The Fourcast February 2021

05 NEWS Students introduce new organization to encourage vaccination in community

20 SPORTS How does college recruiting work during a pandemic?

Find out from athletes 22 OPINIONS Student deliberates on who should get vaccines next

15 FEATURES Four seniors create product to take on sexual assault

THE

FOURCAST

The Hockaday School

11600 Welch Road Dallas, Texas 75229

February 11, 2021

Volume 71, Issue 4

STItching up the nation

The country moves forward following the Capitol riot, pg. 12-13.

Illustration by Louisa Benedict

Catch up on the latest campus news Remy Finn was chosen as a finalist for the New York Times 2nd annual Personal Narrative Essay Contest.

• 04 Learn about

the vaccine rollout and the experience of vaccinated teachers

• 09 New Wonder Woman movie doesn’t live up to original

Infocus

Centerspread

• 12-13 Look

into the views of professionals and peers about the Capitol riot.

Features 14-17

Princess Ogiemwonyi will represent Hockaday at the State Poetry Out Loud Competition in February. On Jan. 20, five finalists vied for the spot during the school’s final round for Poetry Out Loud via Zoom.

The 11 soccer seniors celebrated with their flowers on senior night.

Basketball and soccer celebrated senior night Feb. 2 and swimming and diving celebrated senior night Feb. 3.

Ogiemwonyi performs in 2019.

What’s coming up in the next month?

1 Spring Break

Although Spring Break will look very different this year, students are still looking forward to the week long break March 15 -19.

• 15 Four students devise product to counter sexual assault in college

• 18 What SPC

will look like for winter athletes with COVID-19 modifications

Opinions 21-23 • 21 Voters need to hold candidates to higher standards

2 Chinese New Year Chinese New Year starts tomorrow.

The festival of lights celebrates the start of a New Year on the traditional Chinese calendar. The celebration lasts up to 16 days. 2021 is the year of the ox.

A group of sophomores spent Spring Break last year in Seaside, Florida. Spring Break traveling is up in the air this year.

3 Habitat for Humanity 4 NAIS Since Feb. 6, four spots have been available each Saturday for Hockaday students to attend the Hockaday — St. Mark’s Habitat for Humanity build. The morning shift is from 7:30am-11:30am and the afternoon shift is from 11:30am-3:00pm. There will be a build this Saturday, Feb. 13. photo provided by Habitat for Humanity

Sports 18-20

Chun with her violin.

Faith Choi and Madeline Chun were selected as members to 2021 TMEA All-State Orchestras. This will be Choi’s fourth consecutive year and Chun’s second year to be selected.

Just FOUR You

photo provided by Caroline Zimmer

Arts & Life 07-11

photo provided by Chun

News 03-06

HockaBriefs

photo provided by Getty Images

the ’Cast

photo provided by Ogiemwonyi

Inside

The Fourcast

FOURWARD photo by Scott Peek Photography

02 February 11, 2021

Castoff • 24 Check out who

your classmates are sending love to as we near Valentine’s Day Bri Johnson, the recipient of the Habitat for Humanity house.

Laura Leathers, assistant head of school for academic affairs, will introduce The National Association of Independent Schools Assessment of Inclusion and Multiculturalism this year.

The NAIS website says the survey aims to help independent schools assess the “climate of inclusion” in their schools. The community questionnaire will be released toward the end of February.

hockadayfourcast.org

04 Learn about distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine

NEWS

February 11 , 2021

03

05 Students create organization to encourage vaccination

Checking in with debaters Social distancing means challenges for team, changes in tournaments

by Olivia Garcia Assistant Features Editor

J

How has this experience improved your debate skills?

uniors Cassie Liu and Naz Soysal and senior Mia Xia are participating as a team in the International Public Policy Forum hosted by the Brewer Foundation.

The girls are in round 32, debating a team from Northview High School in Johns Creek, Georgia. They have taken the affirmative position on the topic “the benefits of artificial intelligence outweighs the harm.” If the girls win against Northview, they will continue working their way down to the “elite eight” where the written debates turn into oral debates.

How have the three of you been preparing for the Forum?

“It is a lot of research really. For example, we’ve been reading medical studies and learning about how they use artificial intelligence. Also we’ve read books about how artificial intelligence has affected the economy.

So yeah, I’d say the most preparation we do is research deeply into the topic, particularly which arguments we are using and which arguments our opponents are using. Then we come up with responses to those arguments and write the essay. We make sure the essay is cohesive and promotes the narrative that we want.” -Soysal How has COVID-19 changed the format of this debate?

“Even without COVID, the first few rounds of the debate would not be in person. It would all be written. After it has been narrowed down to the final 8 teams, the “elite eight” are flown to New York for oral debates. This year the oral debates will be held over Zoom.” -Soysal What has been your experience working as a group?

“Ever since the beginning of sophomore year, we have gone to every single local tournament together. We went to nationals together, and we’ve gone to summer programs together. So we have been debating together

Photo provided by Sofia Yung

The engineering suite on the third floor of the science building has become the sole workshop for the robotics team and holds all their equipment and building supplies.

Photo courtesy of Naz Soysal

Liu, Soysal and Xia attend the John Edie Holiday Debate Tournament hosted by The Blake School. This is one of the many debate events where the girls have competed together.

for a long time and we work well together.” -Liu What has been your favorite part of the Forum?

“It has been cool to debate with people on the international stage. With COVID-19, it has been harder to do that in the normal debate world.” -Liu How has written debate been different from oral debate?

“I think it is really cool that this is a written debate because we have usually only been able to apply our

skills to thinking on our feet. When it is written we get to make sure that our arguments are concise and conveyed the way we want them to be.” -Liu “Also the fact that we are citing everything makes it much more about sound logic and sound arguments rather than how well someone can speak. No team can put a persuasive appeal without legitimate evidence backing it up. Written debate can expose the weakness of our arguments if we are not citing our sources or providing a fully logical explanation.” -Soysal

“I think it has helped us improve on our research. We usually don’t necessarily need to cite evidence, but in this written format we have to make sure our evidence is cited properly and that it actually supports our argument because that is something judges pay attention to.” -Liu “I think it also helps us with developing our argumentation. With real time debates, we only have so much time to speak and we have to jump through hoops just to get our point across. I think the skills we are getting from written debate will serve us well in the rest of the tournaments in our season.”

-Xia Do you prefer written debate or real-time debate?

“I think both offer different advantages. What I really like about real-time debate is the ability to use immediate logic or what first pops up in your head. In that way, real-time debate can be really interesting. Also, you get to interact directly with your opponents rather than just sending back essays. However, I think the advantage with written debate is you get to reach a lot more teams and I feel that the wins and losses are a lot more fair since you know everyone is using genuine evidence.” -Soysal “Since we do oral debates all the time, it is something we have gotten used to and it helps with thinking on our feet. I think the advantage to written debates is it helps us more with developing our strategy because we really need to think through what arguments we want to use since we have a word count.” -Liu Any prizes?

“If you make it to the top 16 teams, $500 is split between the team members. For the top eight, it is an all expenses paid trip to New York for in person debates. If we win first place, we get $5,000 for the school and $5,000 to split between the team members.” -Soysal

Food drive helps fill pantries

Donations go to North Dallas Shared Ministries supporting DISD families

Photo by Lili Beck

“The food drive is a great way Hockaday serves the community. By doing it every year. students build empathy which they will carry with them beyond high school.”-Sophia Bahad ‘21

Photo by Lili Beck

“To me, social impact isn’t just about what you do for others. It’s about learning to put the needs of others before your own.” -Ananya Sharma ‘22

Photo by Lili Beck

“Service provides an opportunity to positively interact with our community, building empathy in an increasingly isolated and distracted world.” -Sophia Yung ‘22

04February 11, 2021

NEWS

YOUR WORLD TODAY

The Fourcast

The hows, whats, buts of the vaccine Recipients express hope, anxiety about receiving injections

By Zoya Haq Staff Writer

A

s the world enters a new year of the COVID-19 pandemic, vaccine rollout to combat the spread of the virus has begun across the country. After the Food and Drug Administration’s approval of the Moderna and Pfizer vaccines at the end of 2020, health care workers and high-risk individuals have been traveling to rural pharmacies and local hospitals alike to receive their preliminary shots.

Both vaccines require two doses; after the first dose, which provides 20-30 percent immunity, one must wait three weeks for a second dose, which brings immunity rates up to 90 percent within one to two weeks.

Scientists are still unsure whether vaccinated individuals can spread the virus to unprotected members of their community; therefore, health care professionals advise those vaccinated to continue protocols like mask-wearing, hand sanitizing and social distancing in public areas.

Due to the abrupt and brandnew nature of the vaccine — it was developed over the course of six months — 40 percent of Americans have expressed anxiety about receiving it.

According to the Pew Research Center, some note potential side-effects and long-term health concerns as a deterrent. “As a health care worker, I was one of the first to get the vaccine,” Dr. Andrew Clavenna, father of sophomore Sophia Clavenna, said.

“I really had no side effects: only some minimal muscle soreness, which was less than I typically get with the flu vaccine. Some others have felt under-the-weather with fatigue and chills after the second dose, but I did not experience any of that.”

Media platforms like Instagram and Facebook have perpetuated Infographic by Zoya Haq the negative outlook surrounding A guide to understanding the process of vaccine rollout in the United States. the vaccine, according to an article in Time magazine.

“Social media has spread a lot the exact time it was scheduled.”

Vaccine rollout is expected to continue of information that I think makes people scared,” One important industry that could be directly throughout the spring and into late summer. sophomore Maddie Muller said. “But I think it’s impacted by widespread vaccination is the airline Companies like Johnson & Johnson and important to understand that vaccination is an industry. No airlines have said they will require Astrazeneca are in the process of seeking essential part of keeping our community safe, and passengers to be vaccinated before flying, other approval for their vaccines, and upon the FDA’s the pros outweigh the cons.” than Australian liner Qantas. However, as airplanes green light they will boost the rapidly dwindling Dr. Jason Goldstein, Upper School English have limited ventilation systems and require supply of doses. Experts like Dr. Anthony Fauci teacher, said his vaccination experience was prolonged indoor exposure, vaccine requirements speculate that upon the arrival of these new far easier than he thought it would be, and he may be necessary to ensure passenger safety. How vaccines, the end of the virus is within sight. Until experienced only mild side-effects. this will affect the travel industry — and whether then, Fauci and other health experts recommend “It went seamlessly. The arrival, and the it will lead to increased interest in domestic travel continuing to follow safety protocols to control information, was all presented in a very clear the progression of the virus. fashion,” Goldstein said. “I supplied my name, made — we will begin to see in the next few months as international borders reopen. an appointment and managed to get my vaccine at

hockadayfourcast.org

NEWS

February 11, 2021

Team encourages vaccination

05

Students spread research, information to community

By Kelsey Chen Jade Editor

A

s states are rolling out COVID-19 vaccinations, 40 percent of Americans still say they would not get the vaccine, according to a survey from Pew Research Center. Juniors Mina Raj, Lucy Roberts and Breland Bach are working to lower that percentage through their organization, Don’t Wait to Vaccinate.

