Fourcast April 2017

From dog treats to apparel, Fourcast finds new ways to look past the chain cafes and department stores and shop local.

➝ Volume 67 Issue 05.

The Hockaday School | 11600 Welch Rd, Dallas, TX 75229 features p7

cityslicker p11

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arts & entertainment p14

- Aurelia Han, “CitySlicker” p11 views p21

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After the presidential inauguaration, people of all backgrounds have joined together to seek change and justice for gender equality. pg12

ILLUSTRATION BY BRENDA LEE

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APRIL 13, 2017 | THE FOURCAST

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THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

City government is so important to everyone's lives.

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Mary Orsak Serves on National League of Youth p6

PHOTO BY GRACE VOORHEIS

Dallas Students Unite ➝ STORY BY MARIA HARRISON

Hockaday participates in Teen Leadership ISD pilot program At a meeting last August with Leadership ISD’s Civic Leaders Fellowship, a selective 10-month program of 47 civic leaders who learn about and discuss public education in Dallas County, Director of Service Learning Laura Day and her group brainstormed the idea to re-create this program for high school students.

Day then collaborated with Coordinator for Social Justice Education and Service Programs Michael Reimer from Jesuit College Preparatory School of Dallas and Leadership Teacher John Oberly from Thomas Jefferson High School to create a pilot program for a public-private partnership series, in which students from private and public schools could discuss and propose solutions to educational issues in Dallas such as unequal access to resources, the fear of deportation and the segregation of public and private schools.

“This is the kind of stuff that I want [Hockaday] to be doing. Real world stuff out in the community,” Day said. “This is where the real learning happens.”

On Feb. 2, Day sent an email to sophomores and juniors to recruit students for the Teen Leadership ISD pilot program, which she described as a plan to “gather students from diverse schools to build relationships and explore pressing educational issues and concerns - particularly issues of justice in education - within [Dallas].” Additionally, the students would create solutions in groups after analyzing the issues and meeting with Dallas education officials.

At TJ, the sophomores and juniors in Oberly’s leadership class, which focuses on the students’ personal growth and creating programs that will benefit their school, also joined this program.

The eight Hockaday students chosen by Day met with about nine students from each of the other schools at TJ for the first meeting on Feb. 16. Several of the TJ students gave the Jesuit and Hockaday students a tour of the TJ campus and facilities upon their arrival. Junior Julia Mitterer-Claudet said that many of the Hockaday and Jesuit students had never toured the inside of a public school.

“It was very eye-opening because you saw that [TJ was] so un-equipped but [was] making the best of it,” Mitterer said.

“There were certain aspects that were the same though like bad days at lunch.”

The first meeting consisted of icebreaker activities in order to let the students get to know one another and open up

about their stories. This was new to most of the students since these three schools rarely connect with one another.

“Never are we hanging out with TJ kids,” Day said. “I think that’s kind of a tragedy because there’s so much to learn from each other because we all have different life experiences.”

Oberly also views the collaboration of public and private school students as beneficial to the community.

“We’re all in the same space,” Oberly said. “We all want excellent outcomes for everyone in the community.”

Hockaday hosted the second meeting on March 23. After a Hockaday campus tour, Day discussed with the group how to approach a problem and how to build empathy with those affected by that problem.

Issues that Teen Leadership ISD Targets

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Lack of equality regardless of circumstance The needs of students in school Segregated city theory Family support and how family life affects a student's education Inequality of resources afforded to schools

To further this discussion, District 8 Representative on the Dallas ISD Board of Trustees Miguel Solis and Principal of Foster Elementary Zack Hall spoke to the Teen Leadership ISD pilot program. Solis talked about the power of education and some of the issues that the DISD system faces such as individualized learning and the deportation and immigration crisis.

Recently, several DISD schools are having to send packets to the families of students that discuss what to do and give resources in the event that children come home and their parents are gone.

Sophomore from TJ Marla Perez liked

the honesty of Solis’ speech, because she agrees that there is nothing more powerful than being educated and having a career.

“He was Hispanic like me,” Perez said.

“Listening to him, I thought that if [he] can do it, then I can do it, too.”

The principal of a predominantly Hispanic school, Hall also honed in on the immigration crisis, how children aren’t able to focus on school in the face of this issue and segregation within the public and private school systems in Dallas. Each of the students received packets and immigration forms to see the stress and difficulty of being undocumented in the United States with children.

“For a lot of us, especially Jesuit and Hockaday kids, deportation doesn’t personally affect us,” Mitterer said. “There were all these issues happening so close to us, but we’re totally oblivious to them.”

Junior Neha Dronamraju, one of the Hockaday participants, heard about someone’s first-hand experience with the fear of deportation instead of reading it in the news. She was captivated by this situation and, motivated by it, met with Day to develop an independent study for next year which will focus on setting up a backup system for undocumented families.

“A lot of times, these families are asked to fill out forms disclosing who would take care of their child in the event that they are deported,” Dronamraju said. “Many families don’t have anyone here to do that, which causes a lot of stress.”

Students in this program met for the third time on April 6 at Jesuit, where they created a list of the issues in the Dallas education system that they wanted to focus on. The students then split into five groups, in which the groups brainstormed solutions and created an action plan for the problem. Topics in the groups ranged from equality regardless of circumstance to students’ needs in a school to the segregated city theory, in which Dallas has ethnically divided schools with unequal access to resources.

“It’s nice to see that the issues that I thought that people at Hockaday cared about are echoed by other completely different schools,” Mitterer said.

Mitterer’s group hoped to create a solution so that everyone gets an equal opportunity with education regardless of race, ethnicity, socioeconomic status or other factor. One of their ideas was to create a website that offers an online tutoring and mentoring program so kids and their parents can always have access to resources

BRAINSTORMING Junior Julia Mitterer writes ideas on how to create equal opportunity regardless of circumstances like socioeconomic status or race in Dallas' education system.

or someone who can help over the phone.

“We need equal opportunity for all students,” Perez said. “[TJ students are] not getting the same opportunity as [Hockaday and Jesuit students], and it makes me feel a little inferior to [Hockaday and Jesuit] because I’m not learning at the same rate as [Hockaday and Jesuit students].”

Another group thought of a system in which DISD schools share resources with one another, similar to how Hockaday and St. Mark’s School of Texas share athletic facilities like tennis courts, track fields and workout centers.

Even though there aren’t many programs like this one that involve teenagers, Day thinks that it’s important to get high school students involved in these issues because high school students have the ability to create solutions. “[High school students] have a lot of energy, idealism and heart,” Day said. “We wanted to bring these kids together, break the barriers, teach them some stuff, give them the tools and then set them free to create change.”

Oberly also wants to see more initiative from students in the community.

“I think that high school students need the capacity to believe in their own power in being agents for positive change before they leave high school.”

Day will continue to meet with people invested in the Dallas education system from Leadership ISD, as well as with Reimer and Oberly from Jesuit and TJ in order to make plans for the continuation of this program into the next year. Day’s goal is to extend the public-private partnerships such as one with the Greenhill School, Parish Episcopal School and W.T. White; another between St. Mark’s, Episcopal School of Dallas and Hillcrest High School and more throughout Dallas County.

Day’s other goals are obtaining funding for the initiatives that the students discussed and opening a space in North Dallas where students from all schools can study together and share their study materials.

“We can make this a thing that teens do in Dallas so that they take ownership of creating change in their own community,” Day said.

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Students attend SXSW Festival

HockaBriefs

After placing fourth in the regional competition at Northlake College on March 4, the Hockaday team will advance to compete in the state-level competition at Texas A&M University in College Station on April 21 and 22. Upper School science teachers Leon de Oliveira and Jen Fore, Ph.D. will accompany the 16 students to the competition.

Founder’s Day Stresses Commitment to Cornerstones On March 22, the Hockaday community celebrated three seniors for their embodiment of the four Hockaday Cornerstones: Courtesy, Character, Scholarship and Athletics. Head of Upper School Terry Murray presented the Founder’s Award to seniors Joy Nesbitt, Victoria Bennett and Sara Held. Angelica Marin Hill ‘93, who received the 2016 Ela Hockaday Distinguished Alumna Award, spoke at the event about the impact of the Hockaday community on her life outside of Welch Road.

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Starving in advisory and curious what the dining hall will serve for lunch? Previously, many students flocked to Snapchat where sophomore Christina Yang posted the menu on the account HockaLunch. However, with the launching of the SAGE Dining app, these inventive students no longer need to find ways to share the menu on platforms commonly used by students. This app, already used in other schools with SAGE, not only shows the menu but also allows users to filter their allergies.

Students Soar to State in Science Olympiad

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A look at the current healthcare landscape

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SAGE Pilots App for Hockaday

THE FOURCAST | APRIL 13, 2017

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Junior becomes House Council President

St. Mark’s Hosts Second Annual Spring Fling Toothpaste and orange juice.

Carly Shay, Sam Puckett and Nevel Papperman. On Saturday, April 9, one could find these nemeses at the second annual St. Mark’s Spring Fling. The St. Mark’s student council launched this spring dance last year, drawing criticism for hosting the dance the week before Hockaday exams. However, this year, St. Mark’s opened the dance up to all members of the Upper School for a $5 fee in an attempt to promote more inclusivity.

April 13

Early release at 2:30 p.m.

April 13

Students help homeless at the Austin Street Center by providing them with McDonald’s food and music.

PHOTO BY SARAH SCHULTZ

Fourward

STEM SUPERSTAR

April 14

No school in observance of Good Friday.

April 17-18

Freshmen, make sure you have a charged laptop so that you can the take Educational Records Bureau assessments.

April 18

Seniors who attended Hockaday in Lower School attend the Return to Your Roots program at 2:15 p.m.

April 19

Upper School choir performs for the student body during conference period. If you cannot attend, come back at 7:30 p.m. for another performance.

April 21

Alumnae return to campus for Alumnae Day celebrations.

April 21-22

Come see the Hockaday theater class’ performance of “Hamlet” at 7:30 p.m. on Friday or 2:00 p.m. on Saturday in the Margaret Doggett Crow Amphitheater.

April 24

Hockaday Dance Theater performs at the Dance Assembly at 2:45 p.m. in the The Nasher-Haemisegger Family Center for the Arts.

Hockaday's Hidden Figure Fifth Grade Teacher Honored for Work in Science

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n early February, fifth grade science teacher Jennifer Stimpson received a call from the National Society of Black Engineers DFW chapter. This was a call she was not expecting to receive.

Stimpson was told that she would be featured on the top 10 Hidden Figures of Dallas, a prestigious list where the organization recognizes women of color who have made significant advancements in the STEM field.

“This was a big surprise. I am very honored to be receiving this recognition among nine other highly qualified women,” Stimpson said.

The NSBE reviews candidates based on their advancements in their career paths and the impact they make on their community. They keep an eye out for the accomplishments of colored women and consider nominations.

Becky Lewis, Constituent Liaison at the District Office, nominated her.

Lewis, who is Stimpson’s friend, said Stimpson’s bright scientific mind, determination in spreading her knowledge and passion for her subject and her compelling teaching style all warrant her achievement. Her selection for this recognition was based on these very traits.

“She is one of the most dedicated and hard-working professionals I have ever encountered,” Lewis said. “She genuinely has a passion for science and introducing it to people who don’t normally have access, and I think that is truly a noble thing.”

Science was part of Stimpson’s childhood. Her parents were pharmacists and they inspired her to pursue a science career.

“My father was my first science mentor because as a pharmacist, he

used science to better society,” said Stimpson.

To hone her early desire to help the community, Stimpson sought a degree in environmental science, and advanced her career by working in the Drug Enforcement Administration as a forensic chemist, analyzing crime scene evidence for her company. Through this job, Stimpson found herself participating in a volunteering opportunity where she spent time at low-income learning centers and taught fourth graders science.

“When I started, I quickly realized that all these kids didn’t have enough exposure to the world of science,” said Stimpson. “They all have the same image of a scientists in their heads—Bill Nye—an old, white male.”

After this experience, Stimpson was determined to make a change and expose more students of color to the wonders and possibilities of science. She soon decided that being an educator was her calling and decided to change her career path and become a teacher.

Stimpson has made an impact at Hockaday. Science Department Chairman Marshall Bartlett said that Stimpson is invaluable. “Jennifer is a great asset for our environment. She brings a certain liveliness and energy, and her teaching style is so dynamic,” said Bartlett.

Despite being held in high regard by her colleagues and students, Stimpson remains humble about her accomplishment.

“To be an honoree as an educator and not an engineer or a pure scientist is amazing. Because in the world we live in, teachers are just teachers, not the rockstars of the world. The orga-

STIMPSON IN ACTION Middle School teacher Jennifer Stimpson teaches her fifth grade class earth science.

nization that honored us is comprised of engineers, and to give an award to a teacher means that they respect that a teacher is valuable,” she said.

Stimpson also retains her drive for social improvement. She still strives to expose students from all different walks of life to the same quality of education.

“I am on this journey to make sure how a science perspective from a girl of color can change the world,” she said.

The NSBE was established in 1975 at Purdue University. According to NSBE.org, it is one of the largest national student-run organizations in America, striving to recognize underrepresented groups in STEM. Headed by President of the NSBE Tiffany Johnson, the DFW chapter of this organization is comprised of predominantly working age engineers who work towards aforementioned cause.

“By recognizing the achievements and commitment to service of 'hidden figures' in the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex, [the chapter] hopes to inspire young women of color and young Americans as a whole to pursue degrees and careers in STEM fields,” Johnson said in an interview with the Dallas Morning News.

By Neha Dronamraju Staff Writer

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APRIL 13, 2017 | THE FOURCAST

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THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

PHOTO BY PROVIDED BY EMILY MA

BY THE NUMBERS

ISAS ARTS FESTIVAL From April 6 to 8, Hockaday students traveled to Casady School in Oklahoma City for the 50th annual Independent Schools Association of the Southwest Arts Festival.

LIGHTS, CAMERA, ACTION

Illustrating Identity

Hockaday film students selected to attend South by Southwest

w

hat is identity?

Although there is always the simple dictionary definition, film students sophomore Emily Ma and junior Grace Zhang wished to explore this idea in further depth.

“We basically wanted to target the true meaning of identity,” Ma said. In order to do this, they did what any curious filmmaker would do next: they made a film.

The result of this search for identity resulted in their production of the short film titled “i”. It explored the idea of finding one’s true self by physically stripping away, layer by layer, one’s identity.

In order to convey the idea of the loss of one’s identity, the sole actress of the film, sophomore Megan Muscato, was robbed of the defining characteristics that made up her uniqueness. First, she was deprived of physical objects. The next stage was denying her of her family and friends. Without these two significant attributes to her personality, Ma and Zhang hoped to further probe at this central idea: what is identity?

“In the end, it’s asking who you truly are without all of those things that affect you,” Zhang said.

The film strikes viewers not only through the deeper meaning behind the screen, but through the set as well. It was filmed in what appeared to be a stark white room: white walls with white floors, and a bright white light projecting over it all.

However, what the viewer doesn’t know is that Ma and Zhang constructed this set from scratch themselves. They ordered the materials required to build it specifically for this purpose, and then began building. Once the supplies arrived, they first painted the panels and floor boards white before piecing the set together.

“As soon as the materials arrived on campus, Emily and Grace just flew into painting it. So just about every afternoon after school

and on the weekends for two or three weeks, they were painting these panels white,”film studies teacher Glenys Quick said.

In addition to creating the set, Zhang composed the music for the film, a task that overall proved to be very time consuming.

Zhang plays the bass and keyboard, so in order to record to the music, she connected the instruments to her computer and used a synthesizer sound to manipulate the certain sounds she wanted.

“It was really challenging because it was my first time making music for something to match music to something. So that was kind of hard, to get the tone right and get the tempo right,” Zhang said.

Because Ma and Zhang created both the set and the music from scratch, completing the film was a very long process, taking overall about eight months from start to finish.

They first started planning on the idea last at the end of the last school year. After taking a brief break from it during the summer, they started back up working on it at the beginning of this school year.

As time-consuming as the process was, however, it was equally as rewarding.

In December, right before students departed of the winter holidays, Ma and Zhang submitted their film to South by Southwest; an international film, music and interactive media festival held annually in Austin. Later that next year, on Feb. 1, they found out that their film had been selected to screen in the festival under the category of Texas High School Shorts. The festival was held from March 10 to 19.

