Fourcast February 2020 by Hockaday Student Publications

4FO U R C A S T

THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

11600 WELCH ROAD DALLAS, TX 75229

VOLUME 70

ISSUE 4

FEBRUARY 2020

Behind the Performance

The NasherHaemisegger Theater echoes with applause as students and fine arts faculty take gracious bows after their performance of “Crazy for You.” Each year, students, parents and faculty gather in the theater for the much-anticipated winter musical. Read full story p. 12

IN FOCUS: CRAZY FOR CAST & CREW

DIVING DEEP INTO MARINE BIOLOGY Marine Biology Laboratory Trip Recap

photo by Erin Parolisi

RESTAURANT REVIEW

SAVE ROOM FOR SABLON

Sitting at the corner of McKinney Avenue and Blackburn Street, Belgian-inspired restaurant Sablon Chocolate Lounge uses high-quality chocolate in almost all of its menu items. At around 7:30 on a Friday night, every restaurant in Uptown was crowded with people. As I scanned each storefront on McKinney Avenue, a glowing yellow sign caught my eye. Sablon Review p. 09

#WW3: HOW TIKTOKS ABOUT WORLD CONFLICTS GENERATE LAUGHS AND DISCOMFORT

On Jan. 3, President Tr ump ordered an airstrike that killed Iranian General Qasem Soleimani outside of an Iraqi airport. The following morning, “#WW3” was trending on Twitter. In the coming days, the social media platform TikTok, along with its approximately 500 million active users, generated content in response to the incident and its repercussions. #WW3 p. 23

FEBRUARY 13, 2020 | THE FOURCAST

STUDENT COUNCIL BUILDS BRIDGES The Student Council focuses on forging connections with Upper School students with the State of the School Assembly and WinFo reveal.

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YOUR WORLD TODAY Recent acts of aggression between the United States and Iran are part of a long timeline of complex relations between the countries.

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photo by Meg Wilson

NEWS

THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

4F O U R C A S T

Junior Mia Xia and Senior Jenny Hoi look at the foods sold at the corner store in Bonton.

Boosting Bonton

AP Enviro, Human Geo classes create proposal for grocery store in food desert

by Kate Clark• News Editor

n the Bonton neighborhood of South Dallas, it can take an hour and a half on public transportation to get to the nearest grocery store. As a result, the neighborhood often relies on the nearby corner store that lacks the necessities for healthy nutrition. AP Environmental Science and AP Human Geography are reaching beyond their classrooms to improve lives in the Bonton food desert. Hoping to take what they’ve learned in class and positively impact Bonton’s residents, students are creating a proposal for a healthy and fresh grocery store in the neighborhood. They hope to eventually present their plan to the Dallas City Council with the goal of receiving a grant. Although Bonton Farms, an urban farm, market and community center, has succeeded in refining the community and providing fresh food, there are still food and items that people cannot buy at the farm. In these Social Impact classes, students are focusing on food security and what that looks like on both a local and a worldwide scale. Both AP Enviro and AP Human Geo took a field trip to Bonton to visit the local community center, TR Hoover Center, a corner store and Bonton Farms. “We went to a grocery store, and they seemed to only have packaged foods,” Angie Walsh, AP Human Geo student, said. ‘It was similar to a 7-Eleven convenience store, and that was the only grocery store for the whole neighborhood.” Something really resonated with the classes when the director of TR Hoover, Sherri Mixon, talked about the malnutrition of the neighborhood

kids, the lower life expectancy and the high rates of Type 2 Diabetes in Bonton. Upper School science teacher Kirsten Lindsay-Hudak, who teaches both AP Enviro and AP Human Geo, did not assign the project, but simply proposed the idea to her two classes. “They made a real connection with Ms. Sherri,” Lindsay-Hudak said. “All I did was throw it out there, and say ‘if you really want to make a difference, it might be through a grocery store.’ And then they took it and ran with it.” To begin the process, the classes dedicated time to brainstorm, proposing ideas from locations to recipes in the grocery store. “The brainstorming process is thinking about anything that you need when you’re thinking about organizing a grocery store,” Lily Forbes, AP Enviro student, said. “We are forming teams within our class like human outreach and corporate connections.” AP Enviro has been focusing on how to cultivate food and on the lack of access to healthy food, and the grocery store addresses the food desert problem in the neighborhood as well as providing an opportunity to educate people about nutrition. AP Human Geography helped brainstorm, yet has now changed its project and is now creating a plan to develop urban farms in downtown Dallas, also a food desert. Their individual contributions will combine in the proposal. Through the brainstorming process, the classes are learning about how business works. They are making business plans, understanding the complex nature of zoning (the process of dividing land)

and learning how to get people to invest in something that will not be profitable at first. As of March 19, 2019, the City of Dallas Office of Economic Development set aside $250,000 to address the problem. Anyone who develops a valid solution to the food desert could be granted up to $70,000. The class plans to apply for the grant when the proposal is complete. “We are trying to make it so this neighborhood can serve as an example of lower socioeconomic classes having access and being able to rise above and actually being able to feed themselves,” Forbes said. Next, the classes submitted an action plan based on their brainstorming, which will establish the timeline for the project. Action steps will include determining a potential location and collecting data from the demographics of the neighborhood. Based on the action steps that the classes indicated, Lindsay-Hudak will determine benchmarks throughout the remainder of the year to ensure that the class stays on course. Another important part of the project that has not yet begun is human outreach and community connection. Lindsay-Hudak requires the students to incorporate an education component to teach

the community about nutrition. Mixon will play an important role in fostering the connection between the classes and the Bonton community. “A big part of the project is a big family thing,” Walsh said. “Ms. Sherri doesn’t want it to be another project where the residents aren’t included and people just come in and do what they think is best. She wants it to be us as a class, us as a family, helping their family.” The hope is for the project to succeed by the end of the year, but if it is unfinished, the classes plan to hand off all their hard work to TR Hoover. From there, the community can decide if and how they wish to continue the project. “When people talk about pie in the sky ideas, this is one of those things,” Lindsay-Hudak said. “Although, it may be just crazy enough to work.” Lindsay-Hudak explained that the project is nontraditional in a school setting in that it simulates real life; no one knows how it is going to turn out. “The girls are seeing places where there are needs, and they are getting excited and feeling like they can make a difference. A nd they can,” Lindsay-Hudak said. “It is empowering for a student. This is our mission 100 percent; these are women who are leading lives of purpose.”

Corrections

An article in the December issue of the Fourcast contained incorrect information about Hockaday policies. The Attendance policy and Safe Harbor policy are consistent across both day and boarding populations. Director of Residence Life Jill Flinders was misquoted about the Safe Harbor policy. She correctly

stated the Safe Harbor policy applies to all students. In the February issue of Jade magazine, the table of contents listing for staff writer Remy Finn’s opinion piece was incorrect. It should have read, “Pro-Life: The Right to Life Begins Before Birth.” The Fourcast regrets the errors.

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THE FOURCAST | FEBRUARY 13, 2020

NEWS

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DIVING DEEP INTO MARINE BIOLOGY Hockaday students get hands-on experience at the Marine Biology Laboratory in Woods Hole, Mass.

When I heard about this trip, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to continue exploring my fascination with the subject.”

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Student Council builds bridges State of the School Assembly highlights accomplishments, introduces WinFo theme by Anna Gum• Staff Writer

TIDBITS

photo by Eliana Goodman

very Day 6, Upper School students rummage through their closets, lockers, car trunks and advisory cabinets to find a spare blazer and oxford dress shirt. Every two or three of those day-six days, students, clad with their blazers, scuffle into the Nasher and Haemisegger Theater for an assembly. On Jan. 14, Student Council (StuCo) and the Winter Formal Committee held an assembly to present an update on their progress and to reveal the Winter Formal theme. Form IV President Karen Lin said that the State of the School assembly was to show students what the Student Council does and has achieved this year, and how the theme of “connection” has played into their work. Menaka Naidu, Student Council President, added that the council wanted to be transparent by showing how it operates and why it has made the changes implemented this year. “Sometimes I think some people don’t realize what Student Council does or how much effort is put into certain initiatives,” Lin said. “So this assembly was a way to show all of the wonderful things we were able to achieve this semester and what we hope to do in the next!” The State of the School assembly has not been held in a few years, but the Student Council had received feedback showing that students did not know the role the council plays. By bringing the assembly back, Student Council hoped to make students more aware of the work they do. “Our main goal for this assembly was to connect students to Student Council and give a quick update to what StuCo has been doing throughout the year and also what we hope to accomplish before the end of the year,” Naidu said. A few of the items mentioned were the feedback survey, the OnCampus page, Lunch with StuCo and the Winter Formal

Student Council President and Vice President Menaka Naidu and Arushi Mukherjee discuss student suggestions with the council at a meeting.

Committee. The most recent Lunch Formal Committee, who announced with StuCo took place on Jan. 30 in the the theme for this year’s dance: A Night Great Hall. All Upper School students at the Met. were invited and had the chance to talk Seniors Evan Johnston and Kathleen with StuCo about any Roberts were selected as suggestions, questions the co-chairs for this year’s or concerns. This assembly was a way to show all winter formal. They led In the following of the wonderful things we were able to meetings for the committee meeting, StuCo once a week, in which they discussed each achieve this semester and what we hope discuss the logistics and idea and comment planning of the event. Naidu individually and and Student Council Vice to do in the next. brainstormed President Arushi Mukherjee how to implement attend these meetings on Karen Lin changes based on the behalf of Student Council Form IV President comments. and provide their input. The StuCo also Winter Formal Committee listened to students’ additionally worked with thoughts about the assembly, and StuCo as a whole to plan the theme received positive feedback. Naidu and reveal assembly. Lin both said they succeeded in their “We work really hard,” Roberts said. goals for the assembly. “We have done a ton of work to make “We kept it short but informative, and sure everything is on par for the theme I think those types of assemblies are welland to make WinFo the best it’s been.” received by the Upper School,” Lin said. The committee created several ideas Following the State of the School, for the reveal video and designs for the Student Council introduced the Winter

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T-shirts, which they brought to a Student Council meeting where StuCo and the Winter Formal Committee made the final decisions. Both Student Council and the Winter Formal committee took part in filming the video that the Winter Formal chairs edited. “Everyone had a blast dressing up and filming [the reveal video],” Lin said. Their inspiration for the video was the movie “The Devil Wears Prada” and the Met Gala reveal video from 2018. The committee and StuCo tried to include iconic pop culture moments and references and based the shirt design on the Met logo. Both the Student Council and the Winter Formal Committee put in time to ensure the theme reveal was successful and exciting for the students, and Roberts believes their work paid off. “I thought the assembly was great because a ton of people laughed during the video, and there was a lot of applause when the theme was revealed,” Roberts said. “I wanted people to be excited for the theme and I’m glad the video could do that.”

AND TALES

1 Conference Day

Hockdaisies had their Upper School conferences with their advisors and parents on Feb. 4. These meetings gave the students an opportunity to discuss their goals and challenges of the current and upcoming school years.

3 “Crazy For You”

Upper School Students gathered into the Nasher and Haemisegger Theater on Feb. 6 to watch a performance of the Upper School Musical, “Crazy For You!” The show premiered to the public that weekend, Feb. 7 to Feb. 9.

Hockaday takes SPC

On Feb. 11, Hockaday students filled Penson gym in celebration of the SPC championship tournament. During the pep rally, the teams competing in Winter SPC were revealed and the students cheered on their classmates.

Smile!

Upper School students showed off their art in a Photography Exhibition Reception Feb. 12. Family members, students and faculty were invited to admire the beautiful images the students had captured.

photos provided by Lea Whitley, Maddie Stout and Hockaday website

FEBRUARY 13, 2020 | THE FOURCAST

THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

4F O U R C A S T

Iranian crowds march in protest leading up to the 1979 Iranian Revolution against the shah.