“Lucy and I’s parents are both doctors, and our parents are conscious about how their communities weren’t necessarily taking the vaccine either,” Raj said. “I know in my mom’s office, at least 30 percent of the nurses aren’t taking the vaccine because they don’t trust it. So we thought, ‘what if we launched a campaign to spread information about the vaccine to convince more people to take it so the pandemic can end earlier?’”

By posting infographics on Instagram and Twitter, distributing flyers and designing a user-friendly website, the group hopes to make information from The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) more accessible and digestible.

“One of our goals is to make our website and social media an inviting place for people to go and get unbiased information about the vaccine that feels a little bit more comfortable than the CDC website, and more narrowed down to Dallas specifically,” Bach said.

The organization consists of three major branches: research, social media and outreach.

The research team, led by Chief Operating Officer Raj, synthesizes information from sources such as The New York Times and governmental websites.

The social media team, led by Chief Design and Creative Officer Roberts, creates infographics using information from the research team.

“Often the language of the CDC or The New York Times is a little more complex than what the average person may be able to understand, and they use a lot of fancy terms that might make people feel confused,” Roberts said. “The information that we release is easily digestible information.”

On the other hand, Bach, the chief financial officer, oversees sponsorship and outreach. She works closely with T.R. Hoover child development center and the group plans to hand out flyers at the school. The flyers, written in both English and Spanish, include information such as where to get the vaccine, what transportation to take and how to pay for the trip.

“To reach all the demographics, like with T.R. Hoover, we’ve had to think about handing out flyers,” Bach said. “For how many we want to do, that’s going to be $100, and if we want to keep on doing it, where are we going to get the money? So it’s my job to start out with smaller, more private people willing to give money to help out.”

As their platform grows, Bach plans to reach out to sponsorship companies and Hockaday family-owned companies that would be willing to financially support the organization.

The group also plans to connect with other schools as part of the outreach program and expand their efforts to more platforms, such as TikTok. “As the organization grows, we’ll have more nuances that might need managing, so we’ll add more people,” Roberts said. “But right now we just want to provide educational opportunities because there is a lot of uncertainty.”

Raj said she hopes to facilitate conversation among students and their families.

“It would be so cool if people showed these to their parents or their friends, and they start talking about the vaccine,” Raj said. “If we can convince hearts and minds to get the vaccine, that would be so amazing, not just for us personally to see, but for the whole community because it would help mitigate the spread of the virus.”

Website: https://dontwaittovaccinate.com Twitter: @dontwait2vax Instagram: dontwaittovaccinate Facebook: dontwaittovaccinate

The “Don’t Wait to Vaccinate” team meets via Zoom.

Photo from the instagram, @dontwaittovaccinate

Flyer provided by Lucy Roberts

Don’t Wait to Vaccinate created flyers and distributed them at the T.R. Hoover Community Development Center on Jan 18.

06 February 11 , 2021

NEWS

The Fourcast

Empowering young women’s voices Three students chosen to participate in national program on race, justice, equity

By Elisa Carroll Assisant Web Editor

L

indsay Heusinger, Naz Soysal and Zoya Haq were chosen to participate in a program called Empowering Youth Voices run by Close Up. Starting Feb. 22, these three Upper School students will engage in conversations about race, justice and equity with students across the nation.

Junior Soysal has done advocacy work in the past. is critical in creating real change in the areas I care about,” Soysal said. “I am super excited for teenagers across the country. Working with peers perspectives on a variety of issues.”

Junior Heusinger, a member of the Community Service Board, jumped at the opportunity to take part in this program.

“I saw the email that Ms. Day sent out and I was really excited about the opportunity,” Heusinger said. “I thought it was a great way for me to get new ideas in general and then also bring those ideas back to the community service board.”

In early January, Laura Day, director of service learning, sent an email to Form II and Form III students with program information, encouraging them to sign up. chose,” Day said. “They had to write a paragraph about why this mattered to them and then we took

Day partnered with Close Up to form the program and build its curriculum. Close Up runs programs based on civic education and mobilizing youth.

“Because of COVID, we’ve started doing all these Zoom programs,” Day said. “We decided that we should race, equity and justice program to bring students around the country who would want to talk about these issues.”

Schools around the United States send a select group of students to represent them and participate in the designed discussions.

“In this way, participants are not just talking

with the people around them, but they’re also talking with people across the country,” Day said.

The curriculum is divided into six 75-minute sessions on Zoom, each led by a Close Up facilitator. It aims to help students collaborate with others to generate ideas and build empathy for other people’s viewpoints.

“You leave students in those conversations as opposed to debates and you help them understand how to build consensus,” Day said. “Then you can help them come up with a plan about what they want to do with this information when they go back to their school.”

Despite COVID-19, students are still able to engage in these programs.

“Because of how much to Zoom, I love that our students have the chance to talk to other students,” Day said. “It’s so nice to have a diversity of opinion and meet other students like yourself. I think there is so much power in students coming together around the country around things they care about.”

hockadayfourcast.org

08 Check out some of the best outdoor restaurants

ARTS & LIFE

February 11, 2021

07

09 New Wonder

Woman movie not so wonderful

Photo provided by Scott Peek Photography

Dr. Raymond Wise, Professor of Practice for the Department of African American and African Diaspora Studies at Indiana University, Bloomington, accompanied by the Allen Trio Project led the All-School Mass Choir in singing during the 2018 MLK Day Celebration. The choir consisted of students from Middle School and Upper School. This performance was a part of the video that followed the live Celebration this year.

Virtual MLK Day Celebration still resonates Event looked different this year with video replacing live assembly

by Juliana Blazek Staff Writer

T

he Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day celebration looked different this year with a virtual presentation, but the performers and speakers did not fail to impress the community with their talents.

The live portion of the celebration was followed by a video incorporating speakers and performances from past years in addition to a few new performances for the 2021 celebration. The new performances ranged from dancing to singing to poetry and all were recorded after numerous rehearsals and days of preparation.

“Over Thanksgiving break, I had to learn the song and practice how I wanted it to sound and be presented,” Shayle Cruz, who sang Lift Every Voice and Sing by James Weldon Johnson in the celebration, said. “I then met with Ms. Kessee, Lower School Music Teacher, and Ms. Poe, our Choir Director, and they helped me perfect my piece and make it as good as it could be.”

Cruz’s singing was accompanied by senior dancers Clarissa Touchstone and CeCe Tribolet in a performance Upper School dance teacher Christie Sullivan ‘95 choreographed. The singing and dancing were collaged together so

that the audience could see all the performers at once.

“I always enjoy sharing what I love to do with others especially when it comes to a cause like this when we are in such a tough and trying time,” Touchstone said. “It was great that we still got to have this assembly and listen to inspirational speakers who reminded us that there will be a time when this is all over.”

In another performance, Juliana Lu sang the song Rise Up by Andra Day again this year as she did in the 2018 MLK Celebration.

“I really love this song because it’s a song that doesn’t just talk about persevering through obstacles,” Lu said “It’s also about breaking barriers and rising to the occasion which I think is very inspiring and powerful to talk about.”

With a variety of performances shown at the celebration, sophomore Neha Gottimukkala performed a poem that she wrote inspired by and matching the style of Dr. King’s famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

“This celebration amazed me with all the talent in the school and inspired me with the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.,” Gottimukkala said. “Regardless of the limitations of the virtual platform, the celebration still inspired me through the speeches, music and dances.”

Before the performances, the celebration began with an

introduction from Tresa Wilson, Director of Inclusion and Community, and Dr. Karen Warren Coleman, Eugene McDermott Head of School, and then keynote speaker, Karla Garcia, Dallas ISD, District 4 Trustee.

Ms. Wilson and Dr. Coleman introduced Karla Garcia, who then spoke about encouraging Hockaday

“It was great that we still got to have this assembly and listen to inspirational speakers who reminded us that there will be a time when this is all over.”

Clarissa Touchstone Senior students and faculty to believe in themselves and to start their own path, not allowing their gender to be a roadblock in any way.

Changing the MLK Celebration to a virtual assembly was difficult, but students and faculty were still grateful that the event was able to take place.

“I would have preferred for it to be in person, but I know with everything going on it’s best for it to be virtual,” Cruz said. “I’m still very impressed and glad that they made it happen.”

One of the perks of a virtual celebration was that this year’s performers could rehearse and record their performances until they were satisfied, which helped relieve the stress of standing in front of a big audience.

“In a way, this virtual platform allowed me to think about how I’m not only singing to the camera, but also singing to every person watching through their screens, their phones, and their laptops,” said Lu, “having it in video form makes it easier for the message of this song to reach a wider audience.”

Another part of the virtual celebration included a culmination of videos from past MLK celebrations, allowing students and faculty to remember or see for the first time the performances that happened in previous years.

“It was really sad that we didn’t get to be together, but I still think that the assembly was really impactful and I enjoyed getting to look back at past years, too,” Touchstone said.

In place of the Unity Walk that typically follows the assembly, the celebration continued Jan. 19 with a moment of silence in remembrance of victims of racial injustice.

“I think this celebration really let me see how close and how strong our community is,” Cruz said, “since this was still something that we could do even if we were all in different parts of campus.”

08 February 11 , 2021

ARTS & LIFE

The Fourcast

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

Park’s art interprets world around her

by Julia Donovan Castoff Editor

From there, Park has continued her passion for creating art.

O

takes a picture of her brother in their pool.

she uses the picture to create an interpretation piece titled

art-impassioned third-grader, but said.

Although Park does some digital art, she prefers traditional mediums.

pencils and regular Prismacolor pencils. photos provided by Olivia Park

Olivia Park spent several hours working on her piece “Dreaming” to convey the physicality of water and the idea of floating.

like being in a dream.

the organic shapes and colors of the

Other than the composition and basic plan for her pieces. Instead, she lets her

orange, Park paints the scenes right in front of her. colors and mess up the entire color

hours at a time on the painting and

the piece like colors and shapes.

piece took her three to four hours.

Since she can remember, Park has

Around third grade, Park became more serious about art. Her mom, also an artist, enrolled her in an art studio to

and common to get bored, so unless the piece is for a competition or done at the studio, I tend to drop pieces and start

artist adds details and cleans up the colored pencils on a marker piece to

taught her, and Park started submitting

Best outdoor restaurants in Dallas Grab a bite to eat, be safe and socially distance at these local venues

by Melody Hu Staff Writer

#1: Paradiso

#2: Son of a Butcher

photo by Melody Hu

Paradiso’s outdoor seating, decorated with brightly colored furniture and lush greenery, is the perfect spot to enjoy brunch, lunch or dinner. It serves Southern European-inspired food and is known for its pizzas and pasta. Paradiso is located on a small street in the Bishop Arts District.

photo by Melody Hu

Son of a Butcher offers picnicstyle outdoor seating. It serves elevated versions of traditional burger sliders, shakes and fries. Son of a Butcher has two locations: Lower Greenville and Legacy Food Hall.

#3: HG Sply Co.

photo by Melody Hu

HG Sply Co.’s rustic-chic outdoor rooftop overlooks the Dallas skyline and is perfect for a night out. It has multiple outdoor seating areas and arrangements.