South by Southwest is known for its renowned prestige. For aspiring filmmakers such as Ma and Zhang, it is not simply a festival. It is a unique opportunity in which thousands of people, including some of the most talented artists in the world, gather in one place for an opportunity to display their ability. In addition to this, it is the first time work

submitted by a Hockaday student has been accepted into the festival.

Ma and Zhang attended the festival together, along with Muscato and Muscato’s mom, as it fell over spring break. There, their film was played at two different screenings, one on March 12 and the second on March 18. All of the films under the category of Texas High School shorts were featured during these screenings, so Ma and Zhang had the opportunity to watch the work produced by people of a similar age group. At the end of the screenings, all of the young directors went up on stage for a question and answer opportunity.

While at SXSW, the duo attended other film screenings and movie premieres and were able to talk to the directors of each film, a particularly unique experience.

“By accident we met the founder of the website called Short of the Week,” Zhang said.

“It was after we finished watching documentary shorts. We went up to talk to one of the directors, and he just was next to him.”

The girls feel that networking was a significant take away of attending the festival.

The environment of the festival is completely different from that of Hockaday’s, which ultimately allows them to make connections with others who pursue similar passions as themselves. “[South by Southwest] is a really good opportunity for people to expand their social circles and to learn stuff by socializing,” Ma said. “Of course, you can watch tons of world movie premieres for free, and then you get to see these huge directors and famous people.

But I feel like the most is that you get to talk to the small directors, because at one point, they did what we are doing right now.”

By Charlotte Dross Staff Writer

at ISAS 185 students from Hockaday

In 2018, Hockaday will host

the ISAS Arts Festival.

Per tradition, the baton was passed to Dean of Students Ed Long.

food trucks around the 9Casady campus

arts attended 6 fine the festival

PHOTOS BY PIXABAY, SABAH SHAMS AND SONYA XU

traveled 206 miles to Casady

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HOCKADAYFOURCAST.ORG

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THE FOURCAST | APRIL 13, 2016

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YOUR WORLD TODAY | BY ASHNA KUMAR

PHOTO PROVIDED BY EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT

THE CHANGING STORY OF OBAMACARE OBAMACARE

THE WRITERS' TABLE At the Roosevelt Room of the White House, President Barack Obama, Vice President Joe Biden and senior staff members applaud the passage of the Affordable Care Act.

The access (or lack thereof ) to healthcare is one of the foundations of the lives of almost every single person. Whether it is a cold, a broken bone, a chronic disease or a life threatening one, medicine is a necessity. But it comes down to a more simple question than if you need the medicine— it’s more like, can you afford it?

A Brief History of Obamacare The highly disputed Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, also known as Obamacare, was passed on March 23, 2010 under the purview of then-President Barack Obama. As stated in the ACA, President Obama’s aim was to “increase the number of Americans covered by health insurance and decrease the cost of health care.”

In the speech given at the time of the signing of the bill, Obama said that the act embodied “the core principle that everybody should have some basic security when it comes to their health care.”

However, backlash occurred after the bill was put into action. Upper School History Teacher Dr. Elizabeth Bennett, who teaches United States Government, followed the Obamacare debate.

“I think there was ObamaCare genuine outrage over the bill in 2010. I don't will explode think it was ginned up by the media,” Bennett and we will all said. “People --especially get together conservatives-- were angry about the way it was and piece passed and the sense that the government was far together overextending its proper a great sphere of power.”

While many of the healthcare points of the bill were contended, the Supreme plan for THE Court of the United States PEOPLE. Do discussed the constitutionality of the bill’s mannot worry! date that most Americans either obtained insurance or paid a penalty through President Donald Trump taxes. The 5-4 vote ruled in a tweet on March 25, after his in favor of President failed attempt to repeal ACA Obama and the ACA. Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. wrote the majority opinion for the decision. “The ACA’s requirement that certain individuals pay a financial penalty for not obtaining health insurance may reasonably be characterized as a tax,” Roberts wrote.

“Because the Constitution permits such a

tax, it is not our role to forbid it, or to pass upon its wisdom or fairness.”

However this was not the last time the Supreme Court heard a case regarding the ACA. In the June 2015 King v. Burwell Supreme Court case, petitioners claimed that the tax credits given by the act only applied in states with “state-operated exchanges,” and not in every state. The court again ruled 6-3 in favor of the ACA, stating that subsidies would be distributed in all of the states, regardless of they had set up the exchange or not.

President Donald Trump was elected on Nov. 8, 2016 and one of his main campaign points was repealing and replacing the ACA upon taking office. In an interview on FOX News Sunday on Nov. 20, 2016, then Vice-President Elect Mike Pence confirmed this goal.

"Decisions have been made by the president-elect that he wants to focus out of the gate on repealing Obamacare and beginning the process of replacing Obamacare with the kind of free-market solutions that he campaigned on," Pence said.

What is Obamacare?

The main goal of the ACA was to make health insurance more widespread and affordable. The main provision of the act was to almost require insurance by creating a penalty if one seeks medical care without it, and giving subsidies, or a tax break, if they do.

Senior Alyssa Knight is an ardent supporter of the ACA. “Before the ACA, the people who chose not to buy [health] coverage cost American taxpayers anyway,” Knight said. “But after the ACA, at least people who go to the hospital uninsured are paying the fine. With ACA, the poor wouldn’t be forced to use emergency rooms as often because of subsidies to buy health insurance.”

The act offers financial support and requires businesses with more than 50 full time employees to offer health insurance plans to their employees. It also bans insurance companies from denying people with pre-existing conditions health coverage.

While the ACA hoped to alleviate tensions in all of these ways, many people do not support it.

“I was unhappy with the way the law was passed and in addition, I was one of the ‘losers,’” Bennett said. “I lost my insurance coverage as a result of the law, and the replacement policy was more expensive with a higher deductible.”

Many people lost their then existing

health care plans, and it was claimed that the ACA did not lower healthcare costs significantly. By this year, seven years after the act was passed, insurance premiums, or the amount of money that one pays for insurance every month, have risen by 25 percent.

Why Republican Medical Proposal Failed In an effort to repeal and replace Obamacare, the House GOP proposed a bill that would become the next standard for Healthcare nationwide.

This new bill would reduce subsidies given for private insurance, repeal tax penalties for people without insurance, repealed hundreds of billions of dollars collected by taxes that were previously imposed by the ACA and stopped federally funding Planned Parenthood for one year.

On March 24, 2017, it became known that the House of Representatives would not vote the bill into law, so Speaker of the House Paul Ryan, who was one of the biggest proponents of the act, and President Trump decided to pull it before they voted.

While, many Republicans have been trying repeal the act since it’s conception in 2010, the bill ultimately did not have the votes for a variety of reasons.

The Cost. The Joint Committee on Taxation, a joint committee of the United States congress, released that through 2026, repealing the taxes put in by the ACA would cost as much as $600 billion.

The Lack of Content. “I'm not sure that the Republican bill actually addressed some of the core issues, but party leaders promised that subsequent legislation and action

by HHS would,” Bennett said. “That wasn't good enough for many lawmakers, especially on the right. That said, the original Affordable Healthcare bill was hugely complex and so will any repeal/replace legislation be.”

The Demographics. “It benefited the wealthy and cut services for the poor. It separated young/healthy people, the older/ sick, and those with a pre-existing condition in terms of policy and costs,” Knight said.

“The people that had serious, expensive pre-existing conditions had to pay an enormous sum. Older people on fixed incomes would pay as much as five times what they currently pay and young/healthy people would have cheaper policies.”

Even though this was not approved by Congress, it showed a larger divide within the Republican party: those who wanted a complete eradication of the ACA and those who simply wanted to amend it. Representative for New Jersey Rodney Frelinghuysen was one of the Republican congressmen who wanted a change from the ACA. “Seven years after enactment of Obamacare, I wanted to support legislation that made positive changes to rescue health care in America,” Frelinghuysen said in an interview with the New York Times on March 24, 2017. “Unfortunately, the legislation before the House today is currently unacceptable as it would place significant new costs and barriers to care on my constituents in New Jersey.”

Despite initial feedback that the bill was dead, Bennett doesn’t think Obamacare will last. “It has too many problems, not least of which that many insurance companies are pulling out of the exchanges,” Bennett said.

“I'm not sure what will end up happening, but I hope that lawmakers can come together in a bipartisan way to solve the very real problems Americans face regarding health insurance and access to healthcare.”

In an attempt to bring the repeal back into discussion, Speaker Paul Ryan introduced an amendment on April 6 aimed at addressing coverage for sicker Americans.

“This brings us closer to the final agreement that we all want to achieve,” Ryan said in his weekly news conference.

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APRIL 13, 2017 | THE FOURCAST

THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

PHOTO BY PROVIDED BY TAYLOR MOODY

CRUZ, CORNYN AND CITIES

National League of Youth Orsak to serve on Youth, Education, and Families Committee

a

s she sat in a conference room in the Capitol building in Washington D.C. in March, junior Mary Orsak listened to Senator Ted Cruz explain his plan to help cities with their tax plans.

Since Feb. 2016, Orsak has served on the Youth Commission for the city of Dallas, representing District 13, where she received first-hand experience in government.

“As someone who wants to work in the federal government someday, I think that the city government is so important to everyone’s lives because it affects you daily,” Orsak said. “The municipal government is the government that is closest to the people and therefore the most important.”

Following her first National League of Cities conference in November, she applied and was selected to represent the youth perspective as one of five high school juniors or seniors on the Youth, Education and Family committee for the National League of Cities.

The main function of the National League of Cities is for cities to exchange their ideas in order to ensure that all cities are run effectively. While at the City Summit in Pittsburgh last November, she first learned about the opportunities available for civic engagement at the national level.

“I thought the program was really interesting because it allowed for cities to deal with national issues while still maintaining a local focus,” Orsak said. “There is a lot of legislation that affects cities so it is really important to discuss with other cities about what we should do with dif-

ferent legislation.”

Jennifer S. Gates, the Councilmember who represents District 13 on the larger Dallas City Council, echoed Orsak’s sentiments about the benefits of the National League of Cities.

WHAT IS THE YEF COUNCIL? The only council in the NLC that both elected officials and youth representatives OBJECTIVE: To stimulate and support effective city leadership on behalf of children, youth and families CHAIRS: Nan Whaley Mayor of Dayton, Ohio Anita Price Vice Mayor of Roanoke, Virginia KEY ISSUES: K-12 Education Juvenile Crime and Detention Promoting Health and Wellness Economic Empowerment Building a Strong Job Force

“With our colleagues at the national level, we find a lot of common concerns and challenges. It is a forum to be able to share and to get perspective on how other cities have addressed some of the same issues” Gates said.

Additionally, Taylor Moody, the Youth

Commission Coordinator for the City of Dallas, who attended the conference in Washington D.C. with Orsak as she attended her first Youth, Education and Family council meeting, believes that the conference has allowed for Orsak and the rest of the Youth commission to gain new ideas.

“Doing different activities in the city that allow for youth to participate is the biggest impact that the members of the Youth Commission can bring,” Moody said.

“I have been impressed with the work that Mary has done on the Youth Commission and the work that we will do this year.”

During the conference, Orsak furthered her understanding of ways to both improve city life and attend her first meeting for the Youth, Education and Family Committee.

“We had a variety of sessions including building trust within your youth council. We learned about the role of state government and federal government in city legislation,” Orsak said.

In the first Youth, Education and Family Committee meeting, Orsak gained insight into the work of city government and its interaction with the federal government, which is a career she hopes to pursue.

“In the meeting, the big focus was the economic challenge that the head of the National League of Cities, Matt Zone, came up with. There are four parts to the plan in order to improve economic equity,” Orsak said. “We talked about the earned income tax credit element of the plan and how it can be used to foster more economic equity.”

While she enjoyed the Youth, Education

CAPITOL HILL DEBATES Junior Mary Orsak (standing) questions a legislative staffer of Jeb Hensarlin (left) on the congressman's stance on a military buildup.

and Family Committee meeting, according to Orsak, one of her favorite parts of the conference as someone interested in future public service is meeting and interacting with the elected officials at the conference.

“We have the Youth and Young Elected Officials meeting, which is really interesting because you get to meet other young people already serving as mayors or city council members,” Orsak said. “Last year, I met with the mayor of College Park, Maryland. It was really nice meeting with him because he had a lot of expertise on running a city.”

Overall, Orsak believes that the National League of Cities is vital for the continued success of cities across the country.

“The cities have a wonderful opportunity to work with each other and to learn how they can better each other,” Orsak said.

“It is a really important organization because it improves municipal government across the nation by working federally with an emphasis on local politics.”

Katie O'Meara Photo & Graphics Editor

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214.838.1578 FlowerProvisions.com micky@flowerprovisions.com 10859 Shady Trail #107 Ste.107 Dallas, 75220

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THE FOURCAST | APRIL 13, 2017

You need play, process and practice.

features

PHOTO PROVIDED BY MANNING JORDAN

“Long” Way to Broadway

Where’d he get that? p9

➝ STORY BY SHREYA GUNUKULA

Alumna writes play about her senior year in Ed Long’s advisory.

If, by chance, you were in New York City’s East Village on March 2, you would have seen a very familiar headline on The Kraine Theater. The name of Hockaday’s beloved History of Art and Music teacher, Fine Arts Department Chair and Upper School Dean of Students would be emblazoned on the front of the program: “Mr. Long.”

Ed Long was the subject of a recent off-Broadway play written by his former advisee, Manning Jordan ’10.

Seven years after she graduated, Jordan found inspiration in the friendships and dynamic of her advisory and wrote “Mr. Long,” which chronicles the end of senior year for six best friends at Hockaday.

Constant laughter, meaningful conversation and a fair share of typical high school girl drama characterized the Long advisory’s time together.

Tucked away in a secluded corner of the Fine Arts wing, Mr. Long’s office was the perfect safe haven to escape the infamous “Hockabubble” and explore topics that could be otherwise ignored at a privileged, private school.

“It was interesting to kind of have the dynamic of being in an all-girls environment and being so protected and then at the same time, in advisory, we could talk about whatever we wanted and there was no judgment,” Jordan said.

From crushes to college acceptances to politics, the six best friends felt comfortable enough with Long and each other to have honest conversations that evidently stuck with Jordan for years to come. As for Long, the importance of advisories in general does not go unnoticed and he strives to stand up for girls when they need it, but also stand back when they need to be on their own.

“One has to create a climate where it feels natural to have that openness and think beyond the bubble and to some degree ask leading questions to expand their conversations, but there also needs to be a measure of withholding from interference [as an advisor],” Long said.

In terms of translating her experience in advisory into a play, Jordan drew upon an acting career that started at Hockaday. From taking weekly acting classes at St. Mark’s to acting in several one acts created by her friends, Jordan knew in high school that she wanted to be involved in the entertainment industry. After graduating from SMU in 2013 as a film major, she started her journey as a playwright.

“I never considered the fact that I wanted to be a writer, but the things I wanted to talk about and I wanted to see, if you don’t see those things on TV or on stage, I think there is a responsibility to create it yourself,” Jordan said.