Your World Today

photo by Ahmad Moftizadeh provided by Wikimedia Commons

Timeline traces Iran-U.S. relations leading to current conf lict

by Niamh McKinney • Arts and Life Editor

ith jokes about a potential WWIII due to rising tensions between Iran and the United States flooding social media platforms, it has become clear that some do not understand the true extent of the history between the two countries. However, understanding the history of Iran as a country and the history of relations between the United States and Iran is necessary to fully grasp the United States’ current involvement in Iran. Recent events surrounding the 2015 Iran nuclear deal, in which world powers agreed to lift economic sanctions as long as Iran limited its nuclear development, demonstrate rising tensions between the two powers. On Jan. 3, Iran’s most powerful military commander, Gen. Qasem Soleimani, was killed by a U.S. airstrike in Iraq. Iran retaliated by firing U.S. missiles at U.S. forces in Iraq on Jan. 7. On Jan. 15, Iranian President Hassan Rouhani accused Germany, Britain and France of siding with the United States through their formal accusation of Iran’s breaking the terms of the 2015 nuclear deal. Rouhani seemed to threaten both the U.S. military and the three European countries, saying “Today, the American soldier is in danger, tomorrow the European soldier could be in danger,” according to The New York Times. Here is a timeline to provide context for the current situation.

Timeline:

1951: In April, the Iranian Parliament votes to nationalize the oil industry, at the time controlled by Britain’s company, the Anglo-Iranian Oil Company, and a power struggle occurs between left-wing nationalist Mohammad Mossadegh and the shah, Mohammad Reza. Mossadegh, who strongly opposed foreign involvement in Iran, was elected as prime minister through democratic elections. The shah was temporarily exiled. 1953: A coup, backed by the United States and Britain, takes Mossadegh

out of power. Democracy is replaced by an absolute monarchy ruled by Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi. For years after the coup, the United States continues to arm and support the shah. 1964: Influential Islamic clerical opposition leader Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini is exiled. Late 1960s: The shah becomes increasingly dependent on the SAVAK secret police, an organization in part started by the CIA, in controlling opposition movements. 1978: The shah’s authoritarian rule leads to riots, strikes and mass demonstrations. Many factors contribute to the revolution, including decreasing oil prices and increasing consumer prices. The revolution was organized and led by clerics but was supported by multiple sectors of Iran because of the economic instability. 1979: The shah and his family are forced into exile and Khomeini returns from 14 years of exile. The Islamic Republic of Iran is declared in April, following a referendum. In November, Islamic militants take 52 Americans hostage inside the U.S. embassy in Tehran. They demand that the shah, who is in the United States for medical treatment, return to Iran for a trial. 1980: The Iran-Iraq war begins with Iraq invading Iran. Iraqi leader Saddam Hussein claims the invasion is a result of a territorial dispute and Iran’s attempts to incite an Islamic rebellion in Iraq. 1985: In a scandal called the IranContra affair, the U.S. government secretly sells arms to Iran. Once the news comes out, the public is outraged, as the United States had an arms embargo against Iran, reasoning that Iran was responsible for international terrorism. 1988: An Iranian passenger plane is mistakenly shot down by American warship USS Vincennes, killing 290 people on board, adding to antiAmerican sentiment in Iran. 1988: After eight years of war, Iran accepts a ceasefire agreement with Iraq as a result of United Nations negotiations in Geneva. 1995: The United States imposes

oil and trade sanctions, accusing Iran of supporting terrorism, aggressively pursuing nuclear arms and being hostile in the peace process between Israel, an American ally, and Palestine. 2002: In a State of the Union address, President George W. Bush calls Iran part of an “axis of evil” with Iraq and North Korea, creating outrage among Iranians. 2005: Conservative Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, who ran under a populist platform built on Islamic principles, wins the presidential elections in June. In August, the IAEA declares Iran in violation of the nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, largely due to its resumed efforts of uranium conversion. 2007: The United Nations, after Iran’s failure to follow the organization’s demands to halt uranium enrichment, unanimously imposes new sanctions on Iran. 2009: Iran admits to building a uranium enrichment plant, but insists it is for peaceful purposes. 2015: As Iran’s currency falls to a

record low, world powers agree to lift economic sanctions if Iran limits its nuclear activity. 2018: President Trump withdraws from the 2015 nuclear deal and the United States imposes sanctions on Iran. Iran threatens to increase uranium enrichment if the deal with the rest of the participating countries collapses due to the United States’ decision to withdraw. 2019: The United States accuses Iran of attacking oil tankers in the Gulf. 2020: The United States claims responsibility for the killing of Iranian commander Qasem Soleimani in an airstrike at Baghdad Airport. Soleimani was well respected throughout the nation, even by those who otherwise are against the Iranian government, and many fear the choice to kill him underestimates popular Iranian support for Soleimani. On Jan. 23, the head of U.S. Central Command said the United States hopes to avoid conflict with Iran, but plans to expand its military reach in the Middle East during heightened tensions.

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THE FOURCAST | FEBRUARY 13, 2020

NEWS

Diving deep into marine research

Students, faculty reflect on MBL experiences by Julia Donovan • Castoff Editor

ugging the heavy creatures into the lab, the students at the Marine Biology Laboratory (MBL) partnered up to extract blood from horseshoe crabs. While one person fought to hold the resistant crab, the other pierced it with a needle to extract its vibrant blue blood. This was just one of the many experiences that the Upper School students got to experience at the Marine Biology Laboratory. From Nov. 10 to 17, a group of 20 juniors and seniors had the opportunity to learn in-depth about embryology, anatomy and physiology at MBL in Woods Hole, Mass. The blind application process for the program involved an online survey in which the students wrote paragraph responses. A committee led by Dean of Studies Dr. Barbara Fishel chose the participants based on their application responses. This opportunity let students get a real-world learning experience and apply what they had learned in their science classes. Junior Avery Mitts applied to MBL because of her passion for biology and research. Mitts said research is an essential piece of medical advancements and cures, and she wants to understand its process and specific techniques. “MBL not only gave us a general overview of biology, but let us dive into a deeper understanding of how biological research is done,” Mitts said. “We learned how marine life is connected to making important discoveries in human medicine. “For example, observing the development of fish embryos has helped scientists understand how humans develop, which has aided the research of stem cells, and the study of tunicates has led to the possibility of spinal cord regeneration.”

photo by Alexis Jones Avery Mitts, Caroline Collins, Emily Stevenson, Alyssa Taylor and Patti Black observe horshoe crabs at the Marine Biology Lab.

breakfast, and then the students would test the ammonia levels in a group of fish tanks they set up. Afterward, the MBL ATTENDEES: group would go to a lecture and work in Elly O’Brien, Alyssa Taylor, the lab the rest of the day. Angie Walsh, Avery Mitts, The students learned about Caroline Collins, Daniela Vallejo, Doris Zhang, Emily CRISPR (a technique used to modify Stevenson, Gina Miele, DNA sequences) and how scientists Helena Magee, Juhi Agrawal, can apply it to structures and Suha Ifran, Tia Hsieh, Anika processes as diverse as the scales on Banderpalle, Madeline Petrikas, Maisy Crow, butterfly wings and the development Margaret Woodberry, Paige of zebra fish embryos. Besides Anderson, Sydney Geist dissecting marine creatures, they CHAPERONES: also had the opportunity to study the Katie Croft, Patti Black, history of Cape Cod. Brandi Finazzo, Karen Brandi Finazzo, an Upper Roberts, Alexis Jones ’14. Barbara Fishel School science teacher, was one of six mentors who went on the MBL trip. Although Finazzo teaches The students explored marine life by classes that cover these topics, she was prepared to learn from the attending lectures and participating in researchers who work in depth on labs. Labs included staining embryos these subjects every day. of zebra fish, squid eggs or fruit flies “It’s an experiential learning and watching them develop, as well as dissections of sea urchins, cephalopods opportunity,” Finazzo said. “I was there to learn as much as the students.” and fish like summer flounder. The MBL was founded in 1888 Typically, the day would start off with

and has been led by faculty members at the University of Chicago for four decades. This affiliation is focused on strengthening and building upon marine biology research and education. Along with learning about marine biology, the students got to experience college life by staying in dorms and working in the labs that the University of Chicago college students work in. The students could explore the town during their down time. Junior Caroline Collins said she had always been fascinated with marine biology, collecting books, toys and movies about sea life as a child. “When I heard about this trip, I knew it was the perfect opportunity to continue exploring my fascination with the subject,” Collins said. “But my favorite part was getting to participate in an amazing experience with some of my closest friends. There’s just something about being surrounded by others who are just as enthusiastic about a topic as you are.”

PLAN ON IT!

Winter Break Feb. 14-17

Winter Formal Feb. 22

Upper School Exams March 12

photos provided by Caitlin Katz and Flickr

FEBRUARY 13, 2020 | THE FOURCAST

THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

4FO U R C A S T PODCASTOLOGY Managing Editor Kate Woodhouse reviews the podcast "Ologies With Alie Ward".

RTS&LIFE

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CHOCOLATE DREAMS Campbell Harris raves about chocolate-themed restaurant Sablon.

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photos provided by Inez Johnson

Fashion show co-chairs Zoe Cote and Inez Johnson, center, with models Suha Irfan, class of '21, and McCall Verska, class of '30, at a promotional photo shoot at D magazine.

Catwalk for charity

Fashion show moves to larger venue at Statler Hotel by Sasha Schwimmer • Staff Writer

n March 29, Hockaday students will captivate the crowd with their struts across the stage, walking confidently across the room on their intense catwalk for charity. The models will walk the runway at the Junior Ballroom of the Statler Hotel in a fashion show to raise money for Genesis Women’s Shelter and WiNGS Dallas. The mission of the Genesis Women’s Shelter is “to provide safety, shelter and support for women who have experienced domestic violence and to raise awareness regarding its cause, prevalence and impact.” WiNGS is a Dallas-based organization whose mission is to “empower women, fight poverty and impact generations.” These organizations align with the main mission of the show – which is fully woman-run – to empower women. Seniors Emma Roseman and Varsha Danda founded the Hockaday fashion show in 2018. Last year, they raised over $2,000 for the Genesis Women’s Shelter and the Akola Project. Danda and Roseman recognized the impact young women can have on the community, so they used the fashion show as a platform to showcase young women’s talents. “We thought that the Hockaday community would respond really well to a fashion show,” Danda said. Juniors Zoe Cote and Inez Johnson will follow in Roseman and Danda’s

footsteps as co-chairs of this year’s event. “Varsha and Emma have been helping guide us through the process of event planning,” Cote said. “They are quick to answer any of our questions and provide us with as many resources as they can to best prepare us for this year’s show.” Cote and Johnson have incorporated ideas from last year as well as new ideas to put together this year’s show. However, the mission of the show remains the same. “Through the fashion show, Zoe and I want to demonstrate women’s ability to empower other women and enact change,” Johnson said. Similar to the show last year, a blurb about the models’ interests, passions and inspirations will play in the background while the models walk. This aims to promote the celebration of the whole person, not just a woman’s face and body.