HG Sply Co. serves New American food and is known for build-your-own bowls.

#4: GAPCo

photo by Melody Hu

Greenville Avenue Pizza Company is a local pizza and wings spot. The outdoor seating area and pizza window are perfect for grabbing a quick slice to eat. It is known for build-your-own pizzas and famous tomato pizza sauce.

urcast

hockadayfourcast.org

‘

ARTS & LIFE

REVIEWS

February 11 , 2021

09

DC disappoints with eccentric sequel

by Erin Parolisi Web Editor

I

times in theaters and multiple times at home, I

Lord and the Dreamstone or to

Wonder Woman and Lord and

make Wonder Woman and hopeful and uplifting message

out of place and like part of a separate series. But at a deeper a political statement. With

of an election and pandemic.

Wonder Woman in action scenes but nothing more.

consider other people before

photo provided by Netflix

Wonder Woman 1984 is only available for streaming on HBO Max.

Tas-tea drinks

New bubble tea shop offers sweet experience

by Hanna Zhang Arts & Life Co-Editor

T

black milk teas. The milk

unusual, but after a couple the milk foam brought And, once again, their photo by Hanna Zhang

Displayed on the wall of Gong Cha is a tea leaf decoration surrounding the words “Tea up, light up!”

separate option.

purchasing.

straight sugar.

sugar.

regular milk tea.

from these options.

and atmosphere of this shop.

10 February 11 , 2021

ARTS & LIFE

The Fourcast

The fault in our stars: Bollywood Nepotism in India’s movie industry threatens actors

O

n July 24, 2020, “Dil Bechara,” Bollywood’s adaptation of John Green’s “The Fault in Our Stars” was released on online streaming platforms. Unfortunately, the lead actor, Sushant Singh Rajput, was not alive to see it. One month before the release, the 35-year-old actor was found dead in his apartment.

Initially Rajput’s death was dismissed as a suicide case, but shocked fans quickly started to speculate foul-play after seeing images of his body – the ring around his neck was not slanted as it would have been if he’d hung himself, there was no saliva outside of his mouth, and his tongue and eyeballs were in normal condition – clear indications of ligature strangulation (not death by hanging. (Strack and McClane).

As discourse about why such a brilliant actor would take his own life surfaced, the issue of nepotism in the Bollywood industry was brought up. The late Sushant Singh Rajput spoke about being an “outsider” to the Bollywood Industry – but was he such a threat to their exclusivity that he had to be killed? The nepotism debate that was sparked after Sushant Singh Rajput’s death exposes an issue rooted in India’s social hierarchy: anyone without insider connections gets harmed.

The power imbalance that Rajput’s death exposed is not limited to the Bollywood industry, but rather is seen in India as a whole.

For example, in government, the Gandhi/Nehru family has dominated politics for decades, perpetuating a Hindu-Nationalist government and suppressing anyone but the majority.

When the richest 1% of the population holds more than four times the wealth of the bottom 70 percent, there’s an issue of corruption and unchecked power (Sampath). Nepotism is in effect “the reproduction of inequality,” and nepotism in government perpetuates this socio-economic disparity.

Film producers like Karan Johar, known as “the flag bearers of nepotism,” notorious for launching

star-kids in their films, argue that they can launch whoever they want as long as it does well in the boxoffice. Sonam Kapoor, a product of nepotism, referred to her privilege as “karma” in a tweet, which received widespread backlash across social media platforms. Such producers and actors argue that star kids still have to work hard and that they didn’t choose to be born into these families.

However, the argument here is not that star-kids don’t have to work hard to earn their place, but rather about the opportunity disparity; it’s

career.” Being an “insider,” you hold a disproportionate amount of power over the rest of the industry – it becomes even more dangerous when you don’t know the magnitude of your power.

Looking at Sushant Singh Rajput’s case, this is obvious. If he committed suicide, there is a direct link to nepotism and a lack of opportunity.

If he was murdered, it speaks to the talent-threat that Rajput brought to star-kids, eventually leading to his demise. Either way, one thing becomes clear: In India, being an

Premanshi Agarwalla Guest Writer

A comparison of the ““Dil Bechara” movie poster and “The Fault in Our Stars” movie poster.

about the ignorance of star-kids about their privilege. As Bishal Paul from the Huffington Post explains, it’s all about being “on the right side of the fence. These powerful producers/ directors/production houses … can literally make or break a person’s

“insider” grants you special privileges that an “outsider” has to fight exponentially harder for – sometimes to the point it is deemed not worth it.

As Bollywood fans, if not Indian citizens, we need to condemn the actions of the privileged. Rajput’s

trailer for Dil Bechara received 91 million streams – imagine if we encouraged this support while he was alive. So, in honor of Sushant Singh Rajput, will you join me in pointing out the Faults in our Stars?

Still a phenomenon a year later

Angelina Wu, Annie Zhao discuss award-winning magazine

by Rachel Jan Staff Writer Phenomena is a student-run STEM-based magazine led by seniors Angelina Wu and Annie Zhao. Its first edition, published on May 12, 2020, won a Columbia Scholastic Press Association Award later in the year in recognition of student publications.

How is the magazine doing this year compared to how you originally envisioned it?

Initially, we thought of creating a STEM magazine for people at Hockaday to write about topics they cared about within an area that isn’t really talked about at our school. I think we’re doing well so far, although there were definitely a few changes we’ve had to make with managing our team.

How did you feel about winning the Columbia Scholastic Press Association Award?

We felt super proud about winning the Crown award! We also won two out of the three All Columbian Honors for our edition. We still have quite a few things to learn from the comments and category assessments, but so far we hope to keep up the good work.

What changes have you made?

Phenomena is a club now. We have a full list of staff members, which means we don’t need to ask around every edition for volunteer writers, and we also have a lot more people on our team for more possibilities and longer editions.

What challenges have you faced?

We’ve definitely had a few issues with

the quality of our articles and the timeliness of our writers. Phenomena was also very time consuming for the both of us, since we were in charge of designing the layouts in addition to editing the articles. Now, we have a team to help us with this process.

What do you have planned for the future that you look forward to seeing?

We hope to incorporate more article variety, like op-eds, career spotlights and interviews with professionals. We also hope for a more cohesive theme that runs through and connects all editions of Phenomena.

When is the next issue coming out?

The next issue, which is themed around law, is delayed, but we definitely plan to release it this year.

Phenomena’s last issue: Reaction

cc

ARTS LIFE ARTS & LIFE

hockadayfourcast.org

February February 11 11,, 2021

11

Scenes from Take a tasty trip through Italian market

by Ava Berger and Kate Clark Editor-in-Chief and Managing Editor

T

he journey begins right outside the Italian market and restaurant at Northpark Center. We were greeted by a patio of sparkling lights and a lively

The lively patio is located by the entrance off of Boedeker Drive on the west side of NorthPark Center.

As we entered through the double glass doors, we were immediatley transported from Dallas to Italy. Signs hanging from the walls located every possible Italian food and a map directed us through the market.

Along with the three restaurants, Terra, La Pizza & La Pasta, and Il Pastario di Eataly, there are counters where you can grab a bite on the go.

We chose the pizza counter.

As we walked in, we saw rows and rows of pasta, sauce, jars and anything Italian that you can imagine. The experience is a mix of dining, snacking and grocery shopping.

Cases of premade food– pastas, meats, salads– offer items people can buy on the go.

The wheels of cheese were Ava’s favorite part of the whole experience.

Finally, we sat outside to enjoy our margherita pizza. Our journey may have ended, but our love of Eataly had grown.

The friendly staff helped us order and heated up our pizzas.

photos by Ava Berger

12 February 11, 2021

IN FOCUS

The Fourcast

Windows bashed in.

Government officials in hiding. The United States Capitol, overrun. These are the sights found in history books detailing events from decades ago, but also, more recently, of Jan. 6, 2021. On this day, a pro-Trump rally in Washington, D.C., evolved rapidly into a full-scale riot, provoking violence and causing multiple deaths. The event represents a culmination of the drastic polarization in the United States, but how did a full-scale insurrection happen?

Stitching up the nation

By Maddie Stout and Lea Whitley Illustrations by Louisa Benedict

WHAT HAPPENED:

T

he morning began without complications: in a customary proceeding, Congress convened to recount and approve the electoral votes in advance of the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden on Jan. 20.

A pro-Trump rally was set to occur outside the White House, where the president himself would give a speech.

However, a storm brewed below the surface. After reading Tweets and listening to speeches from President Trump over the past month, thousands of his supporters had gathered in Washington to “#stopthesteal.” Trump had called for his supporters to “fight like hell”

just two days before at a rally in Georgia.

As Trump’s speech ended, his supporters marched to the Capitol.

With the police caught off-guard, the crowds tore down barriers and easily entered the building. The House and Senate immediately went into lockdown while rioters continued to ransack offices and post videos to social media.

While the insurrection itself lasted for nearly seven hours, the effects will surely be felt for years to come.

A history of election-related violence:

R

ioting is not new to American history. In fact, it’s far from it. In history class, students learn about common incidents like the Boston Tea Party, Shay’s Rebellion and the Whiskey Rebellion, but how often do Americans witness a riot at the nation’s Capitol?

Chair of the Political Science Department and Distinguished Teaching Professor at Southern Methodist University, Joe Kobylka, notes the uniqueness of this event.

“We tend to pretend that the past didn’t happen, but this is different, obviously, in the sense that this is the first time that entities have taken over the Capitol since the War of 1812,” Kobylka said.

Following the War of 1812, another attempted riot occurred at the Capitol in 1861, as AP United States History teacher Scott Bowman notes.

“A mob sought to disrupt the certification of President Lincoln’s election in 1861,” Bowman said.

According to the New York Times, a mob formed outside the Capitol on Feb. 13, 1861, and tried to force its way in to disrupt the counting of electoral certificates that would confirm Abraham Lincoln’s election three months earlier.

As Bowman pointed out, this event presents a stark contrast to the recent Capitol riot. The key difference is that in 1861, the breach was prevented. Men who were fully prepared for the onslaught protected the building. On Jan. 6, no defenses expected the extent of the attack.

Q& A

What went wrong?

Bowman noted in more general terms the country’s past in regard to elections.

“Our history includes other acts of violence and intimidation around elections,” Bowman said. “We confront some of these examples when we study the post-Civil War formation of vigilante groups that sought to prevent political participation by African Americans. Unfortunately, such examples have not been isolated to a limited time or place.”

Although it can be unsettling to realize how closely related history is to current events, Bowman encourages people to think differently.

“Connections with the past can help us understand how we arrived in this place,” Bowman said. “While what happened at the Capitol was jarring, it was not necessarily surprising in light of all that we know about powerful historical and current forces at play in our country. If I had to characterize how all of that makes me feel, I would describe it as sobering, but also that it’s too soon to tell exactly where this all leads.”

“I don’t think anything went wrong. This was the goal and intent of the white militants who stormed the Capitol. These insurrectionists literally thanked police officers for enabling them to enter the building and desecrate the halls of our democratic institutions.

Police officers opened gates and took selfies with these rioters, and this was clearly a calculated event encouraged by our politicians and enabled by the police present during the event. What went wrong is a system of racism and a system of authoritarianism that was present before Trump, but strengthened by him.”

Naz Soysal, Junior

“First of all, I think it’s easy to be in denial about the fact that we have a president that could incite so much violence. We need to remember that there is only free speech to a certain extent, until it puts people in danger. I think that the way President Trump spoke to his supporters should have been monitored, because it’s very easy to incite violence if you listen to and agree with all the things he said.”

Lindsay Heusinger, Junior

hockadayfourcast.org

IN FOCUS

February 11, 2021

13

Moving forward: As time passes and the nation moves away from the Capitol riot, varying ideas have arisen surrounding what to do moving forward. However, one message shines through: major change must be made within our country.

James Thompson, the Data Captain for March for Our Lives Texas, said to prevent an event like this from occurring in the future, the country must face its own issues first.

“I think we need to have a serious conversation about white supremacy and how it pervades everyday life,” Thompson said. “In terms of the president, the bare minimum is to not embolden actions, but rather condemn white supremacy and the inherent violence that comes with it while also committing to dismantle it.”

Junior Naz Soysal also said that American society requires complete change. She finds further action must be taken within not only the government, but among the American public.

“We have to reimagine society if we want to prevent these insurrections from happening,” Soysal said. “It is not enough to vote in Joe Biden and sit back complacently for the next 4 years. What we need is education and a massive overhaul of our institutions.”

In particular, Soysal deems it necessary to understand all sides of the American opinion and determine what beliefs were used to justify this insurrection. By doing so, the American populace can come to a compromise and work to make positive change.

Southern Methodist University Professor of Political Science Calvin Jillson agreed. He said he is waiting to see whether the newly-instated Biden administration will work to remove the fierce polarization present in government today.

“When you get division like this rooted in your society, it takes time to get it out,” Jillson said.

“We have to reimagine society to prevent these “Getting to that place where people are willing to listen to each other is quite a ways from where we insurrections from happening. It’s not enough to vote in are right now. Biden’s been in politics for a long time, Joe Biden and sit back complacently for the though. When he was in the Senate, compromise was his approach, so it’s about whether he can reproduce that now.” next four years.”

In President Biden’s inaugural address on Jan. 20, he took the primary steps toward unity. As he spoke to the American public, he addressed the violence from just Naz Soysal, Junior weeks before but remarked upon how the nation must come together again.

For a teenager, these solutions seem far away: how could high schooler students in Texas ever try to resolve the pervasive problems of oppression and disrespect that occur throughout the nation?

Nevertheless, Thompson and Soysal offer a solution.

“The most critical and easy way for students to get involved is to join your local chapter of an organization you feel passionate about,” Soysal said. “Whether it’s March for Our Lives, the Sunrise Movement, Texas Generation Ratify or another activist group, advocacy work is crucial in direct action.”

However, Thompson warns students against performative activism, asserting that real change begins with concentrated effort within their own communities.

“It is easy to say that you’re doing the work, but you need to also be challenging harmful, hateful and white supremacist rhetoric everywhere,” Thompson said.

In the months and years following the Capitol riot, Bowman also gives his own advice for students desperate to make change, confident in the possibility of improvement.

“Commit to making decisions and reaching conclusions based on the best available, most reliable evidence,” Bowman said. “Treat each other well in your immediate community.”

“While there were some people who went there with deep mischief in mind, most of those people are just halfwits who ended up in the wrong place at the wrong time and got swept away and ended up in the Capitol. Now they’ve got the FBI on their doorstep. I don’t expect there to be more demonstrations like Jan. 6 because the Secret Service and the FBI are now ready. If you’re a middle aged, 46 year old pot bellied stockbroker, you don’t have the guts for that. You’re gonna stay on your couch and yell at the TV, not poke the Secret Service with an American flag.”

Calvin Jillson, Professor of Political Science at smu

“When I first saw the news, I was heartbroken. I am a Republican and vehemently oppose violent protests of any kind. I was horrified to learn that the party with which I identified, and that strongly denounced violent riots, was actually involved in them.

I completely understand the reason for the protest and I fully support it.

However, I deplore the violence that ensued and the anarchistic display that goes against the very underpinnings of my support for the Republican party.”

Julia Weisman, Junior

“I think one of the things that went wrong this time is that our politics, at least as we practice them electorally, have become so divisive and polarized. I think that kind of winner-takes-all political game [currently present in government] undermines the capacity of people to actually discuss things. Once you jettison reason and compromise, you jettison the capacity for a heterogeneous population to govern.”

Joe Kobylka, chair of the Political Science department at smu

14

February 11 , 2021

16 learn about multigenerational Hockaday families

FEATURES

The Fourcast

17 How has Swiss Semester changed with COVID-19?

Seniors spearhead safer ‘Solo’

Students create product to combat sexual assault on college campuses

by Laine Betanzos Copy Editor

W

hen seniors Louisa Benedict, Nancy Dedman, Emma Ortman and Maya Raghunathan entered their entrepreneurship class in August, they had no idea that months later they would be seeking out a patent for a project in that very class.

Safer Solo, the result of their efforts, would offer disposable drinking cups for social events of all kinds, modeled after the popular red Solo cups often used at parties. But there’s a twist: Safer Solo cups would contain date-rape drug detecting technology, turning from white to neon yellow upon contamination by a daterape drug and alerting the drinker to avoid the drink. The team is not affiliated with Solo brand cups, and the product name may change during the patent process.

Tasked with solving an issue they cared about, interest in combating sexual assault.

“We decided we wanted to limit our target audience to college campuses because especially within Greek life, the rates of sexual assault are so high,” Raghunathan said.

The semester-long project began with researching issues students hoped to solve with a product, business or service.

History teacher Kristen Blevins, who collaborates with social impact director Laura Day to teach the class, outlined the process of the project.

“A huge part of the process, especially for businesses in the social entrepreneurship realm, is

to really understand your consumers,” Blevins said.

To better understand the issue from the perspective of the target audience, the Safer Solo team surveyed college students and received over 200 responses from over 20 universities.

“The results we saw were overwhelmingly positive, and it was really encouraging to see that,” Raghunathan said. “I think about 80 percent of respondents said they would absolutely pay more really saw there was a market for the product.”

Aided by an all-female team of entrepreneurs including Katherine Mathis Bullock ‘97, Maddie Bradshaw ‘14, and Lila Stewart, co-founder of Hari Mari, a shoe company in Dallas, the seniors learned about creating a business plan, marketing and the challenges small-business owners encounter while establishing businesses.

They also consulted the head of campus security Jim Walters and the head of social life Ashely Fitzpatrick at SMU to learn more about how the product could help combat sexual assault on college campuses. To better understand the chemistry that would go into the drug-detection technology inside the cup, the group also learned professor of applied chemistry at the University of Toronto.

“My favorite part was talking to so many people,” Benedict said. “It was really inspiring, since we’re only seniors, that we got to talk to people who know much more than us and who are with our goal.”

By the end of the semester, the group created

a business plan and prototype of their project before presenting to a panel of entrepreneurial alumni including Katherine Mathis Bullock ‘97, Maddie Bradshaw ‘14, Head of Upper School Lisa Culbertson ‘96 and Nicole Small ‘91. After deliberation, Safer Solo was named the winning project, and the group Graphic by Louisa Benedict was awarded both a mentor, Lila Stewart, and $500 of seed money for business expenses. next year, so ideally I think we will want to pitch our idea to a larger company who would have the resources to mass produce and market it, but we the seniors agree on something; they received an invaluable experience in going through the basic process of forming a small business and were inspired by the prospect of social impact in combination with entrepreneurship.

“In class, we were able to develop a product for issues we’re passionate about and felt like we could make an impact and improve our communities,” Dedman said. “We’re hopeful that we’ll be able to get the idea out there and inspire assault and date rape.”

Checking in with Stefan Rinaldi Upper School science teacher seeks to make an impact working with students

by Caroline Petrikas Staff Writer Where did you go to college and what did you major in?

I went to Gonzaga University in Spokane, Washington. Gonzaga students a research option with distinction upon graduation.

Essentially I had to complete a research project and then present it to our faculty, similar to a Master’s defense and my degree those requirements. It was a degree in Biology, but with distinction or honors. So not just a regular Bachelor’s degree in my mind, but something I could be proud of given my time at Gonzaga.

Why did you decide to come to Hockaday?

The culture of the school, the spirit of the independent learning process, the guiding principles we are trying to instill in our girls that you can teach yourself anything if you are internally motivated and work with your peers is what really drew me to Hockaday. For years when I was working at Cistercian, I told myself if I got the opportunity to come back here, I would jump on it. It’s just the

spirit of the school and the academic environment in that all of the pressure is not put on the teacher to ensure that the students are achieving the goals that they want. It’s that as much as you are motivated, you can really see the success of each individual student and monitor and track it — it’s tangible. It’s really just a positive environment in the classroom — everyone wants to learn, everyone wants to grow. It’s the perfect place for a teacher.

Why did you decide to teach?

I was kind of soured by the business model that science has now become in private industry, the amount of stress they put on scientists. The fact that you have deadlines for research, the sense that I’m not imparting any knowledge on anyone, I’m just gaining it myself and then sending it out to someone. With teaching, I literally get to positively impact anywhere from 75 to 100 students per year and you build relationships with those students and as you move on and they go to college, you can still help them or provide them guidance or advice. For me, it’s always about imparting knowledge or future advice on students. I grew up lower class so I didn’t always have

a college counselor or teachers who really cared about my wellbeing or future, so now that I have gotten older, I’ve started to realize more that I wish I had those resources available to me. As a teacher, it’s not just that I walk into the classroom and provide you knowledge. It’s not a black-and-white relationship for me as an educator. I’m your teacher, your mentor, your advisor if you need me to be. Students should feel like they can talk to their teachers. We’re not robots and it’s important that we have trust between the two and that you start to grow a bond with your classes. At the end of the day, I want you to enjoy coming to my class.

How has Hockaday positively There’s less of a burden on a teacher to display class management. I don’t have to be as focused on organization of the class overall or managing the students’ tasks. On a daily basis, it’s more of a free learning environment — what questions do you have? How can I help you with this material?

Everything is always a question then answer, and if I don’t have the answer I’ll lead you to where it is. It’s In terms of a day-to-day basis, my life feels much less stressful because

photo by Libby Hill

Walking around the room, Dr. Rinaldi lectures his AP Biology Class. Rinaldi, a new teacher at Hockaday, teaches AP Biology, AP Environmental Science and chemistry. He is glad to be back at Hockaday after his long-term substitute teaching.

I can trust the girls are going to do everything that they can to teach themselves and if they don’t have access to all the information, all I have to do is provide it for them and they will go through that learning process on their own. I have more trust in the student and that they will do what they need to do to be successful so I can kind of take a deep breath.

FEATURES

hockadayfourcast.org

February 11 , 2021

Pursuing their passions

15

Three alumnae head abroad as Fulbright, Mitchell scholars

by Charlotte Rogers Features Editor

T

language,” Cooper said.

