THE FOURCAST
The Hockaday School
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ourcast
THESE ARE
THE VAX
The Role of the Vaccine and its Effect on the Modern World. Read full story p12
photo by Charlotte Dross • Editor-in-Chief
Volume 69 • Issue 02
A LOOK
INSIDE
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CATCHING UP with the Cowboys
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EDUCATION and Ethics
As bright Hockaday students dabble in the words of the Brontë sisters, Dickens and Homer, many well-educated teenagers sometimes forget what a world without literature, stories and bridges to other vivid worlds would be like. Sadly, for hundreds of students in the Dallas community, the words off their own school books just don’t stick. Reading builds vocabulary and strengthens not only memory but conceptual understanding. Even though many students may not enjoy the literary tales they are assigned to read in class each day, the ability to read proves time and time again to be exponentially crucial for the success of a student.
On Sept. 14, the Texas Board of Education voted on changes to the public school history and social studies curriculums across all grades, citing a need to cut down on the information teachers and students must cover. However, the vote was preliminary, and the board is able to change the new plans for curriculums before taking a final vote in November.
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CONTINUING THE
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THE FORGOTTEN heros of the war
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FROM FARM to classroom
quest for quality food
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The Hockaday School
Nov. 2, 2018 • The Fourcast
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Charlie and I have worked to recruit a group of students interested in supporting the great work of Habitat.” Building a Community p05
PHOTO BY SAWYER BANNISTER
Continuing the Quest for Quality Food ➝ Story by Ava Berger • Staff Writer
FRESH FINDS • SAGE features many fresh vegetables each day in their lunch line. Hockaday cooks around 300 pounds of produce daily in order to feed the students, faculty and staff.
than the easier route, frozen products. When the vegetables are brought in from the vendor, there is always a chance that items could be hidden in the leaves. SAGE has taken all of the issues that have arisen with utmost urgency. “We have provided guidance for employees related to that issue, and we had a full team meeting right after it happened, so I have been here to make sure that what we are doing is absolutely putting good systems in place,” Quick said. “Students can expect a higher level of explained that the kitchen runs temp logs, schedvigilance with respect to how the food is being ules to moderate the temperature of all the food. prepared and more consistent systems and Any meat in the oven must be rotated on a time schedules. Not only that, but our awareness schedule. If a tray has not reached the optimum level is significantly higher because of the temperature, it should be left in the ovens, and an issues,” Quick said. unfortunate mistake in these logs is what led to The SAGE staff is being trained to handle the problematic meat reaching the food line. these consistency issues more adequately. “This was an isolated incident, that I do not SAGE has also begun creating more specific anticipate will happen again,” Quick said. departments in the kitchen, so that the same staff members are managing and taking ownership of The Solution the food they need and what they are making. After successfully notifying the vendor of Additionally, changes are being put in issues with the food in the Hockaday kitchen, place relating to SAGE and the kitchen. BeginSAGE has taken even more steps to ensure the ning this fall, SAGE will host quarterly advisory quality of the food is consistent. meetings open to all community members. Behind the scenes, the kitchen staff has been Discussion will include any current buzz as well working rigorously to fix the current consistency planned improvements for service and selection. problem. Many new initiatives have been put in Quick and the SAGE management team are place to prevent these problems from arising again. using these problems as an opportunity to imFirst and foremost, every morning the SAGE prove SAGE’s service to Hockaday as a whole. staff watches a video. These videos are five min“I’m going to use this not just as an utes long with about five questions at the end that opportunity to actually train for safety, but also the staff answers. There are 30 to 40 modules I would like to use this as an opportunity for us of the videos that range from knife protocol to to gain some menu writing feedback for you cleaning food. so what we’re making is what you want to be Another challenge in the dining hall has eating,” Quick said. been keeping pests from coming inside. Due to If students have questions or concerns the proximity of the kitchen dumpsters to the related to the food, SAGE invites them to visit loading dock, the SAGE staff has to pay even the kitchen. SAGE’s “open kitchen policy” allows closer attention to keep these out. students to see firsthand the work being done “When you open the back door and the to improve their food. “If there is a group of food is being delivered, there is a chance that flies concerned students, and that relates to whether can come in,” Quick said. “We are working with they’re eating or not, that’s important to us, and Hockaday’s facilities to ask them to help us together I’m happy to speak with the students so they accomplish getting rid of the pests because until the know the food is safe,” Quick said. weather changes, we are going to be finding those.” Despite the SAGE food issues, the people Hockaday has begun daily drain and surface in Biggs Dining Hall have been working hard treatments to stop the spread of the pests. The to make sure nothing of this nature ever school is working to replace the air curtain to be happens again. fully functional at the loading docks entrance. “There’s a really great group of people Another prominent solution to the issues that are cooking back there and preparing is a new veggie wash, placed below the kitchen your food and they absolutely took it to hearts sinks, that the SAGE staff is using as an added when they heard about the issues. They were precaution for all vegetables. devastated,” Quick said. “There was a level of “We brought in the veggie wash, to make seriousness and quiet understanding that this sure anything else that is hiding in the produce cannot happen again.” gets washed a second time,” Quick said. “This is not something that is done in every location, but we’re doing it here because we want to add in an additional step to make sure we’re being safe.” SAGE uses only fresh products, rather
Every morning at 9:15 a.m. the SAGE staff watches a video concerning both safety and procedures in the Hockaday kitchen. Recently, the videos have focused on washing and cleaning produce as an added precaution to ensure the safety of SAGE’s produce and to ensure the quality of food being served from the Hockaday kitchen.
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ockaday switched from in-house services to SAGE Dining Services during the summer of 2016, making it a fairly new addition to the School. Hockaday switched to SAGE because it was a more reliable and cost-effective. The Issue Problems with SAGE have been few and far between until this year. However, over the course of September and October, Upper School students have raised concerns about SAGE food, as they have found a few distasteful items in their food. Annie Zhao, a sophomore, found one of the unpleasant items that served as a catalysts for the increase in food concerns. “I was pretty calm at first, but then I was quickly disturbed when I realized there was something in my food that did not belong,” Zhao said. “I do tend to check my food more as I have become more wary of the situation.” Conversations about food concerns have circulated around Upper School, increasing students apprehensions about food consistency. So, the question remains: why have these problems been occurring? Jennifer Quick, SAGE’s regional manager of 15 years, opened and manages 54 of SAGE’s locations. Quick traveled to Hockaday from San Antonio and has been staying with the school for the past couple of weeks, overseeing that the correct procedures are being put in place to proactively avoid the problems. “There was a single instance of a produce pest found in a student’s serving of vegetables after an unusually high rainy season that impacted one of our produce vendors,” Quick said. Upon learning of this problems with their vendor, SAGE immediately launched an investigation related to the sourcing of the food. “As soon as the investigation found that the source was the produce vendor, the vendor was notified and subsequently issued warnings to all clients,” Quick said. SAGE has put their vendor on notice. The vendor works with thousands of suppliers from local farms to import food items. All the suppliers are audited for food safety practices by a third party to ensure unbiased reporting. The vendor works with several suppliers
from local farms to import food items. All the suppliers are audited for food safety practices by a third party to ensure unbiased reporting. The food vendor’s Vice President addressed the issue as a misfortune that has never happened before at their business. “While maintaining these high standards, our farm-fresh produce is still a product of the environment and on rare occasions shows signs of its natural origin. It’s unfortunate when it happens, but we will continue to strive every day to give our customers the best quality produce nature has to offer,” the Vice President said.
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It’s unfortunate when it happens, but we will continue to stive every day to give our customers the best quality produce nature has to offfer” Jennifer Quick SAGE Regional Manager
“One hundred percent of produce deliveries to the vendor are inspected upon arrival. From time to time, insects have been found, and the loads are rejected immediately. I have never heard of anything like this. Fresh produce is inspected multiple times before it reaches The Hockaday School kitchen which demands the highest standards,” the Vice President said. “I’m truly sorry this happened, and hope that it doesn’t dissuade the school from enjoying the health benefits and wonderful flavors that fresh fruits and vegetables provide in the future.” To fix the issue the vendor has contacted their grower. “[The vendor] has issued a formal complaint to the grower about this incident. Though a highly reputable grower, an investigation on its growing practices is currently underway,” the Vice President said. Another issue of concern was a single incident with meat preparation. Sage has detailed processes to ensure food is cooked at the appropriate temperature. Quick
hockadayfourcast.org
news
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Looking ahead
➝
Catwalks for Community Service
p.4 Your World Today: 2018 Senate Race
Catwalks for Community Service PHOTO BY ISABELLA AKHTAR
Juniors Emma Roseman and Varsha Danda begin a new community service tradition at Hockaday.
PLANNING FOR SUCCESS • Juniors Emma Roseman and Varsha Danda plan for a Hockaday-run fashion show that partners with Genesis Women’s Shelter and the Akola Project. The show will occur in March or early April of 2019 and benefit the Genesis Women’s Shelter and Akola Project. Roseman and Danda hope that this will become a new tradition at Hockaday.
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alling all students who thrive off the limelight, would be willing to strike a pose in designer goods and also want to help organizations that provide safety, shelter and support for women who have experienced domestic violence. This may be the chance to strike it big and empower women in your community. If this calls to your à la mode, big-hearted self, then seek out Hockaday juniors Varsha Danda and Emma Roseman. The two students are currently organizing, creating and funding a women-run Hockaday fashion show, set to debut in the spring of 2019, to promote women’s wellbeing. In partnership with Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support and the Akola Project, Hockaday students ranging from kindergarten to twelfth grade will model clothes on loan from Genesis’ thrift store and jewelry made through the Akola Project. “We were really inspired by Greenhill’s charity fashion show that they have been hosting for quite a few years because it is run by teeneragers,” Danda said. “Unlike Greenhill’s idea to sponsor a few boutiques here and there, we are going to sponsor organizations that support women, like Genesis and the Akola Project.” Genesis Women’s Shelter & Support and the Akola Project are two distinct, Dallas-based organizations that support and inspire women from all different nationalities, backgrounds and ages. Genesis first became aware of unique needs and vulnerabilities of abused women and children in 1984. Their mission is to help end domestic violence and create a societal shift on how people view domestic violence, through continuous support,
housing and mentorship. Jan Langbein is the Chief Executive Officer of Genesis and as a result is a passionate advocate for at-risk women in the Dallas area.
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We want this to be a success and a tradition that will be characteristic to our Hockaday community.” Varsha Danda Junior
“We are a three-pronged organization,” Langbein explained. “First, we want to help repair the damage when domestic violence has occurred. Next, we want to prevent it through education and raising awareness, and finally, we want to end it through training and legislative issues.” Currently, they see 1,200 women and children at their Emergency Shelter, Long-Term Housing Facility and Non-Residential Counseling Office each year. The organization’s thrift store is open every day and allows Genesis’ clients to acquire items free of charge. The majority of these items are donated from people across Dallas. “A lot of people want to be apart of Genesis, but can’t afford to give a financial gift. Instead, they
can donate to the thrift store through cleaning out their closet or donating those clothes that don’t fit,” Langbein said. “You can bring those clothes to our store, and the moms can shop at no cost for whatever they need, because they sometimes leave with just the clothes on their backs, and it’s important for them to have things in which they can start all over again.” Akola, the other organization that Danda and Roseman are working with, is a nonprofit jewelry company that sells necklaces and bracelets made by Ugandan women. The company empowers women in poverty and sells the handcrafted jewelry created by the hundreds of women. One hundred percent of the Akola revenue is invested in their mission to help the women transform their families and communities. “We chose Akola because Emma Siegel, a graduated Hockaday alumnae, interned all through high school and college with the company. They are so inspirational and are centered around women, which is very important to us,” Roseman said. Choosing the organizations was the easy part for these two, but creating this new community service tradition at Hockaday will be a challenge. For the girls, this isn’t a one-time thing, as they also plan to host a pre-show during a One-Hockaday gathering to preview the actual fashion show, which is set to take place around late March or early April of 2019. “There are so many moving parts, phone calls and meetings. Right now we are just trying to get the bigger picture from all of this, plan a venue and the date,” Danda said. “We want this
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Building A Community
to be a success and a tradition that will be characteristic to our Hockaday community.” Their vision has been in the making for a long time, as the juniors first started talking about the possibility freshman year. “We were really just waiting for something to happen, and since we have friends at Greenhill, we knew it could be possible at our school,” Danda said. “So, we decided to talk to Mrs. Day this summer, and that’s how it got started.” Not only can one be a spectator at the girl’s empowering fashion show, but the two have created committees for fundraising and advertisements that are open for seniors, juniors and sophomores where valuable community service hours will most definitely be obtained. “There’s a lot of outside-of- school work, like selling and gathering tickets and matching outfits to models, so the more students the better. We want students to bring their own experiences to the team, such as their strengths and weaknesses,” Danda said. In the end, the fashion show is centered around community, growth, awareness and healing. “We are coming at it with an aspect of joining the community,” Roseman said. “We want to connect all grades, provide a unique way to advertise about the organizations and support women with our platform as independent Hockaday women.”
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Girls on the Fashion Show Planning Commmittee
Weeks Until the Fashion Show
Number of People Visiting the Genesis Thrift Store Each Day
by Paige Halverson • Managing Editor
TIDBITS AND TALES
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Spooky Season
Go Daisies!
Just Dance
Happy Turkey Day!
The seniors will host their annual Halloween on Monday, Nov. 5. While most years the seniors decorate the halls for Friday, some students would not be able to participate because of a sports event and the early application deadline falling nearby. As a result, it was moved to the later date. Seniors Tosca Langbert and Audrey Martin are the heads of senior Halloween, and the theme will be revealed that morning.
The fall Southwest Preparatory Conference tournament will be held in Dallas from Nov. 8 to Nov. 10. Hockaday Cross Country is seeking to follow up their 2017 win with another this year while Field Hockey looks to win their first championship since 2014 and Volleyball since 2008. Good luck to all of the athletes going to SPC!
Hockaday’s Upper School dance program will perform their annual winter show on Nov. 13 during Y period. All of the classes have rehearsed their parts in the full-length ballet performance of Cinderella since Sept.
From Nov. 19 to Nov. 23, Hockaday will be closed for Thanksgiving break. Upper School students get to enjoy a week away from Hockaday and homework as they indulge in elaborate turkey feasts with friends and family. Unfortunately, before the break students will have many tests and quizzes. The Form III students even have to turn in their Junior Research Paper Mini-Draft before departing for the holidays.
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY PAIGE HALVERSON, AURELIA HAN, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, SAHASRA CHIGURUPATI
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The Hockaday School
Nov. 2, 2018 • The Fourcast
Your World
TODAY
Voting is a privilege, and it is important to be an informed voter. The Fourcast knows that the media can be intimidating or that the business of everyday life can get in the way of reading about candidates, so we’ve done all the research for you. Here is a breakdown of the race for the Senate between Democrat Beto O’Rourke and Republican Ted Cruz.
2018 Senate Election Edition Republican Nominee for Senate
ILLUSTRATIONS BY KAREN LIN
Beto O’Rourke: Democratic Nominee for Senate Ted Cruz:
Birth Control and Abortions: O’Rourke is pro-choice and aims to ban anti-abortion limitations. Civil Rights: O’Rourke supports the legalization of gay marriage, wants to enforce anti-gay discrimination in public schools and strives to implement and anti-wage discrimination on gender. Education: O’Rourke supports the establishment of more preschools in order to eventually create education equality among the classes. He hopes to create more scholarship opportunities to incentivize people to become math and science teachers in order to meet our country’s future demand for scientists. Additionally, he wants to establish a more comprehensive sex education program for adolescents. Environment: O’Rourke voted yes to require labeling of genetically engineered food (GMOs). Gun Control: O’Rourke supports common sense gun laws and wants to prevent the distribution of assault rifles with high-capacity magazines.
Birth Control and Abortions: Cruz is adamantly against abortions, Planned Parenthood and publically or church funded birth control. He has previously voted to ban taxpayer funding of birth control and Planned Parenthood. Civil Rights: Cruz refutes legalized gay marriage and claims that it undermines the Constitution. He supports the death penalty and wants to lower the prison sentence for drug use, even though he is personally against the legalization of marijuana. Education: Cruz denounces Common Core Educational Standards and wants to abolish the U.S. Department of Education. Environment: Cruz has previously voted no on protecting oceans, coastal and Great Lake ecosystems. Gun Control: Cruz served as a lawyer for the NRA and voted no against the banning of high-capacity magazines, but does want there to be tighter restrictions for the mentally ill.
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s Tuesday, Nov. 6. rapidly approaches, one might increasingly see more and more political social media posts, yard signs, T-shirts and bumper stickers advertising political candidates. In previous midterm years, there has not been this much noticeable political uproar; why is 2018 so different? Upper School Government teacher Kirsten Blevins commented on this recent increase in political activism. “Generally, the midterms are not usually as exciting as the presidential election because usually there’s not this national coverage of the election,” Blevins said. “[Since the 2016 Presidential election], more people are paying attention to politics, and it also seems that it’s permeated everyday conversations.” The typical political conversation in Texas might be about the tight senate race between Ted Cruz and Beto O’Rourke. Texas has not had a Democratic senator since Bob Krueger in 1999, and no race has since come close to turning Texas blue. Surprising to many, the Democratic candidate for Senate in Texas, O’Rourke, has gained monumental popularity, and his race against Cruz is considered a toss-up, according to the Texas Tribune, The New York Times and New York Magazine. A large portion of O’Rourke’s platform depends upon social media. For example, his Instagram campaign has over 265,000,000 followers. He seems to be reaching a younger demographic and has gained the active support of a large following at Hockaday, including one of the Co-Presidents of the Young Democrats Club at Hockaday, senior Tosca Langbert. “No one expects a Democrat to be so popular in Texas. Because midterms are so close and so important, there’s a big question mark about who’s gonna take over the Senate,” Langbert said. “The fact that Texas might be the deciding factor is so surprising and exciting.” The rising support for O’Rourke seems to permeate to the polls, according to a phone call survey. Fifteen percent of voters who usually vote for Republican candidates said that they would likely vote for O’Rourke. O’Rourke’s following, however, does
not guarantee him the election: Texas is and has been a deep red state for the past twenty years, and Cruz still has a strong following from his previous voters. Senior Charlsie Doan, the President of Hockaday’s Young Republicans Club, also shares the same sentiment. “I honestly have no idea what’s going to happen. There’s so much rage and anger on both sides, especially with the Kavanaugh instatement,” Doan said. “Now it is so important to consider whether or not you’re voting for the person them self or their policies and what they stand for.”
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Because midterms are so close and so important, there’s a big question mark about who’s gonna take over the Senate.”
Tosca Langbert Co-President of Young Democrats Club Doan hopes that voters are informed and that Texas will have a higher voter turnout. In past elections, only 55 percent of eligible voters in Texas actually hit the polls, giving Texas the ranking of forty-seventh in the nation for voter turnout, according to the Dallas Observer. If all eligible voters casted their vote this November, Texas would be accurately represented in Congress and, either way, will most likely decide whether the majority of Congress is Republican or Democratic. For all voters, both seasoned and new, it is important to be informed and educated before voting, because every vote matters. Politically-informative websites, like ontheissues.org and ballotpedia.org, offer views on various candidates, according to Blevins and Langbert. “It became easy to protest and bring politics into everyday conversations, so voting should be too,” Langbert said.
by Eliana Goodman • Magazine Editor
news
The Fourcast • Nov. 2, 2018
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PHOTO BY KATE WOODHOUSE
hockadayfourcast.org
Building a Community
HAMMER TIME• Sophomore Sarah Crow, the youngest president of the Habitat for Humanity Junior Board, talks with senior Isabella Shadle, a board member. Crow and Shadle help with fundraising and will help build the house sponsored by Hockaday and St. Mark’s in January.
Sophomore Sarah Crow becomes the youngest head of the Habitat for Humanity Junior Board.
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arah Crow, the new leader for Habitat for Humanity, will show her passion for this organization by making great strides for the future as she manages the Junior Board. Moreover, she is the youngest person ever to do so. Sarah Crow worked with funding for the houses that students from the St. Mark’s School of Texas and The Hockaday School built before she started working on the Junior Board in the fall of 2017. She helped manage the different ways of raising money for the houses so that this program could continue in the future. This is her second year on the Junior Board, but now Sarah Crow is the head of it. “With two St. Mark’s seniors last year, the Junior Board was started as a fundraising and stewardship student group,” Sarah Crow said. After the construction of the last house was completed in the spring of 2017, at the annual dedication ceremony, Sarah Crow was asked to be a co-head for the 2018-2019 Junior Board along with St. Mark’s junior Charlie Rose. Last year, after joining the Junior Board, Sarah Crow realized that she could only participate in the fundraising for Habitat, but not building the houses, as the age requirement is 16. She wanted to figure out a way that she and her friends, who were all under 16 years old, could help with the builds. Thus was the inspiration for the Bench Build project. “By soliciting other freshman and their families, we were able to raise an additional $10,000 to build benches for each of the Habitat houses that had been completed by students over the years,” Sarah Crow said. Twenty benches were both built and stained by a group of St. Mark’s and Hockaday freshman
over the course of two Saturdays in January. Then, they were delivered to previously built houses on their dedication days. Because of her new creative idea, St. Mark’s alumni Mike Mahowald and William Hall asked Sarah Crow to take their spots as the Junior Board Co-Chair with Rose.
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I think it’s great that Sarah has been elected to head the teen board for Habitat because it gives the younger community a change to participate. It is amazing that the younger students are starting to become involved with Habitat.” Isabella Shadle Senior
While she is very excited at this opportunity, Sarah Crow also acknowledges the large amount of work she needs to accomplish. Over the next two months, she must raise the funds needed for the house-building project, set to take place in January of 2019. Along with the funding, Sarah Crow manages sending out emails and coordinating the emails with the Habitat representatives. “It’s not a hard job, but it is time consuming,” Sarah Crow said. “The most work is produced when it comes to sending letters that have to go to potential board members and personally having to solicit funds from families.” Sarah Crow officially took on her position in
the summer of 2018, although she participated in brainstorming and logistics meetings last spring. Kathy Crow, Sarah’s mother, was excited for her to get this job. “I think she’s a pretty good organizer and has a lot of enthusiasm, so that is a great combination to reach the finish line with the challenges of the Habitat Junior Board,” said Kathy Crow. Starting personal solicitations for the first time and gauging how this year goes, Sarah Crow plans to continue improving the Junior Board. “Charlie and I have worked to recruit a group of students interested in supporting the great work of Habitat—to bring affordable home ownership opportunities to low-to-moderate income families and revitalize neighborhoods to build a better Dallas,” Sarah Crow said. The new focus of the Junior Board is making personal solicitations to previous contributors so that the donors feel appreciated. With this in mind, the board has to focus on communication and showing their appreciation to its donors. “Definitely the building project is my favorite part,” Sarah Crow said, “It’s fun and social and we have a great time doing the work.” Part of the reason why her election as cohead of the Junior Board is so momentous is because, for the past few years, only seniors have been the heads of the Junior Board. Senior Isabella Shadle has been an active volunteer for Habitat for Humanity for three years. Therefore, she is able to notice the change that is being brought about with Sarah Crow’s new role as co-head. “I think it’s great that Sarah has been elected to head the teen board for Habitat because it gives the younger community a chance to participate,” Shadle said, “It is also amazing that the younger students are starting to become involved with Habitat.”
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Years Crow Has Been Working with Habitat For Humanity
Number of People on the Habitat for Humanity Junior Board
Months Crow Has Been the Head of the Junior Board
by Julia Donovan • Staff Writer
PLAN ON IT Junior Research Paper Mini-Draft Due Nov. 16
Fall SPC Nov. 8-10
Film Assembly Dec. 6
Early Dismissal 12:00 p.m. Nov. 9
Student Diversity Board Forum Nov. 2
Senior Halloween Nov. 5
Dance Assembly Nov. 13
Thanksgiving Break Nov. 19-23
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY CHARLOTTE DROSS, WIKIMEDIA COMMONS, PAIGE HALVERSON, AURELIA HAN AND SAHASRA CHIGURUPATI
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Nov. 2, 2018 • The Fourcast
rts & life
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The Hockaday School
As an avocado-holic myself, I have tried avocado toast at several brunch places and I think that the Original Chop Shop does it best.” Chop to the Top p09
PHOTO BY SARAH SCHULTZ
The Forgotten Heroes of War ➝ Story by Sahasra Chigurupati •Castoff Editor
ON STAGE • Senior Jessica Katzman, sophomore Isabella Lambert. junior Lily Forbes, senior Megan Muscato and junior Hope Fu (pictured left to right) stand on the Black Box Theatre stage as their teacher Emily Gray directs their dress rehearsal of the fall play, “Women in War.”
A group of girls stand on a stage, surrounded by darkness. Silence seeps through the walls of the auditorium as the audience anticipates the upcoming production. Suddenly, a single light shines upon them, further adding to the dramatic mood of the scene. With that, the show has begun.
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his fall, the Hockaday Advanced Theatre Class is putting on the play “Women in War.” The one-act play takes its audience through the tales of multiple women in times of conflict. The play tells stories of women and their role in wars that America has been involved in, specifically highlighting how their roles have changed as the years have gone by. It dates all the way back to the Civil War era and also includes the more recent Iraq War. Drama teacher Emily Gray goes through the lines and directs students on where to move. She has carefully selected the play, after months of searching and is excited to see the impact that the play has. Lily Forbes, a junior in Advanced Theatre, is playing the role of Helen, a woman in World War II whose boyfriend was just drafted to war. “It is a very emotional story and it will be hard to watch, so it will be hard to put on that in a real and sensitive way,” Forbes said. “I think that it will leave a heavy feeling.” Junior Celese Gierhart is a utility player (somebody who plays multiple roles within one play). Her roles include “donut gal,” “a body in a war zone” and a “Vietnam girlfriend.” She believes that Hockaday is taking a new direction with this play and that it is unlike any from the past. “The different perspectives of the era, and how you can hear the writers through their letters as well as their diversity, I believe make the play different from any other that we have done,” Gierhart said. The stories told through the play are realistic and often don’t have happy endings to them, which is a different take on the multiple Hockaday fall plays that have been done in the past. “I hope that people know that happy endings are rare in the context of our show that even though it does have happy endings, they are not common,” Forbes said. The play takes a heavier note and focuses on more controversial topics compared to other fall plays that Hockaday has performed. Even though there are many humorous remarks, the message of the play is something that is serious and very relevant to our culture: the role of women in war whether it be at home or
on the battlefield. “A lot of times, Hockaday plays are focused on more funny things. It is interesting that this one is taking a different approach” said Gierhart. Because the play is different from past Hockaday plays, the set design is unique as well.
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I hope that people know that happy endings are rare in the context of our show, that even though it does have happy endings, they are not common.” Lily Forbes Junior
“The crew had an interesting challenge to come up with a set or world that the play can exist in,” Gray said. The set jumps around from a therapist’s offices to battlefields to kitchens. The transitions between the sets are done by the set design crew, who has been finding ways to encompass all the decades that the characters in the play are representing within the set. These universal sets allow for the characters to interact with one and another even if they are all not in the same eras. “There has been a lot of input and there has been large design meetings going on,” Gray said. “The characters are away at war so they wanted to create a common home,” Gray said. The design crew has been working on the set since the beginning of the year. Since all the characters are always on stage, the main challenge for the crew has been to find one set that can represent all the different eras that the women in the play are from. “Hopefully they will be fascinated by the set, I think it’s really unique and there are a lot of intricate parts on the set that add to the total image of the characters,” Gierhart said. The play goes seamlessly through stories
of each woman which is done through transitions that make sure the play can be understood by the audience. “Each one is a snippet, if it was a movie it would be a montage, you dip in and out these stories constantly,” Gray said. Finding a way to make transitions between the different eras of the play was difficult as well. With such a hard-hitting play, the transitions have to make sense so the message of the play does not get lost. “For me, what is challenging is how to transition in and out of the time periods,” Gray said. “It would be really easy for the play to not make sense to the audience.” By using music, Gray has been able to make the transitions easier for the audience to understand. She incorporates dances, like the jitterbug, to show that the time period is changing. For more modern eras concerning the more recent wars, she will play more up-to-date music, such as “I’m a Survivor” by Beyoncé. “The music and the movement are things that help the play transition really clearly,” Gray said. The play takes an interesting view on hard times at home, and shows how they can empower women, through common stories of wartime that would remain otherwise unknown to many of us. It shows that women did not just stand by ideally while their husbands, boyfriends, or fiancés went of to fight. Characters like the one Forbes portrays are there to show the audience how women have been there as an imperative part of the history of our country’s wars. “I guess the most unique [thing about the play] is that it takes place throughout so many different time periods we have, but it has universal themes of war and it transitions between different time periods,” Forbes said. “Women in War” is a very different Hockaday fall play, as it takes often-forgotten periods of history and turns them into a modern relevant play about empowering women. Even if it is not funny like past plays the message of the play makes the show enticing and a show that all Hockaday girls should watch. “I think it’s a very engaging show and the audience will find it very easy to watch and want to know what happens next,” Gray said.
Gray hopes that the play will empower girls and inspire them through these stories of hard-working women, and showing that theatre can send powerful messages and doesn’t have to always be funny. “I am always interested in shows that can stretch my actors and challenge them,” Gray said. The play teaches her students about how to be more versatile actors and shows the audience that theatre is not only funny, but can be used to convey a serious message as well. Gray wants the audience to learn as much as she did while directing the play and understand the various roles that women have had to assume over periods of war. Gray believes that the show can teach the audience important messages about empowering women and hopefully inspire them to take action or to continue to learn more about this unfamiliar topic. “Theatre is more than just a frivolous thing to do and the whole point of theatre is commenting on social injustices,” Gierhart said.
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Stories of Women Represented
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Perfect Pumpkins
Chop to the Top
No Hate for “The Hate U Give”
PHOTO BY JANET YOSHII-BUENGER
Paws for a Cause: Photography and Service
FURRY FRIENDS • Hockaday Advanced Photography students take pictures of one of the dogs from Paws in the City during their class period. The dogs were brought in on Oct. 1, and students met them in the area outside of the Lower School Barn to photograph the pets.
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n the bright, sunny day of Oct. 1, Midas, Rita and Scamp visited the Hockaday Advanced Photography class. Their eyes glinting with mischief, Rita and Midas sat on a haystack as Scamp lounged in the grass, his yellow bowtie gleaming in the warm sunshine. The visitors weren’t students, family members or college representatives—rather, they were dogs from Paws in the City. Paws in the City is a no-kill rescue organization working to end the abuse of dogs in the Dallas metroplex. The organization finds families to foster dogs from animal shelters until they get adopted, hoping to reduce the 6,000 euthanizations in Dallas. To help the dogs get adopted, the Advanced Photography classes took pictures of them for a photography project. Laura Day, Director of The William B. Dean Service Learning Program, and photography teacher Janet Yoshii-Buenger began or-
CLUB
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It’s just another way that we can be helpful. To me—and this is the important part—I think about repurposing as opposed to adding on.” Laura Day Director of William B. Dean Service Learning Program
“Often, dogs are skittish in a new environment around new people,” Yoshii-Buenger said. To keep the dogs calm, students used dog treats and gave the dogs lots of attention. For the project, Paws in the City brought three or four dogs to each class period on Oct. 1. The students took photos by the Lower
School barn. Day stayed there for the entire day to supervise, waiting for the dogs to arrive and managing the project to ensure that everything went smoothly. And it did. Although a few dogs were shy at first, they quickly warmed up to the students, and the photography collaboration was a success. “Every dog was just so crazy and loving,” Day commented. “They all loved the students.” However, instead of taking pictures of the dogs, sophomore Hudson Johnson chose to photograph the students. “I thought it was really cool to see people’s reactions while photographing the dogs,” Johnson said. The students then edited their photographs and will send them to Paws in the City, where the center will post some of the pictures on their website to help the dogs get adopted. The photography class will also showcase their photos around campus along with a description about the stray dog problem in Dallas. The project is another part of Day’s initiative to implement community service in classrooms. “It’s just another way that we can be helpful,” Day said. “To me—and this is the important part—I think about repurposing as opposed to adding on.” She would like to implement community service without giving additional work or stress to the students and teachers. “Mrs. Yoshii was going to have photo projects anyway. This was an easy fit,” Day said. Overall, the experience received very positive feedback. “I liked that we got to go outside and connect with these really cool people from the organization,” Johnson commented. “They were so happy when we were taking pictures of their dogs. It was a great experience.”
by Kelsey Chen • Staff Writer
Every year, Hockaday hosts a club fair to shine a spotlight on all of the clubs that the school has to offer. These clubs catch the attention of possible members with food and fun signs. At this year’s club fair, several new, offbeat clubs presented themselves, enticing students at Hockaday. Read below to learn more about them.
PHOTOS BY JULIA DONOVAN
FAIR
ganizing the project in early September. “For dogs to get adopted, photos are a big deal,” Day said, “I thought, ‘We have photography students, and kids love dogs.’” So, she contacted Yoshii-Buenger, who set up the unit and planned what day her classes would do the project. Day then reached out to the rescue group, scheduled time slots with them and communicated with Hockaday administration about bringing dogs on campus. Yoshii-Buenger invited professional pet photographer Jenna Regan to teach her classes how to photograph animals, a unique skill that the photography students needed to develop when taking pictures of the dogs. The students learned how to take pictures that portray the personalities of the dogs and how to capture unique things about the breed. Additionally, the students needed to figure out how to earn the dogs’ trust by letting the puppies get to know them on their own terms.
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Music and Money
Sophomore Isabel Malakoff, the president of the Music Business Club, came up with the idea for her club over the summer when she got a taste of the music industry. Her sister worked for Ticketmaster, an entertainment company based in Beverly Hills, California. “I thought it would be fun to have a club focused around the music industry when I started to do more research about all of the different jobs and opportunities for careers,” Malakoff said. Sponsored by Upper School history teacher Lucio Bendetto, the club will outline four important aspects of the industry: music management, live music, music production and distribution and music journalism. Isabel hopes to accomplish this through listening and discussing with successful speakers. “I hope it inspires girls to pursue future careers in this field, or be inspired to learn more,” Malakoff said.
What Do You Meme?
Aspiring to Conspire
The Meme Club is one of the newest additions to the many different clubs offered at Hockaday. The two sophomore co-presidents, Shinjini Mukherjee and Emilia Callahan, collaborated one day during Y period after watching memes on their Instagram explore pages. Members will discuss, create and analyze memes. “I can’t wait to see everyone having fun with their friends and bonding over their love of memes,” Callahan said. Mukherjee and Callahan plan on hosting meme competitions with their sponsor Upper School math teacher Karen Sanchez, to allow members to compete against their friends in making memes. “Memes bring people great joy, and we want to spread that love with the Hockaday community,” Mukherjee said.
Sophomore Claire Tate is the founder and co-president of the Alternative History Club. Tate first came up the idea for the club in the summer of 2018 while watching YouTube videos with her brother. Sophomore Maddie Fisher, the other leader, and Tate plan on watching videos and looking at historical readings to open discussion about different popular conspiracy theories. “We are hoping for people to have fun and learn about new ideas and theories that they might not know about,” Tate said. The leaders’ overall plans are to look into the significant historical events, look at not widely accepted perspectives and share these views with the 48 club members. “We are currently trying to make efforts to have guest speakers or get on Skype calls with different conspiracy theorists to hear their views,” Tate said. by Julia Donovan • Staff Writer
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Nov. 2, 2018 • The Fourcast
Reviews & Reflections
NO HATE FOR THE “HATE U GIVE”
5
rable. Starr’s father (Russel Hornsby) gives “The Talk”, referring to a specific set of instructions about what to do when getting pulled over by the police. The fact that he must expose his children to such a heavy topic speaks to the affliction of our society. Struggling with typical high-school drama and SATs, Starr’s character appeals to the average teenager learning to navigate the confusing waters of adolescence. I was able to empathize with her poignant sense of isolation and immediately loved her funny, dynamic narration. Her conflict escalates as the situation spirals out of control, and Starr is forced to make a decision: stay silent, or speak for Khalil and face the scrutiny of the media and punishment by a drug lord. Starr’s friends at Williamson Prep, including her best friend Hailey (Sabrina Carpenter), are more than willing to advocate for Khalil, but not for the right reasons. They do not recognize and appreciate their privilege; rather, they abuse it, using the protest as a means to skip school. Through her microaggressions, Hailey’s character highlights another pressing issue of our generation. Although the plot centers around a heavy topic, Starr finds comfort in her family and friends, integrating touching moments of laughter and
humor in the movie. I was pleasantly surprised to see so much love in a community fractured by fear and hate. Several humorous scenes prevent “The Hate U Give” from being just another didactic film preaching about society, elevating the movie to a memorable and enlightening narrative. Overall, the movie was engaging and illuminating. I enjoyed how the complexity of the characters and relationships provided an elaborate conflict and addressed real-world problems that don’t have a simple solution. While the movie has a long running time (over two hours), it’s difficult for me to complain because I felt that the film expertly exhibits conflicts that are raw and very real. Each moment contributes to the plot. While the endless drama is exhausting, it accurately reflects the weariness of a community that is constantly under scrutiny. With an intriguing, politically relevant plotline and a relatable main character, “The Hate U Give” takes the audience on a deeply thought-provoking journey, issuing an urgent message about race and culture in America.
PHOTO PROVIDED BY 20TH CENTURY FOX
Family love, self-discovery and political controversy come together as a reflection of the human condition in the noteworthy drama, “The Hate U Give.” Based on the best-selling novel by Angie Thomas, “The Hate U Give” follows the experience of Starr (Amandla Stenberg), a black 16-year-old girl who must strike a delicate balance between her two worlds: Garden Heights, the poor, predominantly African-American neighborhood in which she lives, and Williamson Prep, the affluent, mostly-white prep school she attends. Her two worlds collide when she witnesses a white police officer shoot and kill her childhood best friend, Khalil (Algee Smith), and she faces conflicting pressures from everyone in her community to testify in front of a grand jury. Matters are further complicated by the fact that Starr has a white boyfriend, Chris (KJ Apa), and that her black uncle works for the same police force. The title of the film is a reference to THUG LIFE., which was introduced by rapper and political activist Tupac Shakur, who tattooed the phrase across his stomach. Shakur argued that the hate given to marginalized groups comes back to cause bigger problems for all of society. Starr’s understanding of this phrase reveals the maturity resulting from her early exposure to violence. The opening scene is particularly memo-
20TH CENTURY FOX
5 stars by Kelsey Chen •Staff Writer
PICKS DIRECTED BY GEORGE TILLMAN JR.
“TRENCH” IN THE CHARTS
1. 14 songs on Rock Songs Top 25 2. Album No. 1 on Alternative Albums
Men of Honor (2000)
Notorious (2009)
The Longest Ride (2015)
Faster (2010)
PHOTO PROVIDED BY WIKIPEDIA
PHOTOS PROVIDED BY WIKI COMMONS
3. “Jumpsuit” held No. 1 of Alternative Songs for three weeks
TWENTY-ONE PILOTS TOP THE CHARTS
5 You may recognize the name Twenty One
Pilots from their immensely popular album “Blurryface,” released in 2015. The titular song dominated the radio for months and the catchy tune wormed its way into every listener’s brain. The success of “Blurryface” is going to be hard to top, as all of the tracks in the album went gold, platinum or even multi-platinum. Yet the band’s new album “Trench,” released on Oct. 5, might be able to do so. The band is comprised of vocalist Tyler Joseph and drummer Josh Dun, with some songwriting help from Paul Meany. Joseph’s melodious voice paired with strong beats is present throughout the entire album. Twenty One Pilots is known for their range of styles through their songs, but it seems as if Joseph can handle it. The first song in the album, “Jumpsuit,” jars the listener with its strong lyrics and bass. This seems like an interesting choice to start an album out with, as the first song usually sets the mood of the entire album. But, as I was soon to find out, this does not hold true for Twenty One Pilots. “Levitate,” the second song in the album, has more of an R&B style to it, with Joseph rapping along to a strong, eerie tune. Along with the strong drum beat in the background, spooky, haunted house-like noises float in the backdrop, leaving the
listener with an unsettled feeling. Yet songs like “Legend” and “Bandito” have more of a floating, effervescent quality to them. These songs are more up my alley, with soft vocals and a piano melody in the background. Both songs are quite soothing, a nice break from the harsh rap and metal-esque screaming present in earlier tracks. “Morph” exudes a more soothing mood, with a nice mixture of falsetto and chill rap. Electronic piano chords provide an interesting break from the basic drum beat in the background. I would say that “My Blood” is the most stereotypical song on this album. It sounds very familiar to many other chart-topping songs. With a pop-ish beat and fun electronic piano sounds in the background, “My Blood” isn’t necessarily something that you would sing along to but might find in the background of some sort of teenage comedy movie. My favorite song on the album would probably have to be “Smithereens.” The laidback beat and calm singing provide a very romantic, blissed-out listening experience. If you’re looking for a new song to add to your “chill” playlist, go ahead and add this one. The rest of the album is a medley of different genres: “The Hype” sounds much like a song that could have been released in the 80s. “Nico and the Niners” is darker, with deeper vocals. “Pet Cheetah” is an astonishingly
PHOTO PROVIDED BY WIKI COMMONS
cohesive mix of rap, techno and house (a type of EDM). I honestly wasn’t expecting to like this album. In fact, I was kind of dreading having to listen to it. “Jumpsuit” wasn’t exactly up my alley, but the rest of the album quickly made up for it, especially the more alternative-type songs that I usually gravitate towards. Even songs that I wouldn’t usually listen to, like “The Hype,” left me with a happy, pumped-up feeling. Overall, even if you don’t usually gravitate towards Twenty One Pilots, go ahead and give this album a listen. The duo’s ability to incorporate multiple genres into their songs and not make it seem overwhelming proves that there is something for everyone in the track. Will “Trench” become even more successful than “Blurryface”? I think yes.
5 stars
by Ponette Kim •Copy Editor
PHOTOS BY ELIANA GOODMAN
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The Fourcast • Nov. 2, 2018
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Fried Eggs Chilli Flakes
Creamy Avocado
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The Original Chop Shop 51717 Legacy Drive, Suite 180, Plano. 972.635.8440
CHOP TO THE TOP
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A massive poster, adorned with many pictures of colored cauliflower, fresh avocado and green-smoothie-type concoctions caught my eye during one of my frequent visits to the Shops at Legacy. A new restaurant, the Original Chop Shop, was going to open in August and bolstered the mantra “Just Feel Good Food.” Now, it is finally here. While I wouldn’t consider myself a foodie, I am very picky about the food that I eat and try to exclusively eat healthy foods. So, the arrival of a Flower-Child-esque restaurant that didn’t entail a 30 minute or more commute sounded otherworldly for a Plano native like myself. They also have a location in Irving and are opening another one in University Park by the end of 2018. The restaurant itself, which is located in the forever-trendy Shops at Legacy, has a clean and open décor theme. They have wooden accent tables and shelves which give the café a more rustic feel and adorably vibrant yellow chairs. At first glance, I was very impressed with the atmosphere of the Original Chop Shop. All of the employees greeted me with a smile and I felt very welcomed. The service was quick and my table received the food we ordered within 15 minutes. The menu offers a variety of healthy options: any kind of juice, smoothie, salad or nourish bowl you could imagine. My favorite item on the menu was definitely “The Hydrator” juice. Because it’s only ingredients are cucumber, pineapple, lemon, coconut water and aloe vera, I felt instantly refreshed and satisfied. I will say, however, that the juice itself might not be filling enough for an entire meal. I recommend pairing “The Hydrator” with a piece of avocado toast. As an avocado-holic myself, I have tried avocado toast at several brunch places and I think that the Original Chop Shop does it best. The creamy avocado blended well with the toast’s seasonings, tomatoes and grain toast. However, I don’t recommend trying the grilled protein bowls. I eat similar entrées for dinner quite often and, frank-
From the FOURCAST Kitchen
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Avocado Toast, $5.00 Grilled Protein Bowl, $7.00 “The Hydrator” Juice, $5.75
ly, theirs was bland. The vegetables and tofu were cooked nicely but there was no spice, tang, zest or kick. Even the sauce glazed on top had lackluster flavor. For a restaurant with sustainable produce, the Original Chop Shop had very reasonable prices: the bowl was $7, the juice was $5.75, and the avocado toast was $5. Overall, I would recommend the Original Chop Shop for those who have a knack for health foods or consider themselves avocado aficionados. But, I would definitely suggest sticking to their juices and appetizers rather than the actual entrées. If you’re in the midst of a health kick, looking for a post-workout snack or even just want to take the trek to Plano to try out a new restaurant, head over to the Original Chop Shop and eat feel-good food!
4 stars by Eliana Goodman • Magazine Editor
News Editor Kate Woodhouse’s Recipe Protein-Packed Edamame
Ingredients:
Directions:
Materials:
1. Twelve oz bag of frozen edamame 2. Two tbsp cooking oil 3. Two tbsp parmesan cheese 4. A sprinkle of red pepper flakes 5. Salt and pepper for taste
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. 2. Place frozen edamame on a pan covered in parchment paper. 3. Mix the edamame with cooking oil. 4. Sprinkle parmesan on top. 5. Season with red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper to taste. 6. Bake for 20 minutes.
1. Parchment paper 2. Baking pan
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Nov. 2, 2018 • The Fourcast
The Hockaday School
arts & life
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The Fourcast • Nov. 2, 2018
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CITY SLICKER Perfect Pumpkins
PHOTOS BY ERIIN PAROLISI
Visiting pumpkin patches serves as one of the most popular autumn activities. Finding a location for taking artsy autumnal photos, choosing the perfect pumpkin or going on a fun family outing can be hard. With dozens of places to look for the perfect pumpkins in the Dallas area, here is The Fourcast’s take on the best ones!
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Family Friendly Flower Mound Pumpkin Patch 5100 Cross Timbers Road Flower Mound, Texas 75028
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Largest Assortment Ruibal’s Plants of Texas 601 S. Pearl Expressway Dallas, Texas 75201
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Quickest Stop Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church Pumpkin Patch 9800 Preston Road Dallas, Texas 75230
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Photo Opportunities Galore The Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Gardens 8525 Garland Road Dallas, Texas 75218
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Best Fall Decorations Jackson’s Home and Garden 6950 Lemmon Ave. Dallas, Texas 75209
by Erin Parolisi • Staff Writer
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STRICKEN WITH FEAR, A YOUNG MOTHER RUSHES INTO THE E OLD SON, LYING AS LIMP AS THE TEDDY BEAR HE CLUTCHED THE BOY’S BLISTERING FEVER AND UNRELENTING COUGH LED CHARACTERISTIC OF THE SEASONAL FLU. WHAT SHE FAILED TO STRAIN OF THE MEASLES. THE CAUSE: A PRESCHOOL CLASSM
ALTHOUGH THE MAJORITY OF AMERICANS CHOOSE TO VACC PEOPLE WHO OPT OUT OF VACCINATIONS DUE TO RELIGIOU “ANTI-VAXXER” HERSELF, THE MOTHER WAS CONFIDENT THAT SHE NEGLECTED TO IMMUNIZE HER CHILD, SHE IS FACED WITH
A NATION DEFINED BY VACCINATIONS STORY BY SHEA DUFFY AND EUGENE SEONG PHOTO BY CHARLOTTE DROSS BREAKING DOWN VACCINES The concept of immunization is not new. Despite the long history of infectious disease within the human race, the first successful vaccination was created only 200 years ago, when Edward Jenner, an English physician and scientist, introduced the smallpox vaccine. After observing that milkmaids who had previously caught cowpox weren’t affected by smallpox, Jenner determined that inoculated cowpox protected against smallpox. Every fall, millions of children across the United States flock to the doctor to get their vaccinations. However, according to the CDC, many parents do not understand the importance of early protection against serious diseases that have the capability to harm infants. Assistant Secretary for Health Admiral in the U.S. Public Health Service Commissioned Corps Brett Giroir believes that there is a need for higher levels of education regarding immunization. “A lot of it is education,” Giroir said. “We really believe in trying to educate as much as possible to make sure that they have the right information, because the right information really shows that vaccines are extremely, extremely, safe.” While parents try their best to protect their children, they often become subjected to germ-filled environments in their earliest years, especially in daycare and preschools. This may appear alarming, but early exposure to different viruses and bacteria helps to strengthen a child’s immune system, fortifying a lifetime immunity that prevents the severity of adult diseases. Because these germs are so prevalent in the real world, it is important to realize how the immune system operates. When germs invade the body, they attack and multiply within a host cell, creating what is known as an infection. The immune system then works to fight the infection, and once the infection has been conquered, the body stores a supply of cells, called antibodies, that help recognize and fight the disease in the future. Vaccines are able to speed up this process by helping to develop an immunity to a wide variety of diseases, ranging from the basic flu to easily-spreading measles. Through an agent that resembles a disease-causing microorganism, comprised of weakened or killed forms of the microbe, the vaccine injects the infection into ones’ body. However, the “imitation” infection does not cause illness, but rather encourages the immune system to develop the same response to the vaccine as it would to a real infection.
BEHIND THE ANTI-VACCINATION MOVEMENT Although vaccinations tend to be more common within today’s society, this has not always been the case. Resentment towards vaccination dates back to the 19th century, as the idea of infecting oneself with Jenner’s smallpox cure frightened many people. In 1998, former British doctor Andrew Wakefield made the claim in a magazine, The Lancet, that the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine is closely related with intestinal complications and autism. Wakefield, with his proposal of ‘autistic enterocolitis,’ linked these common symptoms and autism together to summarize his findings. Wakefield and his colleagues conducted an experiment with 12 children deemed “normal” by the scientists. Eight of the children received MMR vaccines prior to the research. After testing, nine showed autistic symptoms, one showed signs of Heller’s syndrome and two were found to have endured post-vaccinal complications. Eightythree percent of the test subjects showed symptoms falling under the autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and all of them had gastrointestinal disease. This claim attracted the public’s attention immediately, igniting panic in parents who, influenced by the press, began to resist the use of MMR vaccines or vaccines in general. Later, numerous researchers found this paper flawed. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia stated that in 1998, over 90 percent of British children received MMR vaccines. If Wakefield’s findings were true, the United Kingdom should expect many cases of autism shown in vaccinated children. In his analysis, he only compared cases of ASD in vaccinated children; those who weren’t vaccinated were excluded in this report. According to ScienceNews.org, children selected for Wakefield’s study were specifically selected to create a biased result favoring his claim. Some test subjects were involved in a lawsuit against the MMR vaccine manufacturer, and the lawyer of the lawsuit funded his research, therefore making Wakefield’s claim and methods skewed in his favorite. Later in 2010, The Lancet retracted Wakefield’s claim. However, the effects of the controversy still remain. Barbara Fishel, Dean of Studies and Upper School science teacher, teaches the popular science semester course, Microbiology and Infectious Diseases. She is well-versed on the topic of vaccines and ongoing anti-vac*Some names have been changed for privacy purposes
ocus
The Fourcast • Nov. 2, 2018
EMERGENCY ROOM. IN HER ARMS, SHE HOLDS HER TWO-YEARD A FEW HOURS AGO. A LARGE RASH COVERS HIS FRAIL LEG. D HIS MOTHER TO SIMPLY ASSUME THAT HIS SYMPTOMS WERE O RECOGNIZE WAS THAT THE INFANT HAD A LIFE-THREATENING MATE WHO CARRIED THE FATAL DISEASE.
CINATE THEIR CHILDREN, THE NUMBER OF “ANTI-VAXXERS,” OR US AND PERSONAL BELIEFS, CONTINUES TO GROW. BEING AN T VACCINES DID MORE HARM THAN GOOD. BUT NOW, BECAUSE THE DEVASTATING POSSIBILITY OF LOSING HER SON FOREVER.
cination movement. “Wakefield did not conduct a well-controlled experiment but probably still influenced some people even though it was retracted,” Fishel said. Not all supporters of the anti-vaccination movement believe that vaccines lead to the development of these disorders. For instance, senior Bailey Savoie believes that vaccines are unnecessary in a developed country like the United States, where there is modern medicine and clean hygienic living conditions. “If everyone has a foundation of basic health and cleanliness principles,…there isn’t a need for vaccines. If everyone is doing things to prevent disease and illnesses, then your body is strong enough to fight them,” Savoie said. “You become more immune in that way, because your body is fighting it naturally rather than getting something injected into you.” Savoie also questions the effectiveness of the flu vaccine. Among her friends, Savoie is the only one who has never received a flu vaccination. And come flu season, Savoie’s many classmates and acquaintances often catch the flu, despite the shot they received months before. Savoie, however, has remained healthy and so far, has never caught the virus. Her father, who was fully vaccinated throughout his early years, is the only inoculated member of the Savoie family. However, he still suffered from measles and chickenpox, despite the fact he was vaccinated for both diseases. “You vaccinated a child who still got the disease, and they turned out fine, but did they really need the vaccination in the first place if they’re still going to get it?” Savoie questioned. Fishel pointed out that the benefits from vaccines far outweigh any temporary discomfort. “While not all vaccines are 100 percent effective, they provide better protection than remaining unvaccinated,” Fishel said. Another senior, *Stella, who wishes to remain anonymous, prefers not getting vaccinated due to her personal beliefs. Growing up in an old-fashioned religious community, her parents and neighbors preferred natural remedies over medication. Religion does not promote either sides of vaccine standings, but they believe that Mother Nature provides everything humans need for survival. “[We live in a] lifestyle in which we prefer natural remedies over medication, with vaccinations as a last resort. It is just a part of our culture,” *Stella said.
DISEASE AND VACCINATIONS IN SCHOOL COMMUNITIES When the Upper School was polled and asked if they believed if vaccinations are crucial to maintaining healthy school environments, 143 of 168 of respondents responded ‘Yes.’ The 25 who voted ‘No’ symbolize the controversial debate between schools and vaccinations. This breach was shown earlier this fall, when both W.T. White High School and Plano West Senior High School were met with two outbreaks of infectious diseases: tuberculosis and measles respectively. While school districts and independent schools like Hockaday have mandated vaccination policies, the belief that dangerous diseases have faded from existence has been contradicted by the resurgence of infection in the past decade. Students of the Dallas Independent School District and other school districts, bound to the Texas Department of State Health Services minimum state vaccine requirements, are able to waive vaccination for both medical and personal exemptions. According to a 2016 Texas Tribune article, 497 of Dallas I.S.D. students are annually exempted from state-required vaccinations for personal or medical reasons, making up 0.34 percent of the student population. However, schools like Hockaday are entitled to create their own policies regarding vaccinations, given that the schools’ approaches conform to Texas state laws. Karen Halsell, who juggles her role as Hockaday’s school physician and mother to a sophomore day student, helped confirm a new policy to ensure school-wide safety. “My primary role is as the Hockaday’s health department advisor,” Halsell said. “I worked with the health department to establish Hockaday’s official policy stating that everyone needs to be fully vaccinated under the State of Texas’ public health laws. We do not allow parents to turn in the waivers accepted at most public schools.” Although parents can no longer provide a waiver for personal or religious reasons, many students are forced to abstain from vaccinations for medical reasons such as allergies or immune system disorders. However, Hockaday’s two-year-old policy ensures that vaccine-preventable diseases are quarantined from the campus, maintaining Hockaday’s pristine record of keeping out serious disease. Because of this, 99.5 percent of Hockaday’s 1,090 students are fully vaccinated—including boarders—tallying the number of students exempted to under 10. “As a parent and a pediatrician, I feel safer knowing that the large majority of students in contact with my daughter are fully vaccinated,” Halsell said. “When you hear about these schools [like W.T. White and Plano West], parents can rest easy knowing their children go to a school where these infections are, for the most part, preventable.”
EFFECTS OF VACCINATIONS ON PUBLIC HEALTH In the 21st century, the world population, living in closer proximity than ever before, depends on public health to keep communities safe. Vaccines greatly contribute to preventing our population from the easily-spread pathogens that have the capability of infecting entire communities. Under state laws, most vaccinations are mandatory for entry in schools and workplaces. As more people of a population are vaccinated, thus forming an immunity to certain disease, a herd immunity develops. The population, a “herd,” is then, as a whole, resistant to the spread of contagious disease. With this developed herd immunity, these people are protected, but maintaining it is challenging. To eradicate easily-contagious diseases like measles, at least 90 percent of population must be immune. And while a high percentage of immunity is important in a community, it does not necessarily ensure that the entire population is safe, nor does it guarantee a herd immunity. Currently, most developed countries have a high vaccination coverage, but there remain some communities where few are vaccinated, thus impacting the full potential of herd immunity. While some people in religious communities and developing areas may not have access to safe and affordable vaccines. Government and health organizations advocating in favor of vaccinations help to make this change in universal healthcare. Giroir works closely with other members of his department to rally in support of vaccinations in the hopes of preventing future outbreaks. “My office oversees the National Vaccine Program Office, and we want to make sure that vaccines are completely available, inexpensive and accessible to everyone,” Giroir said. For example, according to the Giroir, the United States Public Health Service Commissioned Corps (USPHSCC) has direct experience caring for individuals who have the Ebola virus. Their willingness to help increase the knowledge of those who are providing care is an attempt to promote higher levels of knowledge in the healthcare industry. The USPHSCC is not alone in their actions for reform. The National Institute of Health (NIH) teaches people how to conduct clinical research to impede the spread of Ebola with vaccines and treatments in West Africa. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) sends “disease detectives” organizations, with the attempts of furthering knowledge and medical help for those in need. Giroir attests to this need for change in education regarding vaccines, hoping the field of public health continues to develop over time. “Eighty thousand people died of just the flu last year. Eighty thousand,” Giroir said. “Not every one of them would have been saved with the vaccine, but it could have made a difference. This is a tremendous problem, and we need everybody to get their vaccines.” For more information on how vaccinations pertain to you, visit https://www.dshs.texas.gov.
Percentage of Upper School that believes vaccinations are crucial to public health
Crucial (94.77%)
Non-crucial (1.74%)
Not crucial, but beneficial (3.49%)
Percentage of Upper School that knows someone opposed to vaccinations
Knows (41.67%)
Doesn’t know (58.33%)
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Nov. 2, 2018 • The Fourcast
The Hockaday School
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I really feel like I am making strong connections with students outside of the classroom.” From Farm to Classroom p17
PHOTO BY JENNY CHOI
Residence Regains Reagan ➝ Story by Michelle Chen • Web Editor BACK IN THE GROOVE • The new Activities and Transportation Coordinator Reagan Martin gets to know the girls in the residence department. Just five years ago, she herself was graduating from Hockaday, so the school holds a special place in her heart.
With a flash of bright hair and a burst of excited laughter, a familiar face popped up in the Schmitz Family Residence Hall at the end of September. Reagan Martin ‘13 introduced herself as the new part-time Activities and Transportation Coordinator, and took up residence in the empty faculty apartment between the Upper Morgan and Trent halls.
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artin moved into the bustling halls just when boarders had settled into the rhythm of the school year—hanging out with their friends in the lounges, studying in the common area or walking to-andfrom their rooms and the rest of the campus. Although none of the residence students have seen Martin’s face before September, she is no stranger to these halls. Martin is a former Hockaday residence student who graduated with the Class of 2013, and for her, returning to the dorms is almost like moving back home. “A lot of things have changed, but at the same time, nothing has,” Martin said. “I have my own apartment with my own bathroom. Other than that, everything seems to be the same.” The position of the Activities and Transportation Coordinator has been in different hands after the departure of former full-time coordinator Angie Jorgensen last spring. Since then, the job had been handled by sisters Irene and Lindsay Opoku-Acheampong until the end of last school year, following with Weekend Dorm Parent Robyn Fullum stepping up as the interim coordinator in August. Fullum had returned to her former title as full-time weekend dorm mom after the arrival of Martin. The job of the Activities and Transportation Coordinator involves scheduling transportation for boarders to participate in off-campus activities. These trips range from a quick stop at Starbucks to a day at the Dallas Museum of Art, and they make up a large part of the residence experience at Hockaday. The job also includes the arrangement of transportation to-and-from the airport when students leave and return from holiday breaks. According to Director of Residence Life Gary Stollar, the Activities and Transportation Coordinator holds an essential position in the residence department. “I think it’s incredibly important that our boarders get outside of Hockaday, and that they get to experience things that they want to experience,” Stollar said. “It just creates a far better experience for boarders if they feel that they have access to activities in and around Dallas.” Before coming back to Hockaday, Martin received her bachelor’s degree from the University of Oklahoma, and she is now pursuing a master’s
degree in American studies at the University of Dallas while getting a teaching certificate. Martin was first informed of the position opening during the 2018 alumnae weekend, where former Director of Residence Life Meshea Matthews told her about the opportunity. When Gary Stollar stepped up as the new director of residence life, he reached out to Martin again about the availability of the job. Since Martin is now back at Dallas for graduate school, she thought that the position at Hockaday would be perfect for her. “I loved Hockaday when I was here, and I’m getting my teaching certificate, so working in a school environment would be a really great opportunity for me for not only my studies but also for some career development,” Martin said. Martin is confident that her past experience as a Hockaday resident will help her in her job, as she is familiar with not only the Dallas area, but the culture at Hockaday. “I feel like I really understand the needs and expectations of what girls are wanting,” Martin said. “Or, if I don’t always get it right, I know that they can come and talk to me and I’ll come from of reference where I
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It’s incredibly important that our boarders get outside of Hockaday, and that they get to experience things they want to experience.”
Gary Stollar Interim Director of Residence Life completely understand, because I was in your shoes.” Martin was no ordinary Hockaday boarder. During her senior year at Hockaday, she served as the House Council President. The House Council is the official student council of the residence department, and the role of the house council president involves listening to the needs of boarders and working with the residence administrators to address those needs. In her new job, Martin will be working with the House Council again, especially with House Council Vice President Dawn Grillo, who serves as the liaison
between the students and the Activities and Transportation Coordinator. Grillo is in charge of holding planning committees, where resident students can share their transportation requests. Grillo then works with the Martin to schedule transportation accordingly. “Because she’s younger, it will be a lot easier for her to understand the things we like to do,” Grillo said. “Especially because she was also a boarder, she will know not to have a Target trip at 4:15 p.m. because nobody’s gonna go.” Dorm Parent Vicky Palmer was Martin’s dorm mom during her senior year and remembers Martin as always having a positive and friendly attitude towards students and staff. Palmer believes that Martin will be “terrific” at her new job. “I was just thrilled to death that she was able to come back. She loves Hockaday. She’s one of the most dedicated Hockaday people I’ve ever met, so I thought her positive attitude would be so good for us,” Palmer said. Though Martin is now Palmer’s colleague, Palmer still can’t help but feel like the “mother hand” to the girl that was once in her hall. Palmer is proud to witness Martin’s growth, however, and sees her as “a very competent adult.” As Martin settles into her new position, one of the challenges she faces is the need to balance her school work with her job. “There’s a balance for any adult who lives in boarding to be able to protect some of her time for herself, so that she’s able to do her job here and to study and do well in grad school, but also to be able to carve out personal time,” Stollar said. “That isn’t always easy when you live in a boarding school.” Martin, on the other hand, believes that she will be able to handle her new responsibilities with a well-managed schedule that includes both designated study times and free time to visit with students and her colleagues. “I really like being accessible and having the girls be able to come and talk to me when they need to come talk to me,” Martin said. “So it’s just creating boundaries when you find the time, but I feel like if you isolate yourself too much you really miss out on the experience.” Looking forward, Martin hopes to build great relationships with both the students and the faculty.
She also hopes to bring back some of her favorite activities from when she was a student, like movie nights and community service trips, as well as fulfilling the requests of current boarders. Palmer believes that Martin can bring many fresh ideas to the table. “I think she’ll be great in doing whatever we need, but so far, she’s wonderful,” Palmer said.
COME AND GO
While current and past residents have all called 11600 Welch Road their home, many things have changed over the years. Making up a large part of the residence experience, off-campus activities document these changes and trends. Here are some popular trips from Reagan Martin’s time at Hockaday versus popular trips today.
2013
When Martin was a boarder, NorthPark Center didn’t have their Institute Curfew, which now requires that children 17 years old and younger cannot stay in the center by themselves after 6 p.m. According to Martin, over half of the residence students would head on to the shopping mall for Friday movie nights each week. Other noteworthy locations include: 1. NorthPark Movie Nights 2. Fat Straws 3. Culture and Arts Performances 4. Community Service Opportunities
2018
With the rise of Instagram, many boarding students like to visit Instagram-able Locations around Dallas like Sweet Daze Dessert Bar to take cute pictures. Over the years, there is a clear increase in trips that are not only fun but creative. Other noteworthy locations include: 1. Instagram-able Locations 2. NorthPark Shopping 3. Jazen Tea 4. Science and Art Museums
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The Fourcast • Nov. 2, 2018
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faces & places 2
FORGING FUTURES. 3
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4 1. Micah Lyles starts off his day by responding to emails at his standing desk. 2. Courtney Skerritt flips through the Fiske Guide to Colleges in between meetings. 3. Libby Conder
reviews incoming transcripts to check that they are accurate. 4. Elizabeth Jones conferences with senior Emily Wu as the college application deadline quickly approaches. 5. Micah Lyles reviews a student’s supplemental essay before his meeting.
PHOTOS BY CHARLOTTE DROSS
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s November begins, the seniors’ early decision college deadlines are due in a few weeks, with regular decision deadlines right around the corner. As a consequence, the college counseling offices have been bustling with activity. This article peers into the daily lives of Hockaday’s three college counselors: Courtney Skerritt, Micah Lyles and Elizabeth Jones. While college counseling seems to resemble a mixture between a secret society of seniors and juniors and a stress vacuum from the outsider’s point of view, Hockaday’s three college counselors assure only positivity and hard-work inhabit their small college realm. Whether it be working as a college counselor at another school or being on a college admissions board, all three counselors have had years of experience in the college admissions realm before coming to Hockaday. “I initially entered this profession on the admissions side, and I worked for a number of years doing college admissions and recruitment,” Jones said. “During that time, I learned about the role of a college counselor on the high school side, and I realized that was the job I wanted to be doing.” Every year, each counselor works with about 80 students: 40 seniors in the fall and 40 juniors in the spring. While seniors finish their college processes at the beginning of the year, college counselors begin the whole process over again with the juniors towards the second half of the year. Although each counselor works with a plethora of students, they ensure to treat every girl as an individual, giving them their full attention. To guarantee an equal experience for each student, Lyles has a certain chair in which all students sit during their meetings. “Every girl who sits in that chair is an individual,” Lyles said. “Her curriculum is unique because of our semester course offerings, her activities and interests are unique because of the depth of activities that Hockaday offers.” While the counselors aid their students to understand the break down of the college admissions process and go through it in a really successful way, the girls ultimately are the ones facilitating their progress. “My job is to help students learn how to identify schools that are great fits and put together applications that represent their stories, all while serving as their advocate,” Jones said. While seniors fill out applications in the fall, the counselors not only are busy meeting with the girls about their applications, but they also have to edit their essays, meet with college representatives and attend college informational meetings with the juniors. “I enjoy every aspect of October, but writing 40 unique letters of recommendation—which I actually love to do, is challenging. I just wish I had more time to do it—meeting from 7:45 a.m. to 4:45 p.m. in back-to-back meetings with students, while still trying to edit multiple essays for each student, all within a four to six week period is difficult,” Lyles said. However, despite the constant work, all three counselors love their jobs. “My job is so interesting because the students are so interesting. My job is to help the students tell their stories,” Skerritt said. “I am fascinated in the relationship between the student and the school, and how cultures shape an individual. I feel like there is no better example of that than a college application.”
by Ashlye Dullye • Business Manager
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The Hockaday School
Nov. 2, 2018 • The Fourcast
A Day in the Life of
Martha Castillo Assistant Director of Child Development Center Martha Castillo has worked at Hockaday for 14 years. She now teaches the infant class at the CDC, where babies as little as six weeks old to 18 months spend their days while their parents work at school. In a rundown of one of Castillo’s typical days at work, The Fourcast pulls back the curtain on what goes on behind the scenes at the CDC and just how Castillo works her magic to bring about the babies’ smiles that brighten up the campus every day.
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Rise & Shine!
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MEAL PREP | Small clients, big appetites. Castillo prepares meals for the babies using frozen breast milk that the mothers bring in or baby formula and stores them in the freezer in preparation for when they come in.
7:15 A.M. 6:30 A.M.
KNOCK KNOCK | The babies arrive! Castillo greets the parents and warmly welcomes the infants into the classroom. The babies say goodbye to their parents who head off to work for another Hock-a-day.
EARLY BIRD | Castillo arrives at the CDC to prepare for a successful day at the infant class. She uses bleach water to disinfect everything from toys and door handles to the telephone for a germ-free environment for the babies. She also makes sure that there are no small objects on the floor that the children can choke on.
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Ring, ring
8:00 A.M. BREAKFAST BREAK | Castillo gives the babies a fulfilling breakfast to start off their day, watching as each child enjoys their baby bottle. Then, she plays with them and changes their diapers if needed.
3:30 P.M. 3:00 P.M. CHECK UP | On Wednesday and every other Friday, Castillo leaves the infant class at 3 p.m. and visits the other classrooms to check on their progress and play with kids from different age groups. She helps the other teachers with their jobs and read books for the children to entertain them.
RUNDOWN | After she leaves the classrooms, Castillo helps Director of Child Development Center Angel Duncan with organizing files or answering any questions from parents. After she completes her errands, her day at the CDC comes to an end.
2:30 P.M.
Goodbye!
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9:00 A.M. MUSIC TIME | According to Castillo, the babies love music! The infant class has a full on dance party as Castillo plays music on the speaker and entertains them with delightful sounds. Even though some babies still can’t walk, their faces light up when they hear the songs.
TUMMY TIME | Castillo massages the arms, legs and tummies of the babies to relax their limbs and make them feel comfortably awake after their naps.
10:30 A.M.
PHOTOS BY MICHELLE CHEN
FUEL UP | Castillo grabs lunch after a long morning at the infant class, while other teachers step in. When she comes back to the CDC, she makes sure that the babies have lunch as well and changes their diapers if needed.
12:30 P.M. RECHARGE | Stomachs full, the babies doze off as Castillo helps coax them into slumber. According to Castillo, babies older than 13 months usually take one nap a day on schedule for about two hours. Babies under 12 months, however, can require up to three or four naps a day.
Afternoon fuel
by Michelle Chen •Web Editor
people
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The Fourcast • Nov. 2, 2018
From Farm to Classroom
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PHOTO BY DOUG AUSTIN
The Mountain School incorporates farming into its innovative boarding experience.
CONVERSING WITH OTHERS • Students at The Mountain School Rose (left) and Sadie (right) clean beets at the end of a day spent at the school’s farm. During a farm day, students solely work on the farms all day to harvest vegetables before the end of the growing season.
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n the snowy afternoon of Feb. 2, very unlike the one in Dallas, junior Louisa Lindsley will begin her semester abroad at The Mountain School in Vershire, Vermont. As she walks about campus, she will hear the cows mooing, chickens bocking and a familiar Hockaday face, Dr. Sarah Traphagen, talking with students. The Mountain School promotes an unconventional education, where students live with limited technology and work on a farm in addition to their studies. These practices allow students to form close relationships with each other and their teachers. One of the areas of The Mountain School that facilitates these close bonds is the lack of technology. Students have their cell phones taken away for the first month of their semester. After that, students can choose whether to take back their phones or continue without them. The Mountain School also only offers WiFi in the academic buildings and dining hall, so students have no access to internet in the dorms or in nature. The cell reception is also limited there, so WiFi is needed for the calls, restricting the area in which students can call or text on campus. Students also become closer with teachers through their work on the farms. Four times a week,
students work for two and a half hours on the farm during work periods led by their teachers. Interim Farm Manager Marisa Hebb trains the teachers so that they can be prepared to guide the students in the task for that day. “That’s maybe the most stressful part of my job because there is no time to do [conduct the training],” Hebb said. “I have to cram it in to the second half of lunch in a very hurried explanation.” Along with guiding the teachers, Hebb also takes an inventory of their harvest of the year before and the seeds they have in storage to make the seed order, plans the crop rotation to ensure the maximum yield and creates a seeding and transplanting plan for the crops. She is the chief decision maker when it comes to the farm.
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We’re striving for sustainability not just of our isolated little campus; we actually want to have connections to the community.” Marisa Hebb Interim Farm Manager
“As we go along, there are thousands of decisions to make every day about how to do things and in what order to do things to get them all done,” Hebb said. The Mountain School’s farm faces the challenge of a short growing season because of its location in Vermont. Hebb has to prioritize all of her duties at the farm and manage them well in order to prevent the loss of a crop or a smaller yield than normal. Since The Mountain School is a semester school, the fall and spring terms each get to experience different roles in the success of the farm. Fall students begin their year with the harvest. They learn to pick, wash and store fruits and vegetables for later use by the kitchen. As the weather gets colder, students spend one work period a week chopping down trees on campus to supply the giant boiler that heats the school. In the spring semester, students continue to gather wood for the boiler. They also seed and transplant for the harvest for the following fall, harvest some salad greens and parsnips, a yield much smaller than in the fall, and install irrigation. Spring students in the winter also get to participate in the making of maple syrup, gathering about 4,000 gallons of sap to make 100 gallons of syrup. Due to the large quantity of syrup produced, The Moun-
tain School does not need to outsource any maple syrup. In fact, the farm generates enough produce and meat to cover 70 percent of the food eaten at The Mountain School. The school has to outsource all of its wheat and dairy but buys it locally to promote a farming community in Vermont. If a crop fails, they can replace it with some produce just 10 minutes down the road. While the school gets lots of firewood from their forest, they still buy about 85 percent of the firewood needed to heat the campus from local loggers. “We are really thinking about regional sustainability,” said Hebb. “We want to support the farmers that are nearby as much as possible. We’re striving for sustainability not just of our isolated little campus; we actually want to have connections to the community.” The Mountain School’s farm, sustainability and challenging academics make it an attractive option for any student looking for a semester away program. Lindsley cannot wait to work on the farm in the spring or see Traphagen, her former English teacher. “I am really excited to see her when I go,” Lindsley said. Traphagen worked as a Middle and Upper School English teacher from 2014 to 2018. Now, at The Mountain School, she teaches English, manages the library, advises students, coordinates standardized testing and is a dorm mom. “I wear a lot of hats,” Traphagen said. Traphagen originally chose to leave Hockaday to be closer to her family in the northeast. The Mountain School attracted her because of its innovative approach to education. Not only do teachers get to teach classes, but they also get to work on the farm, live in the dorms with students and develop close relationships with students through advisory roles. Traphagen currently is the dorm mom to 12 boys and advises two students, who meet with her for 30 minutes every week. Traphagen also awaits the arrival of her former student. She requested to be a part of Lindsley’s semester experience in some form, either as a teacher, an advisor or a dorm parent. “I cannot wait to see [Lindsley’s] smiling face,” Traphagen said. Ultimately, Traphagen appreciates the school’s hands-on approach to education and enjoys the many different ways in which she has been able to bond with those in the community. “I am not just a teacher here,” Traphagen said. “I really feel like I am making strong connections with students outside of the classroom.”
by Kate Woodhouse •News Editor
BOARDER LINE Sophomore Erin Hughes is not only new to Hockaday, but new to the experience of going to school. Previously homeschooled, Hughes underwent a significant change this year, as she transitioned from learning at home to attending a boarding school. The Fourcast talked to Hughes to find out how she has adjusted to her new life and what she thinks of it.
EVERYTHING IS BIGGER IN TEXAS
Senior Kristi Li loves the Korean band Bangtan Boys, also known as BTS. Always having been a loyal fan, Li went to the September BTS concert, during which she purchased a special-designed BTS glow stick that now adorns her wall. “It is one of the greatest experiences in my life,” Li said. “Being able to meet my idols made me felt so empowered and determined.”
●●● Why did you decide to board at Hockaday after being homeschooled?
It had a lot to do with the fact that where I’ve been living in St. Thomas, there had been two hurricanes, so my parents wanted us to have some stability. They wanted me to start getting prepared for college, getting the credits I need and the experiences that I hadn’t had yet.
What is the biggest difference between Hockaday and your homeschool experience?
From homeschooling to this, everything is different— going to classes, having homework and having due dates and teachers. The teacher dynamic is also very different because I’ve never had teachers before, so it’s hard to know when to ask for help, when to ask questions and what you can ask them.
What was the transition like from homeschooling to Hockaday?
I like to think I’m still in transition. It was a lot of everything all at once. I just kind of had to figure it out as I went along, one thing at a time. The other students helped me the most with the transition. There are people who I can ask about how I’m supposed to handle something or who I can go to. The peers who have been here in previous years have been a really great resource.
As the 2018 Texas State Fair opens for the year, the Hockaday Residence Department has ventured out to the fair grounds for a day of fun. On Oct. 11, Dorm Mom Masha Barsuk led a group of 13 girls onto the journey to the homeland of deep-fried oreos and cotton candy tacos for a day of fun.
Fun at the Fair
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BTS LOVER
What are you looking forward to the most in the future years at Hockaday?
I think it would be nice in the future, when I know what’s going on and I’m adjusted to going to school and being a boarder. It will them be a lot smoother and I’ll be able to perform better on a lot of different things.
by Emily Wu and Michelle Chen • Views Editor and Web Editor
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The Hockaday School
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This is important work to change how we see the education for all the students in Dallas” Catching Up With the Cowboys p19
PHOTO BY ALEXA MAY
Building Blocks for Bachman ➝ Story by Ponette Kim • Copy Editor
CONSTRUCTION FOR CREW • Seniors Felicity Diamond and Isabel Peppard, both engineering students, assemble lowboys using PVC pipes for their newest project dedicated towards building new equipment for the Hockaday crew team. Diamond rows for Founders Rowing Club, so if familiar with these this type of equipment and the ways that it works.
Rowers from Hockaday, St. Mark’s School of Texas, the Episcopal School of Dallas, Founders Rowing Club and Dallas Rowing Club are used to seeing each other around the boathouse; everyone has a general sense of who belongs to which club.
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ut one fall day, three unfamiliar faces disturbed the sense of familiarity that usually engulfs Bachman Lake, bringing with them an exciting new opportunity for Hockaday. Three seniors from Hockaday’s Engineering class traveled to Bachman Lack one afternoon to assess and measure the crew team’s equipment. It was seniors Felicity Diamond, Isabel Peppard and Justice Coutee. The three girls took on the task of rebuilding some of Hockaday’s crew equipment, such as slings and lowboys, both of which are meant to hold boats when they are not in the water. The Hockaday Engineering class, which is taught by Upper School science teacher Leon de Oliveira, begins the year by learning how to think about problem-solving methodically, with the goal of reaching a viable solution. According to de Oliveira, the class has three main goals: how to go about solving problems, how to engineer a solution and how to research and find the skills necessary to get solutions. “The purpose of the class is to study engineering design, go through the design process and figure out how to create new projects that will solve a problem,” de Oliveira said. “Before we started [the group projects], we did simple projects to learn how to break problems down.” After beginning the semester with simple projects, the class then moved on to their group projects, which are based around picking an organization and then designing items that will help them with their day-today activities. The groups can usually engineer their solutions using the materials that Hockaday has in the Engineering Lab, yet this year, de Oliveira believes that it might be necessary to think outside to box to make the projects a reality. “We have some fairly large projects this year that we didn’t really anticipate,” de Oliveira said. “We’re going to have to find outside funds and other places to purchase materials.”
In the past, some girls have helped redesign equipment for Hockaday’s pole vault. Others have worked with Wesley-Rankin Community Center, a non-profit organization in Dallas centered around “providing education and resources to drive community transformation,” according to their website, and North Dallas Shared Ministries, a “cooperative effort of 52 congregations that combine resources to efficiently deliver effective and appropriate assistance to Dallas’ poorest individuals and families,” as stated by their website.
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Before we started [the group projects], we did simple projects to learn how to break problems down.”
Leon De Oliveira Upper School Engineering Teacher This year, the students in Engineering are working with organizations in and out of Hockaday, including North Dallas Shared Ministries, the tech crew and the crew team. One girl is even doing a personal project, where she is designing a cane with sensors to aid blind people. However, this is the first year that Engineering has worked with the crew team, and much of that is accredited to Special Projects Coordinator and Head Crew Coach Will Forteith. “My office is in the science building, so I’ve enjoyed getting to know the science teachers,” Forteith said. “Mr. de Oliveira and I were talking, and when he told me about that class, I said, ‘I myself have some projects that would really help the team out and might be good for your class.’” Though it was originally Forteith’s idea to collaborate with Engineering, he has more of a “hands-off” approach. “Mr. de Oliveira asked me to come to one Engineering class and pitch what I needed,” Forteith said. “After that, the group was formed and they scheduled a time to come to the boat-
house, and the last email I have exchanged with them was that they were working on the prototype. I am really more of the client, rather than the teacher, in this case.” Diamond and her teammates have communicated with Forteith in order to determine what equipment needs to be replaced, while also being realistically feasible for the girls to build. After their visit to the boathouse, where they measured slings and lowboys, they began working on their prototype. “I’ve emailed with Forteith back and forth for a while now, and our team met with him once during school to discuss the prototype,” Diamond said. “Once we finish our prototype, we’ll meet with him again and ask his opinion.” Diamond rows for Founders Rowing Club and is already familiar with how slings and lowboys are built, and what exactly can be improved upon. “I came into the project already knowing how [lowboys] are made,” Diamond said. “At regattas, I’ve seen a lot of different types of lowboys so we used those for inspiration while building ours.” According to Forteith, lowboys can be made from a variety of materials, including wood, metal or PVC pipe. Currently, the students are using PVC pipe to construct their prototype. “We used PVC pipe, melted it down and used PVC connector and screws to make the prototype, so it is mainly plastic,” Diamond said. In order to guarantee that the prototype will hold the weight of a boat (a quad, a boat that can hold four people, weighs around 120 pounds), the team will use weights to see if it will hold. A quad usually costs around $25,000, so the team needs to make sure that the lowboys will not break under the weight. However, the team is not sure what the finished product will be made out of. It could be made out of PVC pipe still, or the group could decide to make it out of something different based on how the prototype holds up. “We could use PVC or wood, or even a combination,” Diamond said. “PVC is lighter, but we need to get Forteith’s opinion on it.”
Though the class has until the end of the semester to complete their projects, Forteith is hoping for a faster solution, as the crew team’s next regatta is on Nov. 10. “I hope they’re going to have some of the lowboys done by [Oct. 27], if not all of them,” Forteith said. “My understanding of the process is that the group identifies the problem, shows me a prototype, gets my feedback on the prototype, tweaks it from there and goes on to the manufacturing stage.”
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p.19 p.20 Looking ahead
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Tips & Tricks on Balancing School and Sports
The Fourcast • Nov. 2, 2018
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Junior Makes A Change
Catch Up With the Cowboys PHOTO PROVIDED BY CAROLINE O’BRIEN
Catch Up and Read extends their influence to the Dallas Cowboys.
CON-GRAD-ULATIONS • Showcasing their shiny new medals, Charles Gill Elementary Catch Up and Read graduates grin alongside their teachers. Catch Up and Read is a program focused on improving D.I.S.D. students’ reading skills and ensuring their educational success.
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hile many schools understand this fundamental principle of learning, some students fall behind. In fact, studies have shown that reading levels for students in the third grade can be used as warning signs of future graduation derailment. In a study released by the American Educational Research Association, they found that a student who can’t read on grade level by third grade is four times less likely to graduate compared to a child who reads proficiently at that age. With third grade being a pivotal point in a child’s educational career, the organization Catch Up and Read has stepped in, helping transform the lives of at-risk elementary students in Dallas Independent School District by equipping them with skills to read on grade level by third grade. Through multiple partnerships with the Dallas cowboys and generous donors, the foundation strives to make a difference in the lives of children across Dallas. Caroline O’Brien, one of the executive directors of the organization and a Hockaday parent, understands Catch Up and Read’s crucialness. She started working with the program when the founder, Catherine Leblanc, explained the organization’s goal to O’Brien four years ago. At the time, Caroline O’Brien was working on her P.h.D concerning exercise and its benefits, so due to her studies and the organization’s main goal,
the two women became fast friends. “I just loved what [Leblanc] was creating,” Caroline O’Brien said. “She was trying to figure out a way to help students in schools learn how to read through tutoring and after-school programs. It really builds relationships.” Leblanc worked with organizations and schools, such as Southern Methodist University, to develop a program that instructs teachers how to more efficiently develop reading skills in their students. Catch Up and Read consists of an effective three-pronged approach: collaboration with school leadership, after-school tutoring and advanced teacher training. First, the program collaborates weekly with school leadership to design and implement data driven instruction and to ensure alignment and accountability for results. By equipping the teachers with proven reading strategies, the program can assure accountability. Next, the program singles out groups of at-risk students according to their deficiencies and tutors the children after school in an 8-to-1 student-teacher ratio. Sadly, in a traditional educational setting, many low performing students do not grasp concepts when the teacher delivers the lesson. Through fun activities and one-on-one attention, the students start to retain the concepts taught in class to a further extent. Even though the students are the ones most affected in educational deficits, the
program realizes that they must target and coach the teachers as well, for the benefit of the students in the long term. With the help of advanced technology, the organization grooms the teachers to be able to deliver individualized material based upon ongoing computerized assessments for each student. Also, the teachers are compensated for their after-hours time and are paid during their informational sessions.
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Last year more that 75 percent of our third graders in the program met their grade reading level.” Fabian Hypolite Chapel Hill Preparatory Principal
But before any of these programs are even implemented, Catch Up and Read has to make sure the schools will wholeheartedly stick to their scheduled plan and curriculum. “I often go on campuses to meet with prospective schools to make sure that our philosophies match with theirs,” Caroline O’Brien said. “We want to know that the teachers understand how to teach effectively through our program.” Not only has the organization received many donations and interest around Dallas,
former Dallas Cowboys player and five-time Super Bowl ring holder, Charles Haley, funded Russell Elementary for $60,000 last year. With the help of Haley, the organization is able to talk to recent and former player as well as potential donors, opening the door for come generous contributions. “He really tried to spread the message that this is important work to change how we see the education for all the students in Dallas,” Caroline O’Brien said. “He’s a great spokesperson for children in poverty and those who need help reaching their potential.” Today, the program is currently working with 12 schools and an estimated 520 students in the Dallas ISD. With 20 schools on the waiting list for the program, Catch Up and Read has seen major gains in reading proficiency in every school they have worked with. “We track not only year-to-year effectiveness of the program, but long term as well,” Caroline O’Brien said. “Ninety percent of our students make gains, and with the other 10 percent that don’t make gains, our teachers help document and try to intervene to make sure the students don’t have learning disabilities.” Fabian Hypolite, Principal at Chapel Hill Preparatory, has seen these improvements at his own elementary school ever since the Catch Up and Read program was implemented four years ago. “The advantage of having [Catch Up and Read] on our campus is two-fold. Our teachers who participate through the professional development...eventually become stronger reading teachers on campus and experts in using ISIP data,” Hypolite said. “Our students learn social and emotional skills and ultimately become stronger readers. Last year more that 75 percent of our third graders in the program met their grade reading level.” Even though the school’s own teachers mentor the at-risk children, Hockaday students, like Caroline O’Brien’s daughter Elly O’Brien, have volunteered recently with the program’s yearly graduation. “I have worked with Catch up and Read, mostly towards the end of the school year with each DISD schools graduation,” Elly O’Brien said. “They give the students in the program a certificate that congratulates them on their reading, so I take pictures of the students and their parents on stage, help organize goody bags for teachers and sort paperwork for the program.”
by Paige Halverson • Managing Editor
TIPS & TRICKS: Balancing School and Sports
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Plan, and You Shall Succeed
Wise Weekends
Free Time Frenzy
Know Your Limits
The best way to stay on top of all of your school work and sports is to plan out your week: don’t let your week plan you! Make a list of everything you have to do and stick with it. Organizing your weeks and months with a planner can be very helpful to stay on top of workloads. The more you plan, the less stressed you will be as your year progresses.
Weekends are a key time to catch up on school and homework. Make sure to stay on task over the weekend, and if you have time, even get ahead as this will be very helpful in the future. When you have time, make sure to capitalize on this and get your work done.
Study halls are important times to talk to teachers, ask for help and get ahead on school work. Study halls are allocated time slots during your day in order to get more work done. Being in school will get your mind into student mode. While at school, there are also many resources that can be utilized, such as the library and teachers.
If you need to, take a break. The best way to be productive is to be in the right mindset. If you are too stressed, then take something off your plate. Your biggest priority is to stay healthy and happy. Drink some water, take a deep breath and leave some time for yourself. It will all pay off in the end!
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The Hockaday School
Nov. 2, 2018 • The Fourcast
PHOTO BY MADDIE HUM GIVING BACK • Junior Madison Stringfield loads sports equipment into the back of her mom’s car. She will then donate this equipment to various different schools and community centers across the D.I.S.D. area.
Donating for a Difference Junior Madison Stringfield takes initiative and gives back to her community.
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t first glance, junior Madison Stringfield may appear to be like any other high school athlete. She began playing sports at the age of four, and continued on this path throughout the rest of her school career, focusing her effort on certain ones that she liked more than others. However, this is where the similarities diverge, for Stringfield accomplished something that not many students can say they have done: she created a nonprofit. Nearly six months ago, Stringfield began laying the foundation for what would soon become a much larger-scale project. “At the end of last year, I had a bunch of athletic equipment that I didn’t use, so I decided to start my own nonprofit,” Stringfield said. “This summer I really worked on getting a bunch of equipment from families that I knew and people in our grade.” Essentially, she asked these families and members of her class to donate any old sports equipment that they no longer used. Stringfield then found ways to repurpose this equipment by donating it to various different schools and community centers that could make good use of the items. Earlier on in the process, Stringfield reached out to Laura Day, Director of The William B. Dean Service Learning Program, so that she might help facilitate this effort. “[Madison] sent all of these emails out and went and visited a lot of different community centers and local elementary schools and got informa-
tion from them about what they needed,” Day said. Day helped Stringfield with the logistics of the process, as she collects all of the donations received and delivers them to their various respective locations. These locations include the Wesley Rankin Community Center, Genesis Women’s Shelter Outreach, Brother Bill’s Helping Hand, Tom C Gooch Elementary School, Lee A. McShan Jr. Elementary School and Sam Tasby Middle School.
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Seeing how happy the kids are [has been the most rewarding part of this experience] because they don’t have the money to be able to get this equipment.” Madison Stringfield Founder of Replay Athletic Gear
When sending off her donations, Stringfield took a very methodical approach. She created a system that allowed her to track which places needed what, therefore allowing her donations to be that much more effective and personal. “So [Madison] has this giant excel spreadsheet that’s like ‘Gooch needs basketballs and shinguards and blank’ and ‘Wesley Rankin
needs this, this and this,’” Day said. However, this event truly took shape at the beginning of October, when the donation effort extended beyond Stringfield’s close family friends and grade. “A few weeks ago, the middle schoolers came to Mrs. Day, and they had the idea of doing a sports drive,” Stringfield said. “And Mrs. Day was like ‘Oh there is someone who has already started a nonprofit for that if you want to work with her.’” Thus marked the beginning of the Middle School sports drive, which ultimately exponentially increased the amount of donations that Stringfield had been receiving. Eighth grader Karla Cervantes is the Middle School Student Council President, and therefore had a large role in helping organize the Middle School sports drive. Originally, she and some of her peers hoped that their first Rockaday, or MiddleSchool-wide event, could be sports themed. Naturally, Stringfield’s nonprofit coincided seamlessly with their plans. “We heard of Madison and that she was in charge of a foundation for donating sports equipment,” Cervantes said. “So we thought that would fit perfectly with our Rockaday, which is sports themed, so our Student Council decided to email Madison and talk to her about the donations.” Being a three-sport-athlete herself, Cervantes was eager to help organize the drive and promote donations from Middle School students.
“[The most rewarding part] was probably the feeling that we helped that school have a basketball team,” Cervantes said. “We definitely want to keep doing this the whole year and helping other people.” Although the Middle School sports drive is now over, Stringfield plans to continue her nonprofit work well into the future. In addition to recruiting underclassmen to join her team, Stringfield also hopes to expand this initiative outside of the Hockaday community. “She is working to get partners—like ESD and Greenhill. . . So her hope is, as she grows this—and maybe gets a little army of people—they can reach out to all the places, get all of the sports equipment and then start really reusing it,” Day said. For now, however, Stringfield can take pride in all of the work that she has accomplished, knowing all of the positive change that she has brought to many individuals’ lives. “Seeing how happy the kids are [has been the most rewarding part of this experience] because they don’t have the money to be able to get this equipment,” Stringfield said. “A lot of times, they can’t play the sport solely because they don’t have the equipment for it.”
by Charlotte Dross • Editor-In-Chief
FOUR WARD Varsity Basketball vs. Parish Dec. 13
HVSD at St. Mark’s Nov. 29
HVSD at St. Mark’s Nov. 27 Varsity Volleyball vs. ESD Nov. 1
SPC Dallas, TX Nov. 8-10
Varsity Soccer vs. ESD Nov. 29
JV Basketball vs. Denton Guyer Dec. 4
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However, celebrities are no ordinary people: their words wield a truly unmeasurable amount of influence that is hard to come across anywhere else. Oh, Look What You Made Me Do p23
Education and Ethics Story by Niamh McKinney • Arts & Life Editor Story continued from p01 Despite this, many are concerned about the biases these changes may contain. Media outlets are especially focusing on the elimination of certain historical figures from the curriculum, such as Helen Keller and Hillary Clinton.
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any of the changes seem to have a certain political leaning in mind: conservative. Even though the changes are meant to cut down on curriculum, the board, according to Dallas News, voted to keep a description of the Battle of the Alamo as an event of “heroism”, Moses’ influence on the nation’s founding documents and several references to “Judeo-Christian” values. These changes are strongly supported by Texas Values, a “Christian values advocacy group” and several other conservative, religious organizations. Regardless of one’s political leaning, it is a fact that the First Amendment of the Constitution say that church and state should be separate. This fundamental idea should be considered especially important in schools, institutions that the majority of children have no choice but to attend because of finances. Religion should not be forced on anyone, especially children who cannot pay to go to a private school if they or their family disagrees with the teachings of public schools. In addition to changes that marginalize students who do not fall under the “Judeo-Christian” mold, the Texas Board of Education has further added to an environment that forces patriotism on students, such as in its description of the Battle of the Alamo and its preference for the military over other historical figures. Students around the country have been disciplined for sitting down or kneeling for the daily ritual of saying the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools. We should be moving towards education and school environments that are accessible for all students, without making anyone feel forced into an ideology they don’t agree with. The Board nominated 15 people, including some Texan teachers, to be a part of a work group that ‘graded’ historical figures with a rubric on their historical impact and legacy. According to Dallas News, this group removed Helen Keller, a political activist, author and lecturer, from a unit about citizenship because “Helen Keller does not best represent the concept of citizenship. Military and first responders are best represented.” However there were no comments explaining the recommendation to eliminate Hillary Clinton from the curriculum. While Clinton, the first female presidential nominee for a major U.S. political party has been eliminated, Bill Clinton’s impeachment will still be included in curriculum. Bill Clinton’s impeachment is a clearly important historical event, but I cannot understand why this event is more important than educating students about the first female presidential nominee. However, the concept of impeachment should already (theoretically) be covered in sections about
the Constitution and law concerning presidents. In my opinion, female representation in the U.S. government should be considered critical information for students. Coming from an all-girls school, it may be hard to imagine not having any positive female role models, but that is an unfortunate reality many girls face.
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Theoretically, the concept of impeachment should already be covered in sections about the Constitution and law concerning presidents.”
Niamh McKinney Arts & Life Editor Besides running for president, Hillary Clinton has been an influential figure in American politics and government for decades. Her accomplishments range from creating the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women to lobbying Congress for the Foster Care Independence Act while First Lady to working with Republicans to provide full military health benefits for veterans while she served as a U.S. Senator. How can this work group, and further, the Texas government, expect Texan citizens to accept their changes to history curriculum if their changes are not explained? The general public deserves an explanation for their decisions. To me, the elimination of two female figures seems like a deliberate act, not just a coincidence without proper explanations. The Texas Board of Education has a history of conservative, partisan changes to public schools. In Tennessee in 1925, the Scopes Monkey Trial fought over whether or not Darwin’s theory of evolution should be taught in school. It was seen as a victory for modern thinking at the time. However 92 years later in 2017, the Texas Board of Education voted to reinstate and include language and information in the science curriculum that creationists often use in attempts to discredit the theory of evolution. Some would say our state is moving backward in education. While media outlets tend to solely focus on the elimination of Hillary Clinton and Helen Keller, this new development raises many questions besides the specific changes of the recent vote: who is considered a hero historically? Who decides these characterizations?
While the Board’s vote did have a valid purpose—the need to streamline the curriculum—its decisions are clearly biased regarding which historical figures remain and which are eliminated. If the purpose was to cut down on the amount of figures students have to memorize, then why were Hillary Clinton and Helen Keller cut out while numerous war figures and generals remain? According to Dallas News, the Board is “unlikely” to remove a “reference to the Alamo’s defenders as ‘heroic,’” despite previous recommendations to delete the biased word “heroic.” Besides, just because students are introduced to a historical figure does not mean they have to be tested on them or memorize them. History is sometimes described as an never-ending story; how can we cut parts out of it as it grows? This vote also raises the question of partisan politics effect on education. The problem may stem from how the government approaches public education. While many local school boards and
city councils in Texas have candidates that run nonpartisan, the statewide Texas Board of Education runs partisan. However, Fort Worth Star-Telegram columnist Bud Kennedy recently wrote that “both Democrats and Republicans are trying to put labels on the nonpartisan May elections,” which are the elections for local school boards and city councils. As our political climate becomes increasingly polarized, we cannot let the divisions of American politics further infiltrate classrooms. As a state with 5.4 million public school students, Texas education is a serious topic underrepresented in national discussion. When education is biased, it can form students’ opinions for the rest of their lives. Texas students and students everywhere should have the opportunity to form their opinions from a neutral educational background.
CUT OUT OF HISTORY • Due to a change in curriculum, many historical figures will be cut out social sciences taught in public schools. Two of the heaviest-debated figures are Helen Keller and Hillary Clinton.
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The Hockaday School
Nov. 2, 2018 • The Fourcast
STAFF STANDOFF
To Track or Not To Track
We Love It, We Love it Not
The increasing prevalence of location trackers within our lives has both its pros and cons. In this debate of privacy versus security, writers of The Fourcast take their stances on if the use of location trackers should be promoted.
Privacy Protectors
“Why did you turn off your Snap Maps Ashlye? I love stalking you when I am bored!” sophomore Kaitlin Kelly told me after crew practice one day. In that moment, I might have been shocked; however, that was not the first time somebody had asked me why I had turned off my Snap Maps location. For those of you who do not know, Snap Maps allows you to share your location with whomever you choose. Like many others, I chose the option to show my location to everybody who has added me as a friend on Snapchat. They are then able to see my exact location from the last time I was on the app. This feature is surprisingly accurate, allowing an onlooker to see up to the name of the street I was on. I personally am an avid Snapchatter and thus, my friends had access to see my current location at almost all times during the day when I had the tracking feature on. About a month earlier, I had turned off my location services for the first time. Immediately after, about five of my closest friends asked me the same question Kelly had asked—each had done so separately. Although my friends told me that they only used this service when they felt excluded from events or to check if I was actually where I said I was, I quickly learned that my Snap location was viewed more than I had ever anticipated. From these experiences, I had also discovered that many of my friends stalk my location for just a mere source of entertainment. While at first I viewed this simply as all fun and games, I began to realize how creepy it truly is. Once I turned off my friends’ ability to track my location, I suddenly felt more free. Finally, I did not have to look over my shoulder for somebody tracking my every move. Finally, I did not have to worry about my friends nagging at me for how late they could tell I was going to be. Finally, I could just live my life without something documenting every second of it. However, in addition to the snap location issue, I have also run into my parents following my every move with the family networking app Life360 and the iPhone tracker app Find My iPhone. Both of these apps not only give my parents the ability to see exactly where I am 24/7, but also allow them to see my driving speed and give them alerts whenever I leave or arrive at a place. While I understand where their concern for my safety comes from, I believe that this crosses a line of privacy. If ever I am with my friends doing anything other than what I told my parents we were going to do—whether it’s just going to go see a movie or going to a different restaurant than what was planned—they will call and interrogate me. I would much rather prefer just sending pictures of my location or being honest and having my parents trust me when I tell them what I am doing. With these apps in place as I go to college in the future, they will continue to know my every move, most likely until I pay for my own cellular service—meaning that they will continue to know my every location into college and beyond. While the advancement of technology can be a good thing at times, location tracking apps cut too deep into people’s private lives. Whereas they can be useful for safety precautions, tracking apps can also be dangerous, as they oftentimes give random people access to your exact locations. Personally, I am against tracking apps and I will continue to keep my Snap Map location off and avoid my parents tracking me on Life360. by Ashlye Dullye • Business Manager
er athpic- r r o h mucndingtion ving I d oulust se locnad ha whening. w I r j my t a t me do fe of es us am preures honnts trhat I t eing are m w b y p the m ell t
the uT h r o u g h are a se of te tion ble to i chnology commuand contrmpose prot, we nity’ ibute ecs safe to a ty.
Location Lovers
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When the 8 p.m. rain started pouring down from the neon city sky and caught me in a fix, I had no other option besides hopping into one of the sketchy-looking, individually-run “taxis” parked outside the restaurant I had just exited. “Please go to Shenzhen Library,” I said cautiously as the taxi driver eyed his young passenger from the rear-view mirror. His watching eyes along with the shabby interior of the car instantly made me recall stories of a recent taxi robbery in this area of town. My nervousness quickly accumulating, I took out my phone and opened Wechat—a Chinese app that serves not only as a chatting software, but also an “instant location updater.” Within just a few seconds, my friend was able to receive my current location and even track me on the app’s local satellite map. As a matter of fact, I was not the only person who benefited from the protection that Wechat’s instant location updater provides. According to Tencent Holdings Limited, a multinational investment holding conglomerate, Wechat has just achieved a global user amount of 1.4 billion. The built-in locational updater of Wechat, being free-to-use and convenient, has also gained much attention and use, providing an alternative technological way to protect many of today’s youth—especially girls—in China. In China, Wechat’s locational updater has been proven to be popular and beneficial. Nevertheless, the concept of “sharing up-to-date locations” is not new. From the earliest weapon-based GPS system developed by the United States Department of Defense to the location-based service carried out by major businesses and mobile network operators, location trackers have always been an idea of great interest. Searching the keyword “location tracker” on Google gives approximately 323,000,000 results, in which commercials advertising purchasable civilian location trackers made up the majority of the first three pages of results. The abundance of location trackers proves that the public is very invested in knowing the whereabouts of others. But in order to fully understand the motivations of these people, it is also very essential for us to realize how exactly the location trackers contribute to our daily lives. By providing virtual updates of the locations of individuals, locational trackers serve mainly as pathways of protection. No matter the circumstances, location trackers have proven their popularity across multiple fields, from rehabilitation system to individual safeguard. One example of a popular use of location trackers is the house arrest system adopted by many nations, including the United States. By installing an electronic monitor, the current rehabilitation and imprisonment system is not only able to keep prisoners under control, but also save space in the already-crowded prisons. According to National Criminal Justice Reference Service’s official website, house arrest restricts an individual’s movement inside a certain range, allowed to leave only for medical and employment reasons. House arrest’s many advantages include “cost-effectiveness, responsiveness to community and offender needs, ease of implementation, and timeliness.” On top of the benefits of location trackers provide in the field of justice and crime, they also contribute to civilian use. By equipping location trackers, younger children and patients with Alzheimer’s disease or amnesia can also be put on a safe watch. Through the use of technology, we are able to impose protection and contribute to a community’s safety. As locational trackers become more popular, their disadvantages do have to be recognized: once fall in the wrong hands, location trackers might jeopardize people’s safety and infringe their privacy. However the disadvantages are undoubtedly outweighed by the benefits.
by Emily Wu • Views Editor
Thanksgiving Break It’s time to go stuff some turkeys! Fill your Thanksgiving with gratitude and every pumpkin dessert you can get your hands on.
Fall SPC On Nov. 8, Hockaday fall sports teams will debate from 11600 Welch Road and travel to their respective locations to compete for a winning title in the SPC championships. Go Daisies!
Late Senior Halloween It might be late, but it will never be absent. Mark the day on your calendar because it’s definitely worth the wait!
Windy Weather The comfortable sunshine and breezes finally came after days of showering. However, don’t forget your coat or you will be cold.
JRP Mini-Draft Due With coffee in their hands and dark circles around their eyes, the juniors will type away until the early hours of the morning to finish their JRP Mini-Drafts.
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The Fourcast • Nov. 2, 2018
ILLUSTRATION BY SIMONE HUNTER
hockadayfourcast.org
EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Charlotte Dross
MANAGING EDITOR Paige Halverson WEB EDITOR Michelle Chen COPY EDITOR Ponette Kim MAGAZINE EDITOR Eliana Goodman BUSINESS MANAGER Ashlye Dullye NEWS EDITOR Kate Woodhouse PEOPLES EDITOR Eugene Seong ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Niamh McKinney SPORTS EDITOR Shea Duffy VIEWS EDITOR Emily Wu CASTOFF EDITOR Sahasra Chigurupati PHOTOS & GRAPHICS EDITOR Kate Woodhouse STAFF WRITERS Ava Berger, Kelsey Chen, Kate Clark, Julia Donovan, Erin Parolisi STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Cirrus Chen, Jenny Choi, Varsha Danda, Nancy Dedman, Arushi Mukherjee, Menaka Naidu, Sarah Schultz STAFF ARTISTS Angelina Choucair, Cameron Ooley, Anoushka Singhania FACULTY ADVISER Nureen Patel
EDITORIAL POLICY The Fourcast is written primarily for students of the Hockaday Upper School, its faculty and staff. The Fourcast has a press run of 1,500 and is printed by Greater Dallas Press. It is distributed free of charge to the Hockaday community. Businesses who wish to advertise in The Fourcast should contact Ashlye Dullye, Business Manager, at adullye@ hockaday.org. We reserve the right to refuse any advertising which is deemed inappropriate to the Hockaday community. Opinions will be clearly marked and/or will appear in the perspectives section. Commentaries are the expressed opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect that of The Fourcast staff, its adviser or any member of the Hockaday community. Unsigned editorials that appear on the opinions page will reflect the official position of The Fourcast, but not necessarily the position of the Hockaday community. The Fourcast staff may cover student, staff, faculty or alumnae deaths as the staff is made aware. We reserve the right not to cover a death based on relevance, timeliness and circumstance. Corrections and clarifications from previous issues will be found as designated in the news section. Any questions or concerns about should be addressed to Charlotte Dross, Editor-in-Chief, at cdross@hockaday.org.
TAKING A STANCE • On Oct. 7, Taylor swift publicly endorsement Democratic nominees for Congress in the state of Tennessee. Nowadays, this is not unusual, as public figures constantly back political candidates in an attempt to get people to align with their views.
Oh, Look What You Made Me Do
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n Oct. 7, 2018, Taylor Swift threw the nation for a loop as she exposed a part of her life that she had managed to keep secret for twelve-odd-something years: she broke her political neutrality and backed Democratic office nominees. Swift publicized this knowledge via Instagram, allowing her 112 million followers—along with the rest of the world—to speculate on the statement. In her Instagram post, she not only endorsed Democratic nominees Phil Bredesen and Jim Cooper for the Senate and House of Representatives respectively, but very bluntly stated her disapproval of Marsha Blackburn, Republican nominee for Senate. Swift wrote, “As much as I have in the past and would like to continue voting for women in office, I cannot support Marsha Blackburn,” then going on to specify all the ways in which Blackburn’s beliefs did not align with her own. But Swift is not the first of celebrities to publicly endorse a candidate running in a political
race. Nowadays, it is very common for people of stature to make their political alignments known in an attempt to expand a certain candidate’s fan base. This can perhaps best be viewed in the 2016 presidential election, when public figures came out in support of presidential nominees left and right.
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However, celebrities are no ordinary people: their word wields a truly unmeasurable amount of influence that is hard to come across anywhere else.
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Now, I have no issue with people making their political beliefs known. However, celebrities are no ordinary people: their word wields a truly unmeasurable amount of influence that is hard to come across anywhere else. Therefore, if a celebrity comes out in favor or opposition of a certain candidate, it holds serious power. Take Swift’s case, for instance. After making her endorsement, thousands of people ages 18 to 29 registered to vote, according to Vote. org. Some are viewing this as a ripple effect of her post, as the possibility that Swift’s message reached her young fan base looms large. Clearly, Swift’s mere Instagram post inspired thousands—if not more—simply just to register to vote. Imagine the magnitude of the effect that might occur should her fans follow her instruction and vote blue in the upcoming Senate race. However, there are some positive aspects of celebrity endorsements of political candidates. Because of their large fan bases, a celebrity’s opinion can often make a large impact in situations—especially those pertaining to political races. If the reports really are true, Swift’s public announcement has the potential to have serious impact in the upcoming Nov. 6 election. In this sense, the endorsements are good, as they prompt citizens to vote. In Swift’s case, a large percentage of her fan base is comprised of younger generations, therefore meaning that a whole new generation of voters has now made their voices heard who might not have otherwise bothered to vote. The issue arises when uninformed voters blindly follow the actions of their celebrity idols. Our country functions on democratic principles, one of those being the ability to elect public officials to office. However, if fan bases of celebrities aimlessly vote based off of celebrities’ opinions, then their voice is essentially stripped away, and their opinion is not their own. Our political system is structured like so in order for voters to form their own, unique opinions on matters concerning government. And thus they should. Of course, there is no harm in being swayed to vote a certain way based off of a prominent individual’s endorsement. However, this should not be the end all be all. The second that voters stop informing themselves of the values and beliefs of the political nominees and instead start blindly supporting a candidate that their favorite Kardashian endorses is the second when celebrity involvement in politics will become more problematic than it already is. Ultimately, it boils down to the fact that, if a celebrity wishes to make known their political views, no one is going to stop them. However, something to keep in mind is this: when choosing who to vote for, it is important that one truly understands the platform of the candidates and doesn’t depend simply on outside influence to dictate what to do. And please: don’t wait for Taylor Swift to tell you to get up off of the couch and vote to go do so.
Charlotte Dross Editor-in-Chief by Charlotte Dross • Editor-in-Chief
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The Fourcast The Hockaday School 11600 Welch Road Dallas, Texas 75229
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Nov. 2, 2018 • The Fourcast
The Hockaday School
FRIENDLY FACES IN A SCARY PLACE
The Happy Pumpkin is arguably the simplest pumpkin design that a young, aspiring carver can produce. Because Halloween can be a scary time for trick-ortreaters. and a welcoming pumpkin can make them feel at ease. First, you need to hollow out your pumpkin. Then carve out two big triangles for the eyes that are two inches apart. Next, three inches below the eyes, cut a smaller triangle nose to match. For the smile, you can either do triangles lined in a wide “u” shape or a simple, moon-shaped smile with characteristic rectangle teeth. Finally, you end up with a pumpkin that will invite the trick-or-treaters in.
“NIGHTMARE BEFORE SENIOR HALLOWEEN”
Although I personally haven’t seen “The Nightmare Before Christmas,” I believe I may be in the minority. First, carve out two large wonky circles for the eyes each an inch apart. Next, add a pair of smaller circles below the eyes for the nose. Finally, cut out a large smile with ten vertical rectangles lining the spooky smirk. The pumpkin is sure to terrify any kids that walk by with its iconic Jack Skellington smile.
FREAKISHILY FUN
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PUMPED FOR PUMPKINS The Fourcast invites you to carve out four different pumpkins that will spice up your Halloween and scare your neighbors.
ONE-EYED WONDER
After you complete this design on your innocent pumpkin, you may not want to look; this one is really going to scare the kids and might get your name on the neighborhood watch list. True to its name, the Cyclops Pumpkin has one, moon-shaped eye. Next, carve out a large curved semi-circle with fangs. Six is appropriate.
DESIGN BY ALI HURST AND MORGAN FISHER STORY BY SAHASRA CHIGURUPATI PHOTOS BY FLICKR
If you actually want to attract trick-or-treaters to your door with your impressive carving skills, the Kooky Pumpkin might be your guy. Start out with two, mirrored moons for the eyes, and then, one inch down, carve a tilted triangle for the nose. The mouth is relatively similar to the happy pumpkin, but when you add off-kilter buck teeth for a unique touch, you’ll become the talk of your neighborhood.