However, one of the biggest changes is that five St. Mark’s boys will walk alongside the Hockaday girls at the show. As they walk, blurbs about women who have inspired them will be read. Another change is the bigger venue. Cote and Johnson have expanded the scope of the show by moving it from Hockaday to the Statler Hotel. In the end, a bigger venue provides a wider scope of spectators of the event. This contributes to Cote and Johnson's main goal of fundraising. “The goal this year is to [not only] fundraise for both organizations but also to bring the community together and make the show an unforgettable event,” Cote said. To promote the show, the board hosted a promotional photoshoot at the D Magazine offices in December and a fundraiser at Village Burger Bar in

“ Through the fashion show, Zoe and I want to demonstrate women’s ability to empower other women and enact change." Inez Johnson Junior

January. Some of the proceeds raised at the dinner went to benefit the show, Genesis and WiNGS. Currently, their main means of fundraising are sponsorships; however, Cote and Johnson are anticipating more revenue from ticket sales. Each viewer will pay eight dollars for a ticket to the event, both supporting the fundraiser itself and the many students who will model in the show. Over 50 Hockaday students plan to participate in the event. Johnson estimates about three to six models from every grade. The models were selected from a first-come, first-serve survey. The models will showcase works from three fashion designers who just graduated from the business management program at WiNGS in November. Models will wear their accessories, sneakers and vacation or loungewear. The models also will wear clothes from Koch Boutique, one of the show’s gold sponsors (the highest level of sponsorship offered) and from the Genesis Benefit Thrift Store. The event itself should last two hours. In addition to the fashion show, there will be a DJ, a silent auction, a raffle and speakers, including Johnson and Cote, the CEO of WiNGS, the head of Genesis and the three entrepreneurs from WiNGS. Businesses which Hockaday girls frequent such as the Juice Bar, Rusty Taco, Koch and Black Swan Yoga have donated products for the auction.

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THE FOURCAST | FEBRUARY 13, 2020

ARTS & LIFE

BOOKWORM PARADISE This issue's City Slicker travels to bookstores around Dallas.

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My favorite part is that you can be many different things with your voice that you might not be able to be in person."

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Singing along with Loeb

Alumna plans to release 15th album by end of February by Maddie Stout• Staff Writer

If you’ve ever stepped foot inside Hockaday Lower School, you’ve probably heard a Lisa Loeb song. First-graders sing “Fried Ham,” thirdgraders chant “I’m a Little Coconut” and passing Upper Schoolers hum along as they remember their own singa-longs of years past. Even 34 years after Loeb’s graduation from Hockaday in 1986, Grammyaward winning musician Loeb remains a fixture in the Hockaday community as she continually returns for concerts amidst her worldwide success. On Feb. 28, Loeb will release her 15th album, “A Simple Trick to Happiness.” Unlike many of her other records in the past, this album, intended for an older audience, focuses on more topics more personal to Loeb. “With this album, I specifically set out to write the songs for the record, so they’re all personal and written very close to when I recorded it,” Loeb said. “My older records are a lot about love and romantic relationships, but this one has songs about other

kinds of relationships and where I am in my life right now.” One of these types of relationships is friendship, as Loeb discusses old friends, familial bonds and alliances with the LGBTQIA+ community throughout various tracks on the album. In particular, the song “Sing Out,” written for the Nashville Pride parade and released on National Coming Out Day in 2019, holds special meaning to Loeb. “I wrote the song specifically for the Pride parade because I often end up singing at an event, but I don’t have the perfect song for it,” Loeb said. “I wanted a song that lifted people up and lifted up peoples’ spirits and encouraged them to be themselves.” While other tracks on the album discuss getting out of unhealthy situations and losing contact with friends, Loeb focuses on staying true to one’s self throughout the album. This variety of song topics is rooted in a special guiding message, as Loeb aimed to inspire listeners even before

BEAUTIFUL BOOTS

creating the album. “When I got together with the other songwriters to write, I told them it was important for me to tell my story but also for the songs to live with you,” Loeb said. “In a lot of self-help books and on Instagram you see messages that you want to keep with you throughout the day, and you write those things on a Post-it note and stick it on your mirror, and that’s what the songs are like.” In addition to her successful music career, Loeb also delves into other career paths. Recently, she has made appearances in hit TV shows such as the Netflix original series “Fuller House,” gone on a tour in Japan and launched an eyewear brand, Lisa Loeb Eyewear. Despite her busy lifestyle, Loeb remains connected to Hockaday, her influence stretching to Hockadaisies generations after her. As her class’ student council president, an active participant in the theater program and a permanent fixture in the Lower School community, Loeb has made an impact in both her grade and those after her.

photo by Frances Lacuzzi

Sophomore Riley Carter remembers Loeb for the cheerful, inspiring songs she heard often in Lower School. “Lisa Loeb’s music is really inspiring, but it’s also catchy,” Carter said. “The message she puts out is just really inspirational to children because of its fun, lighthearted manner.” During her senior year, Loeb frequently visited the ceramics studio, making an impact on Upper School ceramics teacher Kevin Brady. “I always knew that she would be a great success no matter what she set out to do,” Brady said. Overall, Loeb inspires many, both in and out of Hockaday, and will only continue to do so with the release of "A Simple Trick to Happiness". “The fact Lisa Loeb went to Hockaday and graduated here just motivates me to do great things like her and inspire all generations,” Carter said.

Although most Hockadaises are not known for their hoedown or lassoing skills, every Texan has a little bit of cowgirl in her heart. For those living in Texas, cowboy boots are a necessary part of the wardrobe for functions like football games, Junior Symphony Ball and Texas-themed parties. Honor Wood, Sydney Ghorayeb, Margo Washburne and Riley Carter express personality through their unique cowboy boots.

by Lea Whitley •Staff Writer

Honor Wood

Margo Washburne

Riley Carter

Junior Honor Wood said her boots played a very special role in making her 16th birthday special. She custom-made them six months before her birthday at Miron Crosby, personalizing the size, style and colors. Wood's monogram is placed on the front of the boot, and a special message from her mother wishing her a happy birthday is carved into the leather on the inside. Wood loves her one-of-a-kind boots because they are versatile. She pairs them with nicer outfits in Dallas, but also rocks them while riding horses in the country. Wood wore the pair for Junior Symphony Ball last year and plans to wear them to many more events to come.

Sophomore Margo Washburne uses her cowboy boots to stand out in a country-themed crowd. She said she was looking for a pair that nobody else would have, so she decided to customize her pair at Miron Crosby, a shop in Highland Park Village that handcrafts cowboy boots. She said she chose to make the boots bright pink because they reflect her personal style, stand out and are out of the ordinary. Washburne wore her personalized boots to a Thomas Rhett concert and numerous Westernthemed parties. She was so excited to show them off at her first year of the Junior Symphony Ball.

Sophomore Riley Carter wears her cowboy boots the way they were made to be worn: she has been riding horses for the majority of her life. Carter said she owned many pairs of boots over the years, but her current pair quickly became her favorite. She bought them at a co-op in Colorado, and the boots were the last pair available in her size. Carter said she thought it was a sign and immediately bought them. Every summer, Carter spends the majority of July in Colorado riding her horse daily. For the last three years, she wore this pair every time she rode. Carter wears her cowboy boots while doing the activity she loves, and said she cannot wait to put them back on again this summer.

Sydney Ghorayeb Sophomore Sydney Ghorayeb said her cowboy boots carry great sentimental value in her family. Ghorayeb's grandmother originally owned the boots, which were specially made for her own feet in New Mexico. The one-of-a-kind pair did not fit her grandmother anymore, so she gave them to Ghorayeb. The pair fit perfectly because Ghorayeb and her grandmother have identical arches and wear precisely the same shoe size. She wears them every Thanksgiving to her grandmother’s house in East Texas to protect her feet from snakes, and also because they represent the special bond she and her grandmother share.

FEBRUARY 13, 2020 | THE FOURCAST

THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

4FO U R C A S T

Tried & True

Reviews of new books, movies, podcasts and trendy restaurants

Podcastology

'Ologies' demonstrates art of making a great podcast by Kate Woodhouse • Managing Editor

While on my trek from Plano to Hockaday and back every day, I like to fill my morning and afternoon commute with podcasts. However, it can be challenging to find a series you can listen to day after day. After finishing some old favorites, I failed to find a new series that piqued my interest as much as the masterpiece of “Revisionist History.” I tried “TED Radio Hour,” “Famous Fates,” “Stuff You Should Know” and more, but none lived up to my standards until now. “Ologies with Alie Ward” perfectly combines my desires for humor and learning into every action-packed episode. In each installment, Ward interviews an “ologist” in a different academic field, usually science-based. While some “ologies” like criminology or epidemiology are well-known areas of study, others like bufology, the study

of toads, and cucurbitology, the study of pumpkins, are obscure sciences. A few unheard-of “ologies” like hagfishology, the study of hagfish, and disenfectiology, the study of bleach, also have been featured in one or two instances.

With each episode, I have fallen deeper in love with the humorous and informal way Ward talks about the most obscure and outlandish things. She often cuts the show with audio clips from “The Office” or another show if the “ologist” mentions something that relates to it. She also does not censor herself in the interviews and often swears. In this way, she transforms science from an elitist study understood only by people with a

Ph.D to something anyone can enjoy. One of my favorite aspects of this podcast is Ward’s charitable component. Each “ologist” she interviews chooses an organization for her to donate to in their name. Instead of maximizing her profits, Ward elects to give a portion of the ad revenue of each episode to various charities and often helps to further the fields she teaches about if the “ologist” chooses to donate their money there. While some of the “ologist’s” answers go over my head, Ward usually defines integral terms and recaps challenging concepts in simpler language. However, this podcast requires almost all of your attention; otherwise, you can easily get lost and never catch up. Furthermore, with the wealth of the “ologist’s” information and the large number of questions she asks, the episodes can be quite long. It took

Photo Provided by Stitcher

me two days to finish the episode on criminology. Most episodes range from one hour to an hour and a half, and only a couple are less than 45 minutes. Despite the duration, Ward entertains me throughout the episode, and I struggle to turn it off as I pull into my parking spot. If you, like me, love to learn about obscure yet fascinating topics or are dying to dive deep into the world of the adorable yet scary hotdogs better known as hagfish, make “Ologies with Alie Ward” your go-to podcast for long drives to school or really any time you want to find out something new.

OTHER SCIENCE PODCASTS TO ENJOY

The Hidden Brain

Probably Science

Brain Stuff

The Infinite Monkey Cage

Science VS

Hating on Halsey Whiny new album not this fan's favorite by Charlotte Rogers • Staff Writer

In 2015, singer-songwriter Ashley Frangipane, professionally known as Halsey, rose to stardom after receiving a large online following with hundreds of fans. After signing with Astralwerks in 2014, Halsey released her first EP “Room 93” later that year, attracting

Photo by Flickr User Justin Higuichi

millions of fans who would help her gain fame in 2015. On Jan. 17, Halsey exposed even more of her true self to the world with the debut of her third album, Manic.

Although Halsey’s fame may have seemed immediate to most, it did not come easily for the 25-year-old artist, who suffers from bipolar disorder. Well-known for her unique approach to pop music, Halsey takes alternative approaches through electric rock and indie vocalizations and techniques. She is loved by fans for her inimitable sense of style and how outspoken she is about her bipolar disorder and sexuality. While her fans may view this album as an exposé of Halsey’s identity and inner battles, to me, this album sounds like another artist complaining about heartbreak for 47 minutes. I have never been a major Halsey fan simply because I haven’t had any interest in her music. However, I don’t

dislike her music either. Listening to this album, I tried to keep an open mind because it is obvious to any listener how vulnerable she is being with her music and fans. Overall, however, I did not like the album and would not recommend it. Although I can understand how some people may listen to it and enjoy it, the negatives outweigh the positives. To begin, the lyrics are well thought-out, artistic and relatable in songs like “Graveyard,” “3 a.m.” and “Forever.” That being said, in songs such as “I HATE EVERYBODY” and “Killing Boys” the lyrics are clearly lacking and Halsey sounds angry and confused. For example, in “I HATE EVERYBODY,” Halsey claims that she literally hates everybody, but later contradicts herself by saying “Maybe I, maybe I don’t.” Confusion is a relatable emotion typically welcomed in songs but Halsey’s confused and frustrated thoughts can be perceived as repetitive and whiny. A song on the album that was released early, “You Should be Sad,” tests the boundaries of typical pop music by experimenting with some country

Photo provided by Wikipedia

influences. In “Dominic’s Interlude,” Halsey only sings for a little bit, with the majority of the song performed by Dominic Fike. “Dominic’s Interlude” is unlike any piece of music on the album nor any piece that Halsey has produced before, and I like it. “Suga Interlude” is probably one of my least favorites on the album. The song begins with Halsey singing until she is interrupted by BTS singing in Korean. Their parts in the song do not flow well together and sound awkward. All in all, Halsey’s new album has tested pop music’s thresholds with her creativity and honesty. While I admire that she had the courage to discuss her past struggles with heartbreak, identity and bipolar disorder, I do not care for Manic because of the music’s content, the odd musical techniques and sounds used and the lack of flow between different songs on the album.

