The Fourcast
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The Hockaday School 11600 Welch Rd. Dallas, Texas 75229 214.363.6311
hockadayfourcast.org Volume 66 • Issue 5 Friday, April 15, 2016
The Presumed Privilege of the Plaid
In response to stereotypes about the socioeconomic privilege of Hockaday students, The Fourcast takes a deeper look into the diverse backgrounds of the student body. p 12
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY EMILY FULLER
INSIDE news 2 features 7 photo essay 11 in focus 12 arts & entertainment 14 sports 18 perspectives 21 cast off 24
STUDENTS ATTEND 49th ISAS FESTIVAL p 16
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My 7-year-old self would kill to be a superhero. p 23
TEACHER FACES WORKER'S COMPENSATION IINSURANCE Upper School math teacher breaks her arm in class p 3
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New updates in security and safety policies p3
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Commencement speaker announced p3
Fun facts about Earth Day p4
Zika virus spreads to the Americas p5
Hockaday Paves the Way for Foreign Affairs Classes, clubs and assemblies expose students to international PHOTO PROVIDED BY JONATHAN HUANG AND PRAVEENA JAVVADI
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HockaBriefs
A look at recent news on campus ISAS The
Independent Schools Association of the Southwest Arts Festival, better known as the ISAS festival, took place last weekend from April 7-9 at St. Mary’s Hall in San Antonio. Over 3,000 students attended the event. Two-hundred and sixteen Hockaday Upper School students showcased their work in a variety of disciplines: visual arts, ceramics, film, photography, orchestra, coffee house, recitals, dance, one acts, scenes and monologues.
Prom Theme Senior Prom, themed “Oh,
What a Night,” will be held on Saturday, May 7 at the Perot Museum of Nature and Science. Wolfgang Puck will cater the event. Two senior parents will be in charge of decorations.
10:30 a.m. Oct. 18 Students Greer Christie, Rebeca Espinosa and Tosca Langbert during the Dallas Model U.N. conference at North Hills Preparatory School.
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Promise House Day of Promise was held BY ERIN THOMAS
omen fill 40 percent of jobs in management. Twenty-five percent in mathematics and computer sciences. Less than 10 in engineering. Given this trend, it may not surprise you to hear that women make up less than 25 percent of foreign policy positions. But, then again, maybe it will. In recent years, questions have arisen about gender disparities in STEM-related fields. “Where are the women?” Forbes contributor Heather R. Huhman said in a 2012 article. “No matter where you turn, the stats are grim.”
Huhman was specifically referencing the lack of women in STEM-fields, but her statement tackles a universal problem: men dominate the majority of all fields, including those involving foreign policy, international relations and international business. So, even though gender disparities exist in both STEM and foreign policy-related occupations, why does one get more attention than the other? On Feb. 8, Upper School history teacher Tracy Walder presented at the National Coalition for Girls’ School annual conference. In her presentation, Walder spoke about the importance of inspiring girls to pursue careers in foreign affairs. “Globalization is here, and world economies are intertwined like never before,” Walder said in her speech. “As a result, American foreign policy decisions have long-lasting consequences, and the people making those decisions will not live long enough to experience the full effects of them; however, the girls we teach will.” Walder, who teaches AP Comparative Government as well as her self-designed course Spycraft: Espionage and Diplomatic Policy, believes in the importance of bridging not only the knowledge gap that exists among teens and global affairs, but also the gender gap between women and careers in foreign policy. Utilizing techniques learned from her tenure at the Central Intelligence Agency counter-terrorism center and from her time as a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the early 2000s, Walder provides a different approach to learning about foreign policy that is unparalleled by any other high school education. “It’s from my understanding that no school in the U.S. offers something like this,” Walder said. In both classes, Walder uses several different mediums as a means of presenting information. Students in both classes are required to post or re-tweet news articles that are relevant to class discussions on the class Twitter feed. These tweets are then utilized during the first 10 minutes of class, which is dedicated to talking about current events. Senior Camila Trejo is currently enrolled in Walder’s AP Comparative Government course. “[The Twitter feed] is really cool because you get to learn what’s actively going on. It keeps the class really engaged,” she said. “It’s my favorite class by far that I’ve ever taken at Hockaday.” In addition to Walder’s history electives, clubs such as Model United Nations and Junior World Affairs Council exist to satisfy students’ interest in foreign affairs. Trejo, who has participated in Model U.N. and JWAC since her freshman
year, now acts as the secretary-general and president of both clubs. “In Model U.N. I was really able to delve deeper into certain issues that I hadn’t thought of before, like drone strikes and international drug trade,” Trejo said. But, even with these opportunities, Walder and Trejo believe that there needs to be more focus on foreign affairs in terms of education. “There aren’t enough assemblies about it. There are only two classes about it,” Trejo said. “It’s not ingrained enough into our curriculum or into our daily lives.” With the advent of the “Join the (Inter)National Conversation” series started by the Convocations Board this year, however, Hockaday is beginning to provide facts on global issues to all students rather than the select few. Senior and 2015-2016 Convocations Board Chair Rajya Alturi said that the series originated in response to how social media is used by students to share opinions. “We wanted to have the educational material behind it and not just opinions,” Alturi said. “That’s really empowering because people are able to discover their own opinions on these topics. To have your own opinion about topics is rePeople ally important.” In previous years, the Convocations Board are able to has invited speakers from outside of the community to speak on various issues. This year, howevdiscover er, faculty members within Hockaday were chosen to speak. their own “We have a lot of talent within our faculty to speak on issues that we want to hear about,” opinions. Atluri said. Walder spoke about the threat of ISIS at the Rajya Atluri first assembly in the fall. Due to the positive reConvocations Board Chair sponse from both students and faculty, the Convocations Board decided to continue the series, by adding two more assemblies. The most recent assembly occurred on April 12, in which Upper School science teacher Kirsten Lindsey-Husak spoke about genetically-modified organisms. The Convocations Board plans to continue this series in the upcoming 2016-2017 school year. “Whether you’re an engineer or an English major, the world is a global place. So if you don’t understand how other countries are dealing with each other, I’m not sure how you’re going to be successful in any career,” Walder said. “I think to offer [a global education] to all girls is empowering.”
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last Monday. The festivities of the day included donuts and coffee sold in the morning, lunch catered by Potbelly and a dinner with live student performances at Village Burger Bar. Twenty percent of all purchases raised will be donated to Promise House, a homeless shelter for teens.
Spring Play The Hockaday
Theater Company presents the oneact Greek play “The Love of the Nightingale” today at 4:30 and 7:30 p.m. in Clements Lecture Hall. This will be the first time that the cast for the spring play was not selected through an open audition and was only open to the advanced drama class.
3
The number of “Join the (Inter) National Conversation” assemblies held this year
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THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL
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THE FOURCAST
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Guest Commencement Speaker Announced
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fter months of brainstorming and searching for the appropriate candidate, the
graduation speaker for the 2016 Commencement was announced to the senior class by Headmistress Liza Lee during a Form IV meeting on March 11. Krys Boyd, host and managing editor of the KERA-FM radio talk show “Think,” will be the guest speaker for the 102nd Commencement Trinity Christian University graduate and El Paso native, Boyd has been the host and managing editor of “Think” since 2006. Before her tenure, Boyd worked for Yahoo News, producing documentaries and educational television programs, including the critically-acclaimed, nationally-broadcast “JFK: Breaking the News” in 2003. Boyd also served as producer and co-host of the Emmy Award-winning public affairs program “On the Record.” The selection process for the graduation speaker incorporated suggestions from the senior class. These suggestions were then used by interim Headmistress Liza Lee to get a general idea of what kind of speaker the class was looking for. One of these suggestions asked for someone who worked in the news or media business. Aside from taking senior suggestions into consideration, however, Lee had another specific reason for choosing Boyd. Alarmed by an overwhelming presence institutionalized sexism in college campuses, corporations and political elections, Lee felt compelled to chose a strong woman speaker with somewhat of a national presence. “I see colleges finding a terrible push back- corporations are just not hiring enough women. Even the colleges are under fire for not promoting their women professors. I’m finding that women nowadays are still finding it exceedingly difficult to crack the glass ceiling,” Lee said. Senior Julia Pasquinelli, a fan of Boyd’s work, expresses her excitement to hear Boyd speak at graduation. “She is just a very inspiring, strong and confident woman. I think this is a really great thing to have in a graduation speaker. She is kind of everything Hockaday graduates aspire to be,” Pasquinelli said. Form IV Dean Rebekah Calhoun shares a similar sentiment. “From everything I know about her she seems intelligent, well-qualified and thoughtful,” Calhoun said. “I am excited to see what she will bring to the ceremony.” Boyd will be meeting with the seniors today at 2:40 p.m. to collect their thoughts on what she should incorporate in the graduation speech. “I heard about Hockaday when I moved to Dallas in 1999. I know that it is a school that has some of the most academically qualified young ladies in the city and I have been consistently impressed by Hockaday women who are so engaged in their communities,” Boyd said. And Boyd is no stranger to all-girls schools. Having attended Loretto Academy, an all girls school in El Paso, Boyd said she appreciates the environment and the values that Hockaday fosters. “An all girls education has absolutely had a positive impact on my life. Going to school with only women, you learn about the strengths and the power of women. I never felt as if my sex would create any limitations for me in my career,” Boyd said. To learn more about Boyd and her life, visit hockadayfourcast.org for an in-depth interview conducted by Editor-in-Chief Erin Thomas.
LOCKED & LOADED Feb. 23, 2010 was a normal school day at Deer Creek Middle School in Edmond, Oklahoma, or at least it was supposed to be. Now retired math teacher Dr. David Benke was on afternoon bus duty, when he saw a gunman opening fire on students. seconds later, Benke risked his life to tackle the man, successfully Nine disarming him and saving multiple lives in the process. “From my personal standpoint, I couldn’t have lived with myself if I
hadn’t been ready,” Benke said. In early January of 2016, Benke came to Hockaday and shared his story with faculty. During his presentation, he emphasized the importance of preparedness. “I was just trying to get people into the idea that even if you’re a teacher, that you’re a first responder, that you’re a person who has to be ready to step up and defend your students,” he said. According to a study by the Harvard School of Public Health in 2014, mass shootings have tripled since 2011, and Hockaday has certainly recognized this fact. Head of Upper School Terry Murray has been influential in improving security protocols. The recent self-study combined with events happening both nationally and internationally have caused the school to rethink its safety and protection measures. “All schools are reacting to the safety of their schools, communities and campuses, and there is a push in schools to elevate and upgrade their security. Some of it is coming from local police and fire departments, some pressures are coming from politicians, some from internal administration and some comes from my desire to make sure that we are a safe school,” Murray said. “My emphasis on safety and security is not for overreaction, but an enforcement of how things are done at Hockaday.” But the safety improvements that visitors, students, faculty and staff experience on a daily basis were implemented some time ago, in conjunction with Director of Safety and Security Karyn McCoy’s arrival to the school in 2012. McCoy has managed a long-term security plan over the past five years, which has involved installing internal and external cameras, providing access cards and establishing guard checks and security desks at major entrances. The fifth phase, part of which was incorporated in March of this year, included setting up cameras in the overflow parking lots so that security guards can ensure the safety of students as soon as they arrive on campus. In the future, the school plans to install cameras that can overlook the sports fields. While technological improvements are certainly essential, the most important aspect of being well-equipped for a crisis is education of the students, faculty and staff. “I think that everybody being educated and everybody being on the same page is the biggest deterrent we have to any kind of incident occurring at our school. That’s just fact,” McCoy said. “If you are prepared, and you build that culture of preparedness, you will be able to act when you’re faced with that situation.” Despite the many initiatives that have been completed, McCoy and the administration hope to continue finding new ways to make the school even safer. This past summer, McCoy worked on creating an app called Crisis Manager. All current faculty and staff members have the app and are assisting McCoy in carrying out the app’s trial period this year. continues on p4
EMILY FULLER AND NEHA DRONAMRAJU STAFF WRITERS ILLUSTRATION BY SARAH CHAN
Teacher Faces Worker’s Compensation Issue
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hen Upper School math teacher Karen Sanchez tripped and fell while teaching her E-Period precalculus class on March 8, she assumed she would use her personal insurance to seek medical help from a trusted hospital. She was wrong.
Instead, she was informed by the school nurses that her only option for receiving full financial treatment coverage for her injury was to use the Texas Workers’ Compensation Insurance, a service which provides wage replacement and medical benefits to employees injured while working, but only under certain conditions. Although she obtained all appropriate
financial and medical benefits, Sanchez’s experience with this system was far from perfect. To receive workers’ compensation, the affected employee is required to waive his or her right to sue the employer for negligence. In Sanchez’s case, this condition was not a problem due to the fact that she fell in her classroom and expressed no desire to sue the school. In addition, the worker’s compensa-
tion insurance dictates which doctors the patient can see and the treatments methods the patient should receive. “I went to the nurse after I fell and they said if you’re going to go to the doctor we have a protocol you have to follow, so you can’t just go to any doctor,” Sanchez said. Director of Health Services Erika Herridge was one of the nurses that guided Sanchez in the right direction. “If [an injury] happens here at school while you are on the job, we want to make sure you get taken care of and get what care you need,” Herridge said. Sanchez was given a list of acceptable doctors which are organized by workers’ compensation insurance carriers. Sanchez chose to go to Concentra Urgent Care, where
she got an X-ray and the incorrect diagnosis of a broken arm. “I could tell that the doctor there was a little uncomfortable with dealing with a broken arm and when I went to my choice of ER, they did their own X-rays and told me that my elbow was broken, and not my arm,” Sanchez said. In addition to the initial mis-diagnosis, the workers’ compensation paperwork was incorrectly completed and a staff member at Concentra filed her claim as a contusion (a bruise). This misclassification caused Sanchez to fill out extra paperwork on top of the preexisting forms. “[Workers’ compensation] is a long, drawn out process,” Sanchez said. “The protocol was annoying.” continues on p6
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By The Numbers Environment Edition
33% 1600 lbs
The percentage of water in the world that is used to flush toilets
The amount of garbage the average American will produce in one year
RECYCLING 1:20 The number of adults who admit they never recycle
17
The number of trees you can save if you recycle one ton of paper
84%
The percentage of household waste that could potentially be recycled
Earth Day
1970
April 22 175
The first year that Earth Day was celebrated in the United States SOURCES: planetpals.com, hvmag.com, rd.com
continued from p3 Crisis Manager includes basic security and safety protocols, such as an explanation of CPR with diagrams, what to do during a lockdown, lockout, tornado drill or fire drill, information on parking at Hockaday, and other beneficial knowledge. By graduation, McCoy hopes to have the parent version of the app completed. A student version is also being created and may be ready for use by the start of the 2016-2017 school year. Additionally, the announcement of the open-carry law in Texas at the start of 2016 influenced the school to place signs at five major entrances to warn visitors that guns are not allowed on a person nor in a vehicle anywhere on campus. While these laws already exist for institutions of learning, Hockaday chose to add the signs to “prepare us for the future and prepare us for any kind of incident that might occur,” McCoy said. This notion of being ready revolves around ensuring that students know what to do during any situation that compromises their well-being. As a result, on April 22,
The number of countries around the world that celebrate Earth Day
Earth Day is celebrated every year
GRAPHIC BY ASHNA KUMAR
all teachers will receive an emergency handout to hang up in their classrooms that will explain the Standard Response Protocols that Hockaday follows. These basic protocols involve four actions to keep in mind during a crisis: lockout, lockdown, evacuate and shelter. “In schools, we want to make sure that we keep it simple, but keep it to the standard, so everybody is doing it the same, so that no matter where you go, you’ll be familiar with it and know what to do,” McCoy said. According to Murray, each minor change in security protocol is to ensure the preparedness of the school. “We made a promise that we will not only teach you, but also protect you,” Murray said. “This whole idea about self defense and drills is not about where you are now, but where you will be in the future.” INAARA PADANI MANAGING EDITOR
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YOUR WORLD TODAY | Zika Virus Spreads to the Americas
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Panic Erupts in Wake of Zika Virus PHOTO PROVIDED BY DFID - UK DEPARTMENT FOR INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT [CC BY 2.0]
n the early 2000s, there was a SARS epidemic in Asia; in 2009, there was an influenza pandemic.
2014 saw panic concerning the outbreak of Ebola in West Africa. And today, there’s a new virus in town: Zika. The disease has now spread throughout the Americas. U.S. scientists predict that it may reach pandemic proportions by the end of the year. The History of the Zika virus The Zika virus was first discovered when a monkey became infected with the virus in the Uganda in April 1947. It was not until 1954 that Zika was found to have infected a human being – a 10-year-old Nigerian girl who recovered after three days. From the time of its discovery in 1947 to 2007, there were only 14 reported cases of Zika in humans, according to the American Association for the Advancement of Science. But in 2007, the Zika virus was found outside of Asia and Africa for the first time. An outbreak in the Yap Islands, a chain of islands in the Federated States of Micronesia, resulted in 49 confirmed cases, but zero hospitalizations or deaths. In 2013 and 2014, an outbreak of the Zika virus across Oceania was reported with 8,723 cases. The medical journal Eurosurveillance predicted it to be “the early stages of a wave that will continue for several years.” Meanwhile, Aedes aegypti, one of two mosquito species responsible for carrying the Zika virus as well as other diseases (such as yellow fever) was undergoing a resurgence. In the past three decades, Aedes aegypti distribution has increased; today it is one of the most widely distributed species of mosquito. The other species that carries Zika, Aedes albopictus, was found in 2015 to have spread throughout the Americas, reaching as far north as the Great Lakes in the United States. A Zika virus outbreak began in Brazil in April of 2015 and has spread to other Latin American countries and the Caribbean. Other countries, such as France and China, have reported imported cases of Zika. The United States currently has the highest number of imported cases, with 107 confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. In Dallas, there have been five reported imported cases so far. On Feb. 22, the Dallas County Health and Human Services Office opened a lab to screen patients for the Zika virus. On Feb. 1, the World Health Organization formally declared Zika a Public Health Emergency of International Concern. The Panic that Ensued The symptoms of the Zika virus are conjunctivitis, a rash and joint pain. The illness is usually mild, and symptoms last only several days to a week. People usually do not get sick enough to go to the hospital, let alone die. The fear of Zika, then, may stem from its link to microcephaly and Guillain-Barré syndrome. The former is a birth defect where a ba-
May of 2015
by’s head to be significantly smaller than normal; the latter is a rare disorder that causes one’s immune system to attack their nerves, possibly leading to total paralysis. Most people recover from Guillain-Barré syndrome, while those born with microcephaly will suffer from the condition throughout their lives, affecting their life expectancies, motor functions and intellectual development. Pregnant women infected with Zika may pass it on to their babies, causing microcephaly. The connection with microcephaly, however, is still being investigated. Robert Tesh, a professor of pathology at the University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, already sees a link between the two. “The association is strong and evidence is increasing that the Zika virus is the cause,” Tesh said in an interview with the Fourcast. Nine pregnant women in the United States have been reported as being infected with the Zika virus, all imported cases. Of those nine women, two had miscarriages, two had abortions and three gave birth. Of the three babies born, two were reported healthy and one was diagnosed with severe microcephaly. Zika may also be sexually transmitted. The virus has been reported to persist in semen for up to 10 weeks after infection. It is still unknown whether women can transmit it sexually to men. So far, there have been three cases worldwide indicating that the virus may be sexually transmitted. All cases occurred within the United States. The panic surrounding Zika might evoke memories of a similarly frightening outbreak from two years ago: the Ebola virus. Even though both originated in Africa, the illnesses are quite different. Ebola’s symptoms are more severe, and may include internal or external bleeding. Zika, on the other hand, is milder.
“The only similarity we really see [between Ebola and Zika] is the persistence in the semen,” Tesh said. Despite all these factors, there is no need for a “Contagion”-style panic. Director of Hockaday’s Health Services Erika Herridge recommends that people stay calm and get educated above all else. “Going into a panic mode is never the best thing to do,” Herridge said. While Herridge affirms that Zika is not a threat to Dallas, she suggests maintaining regular healthy behaviors, such as washing hands thoroughly and following the guidelines outlined by the CDC if traveling to Latin America. Sophomore Marcela Cavalcante, a boarder from Brazil, believes that the panic is more pronounced in the United States than it is back home. “Back home, we’re more afraid of the other diseases that mosquitoes carry,” Cavalcante said.
Scientists conduct research to find a cure for the Zika virus after the outbreak in May of 2015.
Can We Cure It? As of today, there is no treatment or cure for Zika. Because most cases of infection are not life-threatening, care is given to improve the patient’s quality of life rather than to cure the patient of infection. Currently, labs all around the world are working to produce a cure for the virus. Scientists have discovered the genetic makeup of the disease, but many unanswered questions still remain. “We don’t have a good handle on how many people are infected, so we don’t know what the denominator is,” Tesh said. “It’s hard to know how frequent an event this is.” The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston, where Tesh works, signed an agreement with the Brazilian Health Ministry in February. The two institutions will be working together to develop a vaccine for Zika as well as to find other ways to combat the virus.
Brazilian Health Minister Marcelo Castro told the Associated Press that the goal was to have a vaccine ready for clinical trials within one year. Scientists will first need to test the possible vaccine on animals such as lab mice or guinea pigs. If it proves effective on rodents, scientists can advance to trials on primates, and then eventually to human trials, where patients will volunteer to be tested on. Once a small group of human patients have been successfully vaccinated, a larger group will be tested. If the vaccine passes through all stages, the Food and Drug Administration will determine whether or not it can be distributed to the general population. “It won’t be too difficult to develop a vaccine candidate,” Tesh said. “[But] you can’t take something like that and then just go and give it to people.” Mariano Garcia-Blanco, Chairman of the Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Department at UTMB, announced in a letter of intent that “the scientists would not feel comfortable saying that UTMB will make a vaccine in a year.” What it Means for Brazil In light of this, Brazilian officials are doing everything they can to combat the virus. In January, the government announced they had approved the release of genetically-modified male Aedes aegypti into the wild. These special mosquitoes carry a self-limiting gene that will cause all offspring to die before reaching adulthood, significantly reducing the mosquito population. Aedes aegypti numbers in Brazil are expected to drop by 90 percent. Along with the release of these genetically-modified mosquitoes, the Brazilian Army has sent approximately 220,000 troops door-todoor in Brazil to educate citizens on Zika and to control possible breeding grounds for mosquitoes. And in preparation for the Olympics, the Brazilian Health Ministry is performing a daily sweep of all Olympic venues, destroying any possible breeding grounds in them. Cavalcante still thinks the government can do better. “I feel as if the government isn’t dealing with this well,” Cavalcante said. “There’s many breeding grounds in public places that are not being taken care of.” In contrast to Cavalcante’s apprehension, WHO Director-General Margaret Chan announced in February that she had full faith in the Brazilian government’s ability to fight Zika. “I want to reassure you that the [Brazilian] government is working very closely...to make sure that people who will come here either as visitors or athletes will get the maximum protection they need,” Chan said. “I am confident the government can do it.” The Fourcast reached out to the The Consulate General of Brazil in Houston for an interview, but they declined to comment on the situation. AMANDA KIM STAFF WRITER
PHOTO PROVIDED BY ENGLISH WIKIPEDIA
PHOTO PROVIDED BY SENADO FEDERAL [CC BY 2.0]
PHOTO PROVIDED BY NSAUM75 [CC BY-SA 3.0]
PHOTO PROVIDED BY JAMES GATHANY
BRAZIL (Left) Aedes aegypti is one of mosquitoes that carries the Zika virus. (Center Left) The University of Texas Medical Branch in Galveston is working together with the Brazilian Health Ministry to find a cure, (Center Right) Brazilian Health Minister Marcelo Castro hopes to have a vaccine ready within a year. (Right) The Estádio Olímpico João Havelange will be one of the stadiums used for the Summer 2016 Olympic Games.
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Campaign Central As primary season comes to a close, the conventions loom for both parties.
Republicans
“After that long of a waiting period, an injured back could have all sorts of nerve problems and it can get really serious from that point.” Ginsberg said that workers’ compensation lowers benefits given to claimants by having a strict definition for extent of injury. Unlike in a personal injury case, in order to receive benefits for a work injury, a doctor needs to testify in court and explain the extent of injury with correct legal terminology and details. Although these problems exist, workers’ compensation lawyer John Fundis who, unlike Ginsberg, works for the insurance carriers, argues that the system’s benefits outweigh its obstacles. “I don’t know that I see disadvantages for the workers because it’s a no fault system. If you’re a teacher and you fall even though someone doesn’t cause you to fall, you still receive a continuation of your weekly income and medical benefits,” Fundis said. While he acknowledged that the system could be trying at times, he stated that the injured workers still receive full benefits from the insurance carriers. In addition, Fundis said that, although rare, there are people who attempt to cheat the insurance system and receive pay when they are not actually injured from a work-related incident. “We need to make sure that we can keep costs in control, but certainly provide benefits where it’s deserved,” Fundis said. Workers’ compensation insurance protects many employees, such as Sanchez, from having to pay for their injuries sustained during their job, but Ginsberg, Fundis and Sanchez all agree that there is room for improvement for this nationwide system.
May 20
SENIOR SPLASH DAY
SENIOR PROM
SUDIE DUNCAN ASSEMBLY
May 7
May 16
2:45 p.m.
AP EXAMS May 2-13
US CHOIR CONCERT
7:30 p.m.
April 27
SPC GOLF April 25-26
SDB FORUM
11:45 a.m.
CUM LAUDE LUNCH April 20
April 21
U.S. SPRING PLAY April 15-17
FOURWARD
8:30 a.m.
UNDERCLASSMEN RECOGNITION ASSEMBLY
SAT
May 12
May 7
SHREYA GUNUKULA STAFF WRITER
8:00 a.m.
SPRING SPC
SPC SPIRIT RALLY
April 26
April 28-30
ry. This is a problem that Ginsberg said is very common in the workers’ compensation industry because the doctors are controlled by division networks set up by major insurance carriers that tend to be more worried about saving money than protecting the claimants. “You’re letting the insurance be in control of the medical attention that the claimants receive, and the companies need to approve every medical procedure so it can be a long process,” Ginsberg said. Using a broken back as an example, Ginsberg explained the differences between using private healthcare and the state system. He said that while in private healthcare a slipped disk in the back would translate into immediate surgery, the workers’ compensation system would result in a much longer process. “The worker’s compensation people will say the procedure is necessary and medically reasonable, but they might say it may not be a part of extent of injury,” Ginsberg said. The “extent of injury” controls how many medical expenses the workers’ compensation would actually cover. In the case of the slipped disk, Ginsberg said that insurance carriers would go through a systematic process in order to ensure no money is lost paying for unnecessary procedures. First, the claimant would go through physical therapy, followed by a series of muscle injections, and then surgery would be considered. At this point, the insurance carrier could even claim a lower extent of injury. While the claimant suffered a slipped disk, the workers’ compensation adjuster has the power to only offer benefits to cover a mere muscle strain. “If an adjuster wronged a claimant in this way, it starts a whole process of benefit review conferences and claim hearings that could take up to eight months,” Ginsberg said.
11:45 a.m.
U.S. ERBS
DANCE PERFORMANCE
April 20
April 18-19
All percentages up to date at press time.
For Sanchez, the problems with the Worker’s Compensation were minor grievances--she was able to return to work promptly, avoiding the fight for wage replacement and all of her medical expenses were covered. She acknowledged that the Hockaday community ensured that she was properly cared for and well-rested. Sanchez said that she could have paid for her medical care but made the choice to use the workers’ compensation insurance to avoid paying out-of-pocket for the expenses. But many workers across Texas do not have this option. Workers’ compensation lawyer Jacob Ginsberg said that many workers who live from paycheck-to-paycheck do not have the luxury of choosing between workers’ compensation and their personal savings. “For a lot of people, if they have a broken arm, their constant worry is ‘How am I going to pay the bills?’ so they need workers’ compensation to pay for the medical expenses and their time off from work,” Ginsberg said. Ginsberg fights for claimants (people who have suffered an injury) who have been wronged by the workers’ compensation system. Ginsberg said that the problems with workers’ compensation extend well beyond those that Sanchez faced. He has noticed some common themes in his cases and come up with two major deficits with this statewide insurance: insurance-controlled doctors and unreasonable legal definitions of extent of injury. In Sanchez’s case, she would have preferred care from her private health care physician because she noticed that her doctor at Concentra Emergency Care seemed inexperienced and unequipped to deal with her inju-
April 22
MARY ORSAK VIDEO EDITOR
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No US Classes
Without taking into account superdelegates, Hillary Clinton could still maintain her lead and secure the nomination if she wins less than half of the remaining delegates, according to the New York Times. Although Clinton remains the clear frontrunner, the Associated Press reports that Sen. Bernie Sanders has won the last six primaries and caucuses, leaving some states with considerable leads. However, in the Democratic Race, one cannot discount superdelegates. Superdelegates are automatically seated at the convention and can vote for whichever candidate they prefer. All sitting Democratic governors and congressmen are superdelegates along with other party officials. Currently, Clinton has the support of 439 superdelegates while Sanders has the support of a measly 31.
With exams around the corner, Upper School math teacher Karen Sanchez returned to work the next day, despite her arm injury.
FACULTY/STAFF IN-SERVICE
Democrats
10:30 a.m. March 9
7:30 p.m.
If Donald Trump does not gain the necessary 1,237 delegates to secure the Republican nomination, the Republican party could face a contested convention in July. Currently, Trump has 737 bound delegates and needs 500 more delegates to secure the nomination without a contested convention. However, only 930 delegates are left up for grabs. This means that Trump would need 54 percent of the upcoming delegates to win. Eventually, if no candidates clinch the necessary delegates, then the convention will hold several rounds of voting. In the first round of voting, 95 percent of the delegates are bound and must vote for the candidate who won their state; however, proportional distribution of delegates may result in delegates from the same state supporting different candidates. If no one has the majority and wins the nomination, delegates from more than 30 states become unbound and can vote for whomever they choose. If no candidate still has the majority, 80 percent of the delegates become unbound. These rounds of voting continue until one person emerges with the majority of delegates. While no one at this stage can predict who will leave the convention as the nominee, most pundits agree that it will be one exciting week in Cleveland.
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THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL
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Alumna answers questions about career p7
Students participate in app competition p10
APRIL 15, 2016
THE FOURCAST
Improv girls share their stories p10
Beloved Hockaday security guard retires p9
Boarding Department Celebrates Centennial Boarding alumnae come together to honor the impact of Hockaday’s boarding department PHOTO PROVIDED BY HOCKADAY ARCHIVES, PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY AUSTRIA ARNOLD
1:45 p.m. April 1 Current boarders Ashlynn Long, Heidi Kim, Safa Michigan and Cheryl Hao stand in front of the early 20th century Trent House, a residence dormitory.
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Alumna of the Issue Jacqueline Adolph ’00 has found a career as an instructor and prosthetist at the UT Southwestern School of Health Professions, in which she can combine two of her field interests: engineering and medicine. Before starting her job, Adolph earned her Bachelor of Science Degree in Mechanical Engineering and Bachelor of Science Degree in Biomedical Engineering from Washington University in St. Louis, a Bachelor of Science Degree in Prosthetics and Orthotics at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, did a residency for two years and then passed board exams to receive her credentials. She also recently received her Master of Business Administration from Texas Women’s University. As a prosthetist, she evaluates, treats and helps with the rehab of patients in order to help them gain or return function through prosthetics, artificial limbs and orthotics, a form of bracing. What do you love most about your job?
The fact that I can make a BY AUSTRIA ARNOLD
very August, young students usher in the hallways of the residence department, prepared to make Hockaday their home for the next several months. The students living across the hall quickly become their study mates, workout partners, best friends and family. As of this year, there have been 100 Augusts filled with the same anticipation. This year, the Hockaday Residence Department celebrates its centennial and the impact it has had on the many students who have come through the program.
When Ela Hockaday founded The Hockaday School in 1913, she envisioned a future for women’s education. Sarah B. Trent, one of the first teachers at Hockaday, and Ela Hockaday contacted Mary Miriam Meredith Morgan in May 1915 asking for her assistance in the opening of a boarding department at The Hockaday School. Morgan later become the first Head of Residence. Because official archive documents do not show a conclusive date for the inception of the residence department, speculation has arisen concerning the centennial year. Director of Residence Life and Global Outreach Meshea Matthews has not let the contradictory records of the Boarding Department take away from the celebration. “We have named it the centennial and it is our year,” Matthews said regarding the unclear dates. The boarding program has provided an opportunity for a women’s education to prospective students from small Texas towns as well as Oklahoma and other neighboring states since the early 1900s when quick transport was rare. Less than three decades after its founding, the program extended to an international residence hall and welcomed the first international boarder, Irma Salinas Rocha ‘39, from Monterrey, Mexico. In 1915, the annual cost of boarding at Hockaday was $700 and by the third year of the residence program there were approximately 18 boarding students. The program has grown slowly over the past few decades and now includes 73 boarding students. While the size of the program has remained fairly stagnant in recent decades, boarders now hail from 14 countries. Julie Allen, alumna boarder ‘83, has watched the boarding department change over the years as a boarding student, a day student parent and a host family. Allen and her family have kept in contact with the boarding students whom they have hosted. “The boarding department enriches the Hockaday experience,” Allen said. The dormitories, which were renovated in 2013, are just shy of full capacity. The four halls in the residence department are named after Sarah Trent and Mary Morgan, the two women who helped create the department under the guidance of Miss Hockaday. There are no current plans to expand the program, but Matthews speaks of plans to make boarding a more visible piece of campus. With events like a March Madness viewing party, Matthews
attempts to include day students in residence department activities. She also hosts meetings in the boarding department to get students and faculty more comfortable with the space. In celebration of the centennial year, the Hockaday Alumnae Committee hosted a Centennial Boarding Dinner on April 14. This event kicked off Alumnae Weekend; the guest list includes all boarder alumnae, which totals 2,000. One hundred are expected to attend. Allen helped organize this event in conjunction with the Hockaday Alumnae Association. “Just like we celebrated Hockaday’s centennial, a 100-yearold boarding department in the southwest is exciting,” Allen said. The festivity was designed to resemble a traditional dress dinner which, in the past, I never thought boarding students participated in weekly and now do so monthly. These dress dinners are something that I would that all boarder alumnae have in common as part of their Hockaday boarding experience. The create a bond traditional Hockaday foods, like chess pie and Rosie Mae Bell’s cornbread muffins, were served so strong with at the event. so many girls. The sisterhood bonds of Hockaday remain even more evident in the boarding department. Junior Vyanka Sotelo calls 11600 Welch Road Vyanka Sotelo home for the majority of the year. Junior boarder “I never thought that I would create a bond so strong with so many girls,” Sotelo said. “It is really something that most people do not get to experience.” The boarding department has now allowed a century of sisterhood bonds and numerous educational opportunities for young women around the world. “I am extremely grateful for the boarding department,” Sotelo said. “It gives me the opportunity to get the education that I am getting at Hockaday that I would not be able to get if I were back home in Brownsville.”
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difference every day and that I can see it. I am able to see a patient who comes in who may not be able to walk, but with my device they are able to leave my office walking. What has been your most rewarding project so far?
Probably some braces for a child. She was four years old and she couldn’t walk very well. She had a lot of weakness in her legs and when I made some braces for her she was able to walk and keep up with her peers and play. What advice do you have for students who want to pursue careers in the medical or engineering fields? To be open to all different types of careers. There isn’t just the option of becoming a doctor. There are so many possibilities whether that’s prosthetic orthotics, nursing, physical therapy, occupational therapy [or] rehab therapy. There are so many different ways that you can get involved in the medical profession and still fulfill that need of helping people in medicine but by doing something different.
MEGAN PHILIPS FEATURES EDITOR
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THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL APRIL 15, 2016
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HOCKADAYFOURCAST.ORG
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THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL
APRIL 15, 2016 THE FOURCAST
09 PHOTO BY CLAIRE FLETCHER
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Kief has been the heart and soul of Hockaday. He has given us lessons in grace,
lessons in courtesy and lessons in love. Liza Lee
12:45 p.m. April 12
Eugene McDermott Headmistress
Security officer Kief Teckle waves from his guard shack on Rosie Mae Bell Lane.
Kifleab “Kief” Teckle: One Last Wave On April 1 at around noon, sophomore Ali Hurst opened her phone to find an email with the subject line “Kifleab ‘Kief’ Tekle to Retire” from The Hockaday School after 30 years on April 15. Sent on April Fool’s Day, lifer Hurst was convinced this was a prank. It was not. Abby Hoak-Morton ‘05 confirmed many people’s fears when on April 3 she created a page on GoFundMe to collect funds as a retirement gift for him. “I don’t really remember going to Hockaday without [Tekle] being there,” Hoak-Morton said. “He was probably the only person that I knew was there my entire Hockaday career from day one until the last day.” Starting as a gift from the class of 2005, the original goal was to raise $2,005. After seeing the engaged response from the Hockaday community, they raised it to $5,000, then $10,000. Finally, Hoak-Morton decided to stop raising the goal amount. In one week, the GoFundMe page collected over 1,500 donations from students, parents, alumnae and people who didn’t personally know Tekle. In total, the GoFundMe page raised $179,103 that was presented to Tekle in a ceremony on Graduation Terrace on April 11. “The amount is great, but the fact that so many people have given is incredible,” Hoak-Morton said. Born in Ethiopia in 1945, Tekle grew up at a peaceful home with his three sisters. After graduating from
Hockaday to work as a security of- edges your presence and welficer. What happened from then, as comes you,” Rhodus said. “I think we know, is history. that he’s a reminder to everyone “For 30 years, Kief [has been] in the community here [about] the emperor of the parking lot and the importance to stop and greet carpool, and for all those years, Kief somebody and the importance to has been the heart and soul of Hock- get to know someone.” aday,” Eugene McDermott HeadmisAs the mother of three girls, tress Liza Lee said. “He has given us Rhodus always feels safe dropping lessons in grace, lessons in courtesy off her children at Hockaday findand lessons in love.” ing comfort in the fact that someThrough his one like Tekle, who heartwarming and knows everyone in welcoming personthe community, proality and his uncanny tects the campus. ability to remember As a part of the names of everyHockaday securione he meets, Tekle ty, Tekle’s jobs have has left a positive im- I don’t really ranged from watchpact on both students ing over Tarry House, and faculty alike. to directing the carremember Hurst doesn’t pool line to keeping have one specific going to an eye on the school memorable moment from the front desk at with Kief. Instead, Hockaday Hoak Portico. she remembers every “Kief has been morning when Kief without [Tekle] very important to the would call her “prinstudents and parents cess” or shout out being there. of Hockaday,” Di“here comes trouble” rector of Safety and as she walked into Abby Hoak-Morton Security Karyn McHockaday Class of 2005 Lower School. Coy said. “That rela“I don’t know tionship has been a what the school will valuable part of the be like without him greeting me in history of our school.” the hallway most every day,” Hurst Even though he will miss Hocksaid. aday, Tekle admitted that he needs Lower School Head Randal a break. Tekle has not decided what Rhodus ‘97, in third grade at the to do during his retirement, but he time, met Tekle when he began looks forward to it nonetheless. working at Hockaday in 1986. Without the blue security uniform, “You feel like [he] acknowl- he might volunteer in his church or
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mow his grass. “It’s good to try retirement. If not, then maybe I come back,” Tekle said. Although you might not see Tekle smiling and waving each day on campus, he promised that he will return for graduation and graduations to come. “I love Hockaday. I love everyone: kids, teachers, maintenance, kitchen, housekeeping, anyone at Hockaday. They are all my best friends,” Tekle said. “Wish me good luck!” MARIA HARRISON STAFF WRITER
To watch a video about Kief’s retirement ceremony, scan the QR code below and use the password ElaHockaday.
Daisy Duels
A look into the tussles and quarrels of the Upper School community.
SENIORS
BY HEIDI KIM ILLUSTRATIONS BY NICOLE KLEIN
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Haile Selsassie I University in 1968, Tekle worked as a social studies teacher for middle schoolers. “Everything was good,” Tekle said. However, in 1974, Tekle’s life was disrupted. A civil war broke out in Ethiopia that killed his father and forced Tekle to flee to Eritrea, his father’s homeland, where he joined the freedom fighters--Eritrean militants fighting against the Ethiopian communist government to avenge his father’s death. After about six years, he learned that his mother had passed away and his youngest sister, who was 13-years-old at the time, had no one to support her. Thus, Tekle traveled to Sudan to looking for work to finance his sister and became an interpreter for immigration officers and refugees going to the United States. “Luckily, the immigration officer liked me,” Tekle said. The immigration officer asked, “do you want to go to the United States?” Little did Tekle know that this simple question would change his future. After about a year and a half of working in Sudan, Tekle met with an old high school friend who lived in Dallas. Soon after, the immigration officer and Tekle’s friend made a deal that would send Tekle to the United States in six months. Eighteen hours, two flights and one night in New York later, 39-year-old Tekle arrived in Dallas at the end of 1984. In 1986, Tekle was hired by
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FOURTH QUARTER
Although seniors are in their last two months as Hockadaisies, they still have April to look forward to. As they go through the final stretch, they excitedly await that shining moment when they will walk across Graduation Terrace in their long white dresses and floppy, flowered hats to receive their diplomas. But although their time at Hockaday is coming to an end, they still must endure their final quarter before they can make their last departure from Hockaday as alumnae. Tests, in-class essays, lab reports, research papers and AP exams await. So close, yet so far.
ACT
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ISAS
On April 7, many students in Fine Arts headed off to the most anticipated event of the year: ISAS. It doesn’t matter whether you are a violin prodigy, a passionate dancer or a dedicated member of Tech Theatre. At ISAS, artists came together and joined in on the fun. But this year, it overlapped with the fated ACT. Students with a knack for arts were forced to make a tough decision. What’s more important? Their future education? Or the most exciting part of the school year? Tough call.
ALLERGIES
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APRIL WEATHER
Springtime is finally here. The flowers are blooming, the temperature is rising and the mosquitoes, along with other creepy crawlers, are rising from their season of hibernation. But despite the lush scenery and the warm air, something shortly follows, putting a damper on the springtime celebration: spring allergies. As the flora flourish, pollen and other pesky allergens creep up and manage to leave us with runny noses, scratchy throats and itchy eyes. Allergies this season are no joke. Stock up on your travel Kleenex and portable eye drops, because spring is officially here.
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THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL
APRIL 15, 2016
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HOCKADAYFOURCAST.ORG
HUMANS OF HOCKADAY | A Look Into the Lives, Passions and Secrets of the People at Hockaday
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Share a funny story in 30 seconds. The Fourcast is introducing a new segment based off of the widely acclaimed series Humans of New York. Each issue, a broad question will be presented, and the responses of a different group of Humans at Hockaday will be featured. This issue focuses on HockaImprov.
CAMERON GILES
CHARLOTTE TOOMEY
VIRGINIA BESHEARS
CAROLINE GREENBLATT
SENIOR
JUNIOR
JUNIOR
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SENIOR
“One time I was with my friend at California Pizza Kitchen, and we wanted to play a prank on our other friend, so we wrote her number on the receipt for our middle aged waiter and then left to get ice cream. But then, my friend Left her credit card there, so we had to go back and get it and confront the old man we left our number for to call us.”
“When I was little, I made a silly putty necklace and it got caught in my hair. And I was really smart and I went and took scissors and cut it out of my hair, but I just left the mess in the bathroom because that’s a really logical thing for a five-year-old to do. My mom walks in and goes, ‘Who cut their hair? Was it you Charlotte?’ And I was like, ‘Mom, no!’ She tells [my sister Samantha and I to] both to turn around and then she screams and starts crying. Then she calls my dad and goes, ‘David, it’s an emergency!’ And he goes, ‘What’s wrong?’ And she goes, ‘Charlotte cut her hair!’ Then she tells me my punishment is that I have to get my hair cut because that was the most earth shattering thing for me as a kid.”
“So at the beginning of senior year, we arrived at Allaso Ranch all super pumped for our senior trip. We got all our stuff situated in our cabin, we left to go get dinner and we came back and hundreds and hundreds of centipedes were covering the floor, and we had to murder all the centipedes so we could get our stuff out of the room and move to a different room where we could sleep that was centipede-less.”
PHOTOS BY PALOMA RENTERIA
KARLA SALINAS
“Seniors are doing an assassin game, and I was really excited because I saw the person I was supposed to kill, which was Talia, and I was like “Oh, I’m going to kill Talia!” So I dove under the table right behind the table she was sitting at, and I was there for like 20 minutes, and then I eventually was able to get her in the back of the knee. I was so excited, and then I was like “Yeah, I got you, Talia!” And then I started walking away to put my tray up, and then immediately Erin Thomas got me and killed me. And I was really sad.”
- Junior Cameron Giles
- Senior Karla Salinas
- Senior Virginia Beshears
“At the end of last year, for some reason, I decided to watch a bunch of food documentaries on Netflix about the dangers of food and the food industry and its treatment of animals and stuff. For some reason, these documentaries made me super emotional, and I spent an entire G period and Y period literally sobbing about chickens and soybeans. My English teacher delayed class just so I could collect my feelings. I was a vegetarian for six weeks before I went to New Orleans and had to have some chicken gumbo.” - Senior Caroline Greenblatt
- Junior Charlotte Toomey
Students Develop Sex-Ed App for Technovation Competition
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n the summer of 2015, Junior Wendy Ho discovered Technovation, a global entrepreneurship challenge for girls ages 10 to 18, which enlists girls from all over the world to build a mobile app that will address a community problem. The winning team
GRAPHIC PROVIDED BY JENNY ZHU
receives $20,000 in seed funding to continue app development. Ho, inspired by this challenge, decided to put together a team. “I wanted the team to be reliable, so I picked people I thought would be responsible,” Ho said. Ho joined together with junior Brenda Lee, a fellow member of the Coding Club. She then enlisted juniors Amy Jia, Jenny Zhu and Jessica Wang due to their creativity and strong work ethic. As a team, they researched and brainstormed possible issues they thought would be appropriate to address in their app. After careful consideration, they decided to tackle the issue of sex education deficit. The team ultimately decided on this issue because they felt that persons of their age group were not receiving a proper sex education.
“Jessica and I were in Health, and [Upper School health teacher Rebekah] Calhoun was telling us that there is only one basic anatomy course at St. Mark’s, in middle school,” Lee said. “Apparently they learn a little about it in AP Bio too, but it’s still not enough.” This concerned the team, especially since St. Mark’s students did not receive the same education as those at Hockaday–even though it is equally relevant to both parties. The group hoped to increase sex education by allowing a comfortable space for people to post questions and get answers from both people who have experienced the same problem or even experts on the topic. “The ultimate goal is to promote more open dialogue about sex ed,” Ho said.
TEENAGE TECHNOVATORS
The students created the Ask Ada icon that they hope will soon represent their app in the App Store.
Apps Created by Teenagers available from the App Store
The app will be open for everyone to use, but the group especially hopes to target a younger age group. “The goal is to bring more awareness regarding sex education to both girls and boys, preferably in the high school or late middle school age range,” Jia said. Included in the app will be a frequently asked questions page and provided access to other professional resources. For those with more particular inquisitions, the team plans to also offer a discussion section for users to ask specific questions to others with experience. While they want to encourage more open discussion, the group also wants to ensure that users can browse the app with the comfort of knowing their searches are anonymous. “The answer is personal, but [it] is anonymous. That’s what our app is trying to emulate,” Lee said. Lee and Ho have been heading the design of the app in terms of layout and organization. While Ho has been using her experience in coding to help create the blueprints for the app, the other group mem-
bers are taking extra time to learn about the coding process. “Right now, we’ve learned how to code and [have] found mentors to help each [of us] through this process,” Wang said. Wang, Jia and Zhu, on the other hand, have been working on the communications aspect. They are in charge of promoting the app on social media once they develop their website and social media accounts. Although each group member has an “assigned” position, the team makes sure to touch base with the rest of the group before making any decision. “We are not strictly defined to a responsibility. We always get each other’s opinions,” Zhu said. Zhu is currently working on developing a getaskada.wordpress, a website for their app. The name was inspired by Ada Lovelace, who is acclaimed as one of the first female computer programmers. “Our app is called Ask Ad,” Jia said. “She’s [Lovelace] credited as one of the first computer programmers, and it’s cool that she is a woman.”
An app for procrastinors, Finish, was designed and created by Ryan Orbuch and Michael Hansen at the ages of 16, when they realized they needed an Finish easy way to manage work around their 10th grade exams. You enter your necessary tasks into the app, categorizing each based on what timeframe you need to complete it, and the app will prompt you to stay on top of all of them by sending you notifications.
With their app, the team hopes to not only encourage discussion about sex-ed, but also about related issues such as rape, sexual assault and consent. “Aside from general sex-ed, there are general issues of consent and domestic violence, and consent is a huge issue among college campuses,” Ho said. “We are high school students about to go into college, and [yet] a lot of guys don’t even know what the boundaries of consent are.” Ask Ada was released on the App Store on April 12 for Android devices. Submissions for the competitions are due on April 21, but whether they win the competition or not, the team hopes to put their app on the App Store for more devices as a free resource app that anyone can use and enjoy. “Not everyone is going to have a Ms. Calhoun, or even a parent, to talk to,” Zhu said. “But, you can always have our app.” HEIDI KIM STAFF WRITER
Eric Bakan and Delian Asparouhov, MIT students, designed and created Nightingale, a data analysis tool, with aim to help healthNightingale an care professionals with medical-based research. It offers a way to collect, automatically analyze and share data to “provide actionable insights and guide practitioners in achieving the optimal outcome for every individual.” SOURCES: melarumors.com, cheatsheet.com, nightingaleapp.com, downloadatoz.com
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THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL
APRIL 15, 2016
THE FOURCAST
photo essay/
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Springing Around the World
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Various Upper School students traveled across the globe during their spring break the last week of March. From Saudi Arabia to Big Bend National Park in Texas, Hockadaisies captured moments from their visits across six continents. 1. Senior Sadie Lidji photographed the sleeping tents while staying at the El Cosmico hotel in Marfa, Texas just outside Big Bend National Park. 2. Sophomore Hibah Naviwala captured the red phone booth contrasting with the desert landscape while visiting Saudi Arabia. 3. Close up image of a dandelion. Senior Kate Cooper photographed it while visiting a trout farm in Sochi, Russia. 4. While in Marrakesh, Morocco, freshman Nisha Singh photographed the courtyard of the Bahia Palace. 5. During her visit to Iceland, sophomore Katie O’Meara captured the icy Gullfoss (Golden Falls) waterfall. 6. Senior Sofi Mira photographed the view of the sunset while fishing on Lake Kiowa in North Texas.
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To check out more of photos from spring break, visit hockadayfourcast. org or scan the QR code.
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APRIL 15, 2016
MONEY ON MY MIND A look into the diverse socioeconomic background of Hockaday students
It is 2012. Current senior Sofi Mira stands outside her school, Richard Mira, with her mother to her side, re has been accepted into Hockaday fo year as a freshman. Shortly after, sh friends. “‘Oh my god. You are goin Mira remembers her friends’ comm
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uch instances are frequent when hearing th sity of socioeconomic statuses exist within many who proves this stereotype wrong. Mira, who identifies with a lower soc aid from Hockaday. “I am definitely down there in terms of ing that,” Mira said. “It’s very real. I can’t pre with college.” Mira is not the only student who has received comm nior Anastasia Stewart, who identifies with the upper cl friends over social media when the topic of Hockaday Hockaday, buy me a boat,” were appearing on her scree “A girl tagged me in it saying, ‘We all know you cou
THE HOCKADAY STEREOTYPES
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There is the general misconception that all Hockaday students live lavish lives and we swim in trust funds, stocks, real estate, etc. - Anonymous Hockaday Student
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY EMILY FULLER
To an outsider, the property that sits on 11600 Welc Sports fields the color of a country club golf course st Lane. Girls of all ages dot these oceans of green, playi field hockey and lacrosse. Construction trucks and cra est Lane traffic and can be attributed to the new scien gone up in the past two years. Pictures of the elaborate place into Dallas newspapers, displaying pictures of elaborately adorned with fresh flowers. It is no secr socioeconomic status surround Hockaday. And Hockadaisies agree. According to a r students in the Hockaday Upper School believ nomic status exist at Hockaday. Out of 159 re as “rich,” “wealth” and “money” as common tions about the school. Dr. Katy Swalwell, a professor from Iow the study of social studies education, soci believes that people make inadvertent as ‘we’ is an assumed group of really wealth people that might not fit into that,” Swa When asked about the reputation Board Chair and senior Hallie Gu said “Hockaday is a private school, and th Tuition ranges from $24,040 to to $53,285 for boarding students p in-state tuition at the University $11,000 per year. Gu also referred to an article beled the Hockaday graduation c cession from the antebellum Sou Senior Sadie Lidji believes stereotypes. “Outsiders see Hoc a ‘rich kid school,’ assuming tha actually is. The stereotype star identifies as being a member nancial aid. Although it is apparent th some of the best resources and across the board in terms of s community, Hockaday is not h
OUR COMMUNITY
In the aforementioned su answered said that their family ever, 55 percent of the Upper middle class. One percent of s the poverty level. And according to Stewart body. “Diversity is about celebra of people that are different that In the 2015-2016 school ye ceived some sort of financial aid Hockaday’s Chief Financial financial aid change over the yea nancial aid] steadily increased un was a little bit of a decrease,” Coats of money she thinks Hockaday wil Although financial aid does a lows students to receive a first-cla a stretch to send children to Hocka Coats tries to fight a trend cal two extremes - those with resource tion and those who do not. Howeve dle. “These are the people that strug day--you don’t want to lose people in be able to provide them aid to really p in a school.” Additional school expenses also c many private schools, allocates a portio funds, to supporting families in paying th sports trips and special senior year expe ring) fall into this category. The uniform resale shop gives families a uniforms at a low price. Bookstore Manager D school year, the administration is looking to a cially regarding bookstore sweatshirts, which c In terms of textbooks, the bookstore is als
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a is in eighth grade. She dson North Junior High. eceives the news that she or the 2012-2013 school he shares the news with ng to a rich kid school,’” mon reaction to her news.
he name Hockaday. However, a divern the community. Mira is simply one of
cioeconomic class, receives financial
f money. I am not uncomfortable sharetend I have money if I don’t, especially
ments about attending Hockaday. Selass, received similar comments from came up. Retweets like, “If you go to en. uld,’” Stewart said.
ch Road boasts a wealthy community. tand out to passing drivers on Forest ing labeled “northeastern” sports like anes are a constant cause of the Fornce and fine arts buildings that have e May commencement often find their f girls in long, white dresses and hats ret that stereotypes about wealth and
recent student survey, 90 percent of ve that stereotypes around socioecoesponders, 81 replied with terms such words to describe preconceived no-
wa State University who specializes in ial justice education and social class, ssumptions about the term “we.” “The hy people and automatically excludes alwell said. n that Hockaday has, Student Diversity d what many believe to be the obvious. he tuition is very expensive,” Gu said. o $29,375 for day students and $51,945 per year. To put that into perspective, of Texas at Austin is approximately
e in the Dallas Morning News that laceremony as “a finishing school prouth.” that Hockaday is at the root of these ckaday, and other private schools, as at financial aid isn’t as common as it rts here and spreads,” she said. Lidji of the middle class and receives fi-
hat as an institution, the school boasts d facilities in the country, students fall socioeconomic background. But as a homogeneous.
urvey, 44 percent of the students who y is a member of the upper class. Howr School belongs to some part of the students answered that they were at
t, diversity is important in a student ating differences, not just telling a bunch t they are the same,” Stewart said. ear, 15.6 percent of the community red. Officer JT Coats said that the trends in ars, with significant dips and rises. “[Fintil 2013-2014, and then what we saw s said. Each year, she allots the amount ill need to cover financial aid. alleviate pressures for a family and alass education, Coats agreed that it is aday no matter a family’s resources. lled the barbell effect, which creates es that have the means to pay for tuier, there is a skinny group in the midggle and sacrifice to come to Hockan that group,” Coats said. “You want to provide true socioeconomic diversity
come into play. Hockaday, similar to on of money, called discretionary aid he “real price of Hockaday.” Uniforms, enses (like the white blazer and class
an opportunity to purchase gently used Dara Williams said that for the coming alleviate such uniform pressures, especurrently range from $35 to $60. so trying to lighten financial pressures.
HOCKADAYFOURCAST.ORG
Currently, the cost for books in the Upper School ranges from an average of $650 to $1,000 a year depending on the classes a student chooses. However, Hockaday announced yesterday that it is moving towards a digital textbook system called MBS Direct, where students have various options to rent ebooks, purchase used or new books via Amazon Marketplace and other booksellers.
PRIVILEGE - HOW DO WE DEFINE PRIVILEGE?
For teachers and students at Hockaday, privilege means a variety of things. Interim Eugene McDermott Headmistress Liza Lee views privilege as “being able to never [have] to think of class or status or finance.” “I think that everyone has a moral responsibility to think of all those things, so sometimes I see privilege as sort of a negative term,” Lee said. However, in terms of the education received, Lee believes that all students at Hockaday recognize they are privileged. “I would hope [students recognize their privilege], but I’m not sure one always does.” Sophomore Maye McPhail, who is a member of the upper class, has a slightly different view. “I think privilege in terms of socioeconomic status is the ability to get most things you want,” McPhail said. “I think everyone knows that they are privileged. A lot of times it’s like a thing people say without really understanding what it means. But I think everyone knows ‘Oh I’m privileged. I am lucky to be here,’ but I don’t think everyone knows why.” For Upper School Spanish teacher and Student Diversity Leadership Conference chaperone Alejandra Suarez, privilege is more of an action than simply a financial matter. “Privilege for me is the reward of something you’ve earned or something you work towards,” Suarez said. In her opinion, privilege should be something you take ownership of. By contrast, for senior Tajanae Harris, who identifies with barely enough (on a scale of not enough, barely enough, enough and more than enough), privilege means something different. Harris considers privilege as “having more than enough means” so that your family can afford things such as vacations, extra-curricular activities and tutoring, and that in emergencies, your parents have the means to send you money. “Maybe privilege is never having to do anything for yourself. It’s always someone else [having] to work hard,” she said. But Harris believes that students don’t always recognize their privilege. “You don’t always appreciate it as much as you could because you’ve had it your entire life,” she said. To Tresa Wilson, Upper School director of inclusion and community and Student Diversity Board sponsor, privilege is categorized in two ways. The first kind, unearned privilege, is something valuable that a person receives simply because he or she belongs to a certain group. The second type of privilege, known as conferred dominance, is more difficult to see. This occurs when a group exercises superiority over another group. This is exemplified when a man expects a woman to perform a task but refuses to respond to a woman who asks the same of him. As a man, he feels superior. Nevertheless, Wilson believes that all members of our community are privileged. “I don’t believe that privilege is a bad thing,” she said. “It’s all about what you do with it.”
THE FOURCAST
INCOME CLASS LEVELS
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THE POVERTY LEVEL Annual Income: $18,000 - $23,050
15 percent of the population Includes many families under the poverty line, meaning they do not earn enough to meet basic necessities, like food clothing and shelter
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Annual Income: $23,050 - $32,500
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Annual Income: $32,500 - $60,000
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Annual Income: Above $100,000
THE WORKING CLASS
Known as the blue-collar class or anxious middle class At the bottom of the middle class
CONVERSATIONS ON THE HORIZON
Wilson emphasizes self-reflection and asking ourselves questions: “What does socioeconomic status mean to me? What are the privileges I have in this world? Who are the people sitting with me or not sitting at ‘the table?’” Wilson said. Discussions have begun within the Hockaday administration regarding accessibility to Hockaday events and the work hours of parents. “We are always examining our practices to make certain that every family feels included,” Lee said. For example, meeting times are planned so that the most number of parents can be encouraged to attend. However, students have a harder time having these conversations. According to Swalwell, students struggle with talking about socioeconomic status and privilege because it makes them uncomfortable. “I think one thing is that people feel guilty,” Swalwell said. In fact, this trend of discomfort when discussing this topic is palpable within the student body. Only 8.2 percent of the students who responded to the survey feel comfortable talking about it with their peers. McPhail is afraid that talking about socioeconomic status may turn into bragging. “I think you never want to be in a situation where you’re saying, ‘Oh, I have this and you don’t.’ That’s just coming from my perspective of never having socioeconomic struggles,” McPhail said. “That’s why I don’t talk about it. It’s not because I don’t want to know. It’s because I don’t want to come off like I’m flaunting.” She is not alone. Harris neither discusses this topic with her teachers nor her peers. However, she is willing to do so. “It’s good to hear what other people think because I’m just one person, and I don’t have the entire side of the story,” Harris said. On occasion, Suarez has had students approach her wanting to talk about how uncomfortable they feel when they have to buy extra things such as new dresses and shoes for dances. “I love my students being able to stand up for who they are and what they believe in,” Suarez said. “I think the courage to openly speak about it or say, ‘You know, at this moment, I am not able to buy this shirt’ and not having to give an explanation of why, is something that I always encourage my students to do.” Lidji believes that diversity discussions on campus relating to race, ethnicity and religion have increased. However, there is still a need for conversations regarding socioeconomic status. “I absolutely do not think we talk about socioeconomic status enough at Hockaday. In my opinion, it’s one of the most taboo subjects one could bring up within the Hockaday environment,” Lidji said. “There’s something about socioeconomic status that feels too far to people for some reason, and I think that needs to change.” To help schools such as Hockaday with students from diverse socioeconomic statuses bridge the gap and to allow those of lower economic statuses feel more comfortable, Swalwell suggests that it is partly the duty of the school to introduce such conversations of social injustice surrounding socioeconomic status through curriculum, including the history and consequences behind privilege. “It’s for [students] to feel like, alright, I’m reviewing how things actually work, so if we don’t like how that works, then what can we do to use the resources and advantages that we have to try to make the system a better system for everybody,” Swalwell said. Wilson has a similar view, and encourages students to spark change. “In the end, what will your legacy be? How do you use your privilege to bring about change?” Wilson said. The topic of privilege and socioeconomic status is not new to the Upper School. The Student Diversity Board conducted a socioeconomic status and privilege forum in February of 2015. However, according to Gu, it did not have the effect she had hoped. Although she has had these conversations with several of her friends, they did not feel comfortable sharing their experiences with others. “The conversation was not very deep,” Gu admitted. Wilson suggests giving our community time to process these questions, formulating our own opinions and making mistakes. “Building an inclusive community is about surrounding yourself with diverse and multiple perspectives that lead to a healthy resolve,” Wilson said. “This is not a race, but a journey. We are all on a continuum together.” Thus, Gu hopes to have another forum regarding privilege and socioeconomic status to encourage more awareness surrounding this topic. Right now, only three percent of students often discuss this topic with their peers and teachers. The need for discussion is reflected through an anonymous opinion from the survey. “When you’re not as rich as most kids, they tend to ask, ‘Why didn’t you get the new computer’ and all you’re left to do is shrug and say, ‘I guess I just didn’t want it’ because really, who’s going to say, ‘I couldn’t afford it?’” MARY CLAIRE WILSON | S&W EDITOR SONYA XU | PERSPECTIVES EDITOR
THE LOWER MIDDLE CLASS Lower-level, white-collar workers This class is further split into the satisfied middle class and the struggling middle class
THE UPPER MIDDLE CLASS
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Top one-third of American incomes High-paying, white-collar positions
THE UPPER CLASS
The “Five Percent” Annual Income: Above $150,000
The “One Percent”
Annual Income: Above $250,000
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, Investopedia
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What’s the best place to get ice cream? p17
A review of Zayn Malik’s newest album p17
Debate tournament held at Hockaday p16
Hijabs Added to Student Dress Code Hockaday’s new headscarf policy contributes to more positive discussions about Islam PHOTO BY INAARA PADANI
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Daisy in the Arts Sophomore Quinn Brodsky is the lead singer in The Hey Heys, a band which plays both covers and original songs. With the band, Brodsky has performed at Gexa Energy Pavilion and The Curtain Club.
Can you tell me about the history of the band? It used to be called
Seven45, and the singer was this guy named Griffin Holtby. Griffin left to pursue his solo career. I wasn’t in the band, but I had been friends with the guys [in it] for a really long time. They said, “Hey, we need a singer; are you free?” and I was. I have no idea what Seven45 means – I mean, what if we played at 8:30? So we changed the name. I don’t exactly remember how we came up with The Hey Heys, but that’s what it ended up being.
2:45 p.m. April 12 Sophomore Hibah Naviwala presents an assignment related to “The Canterbury Tales” to her English class
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Where do you get inspiration to write songs? I’m a moody teenager –
BY INAARA PADANI
olorful, figure-hugging and unique are just a few words that describe luxury Italian fashion house Dolce & Gabbana’s signature clothing. But designers Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana recently decided to enter a new market— one for Muslim women. During the first week of January 2016, the company released a collection of hijabs (head scarves) and abayas (ankle-length, robe-like dresses) called “The Abaya Collection: The Allure of the Middle East” on Style.com/Arabia. few of them include printed daisies, red roses and lemon—patterns also displayed in Dolce & Gabbana’s Spring 2016 collection. The fabrics used include lace, sheer georgette and satin weave charmeuse. In addition to the incorporation of this collection, three store activations occurred at D&G boutiques in Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Kuwait City from April 10 to 13, in which guests indulged in refreshments and posed for an illustrator who drew portraits. Although the highlight of the event was the Spring 2016 collection, the store activations in these locations represent D&G’s continued service towards a Muslim audience. “They’re kind of viewing this as a key demographic to cater to because there is a large population of Muslims who do buy designer clothing. I feel like it’s better for [designers] to take advantage of that because that’s another facet of design that they could really revolutionize,” Siddiqui said. While selling this collection does provide It brings greater business advancements, it also has influential effects on the perception of Muslims in society. and positive “It brings greater and positive awareness to to a culture, to a religion, to a part awareness to a aofcommunity, the world that’s not always understood and that many have not had the ability to travel to and may community, to not ever have the ability to travel to,” Jones said. Additionally, the hijab is often viewed as opa culture, to a pressive, especially in relation to Saudi Arabia, religion. since the government law states that women must wear an abaya over their clothing. But according Elizabeth Jones to Naviwala, this is not the case. Rather, she takes Assistant Head of Upper School pride in wearing her hijab. “The thing is with the hijab, it’s a personal choice. I definitely feel like everything in [Islam] is one of those things that if you’re ready for it, then you start practicing it,” she said. “It definitely never felt like I was being suffocated with expectations or being forced to do it; it was all just general will.” Both Naviwala and Siddiqui hope that the recent discussion surrounding the religion of Islam will continue to progress and tear down negative stereotypes. “Even in industries like design and fashion, we can find instances of diversity and instances of welcoming people of different backgrounds and cultures and faiths,” Siddiqui said. “I think it’s important to look at that as a way to show that this is how we should look at people overall.”
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Would you consider singing for a career? I want to be a physicist, so I guess I kind of see music as more of a hobby. I don’t even know if I’ll perform when I’m older. I definitely don’t see music as a career for me.
PHOTO BY AMANDA KIM
However, in August of 2015, Hockaday chose to add head scarves to its uniform collection, long before D&G did. Under the accessories section, the handbook states that “head scarves for religious purposes may be worn. Head scarves worn for this reason must be solid black, white or grey.” In the past four years that Assistant Head of Upper School Elizabeth Jones has been at Hockaday, she does not recall any student choosing to wear a hijab. However, two students joined Hockaday’s Upper School this year and expressed that they would be wearing a hijab. “We knew that we were going to have students coming to Hockaday that would wear the hijab, and we are fully supportive of that and wanted to be fully supportive of that and wanted to make sure that our handbook reflected that as well,” Jones said. Sophomore Hibah Naviwala, one of the students who wears a hijab to school, views the school’s decision in a positive light. “That’s great that they’re really being considerate and incorporating even a small percentage of the school into the handbook,” she said. “It’s definitely one of those things that makes this school such a great place. President of the Muslim Student Association and senior Sidra Siddiqui had not seen students wearing hijabs at Hockaday until this school year. “When I came to school, I saw two or three girls wearing a hijab, which is really fascinating to me because I don’t expect that coming to an all-girls school,” Siddiqui said. “I’m really excited that people come to our school, and they’re comfortable enough to express their religion in terms of wearing a hijab.” This recent discussion surrounding Muslims, both inside and outside of the Hockaday community, is happening during a time in which Islam is not portrayed in an appealing manner due to current events and the impacts of “people like Trump, who will wave the flag of ignorance,” Siddiqui said. According to Naviwala, this makes D&G’s new collection all the more powerful. “I feel like right now, there’s a lot of hatred building up towards Muslims, and it’s just something really bold to do, to release this line in the midst of all that,” she said. During spring break in March, Naviwala returned home to Saudi Arabia, where she currently lives with her family. She noticed that many people were discussing the new D&G collection. “It was actually very interesting because there were people that were buzzing about how it was really exciting and how people were actually moving forward and accepting the fact that this group of people prefers this kind of fashion,” she said. The collection went on sale in January 2016, and is available at D&G boutiques in the Middle East and at certain stores in London, Milan, Munich and Paris. Most of the clothes are of neutral tones, such as black and beige, but a
so emotions, people around me, the things that I see. You know how when you hear a song on the radio and it gets stuck in your head for a week? It’s kind of like that, but it’ll be with a string of four or five notes that are original. I’ll think, “Oh, those few notes sound cool together,” and I’ll hear that in my head for a while until I start building on it. It’s kind of a subconscious thing. I’ll then take it to the band and collaborate.
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THE FOURCAST
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Tales as Old as Time: Hockaday’s “Hidden Gems” Upper School librarian Corey Lott orders over 1,700 new books during the year and “weeds” out books every so often, but there is a collection of well-used works that will always sit in Hockaday bookcases. Hidden away on the third floor lies an unknown and rare collection donated by Pauline Gill Sullivan, a graduate of Hockaday’s Junior College in 1937. Although an impressive collection, the books are not well-known and have been sitting on campus since before the libraries were renovated with the Liza Lee Academic Research Center in 2002. “It’s hidden away, and I wish that we had a better place to highlight it,” Lott said. “I went downstairs and talked to [Lower and Middle School librarian] Barbara Allen, and she [said] ‘you know what, those were there in the old library, kind of in the back, and they have just always been there.’ Art and Literature Donations Sullivan donated her collection after purchasing it from a retired
English teacher in Corsicana, Texas. The group includes works of book designer Daniel Berkeley Upkike, limited edition printings and first editions, many of which are signed by the authors. Sullivan’s interest in the arts did not stop at literature and book collecting, as she was a prominent benefactor of the Dallas Museum of Art. She served as a trustee of the museum for 30 years and was one of the first contributors to the campaign that moved the museum from Fair Park to Downtown in 1984. Today, many 18th and 19th century pieces housed in the DMA have either been donated by or long-term loaned from Sullivan to the museum. The World of Rare Book Collecting On campus, Sullivan’s donation adds a unique category of books to Hockaday’s collection and plunges the school into the very elaborate and particular world of rare book collecting. The case contains books grouped in many different categories: first editions, specific printers, etc. According to Wrenda Coughran,
the co-owner of Rosedale Rare Books, the last antiquarian bookstore in Dallas, having collections driven by certain categories of presses, subject and other distinguishing backgrounds are common. There are many different factors that rare book collectors look at when considering to purchase books. First editions, which many of the Sullivan collection books are, are highly sought after, as the further editions down the line must deviate from the first in some way, whether that is one correction to the text called issue points or an addition of an entirely new introduction. The identification of a book as first edition without further specifications assumes, among book dealers, that it is also the first printing of the novel. Much like with the succession of editions, the books lose value as they are printed in later printings. According to Coughran, the dust jackets are a crucial part of the book’s quality and account for 80 percent of its value, particularly with fiction books. “No one really expected these
dust jackets to survive, so when they do, they actually add a premium to the book just because they exist,” Coughran said. “And until really the early, early 19th century, books were issued in plain binding because they expected you to take them to your own book binder and have them made to match all of the other books on your shelf.” After all of these details are covered, the most important aspect of the book is its condition. “It’s like real estate is all about location, location, location,” Coughran said. “I say that in book collecting its condition, condition, condition.” The books in Sullivan’s donation are in a range of conditions and each have their own variety of these important factors. Since Sullivan brought her collection to Hockaday’s campus, rare book collecting has evolved. According to Coughran, the introduction of the Internet brought many changes to the collecting world. “Once the Internet became really used for book selling, it changed.
Availability changed. Things that had been really expensive because you couldn’t find them because they were published in England or France or wherever, all of a sudden [are] available,” Coughran said. Because of the fluctuating prices of the books, Coughran’s number one rule with book collecting is to not expect them to appreciate in value. Instead, appreciate the collection. Lott feels that it is important for students to have access to these works and a chance to appreciate them. “I think at times, we tend to just want what is new and fresh and we kind of forget about the old and the tradition, and I love new and fresh, but I also think that it can live comfortably with old and tradition,” Lott said. “It’s nice to see what we had and how far we have come and to appreciate both sides.” MEGAN PHILIPS FEATURES EDITOR
Now We Are Six
Gone With the Wind
The Little Prince
Of Mice and Men
Red Sky in the Morning
BY A. A. MILNE
BY MARGARET MITCHELL
BY ANTOINE DE SAINT-EXUPERY
BY JOHN STEINBECK
BY ROBERT P. T. COFFIN
This specific book is number 466 of 500 first edition copies sold by the author. Hockaday’s 1943 copy of “The Little Prince” was translated from French by Katherine Woods.
Signed by John Steinbeck in 1935, this copy has the words “see page nine” written on the cover. On page nine, the quote “only moved because the heavy hands were pendula” is underlined.
Hockaday has the signed first edition and the manuscript of Red Sky. The book has sketches of a bird flying over the mountains, while the handwritten manuscript is littered with edits.
One of the original “Winnie the Pooh” stories, this 1927 signed first edition contains a small card depicting beloved Hundred Acre Wood resident Piglet blowing a dandelion.
This first edition of the quintessential Southern tale, “Gone with the Wind,” was published in 1936 by The Macmillan Company in New York City.
English Department Removes Senior Seminar
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oung Adult and Popular Fiction, a beloved senior seminar, peacefully passed away in the English hallway at 1 p.m. on Nov. 5, 2015 at the ripe age of 2. Although English teacher Dr. Claire Cothren’s students were “just enamoured with the books we read in class,” the English Department will not offer the course next year. This year in each semester of Pop Fiction, Upper School English teachers Dr. Sarah Traphagen and Dr. Cothren’s classes plowed through five books as a class, and were assigned one to read on their own time. “The course covered much more than just novels to read at the beach,” Dr. Traphagen said. Both teachers had the students read articles and debates about the
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topics in their books; in the classroom they discussed whether or not the genre should be discussed in high school and dove into arguments for banning books. Senior Emily Routman, who took Pop Fiction in the fall with Dr. Cothren, said that the curriculum was heavily related to current events (the justice system and mental illness), which
made it more interesting to Routman. “Throughout my whole career in high school, I had never read an entire book for English. But in this class, I read absolutely every page because it was so enjoyable,” Routman said. To some students the course was of much value as well. One of Dr. Traphagen’s students from the fall semester, senior Molly Waring said, “We also learned about how influential YA Fiction is to our generation and how to apply what we learn to our lives.” But English Department Chair Janet Bilhartz said that the novels read
in the Young Adult and Popular Fiction course were easy enough to be read and appreciated in students’ free time. “This means there is really not a lot to analyze in them,” Bilhartz said. The majority of the department was in agreement. Dr. Cothren also said that the department did not want the label “popular fiction” on a class for seniors applying to college. “The English department decided because Hockaday is a very academic-oriented college preparatory school, it was not necessary to take school time to read books that are so self-evident, “ Bilhartz said. “This was not suitable to be the last English class you take at Hockaday.” However, even though Dr. Cothren enjoyed teaching the course and will miss teaching it again, she
understands the English department’s reason for removing the course from the curriculum. Dr. Cothren said that in all her year of teaching she has never seen such a response from a class that from what she saw over the book, “I’ll Give You the Sun” by Jandy Nelson. Her students discussed passionately, worked hard and read hundreds of pages ahead. “I was just blown away by their response.” Cothren said. YA Fiction will still continue to be incorporated into other senior seminars, but there will no longer be a course specifically dedicated to it. EMILY FULLER STAFF WRITER
PHOTO BY KATIE O’MEARA
The Masterpieces of Dallas and Fort Worth A Closer Look at the Art Housed in the Metroplex
SOMETHING BORROWED Kimbell Art Museum
Titian was not one of the four Renaissance giants, but he was arguably one of the most influential of the time period, setting the standards in portraiture and traditional religious paintings for centuries after his death. For a limited time, the Kimbell Art Museum will have his masterpiece, “The Entombment,” (1559) as its guest of honor. On loan from Madrid’s El Prado Museum, the painting is characterized by Titian’s use of broad brushwork and vivid colors and depicts Nicodemus, who resembles the artist, supporting the body of Christ and placing him into a stone sarcophagus. “The Entombment” is thought to have been inspired by Michelangelo’s unfinished 1550 Pieta sculpture.
BY KATHERINE CLEMENT
A SURREAL EXPERIENCE Meadows Museum
POLLOCK’S PRESENT Dallas Museum of Art
Surrealism translated Freud’s ideas of the unconscious onto the canvas and became a unique movement without any successor, as Post-Modernism was more influenced by Cubism and Expressionism. Salvador Dali was one of the first Surrealists, sharply diverging from Picasso’s Cubism and the German Expressionism of the 1930s, and quickly ascended the ranks of the Parisian movement. One of his earliest Surrealist works, “L’homme poisson,” acquired by the Meadows Museum, will be exhibited until June 19, as the first painting by Dali to enter a Texas museum’s collection. The painting contains some of the iconic objects that he would continue to use in his more known works, like a clock, a woman’s shoe, a cypress tree and a barren landscape.
The well-recieved Jackson Pollock exhibit at the Dallas Museum of Art ended last month, however, it left behind a noteworthy piece to their collection. The small sculpture, “Untitled,” is made of plaster, sand, gauze and wire and was one of the two extant sculptures Pollock created in 1956, weeks before his death. Art historians have estimated that he only created a dozen or so of these vividly abstract sculptures in his lifetime, however, Pollock destroyed or lost the majority, so that only six remain. The only other surviving Pollock sculpture on display is at the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston. “Untitled” seems to evoke a body, while from other angles it looks more like a piece of flotsam. The sculpture provides a new perspective to Pollock’s abstraction, as he plays with angles and shapes in both 2D and 3D. REPRODUCTIONS PROVIDED BY DALLAS MUSEUM OF ART, SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY AND WIKIPEDIA
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3 p.m. April 7 Students from schools in Texas and Oklahoma gather together for the 49th annual ISAS Arts Festival.
Students Share the Arts at the Annual ISAS Festival
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ockaday students dressed in patterned pajama pants and wrapped in blankets gathered outside the science building early last Thursday to leave promptly at 5:30 a.m for the five-hour drive to this year’s Independent Schools Association of the Southwest festival hosted by St. Mary’s Hall in San Antonio.
The ISAS art festival, which was first introduced in 1967, has become a three-day, annual spring celebration to inspire and showcase the artistic talent of over 3,000 high school students from about 40 independent schools in the Southwest. Ed Long, chair of the Fine Arts Department, has attended 44 ISAS festivals, describing it as a “festival of sharing” in which everyone respects fellow artists and performers. This respect encourages students to experiment with their art in a non-competitive environment. And Hockaday students blossom during the event. “No one can really understand Hockaday fully unless they can see Hockadaisies at the festival. They are at a certain summit of confidence and artistic approach,” Long said. Each year, a new school hosts the festival, so Long looks forward to experiencing it at a new campus and in a new context every spring. But the excitement this year began even before arriving to San Antonio. En route to St. Mary’s Hall, all four buses slowed to a stop on the side of the road. A highly flammable and toxic coolant leaking from one of buses caused this unplanned delay, and all students not involved in orchestra were left stranded until a functioning bus could come to their rescue. “Our small group was left to fend for ourselves against the heat and supposed rattlesnakes,” junior and member of the film program Isabel Smith said. Despite being transferred to the functioning buses, the orchestra did not arrive on time for their noon performance. However, even though they had no time to warm up and two of the soloist’ pieces were cut from the program, the orchestra still played with their usual precision and fluidity. Once the rest of the students made it to the festival around 2 p.m., they were welcomed to the school with a colorful “Viva the Arts” banner. Neon colored hair, floral crowns and the multi- colored streamers and hammocks hanging from the trees helped create an expressive and enthusiastic environment for the arts. The passion for the arts was felt from the moment Hockaday students stepped off the bus and saw other students immersed in spontaneous guitar playing in the quad, films and plays’ flyers plastered on every open wall and students galloping around the campus in costumes to promote their performances. Some students even approached groups of complete strangers in an attempt to draw a bigger crowd to their shows. After exploring the St. Mary’s Hall campus, students rushed to get a spot in line for the famous Hockaday dance showcase. Excited cheers broke out in the crowd as Hockadance walked to the back of the building, signaling that the show was about to start. When the doors finally opened after an hour of waiting with no escape from the sun’s penetrating waves, aggressive shoves caused more collisions and bumping shoulders in the already jam packed crowd. A horde of students from schools all over the southwest scavenged for any seat they could find. Filled with black ripped tops and teased hair, a piece to “Turn Down For What” and student-choreographed dances, this dynamic performance quickly became an ISAS 2016 favorite. “The audience’s reaction to our performance was assurance that all of our hard work served a purpose,” junior and member of Hockadance Emma Paine said.
Even though nothing could compare to the overflowing crowd at Hockadance, a lively audience packed into one of the performance tents to watch St. Mark’s improv. This performance relied on audience participation, and the audience jumped at the opportunity to be involved, yelling out suggestion after suggestion until they all became one big jumble of inaudible words. Momentary bursts of laughter filled the tent as the team performed their four ways to die skit, killing off one of their members with a spork. At the end of the day students ate their dinners picnic-style on colorful, striped blankets on the quad. Food trucks provided students with almost every type of food they could think of, from crispy fajita bowls to a classic burger and fries to cheesy slices of pizza. For dessert, students chose from creamy coffee or fruity strawberry lemonade popsicles and pina colada or watermelon snow cones. On Friday, after another early morning wake up, students joined the growing crowd gathering for Hockaday Coffee House. Many seniors including Ellie Bush and Allie Charlton performed, realizing that this was their last opportunity to check “perform at a Coffee House” off their bucket lists. The audience never stopped cheering through the ups and downs of every performance. When Bush and Charlton performed “Where is the Love,” the audience burst into song when the background music failed, forcing them to sing acapella. “Allie and I knew that we would be mad at ourselves if we talked about performing but never actually did. So, we felt as seniors, it could be another fun thing to look back on and remember,” Bush said. But not all was performance art. During their free time, many students visited the 2D and 3D visual art exhibits around campus. There were a variety of pieces, including a sculpture made from crayons to an interactive piece which gave the audience individual pages from magazines to shred, symbolizing “the shredding of society’s expectations.” Audrey Magnuson, sophomore and member of Hockadance, was amazed at the detail and intricate designs incorporated into the St. Mark’s ceramics pieces. “It’s really impressive,” Magnuson said. “I’ve never thought about buying ceramics before but now I’m really into it.” Professional artists and performers who shared a love for the arts, came to the festival to critique student’s 2D and 3D pieces along with their performances, helping them improve their own skills and further develop their school’s fine art programs. Sophomore Katherine Pollock, who showcased her photography skills, took advantage of these critiques. “The critique gave me a new viewpoint of my work, and I think the advice I received will guide me in the future,” Pollock said. Lisa Westmoreland, ISAS festival coordinator, enjoyed watching students expand their horizons, inspired by interactions with fellow professional and student artists. “The festival is a place where kids can try new art forms and learn more about the forms they already love so much,” Westmoreland said. AMELIA BROWN STAFF WRITER
Hockaday Hosts All-Female Debate
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ockaday’s Round Robin debate tournament, the nation’s only all-female competition, will be held on campus for the fourth consecutive year from April 16-17, according to the Hockaday Debate Department. Similar to the past three years, five girls will be divided into four small groups, or pods. The tournament will follow a typical “round robin” organization where each competitor must debate one another in their pods. All participants will also debate Lincoln Douglas style, which includes one-on-one debates between an affirmative and negative side. Applicants from high schools across the nation applied to this tournament by March 11. Hockaday debate teachers Chuck Walts and Jordan Innerarity sorted through applications, which included general records and past tournament experiences, to select 20 female students from the application pool. “This tournament was started by Eric Melin and Jason Sykes, and once Mr. Innerarity and I came to Hockaday, we wanted to continue hosting this tournament as it such a unique experience for women debaters,” Walts said. Sophomore Sarah Kate Feferman will serve as the sole Hockaday representative at the Round Robin, but if spots open up prior to the tournament, more Hockadaisies might be able to attend. “I’m most excited for the fact that this tournament is all girls, and I think it will be a new and interesting experience for me. To prepare, I’m also writing brand new cases,” Feferman said. Applicants with a bid to the April 30-May 2 Tournament of Champions, the premier high school national championship for speech and debate, will automatically earn them a position in this competition. With most Hockaday debaters not in attendance as participants, they will help their debate coaches with logistical elements, organize meals and forums and arrange trophies. “The trophies will be a unique addition to the Hockaday tourna-
ment. Each girl will receive a vetro glass flower, and winners will then be awarded glass vases, rather than gavels,” Innerarity said. “They are pieces of art.” But the tournament will include more than just debating – it will also include group discussions and bonding activities, like tie-dying sessions. There will be a forum where the debaters can talk about their experiences as women in debate and issues that they would like to resolve. Walts and Innerarity will also bring in female debaters and coaches who compete or advise on a college or professional level to present to the group of debaters and to share their experiences. “The purpose of this tournament is not to show off the Hockaday debate program,” Walts said. “Rather, we would like to show off Hockaday as a school and experience since most female debaters do live in co-ed communities.” Junior Maggie Stein, who attended the event last year, felt empowered after discussing the difficulties women face in the debate world. “It provided me with a sense of camaraderie and community with fellow women debaters,” Stein said. “When I do experience disappointments or struggles, I know I can fall back on them.” Most co-ed tournaments consists predominantly of male participants, but even when there are more women, Stein has noticed that there is a stigma against aggressive female debaters who are then seen as bossy or rude. When a guy asserts a similar type of forcefulness, however, it is seen as a professional trait of a successful debater, according to Stein. “The women can build support and network because a lot of the times we you go to a tournament, it’s hard to pick out some females from the crowd,” Innerarity said. “In the preliminary rounds, you may only debate one other female, so this is a great opportunity to empower budding female debaters.”
Feel the Bird BY SARAH CHAN
AURELIA HAN STAFF WRITER
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CULTURE POPS | The Fourcast’s Favorite Restaurants, Movies, Music, TV Shows and More
Scream Worthy Ice Cream
PHOTO PROVIDED BY WARNER BROS
PHOTOS BY ERIN THOMAS & INAARA PADANI
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Super-Feud is A Super-Flop
2 Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice Zach Snyder
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the eclectic and mysterious vibes from this masterpiece, listeners are quickly enveloped in Zayn’s mesmerizing voice. Though perhaps the entire album, save for its capitalization, proved a great debut, “lUcOzAdE” led listeners into confusion. Referencing a mix of energy drink Lucozade and alcohol, Zayn recounts on his experiences while intoxicated, with a stream-of-consciousness feel leaning heavily upon the steady beat. Though the melody itself isn’t bad, the song doesn’t go anywhere and has no real climax. Despite a few disappointing artistic risks, “Mind of Mine” distinguishes ZAYN from the world of One Direction, and in an industry where meaningless pop is the dependable baseline, that’s what’s important.
Shot like a wannabe-arthouse film, directed like a cheap video game and filmed like a cliché crime show, “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” is a mess. Despite excellent special effects, an Academy Award-winning cast and a $250 million budget, the film is forgettable and does not live up to its hype. The action is fast-paced, but the prime issue in the film is the plot itself. Marvel prides itself on making its films relatable to the public, using terrorism and other modern conflicts to form the basis for their superhero doctrine. Director Christopher Nolan’s “Batman” films used domestic terrorism and crime to modernize its villains. “Batman v. Superman” director Zack Snyder shuns both these ideas to return to aliens without a cause and heroes cloaked in melodramatic grimness that make the plot even harder to endure. The sloppy writing frequently loses the audience. Snyder crammed five films into one: a new Batman original story, an introduction of Batman and Superman with some sort of backstory to explain Bruce Wayne’s burning hatred for Clark Kent, a trailer for the long-awaited “Justice League” movie, the unexplained history between Superman and Lex Luthor and a Wonder Woman original story. With so many things going on, the movie does not develop the characters apart from a senseless darkness that detracts from the overall story. Ben Affleck’s characterization of Batman seems to be Snyder’s concession to modernization, breaking the traditional Batman tenet of “no killing.” His interpretation of the caped crusader is consumed by an us-or-them rhetoric that was birthed by the War on Terror. Snyder claims in interviews that he was inspired by Frank Miller’s 1986 landmark adaptation of Batman in “The Dark Knight Returns,” where as he ages, Batman becomes increasingly cynical. This series was a reaction against the light-hearted do-gooder heroes that would cause a revolution that birthed Marvel heroes like Deadpool. But if Snyder wanted to create a contrast between the often comedic Marvel franchise, he picked the wrong time. Superman (Henry Cavill), in particular, lacks current relevance and, while Affleck’s Batman is more of a vigilante we want to see in the world, he shattered a tenant of the character. Snyder instead created an “Avengers” wannabe, with similiar shots and dialogue that does not fit the stiff characterizations of the DC Comics universe. Lex Luthor’s (Jesse Eisenberg) speech comparing Superman to God almost perfectly mimics Loki’s (Tom Hiddleston) monologue in “The Avengers.” The film’s only saving grace was its brief introduction of Wonder Woman (Gal Gadot). Her power rivals Superman’s power, and she is easily more helpful during the “final battle” than Batman. As the first and only superheroine slated to helm her own film, her backstory was the only original part of “Batman v. Superman.” DC rushes to immortalize its two gods, Batman and Superman, rather than logically introducing the heroes who make up the foundation of the Justice League. “Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice” is not the Dawn of Justice, but rather the dawn of a franchise making money--not off of creativity, but faded names of worn-out heroes like Batman and Superman. And, as much as I hate to say it, I will be in the audiences next time, waiting for those few moments where the super-heroines get their few moments and actually save the day, while the depressed superheroes are still squabbling amongst themselves.
NOOR ADATIA, NEWS EDITOR AND JENNY ZHU, STAFF WRITER
KATHERINE CLEMENT ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR
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scream for ice cream! No for real, ice cream is our absolute favorite. Whether it’s in July or January (not that there’s a huge difference in temperatures here in Dallas), ice cream always satisfies our sweet tooth. So, we decided to put our taste buds to the test and visit the best ice cream shops in the Dallas-Fort Worth Area. Did they satisfy our high expectations? Read below to find out. BY ERIN THOMAS & INAARA PADANI
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Howdy Homemade Ice Cream
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Hypnotic Emporium
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Frost Gelato
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Pokey O’s
Howdy Homemade radiates a home-y vibe. It’s small and tucked away; if it weren’t for the enormous blue door at the entrance, I would have missed it. As soon as you go in, the employees treat you like family. I was immediately bombarded with samples of four different homemade flavors, all of which were amazing. I settled on one scoop of Howdy’s signature Dr. Pepper Chocolate Chip (it sounds disgusting, I know) and one scoop of the Chocolate Explosion, topped with chocolate sprinkles—all for just $4. The Dr. Pepper perfectly complemented the chocolate, adding an extra burst of flavor that you just can’t get anywhere else. If you go on a Monday night like I did, chances are you will be the only one there. But that won’t matter, because the ice cream will taste amazing either way.
As soon as I walked in, I was greeted with the smell of chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven, which certainly stimulated my taste buds. I sampled four different uniquely-named flavors before choosing the Turtle Torture—butternut ice cream with caramel swirls and chocolate covered pecans. My decision to add more caramel on top made the taste a little too sweet, but once the caramel slightly hardened, the entire ensemble reminded me of a Milky Way candy bar in ice cream form. The shop charges by the ounce, so one decently-sized scoop cost me just $2.25. Aside from their savory ice cream, Hypnotic Emporium has some of the nicest employees I’ve ever met, and I’ll definitely be visiting again.
Walking into the futuristic-looking shop, my attention was immediately drawn to the gelato counter. Most of the flavors were common, but each one was appealingly decorated with foods to match the flavor’s name, making it hard to choose. Eventually, I picked their nutella gelato in a waffle cone, and it was topped with a cute wafer cookie that perfectly complemented the light, chocolatey-hazelnut taste. The first few bites were the best ones; after a while, the flavor grew somewhat heavy and boring, and I found myself unable to finish. My total of $5.15 for two scoops was fairly-priced, but the gelato wasn’t anything special.
Don’t get me wrong, Southern Methodist University is a great school. Great campus, in a great city with great restaurants. One would think that Pokey-O’s—the ice cream shop on campus— would follow this trend. Wrong. Pokey-O’s, modeled after an ‘80’s diner, takes a unique spin on how ice cream is typically sold. Instead of the traditional cups and cones, customers typically order an ice cream sandwich. So, I ordered mint chocolate chip ice cream sandwiched between two chocolate chip cookies. Sounds great, right? Here’s the rub: the cookies were so hard, I thought my teeth were going to break. Even worse, the ice cream was Blue Bell. BLUE BELL. While I love Blue Bell ice cream, the company’s oh-sofamous recall really killed the hype—and my vibe. I’m givin’ em points for creativity, but other than that, Pokey-O’s is a Pokey-NO.
$ 4333 Lovers Lane Sunday-Thursday 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.- 10 p.m.
$ 9005 Garland Rd #150 Sunday-Thursday 12 p.m. - 9 p.m. Friday-Saturday 11 a.m. - 11 p.m.
$ 7859 Walnut Hill Ln #160 Sunday-Thursday 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friday-Saturday 11 a.m.- 10 p.m.
$ 3034 Mockingbird Ln Monday-Saturday 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sunday 12 p.m.-10 p.m.
A Look into the Mind of Zayn ZAYN “Mind of Mine” Like his decision to leave One Direction and forge his own musical footprint, Zayn Malik’s new album is bold. Stylizing Malik’s name as ZAYN, the much-anticipated “Mind of Mine” promised fans a style more unique to the artist. He certainly delivers. Littered with expletives and sensual themes, this album as a whole establishes ZAYN as an adult, who faces heavier problems than the tween bops of One Direction. In fact, Malik captures his weariness of One Direction’s old sound with his song “Be FoUR.” Zayn doesn’t sing just for the act of singing, but he does so to “feel all the right funk,” and he made the great choice of conveying this message through melodic poeticism. Perhaps the most recognizable embodiment of the neo-ZAYN sound, however, is the song “PILLOWTALK”, released in January as an album teaser.
PILLOWTALK’s lyrics are raw and personal, describing Malik’s girlfriend as his ”enemy” yet his “ally.” Relationships and the complexities within them, in fact, are common themes throughout the album. Though PILLOWTALK is Malik’s most recognizable song on love, “wRoNg” does it best. First pulling in audiences with a soulful serenade, the song quickly leads to a loud and heavy bass-drop crashing in, gripping listeners with drawn-out power. Best of all, Kehlani’s feature is not just a short stint. After she nails her own breathy, sweet introduction, she backs up Zayn several times, and her whispered “Don’t Stop” exudes sensuality into this breakup piece. But what really makes this album stand out is his full-ranged voice--endearing and captivating. Full of depth and heart, “iT’s YoU” has a rather mellow feel. A lack of a constant beat serves to highlight
Zayn’s breathtaking vocals. At the end of the song, I am feeling all the feels and if good songs are supposed to move someone, Zayn surely outdid himself in “iT’s YoU.” From the new-age adult sensuality to explorations of his voice, the artistic endeavor is this album is palpable. ZAYN’s song titles even employ eccentric capitalization, which seems almost too ostentatiously artsy. Audiences understand you’re different, but leave that up for them to decide through your songs. For instance, “INTERMISSION: FlOwEr,” speaks volumes about ZAYN’s new vision. Influenced from his Pakistani heritage, this song especially appeals to fans who share his same background, utilizing the Urdu language, his father’s native tongue. The song itself closely mirrors the beginning of many Bollywood songs, with Zayn’s voice evoking a sense of yearning. Entranced by
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Taylor twins to row for Stanford University p20
Senior rides for Team USA p19
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Lacrosse program gets fresh faces p20
SPC coaches preview p19
New Track Policy Promotes Team Unity With a new track season, new goals of unity become paramount to reach goal of SPC PHOTO BY AMELIA BROWN
PHOTO PROVIDED BY DR. JEN FORE
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FourScore
A look into the numbers that define athletics.
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The speed in miles per hour of junior Erin Blotcky’s serve. Blotcky holds the record for the fastest serve on the varsity tennis team. 6 p.m. April 7 The track and field distance team works through newly-designed team workouts.
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uring every track and field warm-up this season, each athlete, regardless of their specialized event, sprints 50 meter stretches one by one. Standing on the side of the track, the rest of the team cheers on the athlete and encourages them to work harder. Pole vaulters, sprinters, throwers and distance runners all support each other to unite the once fragmented team. The 2016 track season started on Feb. 1 and along with new spikes and sore muscles came a revamped program. The introduction of new team workouts and a new cut policy sees
a change in team spirit and the overall dynamic of track and field. According to an essay published in June 2013, Building Team Unity, by In previous years, head coach Laboris Bean allowed everyone who tried Dean Smith, an NCAA champion coach, if the athlete is self motivated, the out to be a part of the team. This year, he decided to reduce the size of the conditions and environment they practice in make no difference. However, team so that he could intensify the program. if the athlete is driven by their peers, team unification methods aid with im“I decided to make cuts because the young ladies here need to realize proving the athlete as a whole. that the program has changed and [to] get the girls up and moving in preBean believes that many of his athletes are driven by their peers. Disseason,” Bean said. contented with their SPC ranking last year, Bean aspires to elevate the team’s By making more cuts, Bean hopes that the reduced size of the team will rankings by adding more spirit to the team dynamic. bring the group of athletes closer together. Windham agrees with Bean’s ultimate goal of unifying the team. These changes have helped. Sophomore Rory Finn acknowledges her “Track is absolutely a team sport,” Windham said. “But sometimes it is improvement in speed and perseverance as a result of the new standard that hard to realize that and feel unified since the events are individual.” the athletes are held to. Bean also decided to allot more time and attention to special events “I think that the new system of cuts really motivates me to work harder,” such as shot put, discus, pole vaulting, high jumps and long jumps. He breaks she said. the entire workout into two sessions, half the time Co-coach Toi Windham recognized the necessity for a high bar for her for running and the other half for weight room and athletes to meet, hence her part in the decision to make cuts. field events. “It was really hard to cut girls because they really wanted to be on the Pole-vaulting is yet another new addition to team, but we set the bar really high for preseason and you had to meet the the track program. Coached by chemistry teacher standards to be on the team,” Windham said. Dr. Jen Fore, the seven pole-vaulters split their time In order to curb complacency in his runners, Bean drives them through between Hockaday and St. Mark’s. more intense workouts, that include more stamina and agility training, and Track is According to Fore, the addition of pole-vaultpushes them towards better results at each meet. ing has further unified the team by adding a new absolutely a Windham also hopes to hold the girls more accountable for their particavenue for girls to show their talent. ipation in the sport by enforcing punctuality, team unity and spirit. “I think the addition of pole-vaulting is not team sport. “When you join a team or join any program, it’s a commitment. It’s a only great because of the new exposure girls are time commitment and the only way to get better at something is being there getting, but also because the whole team has someand practicing,” Windham said. thing new to cheer for” Fore said. Laboris Bean In past years, the athletes were completely separated into their own Assistant Athletic Windham is excited about the addition of pole events and formed friend groups based on that so Bean modified his work- Director vaulting into the program because this will improve outs to bring all of his team together. the team’s chances of winning SPC. Head Track and Field He incorporated a warm up called championships. All the members of Coach “It’s really exciting because now we have a the team, including those who participate in field events, have to sprint 50 chance to be competitive in another dimension of meters five times as the rest of the members continuously cheer them on. track and we are able to get SPC points in a whole “I think it gives them a taste of companionship,” Bean said. new event.” Sophomore Victoria Pyle agrees with Bean’s goal and policy but she obAs the track and field athletes implement the served that the majority of her improvement results from the same workouts new workouts, they continue to improve in their she has been doing during practice since last year. meets and are better equipped to face the competition from the other school, “I think the new policy is great,” Pyle said “But most of my improvement public and private, in Dallas. as a runner is because of the same workouts we used to do in the past, like “I’m trying to completely change the program and I will continue to two lap warm up, interval sprints and the core exercises during cool down.” apply this policy in the future because I see that it’s working in the meets.” Research shows that depending on the athlete, team unifying exercises Bean said. may or may not improve their performance.
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The final score for the game that the Hockaday varsity lacrosse team won against Greenhill on March 29.
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The minutes that freshman Adouette Vaughan took to run the 800 meter dash at the 21st Volunteer Relays at Bowie High School on March 12. Vaughan placed first in her event.
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Varsity softball captain Natalie Hofmann’s batting average, a ratio between the number of safe hits per times at bat. Hofmann has the highest batting average on the varsity softball team.
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Senior Saddles Up for International Competition
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And it was a good thing she did. To her surprise, the call was coming from the Team USA coach for an international equestrian competition. She had been selected to represent Team USA at the 2016 American Quarter Horse Association Youth World Cup this summer. “I am so honored that they picked me,” Arnold said. “There were so many qualified applicants that they could have made four or five world-caliber teams.” When Arnold received the call, the information was still confidential. She was notified a week before team selections were formally announced to the public. “I had to keep it a secret for a week, which was really hard,” Arnold said. “If I told anybody other than my parents, I could lose my spot on the team.” Arnold began the lengthy application process to be selected for Team USA during the summer of 2015. She submitted letters of recommendation and a riding resume highlighting her accomplishments throughout her 10-year nationally competitive riding career, which included winning the 2014 Senior Youth World Championship hosted by the National Cutting Horse Association. She also prepared videos of her riding and as well as video clips where she talked about her riding philosophy. “You spend your whole youth career trying to get your name out in the industry,” Arnold said. “Being selected for Team USAS was the affirmation that all the hours spent in the arena really had paid off.” This prestigious, international riding competition will take place from June 23 to July 3 in Tamworth, New South Wales in Australia. Arnold is one of the 10 members selected by the Team USA Selection Committee; five leadership members will act as ambassadors for the United States, and five riders, including Arnold, will compete in their own respective event. Arnold’s event is cutting, an
event in which rider and horse work together to prevent a cow from returning to the herd during a 2.5 minute run. According to Carroll Brown Arnold, Austria Arnold’s mother and manager, cutting is such a demanding event because one must be an excellent horseman and must be able to understand cattle. “Austria has a special knack for details and this has served her so well in her recognizing and labeling cattle before she shows,” Mrs. Arnold said. “Understanding and reading cattle is what allows you to pick the best three cows for your horse to utilize the 2:30 minute competition to her benefit.” However, one unique element about the AQHA Youth World Cup is that each team will draw for five horses provided by the host country, so the riders may not be familiar with them. The riders will have five days to work with their given horses to prepare to show them in their events. Arnold believes that this will test the riders’ versatility and adaptability. “It really depends on how you react to high-pressure situations,” Austria Arnold said. Dawn Forest, a member of the Board of Directors for the Texas Quarter Horse Association and the Team USA manager for 12 years, agrees that this aspect of the competition makes it particularly challenging. “It tests our kids’ riding ability, patience and training,” Forest said. “Some of the horses will be resistant to their demands and the riders have to accept that.” In the meantime, Arnold has been preparing for the Cup by watching videos of her old runs and reviewing her old judge critique sheets from previous competitions. She has also been continuing with her normal rigorous training schedule, riding four to five times a week and competing weekly. On the days she does not ride, Arnold works out in order to
PHOTO PROVIDED BY AUSTRIA ARNOLD
t 7:30 p.m. on Feb. 8, senior Austria Arnold pulled into her driveway, parked and pulled out her phone. She had seven missed incoming calls from the same number. Intrigued, she called the number back.
4:30 p.m. March 14
stay as fit as possible. “She is very systematic about preparation,” Mrs. Arnold said. “As far as special preparation for this it was a really a journey of years of creating the right reputation and honing her skills to be a top competitor.” But preparing for the actual competition is not the only thing that Arnold is doing to get ready for the trip; she has been connecting with her fellow Team USA members as well. Forest has encouraged interaction between the team members before this two-week competition; because team members are from all across the United States, it is difficult for the members
SPC Coaches Reflect on the Season “We’ve had a lot of close games and I think we are prepared to pull out a tight win in SPC, if we need to.” -Coach Meagan Rowe on lacrosse
to meet in person. “Some of the Team members already know each other; however, a couple of our members have not had the opportunity to know too many of their teammates,” Forest said. “Therefore, I work hard to encourage interaction through Facebook and conference calls. I have to collect information from the kids, so I get to know who is prompt, who needs prodding, who has a sense of humor, etc.” The competition will begin with an opening ceremony and team dinners. Team USA members will parade in carrying the American flag, donning Western boots, blue jeans and patriotic jackets.
ELIZABETH GUO STAFF WRITER
“The tennis team is doing very well this season. We have a great group of competitive and talented players. -Coach Carol Thumlert on tennis
-Coach Tim McAllister on crew
-Coach Marcus Trevino on softball
“I’m so excited to meet and learn from all the high-class coaches as well as my teammates and those competing against me,” Austria Arnold said. “It’s really special for me to get this opportunity – this [competition] is something that I’ve heard a lot about growing up, and I’ve heard nothing but incredible things.”
Staff writer Eshani Kishore met up with spring sport coaches to get an insight into what they predict SPC will be like for their teams.
“We’ve had good luck with the weather and good quality rows and for only really having been together as a team for two weeks before the Heart of Texas regatta, we did very well.”
“We’ve had to rely on a lot of young talent, so our record doesn’t indicate how good I think we are and how good I think we could become.”
Senior Austria Arnold competes with her horse, Cancan Reyvolution, at Eastern Nationals in Jackson, Mississippi
“We need to believe in ourselves, that is our biggest downfall. But within the next three weeks, I think that the confidence of our team will go back up and we’ll realize that we are the best at SPC.”
“We have only had two tournaments: we performed well at the Jesuit tournament and won our second tournament. We have a very young team with mostly freshmen and sophomores. Going into SPC, we are the favorites from the North.” Coach Rod Skaife on golf
-Coach Laboris Bean on track and field ILLUSTRATIONS BY LILY SUMROW
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Recrewted: Rowing at Stanford PHOTO PROVIDED BY SARAH TAYLOR
11:30 a.m. Feb. 7, 2015 Drew and Sarah Taylor pose together after a win at S.W.E.A.T., an indoor regatta hosted by Jesuit Prep. School.
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enior twins Sarah and Drew Taylor have done just about everything together, from snowmobiling on family vacations to sharing a love for their dogs, Lucy and Gracie. Unlike most twins about to attend college, the road for this duo doesn’t end here.
Both Sarah and Drew will be rowing for Stanford University this fall as members of the class of 2020. Drew began rowing with Dallas United Crew the summer before his junior year, and during one of the practices, Sarah asked if she could ride on the launch, a motorized boat that the coach takes on to the water to coach the rowers. After that, the coach asked Sarah if she would like to try coxing, and the rest is history. Although rowers technically move the boat, the coxswains are the brains of it, critiquing the rowers during practice and directing the pace during a race, all while steering the boat. Both parts need to be prepared and well-practiced to be successful in a race. Last year, Sarah coxed the boys team and occasionally Drew’s boat. This year, however, she is coxing DUC’s girls team. Even though the practices now are on different schedules and held separately at the lake, when she coxed the boys team, she drew a line between being teammates and siblings. “I wouldn’t talk to Drew about homework or how his day was. As a cox, I just told him [and the team] to do something and he would just have to do it because we were at
work, basically,” Sarah said. A coach of DUC’s boys team, who wishes to remain anonymous, has coached Sarah and Drew for two years, experiencing their work ethic first-hand. “The two of them are very professional during practice. They know that practice is a time to be serious and to focus on the task at hand,” their coach said. At Stanford, Drew and Sarah do not think that the amount of time they’ll spend together will change. Drew will major in bioengineering and Sarah, although undecided, has looked at operations management. “Since we have different interests, we’re probably not going to have many classes (if any) together, so it’ll be just like now: go to school separately and then see each other at practice,” Drew said. As student-athletes, they face demanding team obligations during the school year. Double practices are a common occurrence: not only early mornings in the gym with lifting and erging to get stronger, but also a practice on the lake in the afternoon to improve water skills and oar technique. “The coach at Stanford said we have three morning practices a
week, practice after classes all five days, and then on Saturday we’ll have one long practice,” Sarah said. Despite the many requirements being a college athlete comes with. Sarah and Drew are ready for the next step, and so are their parents. “I think that St. Mark’s and Hockaday have prepared them well. The two of them are prepared to move on and take on new responsibilities and so I’m not worried,” Dr. Walter Taylor and Dr. Joan Liu said. “We all know that it’s time for them to go.” Sarah and Drew have both finalized their recruitments and will sign with the team in late April and the beginning of May, respectively, but they went through completely different recruitment processes. In fact, the twins did not plan to attend college together; they applied to colleges separately, as in the beginning Drew was looking to rowing at D1 schools, and Sarah did not even know if she wanted to continue crew in college. That eventually changed when Sarah got in contact with the Stanford coach, and in the end, after email threads and lunch with him, Drew and Sarah found each other in the same place. “The two of us are very excited to have one another during college. I’m happy that she’ll be around so that if I ever need help she’ll always be there for me and vice versa,” Drew said. To prepare for the team, Sarah will finish her season coxing DUC’s girls, and during the summer, transition to coxing DUC’s boys. Drew will also finish the spring season with DUC and continuing rowing for them when he is not training with the Junior World’s Development team in Spain, a highly selective development camp. At the end of the summer, Sarah and Drew will depart the familiar White Rock Lake in which they row in almost every day, their DUC teammates and their DUC coach, who will hand off the twins to the Stanford coach. “I am sure that [the Stanford coach] sees two bright kids with a strong passion for the sport, which is really all a college coach can ask for,” Sarah and Drew’s coach said. CHERYL HAO STAFF WRITER
Lacrosse Team Gets New Coaching Staff Running down the field with the score tied in overtime during the 2008 State Championship against St. John’s, Haley Huffines ‘08 attempts to get the ball while being face-guarded by her opponent. Suddenly, one of her teammates fires the ball into the back of the net to win the state title. Now, eight years later, Huffines has returned to her roots with her recent appointment as a head junior varsity coach, hoping to translate her success to her players. At the beginning of the season, players arrived at preseason only to discover changes in the coaching staff. Not only was Huffines there with the co-head coach Danielle Peck, but Meagan Rowe, the former varsity assistant coach, moved up to the head varsity coach. After former junior varsity coach Amanda Miller moved to Colorado and former varsity coach Elia Stanfield transitioned into the role as the head coach of the middle school team, athletic director Tina Slinker appointed Rowe to the varsity coaching position and hired Huffines and Peck as the head junior varsity coaches. Rowe, Huffines and Peck have all been involved in lacrosse for the majority of their lives. Peck and Huffines both began playing the game during their middle school years, while Rowe has had exposure to the game for as long as she can remember. “My dad was a coach back home, so he has been coaching for 26 years,” Rowe said. “Pretty much my whole life I have been on the sidelines of his game, and then I started playing.” While Rowe is just beginning her second year of involvement in Hockaday lacrosse, Huffines has been in the program since seventh grade. After first hearing about the opening in January, Huffines, a fulltime MBA student at SMU, decided to return to her alma mater to coach. “Originally, I was very hesitant because of my course load at SMU,” Huffines said. “Luckily, my professors were understanding and I was able to switch into a night class to open up more afternoons.” Huffines hopes to have each girl focus on their own personal goals in order for everyone to succeed throughout the season. “I like to focus on measurable goals. If players ever question what we are doing, then we have clear and measurable goals to point to,” Huffines said. “They do not like running, but their goal is to win, and you have to be in shape to win.” Similarly, Peck has played the sport at both the high school and collegiate level, while first coaching two years ago in Utah. After hearing
about the opening during preseason, Peck took the job and began to form a relationship with the players in order to decide exactly how she wanted to coach the group. “I center my coaching around the girls and the personal and team goals. If they want to ‘have fun’ then I will be light-hearted and fun,” Peck said. “ If they want ‘to win the championship’ then I push them, make them work hard and do everything in my power to get them there. It’s usually a combination of both.” Sophomore and junior varsity player Michelle Mankoff believes that Huffines and Peck are a good fit for the program due to both their ability to mesh with the team and their intensity level. “They are really dedicated,” Mankoff said. “I like Coach H’s [Huffines’s] speed. She always tells us to ‘go, go, go.’” At the varsity level, senior Elise Gunter believes that Rowe has been a positive asset to the program as a whole, while slightly different from years past. “There is a better dynamic with the team this year,” Gunter said. “We have a lot of really good seniors with good leadership. It seems as though Coach Rowe’s coaching style and the season will be a mix of what we have had in the past and some newer aspects.” Through previous experience in both the sport and the program, Gunter believes that the team will succeed in all of their goals as a team as they begin to meld and begin to become accustomed to Rowe’s slightly different coaching style. As the season progresses, Rowe, Gunter and the rest of the team hope to achieve their goal of ultimately winning the SPC title and the state championship, while still maintaining a positive team dynamic present in years past. “I think our team has a lot of very good players and we have to work to make it a really good team,” Rowe said. “You need to be able to piece together all of those puzzle pieces in order to make a great team.” Rowe, Gunter and the rest of the team hope to achieve their goal of ultimately winning the SPC title and the state championship, while still maintaining the positive team dynamic present in years past. “I think our team has a lot of very good players and we have to work to make it a really good team,” Rowe said. “You need to be able to piece together all of those puzzle pieces in order to make a great team.” KATIE O’MEARA STAFF WRITER
Manisha’s Mind Social Media Director Manisha Ratakonda writes her opinion on various sports issues, both globally and at Hockaday. Whenever I tell people I row, they almost always respond with a look of utter confusion. “There are lakes in Dallas?” they ask. The answer to that question is half-yes and half-no. I’m not really sure what to classify Bachman Lake as. It’s a primordial soup that somehow manages to sustain life. I honestly wouldn’t be surprised if scientists discovered that it was radioactive. Storms and flooding have given the lake a dingy brown color and filled it with layers of debris. The creatures that live in the lake aren’t your average fish and frogs. During the spring season, a unique animal comes out of hiding: nutria. These are essentially Satan’s beavers. Nutria are an invasive species at Bachman, which means that they harm the ecosystem. Because of this, you can earn a whopping 5 dollars for killing one. One morning practice, we got back to the docks as the sun was rising, and standing in the distance there were three men with large spears. It was kinda spooky, but I guess they were saving the Bachman ecosystem. Even though rowing is an official Hockaday sport, the fact that we practice off-campus makes it feel like we are in a world of our own. If Bachman Lake was a person, they’d be your extremely photogenic friend. Sometimes when I try to describe where our team rows to other people, I whip out a handy picture. “Oh wow, it’s so pretty, that looks so fun!” they say. Bull heck. Maybe it’s because you can’t smell the heavy pollution or hear the wails from the rabid swans, but photos do the lake way too much justice. But despite the sketchiness of the lake, practicing a Hockaday sport off-campus has brought our team extremely close together. We bond over the daily 20-minute commute, and we share adventures with Bachman’s wildlife. Bachman Lake may not be one of the Seven Wonders of the World, but I wouldn’t trade the experiences our team has had there for any clean body of water.
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Are you always tired? Visit the doctor! p21
How can we appreciate cultures? p22
The changing role of superheroes p23
Why the AP Art History exam is racist p23
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When Senioritis Turns Out to be Mono previous seniors – there was just simply no time to acquire it. So when I got senioritis during the first two quarters of my senior year, it was a little strange. ‘It’s a bit too early for senioritis,’ I thought, ‘but I’ll just roll with it.’ (You probably know the end to this – it’s a really bad idea. Trust me.) Anyway, my typical day would go like this: 4 a.m.: Wake up, start homework. Fall asleep periodically/most of the time whilst trying to complete homework. Senior Sunila Steephen 8 a.m.: Start driving to 11600 Welch Road. In the first semester of your se8:20 a.m.-5:30 p.m.: Attend nior year, you’re actually quite busy. classes, engage in various academic Last-minute SAT and ACT testing, and extracurricular activities regular schoolwork, college apps and 5:55 p.m.: Arrive home extracurricular activities leave no 6:15 p.m: Fall asleep time to waste. As you could see, my days were In short, the first half of your (not so) productive, and I spent most senior year is junior year at Hockaof my weekdays sleeping or napping. day times 100. With that being said, I On weekends, I would go to bed at 8 thought that there was no way that I p.m. Clearly, with such little time to could ever get the ever-so-mythical devote to homework, I was forced senioritis that I had heard about from to play catch-up in classes, unable
to synthesize the learned material outside of the classroom. And as for college applications: ironically enough, I wrote an entire college supplement devoted to the fact that I couldn’t. Stop. Sleeping. Who knew that senioritis could take such a toll on my quality of life? After a few months of this, I decided that enough was enough. At the start of Thanksgiving break, I ended up going to doctor to get my senioritis confirmed. And at the end of it all, I can only say this: check your health, kiddos – because you may just have had mononucleosis like me. I had always tossed around mono as a potential diagnosis, but one that was more or less as a joke, so I hadn’t really considered it as an ACTUAL explanation. But when I was officially diagnosed with it, I was greatly relieved – I was lucky that it wasn’t more serious, and it confirmed all of the symptoms that I had - something that I should have checked out MONTHS before. I realize that it’s totally a Hocka-
day thing to internalize your illnesses and come to school sick – hey, I’m guilty of it too. And to be perfectly honest, I don’t know if that’s going to end sometime soon. But seriously, if you’re sick, especially for a longer duration of time, PLEASE go to a doctor. Take it from me – it’ll only help you.
Editor’s Corner Editor-in-Chief Erin Thomas answers the troubling questions of Upper School students.
The Hockaday School Date
Q: How do I deal with having different political views than my parents? - Senior River Brooks
April 15, 2016
Please Excuse From
Sunila
Work School Not Sleeping
Due to
Mono, Not Senioritis
Thank you,
The Doctor GRAPHIC BY JENNY ZHU
THAT’S WHAT SHE SAID TWITTER
i ate an entire tub of hummus for breakfast. i think my skin is glowing. i am the living embodiment of healthy. Sophomore Kaitlen Cerney (@kaitlen_cerney)
CURRENTLY TRYING TO EAT MY STRESS AWAY WITH LENTIL CHIPS Sophomore Olivia Naidu while studying for exams
GRACE, WHY DO YOU HAVE AN EGG IN YOUR PENCIL BAG?
@twitter can you
start automatically deleting my tweets if they aren’t funny?
Sophomore Harper Lay (@harperlay)
Upper School long term substitute English teacher referring to junior Grace Embrey’s EOS chapstick
I understand why you would like to quote me saying that, but I have to say that I would prefer that it was not immortalized in print! Upper School Dean of Academic Studies Barbara Fishel in regards to a previous quote
Just noticed the prison in “Orange is the New Black” uses the same chairs as Hocakday.
Unless you have intestinal problems, don’t eat a hot Go-Gurt! Upper School history teacher Tracy Walder in reference to a student’s comment on eating hot yogurt
Sophomore Mackenzie Brabham in a group text in reference to the Netflix series
STAFF STANCE | Why the United States is Not #1 Four hundred and nine years ago the first settlers arrived in Jamestown, Virginia. Since then, people have come to America for a variety of reasons, such as to flee religious persecution, for jobs, for education or simply to fulfil the “American Dream.” However, nowadays, America does not seem as promising as it once was. Nevertheless, America is a lot of things. The United States of America is ranked as the number-one economy in the world, according to the International Monetary Fund. America is also number one in the total number of Olympic medals won (the exact number is 2,681) and has the largest consumer market, which means we have almost 30 percent of the purchasing power world-wide. Not to mention, we also have the most gold reserves. According to a report by the Stockholm International Peace Re-
search Institute, 37 percent of the world’s military expenditures are from the United States. The second and third-largest are China (11 percent) and Russia (5 percent), which are significantly lower than those of the U.S. As you can see, we like to win, and we are pretty good at it. But we are not true winners. Let me rephrase that. America is very good at winning when it comes to monetary issues and the military. But America actually lags behind in other aspects, especially when it comes to female equality. For example, Rwanda leads the world in having the most women in parliament, with 63.8 percent, according to the Inter-Parliamentary Union. Jamaica, Colombia, Lesotho and Fiji are the only countries in the world where the number of female legislators, officials and managers
outnumbers that of men. The United States, unfortunately, falls in 75th place with 19.4 percent. Not only is the disparity in the number of women in government great, the wage inequality between men and women in the United States has been a highly debated issue as well. The United States is ranked 65th in wage equality. In fact, women earn about an average of 78 cents to every dollar a man makes in America, according to The White House. And that’s just white women; women of color make far less. We definitely are not number one when it comes to issues of gender equality. The World Economic Forum believes that it won’t be until the year 2133 that the pay gap between males and females will be closed around the world. That is 118 years from now.
More than a quarter of a billion more women are in the international workforce than 10 years ago. More women are entering the workplace, yet why is nothing changing? Think about that. In our lifetimes, it is predicted that we will not receive equal pay. Yes, the wage gap is slowly closing in the United States. However, a more accurate term is probably inching. This needs to change. Yet much of this will not until the United States changes other factors related to equal rights for women. By contrast, Nordic countries have the least inequality between men and women. Countries such as Iceland, Norway, Finland and Sweden rank first, second, third and fourth respectively. In these countries, policies regarding families are extremely strong. In fact, Nordic countries lead the world in paternity and
A: It’s election season, so politics are all anyone talks about these days. But if you’re under the age of, like, 22-years-old, odds are you don’t know what the heck you’re talking about. When parents disagree with you over political views, they will often pull this “age” identifier on you. You’re too “young,” too “inexperienced” and you definitely “have no idea what you’re talking about,” they will say. I mean, come on! You would think that parents would be proud of us youngsters educating ourselves and actually caring about the world we live in. But nah, turns out they just don’t like to be argued with. My parents and I do not share the same political views, and it’s hard. It’s hard to watch my parents go back and forth with each other about gun control or immigration because if I dare open my mouth, it’s evident that I have no idea what I’m talking about. What we have to realize, however, is that our parents are much older than us. They were born and raised in a different society. Odds are, we are going to disagree with them on some things, but if we voice our political views – regardless of what they are – in an educated and eloquent manner, then our parents have no choice but to respect us. They don’t have to agree with us, support us or even like what we say. But say it either way, and show them that you care.
maternity leave policies. For example, in 2010, Sweden became the first country to utilize a gender-neutral paid paternity and maternity leave. Parents are paid 90 percent of wages for 180 days. Meanwhile in the United States, according to the benefits consulting firm Aon Hewitt, only 13 percent of companies offer fathers paid paternity leave. This inherent bias toward women as childbearers and caretakers leads to an ever-growing gap that will take more than 100 years to close. If America wants to be a real winner, then America should close its gender gap. Without improving gender inequality in other factors, without more women in government and equal opportunity for both mothers and fathers, we won’t win. We won’t even make it to the semi-finals.
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STAFF STANDOFF | Is Senioritis Real?
WE LOVE IT, WE LOVE IT NOT
FINE ARTS ASSEMBLIES are fast approaching!
FILM FESTIVAL coming in May during select Y periods.
Vs Baggy eyes. Knotted hair. It is 2:03 a.m. and I’m on my sixth episode of “Criminal Minds.” I’m scared because of the show and also because I’ve done approximately three licks of homework. Some may attribute this to “procrastination,” but this disease is much more powerful. These are the symptoms of senioritis. Teachers, if you’re reading this, I’m very sorry. But, I’m gonna be real with y’all – I have very little motivation left at this time of the year. Now that we are second semester seniors, we can finally stop worrying about grades and standardized testing and other methods of “testing our intelligence.” In many classes of mine, I have stopped taking notes and have started to learn out of genuine interest rather than in preparation for an assessment. School has started to feel less like a chore and more of a way to pass time. And, for once, I don’t feel pressured to choose homework over sleep. School nights have also become significantly less painful. One Monday I got home and watched “Dance Moms” for four hours. That’s right, I watched television on a weekday. And that’s right, I still watch “Dance Moms” (no hate, okay?). After being at Hockaday for 13 years, I find it acceptable to take it a little easy. I mean, think of it as a marathon. We have run so many miles and our bodies hurt so badly. And the chafing…the chafing was so bad. Now it’s finally time for us to cool down. It’s time for a slow jog, heck, maybe even a walk! I wish this weren’t the case. I wish I had the motivation to finish my assignments the night they were due. But, if I’m going to be truthful, the last time I had motivation was in November when I ate six bowls of chocolate pudding at lunch. I have been forced to ration out what little motivation I have left, and I can only hope that it will get me through until May. Until then, I will spend my days appreciating teachers and classmates for all they do. And, instead of stressing out, I will celebrate the last couple of months that we have together before we all part ways. ‘Til we die (hopefully not from senioritis), XVI
On Jan. 19, the first day of third quarter, my life was supposed to change forever. Or at least I thought it would. For three and a half long, tiring and gruesome years, I was finally a second semester senior. I had my locker cleaned out. I was ready to burn all of my books (specifically the six pounder courtesy of AP European History - thank you, Mr. Kramer). Homework? Nah. Who cares?! Erin Thomas would be stress free for the rest of her senior year. Wrong. Tests rolled around. Panic ensued. Why was I panicking?! Second-semester seniors aren’t supposed to panic! It has been ingrained in me, since kindergarten, to do my best to do my best. So when expectations suddenly drop from the tip of Mount Everest to the lowest point of the Grand Canyon, your brain is gonna get a little confused. The fact is, I still want to do well - not to satisfy colleges or make my parents proud, but because that is what I have been trained to do. I still want to come out on top. I still want to master the material. I still want to learn, even though learning is all I have been doing for the past 15 or so years. Now, this may be due to my work ethic, but when it comes down to it, we all feel rooted to our education. The fact that we are receiving a top-notch education in and of itself is a reason to not “check out.” We owe it to Hockaday, and we owe it to the world. Plus, we owe it to our teachers. Don’t get me wrong, I’m burned out. I’m tired of doing work and studying for tests and writing essays the night before they’re due. But the least we can do is try. Suffice it to say, (unfortunately) I am not yet checked out. Believe me, I want to be, but for some reason my brain keeps telling me to keep on truckin’. Maybe it’s because I haven’t committed to a college yet, or because I am too Type A, but senioritis is not real. I am still dying. Donations are accepted, and encouraged, in the form of Tiff’s Treats, Junior Mints and the Tea of the Day from Fat Straws. Feel free to drop ‘em off at locker #671, right across from Dr. T’s room. Please help. I am dying, XVI ERIN THOMAS EDITOR-IN-CHIEF
MANISHA RATAKONDA SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR
May T.V. FINALES are on the horizon.
Please, My Faith is Not a Costume
WEARING BLAZERS as the temperature climbs.
AP EXAMS are looming ahead.
Cultural appropriation is a tricky line many of us are forced to deal with – or even maneuver. In this era of political correctness, people often have something to say about appropriating a culture that isn’t their own. In the U.S., often these people are white and don’t have a culture to appropriate to begin with simply because they have never experienced living as a minority. I was recently looking at an article on my Facebook feed entitled “11 of the Most Culturally Appropriated South Asian Accessories – And What They Really Mean,” from the “Wear Your Voice” magazine, written by Aarti Olivia. But is it truly appropriating when white people wear clothing or accessories from other cultures? The first item listed was the bindhi, a red vermillion dot worn by married Hindu women, followed by
well-intentioned desire to adapt something that looks beautiful from another part of the world. However, cultural appropriation does exist, and it’s important to remember what’s offensive and to keep in mind basic ethical boundaries. Wearing fashion items that don’t hold religious value are not offensive and could in fact raise awareness about the culture, but a line should be drawn when individuals wear religious garments just for the sake of it. For instance, when Khloe Kardashian posted a selfie of herself wearing a niqab, a sacred Muslim veil that covers the whole face except for the eyes, this was an ex- ample of cultural appropriation. Wearing the niqab is worn by some Muslim women, and again, like bindhis, is NOT a fashion statement worn by non-Muslims. In fact, wearing the nijab, hijab (which covers the hair) or burqa (which covers the whole body except for the eyes) is a sign of religious devotion and humility. Last time I checked, the Islamic faith wasn’t a fashion statement. As a rule of thumb, for cultural items that do offend groups because they were taken out of context, es-
pecially with an oppressed group, or undermine their religious value, we must handle their appropriation with sensitivity
ILLUSTRATION BY KATE COOPER
Senior Noor Adatia
a black tillak, a marking placed on the center of the forehead, which refers to a point of higher consciousness that holds sacred meaning. With several musical festivals attendees often wearing bindhis – making this sacred cultural symbol into a Boho fashion piece is a prime example of appropriation as it undermines the genuine meaning behind wearing one. As I continued reading, things start getting weird. “Bangles (chudiyaan),” I read. “Saris” next. “Henna (mehendi)” later. The justification listed for items like these discussed their rich historical context. For the sari, Olivia wrote, “The tradition of draping one has been going strong for the past 6,000 years.” I still saw nothing wrong. Sure, the sari has been around for a while and is a representation of femininity; however, what made it wrong for people from different cultures to revel in its celebration of the female body, while nodding to its origins? I was thoroughly perplexed. When did it become frowned upon to wear clothing from other cultures? The fact is, applying crushed leaves in the form of paste (henna) onto your hands isn’t offending anyone. It’s something that looks neat and is an art form used in many countries, including India, Pakistan, Bangladesh and regions in Africa and the Middle East. Why couldn’t other people wear it? Rather, these were examples of cultural appreciation and represent the
and make amends. An example of adapting a practice from an oppressed group are cornrows, which are are an intrinsic part of black culture. Black people have been ridiculed for such a hairstyle, classified as “ghetto,” but when Kylie Jenner wore cornrows, it was seen as “chic” or “edgy.” Why are cultures only recognized when white people attempt to mimice them? I’d love to live in a world where we could all be equals and share our culture in an appreciative space, but we don’t; it’s our job to respect people and their cultures. The first step to make amends is by educating ourselves to avoid a clash that portrays the drastic power dynamic difference between minorities and whites.
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THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL
APRIL 15, 2016
THE FOURCAST
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Millennials Side with Radicals
Senior Kate Clement It’s “cool” to support Bernie Sanders, a 74-year-old socialist. He’s loud, opinionated, idealistic, simplistic, impractical and all-together unconventional. But his policies are polarizing the public against what we know as the Democratic Party, the same way Donald Trump’s policies do for the Republican Party. With the ascendancy of Sanders and Trump, we may be witnessing the death of the moderate. The surprisingly successful candidacies of Sanders and Trump have dramatically transformed the primary races. Sanders, who has pulled Clinton further left--although not enough for millennials, originally gained momentum by speaking about hot-button issues to young people. So, in order to keep up, Clinton jumped on the bandwagon. Because of this, Clinton has become less attractive to moderate Democrats and Independents--even if they have no other choice. For the Republicans, any candidate that has moderate stance has not been favorable. Trump’s appeal to Populism oddly parallels the Theo-
dore Roosevelt - William Howard Taft split during the 1912 Election, in which the Republican Party completely lost the vote to Democrat Woodrow Wilson and effectively disappeared for several cycles. The gradual movement towards extremism now appears inherent to winning the nomination, as Trump pulls further ahead and Sanders’ surprising competitiveness demonstrate the considerable threats that their candidacy poses to traditional political values, like moderation. Most of our society works in groups toward a common goal, in the workplace, school and at home. We dislike the polarization of our elected leaders’ militant positions and inability to compromise--one reason that has lead to a rise in the supposed “anger” of the voters. So why are we considering electing the two most radical sides of each party, who would never be able to work toward a common goal? Moderation and compromise are essential to preventing conflict from arising. However, politicians like Sanders and Trump, who live on the outskirts of each of their parties, would rather focus on minute details than the actual issues that can be effectively addressed. Moderation, along with reason, has been discarded in favor of a political rhetoric spoken in sound bites, as seen when Sanders and Trump failed to outline their policies in depth when interviewed. Sanders is a symptom of a movement within the millennials, who want free college, political correctness and equality for all. His forward momentum should be effectively halted by Democratic moderates, although his
agenda considerably parallels the extremism of the Tea Party. These radical movements want to do the same thing: burn the establishment down. Neither support bilateral compromise and would rather rebuild our government with their own radical vision. Voters claim to be angry, but the manifestation of this anger in radical movements usually mellows itself as the younger generation grows older. Movement toward moderation is a tried and true method to weather the storm. However, some of the radical ideas proposed by each side of the aisle pose long-term consequences, like alienation of America from the rest of the world or an extreme transformation and collapse of America’s economy. Additionally, Trump’s racist vitriol might be seen as “candor” by his supporters, but this rhetoric is particularly poisonous to the Republican Party in general, as Trump clearly has a glass ceiling on how many supporters he can have. Trump has extremely low support in urban centers and among people with higher education. Many find it surprising that people are supporting Trump because we can see that he hardly says anything of true substance. As a nation,
according to a 2014 Bureau of Labor Statistics survey, 65.9 percent of Americans attended college. Paralleled with an NBC News/Esquire poll indicating the 51 percent of Americans consider themselves moderate, no radical candidate could gain the votes to win a presidential election. However, through Trump’s terrifying victories, it seems like enough primary voters have elected a radical to become the nominee. It is with great sadness that the sun has set on Reagan’s Republican Party, but I worry more for the 2020 or 2024 elections than 2016. With the effects of radical ideology, the Republican Party is fractured and the Democrats are divided. What will our candidates look like in the future, particularly in critical House and Senate races? This is a large-scale political revolution that will redefine both parties. However, in these critical times, we must find a path towards moderation if we want to keep our society functioning for all.
f EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Erin Thomas MANAGING EDITOR Inaara Padani WEB EDITOR Catherine Jiang BUSINESS MANAGER Sunila Steephen SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Manisha Ratakonda NEWS EDITOR Noor Adatia FEATURES EDITOR Megan Philips ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Katherine Clement SPORTS & WELLNESS EDITOR Mary Claire Wilson PERSPECTIVES EDITOR Sonya Xu CASTOFF EDITOR Austria Arnold PHOTO & GRAPHICS EDITOR Claire Fletcher COPY EDITOR Maria Katsulos VIDEO EDITORS Emily Fuller, Mary Orsak
ILLUSTRATION BY WENDY HO
The Unspoken Racism of AP Art History
Junior Eshani Kishore The idea that art history is stagnant and requires a great deal of memorization is one that the College Board is striving to change with its redesign of the AP Art History course. The new course will attempt to allow AP Art History teachers the opportunity to help students devel-
op skills in the analysis of art and will focus more on understanding trends throughout art history. While the previous course covered over 500 works of art, the redesigned AP exam will test students’ knowledge of only 250 pieces. The course material is now grouped into geographic time periods to encourage students to allow students to view it in a more “global” way. The redesigned AP Art History also strives to include works from non-Western artists who come from places such as Africa and Asia. As an institution that aims to prepare its students for higher learning in general, Hockaday should embrace the changes in the AP Art History course by encouraging girls who are interested in the course to take it online. Students who now want to take the AP Art History exam at
the end of the year will be able to aim to apply the knowledge that they have gained while taking the course through the Online School for Girls. And because the new course exam doesn’t penalize students for what they haven’t memorized, Hockaday students have the ability to focus on aspects of the course that they most enjoy. The fact that the redesigned course focuses on examining Asian and African art is a smart move, too. Maybe European art is what comes to mind when we think of art history in general, but African and Asian art should be celebrated as well. Being educated means learning about multiple different types of art, rather than just one specific type of art. The level of analysis that students will gain from examining global artwork should pre-
pare them for the type of art history that they will see in college. The mission of the redesigned course fits perfectly with the History of Art and Music course that we’re required to take to graduate. Because the art portion of HAM is grouped into time periods, those who go on to take AP Art History should be familiar with the way in which AP Art History is designed. Even though AP Art History is taken on the Online School for Girls rather than in an actual classroom, we’re pretty lucky that our curriculum will offer the kinds of novel perspectives taught in AP Art History. This is a privilege that we shouldn’t take for granted, as many of our peers across the country will never be able to delve deeply into areas that interest them.
The Changing Role of the Modern Superhero
Senior Erin Thomas When I was a little kid, I would have dreams about becoming a superhero. But, then again, who didn’t? Superheroes were so rad. I wanted nothing more than to put on a red superhero cape and fly around kicking some hardcore, criminal butt. Just think about all of that fame! The glory! Man, my 7-year-old self would kill to be a superhero. I grew up watching Superman, perhaps the most iconic and traditional superhero. Superheroes, in their traditional sense, represent truth, justice and a strong moral
compass. Heroes like Superman acted as beacons of hope for little kids way back then, because at the end of the day, the world was safe because of heroes like him. I’m 18 now. I still love superheroes. But, heroes like Superman are remnants of a time long past, and are a false promise. In an evolving society, the values and ideals that the superheroes of today hold most dear extend beyond them to reflect larger issues at play. Unfortunately, because of that, heroes today are deeply flawed. They are horrible at maintaining relationships and sometimes are just downright depressing. In Marvel’s first Netflix series, “Daredevil,” Matt Murdock is a lawyer by day, vigilante by night. (He’s also blind, which makes his ability to kick butt ten times cooler.) Stationed in Hell’s Kitchen, Murdock spends his albeit limited free time scouring the streets preventing crime and investigating the corrupt interworkings of gangs, drug cartels and corrupt corporations. Ironically, Murdock is Cath-
olic. Better yet, his very own priest knows him to be the man behind the mask. Religion is a common theme in “Daredevil,” as Murdock takes solace for his actions by turning to God. And that’s just the thing. He’s a superhero. He saves people. Why should he feel guilty for what he does? Matt plays by a strict moral code: he cannot kill anyone, no matter the circumstances. Matt justifies this choice by saying that all life is sacred and valuable. “No one deserves to die,” he says, many times throughout the two seasons. Well, Matt, I understood your philosophy up until the fourth episode of season two. For those who don’t watch the show, let me give you a quick recap. Held captive by the Punisher, season two’s anti-hero, Matt was given a choice. Shoot Frank (the Punisher) and save the Grotto, the man Frank was holding at gunpoint, or let the Grotto die. Matt could have easily shot Frank in the leg, hurting him enough to knock him down and give the
Grotto enough time to escape. Instead, Matt shot the chains tying him to a chimney and ran at Frank. Frank ended up shooting Grotto, who died soon after as a result of his wounds. What I’m trying to say here is that Matt did a selfish deed. Matt chooses not to kill people not for the sake of their lives, but to put to the rest the flaming conflict warring within himself. That said, what are the superheroes of today doing? What is their purpose? Do they genuinely care about the well-being of man kind, or are they just using their crime-fighting skills as an excuse to punch people and sort out their own internal conflicts? I used to want to be like Superman. But now that I know about the sacrifices modern superheroes have to make, I’m not so sure. What we have to realize, however, is that as much as the world needs Supermans, our superheroes are human. They have flaws. They are not perfect role models. Should we ask them to be?
STAFF WRITERS Ashna Kumar, Eshani Kishore, Heidi Kim, Jenny Zhu, Aurelia Han, Cheryl Hao, Elizabeth Guo, Katie O’Meara, Shreya Gunukula, Neha Dronamraju, Maria Harrison, Amelia Brown STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Madison Smith, Mercer Malakoff, Paloma Renteria STAFF ARTISTS Sarah Chan, Kate Cooper, Annabelle Folsom, Wendy Ho, Nicole Klein, Sofi Mira, Lily Sumrow ADVISER Ana Rosenthal
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 1,200 and is printed by Dallas Offset, Inc. It is distributed free of charge to the Hockaday community. Businesses who wish to advertise in The Fourcast should contact Sunila Steephen, Business Manager, at ssteephen@ hockaday.org. We reserve the right to refuse any advertising which is deemed inappropriate to the Hockaday community. Opinions will be clearly marked and/or will appear in the perspectives section. Commentaries are the expressed opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect that of The Fourcast staff, its adviser or any member of the Hockaday community. Unsigned editorials that appear on the opinions page will reflect the official position of The Fourcast, but not necessarily the position of the Hockaday community. The Fourcast staff may cover student, staff, faculty or alumnae deaths as the staff is made aware. We reserve the right not to cover a death based on relevance, timeliness and circumstance. Corrections and clarifications from previous issues will be found as designated in the news section. Any questions or concerns about should be addressed to Erin Thomas, Editor-in-Chief, at ethomas@hockaday.org.
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THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL
APRIL 15, 2016
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HOCKADAYFOURCAST.ORG
tax, n.1 A compulsory contribution to the support of government, levied on persons, property, income, commodities, transactions, etc.
percent
Tax Day is normally on April 15 but due to Emancipation Day, a holiday celebrated in Washington, D.C., Tax Day will fall on April 18, 2016.
to declare: to notify the government of your annual earnings and assets
of American tax payers are audited on their tax returns each year.
TIN: short for Taxpayer Identification Number and required to file tax returns, Social Security numbers work as a TIN
hours are spent by Americans while preparing their taxes.
W-9 form: form used as a
“request for taxpayer identification number and certification”
W-4
The number of accountants hired anually in the United States to prepare taxes.
of the 50 states require their citizens to pay a state income tax
In this year, the United States Constitution was amended to allow personal income tax.
W-2: documentation that U.S. employers are required to provide regarding the annual income of their employees
The form that employers use when calculating the amount of money to take out from an employee’s check for federal income tax
1099: form sent to the IRS detailing income earned that year outside of a salary
an official verification of financial documents and accounts
In honor of National Tax Day, The Fourcast educates teenagers about the Internal Revenue Services’ lingo and debunks the myth that taxes do not apply to teenagers.
TAX BREAK an opportunity given by the government that allows you to pay less tax due to expenses
1040 form: a document that taxpayers complete when figuring how much they owe in taxes based on income
AUDIT
tax return documentation of annual personal income to the IRS for taxation purposes
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tax evasion: an illegal practice of paying less than the required amount of tax ILLUSTRATION BY SOFI MIRA GRAPHIC BY AUSTRIA ARNOLD AND CHERYL HAO
SOURCES: Entrepreneur.com, oed. com, TurboTax.com, Nolo.com, IRS.gov, wisebread.com, moneycrashers.com