The Fourcast, October 2024

FOURCAST the

"Daisy-Decide?"

Admins explain the Daisy Decisions Instagram

By Anderson Rhodus and Sophia Salem Staff Writers

From its creation, the Daisy Decisions instagram page has celebrated seniors’ achievements and the beginning of their new journey. But what is the process behind managing the page? And does the account put pressure on seniors to “daisy-decide”?

The Daisy Decisions page is a student-run Instagram account not affiliated with The Hockaday School and whose posts are not “official.” However, the page surges in popularity every year once seniors start receiving college decisions.

The account is led by one senior each year. Millie Trumpower ‘23 led the account for her class.

“Becoming the admin wasn’t hard,” Trumpower said. “I think I just texted the person who had it before me and asked if I could run it for 2023. And then, through word of mouth, my entire grade heard that I wanted to run the account, and everyone just agreed to let me do it.”

reflected the concerns about the pressure seniors face to “daisy-decide.” When college decisions started rolling out, the pressure was on them to pick which of their options they

wanted to commit to.

Throughout most of the year, Trumpower noted that the account didn’t add much work to her already busy senior schedule. However, there were certain days throughout the year when she had to post many times. For example, one day in mid-December when early decisions came out Trumpower had to upload many student’s decisions and photos from Canva to Instagram quickly.

In total, the Daisy Decisions page posted more than one hundred college decisions over the last academic year. But it didn’t represent everyone; in the process, several seniors did not want to announce their decisions.

“There were some students that didn’t want me to post for a while after they committed to a school,” Trumpower said. “But most people messaged me the day they decided. I think around 10 to 15 girls never posted on the account, but my grade was good about letting me know as soon as possible.”

Those students’ decisions to not announce their commitment

Over the years, Allison Camp, Associate Director of College Counseling, said she has seen the negative effects that the account has on certain students, firsthand.

“Unfortunately, we have found in previous years that students feel pressure to decide quickly or publicly because of Daisy Decisions,” Camp said. “Each student has their own very unique process and timeline, and many will opt to not post their decision on social media at all.”

While she did say it was fun to see the seniors proud of their accomplishments without any more stress from college applications, Camp

Khatti became interested in running the account after she designed the logo for the Instagram page. After her logo was chosen to represent the senior class, she asked for her name to be in the list of possible admins for the Daisy Decisions page.

In August, a poll was sent out to the seniors featuring Khatti’s name, and after the results came out, she was given the keys to the page.

After just recently being chosen to manage the account, Khatti created a simple questionnaire for seniors to submit when they wanted to announce their decisions on the Instagram page.

“I just came up with these basic questions,” Khatti said. “Basically, just your name, what college you’re going to, what you’re majoring—if you’re majoring —if you’re playing a sport, that type of stuff.”

Each post on the account features a baby picture of the senior announcing their college decision and a recent photo of them on the next slide. The paragraph under it is short and easy to read, telling the public about the senior’s plans for their next four years.

Let Lizzy Loose: Library Edition

In her last year at Hockaday, Editor-in-Chief Elizabeth Truelove wants to let loose and try out as many clubs, sports and roles as she can. This month, she put on some glasses and became a librarian.

Whether for the daunting JRP, that extra 30 minutes before first period or locking in on the silent third floor, we’ve all been to the library. Personally, I show up to school around 7:30 a.m. every day, so my table on the second floor has seen hours of drafting essays and laboring over calculus. Despite spending so much free time here, one thing that most of us don’t see is the people who keep this key study spot running: the librarians.

They have helped you find a book, get your study room key or politely told you that unwrapping your entire breakfast is firstly, not allowed, but everyone can hear your big back activities (I wouldn’t know though). However, I took it upon myself to learn just a few of the countless tasks they complete daily to run the Hocka-library.

First, I obviously had to run the famous desk that sits in the back right corner on the second floor and belongs to librarian Hannah Riggert, who deals with most of the face-toface duties of the library.

After lightening the load of check-outs, I attempted to return some of the books. I was aghast with the number of misplaced books on the shelves due to the students and took it upon myself to return them to their proper home.

Lastly, I put a clear, protective cover over a hardback that had been added to our arsenal of books. This was a job I didn’t even fathom would be under the responsibilities of a librarian. Personally, those squeaky, plastic covers frustrate me, but now I have a lot more empathy for when I want to rip them off.

emphasizes how students should never get caught up in the pressures faced with announcing the decision.

“[The college commitment] is so much bigger than that,” Camp said. “We told the seniors this year in their College Counseling workshop: “Daisy Decide is NOT a verb!’”

This year, the account is run by Jayna Khatti, who went through a similar process that Trumpower did in 2023.

As the year starts, she’s glad to have the opportunity to run the account for the class of 2025 and is excited to be the first person to see where everybody is going. While some worry that it could add pressure to already-stressed seniors, Khatti believes that it does more good than harm.

“I think overall, it’s a very positive platform,” Khatti said. “Everyone gets to look at these decisions to celebrate everyone and it’s just a very happy thing to see.”

Sure, even I can admit, the rules and quiet nature of the library can get pretty frustrating. After seeing the long list of tasks Mx. Riggert made for me, even before filming the video, I was shocked. I never anticipated how many parts it took to manage the entire library.

Due to the pop culture stereotype of librarians, I think we’ve all painted them in a bad light. That second-floor library has seen the good, the bad and the ugly of my Upper School experience and none of that would be possible without the librarians. While I’m certainly not the best at the job, the Hockaday community has lucked out with who greets us with a smile as we prepare to tackle our academic load.

So, next time you visit, make sure to smile back, say thank you and don’t bring a gourmet meal to stink up the library.

Mae Flanagan's '25 post on Daisy Decisions

Jayna Khatti '25

Class of 2024 senior logo

PHOTO COURTESY OF MARY BRADLEY SUTHERLAND

Patel paves path forward Alumna breaks ground on approach to women's healthcare

By Danya Risam-Chandi Managing Editor

Dr. Priya Sureddi Patel ‘04 opened a holistic women’s health practice, named FeminologyMD, last September. FeminologyMD focuses on a holistic approach to women’s health, offering services including routine gynecological care, hormone optimization, sexual health, weight loss and nutrition services, and aesthetics.

Dr. Patel is double board-certified by the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology and by the American Board of Anti-Aging and Regenerative Medicine. She chose to specialize in gynecology after being inspired by her mother, who was also a gynecologist.

“I wanted to take care of women through the course of time,” Patel said. “Being an OBGYN allows you to perform surgery while still having that continuity of patient care.”

After many years of private practice, Patel decided to open her own concierge gynecology practice. Her decision was predominantly because she felt the healthcare industry was dominated by insurance regulations.

“The way our model is set up isn’t ideal for providers, and most importantly, it isn’t ideal for patients,” Patel said. “The care we provide and time we can spend are all dictated by insurance, which can be a real dis-

service to our patients.”

Patel disliked the constant time crunch she had to see patients under and wanted a more in-depth approach to women’s healthcare.

“I felt like I had to consolidate all of their issues into a 15 minute visit,” Patel said. “I felt like it was forcing me to offer cookie cutter, standard solutions instead of really being able to tailor and customize treatments to patients.”

Another critical issue for Patel is the lack of funding for research on women’s health topics.

“Women’s health research has only gotten major funding in the last 25 years or so,” Patel said. “That has created a real disparity in terms of care we can provide women.”

Patel started FeminologyMD while pregnant with her third child.

“When we opened I was about six months pregnant, and I took a two week maternity leave in December before getting back to the buisness," Patel said. "It wasn’t the most convenient time, but I knew there was never

going to be a perfect time to do something like this.”

One challenge Patel faced was learning how to run a business and start from scratch.

“I knew how to be a doctor, that was the easy and fun part for me.” Patel said. “Learning how to run a business and be the CEO of my practice was a skill set I had to learn.”

Reflecting on her time at Hockaday, Patel believes her experience as a student gave her the confidence to achieve her goals.

“I don't know if I would've had the guts to leave a very busy, successful practice if I didn't have the strength of character that I think was built by my time at Hockaday,” Patel said.

Patel also hopes the next generation of Hockaday students will leave with the courage to make changes, in the healthcare industry and beyond.

“Don’t be scared to be the one who shakes things up and wants to make changes,” Patel said.

Gun Violence at the State Fair

The effects of last years State Fair Shooting

By Sophie Cho Staff Writer

Senior Emmy Roberts sits beside a white picket fence at the State Fair, behind a cartoonish red barn that’s hosting puppet shows. Food trucks and people surround the area, the air full of comfortable chatter. Suddenly, from what must be only a quarter mile away, three gunshots are heard. The world goes silent for a moment. Then, the screams begin.

At 8 p.m. Oct. 14, 2023, a man opened fire in a food court at the State Fair of Texas. Three were injured, and many more questions were raised about the safety of fairgoers.

“I really kind of heard it go silent,” Roberts said. “I saw everyone duck down and start sprinting and screaming. I couldn’t hear the screams, but I could see it happening. I lost the sense of hearing.”

As the State Fair opens its doors for the 138th year, a new policy bans fairgoers from carrying weapons including guns due to last year's shooting. However, an exception is made for current and former peace officers.

Before the incident, the Fair’s policy allowed those with licenses to bring guns onto the fairgrounds. The 2023 gunman did not have a permit.

Roberts was at the State Fair with her friend, fellow senior Cece Johnson. She said people jumped over the fence as soon as

the gunshots were heard, fleeing and hiding during the chaos. Nobody knew what was going on.

“It was a little symbolic in a really weird way, like the American Dream,” Roberts said. “People have a white picket fence, and now there’s all of this gun violence. That was what hit really hard for me.”

The gunman was arrested immediately after firing the shots, while attempting to flee the scene. No one sustained life-threatening injuries, but the damage was done: the illusion of safety had been shattered for Roberts and other fairgoers.