Roy, unlike Cooper, didn’t jump at the chance to apply to the program

here is nothing sweeter than being recognized skepticism and doubt. and rewarded for “I knew it was a lofty award and years of hard work I thought I had no chance of getting spent dedicated to it,” Roy said, “but I eventually decided one’s passions. For three Hockaday to apply because I really wanted alumnae, this acknowledgment came to return to Brazil, where I did my in the form of renowned scholarship semester abroad in college, to conduct programs: the Mitchell Scholarship research on the Juvenile Justice program and the Fulbright system and help train teachers” Scholarship program.

Both Cooper and Roy will be Kenya Roy ’15 and Kate Cooper spending their time abroad, Cooper ’16 both earned the title of Fulbright in Taiwan and Roy in Brazil, teaching Scholar (2020-2021), and Joy and researching Nesbitt ’17 has their interests. been named a “I wanted to apply While Cooper will Mitchell Scholar to the program use images and (2021-2022). One because it focuses storytelling to common aspect of teach Taiwanese these programs is on faciliating students English, they prompt their cross-cultural Roy will help recipients to travel train the next internationally, understanding.” generation to the country Kate Cooper ’16 of teachers of their choice, Fulbright Scholar in Brazil as to pursue an English their interests Teaching and conduct Assistant. research.

“My grant purpose “To be a Fulbright is to experience Scholar is to be an ambassador of connections between the United States art, culture and in international education in the United educational and photo courtesy of Kate Cooper States and abroad cultural exchange, as research for my future goal of seeking to increase mutual writing and illustrating bilingual understanding with other countries,” children’s books,” Cooper said.

Cooper said.

During her time in Taiwan, Cooper The Fulbright Scholarship is looking forward to researching program features a labor-intensive the role images play in children’s application process, including language development and studying multiple rounds of interviews East Asian art history, as well as and revisions of the applicants’ traveling to see the natural beauty Statements of Grant Purpose and Personal Statements.

“I’m most looking forward to “I wanted to apply to the program being in the university system in because it focuses on facilitating Brazil and meeting really interesting cross-cultural understanding, and individuals, especially those who are I am very passionate about East training to become teachers,” Roy said.

Asian culture, history, art and

Joy Nesbitt

Kenya Roy

Cooper and Roy believe Hockaday taught them confidence and hard work and gave them a love for languages.

“I took French at Hockaday for several years which was the foundation for my love of the French language and culture which then prompted my love of languages in general,” Roy said “Later, it encouraged me to study abroad in Brazil where I was required to learn Portuguese.”

While Cooper and Roy spend their time as Fulbright Scholars overseas, Nesbitt will travel abroad to pursue her interests and further her career in Ireland as a Mitchell Scholar.

The Mitchell Scholarship Program is highly selective and prestigious. A maximum of 12 out of the hundreds of applicants will become Mitchell Scholars. The program, named after U.S. Sen. George Mitchell who was crucial to the Northern Ireland peace process, is a scholarship sponsored by the US-Ireland Alliance. It allows its scholars to go abroad for one year of postgraduate study in any subject field offered by an institution in Ireland.

“I found out about the program through the Fellowship Office at my school, Harvard, and after learning about the Mitchell and being the extreme extrovert that I am, I felt really compelled to apply,” Nesbitt said.

When applying, Nesbitt considered what deeply connected her to Ireland, and thought about her identity as a black woman. She contemplated

that her identity and history are both formed by the legacy of slavery and oppression in the United States.

She was able to tie this legacy to Ireland’s long history of oppression and colonization. The relationship between the two histories speaks to her desire to travel to Ireland and express her love of how Ireland’s artists express their story of

endorsed through my school and once I received that endorsement I could I wrote an essay, completed a video interview, an interview with the head of the U.S.-Ireland Alliance and an interview with the whole board and then ranked my preferences of the schools abroad.”

While in Ireland, Nesbitt plans to study directing and theater and get hands-on experience in theater, connecting with people who share backgrounds.

During her time at Hockaday, Nesbitt formed a love for theatre in Emily Gray’s productions and class but had yet to realize what it meant to be a director and her desire to pursue that path.

“When I got to college I started directing and found that my love for directing comes from a desire to tell stories that aren’t talked about and to connect people to stories on an emotional level,” Nesbitt said.

Nesbitt is most looking forward to apprenticing and directing in theaters across Europe after her year of studying at a university in Ireland in 2021.

Scouting out a new path Rich joins Inaugural Class of Female Eagle Scouts

by Campbell Harris Opinions Editor Junior Caroline Rich has made history by

Class of Female Eagle Scouts.

“It’s pretty exciting to be a part of something like this,” Rich said. “It’s a really unique experience and even historical - for all of the years to come, when there’s even more female scouts, I’ll be proud to be able to say that I was Girls have only been eligible to join Scouts BSA, formally known as Boy Scouts of America, for two years. After passing her Eagle Scout Board of Review on Oct. 5, Rich joined the select few in the inaugural class. Rich already earned the Girl Scout Gold Award, the highest award in Girl Scouts, in 2019.

The class includes all girls who joined Scouts BSA, completed their path to the Eagle scout rank, the highest achievement in the Scouts BSA program and passed their Eagle Board of Review

by Jan. 31.

receiving the Eagle rank, is a board of BSA troop about each applicant’s Eagle project, scouting career and merit badges.

Before an applicant is eligible for the board of review, they must complete all of the Scout ranks except for Eagle, hold leadership positions in their troop, earn at least 21 merit badges and complete the Eagle project.

“I worked with VNA Meals on Wheels for my Eagle project, which I completed from May through August,” Rich said. “With the help of more than 50 volunteers, my Eagle project focused on VNA’s immediate need to protect its clients from COVID-19, by sewing 150-plus face masks, and to connect its clients with support by making 600plus uplifting cards.”

While some people take four or more years to achieve Eagle rank, Rich achieved it in one year and eight months. However, she never thought that she would be able to join Scouts BSA and the Inaugural Class of Female Eagle Scouts.

“Prior to girls joining, I think there had also

been a narrative within Scouts BSA that hard work, wilderness survival skills and a spirit of Rich sports her badges on her adventure are Scouts BSA uniform. unique only to boys,” Rich said. “The fact that there are already so many girls and young women who have not only joined but thrived in the Scouts BSA program is proof against this.”

Rich said she gained knowledge, skill, insight and leadership through both Scouts BSA and Girl Scouts. As a Girl Scout Gold Award recipient, she hopes to show girls that the Girl Scout program has they can succeed in Scouts BSA. “I know from experience that it can be daunting to join an unfamiliar program, but it can also lead to a really valuable experience,” Rich said. “ The opportunity to join Scouts BSA has finally been extended to girls – take advantage of that opportunity.”

16 February 11 , 2021

FEATURES

The Fourcast

Generations at Hockaday Long lines of Daisies continue family legacies

by Libby Hill Photo Editor

S

ince Ela Hockaday founded Hockaday in 1913, mothers and grandmothers have sent their daughters to the school to let them grow up surrounded by the four Cornerstones: Courtesy, Character, Scholarship and Athletics. This tradition has encompassed multiple generations for four featured families: the Emanuelsons, the Phaneufs, the Rubis and the Swangos.

Family ties

photo provided by Tiffany Borlaug Rubi

Tiffany Borlaug Rubi ’88 sits on the bottom row, next to her first grade teacher Mrs. Levering in 1973.

For Jennifer Cox ‘94, who attended Hockaday for 12 years like her grandmother and sisters, sending her daughter Grace Emanuelson to Hockaday was almost a no-brainer.

“It’s been a gift to see her embrace it in the ways that I did and ways that are all her own,” Cox said. “The school has changed a lot since I was last there in 1994, but it remains true to its core and I am proud to share the virtues Hockaday instills with Grace… It brings back memories, it has allowed compassion for Grace’s hardships as well as joy for her accomplishments.

It’s a true journey.”

Grace, a sophomore, has enjoyed photo provided by Candace Campbell Swango walking through the same halls as KK Swango, ‘22, Candace Campbell Swango her mother did. ’84, and Campbell Swango ’18 gather after “Sometimes I look around campus the Alumnae Day Luncheon. and wonder if my mom had once Former First Lady Laura Bush poses with been in the same spot,” Grace said.

Tiffany Borlaug Rubi ’88 and Anne Rubi, “Maybe she too laughed with her ’22 during the Centennial Celebration friends outside of the lunchroom.” festivities in 2013-14.

Carrie Phaneuf ‘91, mom to both freshman Estee and senior Margot, commented on her decision to send both her daughters to Hockaday.

“I feel very strongly “I just kept thinking about how I cherished my time at Hockaday and that my heart was at that Hockaday was Hockaday,” Phaneuf said. “I feel very strongly that the best thing my Hockaday was the best thing my parents ever did for me and I wanted to give that same gift to my parents ever did for girls.” me and I wanted to Candace Campbell Swango ‘84 spoke about her own experience following her mother, Mary give that same gift Katherine B Campbell ‘46, and later, that of her to my girls.” daughters: junior KK and Campbell, Class of ‘18.

“It’s been truly fun watching Campbell and KK grow in their separate endeavors at Hockaday, Carrie Phaneuf my mom’s experiences,” Swango said. “It was special to watch the girls learn with some of the Kramer being one of them.” experience watching her daughter, junior Anne, go through Hockaday and start in Pre-K, following in her footsteps.

“It is very special to see my daughter go through Hockaday for fourteen years like I did,” Rubi said. “Some things are very similar - the approach to nurturing and challenging independent structure/buildings and facilities, and technology and the course offerings.”

Changes over time is the end of the 16-year practice of “coordinate classes.” Between 1972 and 1988, for certain

Class of ’91 upper school classes, St. Marks and Hockaday students went to each other’s campuses. Classes like French, Psychology, Sociology, Government and Astronomy were shared.

Fun fact: at the start of the program in 1972, computers were outrageously expensive, so Hockaday and St. Mark’s split the cost of one.

The computer was on St. Mark’s campus in the mornings and moved over to Hockaday’s campus in the afternoon. At one point, over 400 students shared classes between the two schools. This was only possible when Hockaday and St. Mark’s had the same schedule, allowing students to ride the bus over for their Hockaday class. Students even ate in each other’s lunchrooms before heading back to their respective campuses.

Of course, the tradition of the St. Mark’s/ Hockaday musical lives on every year. A few other

photo courtesy of Tiffany Borlaug Rubi

things have changed: Tarry House was a seniorsbetween the Upper and Middle School hallways, the Liza Lee Academic Research Center (more commonly known as the ARC) had not been built, Kief was still the faithful security guard and the skirts may have been a bit longer.

Multiple former Hockaday students who have seen their daughters walk through the school have commented on the increased rigor since they have attended. Cox ‘94 talked about her view on Hockaday’s rigor now: “From an academic standpoint, Hockaday seems more rigorous to me than when I was a student. The work load seems greater and more arduous, the classes seem more advanced and the pace seems quicker. That, again, is from a parent’s lens. Perhaps I studied just as hard as Grace – but I don’t think so!”

But the heart of Hockaday and what makes it special has stayed the same. One of the greatest examples, the epitome and culmination of Hockaday: Graduation Terrace, Commencement, long white dresses and pastel hats covered in Cox talked about what the school means to her.

“I love Hockaday because it was one of the largest constants in my formative years. Family, friends and Hockaday - for 12 years,” Cox said.

“It was such a special place and I can’t really even tell you why. Maybe the history of it was always so alluring to me. Visiting Great Hall with my grandmother when I was 5, seeing pictures of the old campus. By the time I got there, I was programmed to love it.”

hockadayfourcast.org

FEATURES

February 11 , 2021

Swiss Semester amid COVID-19

17

Sophomore travels to Switzerland for fall semester despite restrictions

by Jane Clark Staff Writer

F

rom hiking in the Swiss Alps to studying geology in the classroom to a helicopter ride over the Matterhorn, Swiss

any other semester-away program. This year, despite COVID-19, one Hockaday and three St. Mark’s students attended a once-ina-lifetime experience in Zermatt, Switzerland.

With precautions taken to prevent the spread of the virus, students were able to live nearly the full experience of Swiss Semester.

Because of the uncertainty revolving around the semester abroad, only one out of the three girls who originally intended on going ended up being able to attend. Susanna Campbell, who originally intended on going to Swiss Semester, decided to go to boarding school instead at The American School in Switzerland because of the uncertainty that the semester abroad might not happen. Juliana Blazek, the other student who did not end up going, dropped out of the program because her parents did not feel safe sending her across the world in the midst of the pandemic.

Sophomore Sophia Clavenna arrived in Switzerland on Sept. 9 and returned to Dallas on Dec. 10. Starting off the semester, the students had to quarantine for 14 days.

“We stayed in the hotel and we all got to quarantine together and we would just spend a lot of time in our rooms and going to class—not much else,” Clavenna said.

After the initial quarantine, the students were not required to wear masks unless they went into town. These loosened restrictions during classes and in the dorms allowed for a short escape from the COVID-19 restrictions back in the United States. many cases at all so it was really relaxed without many precautions,” Clavenna said. “It was really nice not having to wear a mask, but then one of our teachers got the virus, and the cases in Switzerland started rising a lot so we had to be a lot more careful and wear masks all the time and the restaurants were closed.”

Despite these changes to the semester abroad and the cancellation of the usual Venice trip, the students were still able to visit France.

“We went to France which was cool— the German part of France called Colmar so that was really fun,” Clavenna said.

During Swiss Semester 2019, the students were able to go to Venice, Italy, Basel, Switzerland and Annecy, France.

“There were a lot of other trips that we could go on so I went to Gruyere, Switzerland where we ate a lot of fondue,” said junior Kate Gilikin, who attended Swiss in 2019, said.

Since Gilikin was able to go before COVID-19, she could travel around Switzerland and was able to have more freedom than the students in fall of 2020. given COVID-19 this year, just because a big part of the program is travelling, and also kind of exploring Zermatt by yourself,” Gilkin said. “I think you get really independent, but I feel like it would be a little bit harder to be independent because of the restrictions. I think it would be a lot harder to get around town and go into stores, ride the gondolas, hike on trails, etc.”

Throughout this year’s three-month semester, Clavenna was able to talk to her parents on the phone weekly but they were not able to come visit for parents weekend because that would require them to get visas. “ We go t t o talk to them about once or twice

“My favorite thing we did was that I got to go on a helicopter ride all around the mountains.”

Sophia Clavenna Sophomore

a week for ten minutes on a prepaid phone, it really depended on how much free time you had,” Clavenna said.

One particular highlight was a helicopter ride, since the students were not able to paraglide like they do most years.

“My favorite thing that we did was that I got to go on a helicopter ride all around all the mountains and above the Matterhorn. That was so cool,” Clavenna said.

In academics, the students who attend Swiss Semester are slightly set back because they jump into classes halfway through the year.

“The biggest challenge that anyone has gone to Swiss Semester will tell you is coming back because the rest of the students have had a

photos provided by Sophia Clavenna

Sophia Clavenna skis off Gornergrat. Gornergrat is the rocky ridge of the Pennine Alps that overlooks the Gorner Glacier southeast of Zermatt. Clavenna enjoyed skiing in the Alps, which started in the winter replacing the daily hikes throughout the fall.

Sophia Clavenna and friends hike 14km to Weisshorn. The Weisshorn peak, 4,506 vertical meters, is a major peak in Switzerland and the Swiss Alps. She said hiking brought the group together and it was worth the effort to see the views.

their teachers routines and what is expected classes, and you would have to jump right in half way through the year,” Registrar Libby Conder said.

Despite Hockaday’s new grading policy, the grades earned at Swiss Semester will not go into the student’s GPA, but rather will be attached to the Clavenna and friends go on a glacier walk on the Gorner Gletscher. This students’ transcript glacier is found west of the Monte Rosa close to Zermatt in the canton of Valais, Switzerland. separately.

“We know that students are learning many things during chemistry the following year or even senior year Swiss Semester and there is a lot that is in depending on preference.” line with what Hockaday is doing, so they When applying to colleges, Hockaday will attach will be tested on some of the things that they the grades from Swiss Semester to your transcript learned there, but not all of the classes are the but it is not factored into your GPA. same,” Conder said. “For example at Swiss, “These grades cannot go directly into the GPA the students learn geology because they get because they are not Hockaday taught classes,” to learn about the Alps which they are in, but Conder said. “We do not accept any other grades when they come back, the other students are except those grades that were earned at Hockaday.” learning chemistry so they will have to take

18 February 11, 2021

The Fourcast

SPORTS

Time to rock

Ashton’s climbs range from small rocks to steep mountains

by Sasha Schwimmer News Editor

S

arah Kate Ashton’s childhood love of climbing trees and doing tricks on the playground has led to a pre-professional career.

“I love that the sport presents a new challenge every day. Each route is different, so I am never bored,” Ashton said. “I also love all the amazing opportunities climbing has given me to travel the world and meet new people.”

Ashton has competed in close to 100 climbing competitions.

She has been competing at youth local, regional and divisional competitions in bouldering, rope and speed for the past nine years. She has made two world championship appearances, holds a national title and has competed internationally in Russia and Italy.

She also qualified for an adult world cup, but it was canceled due to COVID-19.

“I think Sarah Kate is always thinking about climbing, and it’s amazing to watch,” Sara Mangelsdorf, senior and peer of Ashton, said. “Sometimes when we’re hanging out she’ll start climbing the bricks on my garage or do pull ups on door sills.”

When Ashton was only four years old, her dad took her to the rock climbing gym because he thought she was climbing too high in trees. After that, Ashton and her dad went to the gym monthly. When she was nine, she tried out for Team Texas.

“It’s so crazy to think that it began when we were little five-year-

olds climbing trees and playing on the monkey bars,” Ashton’s friend senior Sophia Foster said. “One day she decided to go to the climbing gym and it’s incredible how far she’s come. She works so hard and amazes me every day.”

Ashton competed for Texas for around four years until a group of Team Texas coaches and climbers quit and formed a new team called Lone Star Climbing, her current team.

Ashton is sponsored by Rhino Skin Solutions, a company that makes lotion and other products for climber’s hands. The company sends her products for free, and in turn, she promotes them on social media. A few years ago, she had a sponsorship deal with Beta Labs, a chalk bag company.

However, she dropped the sponsor because she stopped using their gear during competitions.

“Sponsorship is a necessary step in the direction of becoming a professional climber, which is very exciting and motivating,” Ashton said.

Ashton has a rigorous climbing schedule that she manages on top of her schoolwork. Typically, she misses around 20 days of school per year for competitions.

“I have always loved going to practice, so I am very motivated to manage my time well and get a lot of homework done at school,” Ashton said, “Online school is also very helpful because it allows for a lot of flexibility in my training and school schedule.”

There haven’t been any official competitions recently due to COVID-19. However, this fall, she competed in and won two

photos courtesy of Sarah Kate Ashton

In Rifle Canyon, Colorado, Ashton takes on a route called The Bride.

local competitions and qualified for semifinals in an unofficial national competition in Salt Lake City.

With the lack of recent competitions, Ashton has been bouldering outdoors. During the first weekend Ashton climbs at the Southern Grit competition. of January, she went to Horseshoe Canyon Ranch continue competing in national adult in Arkansas. In February, she plans competitions throughout college. to go to Salt Lake City to train at the Ashton is extremely motivated to national training center with USA train for sport climbing in the Paris team coaches and athletes.

2024 Olympic Games. With college Ashton will be attending Duke and the uncertainty of COVID-19, she University next fall. She said she will has no idea what she will be doing likely join the climbing team and in four years but hopes to at least compete at collegiate competitions. compete in Olympic qualifying events.

Still, because the Duke climbing “I would love to go to the team is not very competitive, she Olympics,” Ashton said. “It is will also train on her own at a small definitely a dream of mine.” gym in Durham. If possible, she will

Game Report: Teams continue to compete, prepare for SPC meets

by Hanna Zhang Arts & Life Co-Editor Basketball Even though the basketball team had to have Zoom tryouts and practices at the beginning of the season, the team has yet to lose a North Zone counter game.

Although it has sometimes been on the court due to quarantining, the team has been pushing through, working hard to stay motivated, junior Kendall Marchant said.

“We had our dominating victory against Fort Worth Country Day which was so fun because we had so beating them in a counter game was incredible,” Marchant said.

Soccer The soccer team, similar to basketball, has had its fair share of their distance learning practices, yet remains undefeated in the North Zone counter play.

Senior and co-captain Graydon Paul said it has been harder for the team to bond as a result of the Zoom practices.

“But even with all of the distance learning training, that hasn’t stopped scoring an average of 7 goals per game and shutting out the opponent,” Paul said.

On Jan. 20, the team had its distributed meals to the athletes in bonding event outside of practice and games. They plan to have another one at the end of the season as a senior night celebration.

Swimming COVID-19 has forced the swimming team to reimagine its practices, from splitting up practice times between grade levels to lane positionings in the pool.

Senior and co-captain Shinjini Mukherjee said that even with all these new restrictions, the season has been going great.

adjust to the COVID-19 restrictions, but I’m really happy that we have found a way to swim while staying safe,” Mukherjee said.

On Jan. 12, the swimming team had Highland Park, where the team was able to bond and work together “Whether it was through cheering each other on or making sure everyone made it to their events, it was amazing to see the team come together,” Mukherjee said.

photo by Annie Herring

Swimmers compete at Highland Park on Jan. 12.

They continue to train for SPC competition.

Diving This year, the diving team’s Rather than going into the pool every day, the team does tumbling practices.

Junior Fiona Chen has been on the

diving team for two years now and Highland Park High School.

“The captains came and supported me and Emily (Loftus),” Chen said. “Team bonding wise, because our team is relatively small this year, we get to spend a lot of time together every practice.”

SPORTS

hockadayfourcast.org

one

TO WATCH

by Olivia Garcia Assistant Features Editor

Ashna Tambe Get to know the freshman basketball player.

1 2 3

“Basketball has always been a part of my life and I couldn’t imagine being without it.”

So far this season, Ashna is averaging 21.6 points, 9 steals, 6.4 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.5 blocks per game.

With her club team, Ashna has won 2nd place at the Adidas National Gauntlet in 2019 and final four at AAU Nationals.

February 11, 2021

19

Health protocol put into play Post-COVID procedures ensure athletes fully recovered

by Lacy Green Sports Co-Editor

A

After Claire Tate tested positive for COVID-19, completed her quarantine period and returned to school, she couldn’t simply walk back onto the court. Before she could join her teammates, the varsity basketball captain was required to complete the Return to Play Protocol.

Erika Herridge, director of health services, meets with Dallas health officials on a regular basis, and actively follows information released by the”Journal of the American Medical Association.” These sources indicated a protocol needed to be put in place to protect student athletes.

“The school nurses meet with Dallas County once a week, and they were encouraging schools to implement some sort of Return to Play for anyone who has had a COVID infection,” Herridge said.

After contracting COVID-19, even if an athlete does not experience symptoms, it is still possible they can experience cardiovascular difficulties after recovery, JAMA reported.

While Herridge and the other members of Health Services worked to create RTP, Jeff Geier, director of sports performance and sports medicine, reviews all RTP forms completed prior to an athlete getting back into their routine.

“I think that it is a very efficient process that Hockaday has put the system in place, and Coach Geier is doing a good job of getting students back into their sports,” Tate said.

The protocol comprises a series of activities to be completed over a seven day period. Over the course of the RTP, the exercises heighten in

intensity and increase the work rate put on the athlete’s cardiovascular system. After completing the RTP, the athlete or their doctor should be able to identify any possible complications that arose over the week-long period.

“The two big conditions that have shown up post-COVID-19 infection are myocarditis, an inflammation to the heart muscles, and post-inflammatory pulmonary fibrosis, scar tissue buildup in the lungs,” Geier said.

As new discoveries about COVID-19 continue to be made, modifications to the RTP protocol will be implemented.

Right now the process is running smoothly for athletes.

“Having the RTP protocol made me more comfortable returning to practice and games after my experience with COVID-19,” Tate said, “because it reassured me that I

photo by Scott Peek Photography

Claire Tate jumps to take a layup.

Tate complied with the RTP before returning to play.

was still in a healthy state and wouldn’t have to worry about any underlying issues.”

Return to Play Protocol stage one:

light activity for 15 minutes or less at intensity no greater than 70 percent of maximum heart rate.

stage two:

add simple movement activities for 30 minutes or less at intensity no greater than 80 percent of maximum heart rate.

stage three:

progress to more complex training for 45 minutes or less at intensity no greater than 80 percent maximum heart rate.

stage four:

normal training activity for 60 minutes or less at intensity no greater than 80 percent maximum heart rate.

stage five: return to full activity.

Sports Snapshots

by Lacy Green Co-Sports Editor

A quick look at varsity teams’ winter seasons

photo by Mia Savoldelli

Soccer huddles before a nonSPC game against Grapevine Faith. They ended up losing but are undefeated in SPC counter games.

photo by Annie Herring

Basketball players participate in the strength and conditioning program. Basketball uses strength training to continue to prepare for SPC counter games.

photo by Annie Herring

Swimming competes at a meet at Highland Park. They also competed in the Greenhill swim meet and will be competing in the SPC meet on Feb 11.

photo by Kaitlin Kelly

Sophomore Emily Loftus dives during practice at SMU. Loftus placed second at the Highland Park meet on Jan. 12.

20 February 11 , 2021

SPORTS

The Fourcast

SPC reimagined as game plan changes Conference announces format for winter season competition

By Anna Gum Opinions Editor

it’s been kind of fun to work that way.”

Basketball co-captain Claire Tate also said she found excitement and opportunity in SPC play this year.

“Considering the circumstances, I’m really glad that we have some kind of championship to work towards,” Tate said.

While the championship will

E

very February, teams across Texas prepare to compete in the Southwest Preparatory Conference athletic competition.

Normally, upper schoolers attend pep rallies, make posters and plan to cheer

in past years, the basketball team has managed to adapt to and work through the changes and challenges

to win an SPC championship. This February, however, things will look a On Jan. 7, SPC announced on its website that winter teams will have an opportunity to play for a and basketball teams will continue their game schedule as planned, but their upcoming games will now count toward a round robin tournament.

Each team’s record and scores from this tournament will determine this year’s champion.

Unlike years past, teams from other to determine one winner. a winner of its own, and the south Co-captain of the varsity soccer team Anna Schindel said it was disappointing not to compete against teams outside their conference.

photo by Mia Savoldelli

the limited number of spectators to the mask requirement, Tate said the team has continued to work and that she appreciates the safety precautions.

“We’re working just as hard, with or without postseason championship games,” Tate said.

For the swimming and diving teams, however, SPC will still consist of a singular postseason meet that will

Varsity Soccer jogs back after scoring against Grapevine Faith. The team has played six SPC counter games during their season. Next year, they hope to be able to compete against South Zone teams.

year and knowing how good a team we are this year, it is really disappointing that we don’t get to play the full SPC tournament like we traditionally would,” Schindel said.

In addition to some disappointment, the changed format

of SPC has brought new opportunities and freedom for teams.

“It’s been kind of weird to play only SPC teams, but it’s given us a really formations because we know how all the SPC teams play,” Schindel said, “so

said she is looking forward to watching all four teams compete as the winter season progresses.

“I am always excited to see our girls training, competing and growing as people and team members,” Surgi said.

Recruiting virtually Athletes face new college procedures

By Rachel Jan Staff Writer Among the many, many processes college recruiting is one of them. In college athletics, recruiting is the

extending scholarships to prospective student athletes. Even under regular circumstances, the recruitment process varies from sport to sport and student to student.

“Just like every Hockaday student has their own college process, every recruited athlete has their own process, too,” college counselor impressed by how well Hockaday students navigate the recruitment process.”

Recruitment typically involved plenty of campus visits and in-person meetings. However, under the current pandemic, student athletes and coaches alike had to quickly adapt to

recruitment process for both colleges and students by shifting traditional face-to-face interactions between college coaches and high school students to virtual spaces,” Jones said. “Alongside college admission reimagining new ways to connect with students.”

"It is often hard to really assess a college without immersing yourself in the campus, coaches, and team."

Brooke Adams

athletes had to forgo their campus visits for online calls.

photo provided by Landry Grover

Junior Landry Grover plays a game of lacrosse. Currently, Grover is committed to the University of Denver. She says she is both excited and nervous to play at the collegiate level.

year and the next.

it harder for potential recruits to be

recruitment was brought to a halt

“A lot of girls I know—teammates of mine—they aren’t looking to get recruited anymore because it’s too

visits where you get to go up to the school, meet the team, see the locker rooms and be on campus,” University

of meets, our recruitment has been

Grover said. “Now you’re just shown powerpoints of the school.”

Students said not seeing the campus in-person made it more

fully diving into ‘22 recruitment.”

“Of course, I completely but it is often hard to really assess a college without immersing yourself in the campus, coaches, and team,” prospective swim recruit Brooke Adams said. recruitment process for students this

said. “A lot of schools are still trying to

pandemic, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) decided to extend their “dead periods”—a stage in recruiting when coaches are not allowed to have any in-person contact with recruits and their families— period,” athletes cannot meet coaches face-to-face, nor can coaches travel to watch high school sports, making

Grover said.

Because of these uncertainties, normal stress associated with recruitment for the students involved.

How might they deal with this stress?

Jones recommends reaching out to Hockaday Athletics and College Counseling.

“Student athletes at Hockaday have tremendous support available to them,” Jones said. “Together, we support all students with the recruitment process.”

hockadayfourcast.org

22 Vulnerable

populations should be next in line for vaccine

OPINIONS

February 11 , 2021

23 Responding to

21

the domestic terrorist attack on the Capitol

What are we teaching our children?

Stop electing politicians who normalize sexual assault

Politicians are seen as role models for children, but they may be sending the wrong message to those with impressionable minds.

“I

am so scared for my future” is a thought that crosses my mind at least five times a day. This concern does not stem from a place where I am concerned about my own choices, but the choices of our government and role models.

When you think about it, you can only control your future to a certain extent; the rest is left for public officials to decide. When so many of these supposed role models are committing reprehensible actions, such as sexual assault, the public tends to turn a blind eye. This leaves me to wonder, “How can we teach people sexual assault is wrong, if we elect leaders who don’t appear to think the same?”

Personally, I am unable to answer this question, which leads me to think about the deeper problems we have in our society: how so many young people can be swayed morally by political figures they look up to.

A growing number of our public officials have faced sexual assault allegations. This leads me to wonder, “Why are so many of girls taught to be cautious of sexual assault?” At a young age, my parents and teachers taught me never to let somebody take me to a secondary location, to scream loudly when somebody relentlessly approaches me, and where to hit so that hopefully, I could have time to get away and prevent what seems to be the inevitable. I have grown up knowing that I should never walk alone at night. This fact is emphasized to such a strong degree that I am weary of going out at night at all.

On the other hand, what are we teaching the boys? It seems much

photo illustration by Kemper Lowry

“‘How can we teach people sexual assault is wrong, if we elect leaders who don’t appear to think the same?’” Personally, I am unable to answer this question, which leads me to think about the deeper problems we have in our society: how so many young people can be look up to.”

Lindsay Heusinger Guest Writer more prudent that boys be taught the same precautions, as well as about rape and consent. However, the problem does not always lie with the moral standings of boys themselves, but the society by which they are surrounded.

The journal Violence and Gender states that, “Roughly a third of male college students do not know what actually constitutes rape.” All of this comes back down to my one question: How are we supposed to change awareness about this topic, when some of the same people determining education toward it, the ones creating the laws in relation to this, and serving as role models for children, are ones committing these acts themselves?

It may be easy for some to see these assault allegations as political propaganda or dismiss them under the belief that if this action is true, how could that person be in power?

Despite political ideology, it can be

hard to agree with these politicians from a moral standpoint. Donald J. Trump, former President of the United States, said on tape during an interview on NBC, “You know I’m automatically attracted to beautiful — I just start kissing them. It’s like a magnet. Just kiss. I don’t even wait. And when you’re a star, they let you do it. You can do anything ...

Grab them by the *****. You can do anything.”

This same person who holds at least 26 sexual misconduct allegations against him, according to Business Insider, has also asserted, “Nobody has more respect for women than I do. Nobody. Nobody has more respect.”

Here we can see the blurred lines on a significant role model for children and wonder how the first statement could truly be representative of respect for women.

It is hard to be directly frustrated with younger boys when the person

Lindsay Heusinger Guest Writer representing the whole of the United States is not encouraging any disapproval of sexual assault.

To take the conversation away from just one man onto the whole political field, in January of 2020, ABC News published an article after The Associated Press tallied at least 100 different law makers with sexual misconduct allegations directed toward them since 2017. In just three years, at least 100 politicians have been accused of committing these life-ruining actions towards women, but the actions toward them have been less than equal.

While some may think 100 sounds like a small number, I implore you to think about if these women impacted were your friends, parents, or even yourself. Think about how those 100 politicians could impact such a broad population of impressionable minds.

As I write this, I am not asking you to change your political opinions or alter your stance, I am simply coming from a moral standpoint.

What can we expect from the future if these are our role models today?

22

February 11, 2021

OPINION

The Fourcast

Vulnerable should be next to get vaccine COVID-19 shows disproportionate effects on racial, ethnic minorities

T

he math in this pandemic is simpler than you’d think. A quick comparison between numbers exposes some appalling facts: Black people, Latinx and Hispanic people, and Native Americans are being affected by COVID-19 at a disproportionately high rate in relation to their shares of population.

Undoubtedly, more white people have been affected than any other racial or ethnic group in terms of sheer numbers; however, they also occupy the largest share of population in America. People of color, on the other hand, are dying at percentages that exceed their share of population. These groups who have experienced health care access deserts, socioeconomic difficulties, and disproportionate vulnerability to the virus deserve vaccine priority.

America needs to act based on the virtue of justice, an idea supported by Aristotle’s belief in the benefits of living virtuously.

The only way forward is to correct the racial inequity in our country that is killing people of color at an exponential rate.

Lower income racial and ethnic minorities are more vulnerable to the virus than others, and here’s why. In this country, your wealth determines your health, and income inequality “translates to poorer health outcomes,” the BBC reported in April 2020.

Due to economic disadvantages that limit healthcare access, Black

BARBARA LOU Guest Writer

people in America are at a higher risk for diabetes, heart disease, and illnesses that weaken the respiratory and immune systems, culminating in more severe COVID-19 symptoms.

Housing, geographical, and occupational differences further contribute to vulnerability to COVID-19. Indigenous communities like the Navajo Nation live with uranium-contaminated water that prevents them from properly washing their hands, a habit that

is crucial to COVID-19 prevention, National Public Radio reported.

Native communities tend to live in crowded homes of many generations far away from hospitals, according to Ed Yong, a science writer who covers COVID at The Atlantic magazine.

Employment conditions can heighten risk, as well. Farm workers in the United States often come from Latin America without legal documents, limiting their power to reject unsafe work conditions,

physically distance in the fields or obtain medical attention if needed.

People of color have higher chances of being unemployed, prompting them to take jobs that require frequent contact with others, such as food delivery.

After administering the vaccine to health workers, each state should prioritize geographically dense areas of lower income, which will implicitly favor economically underprivileged racial and ethnic minorities.

“We cannot get this pandemic under control if we do not address head-on the issues of inequity in our country,” said Dr. Marcella NunezSmith, an expert at Yale University.

“There is no other way.” the long-lasting racial injustices that have reared their ugly heads during this pandemic. Only then, as Aristotle believed, can America reach its true state of prosperity and defeat its two most lethal epidemics — COVID-19 and racism.

Crowdfunding and consciousness Why Crowdfunding for unconscious COVID-19 patients is ethical The diagnosis of the day has returned. Your uncle, infected with COVID-19 just two months ago, is still alive but in dire straits: his lungs are beginning to fail, and he has fallen into a coma. Even worse, though your mom tried to hide the forms from you, you’ve overheard your parents worrying about the treatment costs, estimated by Kaiser Family Foundation to top $20,000.

You do have one idea to try and help. Just a few days ago, you saw a family on the news overcome with tears and thanking humanity for fulfilling their $25,000 GoFundMe in just two weeks—could you get the same results? Even though you’ve been too ashamed and terrified to tell even some of your closest friends about your family’s conditions, should you reveal your unconscious uncle’s private life to the internet in order to solicit charity from strangers?

Over 300,000 people just like you have made such a choice and begun COVID-19 fundraisers which can be searched for on GoFundMe, a popular crowdfunding website.

But despite the portrayal of crowdfunding in popular media,

it is no instantaneous success story. “Only about 10 percent of medical campaigns meet their

determination and can have

COVID-19, revealing even just a patient’s name can lead to intense assistant professor of nursing and harassment and stigmatization health studies at the University of against family and friends, Politico Washington in Bothell, said in an reports. article in BMC Medical Ethics. To From a deontological standpoint, compete then, which at all in a weighs the veritable sea morality of an “Medical bills are of COVID-19 action only on fundraisers, whether the expensive, crowdfunding new action itself is is volatile, and privacy right or wrong, starters are essentially unethical is essential, but lives are ittoisdisclose required your precious.” to spin unconscious sensational uncle’s narratives, personal Angelina Wu which usually information Guest Writer means even for a revealing crowdfund. He large amounts cannot consent of personal to the privacy information, according to the article. invasion; regardless of what you However, this level of information intend the consequences to be, you sharing raises concerns with would be violating his autonomy. privacy, an increasingly bigger From a utilitarian perspective, issue in the age of the internet however, starting such a crowdfund and a fundamental human right. is ethical to the extent that it is done Unauthorized privacy intrusions for the greater good — in this case compromise one’s right to selfso the uncle can continue to receive

ANGELINA WU Guest Writer medical care and the family can still have money to put food on the table.

It is just essential to consider any after the fundraiser.

Medical bills are expensive, crowdfunding is volatile, and privacy is essential, but lives are precious. In the end, I believe it is ethical to begin a crowdfund for the unconscious patient even if you must invade their privacy to a certain extent. Crowdfunding, especially for unconscious COVID-19 patients, has numerous pitfalls and complications that are not immediately obvious, but it might just save your uncle’s life.

OPINION

hockadayfourcast.org

THE

F

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Ava Berger MANAGING EDITOR Kate Clark WEB EDITOR Erin Parolisi ASSISTANT WEB AND PHOTO EDITOR Elisa Carroll COPY EDITOR Laine Betanzos MAGAZINE EDITOR Kelsey Chen NEWS EDITOR Sasha Schwimmer ASSISTANT NEWS EDITOR Katherine Grace Estes FEATURES EDITOR Charlotte Rogers ASSISTANT FEATURES EDITOR Olivia Garcia ARTS & LIFE CO-EDITORS Maddie Stout and Hanna Zhang SPORTS CO-EDITORS Remy Finn and Lacy Green OPINIONS EDITOR Anna Gum ASSISTANT OPINIONS EDITOR Campbell Harris CASTOFF EDITOR Julia Donovan PHOTO & GRAPHICS EDITOR Libby Hill SOCIAL MEDIA AND VIDEOS EDITOR Lea Whitley STAFF WRITERS Juliana Blazek, Jane Clark, Zoe Cote, Zoya Haq, Melody Hu, Rachel Jan, Caroline Petrikas STAFF ARTISTS Kylee Hong, Louisa Benedict, Maddie Fisher, Nancy Dedman, Kemper Lowry FACULTY ADVISER Julia Copeland

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.

The staff reserves the right to refuse any advertising which is deemed inappropriate for the Hockaday community.

Opinions will be clearly marked and/or will appear in the views section.

Commentaries are the expressed opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect that of The Fourcast staff, its adviser or any other member of the Hockaday community.

The Staff Stance on the views page reflects the position of The Fourcast staff, but not necessarily the position of the Hockaday administration or community.

The Fourcast staff determines the content of each issue and strives to work as independently as possible in producing the student newspaper. The newspaper is subject to prior review by Hockaday administration and some stories may be changed or omitted in accordance with the administration’s requirements.

Letters to the editor and guest columns are welcome and should be addressed to the editor-in-chief. Only signed pieces will be published. Corrections and clarifications from previous issues will be found as designated in the news section. Any questions or concerns should be addressed to Editor-in-Chief Ava Berger at aberger21@ hockaday.org.

February 11, 2021

23

Responding to the riot Moving ahead depends on education, awareness STAFF STANCE

L

ike many events that have happened in the past year, no one expected to see chaos on the steps of the United States Capitol building on Jan. 6, but plus oustanding arrest warrants and frightening images of destruction, fear has risen throughout America.

How did this happen? What are the consequences? And, most importantly, what do we do now?

As a society, we must focus on political education throughout our whole country. This includes education surrounding the structure of our government, government systems, political parties, elections opinions certainly may vary, facts must be considered over speculation and emotions.

The goals of the rioters varied, but a common theme was #stopthesteal.

This was the idea that former President Donald Trump did in fact win the 2020 election against current President Joe Biden but the vote was counted in Biden’s favor due to voter fraud or “lawmaker traitors.”

Sources such as Bloomberg Quicktake say the rioters were misinformed by the news sources they watched or false “facts” they read.

Studies by BBC and Associated Press found no evidence of more votes than voters, unexplained surges of Democratic votes, votes flipping from Trump to Biden, voting machines being owned by Democrats or thousands of dead citizens voting.

Trump made all of these claims at one point or another over Twitter, but they have no standing, either being dismissed by a court of law or invalidated by in-depth studies.

But it’s not surprising that a large group of Americans would take Trump’s word at face value.

A study by the Annenburg Public Policy center at the University of Pennsylvania shows that only 51 percent of Americans can name the

Protesters gather outside the U.S. Capitol.

three branches of government. Yes, this statistic has increased from 39 percent in the last 10 years, but the number still only represents half of the population. Half the people voting in our elections and expressing their political views could not name the legislative, executive and judicial branches.

In addition, in the 2018 Brown Center Report on American Education, which investigated public schools’ political education practices, researchers found an “alarmingly wide” gap in civic education. Weekly instructional time for civic education has decreased from 3 hours to 2.6 in the past 10 years. Why, as we endure increasing polarization and tense political times, is education about politics and government decreasing?

These two studies are enough to see the root of our problems: schools are not devoting enough time to educating students and in turn, half of the American population does not know critical facts about our government structure. It’s no wonder people cling to a man screaming falsehoods.

https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0/deed.en Photo by Tyler Merbler

So how do we mend the problem?

Younger generations need to be aware of the dangers of polarization and fake news. All schools need to emphasize the importance of discussion and teach each student the fundamentals of our government. No student should be lacking political education due simply to the school they go to. The number of hours of weekly instruction time for civic education should be at least four hours, and this is still less than one hour a day.

We cannot have domestic terrorists disrupting the transfer of power with every election. We need the next generation to be smarter. This means having the ability to identify fake news, collect all the facts on each candidate and know how to have nonviolent discussions with anyone with a Upper School students need to hold themselves accountable. We have the privilege of an education that every child dreams of. We need to use the reading, listening and discussion skills we have to combat the polarization we see all around us. We need to go out into the world looking

What do you think?

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Sara Mangelsdorf ‘21 I believe the key to ensuring a peaceful transition of power is to keep a nation from becoming too polarized. Divisive language, misinformation and violence are the reasons why peaceful transitions are threatened. In the future, we need to actively combat those things through clear, calm and empathetic dialogue that unites rather than divides.”

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Hannah Philip ‘22 People say that was an unprecedented event and we never could have seen it coming, but there were warning signs all along. This is just the culmination of a four-year-long path to destruction.”

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Lola Isom ‘23 The Capitol riots were a crazy test of democracy and an act of hypocrisy.

I think they will change the role of the presidency indefinitely, probably for the worse.”

THE

Fourcast

The Hockaday School 11600 Welch Road Dallas, Texas 75229

CASTOFF

February 11, 2021

The Fourcast

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Happy Valentines Day

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by Julia Donovan • Castoff Editor

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