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THE FOURCAST FEBRUARY, 2020

ARTS&LIFE

Save room for Sablon

photos by Campbell Harris

Chocolate Lounge offers varied menu for a sweet adventure

by Campbell Harris •Staff Writer

itting at the corner of McKinney Avenue and Blackburn Street, Belgianinspired restaurant Sablon Chocolate Lounge uses highquality chocolate in almost all of its menu items. At around 7:30 on a Friday night, every restaurant in Uptown was crowded with people. As I scanned each storefront on McKinney Avenue, a glowing yellow sign caught my eye. Even better, when I walked inside, it was not very crowded, and there was no line at the register. However, I did go to Sablon at dinnertime on Friday so it might be busier after dinner when dessertjunkies’ cravings hit. When I walked up to the register, the employee handed me a Kindle Fire with the menu on it. The electronic menu paired with dim mood lighting made Sablon feel like an upscale restaurant. When I returned to the register to order, another employee swung open the kitchen door, and the scent of delicious chocolate hit my nose. The menu includes many items, incorporating chocolate in different ways. From a Chocowich Shake to a Banana

FROM THE FOURCAST

KITCHEN

whisk by Peter Williams

Marshmallow Pizza, I had Charlie’s whole Chocolate Factory at my fingertips. I ordered a variety of different items: Hazelnut Crepes, Creme Brulee Frappe and the Chocolate Lava Lava Cake. Each item I ordered got to my table at a different time. First the Creme Brulee Frappe, then the Hazelnut Crepes and

finally the Chocolate Lava Lava Cake. The Creme Brulee Frappe was a smooth blend of caramel, white chocolate, ice milk and espresso. It was topped with whipped cream and a caramel drizzle with milk chocolate dripping down the sides of the cup. It was delicious and probably my favorite item I ordered. Although this item did not feature much chocolate, the espresso and caramel mixed with white chocolate was an excellent combo. Non-coffee lovers, don’t fret! This is still a great option because the espresso is not too strong. The presentation of the Hazelnut Crepes was so beautiful that I almost did not want to eat them. They were served on a large white plate with melted milk

chocolate and powdered sugar covering it. The four corners of the plate highlighted a different food or side. In the first corner, there was whipped creme with a cherry, then vanilla ice cream, sliced strawberries and finally the crepes themselves. The crepes were filled and topped with house-made hazelnut spread. It was even more delicious than the famous hazelnut spread Nutella. I opted to add strawberries and whipped cream on top. Finally, I finished off my chocolate adventure with the Chocolate Lava Lava Cake. It was a brownie lava cake with hot molten chocolate inside served with ganache and vanilla ice cream on the side. The cake itself was covered in melted milk chocolate, strawberries and white chocolate chips. When I poured the ganache on the already chocolate-filled cake, I was overwhelmed by the amount of chocolate on my plate. At first, I thought it would be too much, but I was pleasantly surprised because it wasn’t too decadent. After finishing my meal, I felt like I had gained 15 pounds, but I did not regret it. If you are in Uptown and have already eaten dinner, I would recommend Sablon as your choice of dessert. The fun and flavorful menu is any chocolate lover’s dream and I will definitely be back for more.

Staff writer Campbell Harris's chocolate milkshake recipe Ingredients:

Directions:

¾ cup milk ¼ cup chocolate flavored syrup ½ vanilla ice cream

1. In a blender, place milk and syrup. Cover and blend on high speed for about 2 seconds. 2. Add ice cream. Cover and blend on low speed for about 5 seconds or until smooth. 3. Pour into glasses and serve.

FEBRUARY 13, 2020 | THE FOURCAST

THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

4FOU R C A S T

Raising her voice

Drama teacher Emily Gray discusses her work as a voice-over artist by Olivia Garcia • Staff Writer

What is your favorite part of doing voice work?

I was a stage actor in New York in 1999. While I was working on stage, my husband who was also an actor started working a day job as a sound engineer and director for audiobooks. Sometimes the company would record books that were by British authors or had British characters in them. My husband gave them my voice-over demo. The producer had me come in and give it a try. I went in and read, and the producer loved it immediately. My first job was a crime/suspense novel. After that, they started giving me one job after another.

My favorite part is that you can be many different things with your voice that you might not be able to be in person. I can be a teenager or a super crazy old lady or a witch or a really sophisticated woman. All the things I can’t do in real life I can do vocally. Also sometimes I get to go into the booth with a couple of other actors and we get to play off each other. We will have a script, but we can add to it.

Scan the QR code to hear Gray’s portfolio

What type of voice-over acting do you prefer? Commercials are the easiest. It’s usually very quick; normally it takes one hour or less. It pays very well for a very short amount of my time. So in a way, commercial is my favorite. Creatively, my favorite is [recording] the books. I get to read books and do the research. Then I do the recordings and the retakes. Normally I get to work on the book for a number of weeks. So, the book voice-overs are probably my favorite creatively.

How did you begin commercial and other types of voice acting? After [the crime novel series], the recording company started giving me masses of different books: children’s’ novels, tween novels, sci-fi, romance and long historical textbooks. I did every kind of book possible. After about a year of doing books, I took my demo to an agent in New York who did just commercial voice-overs. I started doing radio, TV, internet and workplace training videos.

Any current projects? My most recent fun one is Borderlands 3. It is a video game. I’m a couple different characters. Another one I’ve been doing recently is the PepsiCo training videos. Also sometimes a top law firm will have me record all their voicemails. It only takes about an hour. I normally do a British accent for those or posh American.

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photo by Elisa Carroll

How did you get started in voice work?

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THE FOURCAST | FEBRUARY 13, 2020

SLICKER 5

BOOKWORM PARADISE

Shops offer intriguing alternatives by Eliana Goodman • Editor in Chief

Calling all bookworms! Dallas is brimming with independent, cozy, cool and artsy spots to sit and read a book. The Fourcast has collected a library of the trendiest, best-curated book shops that you are bound to love. Live in Preston Hollow, have younger siblings or want to read titles specifically recommended by certified book lovers? Stop by Interabang Books! If you want to explore around Downtown to visit a snug library of poetry and other smaller titles that’ll tickle your spine, visit Deep Vellum Books. Prefer buying animé titles and comic books? Frequent Keith’s Comic by Mockingbird Station. The Wild Detectives is the perfect cozy spot to sip a latte, do your homework and peruse today’s hit books and some old classics. Reading on a budget, want to shop second-hand or looking to earn some money on old books? Visit the original Half Price Books on Northwest Highway. With a reading nook and coffee shop inside, Half Price has all the ethereal and cozy vibes a bookworm needs!

1. Recommendations Galore Interabang Books 5600 W Lovers Lane #142 Dallas, TX 75209

2. Comics and More Keith’s Comics 5400 E. Mockingbird Lane Dallas, TX 75206

3. Low Prices, High Quality

Half Price Books 5803 E. Northwest Highway Dallas, TX 75231

4. Spying a Good Book Wild Detectives 314 W. Eighth St. Dallas, TX 75208

5. Finds for Voracious Readers Deep Vellum Books 3000 Commerce St. Dallas, TX 75226

FEBRUARY 13, 2020 | THE FOURCAST

4FO U R C A S T

THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

Crazy for Cast&Crew: by Kelsey Chen, Copy Editor & Erin Parolisi, Features Editor

The Nasher-Haemisegger Theater echoes with applause as students and fine arts faculty take gracious bows after their performance of “Crazy for You.” Each year, students, parents and faculty gather in the theater for the muchanticipated winter musical. Here is just a glimpse of the nine-hour rehearsals, months of preparation and many moving parts that go into that two-hour show.

Managing Masterminds:

Director&Stage Manager

very year after the spring play, the performing arts faculty meets and discusses the possible choices for the annual winter musical, beginning by reviewing the musicals that Hockaday has done in the past and thinking about the musicals they could do. Then the faculty looks at the roles there are for students, especially female roles, the type of story and which story relates to the Hockaday community. After extensive research, drama teacher and director of the winter musical Emily Gray and the other fine arts teachers decided on “Crazy For You,” a light-hearted, dance musical. Coincidentally, Gray realized during the musical selection process that “Crazy For You” has a strong connection to some of the Hockaday students involved in the musical. Gray explains this connection between the musical and seniors Fiona and Sabrina Fearon. “Totally a great coincidence, the original production on Broadway was produced by Roger Horchow, who is the grandfather of two of our seniors this year,” Gray said. “One of his seniors has worked on design and crew for several years.” After selecting the musical, Gray designed and blocked traffic paths—what will go on and off the stage to make the script come alive. But, Gray’s job goes further than just the rehearsal room; she is also responsible for what the show looks like overall. She makes sure that all the work of the accompanist, musical director and choreographers flows cohesively “The director has an overview almost like a project manager,” Gray said. “In any business, a project manager has to get all the teams who are working together and pull them in the same direction.” In addition to Gray, junior Emma Ortman helps with organization as the stage manager this year, assisting Gray in overviewing the show and taking notes on her comments to the cast. This is Ortman’s first year as head stage manager, and although her role comes with many highlights, she has also faced some challenges and developed many skills from the experience. “[Some of the challenges encountered are] communicating with the directors and then relaying that information to the actors and being productive each rehearsal,” Ortman said. “I’ve learned how to make a lot of spreadsheets, effectively communicate information and use a loud voice.”

(Clockwise from above) • Featured dancers line up and perform for their New York follies director. • The ensemble wraps up singing “Entrance to Nevada” as the show moves west. • Mia Silver manuevers a train she made for the set. Tracks were laid along the edge of the orchestra pit. • Kirsten Kirk, who plays lead Polly Baker, finishes performing one of her solos.

Dress To Impress: Costume Crew

ackstage, another group of Hockadaisies and St. Mark’s boys work to create custom costume bags for each character. Seniors Emily Stephens, Natasha Chuka and Chloe Johnson lead costume crew, choosing costumes and props for every character in the musical. “I like to say that we’re Cher’s closet from ‘Clueless’; it’s a lot of picking and styling things,” Stephens said. “We do historical research to be historically accurate, and I like putting all the puzzle pieces together. Seeing everything come together, like the first day they all wear costumes on stage, is so magical.” While tech crew started preparing for the musical months in advance, costume crew began a few weeks before Thanksgiving break. They started by watching the video of the 8th-grade musical when they did

“Crazy For You” a few years ago. Then, they brainstormed costumes for the chorus, working with Gray and dance teachers Beth Wortley and Christie Sullivan ’95 to determine if the cast would be able to dance in their costumes. The team also worked with drama teacher Susan Hubbard to pull items from the closet, order materials, make alterations or rent from Rose Costumes. “We couldn’t do any of it without Mrs. Hubbard,” Stephens said. “I’d love to know what’s going on inside her head; she is a genius.” Stephens also said this year was particularly challenging for costume crew because the show had a bigger cast than usual, and each character had at least two costumes. Each person is individually styled under the same concept and time period, but costume crew must pull

and style multiple pieces that fit each character. “Because it’s such a costume-heavy show, I was worried that ‘oh we need more people because there are so many costumes’,” Stephens said. “But it’s actually working really well that the people we have know what they’re doing. It keeps everything organized.” In fact, Stephens, Chuka and Johnson had all been costume crew heads last year. Being part of this team inspired Stephens to consider majoring in fashion and going to art school. Although she ultimately decided not to, she hopes to stay involved in theater in college. “Costume crew has kind of become part of my personality at this point,” Stephens said. “We really do become one big family between the cast and the crew because you spend hours a day with these people, and you kind of can’t help but make friends and become closer with people you might not have met before.”