“Being in that real-world situation was genuinely terrifying,” Roberts said. “I’m always on guard now, and that’s really tense.”

In addition to the gun ban, the Fair has also increased front-gate and in-park security through more detailed screening processes and the setup of a communication center within the park.

of Texas and the City of Dallas in an attempt to overturn the Fair’s new policy. The new policy conflicts with the much looser Texas state gun policy, which allows even those without licenses to carry a gun. Private events are authorized to put in place their own gun restrictions, but the lines begin to blur when these events are held on government-owned property.

“The State Fair itself is private,” Upper School government teacher Emily Mosley said. “But they are on land that they’re leasing from Dallas, which is where this disagreement is coming from.”

The Texas Supreme Court denied Paxton’s filing, but Mosley said he may still attempt to push the issue through state legislation. For many though, increased security is not enough. For Roberts, the memory of gunshots remains strong.

On Aug. 26, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton filed a lawsuit against the State Fair

“I know this year I’m not going back to the fair,” Roberts said. “It’s kind of sad because I loved going to the fair. Eventually I probably will, but not this year. It’s still too soon.”

Dr. Priya Sureddi Patel '04

Big Tex at the state fair

It's time for a hot girl workout

Rating some of the most popular workout studios

around Dallas

By Cece Johnson Opinions Editor

Are you trying to get in shape for Skabo? Maybe you're trying to fit into| a dress for hoco or winfo? Maybe you’re already thinking about Hot Girl Summer 2025. If so, you’re going to need some workout studios to get your sweat on. Here are some of the best (and hardest) studios I tried in the Dallas area.

Soul Cycle famously has energetic instructors who blast music and shout encouragement as you pedal on a stationary bike. In my experience, this is not an exaggeration. With themed classes and dance parties in the middle of the workout, Soul Cycle encourages a lighthearted approach to fitness and an enthusiastic outlook on cycling. One class is $33, and there are unfortunately no student membership options. Class lasts around 45 minutes with an extra five minutes for stretching after. Soul Cycle is not only a fun experience, but also a challenging workout. The instructor alternates between heavy climbs with lots of resistance, and faster sprints with less resistance Classes usually have the same difficulty level, but different formats depending on the instructor. There are multiple studios in Dallas, the closest to Hockaday on Preston Road near Inwood Village. This workout class is a fun, high energy environment, perfect for beginners or experienced riders—rating it a 9/10.

CorePower is notorious for its intense classes with difficult instructors. This is not an exaggeration. With six different classes, this workout studio challenges you at every level. Classes include the three lower intensity options: CorePower 1, Hot Power Fusion, and Core Restore, as well as three higher intensity options: Yoga Sculpt, CorePower Sculpt X and CorePower 2. These classes also all have different heat levels, so if you are not into working out in a sauna, CorePower has a class for you. They do not have a student membership option, however they do have a new client discount which allows you a week of free classes before paying the normal $35 per class. The studio offers towels and mats to rent as well as water for purchase. Sanitized weights are available in the rooms during class. CorePower has multiple studios throughout Dallas including two close to Hockaday: Preston Forest and the soon-to-open Preston Hollow location. My ranking of this location is 7/10. With a wide range of classes, instructors and studios, CorePower has a class for you.

Ritual

One Yoga is a heated workout studio which offers classes from power sculpt to HIIT to restoring yoga.

Located off Knox and Henderson, the second-floor studio has two class spaces, two infrared saunas, extra yoga mats and yoga a bathroom with two showers, feminine products, razors, face wash, bath towels, face towels and work- out equipment provided. They also have cold boxed water and electrolytes at the front desk. There are also approximately 40 lockers with locking combinations. This workout studio offers a great student discount of $24 per class, a $10 discount. If loud music, intense sweating and back-to-back exercises are not your ideal workout, then skip this studio. However, if this is your thing, prepare for 60 minutes of hard work. Some of my favorite classes are the classic Power Sculpt and HIIT, as well as the Power Vinyasa when I want a more yoga-focused class. The workouts tend to start and end with stretching, and usually include some sort of cardio and weight training. The instructors each have unique workouts and playlists, guaranteeing you will never take the same class twice. Overall, I’d rate this studio a 10/10, as it is my personal favorite.

Pumpkin spice and consumerism

Looking into the pumpkin spice craze at Starbucks and Trader Joe’s

By Jessica Boll and Katie Ma Web Editor-in-Chief and Staff Writer

Pumpkin spice latte. Pumpkin spice candle. Pumpkin spice hand soap. Pumpkin spice cheesecake. Pumpkin spice gouda. Pumpkin spice dog treats.

Since August, big brands like Starbucks and Trader Joe’s have already been releas ing products in the hopes of attracting more customers.

Why is pumpkin spice so heavily inter twined with fall? Who started the craze for the flavor that marks the end of summer? The answer is Starbucks, the largest coffee house chain in the world.

With the popular pumpkin spice latte bringing up to $800 million in revenue every year, Starbucks has been the original leader in the seasonal drink game for the past two decades, according to Yahoo Finance. After a three-month stock price decrease starting in May, Starbucks needed to make waves this fall season to get back to where they were at the start of 2024.

coming out in August which I thought was really early, but I was super excited,” Fagelman said.

To build hype and knowledge surrounding their release date, Starbucks took to social media to market their new (and old) products. In doing so, they are able audience, including junior Lily Fagelman - a frequenter at the coffee chain.

As one of the first people to try pumpkin spice on Starbuck’s release date, Fagelman learned about when they would arrive through their social media marketing.

“I saw an ad on Instagram that it was

Every year, Starbucks’s fall menu has been arriving progressively earlier. In the early 2010s, they released their fall menu in early September, which has since been slowly creeping closer to mid-August, with this year’s menu released on Aug. 22.

In addition to moving the menu’s release date up, they have also expanded the customizability of their drinks during

“Starbucks continues to take the same drink and put different flavors of syrups and cold foams on it,” Fagelman said. “It changes it just by a little, but still people are buying it because of these new flavors.”

mentum Starbucks created surrounding fall flavors, other companies like Trader Joe’s act as a catalyst to bring pumpkin spice to a bigger audience in exchange for increased revenue.

Like Starbucks, Trader Joe’s has also been taking fall flavors by storm to gain more revenue during the autumn season. Sophomore Julianne Myhre is a huge fan and regular customer at Trader Joe’s.

“I have Celiac’s disease, so I love that they have glu ten-free pancake mix, and that they have specifically glu ten-free pumpkin pancake mix,” she said.

Because Myhre is a regular, she doesn’t go more often when seasonal products are released.

“I think it’s just a fun bonus when they have the seasonal items,” she said. “I do get sad when they take the seasonal items away, though.”

Still, she thinks the seasonal items are better off as special editions.

“[Trader Joe’s] is so different from other grocery stores,” Myhre said. “All of their products are so unique and different. I feel like price wise, especially compared to other grocery stores, it’s definitely better.”

In early September, they featured their 2024 fall product lineup in their newsletter “Fearless Flyer.”

Myhre’s favorite fall item is the gluten-free pumpkin pancake mix.

Scream and stream

“I don’t see myself eating pumpkin pancakes in July,” she said. “But I do love that they have seasonal items for each season, so I feel like I’m still enjoying all of the seasons.”

Pumpkin spice, the fall’s most popular flavor, is loved in Hockaday community.

Sophomore Porter Johnston is a huge fan of pumpkin spice, particularly of pumpkin spice chai.

“I just love the way it tastes,” Johnston said. “I’ve always loved pumpkin, but drinking pumpkin when it's fall is just something I love.”

Some of her other favorite pumpkin flavored products include any kind of pumpkin bread and sugar-free cookies, particularly the ones from Trader Joe’s.

Johnston believes that she goes to purchase treats during fall more than any other season. However, she admits that part of her love comes from the limited time pumpkin flavored items are available.

“I don't think I would drink pumpkin spice as often in the fall if it was available year-round,” she said. “I like the fall flavors because I just love fall and the vibe.”

Reviewing the spookiest, scariest and silliest Halloween movies

By Siena Ebert Staff Writer

Beetlejuice 2

The 2024 sequel to the original “Beetlejuice,” “Beetlejuice 2” revives Tim Burton’s spooky and electric universe with a 21st century twist.

The story continues with the life of Lydia Deetz, who is raising her teenage daughter, Astrid. Astrid accidentally opens a portal to the afterlife and meets Jeremy, a mysterious boy who manipulates her into an afterlife exchange. Haunted by her past experiences, Lydia must now overcome her fear by teaming up with Beetlejuice to save her daughter’s life.

IScream VI

n “Scream VI,” the iconic Ghostface returns with vengeance. Continuing the franchise, "Scream VI” is centered around the "Core Four" survivors: Samantha Carpenter, her sister Tara and their friends Chad and Mindy.

FHocus Pocus

illed with seasonal fun, “Hocus Pocus” is an iconic, comedy-horror film that blends humor, magic and a spooky charm, making it a timeless Halloween favorite. The story revolves around the iconic three 17-century witches, Winifred, Sarah and Mary Sanderson, played by Bette Midler, Sarah Jessica Parker and Kathy Najimy respectively.

After moving to New York in hopes of starting a new life, their attempt at normalcy is shattered when a new Ghostface killer emerges to stalk and terrorize the group of college students. The group must work together to unmask the new Ghostface killer.

Honoring the first film, this movie features Burton’s sig- nature dark, whimsical and gothic style.

Burton prioritized physical effects rather than CGI, offering the film a vintage feel, much like its original. It seemed as if the filmmakers were trying to experiment with the modern technology of CGI, green screens and filters but failed miserably.

The addition of Jenna Ortega's character, Astrid, adds a fresh twist; however, the film seems overloaded with multiple story lines at times. Even though the movie lasts only about 100 minutes, it appears to be overburdened by intertwining subplots involving Beetlejuice’s former wife and Astrid’s dad, insinuating that the film could be split into two separate parts.

Despite its strong returning cast, Beetlejuice 2 is completely disjointed and lacks cohesion, feeling rushed and disorganized.

Although the plot may seem predict- able at times, the cine - matographic chaotic energy of the New York City setting and the rapid pacing ensure that the tensions never dwindle, and you will be on the edge of your seat at every moment.

The plot twists leave you confused as you desperately try to guess which character is the killer. Every inch of this movie is jam-packed with action, violence and gore, so I would suggest that you consider how much blood bothers you before watching this film.

As the movie comes to an end, the last 20 minutes of the film seem to roll in slow motion, creating a sense of redundancy and making the final showdown feel less urgent.

"Scream VI” may not satisfy die-hard fans of the franchise due to its partial lack of creativity which makes it seem like a duplicate of similar horror movies.

In Salem, Mass., on Halloween night, three kids, Max Dennison, his younger sis- ter Dani and friend Alli- son light the Black Flame Candle in the witches’ abandoned home, which brings the Sand- erson sisters back to life. Now, the kids must stop the witches from suck- ing the life from all the children in Salem and prevent them from restor- ing their youth and power. Through- out the film, the three witches deliver hilarious and memorable performances, with iconic musical numbers to their outlandish antics.

Unfamiliar with the new 20th century technology, the witches are repeatedly outwitted by the kids who use modern tricks to confuse the sisters, adding numerous comedic moments throughout the film.

However, if you’re not a fan of older films, the dated special effects and computer-generated images in the original might not be for you.

Overall, the engaging plot, hilarious moments and decorative scenery make “Hocus Pocus” a movie worth watching this season.

Who wears it best?

Trackers offer users more health information

By Amitha Nair JADE Editor-in-Chief

“Time to get moving!” “You’re close to hitting your daily target.”

“You’re usually further along in your exercise ring by this time.”

Fitness trackers have been around for many years. The first one, according to wired.com, was the Manpo-kei, a step tracker that popularized the idea of walking 10,000 steps a day. Since then, many advancements have been

said. “I can text, and call people take pictures, pay using Apple Wallet, can control music and more.”

According to statista.com, Apple Watch are among the most popular devices, used by 58 per cent of Americans. In addition, this watch has continued to be the leading smartwatch vendor since 2020.

The Fitbit is a competitor to the Apple Watch. While it may not include many of the phone features, it performs most of the same exercise features.

are still on trend, minimalist watch es that strictly focus on health and wellness also seem to be on the rise. One popular watch is the Whoop, which focuses on helping the user understand their health and fitness of the user.

“My Fitbit can track my steps, heartbeat, oxygen levels, elevated heart rates, and how many miles I’ve walked,” freshman Holly Hughes said. “It was the least expensive for what my goal was, and it looked classy.”

While multi-functional watches

The new backpack

“There isn’t very much outside of health and fitness that it does,” sophomore Anne Case said. “My favorite part about it is the sleep tracking, and I look at how much time I was spending in REM and deep sleep.”

Traditionally, advanced fitness trackers have been in the form of a watch or something that rests on your wrists. A new type of tracker continues to gain popularity, the Oura Ring.

The Oura Ring uses infrared

Are the new shoulder bags really worth the hype?

By Aneeka Tansen Staff Writer

Most have felt the ache in their shoulders as they walk across campus with a 25-pound weight holding them down. With two textbooks, three notebooks, a computer, a pencil bag and miscellaneous items, everything feels necessary. But which is better –a backpack or a shoulder tote?

This year, several Upper Schoolers have switched from backpacks to shoulder bags. Senior Erin Yuan said she finds it more convenient.

“In terms of access, it’s much easier than a backpack, because you can just open it up and everything’s in one place,” Yuan said. “I bought an organizer for my bag too, which made it easier.”

Across campus, the top two bags seen most often are the L.L. Bean Boat & Tote and the Longchamp Le Pliage. Other miscellaneous tote bags include Vera Bradley, Ralph Lauren, Free People and other brands. Whether it is to carry school supplies or a

spare change of clothes, these bags are becoming a convenient and durable fashion statement.

“I thought it was fun, and there were a lot of people using it,” Yuan said. “I know a lot of college students wear it around campus, so I just thought it would be a fun investment.”

Because many shoulder bags are made of nylon, they lack shape and are often hard to fit things into.

“There isn’t really a structure,” sophomore Lauren Lockhart said. “But I have an insert for it that is really helpful for organizing.”

Lockhart uses tote bags in and out of school for various purposes because of their visual appeal.

“I am a tote bag collector – I have a box of bags above my closet that I can wear for any scenario.”

Though these bags are visually appealing, some people complain of shoulder pain after repeated use.

“It hurts my shoulder sometimes when I’m walking long distances, but that’s pretty rare,” Yuan said.

Lockhart, however, said she experienced more back pain using a traditional backpack which made her make the switch to a shoulder bag.

“It’s much more fashionable and I used to have two backpacks for school and sports which was a lot on my back,” Lockhart said. “If I had to do a lot more walking or carry it for a long time, I would definitely use a backpack.”

Though the bags are appealing to teenagers, they have long-lasting effects regarding muscle imbalance,

spine placement and posture.

Dr. Benjamin Andrews, a chiropractor, believes these shoulder bags should be avoided whenever possible.

“It causes uneven tension in the body to try and support that weight which can cause issues further down the road,” Andrews said. “If you’re training your body to carry a bag on one side, it is going to optimize you to do that without any consideration of stability for the rest of your body.”

Andrews explains how constant uneven tension can lead to displacement.

“You’re going to put that weight on your shoulder and it’s going to cause your back to rotate to the opposite side,” Andrews said. “The first day you carry the bag, it’s going to be heavy until it becomes lighter as your body adapts to it. You will cause a bunch of tension in your body just for the reason of looking stylish, which isn’t that big of a reward.”

The same tension is present in backpacks when worn on one shoulder, but it is targeted to a different muscle group.

“It’ll be more behind you, causing more compression in the lower lumbar spine, as opposed to a side view like a tote bag,” Andrews said.

Even small objects like a wallet can cause discomfort which sounds miniscule in comparison to a shoulder bag.

“It’s the same reason we tell men not to put wallets in their back pockets anymore, because that causes a lot of spinal pain,” Andrews said. “If you look in the mirror, the majority of the time,

LEDs to record fitness information

“I love the sleep score and seeing how caffeine affects sleep, as well as the time of day that is best for me to work,” senior Saxon Moseley said.

The biggest difference about the Oura Ring is its design, it was made to be sleek and comfortable for daily activities as well as sleep.

“I don’t like the look of an Apple Watch or Garmin,” Moseley said.

“The ring is pretty and subtle instead of a chunky watch that’s not as cute.”

the shoulder you carry your bag on will be lower than the other side, because your body is used to having that weight which can affect your posture and how you sit.”

Especially for teenagers, bones are in constant developing and causing a significant imbalance repeatedly can lead to injuries.

“The big thing about teenagers is that your bodies are still growing, so you’re still depositing calcium in your bones,” Andrews said. “If you’re bones are trained to deal with your bag on one side, it can more likely influence the pattern of how your spine will mature.”

Andrews believes the best bag is neither a simple backpack nor tote bag.

“The best way to deal with carrying loads on a bipedal human being is with a backpack that has hip straps where the straps can be tightened to carry the load, so the shoulder straps are really just there to stabilize it from falling off your back.”

Junior Virgina Dunn sits outside with tote

PHOTOS COURTESY OF AMITHA NAIR

Tote on campus

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ANEEKA TANSEN

Closet staples to iconic costumes

Unique & affordable outfits that you can assemble from your wardrobe

By Larkin Clouston Arts & Life Editor

As Halloween approaches, you are either one type of costume planner or the other.

Type A planner: “Halloween is in three months I need to pick my costume and buy my outfit right now before everything sells out!”

Or you’re more like me, and you are a Type B planner where Halloween is about a week away and you still have

no idea what or who you will dress up as.

Well, no need to fear, Larkin is here! As your fashionista and stylist, I have found adorable and unique Halloween costumes in my wardrobe that I put together from basic clothes I already own.

So, without further ado, let’s get into the costumes.

Party animal Sleeping beauty

Animal print is the key to this easy and fun costume. With the new rage of “Glamour” on TikTok, I’m sure you guys own some sort of cheetah print that you can pull out of your closet for this costume. Add a party hat. If you don’t have a hat, pick one up at Target or Walmart for under $5. Voilà, you have a unique and charming costume for Halloween.

Magic 8 Ball

When I was looking around my closet for another costume idea, I found a metallic sparkly skirt and a magic eight ball shirt. And it came to me, a magic eight ball costume! You can get the T-shirt shipped very quickly for under $20 on Amazon. This costume is super unique and nobody will ever know that you didn’t plan months in advance for this.

This costume is for the people looking to be super comfy while also looking cute. Get a cute pajama set. What’s better than being comfortable and stylish on Halloween night? Second, you need a tiara. If you are like me, then you have many old plastic tiaras from previous birthdays or old costumes stashed somewhere in your closet. Finally, throw a pair of slippers on your feet to ensure that you’re extra comfy all night. You are now Sleeping Beauty, and you can tell everyone all night that you “just woke up like this.”

For this costume, the accessories are key! You need a turquoise or teal dress. The accessories and styling of the dress is transform it into a costume. Curl your hair into beach waves or even crimp it. Then, add any seashell jewelry or beachy accessories. And there you go; you are Aquamarine from that iconic mermaid movie.

This costume is for people running low on time. Every Hockaday student owns a dress uniform. This is where that button-down shirt will finally come in handy (other than on dress uniform days of course). Tie that button-down shirt into a knot. Braid your hair into two pigtails and grab two fluffy scrunchies. That's it, you're Britney Spears from "Hit Me Baby One More Time" and this costume didn't require any extra effort.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF LARKIN CLOUSTON

Fun fall festivals

Hockaday affinity groups celebrate diverse cultural festivals

By Jenny Chu and Audrey Liu Staff Writer and News Editor

As the fall season commences, various affinity groups enjoy important celebrations.

Mid-Autumn Festival

Senior Rayna Li celebrated the Mid-Autumn Festival, known as the Moon Festival, with family.

“We went to Costco and bought mooncakes, and my mom got Chinese takeout,” Li said. “The moon was really pretty that day, so we went outside to look at it.”

Li, co-president of the Asian Student Association (ASA), said the holiday, which fell on Sept. 17 this year, happened too early to celebrate at school.

“I hope we can do something next year – maybe giving out mooncakes and talking about the history of the festival,” Li said.

Despite the early timing of the festival this year, Li hopes to keep the spirit of the festival alive within the school community. She said the festival, which celebrates the moon goddess legend, is based on the lunar calendar.

“Typically, it is celebrated when the moon is at its fullest, and that is the 15th day of the eighth month,” Li said. “People in Chinese culture celebrate it by getting together with family and eating mooncakes.”

A traditional Cantonese mooncake is a small round pastry with sweet, thick filling, often made of lotus seed or red bean paste, surrounded with a thin crust. Many also contain yolk from salted duck eggs. The pastries are often eaten with tea, and it is customary for families to gift boxes of mooncakes to relatives and coworkers.

Li said the celebration is one of the most important holidays in Chinese culture with a story behind it.

making everything bright,” Devesh said. "We also throw huge parties and hold gatherings within people’s homes, but in private, we do puja prayer and worship. Sweet foods, such as laddus and barfi, are also integral to Diwali when we eat and offer them to gods.”

Senior Anya Ahuja, co-president of South Asian Student Association (SASA) also finds Diwali a time to deepen her connections with community and faith.

“A lot of food, a lot of prayers, a lot of light, a lot of rangoli art and diya candle decorating,” Ahuja said. “It’s a time for me to connect deeper with the people around me and get closer to my religion, as I’m Hindu.”

Throughout the festival, which is typically celebrated in October or November, Ahuja and Devesh decorate their houses with light and color through rangoli, engage in spiritual reflection and feast on scrumptious homemade food.

“Diwali is such a special time because the victory of good over evil is a very general theme that anyone can resonate with and celebrate,” Ahuja said. “While many religions and cultures have different Diwali origin stories and worship different gods during it, it’s a universal time of community.”

“The Mid-Autumn Festival is a celebration that’s celebrated in Chinese culture," Li said. It’s based off of a legend called Chang’e, the Moon Goddess."

Families reflect on the legend’s themes of gratitude, unity and renewal as they come together to admire the full moon.

Diwali

Senior Dithyae Devesh, Hindu Student Union (HSU) co-president, celebrates Diwali, a holiday steeped in tradition and celebrating the triumph of light over darkness.

“The biggest thing about Diwali is definitely putting up lights in your house, setting up firecrackers, just

Though Hockaday hasn’t yet celebrated Diwali with an official event, there are typically tables with traditional accessories, religious figurines and informational pamphlets setup around the school, created by SASA and HSU members. In 2023, SASA also hosted a small get-together with some St. Mark’s students. Though it wasn’t hosted in 2024, Ahuja expressed hope to revive it in the future.

“It was a huge hit and it’d be great to do it again sometime,” Ahuja said. “I’m grateful to be in a school that celebrates my culture and gives me a platform to create a better community for my peers.”

Rosh Hashanah & Yom Kippur

Senior Grey Golman, Jewish Student Union co-president and Affinity Council representative, spends the first half of October celebrating Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur with her family.

“The days between Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur and the holidays themselves are a time of prayer, forgiveness and deep reflection,” Golman said. “Rosh Hashanah symbolizes the start of the Jewish new year and Yom Kippur is the restart of the Torah, both following the ancient Hebrew calendar.”

Though Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur are both integral Jewish celebrations and times of reflection, their traditions and routines differ slightly.

Day of the Dead

Senior Gabriela Gaona, Latin-Hispanic Student Union (LHSU) president, prepares her ancestral altar, an ofrenda, days ahead of Day of the Dead, also known as Día de los Muertos, which is a Mexican holiday celebrated in November.

“I usually like to decorate my ofrenda the week before, especial-

“During Yom Kippur, we fast and abstain from using technology,” Golman said. “Throughout the day, my family and I usually attend services at our synagogue and pray together at home.”

For Rosh Hashanah, the practices vary while still emphasizing personal meditation and prayer.

“During Rosh Hashanah, we eat apples and honey and braid challah, which symbolizes the circularity of the year,” Golman said. “Celebrating time with family is a huge part of Rosh Hashanah.”

JSU hosted their first inter-group Rosh Hashanah celebration earlier in the year.

“It was a festive way to celebrate together and bond, and though I won’t be here next year, I hope JSU’s future leaders carry that on,” Golman said.

In regards to the larger Hockaday community, Golman hopes to increase the presence of JSU on campus.

“Historically JSU hasn’t been super involved with anything, but we’re planning many more events and we plan to carry them on in the future,” Golman said.

Golman’s favorite part of this festive time is having her community together, as well as how it brings her closer to her religion.

“Having all my extended family over and seeing certain synagogue members who I don’t usually get to talk to all in one place is really amazing,” Golman said. “This time helps me reflect on how my religion connects to my life and identity, as well as making my best self.”

ly because it takes me a while to gather all my photos and find all my things I want to put on it,” Gaona said. “That usually involves getting bread and flowers from the grocery store, finding picture frames, as well as many dining room conversations with my family about the people we’re honoring.”

Families create displays that feature photos, flowers, candles and food along with favorite items of the deceased. They also visit the deceased’s graves, eat special foods such as sugar skulls and dress in vibrant costumes.

“I honor all my known ancestors, even some that I haven’t personally met,” Gaona said.

This year, Day of the Dead spans Nov. 1-2. Events in the Dallas area include a parade and festival at Dallas City Hall, a Dallas Symphony Orchestra concert and a Dallas Farmers’ Market themed day.

“Day of the Dead is a time of remembrance and gratitude for the lives people have lived,” Gaona said.

Though Hockaday will not have a Day of the Dead celebration, LHSU honored the various Latin countries’ respective Independence Days on Oct. 3, performing baile folklórico, a traditional Hispanic dance, for each division and providing Hispanic food and music for an Upper School dance party. Additionally, various members of LHSU spoke to the Hockaday community about their cultural heritage and what it means to them.

“It’s important to celebrate these holidays and honor those who came before us,” Gaona said.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF ANYA AHUJA AND SALLY HUDSPETH

Students dancing during Independence Days celebration

Ahuja and friends celebrating Diwali.

CERN to classroom New math teacher brings a career of international experience

By Sarah Moskowitz Features Editor

From serving in Israel’s military to collecting data at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN), Dr. Shulamit Moed, Upper School Precalculus and Integrated Math III Enriched teacher, has pursued her passion for science and learning throughout her life.

“I always loved going to school and learning,” Moed said. “In high school, my favorite classes were physics, math and the Bible.”

Although Moed was always interested in school, her high school physics teacher helped her discover her passion for science.

“My teacher made me want to learn more,” Moed said. “I saw how you can understand how the world works and how nature is composed.”

After graduating from high school, Moed served in the Israeli military for two years before going to the Israel Institution of Technology (Technion), where she earned her Bachelor of Science in physics, and, later, a master’s in particle physics.

From there, Moed went to CERN, where she collected data for her thesis and received her doctorate at the University of Geneva in Switzerland.

“I went to the U.S. for the second part of my Ph.D. at Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab), which is outside of Chicago,” Moed said. “Then, I continued a post-doctoral fellowship at Harvard, and I was planning to go back to Israel, but then I met my husband at Harvard and stayed in the U.S.”

At Harvard, Moed did research work and mentored graduate students.

“I helped them with all skills related to scientific research from programming, to understanding physics, to designing experiments – everything you need to be a scientist,” Moed said.

Once she completed her fellowship, Moed

went back to the Fermi National Lab, which was a dream of hers. However, once her children were born, she made a difficult decision.

“I had a demanding job with two babies, and I didn’t want them to be raised by a nanny, so I made a tough decision that I don’t regret,” Moed said. “I focused on being a full-time mom for several years which I consider extremely meaningful in helping shape my kids to the people they are and strengthening our family, given the fast social and technology changes and influences that we are experiencing in recent years.”

While taking a break from her scientific work, Moed taught dance, fitness and Zumba classes in Chicago. Then, when her children got older, she turned to teaching.

“I decided to teach high school to help students see the joy and beauty in STEM and how it connected to so much in their daily life and everything around them,” Moed said. “I was very inspired by teachers, and I see it as a privilege to be in the classroom and encourage students think creatively and critically and guide them in their intellectual growth.”

Bringing in aspects of her background in science as she teaches math, Moed perceives science as a way of thinking that provides space for identifying the beauty in the nature around us and in our existence itself.

“I want to teach my students how to think so that they can become independent thinkers,” Moed said. “Everything I teach is geared toward applications and seeing how the details affect the big picture and vice versa.”

For females aspiring to be in the STEM field,

Fantastic films

Film students share their work

By Emily McLeroy Sports Editor

Crouched behind a camera, focused on the scene in front of her, junior Savannah Chun prepares to get the perfect shot.

Chun takes the Advanced Film Class, where students create two short films a year.

“After you have an idea for a film, you make a summary of each scene, and what you want it to look like,” Chun said. “Then, you finalize the script and write the shot list, which is a plan for every shot including the location, people involved, camera movement and camera angle. After that we shoot the film, which takes me three to five days, and then edit it.”

Currently, Chun is working on a documentary called “Two Halves, One Whole” for her film this semester about her grandparents, one of whom is South Korean and one of whom is North Korean, and their relationship.

“I used to make films when I was younger for fun,” Chun said. “Editing has always been one of my favorite things.”

She has created several films in the past few years.

“Freshman year, I made a documentary called 'