The Knight Times / January 2022 Issue 6

News that Stands Out

THE KNIGHT TIMES Official Student Newspaper of Episcopal High School

January 2022

4650 Bissonnet, Bellaire, Texas 77401

EHS Moms in Prayer provides school support

www.ehshouston.org

Volume 37, Issue 6

Senior Outreach provides opportunities for service From teacher aides to house painters, Episcopal seniors improve their community

MORGAN HEROD Staff Writer Life moves fast, and it does not take a lot for it to become trying. The wonderful mothers of the EHS community have initiated a group called Moms in Prayer to pray for the events going on throughout the week.

With meetings on Friday mornings, everyone is welcome to join. The meetings are casual, and those who attend are free to come and go as they please. In each session, the group studies an attribute of God, reads Scripture, and prays over teachers and students.

This group was started by mothers who know the struggles that come with being a teenager. With stress, mental health, and societal pressure, life can easily become taxing. As believers, they rely on God and the power that is prayer. This group enables mothers to place their concerns on God, the original problem solver.

The goal of this group is to create a place in which mothers can get involved in their faith and be supported by one another. This group offers prayers for mothers as well as navigates the stress of parenting.

Any event is a reason to pray. Whether it be Student Council, a production in the theater, sports, or anything related to the school, and these moms pray for anything and everything EHS. They also pray for the seniors as they navigate college decisions. There are no rules on what they discuss. They are guided simply by what is on their hearts.

These moms use GroupMe to be able to have immediate access to all mothers.

They can share their requests with the group or chat with one another in private.

The EHS community is thankful for the mothers who constantly show their love for us through prayer.

INSIDE Interim Term Discover the unique classes offered during Interim Term this year.

PAGE 2 Movie Review Read about the newest musical inspired movie, Tik Tik Boom.

PAGE 5 Student Interview Learn about the first female wrestler in Episcopal history.

PAGES 12 Features ........................

Culture .........................

Entertainment ...............

Double Truck ................

Opinion ........................

Sports...........................

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Seniors worked with a group known as Mosaic in Action to help build and repair houses in the greater Houston area. At the Campell House, students worked on repairing pathways and the exterior of the house. Photo by Mr. David Trauba.

CAMPELL RICHARDSON Staff Writer

Over 100,000 Russian troops have been moving closer to the border with Ukraine as tensions rise between the two nations. An armed conflict has been ongoing in the region since 2014, yet now it looks like Russian president Vladimir Putin is seriously considering an escalation of his country’s presence or even a full-out invasion into Ukraine...

Learn more about Ukraine and Russia Conflict on Page 9

Arts Day returns to the Episcopal community CONNOR SMITH Editor-in-Chief One of the most well-known traditions at Episcopal High School is Freshman Arts Day. It is an event so memorable, in fact, that seniors still reminisce on the fun they had during their experiences. However, due to the pandemic, this tradition hasn’t been able to occur as it did in the past, until now. Held now at the end of Interim Term, Freshman Arts Day continues the long-standing tradition of introducing ninth graders to unique art experiences.

While in the past students would travel across the Greater Houston area to experience two or three different events, students now have the option to choose from 21 different art-related areas, including drumline, stage combat, hip-hop dance, and more. When Dean of Arts Dr. Jay Berckley was asked about why he decided to change the event, he responded, “Our amazing faculty have better access to their materials by hosting the day on campus. Another nice element about having Arts Day on campus is that students can participate in a much larger variety of workshops and activities.”

So, what exactly did the ninth-graders do during this event? On the final day of Interim Term, instead of going to their

usual classes, the ninth graders went to a while also helping new students connect series of different workshops and activiwith different faculty members and their ties. Some of these were run by guest artpeers. This yearly tradition is part of why ists, but others were run by faculty in the the Episcopal Arts Department is so sucArts Department. From these activities, cessful, and its return to campus serves as students got to experiment with different a sign of normalcy in the chaos that is the art activities they wouldn’t normally have pandemic. in their curriculum. This smaller sample of the Episcopal arts allows the students to find new passions in the world of art.

This funfilled activity is one tradition that makes Episcopal stand out among other private schools in the Houston area. Freshman Arts Day allows the entire ninth grade to find new passions and EHS freshmen participate in an introductory painting class during new interests, Arts Day. Photo courtesy of Mauro Gomez.

Features ∙ Page 2

The Knight Times ∙ January 2022

The Senior Outreach Experience cessible 100% organic food resources.

Working to contribute to this cause with my peers was a gratifying experience. Harvesting, cleaning, planting, and weeding, I was humbled, enriched, Each year, seniors can volunteer with and intrigued; botany has always been various organizations following Winter an interest of mine and working in the Break, aka Senior Outreach. I had the garden allowed me to act on my desire at honor of participating in this tradition a Goffney while also giving back. few weeks ago.

Later in the week, I worked with Mosaic Joining Target Hunger at Goffney in Action. In two different homes, one in Garden, about a dozen students and I harvested radishes on the first day. After Rosharon and another in Pasadena, students and an assigned teacher repaired harvesting, we cleaned and packaged homes in disrepair. Painting pillars, clearthem to be sent out to the warehouse where families in need pick them up. Tar- ing brush, and cleaning out living rooms, there was no limit to our involvement. get Hunger serves various communities Rather than watching it on HGTV, we in the Houston area by providing acJAZZMIN DUNCAN Opinions Editor

Colby Gay serves as a teaching assistant at the Parish School during Outreach.

Photo courtesy of David Trauba.

LEANA GREENE Opinions Editor

While sitting in Benitez Chapel listening to Mr. Donnelly’s speech about the impact Senior Outreach has had on previous senior classes, I am not going to lie, I had serious doubts. I can say with complete honesty, now, that I will never have doubt about Mr. Donnelly’s words again.

After my time volunteering at Humans for Humanity, Memorial Park Conservatory, Bellaire Park Nature Center, and two Mosaic in Action homes, my opinion about my class, the Knight Community in general, and most importantly, myself changed for the better.

Working at five different locations in the span of two weeks, I learned a different lesson from each organization.

At Humans for Humanity, I can say I

Despire initial reservations, students had a blast building, picking, cleaning, and teaching around tthe Greater Houston area. Photo by David Trauba.

fully understood the significance of a secondhand store. After restoring homes that have been damaged from natural disasters, I can appreciate the need for a warehouse that carries appliances at a reasonable price in order to make houses

homes.

My experience at the Memorial Park Conservatory was far more enjoyable than I could’ve imagined. I did not expect to get as muddy as I did, but the muddier I was, the more fun I had. We learned the

were flipping houses, improving others’ lives for the sake of it. Despite the biting cold and confounding tribulations, we kept our hands on the issue.

My involvement with Outreach was inspirational, enlightening, and engaging. While we put a lot of elbow grease into our work throughout the city, our job is far from over. Social inequality is still a very prevalent issue, one we can only hope to help with through continued dedicated service.

This experience has aided me in gaining perspective, as well as finding additional interests that I would like to expand on in college and beyond. Service is an essential aspec of being a Knight. significance of endangered plants and worked the morning taking out weeds near bodies of water to better our local nature center.

At the Bellaire Park Discovery Center, I learned an intense lesson on patience and strength. My afternoon was spent uprooting trees that were either overgrown or too tall for safety regulations.

This assignment was an all-hands-on deck event and took team coordination and equal measures of effort from my classmates.

Finally, my last assignment and my personal favorite was the Mosaic in Action, Campbell, and Meek homes.

The class worked together to renovate these women’s homes through cleaning, repainting, repaving, and much more.

The Class of 2022 was able to fulfill many accomplishments throughout the greater Houston area, something way bigger than I ever expected to experience.

Knights draw their swords Students indulge in the in new Interim Term class art of romantic comedy CONNOR SMITH Editor-in-Chief Every year, pandemic permitting, during the first two weeks of the second semester, Episcopal offers new and exciting classes to students in a time known as Interim Term. It is for this period that faculty are encouraged to create and teach unique classes on subjects for which they have great passion. These courses are diverse in their academic and artistic qualities and touch on subject material not often approached in the standard high school curriculum. One of these teachers, Mr.