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THE FOURCAST | FEBRUARY 13, 2020

INFOCUS

Upper Schoolers dance, direct, act, sing, build to create winter musical production Set it Up:

Tech & Set Crew

hile Gray and Ortman communicated with the cast, seniors Emma Ross and Helena Magee, the co-heads of crew, worked with the team to design and build each piece of the set. Their work began in the spring of the previous year as they focused on logistics, scheduling and recruiting freshmen. In the summer, Ross and Magee held meetings with the design team and continued brainstorming throughout the fall. “We really like everyone to come together and just throw out the biggest ideas they can think of, figuring things out, going through the script and looking at themes,” Magee said. “Then we start to narrow it down and meet with the directors and figure out what they want, but it’s definitely a big collaboration until we’re figuring out smaller details or structural details.” Along with collaboration, Magee emphasized the importance of problem-solving and perseverance as a leader of the crew. Not only has she dealt with making time for college interviews, but the crew also needed to tackle a new type of set this year. Junior Shayle Cruz, who is on build crew, explained they built a set that rolled away instead of one that took up the whole stage. “Design had a [set] figured out for what they wanted to do, and then they had to change it because our director wanted to go in a different direction,” Cruz said. “So we are doing a set that rolls away, and then we can f lip it around based on where the place in the musical is.” As a result, build crew needed to create more set pieces on wheels and make sure each moving piece would be safe for the actors. While a platform set allows for more levels and planes, a movable set does not, which posed some challenges for the design crew. “We’re trying to find ways to give that depth without taking that much of the stage,” Magee said. “It’s definitely harder, and it’s a challenge, but it’s a good challenge because I haven’t dealt with this before and it’s a good learning experience.” Throughout the year, Magee helped convert these movable designs to build, paint and light individual set pieces. In mid-January, she began sitting in on rehearsals to plan running cues for stage lights. “I really like the creative aspect to [crew]. After a long academic day, I really like being able to go to crew at 4, and paint or draw or design different things or build things,” Magee said. “It’s just a great stress-reliever, but also it’s really great working with the actors and bringing the show to life.” photos by Erin Parolisi

Casting Call: Actors & Dancers

ne of the factors behind the selection of “Crazy For You” was the dance-heavy sections of the musical and the large number of dancers from Hockaday’s Dance Department that were interested in participating in the program. But another one of the defining factors of “Crazy For You” was the plethora of female roles. Every Hockaday musical production incorporates students from Hockaday, St. Mark’s and Cistercian, so many students enjoy seeing the actors, actresses and scenes come together. Junior Leah Segal, who plays Lottie Child in the musical, loves the process of creating a musical and seeing everyone’s hard work in the final product. “[My] favorite part is seeing it all come together,” Segal said. “We spend so long working on scattered

scenes that it can be hard to imagine making a finished product, so the best part is seeing it really become a show.” For the cast, preparing for a musical consists of three processes. They start with preparing the dance combos on the stage with Wortley and Sullivan. Then, the cast learns blocking and lines with Gray in the The Lacerte Family Black Box Theater. Finally, they practice songs and harmonies in the choir room with Abi Poe, Director of Choral Activities, and Charlsie Griffiths ’98, Director of Orchestral Music. However, the cast faced some setbacks in this threestep process. Freshman Brie Johnson, chorus member in the musical, outlined one of the problems the cast faced.

“Because of the day we went home early for the tornado warning, we missed a three-hour rehearsal which put a lot of the main roles behind on blocking and acting,” Johnson said. One of the biggest factors that goes into the quality of the musicals is the friendship between the cast and crew members behind the scenes. But in addition to that, the musicals also teach students about work ethic and self-improvement as well. “I’ve learned a lot from Hockaday musicals, and while they are by no means an accurate representation of professional theater, musicals here teach me patience with myself and others,” Segal said. “Also, how to trust yourself and [everyone else] to each do your individual jobs that come together to make a show.”

FEBRUARY 13, 2020 | THE FOURCAST

THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

4F O U R C A S T FACES AND PLACES Members of the Winter Formal Committee describe their plans for WinFo this year and share what they are looking forward to.

EATURES

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A DAY IN THE LIFE OF JT COATS Follow Hockaday’s Chief Financial Officer, JT Coats, in her day full of meetings. spreadsheets and puppies.

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Making a difference Day by Day Social Impact Director creates her own company, podcast and summer program by Eugene Seong • Web Editor

t’s another day for Laura Day, the Executive Director of the Institute for Social Impact. Fueled by iced coffee, Day works in her office, empowers social impact classrooms and visits DISD Schools, in no particular order. On top of her busy schedule, Day has been pursuing her own personal projects —creating her own company, podcast and summer program—in hopes of creating an even broader impact. Day Advisors After establishing the Institute for Social Impact and expanding community service programs, Day received about 50 calls last year from schools across the nation regarding her work. Seeing all the requests for help, a spark came to her mind: she wanted to start a consulting company for social impact programs. “So they ask for help, and I thought ‘Oh, I should just start a company where I can be a consultant when I’m not working —like weekends or summer—where I can go help people and have other kids have as much impact as our students are able to do,’” Day said. The new company, Day Advisors, aims to inspire “a new generation of leaders through innovative social impact programs” through consulting teachers, administrators and students according to its website. She would be guiding schools on reconstructing existing classes with added social impact aspects and advise them in establishing social impact institutions. “What I’m really interested in right now is how you integrate or repurpose inside what [you] do in a day,” Day said. “I don’t like adding on nights and weekends because [students] are so stressed in general, but I’m trying to fix that where it helps schools look into classrooms, sports, arts… How do you look at these things and repurpose that for social impact?” Currently, the company is in its early stages. Day devoted her time over the past few months building the foundations and logistics of starting a business, so her actual consulting work won’t begin until around the summer. Because her job at Hockaday remains her priority, Day would only engage in consulting work on non-school days. Nonetheless, she’s excited to offer other students experiences that Hockaday students enjoy now and spread impact across schools. Podcast Plans Anyone in Day’s room during advisory last year would hear Day and the former Director of Residence Life and co-advisor Gary Stollar discussing sports, from Fantasy Football and the National Football League to the National

photo by Evan Johnston

Laura Day talks with Makayla Woods about her social impact course at W.T. White High School last year. Basketball Association. Oftentimes, their casual sports talk evolved to debates addressing rather complicated topics such as women in coaching and equality in sports. Noting this, Day suggested to Stollar that their conversations would make a great podcast. Currently, the two are working to launch it. “So Ms. Day and I found ourselves having very short conversations over the years, but we thought [they] were substantive conversations with unique perspectives,” Stollar said. “It was organic. We’re friends and have great chemistry, and we thought ‘why not try something like this?’” Day also noticed the lack of female presence in sports radio shows. Every time she turned on the radio, she heard male broadcasters bantering loudly. Hoping to hear women’s voices and opinions, she decided to take matters into her own hands through podcasting. Beginning each episode with sports news, Day and Stollar will dive into deeper subjects: chemistry of teams, demographics, minorities or whatever is relevant that day. Stollar said he viewed this as a great way to stay connected and have some fun, but also as a vehicle to bring consciousness regarding human rights issues in the sports industry. “Human rights tend to end up as the core part of the discussion,” Stollar said. “We enjoy talking about [inequality and other topics], and for the two of us, if we can help discuss some of these ideas and get

people thinking, maybe it turns to action. We want to be able to continue dialogue nationally and internationally about these issues we think are central to humanity.” Summer of Service Day’s third project also developed from a casual conversation, this one with the Director of Auxiliary Programs Melissa Curtis. Both were contemplating how to use the available boarding space at Hockaday in a socially beneficial way. That conversation resulted in a new, upcoming summer program. IMPACT, a weeklong summer program from July 12 through 18, will host girls across the nation to learn about the common issues around the city — ranging from food and security, environment, education and homelessness — and how to address them. With a different theme assigned each day, the students will participate in activities or visit related organizations and wrap up the night with discussions. “You get a special education in a sense of the social impact work with the classes we offer,” Day said. “There’s a lot of schools that don’t get that. I’d love to offer other girls the opportunity to come and learn from the city of Dallas about what’s going on, the problems out there, and inspire them to leave to go solve the problem. It’s a way to cast the net wider and get more girls from all over the country to come for a week and learn.”

Curtis stressed the importance of educating girls through these impactful and hands-on methods. “For all these issues, girls may not know where to start to help on these issues,” Curtis said. “IMPACT is going to give them a place to start and educate them on the issues that exist. [It gives] girls hands-on experiences so that they gain the confidence they need to take it back to their cities and find ways to get involved.” Day agreed with Curtis on the significance of teaching teenagers to solve an ongoing problem. Setting inspiring young people as her purpose, she aimed to empower in various ways, including IMPACT. “The more young people who understand the root of the problems and given the ability to solve it, the better the world is. So the more I get people to do that, the better everything is. I feel like that’s my purpose on Earth: to empower young people to learn from everyone, have empathy and change the world,” Day said. Final Thoughts Day said she faces new and intimidating tasks on most days. Starting new adventures was overwhelming, but with the determination of inspiring young minds and creating impact, she persevered. “Most days I wake up and do something I’m scared of. I love everyone who wakes up and does something they don’t know how to do. That’s something I try to live by,” Day said.

“

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THE FOURCAST | FEBRUARY 13, 2020

FEATURES

GUEST BOARDER Day student Carlota Fedorko appreciates the advantages as a guest in boarding.

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I think obviously all of us are very glad that some of the stress is taken off, and I think it is positive in terms of how we now have more time to prepare in other ways for if we have AP exams, or just to go over material with teachers.”

FEWER EXAMS IN 2020, p.17

Faces & Places

WinFo planners ready for ‘A Night at the Met’

by Remy Finn • Staff Writer

4 photos by Remy Finn and Kate Clark

1. Co-Chair Evan Johnston wears her “A Night at the Met” Winter Formal T-shirt. 2. The Winter Formal Committee created the invitation using the Met logo. 3. Johnston and junior representative Avery Savage model the WinFo T-shirts. 4. The WinFo Committee meets to discuss budgeting, food and topiary walls.

rom planning the decorations for the Empire Room venue to designing the freshman invitations, the Winter Formal Committee has been hard at work these past few weeks as the “A Night at the Met” Winter Formal approaches on Feb. 22. This year the Winter Formal committee comprises a smaller committee in addition to the senior cochairs. Although WinFo typically has been planned by two senior chairs and the Student Council, this year a committee including two juniors, two seniors and the two chairs will take part in the planning. Seniors Evan Johnston and Kathleen Roberts are the co-chairs, while Chloe Johnson and Anika Bandarpalle are the senior representatives and Erin Parolisi and Avery Savage are the junior representatives. Although the committee members collaborate with the Upper School Student Council, they have the final say in choosing food, decorations, lighting, seating, casino games and invitations. To cover these areas, the committee members were each assigned an element to research, and later proposed ideas to each other during the meetings. Savage said one of the main things the committee has been focusing on this year is the lighting at the Empire Room. “There were a ton of complaints from the Hall on Dragon venue last year being too bright,” Savage said. “We had a meeting with the owners of the venue who showed us all of their technology, and we want to collaborate with them to add to the theme and colors by using our logo.” Johnston said the group also is working to change the stereotype that Winter Formal is less exciting than the homecoming dance—starting with amping up the dance floor and venue. “We are making the dance floor its own space compared to being more of an area like in previous years,” Johnston said. “We believe it will make the dancing aspect much less awkward than it has been in previous years.” For the venue, the committee has incorporated both indoor and outdoor spaces, similar to what Roberts remembers from previous Winter Formals. “It’s really nice to get some fresh air in between dancing, and there will be plenty of room for everything we have in mind,” Roberts said. “There will be a dance floor and other activities inside, an indoor and an outdoor senior lounge, outdoor seating with heaters, food and drinks, and Flash Photography all night.” The whole committee is looking forward to seeing the Upper School’s reaction to their recreation of the Met Gala, particularly Johnson. “I am most looking forward to seeing how everyone reacts to the venue, all of the ideas the committee has come up with and the senior lounge,” Johnson said. Savage said she is excited for when the final date comes around and they can see all of their imagined designs and hard work come into reality. “I think it’s going to be really fulfilling to see it come together and see everyone enjoying the venue, theme and décor,” Savage said.

FEBRUARY 13, 2020 | THE FOURCAST

THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

4F O U R C A S T

A Day in the Life of

JT Coats

For Chief Financial Officer, JT Coats, every day at Hockaday is different. But she’s learned to love and “enjoy the chaos of my life.”

Rise & Grind!

5:00 A.M.

7:30 A.M.

WAKE UP | Coats gets up at 5 a.m. every morning to work out and spend time in Bible study and prayer. Her new puppy, Bailey, is “all to herself and she chews the corner of my Bible as I read.” Afterward, she wakes up her children, Josh, Hannah and Callie, and packs her son’s lunch.

CARPOOL TIME | Coats leaves the house with her kids and drops off her daughters off in the Hockaday carpool line.

5:45 P.M. RUSH HOUR | Coats leaves and rushes to pick up her son at his school before 6 p.m. Afterward, she heads over to pick up her other daughter, Callie, from club basketball.

8:00 A.M. ARRIVAL TIME | Afterward, she drops off her son off at school when his school opens, and “rushes back to Hockaday for the first meeting of the day.”

5:00 P.M. MOTHER & DAUGHTER TIME | Her daughter Hannah comes to her office after finishing basketball practice on campus. Coats said she feels really fortunate that her daughters are here.

2:00 P.M.

6:15 P.M. FAMILY TIME | Once everyone is picked up, they spend some time together as a family. As things wind down for the night, Coats has discussions over homework with her family.

Goodbye!

H 8:30 A.M. MEETINGS | Generally, Coats has her first meeting around this time. “I love to work with a team where we are problemsolving,” Coats said, “where smart adults get together and figure out their plan.”

SPREADSHEETS | She spends more time at her computer, excited by her chance at a “good hour to work on a spreadsheet.” She said putting things in order and watching data wake up and tell a story is great fun.

12:00 P.M. WORK, WORK, WORK | She gets back to Hockaday and back to her desk, working on more tasks like School’s financial sustainability, the land-use plan and “evaluating achievement of the goals identified as part of The Hockaday Difference (Hockaday’s strategic plan, which captures our aspirational goals and affirms the progressive and strategic direction of the school.)”

photos by Libby Hill and Google Images

11:30 A.M. PUPPY LOVE | Coats goes back to her house to let out her puppy Bailey. She throws the ball one million times, eats a peanut butter sandwich at home and puts Bailey back in her crate “because she is a chew master!”

by Libby Hill • Staff Writer

HOCKADAYFOURCAST.ORG

THE FOURCAST | FEBRUARY 13, 2020

photo provided by Lena Hicks

FEATURES

Fewer exams in 2020

Members of the science department gather for a meeting about exams.

Upper School cancels two of four exams, looks to alternative forms of assessment

by Laine Betanzos • Staff Writer

his year, the Hockaday administration has allowed each department to individually make the decision to cancel or keep cumulative spring exams. In the wake of the tornado that shook Dallas in October, the administration and each department had conversations on how to proceed with assignments, tests and the days the school lost while the city and students recovered. Many steps were taken to address the effects of the tornado, such as transitioning from quarters to semesters, adding two weeks without any assignments, assessments or uniforms and adding grace periods for students who might be late to school due to traffic delays. The most recent change is the optional cancellation of some cumulative spring exams, which was decided by each department. While the discussion surrounding

BOARDER

exams and the most effective way to test students’ understanding of course material has been going on for years, this year it was brought to the forefront of conversations about how to deal with the continuing repercussions of the tornado. History teacher Lucio Benedetto brought up the idea of canceling cumulative spring exams in a department meeting led by History Department Chair Kathryn Hodgkinson, who then brought it up with Head of Upper School Lisa Culbertson. “Ms. Culbertson was very open to the whole idea,” Benedetto said. “Essentially, it was up for proposal and discussion with the other department heads. Eventually, it came down to the kind of thing where Ms. Culbertson suggested to everybody that if you want to have exams, you can, but if you don’t, we’re not going to require you to,” So far, the science and history departments have decided to cancel exams entirely, while the language department has established a class-by-

class decision, and the math department has kept all exams. While some classes will not hold formal exams, they will supplement the grade with similar projects or assessments worth the same amount in overall grades. Most students have reacted positively to this decision. Sophomore Courtenay Sands agreed with the department-bydepartment decisions, commenting on the nature of each class. “For me, cumulative exams are really effective for math because you have to look back on all of the things you’ve learned in the past year, and you really build on your knowledge in math class,” Sands said. “For languages, too, you build on what you already know.” Junior Barbara Lou said canceling exams could be helpful to her and other AP students. “I think obviously all of us are very glad that some of the stress is taken off, and I think it is positive in terms of how we now have more time to prepare in other ways for if we have AP exams, or just to go over material with

teachers,” Lou said. Other students, however, expressed concerns about possible negative effects. “I know for the freshmen, they are getting their history and science exams canceled, and I don’t know how it’ll affect them in the future, because it may make them less prepared for having exams next year in high school and for college as well,” Sands said. Still, the overall reaction has been positive, from students and teachers alike. Whether the change will be kept in future years is uncertain, but both the history and science departments are open to the possibility. Science Department Chair Marshall Bartlett credited the administration for flexibility. “I think we do have administrators in place, and I’d particularly like to give a shout-out to our new head of Upper School, who is very willing to come in, listen to the conversation, and not just continue to engage in the conversation, but actually say, ‘Let’s do something, let’s try something, let’s see how it goes,’” Bartlett said.

LINE

●●●

BOARDING BONDING

What did you find different about boarding from being a day student? Carlota Fedorko: I could definitely wake up a lot later, so I got an extra hour of sleep every day. It was very easy to be productive with my homework because I didn’t have to commute back and forth from my house.

What was your favorite part about boarding?

Day student takes boarding

Sophomore day student Carlota Fedorko spent Jan. 26 to 29 with boarding when her parents were out of town. Over these four days, Fedorko experienced the life of a boarder.

NEW GUEST

Carlota Fedorko: My favorite part was being able to hang out with my boarder friends when I had free time, especially at breakfast and during trips that Hockaday provided. photos by Elisa Carroll

by Elisa Carroll • Staff Writer

FEBRUARY 13, 2020 | THE FOURCAST

Sports

THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

4F O U R C A S T Conquering college athletics Discover the struggles and perseverance of three college athletes as they navigate their sports, school and time management.

p.18

Pitcher goes around the world Rhodes commit Madison Stringfield traveled to the Netherlands to represent one of the United States teams at the International Indoor Softball Tournament.

p.19

Conquering college athletics Three Hockaday alumnae reflect on first college seasons by Ava Berger• Sports Editor

ach year, according to the NCAA, only 179,200 students get recruited to play Division 1 sports in college. Of those students, 33 percent quit after their first season. Teal Cohen ‘17, Sophie Isom ‘18 and Swiler Boyd ‘19 were not among the 33 percent. In fact, despite numerous setbacks and obstacles in their first seasons, all three Hockaday alumnae persevered and excelled in their respective sports.

Teal Cohen In 2019, the University of Washington swept the NCAA championships, set course records in all three events and became the second-ever school to complete a clean sweep in regatta history. Cohen ’17 was at the forefront of this win, rowing in the four seat of the Varsity 8+ that defeated the University of Texas by 0.6 seconds. As she begins her third year on the University of Washington rowing team, Cohen reflected on how her team made great strides in the previous year. “I honestly think we won because of the team culture. We always stick together through hard times and support each other while also doing what’s best for yourself,” Cohen said. “When you love the people you’re in the boat with, it just makes you go so much faster.” Cohen committed to Washington after realizing her love for the sport and her potential as an athlete during her junior year at Hockaday. From her experience rowing at Hockaday and her 12 years attending the school, Cohen pinpoints one ideal that Hockaday instilled in her: hard work. “Rowing for Hockaday definitely taught me how to have a good work ethic and manage my time between school and rowing because it was hard in high school and it’s even harder now,” Cohen said. With the experience from Hockaday crew under her belt, Cohen entered her freshman year in college, but the transition was more difficult than she expected. “Washington Crew is so much harder and so much more demanding than Hockaday crew,” Cohen said. “I came into Wahsington my freshman year and said, ‘Oh my God.’ I didn’t even know people could be this fast. It was crazy.” However, it didn’t take long for Cohen to get back on her feet. After securing the NCAA Championship last year, she went on to row in the

U23 World Cup Championship and finished with the bronze medal. As Cohen enters her third year on the Washington crew team, she hopes to continue the team’s success in the spring season.

Sophie Isom On her first day of track and field practice at Hockaday, a young Isom lined up to participate in a warm-up lap with her team. Subconsciously, she clenched her fist and began to run. Less than a second later, LaBoris Bean informed her of her incorrect running form and told her to spread out her fingers. Bean, who was the varsity track and field coach at the time, is now the Coordinator of Athletic Operations as well as head coach. Before her first track season freshman year, Isom had never attended a track meet, did not know the correct running form and didn’t even consider track her main sport, yet by her senior year she committed to run track and field at Yale University. Around the middle of her junior year, Isom decided to pursue a college career in track when a back injury prevented her from playing volleyball. She then began her search for the school that fit her and after much consideration, she decided on Yale. Isom attributed her success in track to Hockaday and her experiences at the school. “If I didn’t run track at Hockaday I wouldn’t be running track here,” she said. “My whole entire Hockaday experience prepared me for this in every way. I really didn’t know how to do anything before Hockaday track.” Isom’s first season at Yale presented her with many challenges. She pointed out that some of the obstacles arose due to being so far from home, yet others stemmed from her first experience running track in college. “Running at Yale was very different than running at Hockaday; the structure of the practices were a lot different and I really didn’t trust it because it was a different style of running than I had gotten so far," Isom said. “I didn’t embrace it and I definitely should have because it would have given me a lot more successful freshman season.” However, Isom said she appreciated her struggles and the runner they have forced her to become. “Honestly, I’m grateful that my first year didn’t go exactly as I wanted it to because it taught me exactly what I need to do this year,” she said.

“We’ve only had one meet but it’s already so much better and I feel like I’m back to who I was when I was at Hockaday.” As she enters her second season at Yale, Isom said she will focus on sprinting longer distances in practice and on her relationship with her coach. “Trusting the process and my coach, which I didn’t do last year, but now I do, I think will really help my running,” Isom said. “We also have a lot better communication than last year and that I think is helping a lot, too.”

Swiler Boyd In 2014, the 7th grade soccer team did not have a goalie. Swiler Boyd, who had never played soccer goalie, volunteered to fill the spot. Flash forward five years, and Boyd now plays soccer for Acadia University in Nova Scotia, Canada. Boyd played for Hockaday her freshman year, took a break to play club her sophomore and junior year and returned to the Hockaday team her senior year. “Hockaday is actually where I first started playing soccer and it’s what introduced me to soccer. When I came back for my senior year, everything kind of just came full circle,” Boyd said. This year, Acadia, part of the Atlantic University Sports Conference, won the AUS conference, but lost in the AUS championship weekend. However, they earned a place at Nationals in Victoria, British Columbia and finished fourth. Even though the team had a successful season, Boyd’s first year did not go exactly as planned. During preseason, Boyd suffered a quad strain injury. Now, Boyd has made a full recovery and is playing in the winter indoor league. “I’ve gotten my time in the offseason, just preparing because I have the mindset going forward that I need to be ready to play for the next three or four years,” she said. Boyd said she has been able to put in extra hours of practice to prepare for the coming years due to the time management skills she developed at Hockaday. “The work ethic at Hockaday did prepare us pretty well,” she said. “Being able to make time for the extra hour or two I can go and improve outside of what the team is doing is key and that tends to set the players apart from each other.”

Photo provided by Teal Cohen

Cohen's Sophomore Rowing Statistics - Won bronze metal in the US women's straight four at 2019 World Rowing Under 23 Championships -Rowed in the Varsity 8+ that won the NCAA Championship

Photo provided by Sophie Isom

Isom's Sophomore Track Statistics

- PR in the 200-meter and a season-best 8.03 in the 60-meter dash at Dartmouth-Yale-Columbia - Won the Mark Young Invitational 100-meter with a PR of 12.82 seconds.

Photo provided by Swiler Boyd

Boyd's Freshman Soccer Statistics - Team won the Atlantic University Sports Conference - Team finished in fourth place at Nationals in Victoria, British Columbia

HOCKADAYFOURCAST.ORG

THE FOURCAST | FEBRUARY 13, 2020

SPORTS

“

A long jump(ing) career ahead Meet Sena Asom: ranked 7th in the world for long jumping in the 11-12 age group and a competitor in two Junior Olympics for three different events.

“I know Sena and I have the same genes, but wow! She’s naturally just a crazy athlete. She’s tall, she’s strong and I swear had a six pack as a toddler. I’m not kidding." —Mimi Asom

p.20

A long jump(ing) career ahead, p.20

Pitcher goes around the world

Senior Madison Stringfield competes at International Softball Tournament by Lacy Green • Staff Writer

hile other seniors began to acclimate to their secondsemester schedules, Madison Stringfield jetted off to the Netherlands to compete in a softball tournament. Madison represented one of the United States teams at the International Indoor Softball Tournament, simply known as “The Cup” tournament in the Netherlands. Madison, who is committed to play softball at Rhodes College, has trained for 12 years and been pitching since the age of 10 to receive an opportunity like this. After her years of experience in softball, Madison got the chance to go to the Netherlands for eight days. For the first four days, her team played in the tournament, and in the last four, they toured the country. In The Cup tournament, Stringfield’s team faced five teams from the United States and 10 teams from other countries. Her team got to face the Dutch National Olympic Softball Team in a final game. “Playing against the highest level of competition while getting to experience different and new cultures is the most amazing and fun experience,” Stringfield said. Throughout the tournament, Stringfield’s team competed against teams from Great Britain, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic. Her team also made it far enough for Madison to pitch against the Dutch Olympic Team. Back in Dallas, Madison plays for both the Hockaday varsity softball team and her club team, Texas Glory. Between the two, she spends about 10 hours training every week. On the Hockaday team, not only

photo provided by Madison Stringfield

Senior Madison Stringfield plays for the club team Texas Glory as well as for Hockaday. is Madison a valuable player but she is also a leader for other players, especially sophomore Lindsay Heusinger. “Madison always makes sure to help out everybody and has been a super strong role model,” Heusinger said. The time that she dedicates to the Hockaday softball team is also spent alongside her father, Coach David Stringfield, who started coaching at Hockaday last season. Although her dad is not the coach of her club team, Madison said she enjoys having him as a Hockaday coach. “He pushes me but is also my biggest

“Playing against the highest level of competition while getting to experience different and new cultures is the most amazing and fun experience.” Madison Stringfield

Senior

encourager,” Madison said. Coach Stringfield has seen his daughter grow throughout her softball career, coaching her until age 11, then stepping aside for someone else to take the reins for travel softball. As she prepares to embark on the next part of her career, her father has no doubt about her dedication to the sport and her ability to continue playing in college. “She does not get rattled on the mound and never seems to feel the pressure of the moment,” Coach Stringfield said.

TIPS & TRICKS

BEST FREE FITNESS APPS Check out these great free apps to help you find motivation and reach your fitness goals

Photos provided by Wikimedia Commons

1 Nike Training Club (4.8 Stars)

Unlike many other free apps, the Nike Training Club app doesn’t apply constant pressure to customers to upgrade to the premium version. The NTC app is perfect for at-home fitness and for all ranges of working out. The app provides nutrition tips and multiweek workout routines from Nike Master Trainers.

3 Fitlist (4.7 Stars)

Fitlist provides workouts for a vast number of different exercises, such as bodybuilding, cardio, crossfit, triathlons and circuit training. One of the specific qualities that stands out on Fitlist is the ability to create workouts, as users can easily combine different exercises to customize their own workout in a matter of seconds.

Human (4.3 Stars)

For runners with a competitive spirit, Human is perfect for tracking your distance and time. The most interesting thing about Human is that it can compare your stats to nearby users in your neighborhood to create a leader board. Although it isn’t a supremely advanced app, it still provides you with workout motivation.

FEBRUARY 13, 2020 | THE FOURCAST

THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

4FO U R C A S T

A long jump(ing) career ahead Sixth Grader Sena Asom rankes 7th in 11-12 age group for long jumping Photos provided by Moses Asom

by Eliana Goodman and Ava Berger• Editor-in-Chief and Sports Editor

ONE TO WATCH

Tia Hsieh At age 15, Tia was ranked 31st internationally in her age group. Q: How much Table Tennis do you play a week? Sena Asom points to her 4th place statistic at the 2019 Junior Olympics where she jumped 14’10’’. The 7th grader placed first in the 200m and 100m races at the Junior Olympics qualifier.

arly in January, seventh grader Sena Asom woke up as if it were any regular day. But it was not. To her surprise, her dad told her she was ranked number 7 in the country for long jumping in the 11-12 age group according to the National Youth Track and Field Database. Sena decided to check for herself, and she was astounded with what she found. As a seventh grader, Sena has competed at two Junior Olympics for three different events (100 m, 200 m and long jump). If she continues to increase her distance by a foot every year, she hopes to run in the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games. Sena’s personal record for the long jump is 4.52 meters (roughly 14.8 feet). Even though she practices every day, Sena still experiences nerves and excitement about track competition and her progress. “For running, you get butterf lies, but then when you actually start running, you feel better and you feel good about yourself,” Sena said. “But at the beginning you have butterf lies in

your stomach.” Sena comes from a family of athletes. Her oldest sister, Anase ’13, walked onto the soccer team at the University of Chicago. Her brother, Yima, attended Dartmouth for soccer, and her older sister Mimi ’15 played soccer at Princeton and is signed to play for the Benfica club in Portugal. All of her siblings also participated in track but ended up choosing soccer. However, Sena’s heart is set on track. “She didn’t [choose soccer] the way the rest of us did. All of this means she really marches to the beat of her own drum,” Mimi said. “So when I see her working hard on the track it makes me really proud. She chose her own path and she sticks to it.” Dr. Moses Asom, Sena’s father, said sports not only expands one’s ability to stay healthy but also teaches valuable lessons. “Sports teach you teamwork and how to deal with failure and success at an early age,” Moses said. “For young adults, it helps you stay out of trouble and be very disciplined.” Moses credits his children’s success to the rigors of Hockaday.

“The kids embraced the four cornerstones of Hockaday religiously. Hockaday has very good teachers, a very good support system and classes full of very smart kids,” Moses said. “That was very helpful and allowed them to learn how to work with different people. The kind of kids Hockaday has helped us raise is our biggest accomplishment.” Coordinator of Athletic Facilities and head varsity soccer coach, Rodney Skaife coached Anase, Mimi and now has the opportunity to watch Sena grow into an accomplished athlete. He said Sena’s empathetic personality and competitive spirit will take her far in sports. “Sena loves to win,” Skaife said. “She’s very self motivated on her own.” Sena continues to practice at Hockaday and runs for the Proskills Track Club in McKinney. As she continues to excel in long jumping, all of her siblings and peers recognize her incredible abilities and talent. “I know Sena and I have the same genes, but wow! She’s naturally just a crazy athlete. She’s tall, she’s strong and I swear had a six pack as a toddler. I’m not kidding,” Mimi said.

A: Currently, I mainly train with personal coaches or with the national team at national team training camps. Starting junior year, pressure in both table tennis and school significantly intensified. Because of this, I decided to decrease the time I spent training to 15 hours a week. Q: What do you think led to your success in Table Tennis? A: Although I encountered many difficulties on my table tennis journey, I never lost sight of my dream and continued to persist in the face of numerous setbacks. Q: What are your hopes for the upcoming year? A: I hope to continually improve upon my weaknesses and improve my rankings both domestically and internationally in 2020. I also hope to make the adult team for the 2020 World Championships in South Korea.

PLAN ON IT! Varsity Soccer vs. ESD 5 p.m. Feb. 7

Basketball Senior Night l 5 p.m. Feb. 11.

Soccer, Basketball and Swimming SPC Feb. 13Feb. 15

HOCKADAYFOURCAST.ORG

VIEWS Exam Policy Adjusted

VIEWS

“

THE FOURCAST | FEBRUARY 13, 2020

Employing humor can be a way to grapple with the news.”

#WW3, p.23

Testing out less testing

f you had been in the vicinity of the Nancy A. Nasher and David J. Haemisegger Family Center for the Arts around noon on Jan. 8, you may have heard a torrent of cheers from the area of The Lacerte Family Black Box Theater. Although there had been rumors floating around, this was the day and time Form II Dean Jordan Innerarity officially announced to the sophomores that history, science and some language exams were being canceled this spring. The scene was no doubt similar in other form meetings. Some students jumped for joy immediately after hearing the news, while others shook each other by the shoulders, incredulous. Yet amid the excited chatter, one could make out faint grumbles from those who felt torn by this decision. Having fewer exams may mean we won’t have to go through that long and tedious week of non-stop studying and drinking coffee in place of water. It relieves a majority of the stress on students’ shoulders as exam week approaches and on exam day itself. The change also allows teachers to gain back the days lost due to the tornado and to help them catch up on their schedule. It will give them more time to teach students the necessary class content for the year. But what does canceling most exams mean for students long-term? Exams are a way for teachers to receive feedback on the students’ progress, check their cumulative understanding of course material and gauge the amount of knowledge their students retain. Exams are also a great way to prepare students for any lengthy or important test, whether it be standardized tests or exams in college. Although some Daisies might naturally be great testtakers, others need to develop this skill, especially when it comes to very long tests. This can only come with practice

and experience in taking actual tests. Furthermore, especially for those taking AP classes, the exam is a crucial component for preparing for the AP tests in May. Though we may be taking practice tests during class, we lose that essential preparatory exam that forces us to study all the content that has been taught throughout the year. For some students, the exam is a critical way to help raise their grades, especially since exams count for 20 percent of a course’s year-long average. Because of the week that we are given for exam preparation, students have sufficient time to study the content needed to attain a beneficial grade. Now this year, for science, history and some language classes, the final grade of the year will depend on the two semester grades. There is no buffer—the exam—to help raise a student’s average. With the majority of exams canceled, there will definitely be a significantly lower amount of stress on everyone’s shoulders during that week and it will give teachers more time to teach their class content. Yet in the long run, spring exams are an essential step to guide the students for the future and to give them an opportunity to bolster their grades for the year. Personally, some are relieved that there are fewer exams to take this year, because they dread the stress that comes with exam week. However, for AP classes, some actually wanted to take an exam, even though they would probably cry while studying for it. It would have helped them prepare for the AP test. So some students end up feeling conflicted. There are benefits and disadvantages due to the change this year; although this is not the first year it has happened, we students will determine whether the benefits outweigh the losses. At least this year we won’t need to drink coffee or tea every single morning to make up for the late-night study sessions the night before. Fewer exams may mean less stress for Hockaday students in the future.

Drawing by Kelsey Chen

Fourcast Staff Stance

LIKE & COMMENT

Soc ia Med l Spo ia tligh t Sophm H art a ores Victo G onza nd Victoria ria lez at JSB

Seniors at the ing 2020 late in hav in a dance par ty Hicks.

Graphic by Shreya Gunukula ’18

FEBRUARY 13, 2020 | THE FOURCAST

LET’S TALK BIAS OR

Polarizing political views rule our world today. Does Hockaday exhibit political bias?

KEEP IT QUIET? Eliminate bias at Hockaday My entire life, my parents have tried their best to stay politically neutral so that my brothers and I could form our own opinions. This doesn’t mean we don’t talk about politics—in fact, the discussions at my nightly family meals largely revolve around recent elections or new legislation. However, I had the privilege of doing my own research and forming stances without the overbearing presence of my parents’ personal opinions. As I got older, I recognized that people in my family different opinions than I do. However, these differences were beneficial in my learning and growth as an upcoming voting candidate, as it is especially important to talk to others with contrasting views. I have not felt that same openminded atmosphere at Hockaday. I don’t feel like I know enough about the world to firmly advocate for one side of the political spectrum, and I would rather develop views on different issues than blindly follow one candidate just because I consider myself a member of that party. With that being said, I feel that it is a part of Hockaday’s school culture to accept only one end of the spectrum, for teachers and students alike. I know political diversity exists within each form. But why, when I was looking for a student who identifies as prolife to write a story for JADE, did it take so much effort for me to find someone willing to publish that opinion? I knew of several girls who, for their own reasons, had that stance. More often than not, the reason behind their choice to stay silent was that they feared judgment from their classmates. Of the Hockaday teachers who have taught me, the majority have started the year off by noting that their goal is to keep their political preferences a secret. However, some of my classmates have not had that luxury. One student in particular noted that, in one class, it is not uncommon for her teacher and classmates to take turns sharing derogatory comments about certain political figures and zealous opinions on policies. She felt that, especially in a class where she was supposed to be learning unbiased information, the teacher did not create a safe space for all opinions to be shared. Although it is their right to have political opinions, teachers who present a biased view in a classroom setting can inhibit students from developing their own ideas. For the same reason that Hockaday students diversity, we need to become better at respecting students’ political views. I have yet to come across a classmate with differing views than the norm who shoves their opinions down others’ throats. I think we, as students, citizens and future voters need to shift the culture of the school so that even when we don’t agree with others, we accept all views as valid and learn something from them.

W need to sheift the culture of the school so that we accept all views.

by Shea Duffy• Magazine Editor

THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

4F O U R C A S T

VS he t t ef el mean nal ng , I t is perso ndi y At ckadanmen age ersta Ho nvironcour, undance e o e th ler t row to g nd a

Eliminate talk of bias I have always believed in the importance of keeping facts the priority in education rather than personal views or biases; however, these biases are inescapable. Whether on the political left or political right, some believe that education is, in general, biased. On the left, professors Howard Zinn (author of “A People’s History of the United States”) and James Loewen (author of “Lies My Teacher Told Me: Everything Your High School History Textbook Got Wrong”) assert that U.S. history textbooks have a conservative bias. On the right, professor Larry Schweikart argues the opposite. At Hockaday, I feel the environment is meant to encourage personal growth, understanding and tolerance. Many student-led boards and clubs are dedicated to free expression. A variety of facets of the political spectrum are represented within the student body. These beliefs pop up in discussions, whether in class or in friendly conversation. I have heard opinions all over the spectrum, whether in the hallways or in forums. I especially remember around the 2016 election, when Upper Schoolers filled out a survey about who they supported in the presidential election. At the time, Donald Trump had a large number of supporters, though fewer than Hillary Clinton. Clearly, political bias at Hockaday— while it exists just as it does elsewhere— has not stamped out the differences between opinions and facts. There is still room for discussion and difference, for variation and belief. I believe that so long as political bias does not invade the quality of education, it is not necessary to change it so long as students of all beliefs are able to hold their own. Furthermore, a part of education is forming your own beliefs as a citizen and future voter; it is impossible to be an informed and dedicated citizen unless you can listen to others’ opinions and keep an open mind. This kind of growth cannot happen without discussion and difference in belief; thus the voices of all students are vital. I think Hockaday understands that. In daily discussions at Hockaday, political bias tends to come from the student population, as the students are the ones talking with one another. It is not Hockaday’s job to monitor students’ political beliefs or biases, nor those of its staff. Rather, its job is more so to prevent political bias from affecting the quality of our education. So long as no one is harmed, hate speech is silenced and students can ascribe to their beliefs, the school is in good standing and does not need to work on political bias.

We Love It, We Love it Not

Winter Break

Two days off school is the perfect remedy for winter stresses and quickly approaching exam season.

Winter Formal

A night to dress up and spend time with friends at “A Night at The Met” is quickly approaching.

Valentine’s Day

Whether you have a Valentine or not, the day is a perfect opportunity to spend time with those you love.

Flu Season

In come fevers, congestion, and coughing galore. Be sure to stay healthy in the midst of second semester craziness!

by Catherine Sigurudsson • Business Manager

Exams

With February comes the beginning of studying for exams, stress, and a lack of sleep. Make sure to take time for yourself!

HOCKADAYFOURCAST.ORG

THE FOURCAST | FEBRUARY 13, 2020

VIEWS

4F EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Eliana Goodman MANAGING EDITOR Kate Woodhouse WEB EDITOR Eugene Seong COPY EDITOR Kelsey Chen MAGAZINE EDITOR Shea Duffy BUSINESS MANAGER Catherine Sigurdsson NEWS EDITOR Kate Clark PEOPLE EDITOR Erin Parolisi ARTS & LIFE EDITOR Niamh McKinney SPORTS EDITOR Ava Berger VIEWS EDITOR Sahasra Chigurupati CASTOFF EDITOR Julia Donovan PHOTOS & GRAPHICS EDITOR Libby Hill STAFF WRITERS Laine Betanzos, Elisa Carrol, Remy Finn, Olivia Garcia, Lacy Green, Anna Gum, Campbell Harris, Libby Hill, Charlotte Rogers, Sasha Schwimmer, Catherine Sigurdsson, Maddie Stout, Lea Whitley, Hanna Zhang STAFF ARTISTS Charlotte Ding

#WW3:

How TikToks about world conflicts generate both laughs, discomfort or inconsiderate of the hardships civilians face there due to the conf lict, such as the plunge in Iran’s economy following sanctions enacted by the U.S. government.

promised by Iranian commander Abdollah Araghi, many users created humorous TikToks about the news to deal with what might have been disturbing to them. Some of the most widely viewed World War III TikToks were of girls planning to escape a hypothetical draft by becoming pregnant and engaging in “housewife” activities such as cooking and cleaning. Others were users claiming to communicate with the opposing soldiers by doing popular dances such as “Renegade.” Videos aimed to be humorous, but a common theme was the overall disapproval of Trump’s actions. Illustration by Charlotte Ding By using Torn by the commotion of an international conflict, Lady Liberty humor to grapple resorts to throwing fun at the situation in a typical TikTok fashion with the difficult events unfolding, by Katherine Grace Estess• Staff Writer creators consequently spread false information. Young adults are getting n Jan. 3, President their information from a social media Trump ordered an app, instead of a reputable news airstrike that killed source. For example, there is not Iranian General Qasem currently an active draft, and it would Soleimani outside of an Iraqi airport. The following morning, “#W W3” was take an act passed by Congress to instate one, which is unlikely, wrote trending on Twitter. In the coming the New York Times’ Sarah Mervosh. days, the social media platform Many TikToks also featured false or TikTok, along with its approximately doctored tweets said to be posted by 500 million active users, generated President Trump concerning U.S content in response to the incident actions in response to hostile motions and its repercussions. by Iran. TikTok is a video sharing app whose Many people are concerned by this general audience are men and women spread of misinformation by TikTok between the ages of 16 and 24, also users. Some of the content can be known as Gen-Z. In response to Trump’s branded offensive against Iranians airstrike and threats of “harsh revenge”

“Others view them as a harmless way for teens to deal with complicated news.” Katherine Grace Estess Staff Writer

TikTok has had an interesting relationship with the United States government since December when the government banned the app from all military devices in response to concerns about its location tracking services. World War III TikToks may contain false claims, but others view them as a harmless way for teens to deal with complicated news. TikTok has never claimed to be a reliable news source; it is simply an app people use to entertain other users. Some have found it helpful in sparking interest in current events. Employing humor can be a way to grapple with the news, worrying as it may be. While some videos are funny and creative, others can disrespect Iranians and their nation. While scrolling through the “for you” page, it’s important for watchers to keep in mind that enjoying humorous videos is harmless, but it is important to stay informed and educated by learning the facts about the world’s current events.

FACULTY ADVISER Julia Copeland

That’s what SHE said: How Hockaday girls see TikTok “ With this international

EDITORIAL POLICY The Fourcast is written primarily for students of the Hockaday Upper School, its faculty and staff. The Fourcast has a press run of 1,500 and is printed by Greater Dallas Press. It is distributed free of charge to the Hockaday community. Businesses who wish to advertise in The Fourcast should contact Business Manager Catherine Sigurdsson at csigurdsson1@ hockaday. org. 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. 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 Eliana Goodman at egoodman@hockaday.org.

tension between the U.S. and Iran, many Americans have been on edge. TikTok has been a COPING mechanism for much of the Gen-Z population.” Alexis Cuban,Form II

“ I think they are really fun to

watch, and they tend to keep me UP- TO- DATE with current events even if they are portrayed in a humorous way.”

Claire Tate, Form III

“They [TikToks] are really “

A lot of the TikTok’s are really FUNNY, and some of the information might not be true, but they’re not meant to be taken seriously.” Hayden Parteli, Form II

funny and there’s all types of humor on TikTok. It’s a lot different than what you’d find on Instagram or other social media. Sometimes the jokes can be a little PROBLEMATIC or weird, but there are so many teenagers who can relate to what each other are going through.” Olivia Wheeldryer, Form II

by Katherine Grace Estess •Staff Writer

The Fourcast The Hockaday School 11600 Welch Road Dallas, Texas 75229

FEBRUARY 13, 2020 | THE FOURCAST

Dear,

4FOU R C A S T

THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

With Love, FOURCAST by Julia Donovan â&#x20AC;¢ Castoff Editor