69,768,936 Mar 25 15. Bullet Train $69,011,503 Aug 5 16. DC League of Super-Pets $67,393,474 July 29 17. Downton Abbey: A New Era $43,896,550 May 20 18. The Bob’s Burgers Movie $31,933,830 May 27 19. Dragon Ball Super: Super Hero $20,100,000 Aug 19 20. Paws of Fury: The Legend of Hank $17,811,382 July 15 Top 20 Grossing Films: Summer 2023 Courtesy of boxofficemojo. As of August 23, 2022. 1. How You Get Famous: Ten Years of Drag Madness in Brooklyn by Nicole 2.Pasulka The Last Resort: A Chronicle of Para dise, Profit, and Peril at the Beach by Sarah Stodola 3. Hollywood Ending: Harvey Weinstein and the Culture of Silence by Ken Auletta 4. The Last Days of Roger Federer by Geoff Dyer 5. The Gotti Wars by John Gleeson 6. Dress Code by Véronique Hyland 7. How Civil Wars Start by Barbara F. 8.Walter Lost & Found by Kathryn Schultz 9. You Don’t Know Us Negroes by Zora Neale Hurston 10. Sweat: A History of Exercise by Bill Hayes Top 10 Fiction and Non-Fiction of 2022 (so far) 1. Black Cake by Charmaine Wilkerson 2. All My Rage by Sabaa Tahir 3. Book Lovers by Emily Henry 4. Violeta by Isabel Allende 5. True Biz by Sara Nović 6. House of Sky and Breath by Sarah J. 7.MaasLessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Gar 8.musHow High We Go in the Dark by Se quoia Nagamatsu 9. Daughter of the Moon Goddess by Sue Lynn Tan 10. Young Mungo by Douglas Stuart Courtesy of businessinsider.comesquire.com.and RAIGAN CLAY Features Editor In another good sign for movie theaters recovering from the pandemic, Baz Luhrmann’s Elvis just became the director’s highest-grossing film in North Amer ica. It stars Tom Hanks as Colonel Tom Parker and Austin Butler as the legendary singer. Photo courtesy of people.com.
wave for a minute. This project isn’t badit just shows Drake’s versatility.
Summer 2022 releases - how do we feel aboutThisthem?summer, music fans were well fed and received new projects from a wide range of artists. The summer started strong with the long-awaited [1855 days to be exact] release of Mr. Morale and The Big Steppers from Kendrick Lamar. This album displayed a different side of Kend rick and fans were given a more vulnera ble take from Kendrick. While there aren’t many “backseat freestyle” replicas on the project, fans still enjoyed this new era of Kendrick. Some of my favorites were “We Cry Together,” “Mirror,” “Purple Hearts,” and “Count Me Out.”
JAYLYNN WOOLLEY Production Editor
Every year, high school juniors spend months preparing for a test that, in many ways, will determine the next four years of their lives. With the rise of Covid-19, many colleges announced that they would be going test optional. Two years later, the debate continues: are these standardized tests a fair measure of intelligence? Does the high cost of tutoring limit low-income families? Many are re-evaluating the effec tiveness of the ACT and SAT and the future of the exams are in question.
Colleges re-evaluate use of standardized testingOpinions
Every year, hundreds of thousands of ani mals suffer in the production of cosmetic products. While the purpose of many of these products is to improve human life, many animals suffer as a result of the harsh, abusive, and often lethal process of animal testing that ensures that these prod ucts are safe for humans.
The Knight Times is a product of students in the Episcopal High School newspaper class, who are solely responsible for its creation and editorial con tent. The opinions expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent those of the Epis copal Board of Trustees, administration, faculty, and staff. Published ten times a year, The Knight Times is a non-profit educational tool. The staff encourages the submission of letters, editorials, and story ideas from the community, but reserves the right to edit and/or use said articles.
invasion during World War II.
CAMPBELL RICHARDSON Staff Writer
China-Taiwan tensions rise following Pelosi’s visit
As more information has come to light, the European Parliament banned animal testing in 2009 and prohibited the selling of any animal-tested beauty products in 2013. They also pressed for a global ban on animal testing in 2018, and since then many countries such as the US, Japan, Canada, Russia, and South Africa have be gun to phase out animal testing.
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Within the past 10 years, consumers have grown suspicious of what happens behind the ‘cosmetic curtain.’ According to the Humane Society of the US, animals like mice, rats, dogs, cats, rabbits, hamsters, monkeys, fish, and birds undergo testing that includes injecting chemicals into the skin or eyes or forcing them to swallow doses of chemicals to determine the lethal dose. The US Food and Drug Administra tion does not require companies to test on animals for safety, but it is also not illegal.
Animal testing harms production
During a diplomatic delegation across Asia, Nancy Pelosi and five other Demo cratic Congress members visited Taiwan to meet with Tsai Ing-wen, the Taiwanese president. In response, China condemned the visit, and following Pelosi’s departure, ran military exercises for four days around the island. On August 8 this exercise was renewed until early September. While a Chinese show of force in the Taiwan Strait is nothing new, it highlights the tense re lations between the People’s Republic of China and Taiwan and the difficulty facing American foreign policy in maintaining good relations.
The Knight Times ∙ August 2022Opinions ∙ Page 6
Nancy Pelosi met with Taiwanese President Tsai-wen as part of a Congressional del egation to East Asia. Photo courtesy of Handout/Getty Images.
Although some companies still choose to test on animals, many have recognized it as immoral, cruel, and outdated. These companies disclosed that they are crueltyfree by printing the logo of the cruelty-free bunny on their products. In order to ensure the safety and protection of these animals that cannot fight for themselves, it’s impor tant to only support companies that encour age the cruelty-free movement.
While animal testing is not only cruel and harmful treatment, it is also no longer the most effective way to determine the qual ity and safety of cosmetic products. Many companies claim that animal testing is necessary to ensure safety for their human consumer base, but animal testing alone is not enough to guarantee that humans are protected from potentially harmful ingre dients. The New England Anti-Vivisection Society claims that computer models, cul tured cell tissues, and vitro testing are all alternatives for animal testing.
After 1945, the CCP, with Soviet sup port, renewed its push against the Kuomin tang and controlled the entire mainland by 1949. Chiang Kai-shek and his forces were pushed back to the island of Taiwan. With the CCP unable to take the island and the Kuomintang too weak to take back the mainland, an unofficial stalemate began. While most Western countries recognized the Kuomintang Republic of China as the legitimate government at first, over time their recognition shifted to the new com munist government. In the 1980s Taiwan transitioned from a military dictatorship to a democratic republic, while China aban doned its isolationism.
how students would perform academi cally at their school. However, according to a study done by the American Research Association, high school grades are nearly five times more reliable when it comes to predicting who will graduate college.
The only thing the ACT/SAT can mea sure is one’s test-taking abilities. Multiple experts say that these tests are four hours of reading comprehension and do not pre cisely portray what was learned in school. Rather than testing on previously studied information, the exams use a series of pat terns that can only be recognized if the stu dents know the hidden ‘tricks’ of the test, rather than simply tesing knowledge and skill..Ifmore schools opt to become test op tional, how will we get an accurate idea of academic capability? A new exam, the Classic Learning Test (CLT), is an assess ment used by a handful of small colleges. This test only takes two hours and can be taken online. Some private schools even create their own exams that are tailored to their students’ curriculum, so that students can apply what they have learned through out the past four years.
MORGAN HEARD Opinion Editor
Taiwan serves as an important ally to the United States, positioned in a place where it can block Chinese naval power. Amer ica often sends military aid to Taiwan to keep it protected from Chinese interven tion. However, American diplomats and politicians are very careful to not explicitly state or even suggest that Taiwan is a sepa rate country. This has been official policy since the Cold War, upheld under all presi dents since Richard Nixon in 1972. This is to maintain friendly relations with China while still protecting its ally.
One China agreement. Chinese propagan da often paints Taiwan as simply a rebel lious province, and even the official consti tution describes Taiwan as an integral part of China. Despite Chinese fearmongering and claims that they will take back the is land, an invasion remains unlikely.
The data is overwhelming that standard ized tests are not an accurate predictor of a student’s success in college. It is time for the the college admissions hierarchy to fully recognize the facts and eliminate standardized testing as a part of the admis sions process.
Episcopal High School 4650 Bissonnet, Bellaire, TX
The preparation that goes into taking these tests is expensive. Costs include things such as course books, practice tests, and tutoring. According to PrepScholar. com, classes and tutoring can be up to $8,000. Though financial discrimination is not intentional, it is obvious that fami lies with higher incomes are more likely to get better scores. According to Forbes, students with family income of less than $25,000 a year average a 968 on the SAT, whereas students who have a family in come of $100,000 typically get a 1090. A student’s score is significantly impacted by a family’s yearly income, so rather than testing one’s brain, we are testing one’s fi nancialManyresources.haveargued that these tests are not an accurate measure of one’s intellect. Colleges use test scores to get an idea of
To fully understand the situation in Tai wan, it is important to know the history of its conflict. Following the collapse of the Chinese monarchy, the new democratic government failed, and China fell apart into various warlord states. Out of the chaos, two main factions emerged: the Kuomin tang, a right-wing nationalist party, and the CCP, a communist party. These two forces fought each other for decades, with a brief truce being agreed on to fight the Japanese
Currently, the status of Taiwan looks un likely to change anytime soon, given the risks of independence leading to serious escalation. Still, the Biden Administration will have to evaluate how to approach the Taiwan issue for the foreseeable as China continues to grow in global influence and threaten Tawain’s independence.
The current status quo of China and Taiwan relations is complicated and a landmine for foreign countries to navi gate. Both the mainland People’s Repub lic of China and the Taiwanese Republic of China claim themselves to be the sole legitimate government of China and agree that Taiwan is part of China. Even though most of the Taiwanese population wants to be a nation independent of China, Taiwan avoids any explicit claims of independence from China as that would go against the
TheTimesKnight
Sports
Over the summer, the athletes displayed exemplary resolve and commitment by braving the intense Texas heat and attend ing dreaded early morning practices. The team has a schedule of competitions that will allow them to prove themselves as formidable opponents.
Playing some of the more challenging public schools will strengthen the Episco pal football team during the regular sea son. When asked how play against public schools will relate to regular season suc cess, Otah said, “It showed us how great we can be and will give us the confidence we need during the regular season.”
The cheerleaders will compete in October at an NCA competition and hope to keep their winning streak alive. The cheerleading program is also planning several service events under the leadership of philanthropy chairs Maddie Massiatte and Audrey Black.
Her goal for the season is to grow as a program. She is grateful for the coaches helping her make the field hockey pro gram special.
The Knight Times ∙ August 2022 Sports ∙ Page 7
Look out for varsity boys volleyball this fall season. This team is going to be
As the new head, she looks forward to the varsity season as well as the develop ment of the JV with assistant Ms. Shelly Edmonds.Seniorsare an essential part of lead ing any team, and this year Coach White would like to recognize seniors Margaret Ellison, Jessie Horton, Janie Thomas, and Emily Young.
This year, the HES football program added some transfers, including Class of 2024 players Karson Gordon and Andre Thompson. Gordon will start at quarter back, and Thompson will be a key wide receiver for the Knights. With the help of these players, the Knights were selected the preseason favorite in the conference by website Texas Prove Football Guy. The site also named Gordon as pre season MVP, Thompson as the top of fensive player, and senior Jason Otah top defensive player after achieving most im proved player last season in team voting. This year the Episcopal 7-on-7 team beat many public schools such as Humble, Manvel, and Woodlands high schools, which is in the 6A division. The team started the state tournament strong
Preseasoncourt.isoff to a great and challeng ing start as the girls varsity has played several tough teams already. The girls are confident that with a difficult preseason comes grit and will only make the team stronger. With the help of Coach Mac, they are confident that an SPC champion ship is just within their reach.
by going 4-0 on the qualifying day and won the Pool G championships against Colleyville Heritage. After winning the pool championship, its next game was against the Woodlands for the round of 32 Division 1 championship tournament. The Knights went on to beat the Woodlands 27-13. In the Sweet 16, the Knights faced off against Nelson High School and lost in
and co-captains Elizabeth Cabes and Lila Henningsen. The JV team won top chant and is stronger than ever under the leader ship of their captain Keely Carr and cocaptains Berklee Lyons and Kalia Wong.
Coach Leigh Anne Raymond said, "We are most excited about our annual philan thropicStudentsevents."canparticipate by buying shirts for the Pink Out and Gold Out games, with all proceeds going to A Shelter for Cancer Families. It will be a great year for the Episcopal Knights cheerleaders and pom team.
Returning varsity players, junior Ethan Romero and sophomore Alfredo Bolado Corona will be starting for the Knights. The varsity also welcomes newcomers in sophomores Austin Conte, Ethan Lahoti, Calder Tribble, Johnny Hardee, and Evan Bellinger-Spivey.Thecoachingstaff is ecstatic to see what these new faces will bring to the team. Hofmeister’s goal for this season is to see growth in each player and to lay a founda tion to succeed in future championships.
Two years ago, the EHS field hockey program installed its new internationallycertified artificial turf field. This year, the team is excited to welcome new head coach Ms. Emily White, who worked with the program in the past as an assistant.
Youth movement steers boys volleyball season Cross focusedcountryontitle
JAKE BERLIN Staff Writer
The Episcopal Knights cross country team is looking forward to a promising year. Although the team graduated a num ber of varsity seniors last year, Assistant Coach Andrew Lauer is confident that the talent pool will continue to expand and bring in new freshman full of potential.
MORGAN HEROD Opinions Editor
Cheer and Pom lead through spirit and charity
a close game 34-30.
Episcopal boys volleyball has had a twoyear winning record streak in SPC. The varsity lost eleven players from last year’s squad, but Coach Kerry Hofmeister said, “This year’s roster will see a lot of new faces as our core of varsity starters will be sophomores.”Areturning varsity player, senior Jona thon Redding, will be providing “height and attacking ability out of the middle.”
She also called attention to the “amaz ing bond” that the team shares both on and off the
CLARA CRENSHAW Staff Writer
An addition to the Pom squad this year will be new head coach Katherine Ken nedy, EHS Class of 2012.
JULIA SHERMAN Staff Writer
This year, Coach White will challenge returning players to be the best they can be on and off the field.
ALYSSA WALL Staff Writer
The cheerleaders and pom dancers were busy this summer. They went to two cheer camps where they won multiple awards, such as Top Performance Team. There were 18 All-American winners, including varsity captain Emily Keenan
The upcoming girls volleyball season has kicked into high gear as EHS wel comed a new head coach, Cydryce Mc Millian. Senior Raigan Clay noted how “Coach Mac” and the assistant coaching staff have done an excellent job in getting the team to work as one and establish their roles on the team.
Evolution of field hockey continues
Knights football confident 7-on-7 results will translate into explosive 2022 campaign
Freshman cheerleader Allie Raymond. Photo by Mrs. Jessica Brown.
The boys volleyball team will be counting on its latest youth movement to fill key roles vacated by graduated starters from last season. Photo by Kennedy Greene.
Coach Lauer believes this year’s group of talent will make for an excellent sea son and a shot at another SPC title. The athletes hope to build off of last season as they continue to bond and improve.
THOMPSON WHITE Staff Writer
Girls forremainsvolleyballonpathSPCsuccess
The EHS cheer and pom teams are planning a full and exciting season. The cheerleaders and pom dancers' first per formance was at Field Knight on August 21.They will perform at every football game and most basketball games. The first home football game is September 6 against Parish Episcopal.
bringing action to the court, so watch for their schedule. The boys’ first scrimmage was an August 18 round robin with Awty, St. John’s, and The Kinkaid School. The boys’ official first game will be away at the
The football team gathers after practice to discuss their performance. Photo by Jules Weinstein.
“All four players have contributed amazing things to the program,” stated Coach White.
Ft. Worth Country Day School. Their first home game will be against St. Andrews on September 9. It is looking like it is going to be an amazing season for this group.
This year the Episcopal High School 7-on-7 football team had a phenomenal preseason which completely contradicted last year’s struggle during the regular football season. Over the summer, the 7-on-7 football team trained tirelessly to improve its skills to go to the 7vs7 state tournament and prepare themselves for an SPC championship win.
Varsity junior quarterback Karson Gordon escapes the pocket dur ing a home scrimmage against Sealy High School. Photo by Jules Weinstein.
The Knight Times ∙ August 2022Knight Shift∙ Page 8
“What are you looking forward to the most this year?”
Celebrity Sighting
Have you ever been walking down the hall and done a double-take, thinking you just saw Ryan from The Office (aka B.J. Novak)? Well, we have ... al most. Here we have a classic case of the doppelganger, a phenomenon almost entirely unexplainable except for rare cases of long-lost identical twins. As investigative journalists, we at The Knight Times believe we have plausible evidence that Mr. Andrew Lauer and B.J. Novak share at least some genetic material. The evidence is clear: from the expression encapsulated in their longing gazes to their strikingly similar eyebrow arch and furrow, the simi larities are compelling. Even the hairline bears a resemblance bordering on uncanny. Next time you walk by Mr. Lauer, make sure to take note of the similarity and tell him to say hello to his long lost twin for us (and maybe even get an autograph). Photos courtesy of fanpop.com and the KT staff.
CALDER TRIBBLE “Playing volleyball”
PhotoJ Photo of the Month
WILL PACEY “The food”
NICOLE“SportsWOTRINGgames” MAKAI
MADDY MORGAN “Cross country meets”
Speaks Out
Cartoon by Lily O’Gorman.
GIGI BASS “Making new friends”
MR.
HARRISON GOYTIA “Making new friends” WONG “The cafeteria food” REVAZ HALL jazz concerts”
“Getting to know the freshmen” MRS.
Resident Jester
EMMA “FootballSCHOPPAgames”
“Library