Several studnts engaged in stage combat with eachother during IT. Photo courtesy of Dr. Jay Berkley.

Paul Revaz, has taken advantage of this freedom to offer his personalized class, Knights Fight!: An Introduction to Stage Combat.

Inspiration for the exciting new class comes from Mr. Revaz’s experience as

a teaching assistant for a Stage Combat class in graduate school. During this experience, he discovered the skills behind good, choreographed fights and learned important values like concentration and control. It is these values he believes his students learned over their two weeks as well as an appreciation for the art of stage combat.

So, what exactly did his students do during his class? In the beginning, Mr. Revaz and his fellow teacher Mr. Peter Hutchison taught different unarmed techniques and self-control. In his own words, Mr. Revaz taught “a form of dance, really,” meaning it took a lot of physical and mental demand to perform difficult fight sequences.

Once his students understood the skills behind safe stage combat, Mr. Revaz introduced padded practice swords into the equation. Using slightly modified versions of popular games like tag and sharks and minnows, he introduced the basics behind footwork and target zones. As the students began to feel more comfortable with their swords, they began to choreograph and film their own fights. As time went on, some students choreographed scenes that, to the naked eye, seemed almost too frightening to watch. Through a multitude of jabs, slashes, guards, parries, and more, students developed their own styles of combat.

While some students may have signed up for this class to hit their friends with plastic swords, Mr. Revaz hopes they discovered an appreciation for the art form of stage combat. And who knows, maybe these same students will go on to fight in films or on stage.

JALYNN WOOLLEY Staff Writer In an Interim Term class centered around watching and analyzing popular romantic comedies, English teacher Mr. Bob Matthews has created an Interim Term course that outlines the history of romantic comedies over the decades and helps his students analyze the films on a deeper level.

Interim Term introduces students to new areas of learning, often presenting them with classes they are more inclined to enjoy, such as film study. Using analytical skills Mr. Matthews has perfected over his many years as an English teacher at EHS, he brought a few romantic comedies to life for students and helped them recognize what makes a good rom-com.

Mr. Matthews introduced the formula that makes a perfect romantic comedy and helped his students to identify these monumental points along the way. Some of the films his class enjoyed include

When Harry Met Sally, Notting Hill, and 10 Things I Hate About You. When Harry Met Sally is a screwball comedy about two people who initially dislike each other until they are forced to spend time together, and they eventually grow to love each other.

Notting Hill, a classic of the Neo-Classical Era filled with many troupes, brings together two people who ordinarily would not find themselves in love.

10 Things I Hate About You, the classic 90s teen rom-com and a favorite for many, based on Shakespeare’s Taming of the Shrew, finds two teenagers struggling socially at a time when hierarchies are everything, who help each other feel less ostrasized in the social chaos of high school.

Mr. Matthews hopes his students have grown in their appreciation for romantic comedies and have polished their literary analysis skills; he also hopes he has introduced them to a few new favorites of the genre.

Over Interim Term, freshmen, sophomores, and juniors had the opportunity to explore and expand the spectrum of their interests. Photo courtesy of Dr. Jay Berkley.

The Knight Times ∙ January 2022

Features ∙ Page 3

Independent Study: Knights preparing at the next level

Four seniors engaged in independent studies, a class in which they designed their own curriculum on a subject of their interest or passion. After a semester of work, including a final project, they now share their experiences and feelings with the EHS community about this program.

Kathryn Bragg: Gothic Fiction Marshall Owens: Baseball Stats KATE FREEMAN Staff Writer Kathryn Bragg’s independent study is a podcast on gothic fiction with a global focus called Gothic Goes Global. She reads books, reads about the books, and talks about how they relate to either the history of the genre or its expansion to other cultures in a way that makes it interesting and fun, “whether the listener is a mega English nerd or has no academic interest in the subject.”

Kathryn decided her independent study topic by picking something about which she knew she wouldn’t get bored, which for her is reading. She loves spooky

stories and wasn’t really allowed to read them growing up. She’s always had an interest in global studies, foreign languages, and art and culture from around the world. The Gothic genre connects all these aspects in very fascinating and surprising ways. Her reasoning for choosing a podcast was because the aesthetic/ atmosphere is key to gothic styles, and audio is a much more engaging format than a paper.

Kathryn’s independent study has solidified her passion for literature, and she wants to pursue English/comparative literature in college. If reading and talking about books is all she has to do for the rest of her life, she would honestly be very happy with that.

Hannah Wheless: ASD YANA SHARMA Staff Writer Hannah Wheless composed a study called the Impact of Environmental

are common in our environment and how they impact the brain, which link ASD in the preconception, gestational, and childhood periods of a child’s life.

Her study explained how we can move

JAKE BERLIN Staff Writer Senior Marshall Owens has decided to base his independent study around

what is offered in the curriculum at EHS. During his first semester, Marshall wrote a report about topics such as “the shift,” lineup construction, starting pitching and bullpen usage, advanced statistics, and much more.

Marshall turned his interest in both statistics and baseball into a project discerning the factors around in-game strategy. Photo courtesy of Marshall Owens. baseball statistics and the math behind the decision-making process involved in baseball. Marshall expressed that he has always had an interest in statistics and that his independent study will allow him to further his knowledge on the subject.

He hopes to use this opportunity to explore his special interests and go beyond

He plans to continue his study on similar topics this upcoming semester. When asked why he choose this topic for his study, Marshall said, “Baseball statistics have become a hobby of mine over the past several years. Now I finally have a time slot in my school day dedicated to learning more about this topic.”

Sophie Martin: Aortic Dissections CHRIS LAHOTI Editor-in-Chief For the past semester, Sophie Martin has pursued a study in aortic dissections in patients under 40 years old and their connection to several genetic disorders.

sheet’s almost 400 different codes, Sophie categorized the data into several charts based on genetic similarities to recognize statistical patterns and draw pre and post operation conclusions.

Since seeing her sister’s heart condition treated at Texas Children’s, Sophie has

Hannah dove into a study regarding autistm spectrum disorder, culminating her research in a presesntation to EHS faculty. Photo courtesy of Hannah Wheless.

Toxicants on the Development of Autism Spectrum Disorder for her Independent Study project.

This study discussed autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and how it causes changes in the brain. It discussed the toxicants that

The National Institute of Health logo.

Photo courtesy of me-pedia.org.

forward to alleviate the impacts of environmental toxicants on human health.

Some of her sources included many health databases such as the National Institute of Health and Google to help her piece together unfamiliar terminology.

She used a PowerPoint in order to organize her research and presented her PowerPoint to some of the faculty at Episcopal. After volunteering at Easter Seals (an organization that helps individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities), Hannah has been “fascinated with neurological disorders, so [she] wanted to dive deeper into how they can arise in people.”

She plans to continue her journey in college in clinical research.

Sophie channeled her passion for medicine into a study about the implications of aortic dissections in patients under 40 years old. Photo courtesy of Sophie Martin.

As part of her work, she teamed up with Texas Children’s Hospital lead cardiologist, Dr. Shaine Morris, to both sort and analyze the data spread sheets of every patient under the age of 40 who received an aortic dissection. Using each spread

taken it upon herself to learn more about genetic disorders. In addition to her yearly internship at Texas Children’s, she hopes to use the information she has attained through this study as a stepping stone in her biology and pre-med future.

Rebecca: A more improved, gothic version of Jane Eyre CLAIRE FORTNEY Guest Writer Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier is the perfect book for anyone who liked the idea of Jane Eyre but hated Jane Eyre.

Now usually, I wouldn’t recommend a book that I read for school, specifically for Junior Research, but over a year after reading Rebecca and submitting my paper, I still think about the gothic novel all the time. It’s that good.

The first thing that startles people about

Rebecca is the fact that the narrator has no name. She’s literally just referred to as “the narrator” and nothing else, which is something that I understand can make people frustrated or intrigued. Hopefully, a bit of both, because I believe that every good novel needs to make a reader a little upset. The second thing that startles people is the book’s plot. Simply put, Rebecca is about a young woman stuck with a lousy job as a prickly woman’s assistant who gets suddenly swept away to live a seemingly perfect life as the bride of a rich man twice her age. Her new and

well-off fiance, Maxim de Winter, is everything the narrator could have dreamed of, the only catch being that his previous wife died in a horrible accident, but the narrator doesn’t think much of it until they arrive at his estate, Manderley, and she realizes that Rebecca de Winter’s presence never actually left. There are a few more alarming secrets about his late wife that Maxim pointedly chose not to tell the narrator…but I’ll let you figure those out for yourself.

Rebecca is a breath of fresh air for anyone who liked the idea of Jane Eyre but

hated Jane Eyre because it retells the novel’s story in a new, shorter light. Although published in 1938, nothing about Rebecca feels too old or confusing, and when I was reading it there was never a moment where I felt like the author was taking too much time describing what the scenery looked like. Everything about Rebecca is fast-paced and full of drama while still meeting the appeal of a traditional gothic novel. There is mystery, crime, love, and everything in between. It’s the perfect blend of a 19th-century plot with 21stcentury writing.

Culture ∙ Page 4

The Knight Times ∙ January 2022

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Lil Nas X may be a controversial figure for several different reasons (that’s a whole other topic for another article), but if you say that he can’t dress, then you’re lying to yourself and everyone around you. He is living and breathing proof that if you wear something with confidence, it’ll look good.

There is no objective barrier to what pink is and who can wear it. It has even been pegged as a “mean” color. Iconic films like Mean Girls successfully helped to define pink as hyperfeminine and synonymous with negativity.

The stigma surrounding pink is mainly due to clouds of toxic masculinity and misogyny in our culture. I don’t get all the anger; it’s never that serious. At the end of the day, it’s just a pretty color.

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Pink gets too much hate. Not the brand, not the singer, but the color. A lot of the time, pink is reduced to a “girl color” or “effeminate,” but pink is much more than that. It is one of the best colors.

Everyone looks good in pink: it always adds a nice splash of color, AND it symbolizes strawberry flavors in candy.

Whether it be a soft, light baby pink or a blistering, abrasive hot pink, it always slays the house down.

Culturally, pink is usually viewed as a “forbidden” or “taboo” color for men, and I think it should be anything but that. I mean, just look at Lil Nas X’s Grammy’s red-carpet outfit a couple years ago; he looked AMAZING, not only because he made a statement, but also because it was simply a good look.

Mensis primus nobis appellatur “Ianuarius” pro prisco bicipite deo nomine “Ianus.” Potens omnium liminum (pontum, portarum, itinerum, matutinum, motuumque planetarum) simul in proximum annum providet atque in priorem respicit. Re publica Romana duo consules magnis feriis “inaugurati sunt” kalendis Ianuariis quo sacerdotes qui “augures” appellati sunt auspicia spectaverunt ut nutum divinum civitati invenirent.

Quamquam hodie hic mensis Ianuarius fastidiorum exercitarum, antiquitate Romana illae res saepius mense Februario facta sunt. Rebus certioribus factis anni novi ab demum hodiernis, constat tamen origines magni momenti Romanis fuisse.

Ergo incipiamus ut poeta Horatius nobis monet: Dimidium facti, qui coepit, habet; sapere aude, incipe!

The first month of the year is called “January” on behalf of an ancient Ro-

man two-headed deity by the name of Janus. With power over all thresholds (bridges, doorways, journeys, mornings, and the movements of the planets), he looks simultaneously forward to the next year while also glancing backwards at the previous one. On the first of January during the Roman Republic, the two consuls were “inaugurated” in a great festival where priests called augurs watched the sky in order to find divine approval for the election results.

Although today, January belongs to diets and exercise, in Roman antiquity such things were more likely to happen in February. And while New Year’s resolutions may be a modern practice, it is nevertheless well established that beginnings were of huge importance to Romans. Therefore let us begin this year just as the poet Horace reminds us: “Once begun is half done: dare to use your brain, begin!”

Hey Knights, I’m Ava Gami, this year’s Internal Vice President of Math Club, and I hope everyone has had a great start to the new year!

I’m excited to announce that our first Math Club meeting of 2022 is on February 8 in Anderson Hall, where members will be able to take the Texas Math League Contest. On January 29, some Math Club members will be competing in the University of Houston Math Contest, where they are offered different exams in Algebra 1, Geometry, Algebra 2, PreCalculus, Calculus, Statistics, Physics, Number Sense, Calculator Usage, and the Smack Down. From February 17-21, juniors and seniors will collaborate on two teams to tackle real-world problems in the M3 MathWorks Math Modeling Challenge.

Math Club is excited to host the annual Pre-Pi Day celebration on Thursday,

March 10, during both lunches, so mark your calendar and keep an eye out for more announcements regarding it in the coming months!

Follow us on Instagram and Twitter @ ehsmathclub, where we not only announce events and meetings but also post weekly math memes on Mondays and post interesting things about math!

If you are interested in joining Math Club, it is never too late! Thank you, and go math!! I hope to see you at the next Math Club Meeting!

Slice of π

Lil Nas X wears his bright pink cowboy outfit to the 2020 Grammys, defying color sterotypes. Photo by Buzzfeed.com.

The Lily Pad As 2020 wound down to an end, something big (and deadly) was just beginning to brew around Boulder, Colorado - the Marshall Fire. According to the Chicago Sun Times, as of January 10, the natural disaster had resulted in the evacuation of over 35,000 people, the destruction of at least 1,000 homes, and the search for at least three missing people.

Experts have dubbed the phenomenon a “firestorm,” a classification denoting its unique ability to spread by wind and through the air, unlike traditional wildfires that spread across the ground. So, what lessons for the future, you may ask, can we take away from this tragedy?

Experts analyzing the environments that allowed for this rare disaster have begun pointing to climate change as a potential contributing factor. Jennifer Balch, a fire scientist at UC Boulder, boiled down the

fires to three ingredients: a warm climate, a warm climate, and a spark or ignition source. Balch explains that the wind, or a “fourth ingredient,” was the last piece of the puzzle that sparked the disaster and, ultimately, contributed to authorities’ inability to contain it. With plenty of ignitable grass due to a wet spring followed by a dry period just before the fire, conditions couldn’t have been more ideal for it to spread, and the conditions can at least be partially attributed to changing weather patterns brought on by climate change.

A professor at the University of Michigan School for Environment and Sustainability, Jonathan Overpeck, vocalized the fears of many, saying, “Ultimately, things are going to continue to get worse unless we stop climate change.” He went on to say that “it’s just a matter of time before we have whole towns burning down like

we had in California and events like this in Colorado.”

As temperatures increase globally, weather patterns continue to provide

goldilocks conditions for rare weather phenomena - phenomena that pose danger to life as we know it.

The Colorado Marshall Fires spread all across the state, destroying millions of homes. Photo by Wildfiretoday.com.

A Colorado family loses everything due to the unstoppable fires. Photo by the New York Times.

The Knight Times ∙ January 2022

Entertainment ∙ Page 5

The debut of Tick Tick Boom ISABEL O’GORMAN Staff Writer Is Tick Tick Boom one of Netflix’s best original movies?

Based on reality, Tick Tick Boom details the compelling story of Jonathan Larson and his journey to create a successful musical while juggling financial struggles, conflict with loved ones, and the AIDS crisis of the early nineties. Before producing the celebrated musical Rent, Larson goes through the classic trials and setbacks of a New York writer with an

the talented director Lin Manuel Miranda driving a film that perfectly captures the essence of a true Broadway production yet masterfully utilizes the availabilities of film to serve a greater storytelling purpose.

Containing numerous actor features, Easter eggs, and references to the theatre world and previous musicals (even aside from the plot revolving around a prominent playwright), Tick Tick Boom is a movie musical for musical lovers.

However, while those who can pick up on the subtle nods to theatre culture may

Netflix has released a Lin Manuel-directed musical starring Andrew Garfield. Photo courtesy of Polygon. impossible dream, bouncing from total inspiration and burnout to the complete commitment it takes to succeed as a bigcity playwright. In a cloud of fulfilling his absolute, lifelong pursuit of writing and selling an original musical, Larson questions how to reach his dreams without severing ties with the people who support them.

Many consider this Netflix original to be a breakthrough in movie musicals, with

have a more involved viewing experience, this film appeals to the masses with the compelling trope of an American dreamer amidst a world in crisis.

While movie musicals are not the genre for everyone and are certainly not my personal favorite, I believe that this film is worth the watch as it successfully captures the sentiment of uncertainty throughout the AIDS epidemic and the challenges of an artist with a dream.

February is a promising month for the music industry as the new year of 2022 gets a kickstart. Houstonians can look forward to concerts all around downtown and new album releases throughout the month.

Starting with Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, more casually known as the Latin Trap King, Bad Bunny, Ocasio is giving his fans a nationwide tour (Boston Leader). Born in Puerto Rico, Benito started as a SoundCloud rapper but managed to snag a deal with Hear this Music record company while working as a bag boy in a grocery store. In 2016 his biggest hit, Soy Peor, hit the streets, and anyone and everyone knew who Bad Bunny was.

Bad Bunny takes the stage at 8:00 p.m. at the Toyota Center February 16 and February17.

A young but not quiet Australian rap artist, Charlton Kenneth Jeffery Howard, also known as The Kid LAROI, became known to the public through his connections with many top artists in the music industry, but most well-known through Juice Wrld. Through his connections and rapping skill, he was able to sign with Columbia Records and did a collaboration with Juice Wrld on the song “Go.” The Kid LAROI is performing at the Revention Music Center on February 11 at 9.

Last is rapper Adam Aminé Daniel, more commonly known as Aminé. He is the son of Ethiopian immigrants who intended on their son graduating college, but Aminé had different plans. From Portland, Oregon, Aminé gained his reputation in the music industry through his Billboard record song Caroline. He soon signed with Republic Records and in 2017 released his first studio album Good for You. The Best Tour Ever Tour is making its way to Houston at the Bayou Music Center on February 18 at 8:00 p.m.

Amine rolls into Houston, TX on The Best Tour Ever Tour. Photo courtesy of Brooklyn Vegan.

F shion Sen¢e with Raigan Clay

Virgil Abloh was a visionary, entrepreneur, and creative legend all in one. On November 28, 2021, we lost Abloh to his ongoing battle with cancer. Abloh paved the way for so many future generations; as an African American male in the fashion world, Abloh left his imprint by always

Abloh left an impact on the fashion realm by “challenging every institutional definition of creativity” (Craig Robins, founder of Design Miami). In interviews with friends of Abloh’s, like Pharrell Williams, his best friend Kanye West, and Tyler Okonma, all conveyed the same

with CONNOR SMITH and CHRIS LAHOTI Welcome back to another edition of Plugged In! Winter break provided us with the time to try a plethora of new video games, and one in particular caught our eye. 343 Industry’s newest title, Halo Infinite, brings back nostalgia for a decadesold series by incorporating new mechanics and tricks into classic gameplay.

One of the most strikingly new aspects of gameplay is the game’s new openworld format. 343 Industries has broken from previous developer Bungie’s longstanding linear design, opting for a roaming experience around the Zeta Halo ring.

The general openness and unexpected encounters found within the environment resemble that of the series’ first game, Halo: Combat Evolved. Accompanying such a large environment is the Grappleshot, a movement mechanic arguably more revolutionary than sprinting. Besides the movement convenience, the Grapple-

shot provides players with the ability to tag enemies or pick up weapons.

Despite the initial fascination with the new features, we noticed some aspects that could have been improved. While Infinite understandably attempts to patch up the disaster of a storyline from Halo 5: Guardians while wrapping up the events of Halo 4, the task seems to prove too difficult to pull off. Veteran players feel cheated by a lackluster, redundant plot while newer players seem to get lost within the convolutedness of the storyline.

Several new characters are introduced, but past conflicts and questions are not completely resolved.

Regardless, we thoroughly enjoyed playing through the campaign and multiplayer modes. Halo Infinite is available on both PC and Xbox. Players can either opt for the free multiplayer experience or pay for the campaign.

World renown fashion icon and entrepreneur Virgil Abloh works on collaberations with Nike Jordan Sneakers. Photo courtesy of Complex.

Available now on your XBox and PC is the new 343 Industries game, Halo Infinite.

Photo courtesy of The Verge.

expressing himself through his art with the intent to inspire young people.

Most notably Abloh was the first African American menswear artistic director at Louis Vuitton while managing his selfmade brand “Off White.”

While at Louis Vuitton, Abloh tried to transform the high fashion brand and make it more accessible as well as deferring from the traditional silhouette of the Louis Vuitton brand, which in itself brought a whole new audience to the forefront of fashion and how it’s interpreted, especially among younger people.

message - Abloh was a kindred spirit and embodied such a capacity for creativity unlike anything they had ever seen.

Abloh’s brainchild Off White will continue its operations, featuring Abloh’s unconventional designs that drew in so many since its launch. Abloh inspired an entire generation with his willingness to take risks, defy the status quo, and not buy into fitting the algorithm.

His legacy will be carried on, and I believe Abloh’s efforts have birthed so many creatives who will transform fashion and culture in years to come.

Special Feature ∙ Page 6

Special Feature ∙ Page 7

The Knight Times ∙ January 2022

2021 at a Glance

Photo cou

rtesy of Ru

Photo courtesy of ABC News.

Capitol riot On January 6, a joint session of Congress gathered to count and certify the 2020 election. Leading up to and after the election, many Trump supporters incorrectly believed that Trump’s second term had been stolen from him by the Democratic party. They believed that Joe Biden was an illegitimate president, and that Vice President Mike Pence could veto the certification of the election.

While violent protests had broken out prior to January 6, none of them led to any deaths or serious damage, and so Capitol security had lax security measures. As a mass of rioters formed around the gate, they began to try to gain entry. Among the protestors were armed members of right-wing militias such the Oath Keepers and Proud Boys.

Eventually, several protestors managed to break through the gate and proceeded to storm the building. The protestors occupied the building.

During the unrest all congressmembers were evacuated from the chambers as rioters broke in. One protestor was shot while trying to enter the speaker’s lobby. By the end of the attack and its aftermath, four rioters had died.

With investigations underway on the wildfires that destroyed over 1000 homes in suburban Denver earlier this month, it’s not hard to find comparisons to the beginning of last year.

Exactly one year ago, California battled 297 fires in January alone.

This record number of wildfires began a year of struggle for the western states, as historically low rainfall, an ongoing drought, and strong Santa Ana winds exasperated local firefighters. This environmental catastrophe strengthened the calls to combat climate change, with senators like Ron Wyden (D-OR) introducing legislation to guarantee $600 million each year for wildfires affecting federal, state, and private lands.

As climate change continues to threaten millions of acres of land across the United States, it’s important to learn from our past and work to prevent events like this from happening again.

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Photo courtesy of Varie

Hurricane Harvey was deemed “the costliest disaster to ever hit the Texas coast.” This was until the Winter Outbreak of 2021 occurred.

On February 10, a cold front moved through Texas, bringing significantly lowered temperatures. The below-freezing temperatures combined with “lingering precipitation” caused sleet, and the first Winter Weather Advisory was released across many counties in Texas.

At its peak, the freeze left more than 10 million people without electricity for several days. Not only did it leave much of Texas without power but also without consumable drinking water. Residents were told that boiling water before cooking, drinking, or brushing their teeth was a necessity. Homeowners experienced low water pressure, and Houston mayor Sylvester Turner tweeted the city, urging people to “turn off their water if pipes have burst.”

Overall, the disaster cost Texas about $130 billion in repair.

Throughout Texas, people were left with busted pipes, no water, and no heat.

Delta variant

Photo courtesy of Texas

COVID-19 has affected everyone in some way. It just seems to never end with new variants discovered every time the world seems to finally be back to normal.

One variant which has recently been discovered and has been affecting people, including the vaccinated, is the delta variant. It is a mutation of the virus which was first discovered in India in 2020. It spread quickly to different areas of the world, including Britain and the United States. It is known to be twice as contagious as the first form of the virus.

Vaccination has helped the effects of the variant, but the unvaccinated face risk.

It is so far the most contagious of variants, and it grows exponentially, presenting a serious threat to unvaccinated people.

After the vaccine was available to ages 5-17, the amount of vaccinated people has increased and has reduced the risk. There may be another pandemic, but it would be much shorter due to the number of vaccinated people, reducing the effects of the virus globally. If the health care system becomes overwhelmed and leads to a problem with hospitalization like we have seen before in the global pandemic, there could be some serious problems.

Friends reunion On May 27, the Friends Reunion aired. “The One Where They Get Back Together” was an hour and forty minutes of reminiscence, laughter, and tears. The six main cast members -Matt LeBlanc, Mathew Perry, Courtney Cox, Lisa Kudrow, Jennifer Aniston, and David Schwimmer - were put in one room together for only the second time in 17 years.

The group was not only appalled to see each other but also the sets they had once been a part of. They looked at Monica and Rachel’s apartment, the guys’ apartment, and Central Perk. After touring around their old acting haunts, they sat in front of the iconic fountain that is in the opening of the show. There they were interviewed by James Corden for “The Late Late Show.”

At the very end, they recreated the quiz game from the episode “The One With the Embryos” when the guys and girls quizzed each other on the show.

Photo courtesy of dkoding.in.

Shang Chi is the first movie in the MCU with an Asian-identifying origin story. The critically acclaimed film has accumulated roughly $432 million in box office sales and did exceptionally well among fans of the MCU. Simu Liu plays Shang Chi and is the first Asian actor cast to play the protagonist in a Marvel film.

This is a breakthrough for Asian Americans in the cinematic realm as it conveyed Asian culture and the beauty of it while introducing the story of Shang Chi. Marvel is starting to expand its means of representation in its films with the creation of movies like Coco, Encanto, Soul, Luca, and now Shang Chi.

Photo cou

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Monthly.

After much anticipation and many roadblocks, the 2020 Summer Olympic Games in 2021 set new precedents for athletic skill and determination in an unparalleled year.

In Tokyo, Japan, the 32nd Olympic Games did not host spectators in an unprecedented Covid protocol. While there were no fans able to cheer on their countries, the athletes of the 2020 Olympics put on a show for millions of online spectators by smashing both Olympic and world records and setting many Olympic firsts from the track, pool, beach, and gym.

Many American athletes, such as Allyson Felix, Carl Lewis, Katy Ledecky, Lydia Jacoby, and Caleb Dressel cemented their positions as world-class athletes by setting records or performing with notable success within their sports.

With a fantastic display of dedication, resilience, and allaround athleticism, the American athletes continued the United States’ dominance of the Summer Olympic Games by taking home many firsts, setting records, and earning medals.

Have you ever wanted to go to space but not felt like going through real training to become an astronaut? Well, if you, like billionaire extraordinaire Jeff Bezos, have a cool $5.5 billion lying around, last year’s “billionaire space race” may have opened a window for you.

On Apollo 11’s 52nd anniversary (July 16), Bezos lifted off aboard his Blue Origin New Shepard rocket, spending a mere 10 minutes in an experience he called part of the “best day ever.” Besides apparently being super fun, Bezos’ $550-million-per-minute excursion raised eyebrows about ego and excessive wealth as well as the privatization of space travel. Similarly, British billionaire Richard Branson controversially rode aboard his rocket plane known as Unity or SpaceShipTwo on July 22.

Branson and Bezos are offering seats for their next space flights starting at $450,000 for Unity and $2.8 million for Blue Origin.

Shang Chi

Methane. Coal. Fossil fuels. These topics were some of the main talking points at the United Nations Climate summit in Scotland, spanning twelve days. One of, if not the most, discussed topics during the conference was coal.

The conference successfully brought 28 new members to the Powering Past Coal Alliance, gaining promising momentum in the end to coal-based energy for the future. President Biden spoke about his proposal for addressing climate change within the United States. In addition, he spoke on his administration's commitment to halving domestic emissions and reaching net-zero by 2050.

Overall, the conference brought many conversations and issues to light about the future of our planet. However, according to the New York Times, "Mr. Biden told reporters the meeting had re-established the United States as a leader on what he has called an existential threat to humanity."

Olympics

Space launch

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Photo courtesy of Bloom

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Texas blackout

California wildfires

Photo courtesy of ABC News.

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Photo courtesy of CBS

News.

Omicron variant According to the CDC, the Omicron variant, the second of the two COVID-19 ‘Variants of Concern,’ was first discovered on November 24, 2021, in South Africa, but the first case wasn’t detected in the US until December 1.

Compared to the original COVID-19 virus, the variant is known for being more transmissible, and even with the help of vaccines, which are designed to prevent severe illness, it is still possible to contract the Omicron variant while fully vaccinated.

To help combat the spread of this new variant, the CDC recommends citizens wear a mask as well as get vaccinated in order to prevent severe symptoms and to make sure there are less hospitalizations.

Yet, there is still so much unknown about the Omicron variant since it very recently traveled to the US in early December, especially in comparison to the amount of data scientists have collected surrounding the Delta variant. Scientists are working diligently to research the effects of the new variant and hope to release more information about it and its spread in the near future.

Photo courtesy of

The New York Tim

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Knight Shift∙ Page 8

The Knight Times ∙ January 2022

Speaks Out

Resident Jester

“What was your New Year’s resolution?”

CHANDLER BLACK

“Spend more time with Kara”

KARA SEADE

“Spend more time with Chandler”

Cartoon by Lily O’Gorman.

WILLIAM HUSTED “Get some new shirts”

PhotoJ Photo of the Month

HARRISON WALLACE “Get in better shape”

Seniors Calvin Kelly and Craig Choi strike a pose at the Senior Style Show. Photo

by Mya Broughton.

Winter Wordsearch LIZZY RANDALL

ROB BRITTON

“Learn to head a soccer ball”

“Be more positive”

EMMA FREEMAN

RONIN BALLESTEROS

“Be friends with Kate Freeman”

N I P P Y L K N I B Z G X V F

“Get better grades”

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Image courtesy of brenhass.com Build your own custom worksheet at education.com/worksheet-generator © 2007 - 2022 Education.com

The Knight Times ∙ January 2022

Opinions ∙ Page 9

Opinions Tensions rise as Russia prepares possible Ukrainian invasion CAMPBELL RICHARDSON Staff Writer Over 100,000 Russian troops have been moving closer to the border with Ukraine as tensions rise between the two nations.

An armed conflict has been ongoing in the region since 2014, yet now it looks like Russian president Vladimir Putin is seriously considering an escalation or even full out invasion into Ukraine. Compared to previous escalations, Russia seems to be preparing for invasion instead of just trying to show off Russian military power.

Many Russians and eastern Ukrainians view Ukraine as historically part of Russia. A poll in 2014 found that around 12% of Ukrainians support a union with Russia, with most of the support coming from Crimea and the Donbass.

On the other hand, many Ukrainians are worried about losing their independence to Russia. Joining NATO would protect Ukraine from Russian expansion as all NATO members are required to respond to an attack on any member. For that reason, Russia has said that joining NATO is a red line that Ukraine must not cross, and Russia will do anything it can to prevent Ukraine’s ascension to NATO. Ukraine is unlikely to join NATO anytime soon until it fixes its problem of large-scale corruption.

Since the sixteenth century, Ukraine has been part of Russia’s sphere of influence.

After briefly achieving independence in the chaos of the Russian Civil War, Ukraine joined the new Soviet Union. At the start of the 90s, many republics began to seek independence from Moscow, and in 1991 the Soviet Union officially dissolved. Ukraine was now independent for the first time in over 70 years, but the population was split on whether to grow close to Europe or the new Russian Federation.

In 2013 Ukrainian president Viktor Yanukovych suspended an agreement with the EU to seek closer ties with Russia. In response to his pro-Russia stance, corruption, political repression, and a wave of demonstrations across Ukraine began. The civil unrest was named the Euromaidan, after Maidan Square in the center of Kyiv where the largest protests where held. Clashes between the protesters and police climaxed with the Maidan Revolution. Protestors occupied Maidan Square and built barricades to defend themselves. On February 18, riot police began to advance toward the Parliament building and breached several of the barricades. Violence broke out, and the police fired active rounds into the crowd of protestors. Ultimately over a 100 people died in the violence, including 18 police officers. Trying to avoid all out civil war, Parliament agreed to hold an early election. Yanukovych later fled the country before a new government was established by opposition parties.

Russia called the overthrow of Yanukovych an illegal coup and used it as justification for military intervention. In Crimea, Russian soldiers without insignias, nicknamed ‘little green men,’ took control of the local parliament and other important buildings. A referendum was held on joining Russia, with over 96.7% voting for unification. The United Nations declared that the referendum was illegitimate and illegal. The separatists declared independence from Ukraine and requested that Russia admit the new republic. Putin claimed that the new government would oppress the ethnic Russian population in Crimea, and

Map of estimated locations and numbers of Russian soldiers. Satellite photography has revealed large camps being built near the border. Russian forces have also begaun to build up in Belarus, Russia’s closest ally in Europe and located in a strategic position north of Kiev. Photo courtesy of ig.ft.com. with permission from the Russian parliament, annexed the region. Despite most countries recognizing Ukraine’s claim to the land, Russia still has de facto control of Crimea and has been trying to integrate it into the rest of the country.

Demonstrations by pro-Russian groups in eastern Ukraine abegan in April 2014. Violence broke out between pro and anti-Russia militias, and terrorist attacks took place in cities across Ukraine. In Donetsk, separatist militants seized government buildings and began to call for independence.

A disputed referendum on independence was held by separatists for separation from Ukraine. On May 11 the Donetsk People’s Republic was declared, claiming the entirety of the Donetsk Oblast. The next day, fellow separatists in Luhansk announced the Luhansk People’s Republic. Both are intended as temporary transitional states before being annexed into Russia, which has yet to happen. Neither are recognized by any nation and have been classified as terrorist groups by the Ukrainian government.

The new states claimed that the Ukrainian forces in the area were now foreign soldiers impeding on their sovereignty and requested them to leave. Wanting to reclaim the breakaway states, the national guard continued to occupy the rebellious territories. The Ukrainian military has given funding to local militias to fight to combat the pro-Russian insurgents. Many of these militias have extreme far-right views, even attacking the Ukrainian government on occasion. However, they still receive funding because they are seen as a necessary ally against Russia. As the conflict escalated, both sides sought an end to the fighting. An agreement was reached in Minsk in September calling for a ceasefire monitored by the OSCE and for the reunification of the breakaway states with Ukraine. In return, the states would gain autonomy from the

Ukrainian government, which would give Russia more control over Ukrainian politics. However, the conflict continued, and the rebels further secured their independence. Despite a buffer zone being set up to prevent conflict, it has become the most violent area with constant ceasefire violations by both sides. While on paper Russia has agreed to help reintegrate the Donbass with Ukraine, they have tried everything they can to separate them, including giving all Donetsk and Luhansk citizens Russian passports and aiding rebel forces. Since the start of the conflict, nearly 14,000 people have died, and more than two million Ukrainians have been displaced.

Controlling Ukraine also has great strategic value to Russia. During the Cold War, the Soviet Union occupied the nations in eastern Europe. They created a buffer between them and NATO in the event of war.

However, following the fall of the Iron Curtain, many previously Soviet-aligned nations joined NATO. Russia has tried to slow down this Western advance by destabilizing its former allies and supporting separatists in Moldova, Georgia, and most recently, Ukraine.

Ukraine specifically is important for Russia. To the east of Ukraine is the Volgograd Gap, a relatively short strip of territory between the Donbass and the Caspian Sea. If an invading army took the Volgograd Gap, they could sever the supply of oil coming from the Caucuses. The invasion of Crimea was an important strategic move by the Russians to secure the port of Sevastopol, one of the few ports active all year in the Black Sea. The port had been on lease to Russia by Ukraine since the fall of the Soviet Union, but Ukraine has announced that it would not extend the lease past 2017, endangering Russia’s naval capabilities.

There are multiple scenarios of how Russia could invade Ukraine. They could strengthen the rebels by occupying more

territory near the border; however, this move would not give Russia any significant advantage and would only serve to provoke the West. Another potential invasion scenario is that they seize land across the Black Sea, uniting their forces in Crimea with the Donbass and securing their interests in the Sea of Asimov, yet this would lead to stained supply lines that a NATO force could possibly intercept. The most radical possibility would be a full military invasion of the Ukraine east of the Dnieper River. The Dnieper is one of the widest rivers in Europe and has few crossings, providing them with one of the few natural barriers on the eastern European plain. A full-scale invasion would be met with an intervention by Western powers, though, and it would be difficult to prevent large scale uprisings from more pro-West Ukrainians. Russia may even attempt a coup to install a puppet government in Kiev.

While still open to negotiations, the EU and US have rejected keeping Ukraine out of NATO and have threatened to worsen current sanctions should Russia invade.

The ongoing sanctions have cost Russia over $40 billion in 2014 alone. However, Russia has significant leverage over Europe as it supplies most of its energy in the form of natural gas from Siberia. If the EU retaliates against Russia, Putin could threaten to cut off Europe from natural gas. One of Russia’s closest ally, Belarus, has begun joint military drills on its border with Ukraine in a possible preparation for invasion. The recent week of riots in Kazakhstan have served as a brief distraction for Russia, but after CSTO military intervention, order has been restored.

Ultimately, Putin must weigh the benefits and risks of any kind of military escalation to protect Russian geopolitical interests and his own political career. Only time will tell what will happen, and while war is not certain, it remains a dangerous possibility.

Opinions∙ Page 10

The Knight Times ∙ January 2022

Opinions Johnston’s Merry Christmas mirrors his tragic past JACK RAMBO Guest Writer Short version: Daniel Johnston’s Merry Christmas is good. Listen to it now.

Long version: Thelonious Monk said that writing about music “is like dancing about architecture.”

Some music critics use music theory to illustrate how a song works. However, most readers and writers (including myself) don’t have enough knowledge and experience with theory to be able to apply it in any meaningful way. Therefore, most critics talk about what’s called the “timbre,” or the actual sound of the music. Timbre, like color, is very abstract, and trying to describe how it sounds is like trying to bite your teeth.

Critics try fruitlessly by generating heaps of adjectives that do nothing but take up space. For example, Anthony Fantano (dba “The Needle Drop”) fails to say anything about Heaven or Las Vegas with five minutes of null statements like “quivering lead vocals slice through the mix” and “watery and bright chords are great.” Stephen Deusner, writing for Pitchfork, says that the album is like “if punk had chased beauty.” (Is punk rock not already beautiful?)

Later, he calls the album “womanlike” for reasons unknown. My best guess is that he says this only because the lead singer is a female, but do all albums with vocals by women sound “womanlike”? Or does all music with a male singer sound “manly”?

This semantic meaninglessness occasionally digs itself into the industry. Steve Albini, who engineered thousands of records including In Utero and Surfer Rosa,

says that every time he hears words like “punchy” or “warm,” he wants “to throttle somebody.”

Two years before Heaven or Las Vegas, Daniel Johnston released Merry Christmas. At this point in his life, Johnston grew a reputation for being an incredible force in outsider music. It was seven years since he released Hi, How Are You1, and despite its distribution and success on vinyl that year, Johnston’s schizophrenia and bipolar disorder started to take hold of his life.

Merry Christmas reflects this. “Christmas in the Looney Bin” reflects his depressing institutionalization at Weston Mental Hospital and is beautifully straight-forward.

“Casper the Friendly Ghost” foreshadows a manic episode where he forced his father to crash-land his plane.

What’s beautifully tragic is that despite Johnston’s inability to communicate any of his feelings to anybody in his life, critics have always adored his beautifully honest lyrics (especially in the lyrical landscape of the 90s, where bands like Nirvana and Sonic Youth propagated ingenuine irony), but they always ignore the real honesty in the music: the gorgeous and simple threeto-four chord guitar strummings recorded on a boombox that navigate feeling, emotion, and soul better than a pound of the best literature. __________________________________

Episcopal High School 4650 Bissonnet, Bellaire, TX 77450 713-512-3400 Head of School Ned Smith Associate Head of School Nancy Laufe Eisenberg Principal Kim Randolph Dean of Arts and Innovation Jay Berckley

Casette tape cover of Daniel Johnston’s Merry Christmas rel eased late 1988. Photo courtesy of spotify.com.

Photojournalism Instructor Japheth Storlie Photojournalism Editors Karma Elbadawy Lila Henningsen

Daniel Johnston’s Don’t Be Scared released in 1982. Photo courtesy of spotify. com.

Is cryptocurrency becoming a smart investment?

GABRIEL ODERICH Staff Writer Unfortunately, the stock market has seen better days as growth seems to have stalled out over the past month; however, things are starting to look up. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell recently stated during a testimony that the Federal Reserve would find a way to rein in inflation without wrecking the labor market. Investors believed him because immediately after this testimony the markets went up.

While the stock market had a mediocre month at best, the cryptocurrency market has been downright awful. Bitcoin has dropped over 13% between December 10 and January 10. Ethereum dropped 20% in the same span. However, for those with a less pessimistic outlook on cryptocurrency, now may be a prime buying opportunity for those interested in entering the market.

In fact, it seems as though crypto markets are already starting to increase.

For those interested in getting some exposure to the crypto market without going out and buying cryptocurrency directly, Coinbase (Ticker – COIN) is a fantastic option. Coinbase recently had a poor month, reflecting the market, yet just over the past few days, it has begun to rebound.

Coinbase may be great for a short-term play. If you are willing to take the risks associated with trading stock options, a calldebit spread (when you purchase stock with a call-option and a put-option, with the call being valued higher than the put), Coinbase may be a profitable move.

For those who would rather opt for a longer-term investment, Draft Kings (tickerDKNG) is shaping up to be a great move.

As time passes and more states legalize online sports gambling, the market for Draft Kings is only going to increase, meaning that its valuation, revenue, and profits all

Visual Arts Chair Kate Philbrick Publications Coordinator David Framel

1

I’m sure you’ve seen this on a t-shirt or mural or something. It’s the album with that little alien on the front, and Kurt Cobain would start regularly wearing a t-shirt of the album two years later, which would really propel Daniel Johnston into the rock ‘n’ roll stratosphere.

The Knight Times

have a positive outlook. Draft Kings has also decreased in value as of late 2021, suggesting that it may be a prime time to purchase some stock in Draft Kings.

Photographers Wade Arntzen Syndey Brooks Mya Broughton Olivia Chapman Mckenna Foteh Isabella Goytia Lauren McGinnis Amelia Novotny Jules Weinstein Co-Editors-in-Chief Chris Lahoti Connor Smith Production Editor Leana Greene Opinions Editor Jazzmin Duncan Copy Editor Lily O’Gorman Sports Editor Cory Kardesch Social Media Coordinator Estefania Lopez-Salas

Bitcoin stock dropped over 13% between mid-December and January. Photo courtesy of time.com.

Ethereum stock dropped between December 10 and January 10. Photo courtesy of time.com.

The graph represents the institutional trading volume of Coinbase from Quarter 1 in 2018 to Quarter 4 of 2020. In Quarter 4 of 2020, institutional trading volumes skyrocketed. Photo courtesy of visualcapitalist.com.

Staff Writers Gabriel Oderich Morgan Herod Jalynn Woolley Isabel O’Gorman Yana Sharma Jake Berlin Kate Freeman Campbell Richardson Raigan Clay

The Knight Times is a product of students in the Episcopal High School newspaper class, who are solely responsible for its creation and editorial content. The opinions expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily represent those of the Episcopal 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.

The Knight Times ∙ January 2022

Sports ∙ Page 11

Sports Your Monthly Sports Brief Boys Basketball Justin Begg - 16.8 PPG, 4.2 REB, 3 AST Jakeel Registe - 16.5 PPG, 7.2 REB, 1.6 AST Brendon Mwamba - 10 PPG, 4.4 REB, 1.3 AST Jaden Holt - 8.7 PPG, 2.1 REB, 2.5 AST Jonathan Burroughs - 7.3 PPG, 3.4 REB, 1.3 AST

Girls basketball dominates tough schedule of opponents steering the team in the right direction.

The juniors and seniors have had experience with going to SPC, The Episcopal girls basketball team is and they are well equipped with looking to make an SPC run with a tough the leadership of Head Coach Courtney schedule preparing Arnold to face for the tournament any adversity. competition to Junior leaders come. on the team At their most Olivia Chaprecent tournament, man and Emma the Aggieland Poirot are Invitational, the optimistic and girls raked up wins excited to head against Alvarado into SPC conferand Hearne. The ence play. For team is hopeful as Olivia, “basketit head sinto their ball is the time first match with of day when I SPC contender can forget the St. Andrew’s. stress of school The team is filled and just have with experienced Emrie Holt runs down the court against The fun with my veterans that are Village School. Photo by Ms. Lauren West. teammates.”

RAIGAN CLAY Staff Writer

Emma added, “Just like years before, I love playing basketball because of the great team dynamic. Practices are always filled with laughter along with a shared focus and drive to play our best game as a team. This basketball season has been one of my favorites, and I am so excited to continue with SPC play on the road to the championship!”

Great team chemistry and a great team dynamic seems to the be the recipe for success for the Knights.

The girls have already gone up against great talent in the Houston area, and they recognize their strengths and weaknesses in preparation for their journey to the SPC title. With leadership and a shared goal, this group of girls inherits the determination to win it all.

RECORD: Boys soccer team pushes through season undefeated

17-5

YANA SHARMA Staff Writer

Episcopal High School’s boys soccer team has committed to a successful run so

far. Although the season is not finished, the team has seen some promising results as the schedule looms closer to the Southwest Preparatory Conference championship.

As of January 7, 2022

Girls Soccer Total goals scored - 41 Goals against - 3 Dayla Henderson - 6 goals Blake Oliver-Hodgson - 4 goals Sophie Butler - 4 goals Kaia Chambers - 4 goals Elle Abaza - 4 goals Abby Ross - 4 goals Ava Gonzales - 3 goals

RECORD:

6-0-2

As of January 18, 2022

Swimming Cardinal Classic 2022 Meet January 7-8, 2022 Finished 5 overall between women and men team rankings Estefania Lopez-Salas - 2 overall in girls 200 yard freestyle (2:06.29), 2 overall in girls 100 yard breaststroke (1:14.03) Sam Randall - 1 overall in boys 100 yard butterfly (52.46) Asher Luengas - 3 overall in girls 500 yard freestyle (5:47.04) The Episcopal Monthly Sports Brief by Sports Editor Cory Kardesch

Junior Ronan Corley gives the camera a smile while chasing the ball down in a game against Bellaire. Photo by Ms. Lauren West.

Head Coach Travis Smith holds high hopes for his team, and the players are confident that they have the talent to give other high schools strong competition in upcoming matches. Their most recent 6-0 win against St. Andrew’s High School brings the team to a current record of 5-0-2.

The leading goal scorer to date is Kadin Castillo, and there are a lot of other talented players on the team. Juniors Yael Gonzalez, Marvin Rivas, Connor Kuenstle, and Yousuf Saeed, as well as freshman winger Tomas Gomez, have been putting up impressive results as they continue to grow and adapt with the team.

The last game of the season for the boys soccer team will be Friday, February 4 at Houston Christian High School. Soon after will be the SPC Winter Championships in Fort Worth. The Episcopal boys soccer team is looking to finish the season successfully.

What do the players say?

“We have been super successful on the mat so far with several wrestlers winning one or more tournaments. We have been grinding each day to bring home the first ever EHS SPC wrestling title.”

Beau Edwards Varsity Wrestling

“The season has been going well so far. We are undefeated in our conference. and I am very excited for the SPC tournament.”

Chandler Black Varsity Girls Soccer

Sports ∙ Page 12

The Knight Times ∙ January 2022

Sports Georgia stuns Alabama in championship game GABRIEL ODERICH Staff Writer It has been 41 years, but the Georgia Bulldogs have finally been able to end a season with a national championship.

While Alabama did suffer the loss of star wide receiver John Metchie before the game and Jameson Williams during it, the outcome was expected to be close, with Georgia favored by 2.5 points according to CBS Sports.

The game remained close, and Alabama had the opportunity to tie the game with

Georgia QB Stetson Bennett kisses the College Football Playoff national championship trophy after the Georgia victory over Alabama. Photo courtesy of NBC Chicago.

only a minute left in the fourth quarter; however, a pick-six thrown by Heismanwinning quarterback Bryce Young all but sealed their (and Georgia’s) fate.

Alabama head coach Nick Saban had defeated his former assistant and Georgia head coach Kirby Smart four times in prior meetings, including once this year.

However, in large part due to an amazing Georgia defense, the Bulldogs was able to secure the win.

Another fantastic storyline out of the championship was Georgia’s quarterback Stetson Bennett. Bennett was a walk-on at Georgia during his first year and was buried deep on the depth chart, yet through pure determination, he was able to climb to a starting position. Bennett grew up in Georgia as a die-hard Bulldog fan and dreamed about playing for them one day.

His dream has been more than realized, and he will forever be the quarterback who ended the 41-year championship drought in the Peach State.

Georgia’s future remains in the air.

While the Bulldogs did have a top-three recruiting class according to the 247 sports, they are losing eight players to the NFL draft, four of whom were part of the defense (a defense which played an enormous role in the championship run) and running back James Cook, who also played a big part in defeating the Crimson Tide.

We have yet to see what the future will hold for Bulldogs fans, but for now, Georgia finds itself on top of the college football throne. With Alabama hoping to reclaim that throne.

The field changes as Superbowl nears CORY KARDESCH Sports Editor With the NFL Playoffs in full swing, everyone is now thinking about the next big step: Super Bowl LXI. Set to be held in SoFi Stadium, the brand new, state of the art facility in Los Angeles, the Super Bowl will take place on Sunday, February 13, one week later than previous Super Bowl Games.

After an incredibly exciting divisional round both the Green Bay Packers and the Tennessee Titans were knocked out of contention. The Buffalo Bills who were one of the Superbowl favorites were also knocked out of the playoffs after a stunning shootout game against Kansas City that went down to a coinflip in overtime.

Tom Brady and the Bucanneers were also knocked out despite mounting a 24 point comeback in the last minutes of their game against the Rams.

This has set up a matchup between two of the leagues best young quarterbacks in the AFC; Joe Burrow and Patrick Mahomes. And a matchup of two NFC West teams in the NFC championships as the Rams and 49ers both compete to play in their home state of California. While the Chiefs and Rams are favorites, this playoff season has proven that anything could happen.

The half time show has also garnered plenty of attention thanks to a star studded line up including Eminem, Snoopdogg, Kendrick Lamar, Dr. Dre, and Mary J. Blige.

Bengals QB Joe Burrow throwing a pass during the Cincinatti Bengals’ divisional round playoff win against the AFC number one seed Tennesse Titans. Photo courtesy of Fox 8.

Episcopal Athlete Spotlight Despite having to adjust to a new coach and practice regimen, Sam remarked how “everyone at Rice was very supportive and welcoming to a new swimmer.”

Throughout his time with Rice Aquatics, This month’s student athlete spotlight Sam has qualified for several National focuses on Sam Randall, a senior on the Club SwimEHS boys ming Associaswimming and tion Chamdiving team. pionships, A long-time long and short club swimcourse Speedo mer, Sam has Sectionals, broken several Futures Chamrecords and pionships, and participated Junior Nationat the national als bonus cuts. level.

Swimming After a brief for EHS has stint with proven to be baseball and another excitcross country, ing challenge Sam discovfor him. Going ered competihead-to-head tive swimming against club around the teammates age of nine.

Despite initial Sam Randall grips onto the block during a meet. from different schools challenges, his Photo courtesy of Sam Randall. and breaking talent and speed several school records are just some of the pushed him toward his first ever Texas Age Group Championships only one year most memorable moments he has experienced throughout the past four years. later. After making multiple A finals and In regard to the future, Sam hopes to taking second in the 50-yard freestyle event, Sam had figured out his passion. “I break more records, win a Big East Championship, and compete in the Olympic triknew I would be pretty good at the sport als while swimming for Villanova. When if I kept up with it.”

Sam started his competitive swim career questioned about post-college plans, Sam at the Briar Club, which later transitioned replied, “I hope to pursue a professional career, which means focusing less on to the Houston Country Club League, swimming. Regardless, I’ll still keep it a until around fourteen years old. From there, he ended up joining Rice Aquatics. major part of my life.”

CHRIS LAHOTI Editor-in-Chief

JAKE BERLIN Staff Writer Thalia Vogelsang is a sophomore at EHS who is currently in her second year competing as the first female wrestler in the history of Episcopal. Thalia has had an exceptional record so far this season of 20-4, but she has also taken part in significant tournaments outside of the school’s schedule.

Thalia recently traveled to Houston Nationals in College Station where she competed against the top wrestlers from across the country and placed second overall. Although she believes that her performance at this tournament wasn’t perfect, she feels that sit provided her some of the best competition of the season.

When asked how she feels about being the first female wrestler at EHS, Thalia said, “I’m proud to be the first girl on the EHS team, but my goal is to grow the team as much as possible before I graduate.”

Thalia began her wrestling career three years ago in middle school and plans to continue wrestling throughout her time at EHS. Asked what made her choose to wrestle, Thalia stated, “Wrestling was the first sport in which I felt the amount of effort I put in clearly made a difference in my performance on the mat. There’s nothing quite like coming off the mat, win or lose, knowing you tried your absolute hardest and being better because of it.”

Thalia expressed that her main source of motivation for wrestling is the energy and the support of her teammates and her

various coaches throughout the years that motivate her to stick with the sport and to push herself to get better every day.

Thalia’s goals this season are to compete and place highly at the SPC tournament, place at Prep Nationals, and to support her teammates as they make the same journey.

Overall, her goal is to improve herself in every aspect of the sport, along with growing the EHS girls wrestling team and bringing attention to the program through her exemplary performance on the mat.

Thalia was asked to share some words of encouragement with fellow female students considering wrestling: “Girls, especially in middle school and high school, need a sport that builds confidence and mental toughness. It’s not an easy journey by any means, and we don’t often get to enjoy the same treatment as our male counterparts do, but we have the unique opportunity to create a better and safer place for female athletes around the world. If you consistently put in the effort, I promise that you will see results and improvement. Never let anyone tell you that you can’t do something because of who you are.”

EHS wrestler Thalia Vogelsang eyes her opponent during her match. Photo

by Lauren McGinnis.