After writing and starring in several

comedic plays around New York City, Jor- than that,” Long said. dan took an eight week playwriting class at Despite having so much storyline, JorPrimary Stages, an Off Broadway theater dan did pull some real life elements into the company, and created “Mr. Long.” Her in- play. For example, she recalled a time that spiration at the time of writing the play was Long painstakingly prepared a mince pie centered around her fond memories of advi- for their advisory. sory, but also the appeal of getting back into “He came in one day with a mince pie, the Hockaplaid. and was like, ‘Hey, I made this for y’all.’ We “Honestly, my mindset [in writing the were 18 and thought it was disgusting that he play] was that I just wanted to wear my high brought us a meat pie, but it was actually so school uniform again, but then I was like sweet. I was thinking about how we saw Mr. OK, this could maybe be bigger because the Long at that point in time, and then looking relationship we had with Mr. Long was so back and thinking, gosh, what a nice guy unique,” Jordan said. to listen to us talk about Mixing fact with whatever the hell we were fiction, Jordan weaved talking about,” she said. together a storyline that Long himself recalled One has captured the essence of that he thought they would to create a her friends and Mr. Long, appreciate the traditions but did not necessarily around that dish, but it climate where correlate to real people was not well-received. For or moments. For examJordan, the symbol of the it feels natural ple, in portraying herself pie as a representation of to have that and her five best friends, Long’s ever present, someJordan used none of their times unnoticed friendship openness real names and made all impacted her profoundly and think of the girls in the play hyand made it onto the covbrids of the real life Long er of the play, which is the beyond the advisees. words “Mr. Long” written As for the actual plot bubble and, to on a traditional mince pie. line, Jordan explored the In looking for men some degree, nuance in relationships to play Mr. Long, Jordan between male teachers said that she was only conask leading and students. In the play, cerned about a specific asone of Mr. Long’s advipect in the actors. questions to sees, Sage, is exposed for “He [didn’t have to] expand their having an inappropriate look like or sound like Mr. relationship with a teachI was mostly looking conversations. Long, er and she is humiliated, for this major caring and but Mr. Long serves as kindness, and I also wanther confidante and friend ed this kind of awkward Ed Long Fine Arts through it all. Although distance that could be creDepartment the inappropriate relaated just for the purpose of Chair tionship never actually the play,” Jordan said. occurred at her time at In terms of the girls, Hockaday, Jordan wrote Jordan continued her it in because she realized trend of acting in her own how rare and protected works, and played the she was by having Long as her advisor. character of Jena, a supporting character The balanced relationship with Mr. who often has humorous lines, because she Long that Jordan appreciated so much is wanted to contribute to the comic relief in not a struggle for the long time teacher and the story. For the other five characters, howadvisor, and instead comes quite naturally. ever, she focused on actresses that she had While he notes that there are some differ- good chemistry with on and off stage. ences between himself and his students that “When [the girls] came in, I had them may arise from a generational gap and could read and then asked them questions about prove hard to overcome, gender is definitely themselves, just to kind of see if I would not one of them. want to talk to this person in real life, be“If there was a crisis precipitated by the cause I needed to capture that on stage: that use of social media within the advisory, I’m camaraderie and sisterhood,” Jordan said. not the guru and wouldn’t be recognized as Days before her first opening night, such. But difference in gender…isn’t a dai- Jordan emailed Long about the play. Even ly awareness because I have great students though the work was not entirely about and that’s what counts. The fact that they him, Jordan still wanted to let him know; happen to be girls is a terrific coincidence, unfortunately, Long never opened the but sometimes it’s not [anything] more email in time, and instead heard about

PLAYING THE PART Manning Jordan ‘10, Emma Clare O’Connor, Charlotte Grady, Rebecca Lampiasi, MarJay Smith and Kristen Krak played the six Long advisees pictured and made sure to have good chemistry to convey the Hockaday sisterhood.

the play for the first time almost a month later when students found a review of “Mr. Long” online. Although he was initially surprised and a little wary of his name being used in such a public way, Long said that he would have loved to have seen the play to support Jordan.

Although Long was not in attendance, many alumnae, both from Jordan’s graduating class and others, heard about the play from Facebook and word of mouth and traveled to see it.

One of the alumna in attendance, Meredith Menache ’11, said, “It was almost surreal to see girls in Hockaday skirts on stage outside of a Form Day skit, but it was really amazing to support another Hockadaisy in the city, and I really enjoyed it.”

Echoing Menache’s thoughts was Sarah Jane Schneider ’10 who is not only an alumna, but also one of the six best friends in the Long advisory that is portrayed in the play.

“She really captured all of the nuances of our group of friends and the overall tone of advisory. She balanced fact and fiction well and captured the candid role I played in our friend group,” Schneider said.

Something that both Schneider and Menache noticed was the Hockaday-specific elements of the play that only Daisies would understand. Whether it was references to shoe passes, advisory itself, or the whole concept of an all-girls dynamic, the factual allusions did not go unnoticed by alumnae in attendance.

In addition to Schneider, the four other Long advisees referenced in the play also came out to support Jordan. The whole group had not reunited in a couple of years after spreading out across the country for college, and the play provided the perfect reason to see each other again.

“Mr. Long” received good reviews from alumna and critics alike. Regina Robbins from theater review site, theasy.com, called her play, “an effective study of womanhood in the 21st century.”

Jordan created this play not only as an homage to her senior year advisory, but also as a statement about growing up and losing your innocence.

“I was playing with the idea of having the safety of the girls in this private, privileged school and the issues from the outside world that they can’t be hidden from,” she said.

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features

APRIL 13, 2017 | THE FOURCAST

➝

Former Long advisee produces play

p.10

p.9

Hockaday conserves energy and resources

Alum works as trapeze artist

PHOTO BY ALI HURSTN

p.7

THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

MAKING A DIFFERENCE

Peeyr to Peeyr

Seniors tutor students at the Plano-based nonprofit, Peeyr

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n a dimly-lit Starbucks on the corner of Coit and Preston, senior Wendy Ho sat bent over Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “I Have a Dream Speech” as she explained rhetorical devices to her mentee, Luke Acosta, a sophomore at John Paul II High School. With Ho’s help, Acosta was able to acquire speech analysis skills that he was not able to practice in his English class.

Ho, along with senior Kate Keough, started her work with Plano-based tutoring company Peeyr this February to help struggling students like Acosta gain the confidence needed for success in the classroom.

According to its website, Peeyr prides itself on harnessing the power of one’s peers to help a student excel on both standardized tests like the SAT and ACT, as well as in core academic classes.

Keough and Ho were driven to apply for a position at Peeyr after they learned about it from classmate Jenny Zhu this past January. And after submitting a written application and their official test scores, they were invited to interview with the co-founders, Pat Dayton and Gautam Bhargava, as well as Product Experience Head Kush Singh.

Singh, who spends most of his time designing the website and teaching tutors how to use the Peeyr platform, was impressed

by Keough and Ho’s composure and intelligence during the interview. Their experience of having worked in the past with

1 SIX QUESTIONS

kevin brady

How’d you get into ceramics?

Since I was about five years old, that was my first ceramics class. I remembered it because the teacher was so amazing. I spent a short time in military school. I went to a Jesuit high school in my hometown. The football and track coach was also the art teacher. He was very encouraging.

2

I’ve heard you went to John Denver’s wedding.

Can you tell me a little bit about that?

I briefly met him. His wedding was in Aspen, Colorado, on Buttermilk Mountain. It seems like a lifetime ago. A friend of mine was good friends with him. With him and his wife, I ended up tagging along as a plus one.

3

and track the student’s progress towards her goals.

For example, in her tutoring sessions with Acosta, Ho reports the specific chemistry and English concepts that they tackle in each individual lesson.

Most recently, Acosta recalled working on quote analysis from eminent speechwriters, including Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. “It was a good discussion and we tried to decode [MLK’s] language,” he said.

Acosta uses his lessons with Wendy to fill in gaps in his understanding.

“In class, there is a PowerPoint in class and there is no interaction between the teacher and the student,” Acosta said. “My work with Wendy is more about the deeper meanings about what the lines meant and the paragraphs meant.”

He also believed that his relationship with Ho is more personal, since she is closer to his age than an adult tutor.

“We are good friends and acquaintances and it’s not really so much a teacher/student relationship because we are both in high school,” Luke said.

And Acosta benefits from working with a peer. “A high schooler has been in similar situations and has gone over that same basic curriculum,” he said.

While both community service and tutoring with Peeyr involve working with younger students, Ho said this work is dif-

What’s one thing you wish people knew about ceramics?

For some folks, it’s much more difficult than it looks. You need play, process and practice.

4

When did you first come to Hockaday, and what did you teach?

When I came to Hockaday in 1984, I came to teach photography, ceramics and sculpture. The photo lab was in Tarry House under the stairs. The ceramics studio was in a portable building where the child care center is.

5

REACHING OUT Senior Jenny Zhu tutors Madison Witzig in the SAT verbal section every Wednesday at the Starbucks on Coit and Preston from 8:30 to 9:30 p.m.

ferent than her previous community service experiences at schools like Uplift Preparatory School.

“At Uplift, you’re both a babysitter and a tutor, but with Peeyr, you are a tutor and older friend,” she said.

And in addition to the relationships that they have forged along the way, both Ho and Keough believe they have gained invaluable skills from these jobs - their first jobs.

“I think [tutoring at Peeyr] is a direct application of your education and you get money and the opportunity to help someone else,” Ho said.

Keough agreed. “There will be SAT material that you forgot from two years ago and you just have to make the most of the situation,” Keough said. “This was my first job and it has really taught me to think on my feet.”

Eshani Kishore Features Editor

Before Hockaday, what did you do?

My first teaching job was for the Hallmark Foundation in Kansas City as a kid when I taught other kids from different school areas. When I went to graduate school, I had a teaching fellowship at UNT. After I graduated there with my MFA, I taught a semester design course.

6

What do you do with all your ceramics artwork?

I sell the pieces. I work with different galleries and shops. My collection of different pieces that I’ve collected are in my house. My garage is full of pieces that are waiting to be finished.

PHOTO BY MARIA HARRISON

You may know Kevin Brady as an Upper School ceramics teacher, but read on to learn more about how he got involved with the art.

younger students through Hockaday’s tutoring program at Uplift Preparatory School gave their applications an edge.

“Kate and Wendy had prior tutoring experience, which was attractive to us,” Singh said.

“For this reason, we had full confidence that they would be great tutors.”

Keough and Ho attended an orientation about Peeyr on Jan. 7 at the University of Texas at Dallas to prepare and get acquainted with the program. According to Singh, the orientation covered the mission of the company and how to best accommodate different students and their needs.

“With personalization, these students who haven’t had a lot of experience in these courses in the past can really succeed,” Singh said. “We want [tutors] to make every session as interesting as possible so that students are actually learning.”

Keough can attest to the idea that Peeyr’s personalization is necessary, as each student’s personality is unique. “One of my girls is a very quiet ninth grader who treats me like I am way older than her, and I also have another ninth grader and we have more of a friendship,” she said.

For all of their sessions with students like these, Keough and Ho receive a personalized tutoring schedule that outlines the lesson to teach and how to teach it. After each session, they fill out a log to evaluate

features

HOCKADAYFOURCAST.ORG

THE FOURCAST | APRIL 13, 2017

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FOOD & HERBS Six large pots of herbs sit outside the Hockaday kitchen. Under SAGE manager Liz Flannery, the dining staff has grown many of the herbs fed to the school’s population in-house for the fall. “I’m getting ready to plant some more for the spring. This year, I have a couple garden beds coming, and I hope to put a few more herbs back there, keep it going,” Flannery said. “It may not seem like a huge thing, but it's nice so that we don't have to get those things trucked in.”

SAGE has also helped the school cut down on transportation by purchasing local foods. So far, it has sourced ingredients from nearby farms such as Edinburgh Farms. “Not only is it an environmental boon for the local economy, but you also don’t have transport issues, and the food is fresher,” Lindsay-Hudak said.

BOXES, UTENSILS, ETC. IN THE DINING HALL Hockaday has officially stopped usage of Styrofoam cups or utensils, which are made from Styrene – a material classified as a possible human carcinogen by both the EPA and by the International Agency for Research on Cancer. Styrene can have detrimental health effects on workers who help create Styrofoam projects.

Instead, the paper utensils used on occasion, along with the many other implements and utilities in the dining hall, are all biodegradable. Boxes from the kitchen that once carried food are either placed in Hockaday’s recycling compactor, or the “faculty and staff can take them away to use,” according to Lindsay-Hudak.

Hockaday Goes Green School takes steps to be more environmentally friendly and educate its students

SCIENCE CLASSES In the classroom, science faculty help students interact and understand their relationship with the world around them. Upper School science teacher Kirsten Lindsay-Hudak, who leads AP Environmental Science and AP Human Geography, involves the environment in both these courses. While AP Environmental Science focuses more directly on the subject, AP Human Geography also involves a large environmental component. “We talk about how the earth itself has directed human history. But nowadays, we change the surface of the earth,” Lindsay-Hudak said. “And so in that way, we’re discussing environmental issues like the building of cities, agriculture, water, and how our presence and those factors have changed the earth itself.”

MOTION SENSORS According to Lindsay-Hudak, an often-overlooked way that Hockaday works toward being eco-friendly is its usage of motion sensors, which automatically shut off when not being use. “Even in small things like these motion sensors in the classroom, you might have no idea how much energy that actually saves,” Lindsay-Hudak said.

Energy researchers call power consumption by devices not in use miscellaneous electrical load. This seemingly innocuous power consumption can still have a large impact, as a 2008 study attributed as high as 27 percent of home electricity use, and 10 percent of U.S. electricity use overall, to MEL. Even minute gestures like implementing automatic shutoff devices can have far-reaching effects on electricity usage. take away two hours of my life.

SCIENCE BUILDING As Facilities Manager Mark Buschardt points out, the new Science Center meets the requirements to be considered environmentally friendly by the Environmental Protection Agency and is thus LEAD-certified.

According to the EPA website, a firm must use “renovators...trained

by EPA-approved training providers and follow lead-safe work practices” to fulfill this requirement, as well as take special precautions to minimize the usage of lead in renovating the building.

“LEAD certification is actually a really big deal, and it’s relatively hard to get. It’s very cool, because getting a LEAD certification was actually one of the school's top priorities for this building,” Burschardt said.

But Lindsay-Hudak’s aim in these courses is not to express her own experiences with the environment personally. “I want students to figure out, ‘What do they want their lives to look like? What do they want their quality of life to be?’” Lindsay-Hudak said. “And then, how can they do that so that every person has the opportunity to do that and every generation has the opportunity to have the same choices?”

Jenny Zhu Editor-in-Chief ILLUSTRATIONS BY SARI WYSSBROD

where’d

lucio benedetto

he get that?

History teacher Lucio Benedetto reflects on his clothing style and how it has evolved over the years.

A look into unique fashions of individuals at Hockaday

Q: How has your style changed over the years?

Sport coat,

Sweater,

Brooks Brothers “I tend to shop at Brooks Brothers for my work clothing, and I go to Joe's Jeans for more casual clothing.”

Brooks Brothers "Blazers and shoes are my favorite articles of clothing."

When I was in college, I was more into the punk and new wave scene. I have tended since then to like subdued and monochrome colors.

Q: Online or store?

I like going to the store to try on for sizes, but I sometimes drift more to online because I get frustrated if they don’t have the color or size.

Q: As a history teacher, what time period or past trend do you most admire for men’s fashion?

Shoes,

Magnanni from Nordstrom "If I had only one pair of shoes, it'd be my Magnanni dress sneakers. They dress down and up and are good to go most anywhere."

Probably the Mad Men era with the nice suits, white shirts, ties and hats.

Twill pants, Joe's Jeans

PHOTO BY MARIA HARRISON

"As you can probably tell, I usually wear darks like blacks, grays, and dark purples."

Q: Outside of school, what would one find you in?

Casual wear from American Giant.

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features

APRIL 13, 2017 | THE FOURCAST

THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

PHOTO BY PROVIDED BY MACKENZIE MILLER

FLYING HIGH

Leaping into Adventure Alumna Mackenzie Miller works as a trapeze artist

s

he flies through the air like a weightless bird. She forms friendships in the sky. You may have spotted her, a frequent visitor, in the Hockaday gym, in the middle school hallways or even teaching your class as a substitute. For alumna Mackenzie Miller ‘03, her dream job as a trapeze artist and instructor has become her full-time occupation at the Skyline Trapeze, Dallas’ first trapeze rig.

Miller hasn't always been a flying fanatic. Before her career as a trapeze artist, she was an engineer at Amec Foster Wheeler Engineering Firm and later, at NTE Energy. While at Hockaday, Miller was always interested in learning how her surroundings work and enjoyed her math and science classes.

“By the time I had graduated from Hockaday, I really knew I enjoyed engineering and felt that I should pursue it,” Miller said. However, in 2012, after working as an engineer for seven years, her trajectory turned towards the airy art, when a friend posted a video on Facebook of trapeze lessons. From then on, Miller was hooked.

“I didn’t know normal people could do something so cool,” Miller said. But in reality, this seemingly different interest of trapeze swinging also involves Miller’s first interest: the sciences. Trapeze uses the basic components of physics, and how these laws apply to a body in mid-flight.

“You’re using pendulum physics and mechanics to generate a swing and do these tricks,” Miller said. “You have to be physically capable and also have that physics

background to help understand how to do these things.”

She has been teaching at Skyline Trapeze for the past two years and has been captivated by the demanding sport since her first lesson. She teaches students young to old, from those who come once to cross it off their bucket list, to “frequent fliers” who do trapeze for a hobby.

Mackenzie may have been drawn to this daring sport due to its the recent growth in popularity. This exciting, but demanding sport has become a favorite for A-listers such as supermodel Gisele Bundchen and actor Hugh Jackman.

“Trapeze, with its creativity, grace and adrenaline boost, is the latest favourite among those seeking more than a buff body from exercise,” wrote Peta Bee in a recent story about the sport in The Guardian newspaper. “Recreational trapeze really started in Club Med 40 years ago and in the early 2000s it transitioned to the U.S in a couple very small operations, but since it has blown up into a whole fitness, community craze,” Donovan Chandler, President and fellow flyer at Skyline Trapeze said.

Skyline Trapeze is a seasonal rig, since the program is held outdoors. But during her off-season in the winter, Miller ventures outwards to keep active in the sport finding new gigs everywhere, such as teaching trapeze on the beach with her friend in Costa Rica, instructing the art on cruise ships sailing across the world and joining a small circus, called a “mud-show.”

And if you are thinking trapeze artists belong in a circus, you are right. This past

THE BOARDER LINE What’s happening in boarding right now Each year, House Council plans a special event in which the halls compete against one another. Last year, it was the “Amazing Race.” This year, on Thursday, March 30, House Council hosted “Hall Wars,” in which each hall competed in games to win points, in the field next to Linda P. Custard Upper School and Middle School Hall. The games ranged from an egg balance race to tug of war to a balloon toss with launchers. At the end of the games, each person in the hall that had the most points got to choose their prize: either a gift card to a food spot or an outing to a food spot with the entire hall.

House Council President Maria Sailale said, “‘Hall Wars’ is something we did to establish some camaraderie between the halls and have healthy competition.’”

This year, Upper Trent, who finished in first place, celebrated with cookie cake.

GIVE IT A TUG Members of the Upper Morgan Residence Hall compete against girls in Upper Trent in a tug-of-war competition held in the early afternoon on March 30.

winter, she ran away with “The Valentine's Mighty America Circus,” a small family circus run by trapeze child prodigy Ray Valentine. The crew and her travelled all over the U.S, but mostly around the south-west to Colorado, Arizona and New Mexico. As part of the group, she took on various tasks such as working behind the scenes, promoting the act, and on occasion, performing as well.

Trapeze is a team sport that relies on trust with partners in the sky, and thus she has formed many relationships with her fellow instructors. Miller has many coworkers who she flies with, but flies most often with the president and founder of Skyline Trapeze Donovan Chandler.

“Mackenzie, in a few words, is persistently willing to work. She has no problem putting in the repetitions and gets fairly irritated when she isn’t given the opportunity to put in that time,” Chandler said.

Miller has always been interested into outdoorsy and adventurous activities as her mother, Barbara Miller, a current Lower School teacher recalled, “She hikes, plays Ultimate Frisbee and did lots of sports, like softball at Hockaday and the college level.

She has also tried balboa dancing, which is a form of ‘30s swing dancing.”

She stressed the coolest part of her job was that her family and friends were 100 percent supportive of everything she does.

Her two sisters, also Hockaday alumnae, and Mrs. Miller wanted her to follow a career and interests that she loved, even if that meant taking time off from being an engineer to work as a trapeze artist.

“Every single person whose opinion I cared about who I told, knew how passionate I was about it and wanted me to follow my dream,” Miller said. “I was scared that [they] would be disappointed or thought I was giving up.”

And after two years on the trapeze, Miller has taken her career to the next level. She is currently working on tricks that will wow and amaze the crowd such as layouts, twisting and flipping. But she knows that even with all her hard work, she still has a long way to go - masters aren't made in a day.

“I love that you can always be better and that there is always more challenge for you. You have never perfected something, because you can always do it quicker, higher or with more grace and style,” Miller said.

Outside of trapeze, Miller is still a part of the Hockaday community, and substitutes for seventh grade science often. She still lives in Dallas, even though she admitted she has only been in Dallas five days this year, since she travels all across the world for her job to countries such as China, New Zealand and Costa Rica.

“If you are trying to decide whether to follow the path to become a trapeze artist, give it a try, follow your heart, do something you are passionate about, and then train hard, figure out what your goals are, and find a supportive community who will help you with them,” Miller said.

Paige Halverson Staff Writer

HOCKADAYFOURCAST.ORG

THE FOURCAST | APRIL 13, 2017

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While Dallas is known to be the home of many department stores and chain restaurants, the city’s local smaller boutiques and shops are selling some of the most natural, wholesome and unique items the shopping scene has to offer. Whether you are looking for stationery or sweet confections, here is your guide to shopping local.

city slicker

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Macarons, dainty and meringuebased French pastries, are delicate, two-bite treats to satisfy any sweet tooth craving. With their main store at The Craft Kitchen in Plano as well as a stand at the Dallas Farmer’s Market, Chelles Macarons are baking some of the most delectable macarons in Dallas, with flavors ranging from fruity pebbles to red velvet. For the month of April, they will be offering limited-edition {blank flavored} macarons. Packaged in simple, paper boxes, macarons come in six or 12 “mac pacs” or in macaron towers for larger parties and special occasions.

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Based on the idea that Lucky Dog Barkery is the “kind of store your dog would build,” this local shop in Preston Center Plaza offers a variety of top-notch treats, chews and kibble for all of your furry friends. Many of its kibble options are free from any synthetic ingredients, ensuring that Dallas’s canines are fed the crème de la crème of dog food. Besides its stock of wholesome and all-natural food options, Lucky Dog also sells the trendiest sweaters, shirts, collars and even booties too so that dogs leave their store stylish and ready to take on the world.

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Juice and smoothie shops are popping up on every street in Dallas, but I Am the Juice Place in downtown Dallas has one of the most extensive menus, with options ranging from juice, smoothies, coffee and hot chocolate. Not to mention, while you drink your mango and pineapple smoothie or your carrot and beet juice, you also have the option to sit back and relax with an array of board games, coloring books, magazines and coffee-table books.

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With products available online at www.breallyhappy.com or at The RitzCarlton Spa downtown, b|happy is a homegrown all-natural bath, body, and home fragrance company. Started

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As an aesthetically pleasing store itself adorned with neon lights and wooden furniture, {neighborhood} in Bishop Arts District sells local and handmade goods that are truly one of a kind. In its furniture section, the store sells everything from beds, sofas and kitchen appliances. A quick browse through its stationery and prints section will leave you with a few quirky birthday cards and art pieces in hand. The Bishop Arts District includes a plethora of local stores, but {neighborhood} is a Dallas gem that cannot be passed up.

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Epiphany Boutique

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Just a few steps down from {neighborhood} in the Bishop Arts District, Epiphany specializes in both women’s and men’s apparel and sells an eclectic mix of clothing, jewelry and decoration trinkets for the house.

While you will find popular brands like Free People or Joe’s Jeans within their racks, the establishment also support local artisans, like Costilla Creek and her handmade jewelry.

With reasonable prices, Epiphany is an ideal boutique to shop for some cute spring or summer outfits without breaking the bank.

Aurelia Han A&E Editor

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THE FOURCAST | THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

in fo

THE

Junior Anden Suarez sto downtown Dallas, fired up her frustration. She was she experienced was sha over 673 cities and seve women, children and me solidarity against gende

“It seems like a crowd that under man we have elected into our office an arez said.

And as Suarez was in the southwe der to shoulder in Washington D.C. w 590,000 people filled the route along The day after the inauguration of the united under the feminist mission to vo “One of the biggest effects of Pre protests,” Giles said. “Almost every we think it set a standard for speaking ou Women have demanded equality block-lettered signs and taken to the political climate has empowered mor united than ever and have joined forc

Welcome to Wave Three The feminist fight is not new. In the suffrage, the right to vote for politica their everyday life. The second wave o manding equal pay. Now, the third wa be a woman and redefining traditiona Upper school history teacher Trac she began her training in 2004 at Qua Walder entered a class of 45 people, on Walder felt she was treated as an equa rumors about plastic surgery. Making forced her to work twice as hard to co “I did it all and became an FBI ag have to endure,” Walder said. “I wa carried myself. I had never been ma feminist now.”

Similar to Walder, women of the m al gender roles and defy established in media, along with our current politica face without a woman having to exper As the label “Feminist” has dropp provoked empathy, not only have mor also women of a younger age are ide junior Maye McPhail, who found hers the women’s movement after hearing York, CITYterm at the Masters Schoo Although McPhail had always beli using her voice to challenge the alway from Boston inspired her as he had school and by doing so lost many frien “His message to me was that speak than those friends ever would have,” M

The ‘F’ Word The word ‘Feminism’ has been ba ever, third wave feminists are workin trated by the assumptions that linger feminists are supposed to be self-suffi at home.

As a feminist, Walder believes it ca the meaning of it every day. She thinks about choice.

“You can be a feminist and love to partner with your husband or whoeve

There is always something else you can d Just calling yourself a feminist isn't enou

Junior Maye McPh

a broad agenda,” Davis said.

In the past, Upper School English as your stereotypical feminist. Howeve refer to her as “sweetheart,” Hamilto meant to her.

“I had a picture in my mind of a fe more I hear feminism defined, I align As an English teacher, Hamilton h be Feminists,” because she believes fem “It’s anyone who believes in equal feminist,” Hamilton said.

ocus

HOCKADAYFOURCAST.ORG | APRIL 13, 2017

THIRD WAVE:

ood alongside her mom in p by a crowd that matched s not alone; the feeling ared all over the world. In en continents, 4,956,000 en flooded the streets in er inequality on Jan. 21.

A NEW FEMINISM

STORY BY AMELIA BROWN AND EMILY FULLER | ILLUSTRATION BY BRENDA LEE

rstood the things happening in our country and the kind of nd that is people who care about the attacks on women,” Su-

est part of the country, alumna Lainey Giles ‘16 stood shoulwith thousands of other women. She was unable to march as g the National Mall towards the White House. e 45th president, angered by his portrayal of women, protesters oice their concerns about gender inequality. esident Trump’s inauguration in D.C. is it is sparking more eekend there is a march here for something different and so I ut about different issues.” y since the beginning of the 20th century, they have held streets during different times in history; however, today, the re women to stand up and take action. Women stand more ces to demand change.

e first wave in the early 20th century, women mainly targeted al candidates who could make legislative decisions affecting of feminism during the 1960s and 1970s oversaw women deave, focuses on broadening the category of what it means to al gender roles. cy Walder has come to embody a third wave feminist. When antico, the Federal Bureau of Investigation training academy, nly 6 of which were women. Unlike her time in the CIA, where al, at Quantico she immediately became defined by fabricated g each training target that much further away, Walder’s peers omplete her training, even though she succeeded in the end. gent, but what I had to endure I don’t think anyone should as harassed for the way that I looked and the way that I arginalized like that before; maybe that’s why I am such a

millennial generation have been taught to challenge traditionnequalities. These lesson are not only held the classroom; the al climate, facilitates realizations of the injustices that women rience these injustices firsthand. ped some of its negative baggage and these realizations have re women in general been able to identify with the word, but entifying with the movement. One of these young women is self inspired in this political climate to become more vocal in g the voices of her peers at a semester away program in New ol, that she is currently enrolled in. ieved in the feminist cause, she sometimes shied away from ys lingering presence of sexism. However, one of her friends spoken out against race issues in his predominantly white nds. king out for what I believe in would end up fulfilling me more McPhail said.

attered by “radial” stereotypes and false conclusions; howng to erase these classifications. Walder has remained frusr with the word feminism. She disagrees with the belief that fficient and should not want to aspire to have kids and stay

an mean a multitude of things and that women are changing s feminism is now becoming more inclusive and is inherently

o sew, want to be at home, love your children and want be a er you are with. I’m a feminist that puts my family first, loves to bake, sew and cook,” Walder said.

We have seen this stigma before. In 1996, for example, while former Texas senator Wendy Davis, known for her filibuster do. blocking an anti-abortion bill, was running for city council, she was asked by a reporter ugh. if she was a feminist. Not wanting to jeopardize her political future, she answered “no.” hail “I was afraid of being categorized as having a single-minded agenda, when I wanted

h teacher Summer Hamilton shared Davis’ fear of identifying er, after working at an engineering firm and hearing her boss on began to look past the label and redefine what feminism

eminist being an angry woman yelling at men; however, the n,” Hamilton said. has her students read Chimamanda Adichie’s “We Should all minism should be universal. l treatment for women. Since I believe in that, I guess I’m a

A United Movement But feminism has not always been a fight for all women. Before the civil rights movement, the feminist fight was a fight led by white women for white women only. However, with the recent surge, women of all backgrounds have united, realizing that having a different skin color, home country or beliefs does not make you any less of a women or any less deserving of equal rights.

Kim Morris, President of Liberal Ladies Who Lunch in Dallas, has watched the movement grow more inclusive as she experienced the second wave on a college campus and now is experiencing the third wave as a retired political activist.

“The inclusivity of the women’s movement has always been a problem,” Morris said. “In the 1950s and 1960s it was a white woman's struggle and it wasn’t until after civil rights that there was an opportunity for white women to turn around and say our black sister’s, our Hispanic sisters and our [Asian] sisters are not moving up like they should.”

Additionally, Walder sees the lack of focus within the movement, as a direct cause of its recent growth and inclusivity. Instead of establishing exclusive stances on specific issues or aligning with a particular political party, the movement has expanded to include a greater variety of women.

“I do think that women who voted for Trump can be a part of this movement. I think there is a tendency among extreme liberals not to talk to ‘Trumpies’; however, we cannot just marginalize a group like that. You need to do something to make them understand you,” Walder said.

Many women have realized that it no longer comes down to your political party. Feminism has grown to represent a movement for total equality of the sexes and has risen beyond many of the issues of partisan politics.

“I guarantee you there were people at the women's march that were pro-life but they still felt represented by that march which I felt was really powerful because at the end of the day feminist is about women coming together,” McPhail said.

However, there is still progress to be made.

Hamilton has felt division within the movement as she realized that some of the issues and discrimination that she has faced her whole life, have just recently reached and been addressed by white women. Watching tensions explode on Twitter between women of color and white feminists for instance, she sees this clash as a minor setback in the overall progress that has been made.

“You have to go through the little bumps and tensions. The fact that there is a conversation about it shows progress,” Hamilton said.

With this progress comes hope. Hamilton believes that when all women learn to come together and forget their differences, true progress will be made.

“I am very hopeful about the world. I think that all movements that concern the rights of people should be linked. How can you be so concerned about one group and not about another? Everyone should care,” Hamilton said.

Suarez agrees with Hamilton in that feminism should be a movement connected to all other movements fighting for human rights.

“We need to unify feminism. We are already divided enough as a country. The people supporting feminism do not also need to be divided,” Suarez said. “We need to leave that 20th century and 19th century white feminism behind and get a broader sense of what equality should look like.”

What Happens Next Being at a semester away program has allowed McPhail to realize that there is no perfect feminist.

“I thought that I was a super feminist, but there were things that I didn’t know. There is always something else you can do. Just calling yourself a feminist isn’t enough,” McPhail said.

McPhail learned that to embrace a feminist title you have to speak up and support this label with your actions. Whether this be in their home, school or the world, any little action counts.

Hamilton also holds herself accountable to speak up when she hears a sexist comment or something degrading women. She sees it as her responsibility to educate her child to look past traditional gender roles.

“The things that you hear that can seem innocuous, but yet they are placing women in certain categories or classifications,” Hamilton said. “So whether I am at work or at home, I want to speak up when I hear something that’s problematic.”

And Suarez reinforces that a woman must hold herself accountable to stand up for herself even when it may not be convenient.

“I think activism is a constant state. I don’t think you go to your march and then are done,” Suarez said.

Encouraged by the political climate of the 2016 presidential elections, Davis founded Deeds Not Words, a non-profit organization that inspires women to follow the path to activism, because she believes that women’s voices belong in the political world. Through Deeds not words, Davis provides women of all backgrounds and political beliefs with the tools they need to get involved in this fight. She believes women should stand together to make a change.

“We work to demystify the legislative process and help women find a way into rooms where their voices can be heard,” Davis said.

In the Deeds not Words website, Davis provides women with sample letters from legislators, toolkits and a network of veterans to consult for advice.

“It [the lack of women in office] stresses the importance of women coming forward and speaking their truth and pushing for issues that they care about,” Davis said.

