The Knight Times / January 2023 Issue 6

Arts Day reveals diverse offerings

IZZIE SONG Staff Writer

Freshman Arts Day EHS is an ongoing tradition at Episcopal when the newest members of the student body are given an opportunity to experience the school’s diverse offerings in the Arts Pillar.

While the upperclassmen were busy going through different Interim Term options or participating in Senior Outreach, the Freshman Class was guided across campus to learn about the creative classes available to them in the Arts Pillar.

These were presented through rotations that advisories followed.This allowed each student a small glance into what every medium offered. Students tried their hand at theater, with Play Time!, a class on stage fighting, and looked into the making of EHS’s upcoming musical, Mamma Mia.

Next, they dove into the world of film and broadcasting by attending Lego StopMotion and create a KEHS Newscast. Music, such as the chimes of bells, was also put on display with classes like Ring! and Drumline 101.

Members of the arts faculty worked hard to put together each unique rotation, pieces of an overarching picture that aimed to depict all that curriculum encompasses.

Freshman Arts Day is an engaging way to familiarize students with the different medias and their teachers, as many may be unaware of their options. Academics and athletics may take the forefront in many of their minds when they start high school, leading to other extracurricular opportunities being overlooked. With Freshman Arts Day, students get helpful knowledge for the creation of their sophomore year schedules.

Seniors

give

back to the Houston community

Senior Outreach provides seniors ways to interact with those in need

ANYA PANT Staff Writer

“The service is reserved for seniors and gives them an opportunity to reach out and help many people. EHS partners with many organizations such as Project Cure, Nehemiah Center, Houston Humane Society, Habitat for Humanity, Kids Meals, Houston Food Bank, Beacon, and many more. This not only benefits the seniors by giving them new experiences but also benefits the countless people of Houston who are positively affected by these seniors.”

Learn more about Senior Outreach on Page 2

Interim Term experience comes to a close

JULIA SHERMAN Staff Writer

Interim Term is a two-week period of diverse classes offered to underclassmen with the opportunity to enrich their experience at Episcopal High School. This twoweek term is also a great way for students to embrace their creative side.

Mr. Andrew Clack, a member of the IT team, said, “More than anything, education — student growth in and outside of these walls — is about more than studying and taking tests. It is about how students’ passions and interests and values are attuned. It is about appreciating other cultures, empathizing with others, thinking strategically and collaboratively, seeing the world more poetically, and imagining the past, present, and future - skills that are taught in electives and grade level learning at EHS.”

Grade Level Learning is required of all students, which educates students in specialized areas each year in how to be successful in daily life. The freshman GLL program, over Civil Discourse, emphasized personality, psychology, and empathy-building. Sophomores delved into the Choices program, discussing addictive behavior, healthy relationships, stress management, and responsible decision making.

Juniors enjoyed discussions with the College Counseling team and admission representatives from colleges, getting advice on essay writing, test taking strategies, and the college application process.

Students were also offered three trips during IT. Twenty-seven students traveled

to the Grand Canyon, a group went to New York for STEM studies, and students participated in Close-Up in Washington, DC. Interim Term is a great way for students to find enjoyment in new things, but also for them to have an impact on others and themselves.

Kara Thomas, Madeline Hamstra, Mrs. Chandler Williamson participate in the Mini Medical School Interim class. Photo courtesy of Mrs. Karen Foster.

Seniors gather outside of Project Cure, an organization that delivers medical supplies for those in need in Houston. This is one of the many organizations where seniors volunteer for Senior Outreach. Photo courtesy of Steve Leisz.

Seniors volunteer to improve community as a part of Outreach program

The Four Pillars of Episcopal High School are what hold our community together. Arts, Athletics, Religion, and Academics each hold their own core values which prepare students to be good citizens and to live their lives helping themselves and others. These values are deeply rooted in the Religion Pillar where community service is prioritized.

A large part of the values of EHS is living life in service to others. The school helps students achieve this by finding many ways to integrate service as part of the lives of students, providing many opportunities and organizations like Students of Service, service committees, the Service Achievement Program, and the Helper Helper app on which students can easily find volunteer opportunities avail-

able. Along with these, one of the many ways EHS integrates service into student lives is Senior Outreach.

In the period of Interim Term, the week and a half after Winter Break, Episcopal students take classes, do independent studies, go on trips, or do service. The service is reserved for seniors and gives them an opportunity to reach out and help many people. EHS partners with many organizations such as Project Cure, Nehemiah Center, Houston Humane Society, Habitat for Humanity, Kids Meals, Houston Food Bank, Beacon, and many more. The seniors are split up in groups of around 20 and are assigned to one of these organizations to work with throughout the twoweek period.

This not only benefits the seniors by giving them new experiences but also benefits the countless people of Houston who are positively affected by these seniors.

Lessons in

MR. JOHN FLANAGAN Guest Writer

Recently, through Outreach, our seniors have gone into the Houston community to help others just as students in SOS have been helping throughout the school year. By going to places such as the Beacon or schools serving kids with special needs, our students have encounters that engender compassion, which is some understanding of the suffering of others that gives rise to a desire to help. These experiences often have a profound effect and change students’ perspective on the world. The challenge comes from feeling that same compassion when working a step farther removed from those we are serving.

Working at the Houston Food Bank, our students are having a positive impact on hundreds or even thousands of lives without actually serving the meal and sharing a smile. Cultivating the ability to see the impact to a broader community in need while working on behind-the-scenes organizational tasks is vital to sustain these efforts. This compassion for a community of “strangers” has motivated some of the most impactful changes around the world,

including the creation of organizations that provide aid to so many places outside of the United States.

Gaining a broader perspective of the needs of a community can lead to the larger scale work, but what about finding compassion closer to home? What does compassion for your fellow student, friend, or family look like? In living day-to-day with people, we tend to settle into thinking of them in certain roles and labels about who they are, but do we slow down to try and take their perspective? Can children understand the point of view of a worried or uncertain parent? With time to pause and ponder, we can all learn to see the struggling, defensive, or fragile person behind the facades of confidence or apathy and find compassion for them. Compassion calls for an understanding of the person in his or her suffering and need and seeing past stereotypes to find the simple child of God who we all are. I think of Jesus as God’s act of compassion in sending himself out into the world to encounter us in our daily lives, to understand our suffering, and to help and comfort us. My prayer is that we all seek to understand each other as children of God and to reach out in love.

Episcopal students regognized for their success during Honors Chapel

CAMPBELL RICHARDSON Staff Writer

This month Episcopal High School honored its students for their academic efforts during the fall semester during the Honors Chapel in the Alkek Gymnasium.

From early in EHS’ history, Honors Chapel has been an important tradition and a way to congratulate students who excel in the Academic Pillar. Twice a year the school goes out of its way to show its pride in its students who apply their talents in academics.

Students awarded on the day were called up in groups in alphabetical order in dress uniform. After all were lined up following a handshake from Head of School Mr. Ned Smith, a photo was taken with the entire honored grade. In the attending crowd were many parents of honored students along with faculty. College counselors, Mrs. Cyndi Boren, and grade level deans

were among the people responsible for organizing the event.

There were two main categories for the students honored at the event - Honor Roll and Academic awards. Honor students came first and were recognized for getting grades of A’s and B’s in all classes with no less than grade of a B- in an honors or AP class in the previous semester. Highest honor students came second and were recognized for achieving grades of A’s in all classes, with no less than grade of an A- in an honors or AP class in the previous semester.

Along with the Honor Roll awards, there are also two other awards for other specific academic achievements. For students who, in the face of challenges, made significant progress academically over the semester, the Climb Award honored their perseverance. In addition, the Effort Award celebrates students for exceptional commitment to their courses.

Top left, EHS students at Kids’ Meals pack lunches for children living in food deserts so that they have something to eat at school. Top right, Students at the Houston Food Bank assist the community by packaging food products for distribution. Bottom left, Students volunteered at the Houston Habitat for Humanity and helped at ReStore, a donation-based home improvement and furniture store. Photos courtesy of the Communications Department.

Left to right, Mr. Remon Maximos and seniors Grace Jordan, Jonathan Redding, Adam Katz, Hutch Coward, Andrew Thornton, and Jackson Kincannon serve at the Nature Discovery Center. Photo by Mr. Remon Maximos.

Left to right, Seniors Ben Welsh, Yousuf Saeed, Will Lewis, and Jack Anderson serve at the Houston Food Bank. Photo courtesy of the Communications Department.

Head of School Ned Smith congratulates senior David Coady for his academic achievements during the Spring Honors Chapel. Photo by Mr. David Framel.

DEFNE DELIORMANLI Guest Writer

Hi! I’m Defne Deliormanli, the Math Club secretary’s shadow. I hope everyone is having a good start to the new year!

During Interim Term, many students went on a NYC STEM trip where they explored the city and learned more about math and the applications in the real world. They visited places such as Wall Street, the Empire State Building, the National Museum of Mathematics (MoMath), and the Liberty Science Museum, and even watched a personal presentation from Dr. Shah, the

Chair of the Math Department at the Cooper Union about her in-depth research on robotics.

On January 28, all Mu Alpha Theta and many Math Club members will compete in the University of Houston Math Contest regarding the subject of Algebra I, Geometry, Algebra II, PreCalculus, Calculus, Statistics, Physics, Calculator Usage, or Number Sense as well as the SmackDown competition. It is never too late to join Math Club and compete in math competitions. Follow @ehsmathclub on Instagram and Twitter for more Math Club information and updates!

YourLanguageCorner

ESTEFANIA LOPEZ-SALAS Guest Writer

Durante los últimos meses, los sindicatos de maestros y trabajadores han marchado por las ciudades de Venezuela en protesta por el enorme aumento de inflación. El presidente Nicolás Maduro enfrenta desafíos para intentar a combatir la inflación del país, pero no lo logra.

La inflación de Venezuela ha alcanzado 305 porciento desde el año pasado. Para empeorar las cosas, la demanda de divisas depreció aún más el bolívar venezolano, lo que provocó que los salarios fueran inimaginablemente bajos.

El salario mínimo mensual de un maestro de escuela pública es de unos 10 dólares. Para los profesores universitarios es unos 70 dólares. Ciertas protestas y marchas en la ciudad de Carabobo dijeron que los salarios ni siquiera cubren el costo de alimentos y medicinas.

Colle e Know¿edge ¿

with Mark-Anthony Mey

Hi, my name is Mark-Anthony Mey and welcome to College Knowledge. I started this column in The Knight Times to give students a small insight into prospective colleges in order to help when applying as seniors. While not a heavily-detailed guide, I hope these informative pieces will help those looking for a little more knowledge about college.

Northeastern University Tulane University

Northeastern University is a mid-size private university located in the heart of Boston, Massachusetts. Its roughly 16,000 undergraduates are adventurous learners who partake in the many wonders throughout Boston and the 523 student organizations on campus. These include the Real Food Challenge for students interested in global hunger issues and the Wireless Club, through which you can discover the intricacies of technology.

In addition to the regular campus life and traditions, Northeastern offers 19 varsity sports and 64 club sports that compete with schools both locally and around the country. The biggest program is the NCAA Division I soccer team, one of the school’s oldest sports.

Within their robust academics, Northeastern boasts over 300 undergraduate majors across their different colleges. The school places a large emphasis on research and cooperative learning opportunities, with almost half its students taking part in a coop yearly between 2,935 employers globally. Northeastern also has several global opportunities with employers and other universities, including their own secondary campus in the heart of London.

If Boston strikes your fancy, you can apply on the Common App by November 1 for early decision and early action or January 1 for regular decision. The university plans to remain test-optional for the upcoming school year. Go Huskies!

Tulane University is a small private university home to about 8,500 undergraduate students in uptown New Orleans, Louisiana. The school is home to an exciting campus life with over 200 student organizations, 24 fraternities and sororities, and 25 wildly good dining halls.

Tulane University is home to a growing football and athletic culture as a part of the NCAA conference. With the football team taking home a lot more wins this season, students hope that it will gain popularity along with the many other varsity sports on campus. For those seeking a part time athletic commitment, Tulane has both club and intramural sports available to all students.

Known for their rigor, Tulane’s academics are brimming with opportunity within their 75 undergraduate major offerings. Some common majors at the university are business, finance, psychology, and public health. The school pushes for students to pursue their interests with a secondary major or minor in another field of study to further build upon their knowledge. Tulane also offers over 100 study abroad programs in 40 different countries which many students take part in during the sophomore or junior year.

If New Orleans is your jam, you can apply to Tulane University on the Common App by November 1 for early decision, November 15 for early action, and January 15 for regular decision. Roll Wave!

Reina Sequera, profesora de la Universidad de Carabobo, dijo que ella y su familia ni siquiera pueden pagar para la medicina paracetamol. Ella gana 460 bolívares al mes. Esto sólo es 23 dólares. El país que alguna vez fue rico continúa empobreciéndose y sumiéndose en la pobreza a medida que pasa el tiempo.

IZZIE SONG Staff Writer

Episcopal High School’s Chinese Honors Society celebrated the Lunar New Year by holding a food sale and decorating the USC. In collaboration with the Asian Pop Culture and Chinese Clubs, the organized sale of goods from all over Asia was held on Friday, January 20 in the Underwood Student Center during the 5A and 5B Lunches.

Included was the sale of over 200 cups of boba, a Taiwanese tea featuring tapioca pearls, that has been a popular drink among EHS students and faculty. There was also the fizzy Japanese soda, Ramune, featured alongside snacks like mochi, pocky, and jelly straws. Since it is the year of the rab-

For the past few months, teacher and worker unions have marched around large cities in Venezuela protesting the immense increase of inflation. President Nicolas Maduro faces challenges to attempt to fight the country’s inflation, but he fails to succeed.

Venezuela’s inflation has reached 305 percent since last year. To make matters worse, demand for foreign currency depreciated the Venezuelan bolivar even further, which has caused salaries to be unimaginably low.

The minimum monthly salary for a public-school teacher is about 10 dollars. For university teachers it’s about 70 dollars. Certain protests and marches in the city of Carabobo siad that these monthly salaries don’t even cover their cost of food and medicine.

Reina Sequera, a professor at the University of Carabobo, said her and her family are not able to even afford acetaminophen. She earns 460 bolivars a month. This is only 23 dollars. The once wealthy country continues to become even poorer and is reaching higher levels of poverty as time goes on.

bit, a raffle was held alongside the boba sale, featuring a large bunny plushie as a prize.

With the proceeds made from this venture, the Chinese Honor Society hopes to donate a large portion of its profit to animal shelters across Houston. To create an atmosphere fit for a Lunar Festival, the Chinese classes took time to hang floating lanterns and banners across the cafeteria. The legend surrounding Lunar New Year explains the importance of these decorations, as they acted as protectants from the monster Nian, a horned beast that would come every year to steal the children of China.

However, Nian was said to be afraid of the color red and loud noises, thus the tradition of hanging red lanterns and shooting fireworks was born.

Reflections...

with

Dean Colello

What are some of your most memorable personal experiences as a member of the EHS community?

There are quite a few, but here are some highlights.

The big one would be signing my first contract in June of 1988 as Dean of Boys, and with it, being given a huge role in helping develop the “Culture” of EHS.

I will never forget when the Class of 1989 began calling me “Dean” without my last name. From that point forward and to this day, new parents and students think that is my first name.

Being named Dean of Students after my first year as Dean of Boys was very significant. I can still feel the pride when the students gave me a standing ovation when this was announced on Opening Day the Fall of 1989 in the Underwood Theater.

I had many great experiences in the Ath-

letic Pillar as well, like coaching the girls varsity basketball team for over five years. I will always cherish the memories of the players and games. Likewise, coaching my son JohnPaul on the boys varsity soccer team was a high point of my time at EHS. He was the starting goalie during his junior and senior years.

Giving him his diploma during his 2006 graduation was icing on the cake.

I will always value having several items on the EHS campus named in my honor –a tree, benches, bricks, and the future Simmons Field press box.

I will forever hold important the many traditions that I created and maintained over my tenure at EHS, and finally, the memories that I will take with me, made possible by the thousands of students, parents, grandparents, alumni, and alumni parents.

F shion Sen¢e with Raigan Clay

Last week, fashion lost a legend and a pioneer as we know it today, the late Vivienne Westwood. Westwood was known for her unconventional yet revolutionary design style. She was seen as a “maverick” and a “renegade” in the fashion world. She was the definition of going against the grain and fighting the uniformity and opposition telling her to sit quiet and “behave.”

Westwood was huge in the punk scene for diving into the rebellious nature of that world and standing by what she believed in. Westwood prided herself on being an influencer rather than a “yes man” or a mere participant in the fashion world. She wanted to be fashion and all that it stood for. Her niche was the promotion of eco-

nomic, environmental, and social change. She embodied that through her voice, her work, and her shows. She famously once told supermodel Naomi Campbell “politicians are criminals. Poverty causes crime. Homelessness is a crime.”

Her inability to conform brought her success and publicity to her passion for change and the betterment of us all through fashion. I think that’s why Generation Z valued her so much, because like so many of us, she was willing to fight for what she believed in. Things that we all should be talking about, not staying quiet in hopes of not disturbing the “peace.” Westwood was not only a designer but an activist and a catalyst for change. We love you and thank you.

Raigan’s Radio

RAIGAN CLAY

Features Editor

2022 has been an incredible year for music. This year we saw a lot of artists returning to the spotlight to debut longawaited projects. But we also saw the rise of several artists to the “mainstream” scene.

The year opener and arguably one of the best albums of the year was The Weeknd’s Dawn FM. Following After Hours, Dawn FM was the culmination of 80’s-esque pop music. The Weeknd tends to dabble in a more aged sound, but this project really embodied paying homage to the sound of decades past. This project sounds similar to Tory Lanez’ Alone at Prom, which dropped in 2021 and is sonically one of the best emulations of the 80’s sound I’ve heard. After Dawn FM fans began to call The Weeknd “The Prince of Pop.”

Harry Styles released Harry’s House, his first record since the pandemic. Styles did an excellent job of making you feel amazing but sneaking in heartfelt lyrics that have a deeper meaning. In an interview with Zane Lowe, Styles emphasized he’s not really into making music to be relevant anymore and that he’s making music that inspires him and is authentic to him.

Beyoncé released her pop/dance album Renaissance. This album has taken time to grow on me because Beyoncé has never really put out an entire project like this. Fans also weren’t expecting this 180-degree turn after getting a project like Lemonade, which is more of a story than anything.

The legendary Pusha T dropped It’s Almost Dry. Pusha is slept on for whatever reason when it comes to rap, but with It’s Almost Dry, he showed his flexibility and range as an artist.

Jackman debuts in Music Man

CLARA CRENSHAW Staff Writer

Despite celebrities Huge Jackman and Sutton Foster staring in the revival of the Broadway classic Music Man, the musical is deemed a little disappointing and is arranged too close after running just a short time. Although the play was charming and entertaining, it did not live up to many people’s expectations.

Drake dropped twice this year with Honestly Nevermind and Her Loss. I loved both projects. Fans of Aubrey were very critical of Honestly Nevermind because it was a curve ball and caught fans off guard. But its replay value is amazing and worth a second chance if you haven’t doubled back yet. Her Loss was a joint album made with 21 Savage. Her Loss was amazing through and through, and once again, Drake didn’t disappoint.

Steve Lacy dropped Gemini Rights, which despite the songs that circulated TikTok for weeks on end is an amazing project. Its genuinely pretty and sonically pleasing, which isn’t new for Lacy. The tour run was rough despite the greatness of the album.

The closing album of the year was Sza’s heavily anticipated SOS. SOS is beautiful and was worth the wait. This project has something for everyone. One thing that I could do without was people jumping on TikTok to critic Sza on her subject matter, saying that it wasn’t “healing” enough for them. Artists are here to make art based off personal experience, so for people to undermine her personal journey was a little insulting to the work as a whole and to Sza.

Last, after five years of excruciating waiting, Kendrick Lamar dropped Mr. Morale and The Big Steppers. He had one of the best album rollouts to date which led fans to question whether this was the end of an era for Lamar. At this point many fans have voted Mr. Morale as Album of the Year, and they wouldn’t be wrong in claiming that. Lamar put out his truth with this project and gave us a magnifying glass we had never really had before when listening to his past projects. Album of the Year is well deserved for Mr. Morale and The Big Steppers.

Jackman is an incredibly talented actor, performing in everything from Broadway shows to blockbuster films. His return to Broadway was highly anticipated. In the Music Man, Jackman plays Professor Hill, a charming and handsome con artist. Although Jackman was able to bring this character to life, it at times became hard to separate Jackman from his character. Jackman’s charm and personality shown through his character, and it felt like he was playing himself rather than Professor Hill. Despite that, Jackman’s performance was very entertaining, and his singing and dancing were exceptional.

Sutton Foster, while also performing entertainingly, faced other problems. Her iconic character, Marian Paroo, is originally a soprano role. Foster, known for her belting voice, was a very unconventional choice for the part. Despite the unconventionality of the casting, Foster brought a new light to the role that the show desperately needed. Her dancing, comedic timing, and playfulness make up for her voice not matching the character and helped her to make the role her own.

Kate Horton, the producer, said, “I am thrilled that Hugh and Sutton will continue to create their unique magic on the stage right through to the end of 2022 so that we can properly close out what has been a triumphant year for our entire industry.”

Music Man left a short and sweet mark on Broadway despite not living up to the expectations of fans.

The making of a star in Daisy Jones

JALYNN WOOLEY Staff Writer

Taylor Jenkins-Reid brings a fictional music group to life through her carefully crafted, originally structured, and most sophisticated novel yet, Daisy Jones and the Six

The novel follows Daisy Jones, a young woman who has been handed everything in life, but “doesn’t value anything that comes easy to her,” as she overcomes the struggles any attractive and talented woman must face during her search for success in the ‘70s.

At first glance, it is easy to assume that Daisy’s carefree and reckless lifestyle reflects that of many affluent teenagers growing up on the Sunset Strip, but instead, her character is so beautifully complex. Her wild spirit and her raw talent paired with her desperation to make a name for herself launches her into a career beyond her wildest dreams.

Eventually Daisy’s fame carries her into the life of another artist on his own path to fame and fortune, Billy Dunne, lead singer of rock band The Six. The two soon realize that the electric chemistry between the two of them exists outside of the recording studio.

The interview-like design of the novel is incredibly unique and unlike anything else I’ve seen. The novel reads like the script of a documentary, which provides a casual yet honest atmosphere in which the members of the band and the many players of Daisy and Billy’s lives reveal the

The upcoming series Daisy Jones and The Six. Photo courtesy of imdb.com, people.com, and vulture.com.

Designer Vivienne Westwood passed at 81. Photo courtesy of usmagazine.com.

This year’s top artists and album covers. Photos courtesy of thefader.com, architecturaldigest.com, complex.com, pitchfork.com.

Ms. Westwood leads her designs down the catwalk during London Fashion Week. Photo courtesy of cosmopolitan. com.

Opinions

Rift between Trump and DeSantis threatens chance of Republican presidency in 2024

CAMPBELL RICHARDSON Staff Writer

The Republican Party is facing a major rift that has the possibility to split the GOP in the 2024 election. Donald Trump and his base of supporters have long had disagreements with more established Republican politicians like Mitt Romney and Mitch McConnell, and now, with Trump announcing his run for President next year, tensions between the two factions are only growing.

Prior to 2016, the GOP was united by a shared ideology of fiscal conservativism. Essentially, the party had been pretty much constant in its beliefs since Ronald Reagan up to George Bush. But by the end of the Obama administration, a group of Republicans felt increasingly unrepresented by the dominant, neoconservative politics of party leaders like John McCain and Mitt Romney. So, when a new, relatively unestablished in politics Donald Trump announced his run for Republican nominee in 2016, many saw him as a candidate who would bring real change to Washington. Trump used this image to win the nomination against more traditional moderate conservatives and ultimately the 2016 election.

However, Trump’s loss of the 2020 election and worse-than-expected performance of pro-Trump “America First” candidates in the 2022 midterms calls into question how effective leaning into Trump’s base

will be for 2024. He clearly poses a risk to the Republican party. While he has a strong, loyal group of supporters, he is also a very divisive figure and has ostracized some more center leaning Republicans as of late and has almost no support outside of the party.

Ron DeSantis, Florida’s current governor, on the other hand, has had more success as a more moderate Republican as of late. For instance, during the midterms, DeSantis won 60 counties in Florida compared to Trump’s 55 in 2020. A poll in New Hampshire found DeSantis two points ahead of Trump with Republicans as chosen candidates, and DeSantis rose in popularity during the pandemic. While at the start of the outbreak he was more supportive of safety percussions, ordering nightclubs and bars to close as well as issuing a 30-day stayat-home order, he gradually became more and more critical of the restrictions. Later in 2021, going along with the tide of the conservative culture war he passed bills banning “woke” Critical Race Theory. It is important to understand that DeSantis is not an explicitly anti-Trump politician; in fact, he won his first gubernatorial election partly due to a Trump endorsement and arguably has often pandered to the MAGA crowd for support.

For the GOP, DeSantis is the safest option, as he can appeal to both more centrist moderates and more populist conservatives, and the recent results of the midterms have shown DeSantis can succeed where

The Lily Pad with

Lily O’Gorman

Is 3D printed meat the future of sustainable eating? Maybe, but researchers certainly have significant hurdles to overcome before attempting to dethrone the $497 billion global beef industry.

The beef industry is undeniably one of the most significant contributors to climate change on a massive scale thanks to the potent greenhouse gasses it releases during its production. According to Business Insider, the beef industry produced over 3 billion metric tons of methane gas globally in 2010, around double the emissions of all vehicles in the US in the same year.

Raising cattle for meat is also just inefficient. According to the Yale Center for Business and the Environment, 25 calories is required to create 1 calorie of beef. Executive Director of The Good Food Institute, Bruce Friedrich, commented on this caloric inefficiency, comparing an individual chicken dinner to “tossing eight plates of pasta in the trash.” A report by the UN Food and Agricultural Organization dubbed the commercial raising of livestock “one of the most significant contributors to the most serious environmental problems, at every scale from local to global.”

Because of heightened consumer focus on sustainability in the past decade, plantbased meat alternatives have seen exponential growth in popularity and profit and have now developed into an industry valued at approximately $4.2 billion in 2020, according to Bloomberg. This industry is only expected to continue its growth, with some researchers estimating its value to reach $74-118 billion by 2030.

Impossible Foods, one of the most popular of these companies, has made its

The Knight Times

Trump-endorsed candidates failed. However, Trump’s response to DeSantis’ success has demonstrated a possible challenge to a DeSantis run in 2024, that being a fight between him and Trump. Both have strong bases that divide the party roughly in half, and regardless of who wins, his chance of uniting the party afterwards is slim. Worse yet for the GOP is if Trump loses the nomination and chooses to take his supporters and allies to form a new third party, splitting their vote and destroying any chance of either candidate winning.

Ultimately, the Republican Party will have to reconcile both factions before the nominations in order to save its chance to beat the Democrats for the presidency.

TikTok spawns trend of cheap fake “dupes”

Editor

Over the last month, TikTok users have been bombarded with videos that praise and urge viewers to purchase “dupes.”

A dupe is a product, such as clothing or makeup, similar to a more expensive or desired product. While it is unclear whether the term is a shortened version of duplicate or in reference to the almost deceptive nature of these items (being “duped”), both possibilities point to the fact that, despite their lure, dupes may not be as good as they seem.

Episcopal High School 4650 Bissonnet, Bellaire, TX 77450

713-512-3400

Editor-in-Chief Lily O’Gorman

Managing/Copy Editor Isabel O’Gorman

Production Editor

Jalynn Woolley

Opinions Editor Morgan Herod

Features Editor

Raigan Clay

Staff Writers Campbell Richardson

Estefania Lopez-Salas

Alyssa Wall

Jake Berlin

Clara Crenshaw

Thompson White

Alex Gonzales

Mark Anthony-Mey

Anya Pant

Julia Sherman

Izzie Song

Head of School

Mr. Ned Smith

Associate Heads of School

Mr. Kim Randolph

Mrs. Evelyn Cambria

Principal

Mr. Antonio Avalos

way into 40,000 restaurants worldwide, including Starbucks, Burger King, and Little Caesar’s, marking an unprecedented level of consumer accessibility in the industry. This accessibility has been one of the greatest obstacles for plant-based meat companies and environmental activists; realistically, most people simply cannot afford to be ethical in their food choices. In the long run, practicality and cost will always trump sustainability.

The meat replication industry, sometimes referred to as the “lab-grown meat” industry, is facing a similar conundrum on a larger scale - their product is far too expensive to sway consumers, even with its emphasis on sustainability. The cost comes from the intensive process used to create the meat, which, in the case of Israel’s startup MeaTech 3D, involves creating meat with stem cells and 3D printing it.

While meat produced in a lab is not yet available for commercial sale in the US, companies across the country are gearing up to change that in the coming years. First, though, they must find a way to streamline their production process in a way researchers have yet to determine, or, even, dub possible.

For now, while lab-produced meat may not be available in the US, plant-based options like Impossible offer food choices that produce an estimated 90% less greenhouse gas emissions than traditional beef. Although it is true that these options are not accessible to most consumers based on cost alone, if you can spare a few extra dollars, you can make a small difference to a growing global crisis.

With social media platforms like TikTok and the accessibility of online retail, nowadays, fashion trends cycle through faster than ever. Similarly, microtrends drive many online platforms and foster a cultural climate of excessive, unsustainable materialism. From the perspective of dupes, the current fixation on buying and promoting products by framing them as cost-effective only accelerates this attitude of overconsumption by justifying unnecessary spending. Moreover, while many makeup or skincare dupe products appear to produce unparalleled results, they are frequently very similar to others owned by the consumer and almost solely branded more appealingly. But, to no surprise, teenagers around the country fail to recognize this truth and fall into the alluring nature of the dupe.

Interestingly, many millennial Tiktok users claim that this Gen Z hyperfixation is primarily a departure from the previous attitude toward such products. For example, individuals who hold this belief point to the fact that products that Gen Zers celebrate as “dupes” would have been criticized as knockoffs only ten years ago. In the past these knockoffs would illicit schoolyard bullying and exclusion; today, individuals proudly flock to TikTok to share newly discovered dupes. And although this attitude against demonstrating status through name brands does indicate a generally positive shift for young Americans, the focus on dupes upholds an excessive emphasis on material goods.

All and all, it is clear that Generation Z is willing to change cultural norms and can do so through the world’s ever-growing connection to the online sphere. First, however, as Gen Zers, we must diligently consider the attitudes we promote through social media usage and their consequences.

Dean of Arts and Innovation

Dr. Jay Berckley

Visual Arts Chair

Mrs. Kate Philbrick

Publications Coordinator

Mr. David Framel

Photojournalism Instructor

Mr. Japheth Storlie

Photojournalism Editors

Lila Henningsen

Jules Weinstein

Photographers

Sydney Brooks

Mya Broughton

Libby Davis

McKenna Foteh

Emma Freeman

Kennedy Greene

Sophia Shin

Vivian Turbidy

Sloane Wallace

The

ISABEL O’GORMAN Copy

Opinions

Ticketmaster dominates U.S markets as a monopoly

The participation of trans athletes prompts debate

ALYSSA WALL Staff Writer

The participation of trans women athletes in women’s sports is one of the most controversial debates facing the world of athletics today. As stated by the New York Times, the most pressing question is “how to balance inclusivity, competitive fairness and safety.”

As stated by Forbes, each of these advantages is why men and women have “different tee boxes in golf, different net heights in volleyball, and different hurdle heights in track.”

JALYNN WOOLLEY Production Editor

On November 15, 2022, 14 million Taylor Swift fans logged onto Ticketmaster in hopes of obtaining pre-sale tickets to Taylor Swift’s sixth stadium tour, but by the end of the day, only 2.4 million tickets were sold. Ticketmaster’s failure to handle the mass distribution of tickets and successfully filter out ticket scalpers upset many fans and eventually brought attention to the company’s monopolistic tendencies. Swift’s fan’s reported website crashes, dynamic pricing, and extremely high service fees, but the final mark of Ticketmaster’s undoing was their uneven distribution of tickets, which resulted in the cancellation of the sale of tickets to Swift’s Eras Tour to the general public as there were no more tickets left to sell.

According to Rolling Stone, a federal class action lawsuit was filed against Live Nation in late December 2022 for violating federal antitrust laws and for misleading consumers. Originally, Ticketmaster promised that the ‘TaylorSwiftTix Presale’ would be set up to filter out bots and scalpers and any ‘unverified’ fans, but on the day of the sale, more than 14 million ‘unverified’ fans logged onto the site and countless ticket scalper bots bought up many of the tickets to resell at extremely inflated prices on their own third-party websites.

This federal lawsuit follows the suit of 26 angered fans from the state of California accusing Live Nation Entertainment of antitrust violations, dynamic pricing, and misrepresentation. Swift’s fans argue that the company “intentionally and purposefully mislead ticket purchasers by allowing scalpers and bots access to the ‘TaylorS-

wiftTix’ Verified Fan Presale.”

Although this scandal has recently captured national attention, this is not the first time Live Nation Entertainment has faced such allegations. Since its establishment in 1976, Ticketmaster has made a name for itself as the center of ticket sales for venues, stadiums, performing art centers, and museums.

By 1991, the company was already beginning to dominate the market after acquiring Ticketron and made up a majority of the ticket sales market. A few years later Ticketmaster faced their first antitrust lawsuit from Pearl Jam in 1994, but the case was eventually dropped. Fortunately, the twenty-first century only brought more success for the company as they eventually merged with Live Nation Entertainment, their main competitor at the time, in 2010 and now dominate 80% of the ticket sales market according to Forbes.

Ticketmaster is only one of the few monopolies that dominate national markets today. Other examples include, Apple, Google, Facebook, and Amazon, which are all currently undergoing antitrust lawsuits to prevent these tech-based companies from acquiring too much power and taking advantage of their consumer base. With the rise of social media platforms and the constantly evolving nature of the industry has come the fall of cyber security and consumer protection.

According to the Electronic Frontier Foundation, “internet platforms and services that don’t face real competition fail to safeguard users’ rights.” In our constantly evolving digital society, it is essential to ensure industrial competition to protect the privacy, security, and wellbeing of the consumers of America.

Former college basketball player and NCAA Division I coach and current Idaho state representative Barbara Ehardt states that “the progress that we, as women, have made over the last 50 years will be for naught, and we will be forced to be spectators in our own sports” if trans women are allowed to compete in women’s sports. However, some scientists suggest that there is no single biological factor that determines sex, making it increasingly difficult to outline rules and regulations regarding participation.

Another question is how much of an advantage testosterone provides in terms of athletic performance. When biological males hit puberty, they tend to inherit many physiological advantages such as “a larger skeletal structure, greater muscle mass and strength, less body fat, greater bone density, larger hearts, and greater oxygen-carrying capacity.”

However, despite these clear biological advantages, some argue that the presence of these advantages is not necessarily unfair, as all top athletes generally have some sort of physical advantage such as height, weight, or physical strength.

Despite many trans women’s attempts to suppress testosterone levels, receive cross-sex hormones or androgen inhibitors, and surgically alter their bodies, these advantages seem to persist regardless.

However, one solution presented by Forbes, called the Women’s Sports Umbrella, explains how trans women who transitioned before male puberty have no athletic advantage, meaning they should be allowed to compete without restrictions.

However, trans women who have gone through puberty would be allowed to practice and travel with the women’s teams but would ultimately be scored separately.

At the end of the day, it is unlikely we will find a middle ground amidst this debate as there are many uncertainties and lines blurred when deciding what truly defines a woman and what qualifications and guidelines may prevail for women’s sports.

Nuclear fusion’s promise trumps disappointing reality

ALEX GONZALES Staff Writer

A recent development in nuclear fusion research last December at the National Ignition Facility at California’s Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory has led many to fall under the illusion that nuclear fusion holds a considerable spot for candidacy as an alternative sustainable energy source in the near term.

Often confused with nuclear fission, nuclear fusion refers to fusing two lighter atomic elements to create a larger atomic element; in the case of the NIF, deuterium and tritium fuse through the process of 192 lasers shot at a small shell made of carbon and diamond to create helium.

Fission is instead the breaking of two atoms to create energy; fission plants often carry a stigma due to the tragic accidents that can occur from a powerplant meltdown; as opposed to fission, fusion reactions don’t carry this same risk since the reactors are shut off easier, and fuel amounts are calibrated for a few seconds rather than a fission reaction which supplies for years.

This has led some to believe fusion is a

better alternative to fission.

The advancement at the NIF lab is the concept of producing more energy in a reaction than the initial input. Q measures this concept, and in the recent NIF development, Q, the amount of energy released by a system divided by the amount of energy input into the system, was greater than 1; this would lead some to believe the system produces free energy. Free energy is impossible according to the First Law of Thermodynamics, so clearly, something is missing; that something is Total Q, which is the total amount of energy put into the reaction. In the case of the NIF, the power to turn on the lasers far exceeds that produced from the reaction; in addition to this, the energy produced is heat and to convert that to commercially usable energy would lower the Q even more.

Making fusion is far from a commercial energy source and is not economically viable anytime soon. This doesn’t mean we should cut its funding though. Still, it isn’t the golden ticket to sustainable energy, and it’s important to focus on the current clean energy sources, such as wind and solar, which truly harness near-limitless energy.

Although they are very distict, many confuse nuclear fission and nuclear fusion. Photo courtesy of Youtube.com.

Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour is the subject of much controversy concerning Ticketmaster’s ability to control widespread ticket sales. Photo courtesy of Variety.com.

Due to Taylor’s vast fanbase, millions of fans fought for the highly-coveted tickets to her sixth stadium tour with an almost war-like mentality. Many fans of the artist, or “Swifties,” left the site outraged and emptyhanded as Ticketmaster proved unable to handle the high volume of requests. Photo courtesy of Newsweek.com.

Girls soccer dominates SPC

JALYNN WOOLEY Production Editor

With the coming of the new year, the var sity girls soccer team is excited to enter into their 2023 SPC season, and the girls hope to earn their first SPC Championship title.

The girls have been hard at work since mid-October, and their hard work seems to have paid off as they remained undefeated in their winter 2022 season. After returning from winter break, the girls participated in their first public school tournament, the Lady Highlander Invitational. The varsity team played three games spanning January 5-7 in The Woodlands. The team started the tournament with a 5-0 win against Stevens High School and a 3-0 win against Willis High School on Thursday and Friday. They played a tough game on Saturday, and unfortunately, finished the weekend with a 1-0 loss to San Angelo Central.

After stomaching their first loss of the season, the girls returned to the practice field the following week to prepare for another round of tough matches. On January 12, the girls faced their fierce rivals, The Kinkaid School but finished the night with an amazing 1-0 win, beating the Falcons for the third consecutive year. Energized by the exciting win, the girls ended the week with a 7-0 win against The Awty International School the following day.

Boys soccer remains undefeated in SPC play after streak of crucial wins

ALYSSA WALL Staff Writer

Boys varsity soccer is off to an undefeated season in the SPC with a 3-0 win against Kinkaid and a 5-1 win against The Awty International School. However, the preconference matches ended with a tough 2-1 loss against San Antonio Central Catholic School.

Senior Co-Captain Connor Kuenstle said, “The team has bounced back from the loss and have since had an undefeated streak and are on the way to the SPC

championship game.”

With St. John’s, St. Stephen’s, and St. Andrew’s in the upcoming week, the boys are working on teamwork and playing cohesively in order to continue the winning streak.

Senior Co-Captains Yousuf Saeed and Yael Gonzales note how “[their] team is by far the most talented, but it’s crucial that [they] work together each game and keep up the momentum to have a chance at an SPC title.” As the season progresses, the name of the game will be determination, grit, and cooperation.

Knight wrestlers duel on the mat Swim triumphs in Polar Plunge

JAKE BERLIN Staff Writer

The EHS wrestling team started its 2023 winter season with an exceptional streak of five consecutive wins while competing in dual tournaments against Klein Forest, George Ranch, Northside, Bellaire, and Strake Jesuit. Building off these successes, the team recently had an eventful night while hosting the Prep City Duals Tournament, which allowed the squad to gauge its competition for the upcoming SPC Championships.

The skilled grapplers defeated Kinkaid 43-36, Bay Area Christian 60-12, and First Baptist 51-21 before losing to St. Thomas 57-18 and St. John’s 60-18. These accumulated results have the team ranked relatively high in the conference and established the athletes as commendable opponents.

The wrestlers will continue to carefully improve technique and conditioning throughout the remainder of the season before the SPC Tournament. There, they plan to redeem their recent losses and potentially bring home a trophy.

Boys basketball conquers in SPC

THOMPSON WHITE Staff Writer

The Episcopal varsity boys basketball team is nearing the end of their season and finishing conference rivalry games. Last season, the Knights lost to and beat Kinkaid; however, this season, the Knights went to overtime and came out with the 71-69 win. In one of many previous games, the Knights faced Salt and Light Homeschool and beat them 68-26, but this was a non-conference matchup. When the Knights faced Awty International, a conference game, the Knights showed no mercy and beat them 91-56, highlighting their offensive dominance. Against Awty, the Knights set a season high in points scored.

The Knights brought this momentum to face the St. Johns School and won 62-55. Against St. Johns, junior Cullen Witt had a great performance in which he dominated the paint and highlighted his elite rebounding and put backs. The Episcopal Knights showed off their elusive and

MORGAN HEROD Opinions Editor

After two successful meets, the EHS swim team has started the season strong. The first meet took place at Strake Jesuit, and the second was a Polar Plunge, hosted by Duchesne. In the end, the girls team took home first place in the Polar Plunge, and the boys placed third.

Though no records have been broken to date, Head Coach Shawn Flood says that “if and when we break any records, it will be with rest, then taper and peak at the SPC Championship,” which takes place on February 9. The tournament that ultimately determines a team’s success, SPC will be crucial for good closure.

Coach Flood spoke of his seniors with pride, admiring their hard work, and stated that “they will be missed very much and will be hard to replace next season.”

quick ball movement against the Mavericks. The Knights currently have a 5 game win streak with much more to come.

Mr. Flood wants to acknowledge all the ways in which they benefitted the team. Working throughout the season, the team keeps three goals in mind: swim hard, work hard, and do the best they can at the SPC Championship.

Girls basketball thwarts SPC rivals and public school opponents

CLARA CRENSHAW Staff Writer

The Episcopal Knights girls basketball team began SPC and continues to prepare for the SPC tournament. The girls have been working hard, evident in their performance in the Aggieland Classic Tournament and their game with one of Episcopal’s biggest rivals, Kinkaid.

At the Aggieland Classic, the Knights went 2-3 against some tough public school competition. They were also victorious over the Falcons with a score of 51-39,

with Emrie Holt leading the way with 20 points. The girls went on to win two other big games and feel confident as the SPC tournament approaches.

Holt also reached 1000 points in her basketball career and said, “I was grateful being the youngest female to reach 1000 points in EHS history.”

Head Coach Courtney Arnold and the team have worked hard and feel prepared to play their best in the upcoming months.

Coach Arnold said, “We are very optimistic for a great end to the season with SPC conference games and tournament.”

Blake Hodgson free kicks, looking for a goal. Photo courtesy of Communications Department.

Senior Connor Kuenstle fiercely defends against a St. Stephen’s attack man. Photo by Libby Davis.

Emrie Holt and the Knights prove to be an SPC force. Photos by Kennedy Greene.

Junior Parker Manley snatches ankles against Bellaire.

Photo by Vivian Turbidy.

Senior Elle Abaza and sophomore Nadia Jett close out their opponent during an away game. Photo courtesy of Communications Department.

Speaks Out

“If you could sit down with a famous person, past or present, who would it be?”

Resident Jester

PhotoJ Photo of the Month

Celebrity Sighting

Have you ever been walking down the hall and believed you just saw Bill Skarsgard? Mr. Gaston and Bill Skarsgard, the famous actor from Stephen King’s It, have an uncanny resemblance in one too many ways. In the film, Skarsgard plays the iconic scary clown, Pennywise. The resemblance is clear: their facial structure is a perfect match, the side part hair swoop suggests a shared stylist, and the hooded eyes and slim noses suggest that they may be long-lost siblings. Next time you see Mr. Gaston, take a look at the similarities yourself... and by the way, if Mr. Gaston is holding a balloon, you might want to run the other way. Photos courtesy of Esquire. com and by Clara Crenshaw.

Cartoon by Lily O’Gorman.

MILES YOUNG “Derek Jeter”

MARY ELIZABETH PENNINGTON “Taylor Swift”

CURRY CLARK “Danny Devito”

JULIA LANG “Neymar Jr.”

DESHAUN THOMPSON “Tupac”

KARA THOMAS “SZA”

RONAN CORLEY “Bob Marley”

FINLEY MITCHELL “Justin Bieber”

DR. LUU “James H. Cone”

MRS. OWENS “C.S. Lewis”

In the EHS Vs SJS Varsity Boys basketball game, Justin Begg dunks on number 21, leading EHS towards a win against one Episcopal’s biggest rivals. Photo by Mya Broughton.