Walder takes it to the next step, she believes that a female president is the best way to generate change. In addition to female representatives, regardless of their political party, Walder sees the election of a female president as a necessary step in changing the overall perception of women and destroying traditional gender roles.

“I think if we want to see change in this country, our leader at the top needs to be a female so that everybody can become comfortable with that,” Walder said.

However, change is coming. After the inauguration, a record number of women of all parties have risen to the challenge and began campaigning for office. Even though Hillary Clinton’s campaign ended in a loss, Hamilton sees this influx of women involved in politics as progress.

“It’s important to note when progress is being made even when it's not exactly what you want yet or fully accomplished, even that [women in recent election] is a sign of progress and to keep pushing,” Hamilton said.

McPhail also has faith that this progress will continue. She has watched more women, including her mother, realize that they can’t stay silent in our changing political climate.

“I hope that will continue to happen and more women will realize they need to speak up,” McPhail said. “I think there needs to be acceptance that feminism is a bipartisan issue,” McPhail said.

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APRIL 13, 2017 | THE FOURCAST

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Mercat Bistro will make you feel like you are sitting on the French Riviera.

Food Review pg17

PHOTO BY PALOMA RENTERIA

Another Cinderella Story ➝

“

THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

STORY BY ELIZABETH GUO

Hockaday Daisy Company Prepares for "Cinderella" On April 24 and 25, Hockaday Daisy Company, which comprises six freshman theater students, will perform an original rendition of “Cinderella” for the Lower School. However, their performance will be a far cry from the trite, traditional western fairy tale of this wellknown princess; they will be performing four variations of the “Cinderella” story from around the globe, all in one play.

While brainstorming ideas for the Daisy Company’s spring production, Drama Teacher Emily Gray wanted to give the students an opportunity for performance that demonstrated their growth as actors over the course of the year. At the same time, Gray wished to reach out to other divisions of the school.

“In Upper School, we do lots of different things after school or in the musical, but we rarely share our talents and fruits of our labor with the Lower School,” Gray said. “I thought, as a community, we should share what we have and what we do.”

Gray decided that the Hockaday Lower School students would be a fitting audience for the Daisy Company’s next play. According to Gray, plays aimed at younger children are a niche that remains to be filled. In addition, many children’s plays that have already been published are too time consuming to prepare considering the class time available to the Daisy Company actors.

For these reasons, the Daisy Company decided to write their own play as a group, an unprecedented feat in the Hockaday Theater Department. In this way, the actors would be able to tailor their own play to fit their parameters. Gray, however, also had a deeper wish for the play.

“I want [the play] to be a very inclusive piece in terms of the main story. I don’t want it to be white-centric and be a sweet little story that doesn’t include a lot of people,” Gray said. “I thought, ‘How do we make sure that a diverse audience feels like the play is for everyone?’”

After researching, reading and improvising with various children’s stories and poems, the Daisy Company kept returning to the Cinderella story.

“Even though we liked the story, we didn’t think it something that was particularly interesting to regurgitate,” Gray said.

“We did a bit of research on it, and it turns out that the Cinderella story is, in some way or other, present in almost every language and every culture in the world, going back hundreds of years. They're not exactly the same, but they share similar features.”

After examining 14 different versions of “Cinderella” from the globe, the Daisy Company ultimately decided to include four variations of the story in their play.

The first variation depicts the Western story of “Cinderella,” originating from the German Grimm’s Fairy Tales. The second variation comes from Egypt, telling the story of a Greek slave girl with a talent for dancing who is bought and brought over to Egypt. The third variation originates from Zimbabwe. Lastly, the fourth variation is Polish, in which the Cinderella character is a boy from a Jewish family who meets a rabbi and falls in love with his daughter.

Setting the Stage Not only is the premise of the play a stand-out factor, but the stage direction itself will be unique creation. The four corners of the black box theater will represent the four countries with their respective stories. These four corners will be connected by pathways painted on the floor; some will resemble dusty gravel pathways, while others will be stone, grass or dirt. Finally, the pathways will meet in the middle of the room, which will be marked by a fountain.

Preparing the Play “The whole black box is the stage, and For freshman Lily Forbes, a member the Lower School students will sit on the of the Daisy Company, the most enjoyable stage,” Gray said. “They will sit in chunks, part about working on the play is the col- and there are pathways between them laborative experience of writing the script where the actors can move between the together. groups of children.”

“My favorite The action will thus take part of being in it is place in the four corners, the fact that we got though the actors will also to come up with come to the middle and travel the story,” Forbes between the sections.

I thought, as a said. “We each got “It’s immersive theater in community, we the ability to rethat the audience is really in search different the middle of it,” Gray said. should share cultures and their “It’s not like the actors are in Cinderella stories, one place and the audience is what we have and then we got separated from them. They’re and what we do. all part of the same space.” to mold it into one story.”

However, crafting the imAccording to mersive experience has proven Forbes, creating to be a challenge. the script is a flu“Since we are performing id process. Most in a style where the kids sit on Emily Gray of the inspiration the stage, we need to make Drama Teacher stems from improsure everyone can see everyvisation sessions, thing that’s happening around in which the actors them,” Forbes said. give an imprompAnother engaging feature tu performance of of the Daisy Company’s play a scene and then is that hooks will be placed build it from there. along the walls where actors, “We’ll devise in full view of the audience, what we think the will take off one piece of their scene should be,” Gray said. “Then we’ll all costume and put on a different piece to sigtalk about it together and we’ll change a lit- nify a change of character. Additionally, tle bit and do it again and again.” the actors will break character after each Likewise, casting the roles has been an of the four stories to allow for a “wiggle entirely collaborative and smooth process in break” for the Lower School students. which the students divide the roles amongst While the members of the Daisy Comthemselves. Students who feel particularly pany have been working on designing drawn or interested in one role simply ex- blocking and organizing props for their press their desire to play the character. As performance, students from the Hockaday there are six members of the Daisy Compa- technical, set and costumes crew have also ny, each can have the opportunity to play a been an integral part of putting the play different role in all four variations. together.

“In the first one, which is classic CinFreshman Helena Magee is the lightderella, I’m playing Cinderella. In the sec- ing designer and light board operator for ond one, the Egyptian version, I’m the the Cinderella play. As such, she along equivalent of the stepsisters,” Forbes aid. “In with freshman Maisy Crow, have designed the one from Zimbabwe, I’m the old wise and hung dozens of fixtures, focusing on woman who is like the fairy godmother. In color and intensity to create depth and the final story, I’m also a stepsister.” variation.

IN CHARACTER Freshmen Phoebe Sanders, Sidney Wang and Celese Gierhart rehearse a scene for their Cinderella play. The actors spent class after class devising, improvising and then polishing their scenes in order to create one unique and fresh play containing four distinctive stories.

“We plan to continue experimenting with fixture placement and begin finalizing certain combinations of lights to emphasize specific areas and set pieces and to enhance the overall performance,” Magee said.

However, because Magee is not a member of the Daisy Company class, coordinating rehearsal times will prove difficult.

“It will be a challenge finding time to rehearse with the actors since our schedules do not match up,” Magee said.

Looking Ahead Although the Daisy Company will perform the show in April, Gray does not envision this as the end of their journey with the Cinderella play.

“My goal is that at the end of this, once we’ve performed it, that we go back and really refine the script and actually do get it to where it’s a script that could be used by somebody else who hasn’t seen the show,” Gray said.

If the script is ready, Gray will consider submitting to young playwriting festivals to see if those companies would be interested in performing a stage reading of it. Several such festivals include the Humana Festival in St. Louis, which is a professional theater festival, as well as the professional Kitchen Dog Theater in Dallas, which holds an annual "Pup Fest" for teen playwrights.

“That could be done this year, that could be done next year,” Gray said. “That’ll be the hard thing once we finish the show, to revisit and clean up the script.”

And Gray believes that the experience of collaboratively writing a play as a company and working together to bring it to fruition has been a tremendously rewarding one, and she hopes to continue projects like this in the future.

“I’ve really enjoyed it as an entire process. It’s really great for the freshman class,” Gray said. “We spent the first semester learning some acting skills, and now they get to put that into a piece and share it with the Lower School.”

arts & entertainment

HOCKADAYFOURCAST.ORG

Day in the ISAS Life

Destruction of Earth in Thriller "Life"

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p.17

International Food Tour around Dallas

PHOTO BY CHERYL HAO

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➝

THE FOURCAST | APRIL 13, 2017

LONG LIVE

Short and Sweet Ed Long Composes Scherzo for the Hockaday Orchestra

t

he shuffle of sheet music sounds from each student’s music stand during a Y period Orchestra rehearsal as Fine Arts Department Chair and Orchestra Conductor Ed Long announced the next song. Behind the Beethoven and Stravinsky, students pulled out a composition titled “Scherzo for Orchestra.” Under the title of the piece was a name in small font: Ed Long.

Long began his journey in composition when he attended high school at University Laboratory High School in Illinois in the 1960s. However, because the school was mainly science-driven, he was not always invested in composing.

“I’m afraid I didn’t take it very seriously because I was mostly interested in science at the time,” Long said. “It wasn't until the summer after my junior year in high school that I committed to music composition.”

Inspired by German composer Richard Wagner’s “Overture to Die Meistersinger” and his combination of five melodies at the end of the piece, Long’s trajectory took off from there. His interest in science took a turn as he majored in music composition at Indiana University.

Long has been composing music ever since his time at college and has a plethora of pieces under his name.

“I’ve written a bunch of concertos, including a marimba concerto, a double concerto for viola and piano, a triple concerto, and a clarinet concerto,” Long said.

He wrote his last piece for the Hockaday Orchestra four years ago, but since then, he has arranged pieces to accentuate the skills of the orchestra. Last school year,

the orchestra played Long’s arrangement of Mahler’s Symphony No. 6. This year, Long has arranged parts of Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9 and Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring.

With the introduction of the Nasher-Haemisegger Center for the Arts, Long believed the new Kelli and Gerald J. Ford Orchestra Hall deserved an original piece, prompting him to compose “Scherzo for Orchestra.” From paper to practice, Long has enjoyed every moment of the process — especially the practice part.

“It’s always lightning when you get a piece in front of the actual orchestra as opposed to your computer,” Long said. “It’s gratifying how quick the orchestra has caught on to the particular piece. I didn’t regard it as easy nor attempted to make it easy, but [the students] seem to deal with it quite nicely.”

The piece that Long composed for the Hockaday Orchestra to perform is a scherzo, a fast-paced and short orchestral song.

Typically, scherzos comprise a movement in a symphony, or sonata, but Long’s piece stands alone, attesting to the flexibility of the genre, which is a form of art itself. “[A scherzo] is generally a test of speed," Long said. “but sometimes they're very quiet and creepy, sometimes they’re full blast, and sometimes they’re a replacement for another in three dance movement.”

Orchestra members have described Long’s scherzo as upbeat, flashy, sporadic and modern. Senior Wendy Ho, one of the four orchestra presidents, appreciates the brevity of the scherzo.

“It’s short and sweet,” Ho said. “It’s a nice bit of brevity in our program, and adds

a change of pace to our repertoire.”

The piece spans 121 measures, but the length of a piece does not define its quality; in between every line and note of the scherzo is Long’s careful thought and deliberation.

And Long strove to make the piece as original as possible by not letting any outside inspiration drive his composition. Tucking away the influence of his favorite composers — Stravinsky and Beethoven — Long began writing his piece in the beginning of the 2016-2017 school year. With that mindset, the scherzo blossomed.

“This is one of those pieces that kind of generated itself,” Long said. “Some beginning ideas I tried out on the piano in [the History of Art and Music Room], and they just flourished.”

The strings, which includes instruments like violins, violas and cellos, rapidly tilt up and down, creating an unforgettable rhythm. Brass instruments like the horn, trumpet and trombone, accompany the strings with discordant tones. The percussion instruments, including a xylophone, cymbals and a whip, interject throughout the piece in unpredictable times.

Long managed to include an instrument that many may not even peg as one: balloons.

Naming the feature as his favorite part, Long described the unprecedented setup of rows of colorful balloons stapled to a board that would reside in the percussion corner of the orchestra until its part in the scherzo. “[The balloons] seem kind of celebratory and people would look at them wonder what’s going to happen with them,” Long said. “It would be fun for the percussion section and it would be rousing at the end.”

Put it in your

planner

ON THE BEAT Junior Genny Wood, a member of the percussion team, practices her part in Long's scherzo in a March 30 orchestra rehearsal.

Senior Cynthia Ji, leader of the percussion section which comprises of three other girls, has accepted this avant-garde instrument as an addition to their already difficult situation.

“Almost everyone in percussion is in charge of two instruments and that makes it super hard to transition between instruments,” Ji said.

Junior Olivia Naidu, two-year percussionist, can vouch for Ji’s claim of the rapid-pace transitions.

“There’s one point where I have to hit the crash symbols and then sprint over to the gong in what feels like five seconds,” Naidu said.

The Hockaday Orchestra debuted Long’s scherzo at the ISAS festival on April 6. Hockaday students who did not attend ISAS will have the opportunity to hear the piece at the April 11 assembly at 2:40 p.m., or the performance at 7 p.m.

Excitement from Orchestra members is at an all-time high. and one of four Orchestra presidents, senior Grace Cai, awaits the students’ reactions.

“It adds an unknown element,” Cai said. “It’s the card up our sleeve. It’s unpredictable, but I think it’s going to blow their socks off.”

Cheryl Hao Social Media Editor

✏

GET READY FOR

VOLUNTEER FOR

VISIT

STOP BY

Get excited for the SPC pep rally and the various spirit week activities and also support your friends in their athletic endeavors.

Spend your earth day productively and help out the coordinators at Fair Park by setting up booths, educating visitors about saving the planet and picking up trash.

Seventh and eighth grade films will screen from 6:00 p.m. – 7:30 p.m., and Upper School films will screen from 8:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m.

The event is free, and all in the community are invited.

April 21-23, 10 a.m. - 6 p.m.

The museum will be exhibiting modern Mexican art, featuring work by Diego Rivera and Frida Kahlo. The Dallas exhibition features around 200 paintings, drawings, sculptures, photography and films documenting the artists’ lives.

Fair Park

Feb. 14, 8 p.m.

Studio Movie Grill

Spirit Week

April 24-28 Penson Gym at Hockaday 11600 Welch Rd., Dallas

Earth Day

1121 First Ave., Dallas

Dallas Museum of Art

Dallas Museum of Art

1717 N Harwood St., Dallas

PHOTOS PROVIDED BY SHREYA GUNUKULA & PIXABAY

Hockaday Film Festival

May 3, 6 p.m. - 9 p.m.

13933 N Central Expy, Dallas

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a&e

APRIL 13, 2017 | THE FOURCAST

ORCHESTRA The orchestra performance marked the debut of Orchestra director Ed Long’s piece “Scherzo for Orchestra.” Other notable pieces included Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, incorporating the Upper School choir. Junior Rory Finn, who plays the viola, said, “We had a few hiccups during the Rite of Spring when one of the synthesizers stopped working, but we overcame and overall, the performance went really well.”

SHOW CHOIR Before Hockaday students returned to the bus on the last day, there was still one more treat left to devour: the Hockaday Show Ch oir, headed by seniors Joy Nesbitt and Grace Bush, danced and sang to well-known pieces like Disney’s “Le t it Go” and “Fabulous.” “Everyone wa s worried about performing 5 super iconic songs, but we were really excited about the final product,” Nesbitt sai d.

THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

GLITTER

ISAS: Patching it Together

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STORY BY JENNY ZHU AND CHERYL HAO GRAPHICS BY SHREYA GUNUKULA AND JENNY ZHU

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Think About it

By Lauren Hoang Staff Artist

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a&e

HOCKADAYFOURCAST.ORG

THE FOURCAST | APRIL 13, 2017

BLUE BERRY MUFFIN

XIAO LONG BAO

PHOTOS BY AURELIA HAN

reviews & reflections

.17

This Album...

Do Not Open “Memories...Do Not Open” The Chainsmokers iTunes

Mercat Bistro

t

Jeng Chi

CHOLE (CHICK PEAS)

INJERA

Kalachandji's

Desta

Around the World

With April being National Celebrate Diversity Month, it’s a fitting month to try out some Dallas international restaurants. No passports needed for this food adventure!

Mon-Fri 7:30 a.m. - 10 p.m.

Sat 9 a.m. - 2 p.m. & 5 p.m. - 10 p.m.

Sun 10 a.m. - 3 p.m.

Sun-Sat 10 a.m. - 3 p.m. & 4p.m. - 10 p.m.

t

o begin this food tour, I started in the heart of downtown Dallas at Mercat Bistro on Harwood Street. As a contemporary French café offering breakfast, lunch, dinner and brunch on the weekends, Mercat Bistro will make you feel like you are sitting on the French Riviera as you sip on an espresso and munch on a pain au chocolat.

Out of their specialty French entreés, I recommend the quiche Lorraine or vegetable quiche, served with a light butter leaf salad. The combination of the fluffy layers of the egg base with the flaky crust makes every bite of the quiche melt in your mouth.

If you are in a sweet-tooth mood, order the bistro’s bread basket of an assortment of muffins, breads and other pastries as an appetizer. For dessert, Mercat’s cheesecake is a showstopper, especially with its caramel drizzle and gingersnap crust.

Only about 13 miles from Mercat Bistro, the next stop of this international food tour around Dallas is at Jeng Chi in China Town. A family-owned business serving traditional steamed soup dumplings, or xiaolongbao, along with other dishes from mainland China and Taiwan, Jeng Chi is one of the few authentic Chinese restau-

Desta $$ 12101 Greenville Ave. Sun - Thurs 10 a.m. - 11 p.m.

Fri - Sat 11 a.m. - 12 a.m.

rants in the area that make everything, even the dumpling dough to filling, from scratch.

Besides its extensive food menu, it also have a wide selection of authentic Chinese loose-leaf teas, like churshe jasmine and sunset orange rooibos, that pair great with Jeng Chi’s soup dumplings, seafood hot pots or noodle soups.

While Mercat Bistro and Jeng Chi are two popular restaurants often packed and bustling with both regulars and newcomers, Desta Ethiopian Restaurant, another musttry international restaurant in the city, is a Dallas hidden gem.

Located on Greenville Avenue and a few miles from Jeng Chi, Desta serves the traditional Ethiopian family-style dish of injera, a sourdough flatbread, and various types of wat, a type of stew or curry. Typically eaten by pinching off the various wats with ripped-off pieces of injera, this dish is filled with flavor and spices very distinctive to Africa, like berbere and cumin.

If this is your first time trying Ethiopian food and you are a little unsure on the proper and traditional etiquette, the staff at Desta are very willing to explain anything to you and your party.

The last stop of our Dallas international

Kalachandji's $ 5430 Gurley Ave. Tues - Fri 11:30 a.m. - 2 p.m. & 5:30 p.m. - 9 p.m.

Sat - Sun 12 p.m. - 3 p.m. & 5:30 - 9 p.m.

food tour takes us to Kalachandji’s, an Indian all-vegetarian buffet restaurant that has been serving authentic Indian food for over 34 years. Their buffet includes authentic Indian dishes, including paneer, basmati rice, dal and blueberry halwa, all of which are always fresh and made with natural ingredients.

Voted as D Magazine’s 2016 Readers’ Pick for “Best Vegetarian-Friendly Restaurant,” Kalachandji not only exceeded my expectations in terms of their food, but also with its peaceful and relaxed environment.

Besides a restaurant, Kalachandji offers vegetarian cooking, tai chi, meditation and yoga classes within the same building. It truly is one of the most unique, cultural dining experiences in the DFW area.

Whether you are a French pastry connoisseur or a stranger to Ethiopian stews, these four international restaurants in Dallas are go-to destinations for you to try something new or perhaps to revisit a dish from your own culture and childhood. I remember eating soup dumplings like those of Jeng Chi while visiting my grandparents in Shanghai, China, and it’s comforting to know that I can get a bite of these Aurelia Han memories right at home.

A&E Editor

PHOTO PROVIDED BY ITUNES

Jeng Chi $$ 400 N Greenville Ave.

Mercat Bistro $$ 2501 N Harwood St.

he Chainsmokers have ensured more massive success for themselves with their latest album, “Memories...Do Not Open.”

The album includes 12 songs, three of which, “Paris,” “The One” and “Something Just Like This,” were previously released leading up to the final album release on April 7, 2017. Most tracks are sung by the group’s Andrew Taggart, but a few feature other artists such as Emily Warren, Jhene Aoki, Louane, Coldplay and, oddly enough, Florida Georgia Line.

Alex Pall and Andrew Taggart have truly listened to the classic idiom, “if it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.” With the exception of a couple, each song follows the pattern of a single verse, a dramatic beat drop either in place of or alongside the chorus, another verse, and so on. Although the genre of The Chainsmokers is technically electronic, their sound is quite different from that of classic EDM. And their beat drops are not harsh and deafening like those of Skrillex; instead, they are mellow, delicate and almost dreamy. These ethereal beats are paired with extremely cliché lyrics, which may be the worst part of the album.

As with The Chainsmokers’ most popular hits, “Roses” and “Closer,” lyrics from “Memories…Do Not Open” are solely about alcohol, drugs and, overwhelmingly, dysfunctional relationships. The lyrics seem to be computer-generated strings of the top ten buzzwords to create a popular song. Basic lyrics combined with basic structure and typical sound make for a homogenous, monotonous album that leaves no effect on a listener.

That being said, “Memories…Do Not "Memories...Do Not Open” is mostOpen" is available on ly upbeat and iTunes for $9.99. fun, and as The Chainsmokers have adhered to their historically successful formula, this album is sure to take over radio stations this spring and summer. If you are looking for a varied collection of meaningful songs, keep looking, but if you want something to listen to while driving around with friends with the windows down, look no further.

Since The Chainsmokers have adhered to their historically successful formula, this album is sure to take over radio stations this spring and summer.

“Memories...Do Not Open” is, ironically, not memorable, but it will provide more massive success for The Chainsmokers in the form of wildly popular, short-term hits. If you are looking for a varied collection of meaningful songs, keep looking, but if you want something to listen to while driving around with friends with the windows down, look no further.

Ali Hurst Staff Writer

Rather Be Dead than See "Life" Again “Life" Sony

a

s technology and science continue to progress at an exponential rate far beyond what science fiction movies of decades past could even predict, there still remains an undercurrent of opposition and fear toward these advancements in the United States. Many Americans distrust genetically modified organisms, stem cells to regenerate organs, artificial intelligence and vaccinations, and this fear often originates from a place of ignorance.

Daniel Espinosa's “Life” taps into this anxiety over scientific exploration and research. In the movie, a team of six scientists study soil samples, which a rover obtained from Mars.

At first, the movie appears reminiscent of “Hidden Figures” as biologist Hugh Der-

ry (Ariyon Bakare) discovers a single-celled organism in a soil sample, providing the first evidence of life outside of Earth. However, the jubilance of these early scenes evaporates quickly after the “Martian,” dubbed Calvin by an American child in honor of the namesake of her elementary school, President Calvin Coolidge, begins a period of rapid growth followed by a reign of terror.

This proves to be the movie’s first key flaw: Calvin’s savagery as he ruthlessly kills engineer Rory Adams (Ryan Reynolds) by seeping into his throat and asphyxiating him not only leaves the audience with gut-wrenching nausea but also steals the only comedic relief from the movie in the form of wise-cracking Adams. This grotesque scene with ample gratuitous gore, only several minutes into the film, marks the climax of the violence, and luckily for those of a more timid disposition, the movie’s horror dwindles afterward.

Yet, while I personally appreciated this withdrawal from total depravity, the movie subsequently devolves into a formulaic

thriller in which the only question that remains is which member of the star-studded cast will die next.

Despite several acts of remarkable valor on the part of Katerina Golovkina (Olga Dihovichnaya) and Dr. David Jordan (Jake Gyllenhaal) as well as a few touching moments between the cast members, the plot and dialogue were simply vacuous and tiresome.

And scientific inaccuracies plagued the movie. While directors and writers have a bit of creative license in regards to the laws of physics PHOTO PROVIDED BY SONY in order to add drama to their scripts, some aspects of the movie were just nonsensical. For example, if

researchers found evidence of life on Mars, it would highly unlikely that the first organism discovered would have the remarkable intelligence of a human, best exemplified when Calvin knowingly strangles Golovkina’s leg in order to rupture the coolant in her suit (If I did not know that large packets of coolant were embedded in space suits, I really doubt that the first sample of life on Mars would).

Ultimately, the only success of the film was the stunning cinematography. Espinosa captures the beauty of space while simultaneously conveying the fear and unease that accompanies the movie through jarring angles and unconventional shots. The zero-gravity of the movie also appears quite realistic, although I myself have never ventured into space and experienced it first hand. And if Mars indeed hosts demonic creatures like Calvin, perhaps I will remain on Earth for the time being.

Mary Orsak Staff Writer

“

APRIL 13, 2017 | THE FOURCAST

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THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

You must have both physical and mental toughness to succeed.

sports & health

PHOTO BY TOM COOK

Riding to Recognition

SWEAT It Out p20

➝ STORY BY AMANDA KIM

Jane Cook earns a spot in the Emerging Athletes program

j

unior Jane Cook had just finished her ride on Dec. 21 at Buckbranch Farm when she got the email. She ran straight into the arena to find her trainer.

“Rebecca!” She shouted. “I got it!”

“It” meant one of 17 spots in the United States Equestrian Federation’s Eventing 18 program, part of the larger Emerging Athletes program that the USEF runs. Eventing is essentially an equestrian triathlon. Riders and their horses compete across three different disciplines: dressage, cross-country and show jumping. In dressage, riders display their horse’s training with predetermined movements. Cross-country is an endurance test of sorts, in which riders perform a series of outdoor jumps on natural terrain; courses are typically three to four miles long. Similarly, show jumping is like an obstacle course, but is usually held in an arena and can require different techniques.

As an eventer under the Eventing 18 program, Cook is one of the young riders, 18-years-old or younger, described by the USEF as having “the potential to evolve into future team candidates.” In other words, the USEF thinks that Cook might someday represent the United States at an international level.

That includes sporting events like the Olympic Games and the Pan American Games. “[It’s] basically just trying to develop the next generation of top riders in the sport,” Cook said.

Eventing 18 makes up one half of the Emerging Athletes program; the other half is known as Eventing 25 and consists of riders under the age of 25. The selected participants had the opportunity to attend a training session in either Ocala, Florida or

Temecula, California. other top riders your age and these top trainCook chose to attend the Florida session, ers that can last you for the rest of your eventwhere the young riders were given lectures, ing career. I got to meet girls whose names I’d rode in pairs and watched their peers’ sessions been reading since I was 13,” Cook said. “To be to learn as much as possible each day. British able to not only meet them but ride with them eventer and Olympic gold medalist Leslie Law and hang out with them was amazing.” served as their coach.

Cook’s trainer Rebecca Brown, who first The Eventing 18 training, while intensive, introduced the program to Cook, has seen is not a far stretch from the strictness of Cook’s a significant improvement in her student’s regular schedule. Cook rides a minimum of five riding since the Florida session. Brown cites days a week and rides in competitions approxi- Cook’s hard work and natural skill as her mately twice a month in the spring and the fall. greatest strengths.

On top of practice and shows, Cook must also “Jane is a really good student. She’s very balance schoolwork and her social life. smart, and she has a good feel for things,” “It’s not easy,” Cook said. “It’s forced me Brown said. “She’s really able to interpret sort into a good schedule.” of the subtle things you With her rigorous traincan tell her horse is trying ing regimen, Cook names her to communicate to her.” parents as her greatest supThat communication "It's not easy. port system. Cook’s mother is extremely important in Sherri Cook, a self-described eventing, where horse and It's forced me “show mom,” notes the posirider must work together into a good tive effect horseback riding to achieve the best results. has had on her daughter’s life.

Cook and her horse Monschedule."

“I love it so much for her. atrea Xavier – Xavier for It’s an outlet. She takes this on short – share an especially very much herself,” Mrs. Cook close bond.

Jane Cook said. “I try to be that positive “Everyone says that Junior support in the background.” in your life, you’ll have Mrs. Cook and her husthat one horse that’s the band Tom Cook accompaperfect match, that’s the nied their daughter to the horse of a lifetime that’ll Eventing 18 training session, take you above and bewhich took place from Januyond where you ever ary 16-20. The USEF is currently planning ad- thought you could go,” Cook said. “He’s really ditional training sessions for later in the year. that horse for me.”

Though the initial training session was only Cook trained with Xavier in Florida. Since five days, Cook believes the experience will last then, Brown has also noticed an improvement a lifetime. in Xavier’s skill.

“You make so many connections with “He and Jane are just a great partner-

CLEARING THE FENCE Cook competes with Xavier in the Area V Championships at the Preliminary Level in Tyler, TX back in 2016.

ship,” Brown said. “And just the opportunity to go and have a really intense boot camp where you can really spend time with your horse and watch the other really great riders of the century and have Leslie sort of give you a lot of information all day, you just can’t not improve.”

For a young eventer like Cook, acceptance to the prestigious Emerging Athletes program opens many new doors. Though Cook doesn’t know as of yet if she wants to pursue eventing professionally, her next big goal is to compete in the North American Junior Young Rider Championships, also known as the Junior Olympics. Just as with Emerging Athletes, riders must be selected to compete. With her track record, Cook is already qualified for the championships.

“She doesn’t have to chase qualifications,” Brown said. “She just has to show the selectors that she’s really solid at the level and continuing to be consistent.”

Cook hopes to be chosen as one of the six riders who will represent her region at the Junior Olympics in late July of this year. Her participation in the Eventing 18 program will play an important role as the selectors make their decision, which will announced in June. The championships are set to take place in Montana.

Brown believes the Emerging Athletes program has been a priceless experience for her student of five years.

“Jane’s confidence has blossomed so much,” Brown said. “She’s really taken her riding to the next level.”

NOT JUST HORSING AROUND

June 2016, Preliminary Level, Texas Rose Horse Park, Tyler, TX. Cross-country

2016 Ocala Jockey Club International Three-Day Event, CCI* Level, Ocala, FL. Cross-country

Monatrea Xavier to compete

2017 USEF Eventing 18 Emerging Athlete Program, Ocala, FL. Show jumping

First place, Rocking Horse II Horse Trials 2016, Ocala, FL

PHOTOS BY KATIE GRACE BOND AND TOM COOK

Cook, below, travels nationwide with her horse

sports & health

HOCKADAYFOURCAST.ORG

➝

p.19

The addition of the pole vaulting pit

Play it Back

➝

2

Field Event Highlights Without any previous experience, sophomore Sophia Kim launched a javelin across the field to receive second place in the event. Junior Bailey Hollingsworth mastered propelling herself in the air, receiving third place in the pole vault competition, and sat her own personal record of 7-06. Senior Maggie Stein also sat a personal record of 16-08 and finished in third place in the long jump.

3

Running Event Highlights Flying in at a time of 12.49 seconds, junior Sophie Isom beat her personal record and received second place in the women’s 100 meter dash. Junior Beth Ryan did not let the hurdles or the water pit deter her from a first place victory in the 2k steeplechase with a time of 8:35.75, her record. To conclude the meet, the 4x400 relay team received first place with a time of 4:09.72.

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p.20

New faces in the Athletic Department

Cohen takes gold at local erg race

KATIE’S KOURT

The Pitching Woes of the Rangers Katie O’Meara

Photo & Graphics Editor

RUN LIKE THE WIND Junior Trinity Thomas sprints toward the finish line at the BVU Invitational.

Points Hockaday earned

PHOTO BY SONYA XU

JUMPING FOR JOY

Not a PITiful Idea Hockaday works toward obtaining a pole vault pit

e

very Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, junior Rory Finn takes her track spikes out of her bag and straps them to her feet in preparation for her sprint workout on the Hockaday track.

And every Monday and Wednesday, she takes those same spikes out of her bag again, but this time at St. Mark’s to prepare for her pole vault workout.

Finn began pole vaulting this season under the guidance of Upper School chemistry teacher and pole vault coach Jen Fore, who has advocated for a pole vault pit since she joined the Hockaday faculty in 2015. But the process officially started in November of 2016.

“Having a facility here is most ideal so we can eventually be competitive,” Fore said.

Finn currently has a workout that causes her to compromise between her specialties.

For many athletes like Finn, to have a pole vault pit at Hockaday would allow them more time to practice.

“A lot of times, when I go to pole vault, I'm missing a sprinting workout,” Finn said.

“The convenience of a pole vault pit and track in the same location would really enhance my ability to do both.”

Finn’s coach and Sports Performance Program Coordinator La’Boris Bean agreed.

“It’s pretty hard to monitor the kids doing pole vaulting at one location and holding them accountable to do their workout at that

same location,” Bean said.

The administration and other faculty members are also involved in this project: Upper School science teacher Leon de Oliveira (for engineering), sports Performance Program Coordinator and track coach La’Boris Bean, Chief Financial Officer JT Coats, Physical Education and Athletics Manager Rod Skaife, Director of Facilities Mark Buschardt and Athletic Director Tina Slinker.

John Turek, St. Mark’s head coach for varsity cross country-track & field, has served as an advisor.

“Obviously, there is a need for a pole vault facility because the girls are being shuttled back and forth, and it’s not very efficient,” Coats said.

Bean and Fore brought the proposal to Coats at the end of January. The financial office and the coaches are working together with administration and maintenance to ensure that everything goes smoothly.

“It’s something that is on the radar and that we’re moving forward to make sure we have all the logistics in place to get that done,” Coats said.

According to Bean, one of the obstacles the team ran into at first was finding a location for the pit. However, now they have decided to place it between the track and the lower school playground, where the climbing fence currently resides.

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p.20

PHOTO BY LAUREN PUPLAMPU

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Track Meet Background This year’s BVU Invitational, founded in honor of alumna Bradley V. Urschel ‘79, took place at St. Mark’s on March 25. Around 31 schools competed in the meet, including some that are not a part of the SPC.

Hockaday Varsity Track and Field

THE FOURCAST | APRIL 13, 2017

RUN, PLANT, JUMP Freshman Richa Kapoor vaults over the bungee as coach Jen Fore watches.

“The next step is the biggest step.” Bean said. “[We’re] trying to get everything approved, so we can start the work... and decide on where we would get the pit from.”

Another necessary step is choosing a suitable pit. Turek, who has experience building pits, is helping Hockaday in this process.

For Turek, it’s important to find a pit that fits the abilities of athletes.

“We don’t need overkill,” Turek said. “It shows commitment on the part of the school to support the athletes and you need that always.”

Overall, no matter what pole vault pit Hockaday chooses, Fore believes it will have long term benefits.

“I hope that we would be able to build the program, so we can start kids young,” Fore said.

Finn also sees the long term impact.

“Having a pole vault pit here at Hockaday would definitely make the team feel more united,” Finn said. “If the whole team is working toward the same goal at the same place, we’ll be inspired by each other to keep pushing hard.”

Sonya Xu News Editor

After two straight American League West titles that included the American League’s best record last season, Rangers’ manager Jeff Banister has high expectations to live up to during the 2017 season, especially after opting not to re-sign pitchers Derek Holland and Colby Lewis.

The Rangers pitching rotation is currently comprised of merely four players. Ace Yu Darvish leads the rotation, but after Tommy John’s surgery that sidelined him for the entirety of the 2015 season and left lingering side effects, the Rangers cannot rely on Darvish as they did during the first three years of his contract.

Number two pitcher, Cole Hamels, whom the Rangers acquired from the Philadelphia Phillies following his first and only no-hitter, has not seen his normal levels of success yet this season.

During his first start against Cleveland, Hamels pitched six innings with five hits and an earned run average of 4.50.

During the first four games of the season, the Rangers have only seen one win. This record can be attributed not only to struggles from the starting pitchers, but also to the difficulties of the relief pitchers.

Closer Sam Dyson has already lost two games for the team this season. Before this season in his five year Major League Baseball career, Dyson had only recorded nine losses. Additionally, Dyson’s ERA stands at an absurd 72.00. In comparison, relief pitcher Alex Claudio sports a 0.00 ERA with a 1-0 record.

While defensively the Rangers have struggled with their pitching, the offense has lit up the scoreboard night after night and has set fireworks off at Globe Life Park nightly.

In game against their division rival, the Oakland A’s, the Rangers offense exploded, led by 21-yearold outfielder Nomar Mazara and 23-year-old second baseman Rougned Odor. Mazara recorded a career-record 6 runs batted in that included a Grand Slam in the bottom of the second inning. For his part, Odor hit his AL best third home run of the season.

The Rangers’ record should improve once veteran and future Hall of Famer Adrian Beltre returns from the Disabled List. Since the Rangers acquired Beltre in 2011, the 38-year-old has been an integral leader for the team. His return should allow for the explosion of the Rangers offense to continue in order to back up the failing pitching rotation.

From their performance in the beginning of the season, don’t bank on the Rangers winning their third straight AL West title come September. But the baseball season is 162 games long and as has happened in past years, the Rangers can come back from an early hole created in April and May.

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sports

APRIL 13, 2017 | THE FOURCAST

THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

PHOTO BY KATIE O’MEARA

Fourward

April 13

Junior varsity lacrosse vs. Southlake at 7 p.m.

Home

NEW TO THE TEAM

New Hockaday Coaches The Athletic Department introduces new spring staff

April 18

TEAM PICTURE Shaylee Marr checks in with senior distance runner Ellea Lamb post-race

Varsity softball vs.

Greenhill at 5 p.m.

Away

April 21

Varsity tennis vs.

Oakridge at 4:30 p.m.

Home

April 24

Start of the golf SPC competition at the Woodforest Golf Course in The Woodlands at 8 a.m.

Away

April 27

Start of the lacrosse SPC competition at ESD (away) and tennis SPC competition Home

April 28

Start of the track and field SPC competition at St. Mark’s Away

SHAYLEE AND DEREK MARR The Hockaday track program has welcomed not one new coach, but a dynamic duo of distance runners. Husband and wife coaching team Shaylee and Derek Marr joined the Hockaday community this year and will be coaching the distance runners.

The Marrs ran distance and cross country at Grand Valley State University for four years as undergraduates, and after gaining extensive coaching experience at Northwood University, University of Missouri, and Baylor University, the couple moved to Dallas, where Derek became a lecturer and professor of sports psychology and coaching leadership at Southern Methodist University.

David Bertrand, SMU’s Director of Sport Performance Leadership, directed the Marrs to Hockaday, as his wife was a former Hockaday track coach.

Both Shaylee and Derek have big plans for the Hockaday track team.

“I look forward to adapting the experiences that we had at some of the best track and field programs in the world and bringing what we can to Hockaday,” Derek said.

One of the Marrs’ primary goals is to see quantitative progress in the runners. They hope to see constant improvement in personal records throughout the meets of the season.

“We’re excited for track meets and watching all the girls’ hard work and dedication pay off,” Shaylee said.

They also hope to teach the girls lessons that will help them both on and off the track.

“Track has touched my life and made me the person I am today, so I hope to help all of the girls develop not just in track but put them in a good position for the rest of their life and teach them here,” Shaylee said.

MOLLY FORD Molly Ford steps in as Head Varsity Lacrosse Coach and Sports Communication Coordinator for Hockaday. After graduating from Georgetown University in 2010, where she played lacrosse for four years, she played on the United States Women’s National Lacrosse team for two years. She then coached in England and at Coppell High School before joining the Hockaday community.

Ford’s biggest goal for the Hockaday lacrosse program is the unification of the varsity and junior varsity teams. She hopes to accomplish this cohesion with whole team dinners, joint practices and by encouraging both teams to support one another on the sidelines. This integration and team bonding, Ford believes, will enhance both teams’ teamwork both on the field and off the field.

“Chemistry is a really important thing in any sport, so bringing that team chemistry and family unit helps when tough times come around,” she said.

Ford has a plans to focus on this season. She aims to add both offensive and defensive strategy to the team’s’ pre-existing athleticism. “Conditioning is obviously important, but it’s not the main focus. I think being smart players and being a smart team is really important,” she said.

And Ford has high aspirations for the Hockaday lacrosse teams; she hopes to reap high rewards for the program.

“I think that there’s a lot of talent with athleticism that we have, so just growing that talent and taking Hockaday back to the SPC Championship, District finals, and State,” she said.

Ali Hurst Staff Writer

PHOTO PROVIDED BY TEAL COHEN

STUDENT STANDOUTS

SWEAT It Out

Senior Teal Cohen takes gold

a

stark contrast from her usual Saturday morning spent practicing on the lake, senior rower Teal Cohen spent her Saturday on Feb. 4 at Jesuit Preparatory School, and instead of her boat, Cohen mounted an erg and started to compete.

Cohen participated in the Southwest Ergometer Amateur Tournament, an annual, regional competition better known as SWEAT, and took first place in the Junior Women’s 2000 meter race, with a personal best time by three seconds.

This competition, which takes place every year in early February, attracts rowers of all ages.

“It is a regional thing, so people come from all over the south kind, but mainly from Texas and Oklahoma,” Cohen said.

“It is every year. Jesuit hosts it and it is

just on a Saturday and they have races for everyone from high school to masters.”

According to SWEAT coordinator and Jesuit Preparatory School head crew coach John Fife, the competition has been at Jesuit since his time there.

“Ever since I have been at Jesuit, we have hosted SWEAT. Jesuit has been the host of SWEAT since 2007,” Fife said, who has been coaching at Jesuit since 2011.

SWEAT offers a race for everyone who rows; men and women, lightweight rowers and open divisions, southwestern high school students, as a well as area college students and Masters adults.

While all of their races garner nationwide athletes, Fife said that some are more popular than others. “We had exactly 500 competitors this year. It varies from event to event. The largest events are

ADAKU EBENIRO Adaku Ebeniro, a long-time coach at Hockaday, is taking a new role: varsity throwing coach for track and field. Throwing is not new to Ebeniro—she was a thrower at her high school, Houston Episcopal, and while she has coached Middle School track and field for nine years, throwing has always been her specialty.

Her favorite part of the sport, a concept she tries to instill in her girls, is the idea of “hurry up and wait.”

“There’s a sense of urgency but you also get to step back a little bit and really think about you’re getting ready to do,” she said.

Ebeniro plans to reference many resources in her coaching, such as the U.S.A. Track and Field guidelines and online videos, as she knows that all throwers do not learn the same way.

“I just pull from any source that I can get and see what works for them, because everything that I present them doesn’t always work for them, but I try to give them the option to start off with and then I see what works and we hone that,” she said.

Ebeniro’s primary goal for the season is for at least one of the throwers to place in the top five in every meet and gain points for the track and field team. She understands, however, that training a successful thrower takes time.

“Our biggest challenge is that we probably won’t get the distances that we want earlier on in the track meets, but as we peak, hopefully it’ll be around SPC,” she said. The throwers hope to utilize the weight room at least once a week in order to build the lower-body strength necessary to improve.

“We still have a lot of work to do, but I think we’re making good strides,” Ebeniro said.

ALL I DO IS WIN Cohen, pictured after her victory sporting a gold medal, was cheered on by her mother, Kim Elting, and sister Reid Cohen

the Men’s Junior 1x, Men’s Junior Lightweight 1x, and the Women’s Junior 1x in that order,” he said.

Cohen’s particular race was a standard 2000 meter.

“All of the erg monitors are attached to a leaderboard. I was not looking up there but on the bottom it shows who is in first and then the two people around you.

I knew where I was compared to everyone else,” Cohen said.

Going into the race, Cohen was expecting a normal outcome, just looking for her best work.

“My personal record going into the race

was a 7:16 and I had been injured. I had taken almost a month off but I just kept up my cardio and done a lot of stuff,” Cohen said. “I trained a lot the first part of the winter and so I went into it not really knowing how I would finish. I was seeded third and I just wanted to have my best race.”

Tim McAllister, the head crew coach at Hockaday for the last five years and Cohen’s coach, was present to coach her during her 2k race at SWEAT. “You are there to basically help the oarsman stay on their plan. If you see an oarsman change or start to miss their goals, then you say something. You guide them onto the right path,” McAllister said.

Along with McAllister, fans were able to watch and cheer on competitors.

According to Fife, Cohen’s personal record time is impressive.

“It takes a lot of hard work and time to get your score down. The 2000 meter race is very challenging because it puts your whole body in a lot of pain. You must have both physical and mental toughness to succeed,” Fife said.

Winners, like Cohen, receive a gold medal. And according to Fife, some even qualify for another ergometer competition, called CRASH-B, in Boston.

With regattas peaking in the fall and spring, Cohen had gone a while without practicing on the water. But according to Cohen, the two are very different. By keeping up her cardio, Cohen was able to stay in shape.

As for the spring season, Cohen is hopeful.

“Rowing and erging are very different. I do feel like I am in better shape than I thought I was,” Cohen said. “I am coming off of an injury now.”

McAllister is also hopeful.

“Hopefully a bunch of medals,” McAllister noted, with a laugh, when asked about Teal’s spring season.

Mary Claire Wilson Sports & Health Editor

HOCKADAYFOURCAST.ORG

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THE FOURCAST | APRIL 13, 2017

Thank you Hockaday for teaching me confidence as well as to be loyal, to laugh and to love.

views STAFF STANCE/EDITORIAL

We Want Representation

We Love it, We Love it Not ar Qu

ter

Fou r

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course if artistic expression was not a key part of the process. They play a pivotal role in our community, providing news coverage of important events relevant to Hockaday and a space where students can celebrate their talents and accomplishments.

In addition, there are also many potential possibilities for presenting debate as well. While it may not scream FINE ART, debate serves as an important outlet for students to employ the art of public speaking.

For example, students in the oratory class draft 10 minute speeches to memorize and present at tournaments. These speeches can be on almost any topic and will be their sole focus for the year, as they work on perfecting and polishing them for each event.

At ISAS, Oratory students could share their speeches, similar to the HockaTalks hosted by the Academic Council on campus. These students should be given the chance to proudly present the work they have dedicated for the past year. When someone has a passion for a topic and a compelling argument backing it up, it’s hard not to be intrigued.

Other students in classes focusing on Lincoln-Douglas or Public Forum could prepare arguments on topics that are very relevant at the time and have a chance to show off the skills and precise technique they developed after much practice.

These two fine arts are not invited to ISAS; however, there is an undeniable chance to change that next year. Every Fine Art has merit and deserves credit and recognition for the many hours and dedication put into work.

While our recognition of the Fine Arts is commendable, we can’t forget the ones that are tucked away in the Liza Lee Academic Research Center.

April Sh

We did it. Only one quarter left. Better find that last drop of motivation.

ers ow

Thank goodness for rain, which washes away both pollen and my pain

Yo u

ols Fo

Relax

a

gile dancers showcasing the grace of their pique turns. Jazz bands and orchestras playing soulful tunes. Actors projecting their dramatic monologues. Photographers and studio artists hanging up the works they are most proud of. On April 6, more than 3,000 students from over 40 independent schools all over the region will gather at Casady School in Oklahoma City for the 50th Independent Schools Association of the Southwest festival.

The annual festival offers a place for students to display their year’s work and appreciate that of their peer schools. As usual, every fine art will be represented in some way, except for two: debate and journalism.

With ISAS being held at Hockaday next year, there is an inadmissible opportunity to represent these fine arts at the 2018 festival. While the students who participate in these fine arts may not have a choreographed routine or synchronized tune to present, they do still have something to offer.

The journalism publications compete in annual competitions hosted by organizations such as The Dallas Morning News, the Columbia Scholastic Press Association, the National Scholastic Press Association and the Interscholastic League Press Conference, to name a few.

These students also travel all over the country to conferences and to accept awards for the quality of their work.

These are tangible works that can be displayed. Perhaps there could be a gallery of the award-winning spreads of The Fourcast, Cornerstones and Vibrato. Centerspreads are unique to each publication and have a memorable impact on readers.

Students could walk through a gallery and read the articles, while also appreciate their visual appeal.

And publications are works of art too. They would not be seen as a fine arts

Parting Wisdom p23

ILLUSTRATION BY LAUREN HOANG

“WOW! THIS IS THE FIRST TOGETHER...”

ED LONG, Fine Arts Board Chair, before the orchestra ISAS performance.

tis

or i

“Dress that tomato in the blood of its brethren.”

TIME WE HAVE ALL BEEN

April Fools’ Day is over.

No need to be on the look out for doors covered in clear tape or cans of snakes.

Seni

That’s What She Said

“WE MAY CRY, BUT WE SARAH SIDDIQUI, senior, at lunch during a discussion about dipping tomatoes in ketchup.

WON’T DIE.” PALOMA RENTERIA, junior, in response to the release of third quarter grades.

Just a little over a month until graduation. But just enough time to have zero motivation.

n

➝

“Don’t vape.

It’s pretentious and causes cancer.

You’ll seem like a hipster, but the bad kind. The kind with mustaches.”

so ea

Allerg

yS

PHOTO BY FLICKR

Puffy eyes, runny noses, scratchy throats. Spring has officially arrived.

MS. LINDSAY, Upper School Science teacher, during a Human Evolution class.

PHOTO BY FLICKR

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APRIL 13, 2017 | THE FOURCAST

THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

STAFF STANDOFF

How Do You Like Your Fries: French or Waffle?

Waffle

French

VS. Potatoes may be the most advantageous food ever: they are delicious and can be prepared in hundreds of different forms. But perhaps the most popular variation of potato is the French fry, which can come as a waffle, shoestring, curly, crinkle-cut and of course, the original standard cut fry form.

The waffle fry is served in some restaurants, most notably Chickfil-A. However, most restaurants that have fries on the menu serve the original, standard cut fry.

And it is good to stick to original items because they always remain a classic. Original standard cut fries are a skinnier, more compact shape allows for easier dipping and for more fries to be served. With a bulkier fry like the waffle fry, one might only get seven or eight fries in a box instead of getting 20 to 25 standard-cut fries. And standard cut fry can be lengthened, shortened, made crispier or made soggier. In contrast, other fries only come in one standard shape—if you try to manipulate waffle or curly fries in this way, most would be unnerved. There must be a reason why most restaurants serve standard cut fries; it is the most classic variation that can be modified to your heart’s content.

Presentation is key when serving standard cut fries, they can be served in a variety of containers, including but not limited to French fry boxes, cups and even in cones (visit Hopdoddy’s Burger Bar if you’re intrigued). Other chunkier fries like the wedge, curly and waffle fry can only be served in the normal French fry box without spilling over—the standard cut fry is also ideal for stacking.

Different seasoning or something layered on top of cut fries can enhance the experience: poutine, for example, is a popular Canadian dish which consists of fries covered in gravy and cheese curds. The savory truffle fry is also a popular choice, along with Shake Shack’s cheese fry, despite those being crinkle-cut fries. Basically, all differently-seasoned or uncommon fries have to start with a base, and that is standard cut fry.

Though uniquely shaped fries are a hit at children’s birthday parties or maybe that one “quirky” restaurant, standard-cut fries are the one type of fry that I can both rely on and be surprised by.

Next time you order fries with your burger, take note of its shape.

Ponette Kim Staff Writer

In human history, our society only evolves as bold individuals challenge the status quo and spurn conformity in search of something new. These individuals include Alexander Hamilton, who pioneered a national bank at a time when his rivals saw this as mere idiocy; Grace Hopper, who created the first compiler for computer programming language; and the myriad of tech geniuses that continue to create new social media platforms on which my friends can ignore me.

While I said that last line in complete jest, revolutionary individuals have the power to shape our modern world, creating something where nothing existed before. We must follow in their footsteps in order to progress our society economically, politically and technologically.

This brings me to the greatest innovation of the modern world, unparalleled in its brilliance and ingenuity: the waffle fry.

The waffle fly represents the pinnacle of geometric design, cuisine engineering and modern chemistry. Its greater surface area allows for more salt and dipping sauce - the intrigue that makes a bland potato so wonderful - without having to completely submerge the fry, which makes it difficult to keep your hands clean from the sticky sauce.

This precise volume to surface area ratio is not the only reason waffle fries reign supreme. Indeed, it’s the fry’s cutting edge design that truly elevates the sophistication of the waffle fry. The intricate shape evokes an image of my favorite breakfast food as well as the world famous art of Piet Mondrian. Where else in modern cuisine is the beauty of ordinary food combined so elegantly with the high-class art found in museums across the globe?

The waffle fry has more than surface beauty. These fries have excellently balanced crispness, neither too thin nor too thick, as a result of their special style.

And I am not the only one who believes this way.

Evidence of the superiority of the waffle fries arises from a 2015 QSR report, which shows that Chick-fil-A, the sole major fast food chain that sells waffle fries, earns more per restaurant than any other large chain. Our consumer-driven market economy proves that waffle fries are inherently better; you simply cannot deny the facts.

Ultimately, do not fall victim to this age of conformity. Embody the spirit of young Alexander Hamilton, take a risk and eat a waffle fry. You surely will not regret it.

Mary Orsak Staff Writer

Teaching to the Test Ashlynn Long Staff Writer

Scantrons, sharpened pencils and the essay section, oh my! Tests are a big part of any student’s educational experience, but tests are not the most important part of an education. While we as Hockaday students are no stranger to taking tests, our teachers place a priority on learning for the sake of learning. Our teachers teach us based on the curriculum they write, not based on a set of standards made by an outside organization who doesn’t spend time in our school. However, this is not the case for many other students.

Teaching to the test is a phenomenon that has been reported on by several organizations. Stephenie Overman wrote Fighting The Stress of Teaching to The Test for the National Education Organization, Amanda M. Fairbanks wrote Teachers to the Test for The Atlantic and 11 Problems Created by the Standardized Testing Obsession was written by Valerie Strauss for The

Washington Post. These writers all agree that teaching to the test is a national issue in schools that hurts teachers and students alike.

As a former public school student who took both the TAKS and the STAARS tests for several years, I know that item-teaching - when teachers base their instruction on actual items on a test or look-alike items - restricts teachers from instructing subjects that they care about, and stops students from fully understanding and exploring concepts beyond a scantron.

Curriculum-teaching, on the other hand, allows teachers to base their lessons on a set of cognitive skills or content knowledge that will be represented on a test.

Despite the controversial nature and negative connotation associated with item-teaching, it seems that we hear something about this instructing method every year as standardized testing season rolls around. We can’t help but wonder, if it’s so bad, why is it continually used in classrooms?

For public schools in the state of Texas, standardized test scores play an important role in the school’s success. For instance, schools are often ranked based on the school’s testing averages and teachers can be penalized if their students’ scores

are low. In fact, schools and school districts that consistently fall below the Texas Education Agency’s standards are at risk from being taken over by the state and becoming a state-run institution. This often means termination or accepting the state’s policies for running classrooms and organizing administration.

However, Hockaday is not bound to the same set of standards as public schools.

Students at Hockaday do not take STAAR tests, or TAKS tests, or any other standardized tests handed down by the TEA. At Hockaday, we take yearly exams created by teachers who base the exam on their classes’ curriculum.

Personally, I have never experienced a class at Hockaday in which a teacher designed their lessons specifically around a test. Even in AP classes, which are designed to prepare you to take the AP exam, teachers at Hockaday find ways to pique the interest of their students and take the subject matter beyond test prep.

Upper School AP Calculus A/B teacher Jessica Chu finds that it’s more important for her students to fully understand a concept for their own sake than for the sake of scoring a 5 on the exam.

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“My goal as a teacher is to teach so that when you leave my classroom, you still understand it,” Chu said, “My goal is not ‘here’s a bunch of AP questions, answer them and you’ll get it,’ my goal is to make sure my students are prepared to move on to the next level of education.”

Upper School AP Calculus A/B teacher Jessica Chu finds that it’s more important for her students to fully understand a concept for their own sake than for the sake of scoring a 5 on the exam.

“My goal as a teacher is to teach so that when you leave my classroom, you still understand it,” Chu said, “My goal is not ‘here’s a bunch of AP questions, answer them and you’ll get it,’ my goal is to make sure my students are prepared to move on to the next level of education.”

While “teaching to the test” is an issue for many students, it’s an issue that we as Hockadaisies have fortunately been spared.

Our teachers tend to care more about our understanding than our AP scores, and often find interesting ways to take our learning experience beyond the classroom. We’re privileged to go to a school “teaching to the test” is a phrase most of us only read about in headlines.

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HOCKADAYFOURCAST.ORG

Sonya Xu News Editor It’s quite scary to think I only have 30 days left at Hockaday. Only 30 days left to sport a green plaid skirt. Only 30 days to eat SAGE hummus. Only 30 days left with teachers that I can call “mom” and talk to about anything. Thirty days left with 119 of my sisters and closest friends.

Although my days are winding down, I feel lucky to have experienced the past four years at Hockaday, no matter how stressful, crazy and just plain weird it was. And with that, I will leave you some parting wisdom.

Stress out (But not too much!) It’s undeniable that we are all stressed. We simply always have too many things to do. But it’s not worth it! Don’t make it a competition of who can sleep the least. Take care of yourself. This is one of my major regrets - I wish I had taken care of my body better. There will always be another test, but there is only one of you.

Do not yell (too much) at the freshmen Cut them some slack. You were there once too. But that means, freshmen: don’t roll your eyes when seniors cut you in the lunch line. You’ll get there (even though it seems forever away). As an underclassman, I always looked up to students in grades above me. Even if you are not a senior yet, set a good example, on the field and in the halls, too.

PHOTO BY KATIE O'MEARA

Dear Underclassmen

THE FOURCAST | APRIL 13, 2017

Do something spontaneous Whether it’s baking for your advisory or trying a new sport, go for it! What is the worst that can happen? I took on pole vaulting last year, and it has been one of the most fun activities I’ve participated in at Hockaday. Want to start something at Hockaday?

What is stopping you? Absolutely nothing.

Don’t think too hard about it. Just go for it.

I had a college interview with an alumna who began the fencing program at Hockaday. Who knew that years later, I would be a part of it?

Love your saddle oxfords Indeed, they are every orthopedic doctor’s nightmare. They take an entire year to break in. We stomp on the heels and throw them into our sports bags, but we will never have a more reliable pair of shoes. They have been with us through thick and thin; every scratch, smudge, bend, crack is a reminder of a memory shared. Perhaps it was dodging the middle schoolers on the way to lunch or stepping on the muddy field after a game, but nevertheless, our saddle oxfords will never betray us.

Buy the books for English and READ your English assignments We have English teachers who are passionate about our learning and teach books that make us think and question our beliefs.

Do your reading, so you won’t be completely lost in class. It helps in the long run too when you need to write that major essay or simply need to hold a conversation with a stranger.

Cherish your time at Hockaday We count down days to exams, to holiday breaks, to summer, to ring day, to graduation. But every day closer means a day less to spend with my classmates, my advisory, my sisters.

Finally, although I always seem to complain about my backpack that is half my weight, the insufferable traffic on the way home from school, the never-ending stress, the tests, the freshman, the portables, Jane Eyre, the JRP (and the sparkling apple cider) and college applications, I must say thank you.

With my 119 sisters, I have shared every type of emotion; from tears to excitement.

In fact, this I believe is what makes my grade so strong. Thank you Hockaday for teaching me confidence as well as to be loyal, to laugh and to love. Thank you for putting me in classes with people who will one day change the world, and thank you for giving me a voice. Thank you for 119 sisters and for giving me a home for the past four years.

Indeed, we are like nothing you have ever seen. Class of 2017.

Prioritize your time and Disconnect to connect Prioritize your time, so you can spend more of it with your friends. And when you do have time to spend with friends, actually spend it with them. At dinner, have everyone put her phone in the middle of the table, so you are less tempted to use it. Appreciate your friends. Spend time with them, not on Snapchat. And while we are on the topic of friends, make more friends.

Talk to more people, and branch out of your friend group. You’re going to have to make more friends in college anyway.

Why not start now? During Allaso, one of the most common things I heard was, “why weren’t we friends earlier?”

Heidi Kim Views Editor

When someone asks us what school we go to, the response to hearing we attend Hockaday often leads to the same assumptions. We must be rich, stuck-up private school kids. Although we come to this school for higher education, the plaid skirts and blistering saddle-oxfords come at a price, and I don’t mean a monetary one.

As students having a private school education, there are definite advantages we receive, due to the vast resources available to us. But while Hockaday is a financially well-supported place of learning, there is much more on campus than wealth and academia.

And while we do our best to keep ourselves educated about issues of diversity through Student Diversity Board forums and classes such as the Literature of Minorities, it is still essential to acknowledge how privilege plays out in our day-to-day lives at Hockaday, in ways that do not necessarily relate to our socioeconomic statuses.

We as a student body are often perceived as a community where only white, wealthy students attend. But for anyone who has actually stepped onto campus, they know that is not the case at all.

We often like to think that we work hard to understand one another and embrace our differences; however, we forget sometimes to acknowledge the obvious gap that exists when it comes to privilege.

And yet, sometimes privilege is a difficult concept to measure. We

EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Jenny Zhu MANAGING EDITOR Amanda Kim WEB EDITOR Ashna Kumar BUSINESS MANAGER Maria Katsulos NEWS EDITOR Sonya Xu FEATURES EDITOR Eshani Kishore ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT EDITOR Aurelia Han SPORTS & HEALTH EDITOR Mary Claire Wilson VIEWS EDITOR Heidi Kim CASTOFF EDITOR Emily Fuller PHOTO & GRAPHICS EDITOR Katie O’Meara COPY EDITOR Elizabeth Guo SOCIAL MEDIA DIRECTOR Cheryl Hao VIDEO EDITOR Shreya Gunukula ART EDITOR Wendy Ho STAFF WRITERS Amelia Brown, Neha Dronamraju, Maria Harrison, Mary Orsak.

Charlotte Dross, Morgan Fisher, Ali Hurst, Ponette Kim, Ashlynn Long STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS Lauren Puplampu, Genny Wood, Grace Voorheis STAFF ARTISTS Lauren Hoang, Christine Ji, Brenda Lee, Karen Lin, Anoushka Singhania, Hallet Thalheimer, Sari Wyssbrod

It's Not a Right, It's a Privilege all come from a distinct background and have an identity formed by our own personal experiences. But while we are each very unique, we come together for a common goal: to get a better education. We are taught to view each other as peers, as equals. But even then, we cannot forget that there is still an inherent separation.

The Feb. 7 assembly about how to measure privilege, guided by students who attended the Student Diversity Leadership Conference on Dec. 8, sparked a very important conversation about an issue that is very relevant to the perception of our own community. Each of our socioeconomic statuses aside, we all have privilege, and with that, a unique identity, in terms of religion, gender, sexual orientation, ethnicity and race.

As an Asian-American, I was raised by a medley of American and Korean culture.

But, as an Asian-American student, I also grew up with the belief that I was to be the

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model minority, the golden child, the one who excelled in math and science, and most importantly, that smart Asian girl in class.

Although this stereotype may not seem harmful, it definitely has its detrimental effects. It creates this illusion of perfection, something that no one is capable of achieving. I often felt pressured to live up to impossible expectations just to fit in and be considered “a normal Asian.”

Stereotypes breed expectations, and many of these stem from inherent biases.

Assumptions will be made based on your identity, whether they are positive or negative. Some people are just more fortunate in that the implications aren’t as degrading.

The same applies to anyone of any other race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, or socioeconomic status. There is a perpetual fear of the unknown in the world at large, and our school is no different. While we may all sit in class or eat lunch together, there is a divide whether we choose to see it or not.

Students who identify as heterosexual have a privilege that students of the LGBTQ community don’t. Students who are white have a privilege that students of color do not. This is not to say that we should be ashamed of the privileges given to us. You just have to accept that you have them.

You can measure privilege in countless ways. But no matter what your unit of measure may be, you have to acknowledge the gap that separates all of us.

However, acknowledging its existence is not surrendering to it or abiding by it. It is just making the right choice by being aware.

ILLUSTRATION BY CHRISTINE JI

FACULTY 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 Greater Dallas Press. It is distributed free of charge to the Hockaday community. Businesses who wish to advertise in The Fourcast should contact Maria Katsulos, Business Manager, at mkatsulos@ 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 Jenny Zhu, Editor-inChief, at jzhu@hockaday.org.

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Chinese Orphanage Junior Claire Marucci photographed her experience volunteering at Changsha SW1 Orphanage in China.

"Although China’s one child policy has ended, it still continues to influence many people’s belief that healthy girls make up the majority of children in Chinese orphanages. However, while volunteering at the Changsha SWI orphanage, I learned that this is no longer true. Throughout the entire time I spent helping out and playing with the children in the orphanage, I was surprised by the amount of boys and children with disabilities I saw living in the orphanage. It was truly eye opening to learn from one of the caretakers that orphanages throughout China have all seen an increase in both the number of boys and children with disabilities living in the orphanages. Additionally, witnessing the strong sense of community between the children and caretakers and seeing how much the children in the orphanage looked out for each other was truly inspiring."

Graphic By Ali Hurst and Emily Fuller Photo and Story by Claire Marucci

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THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL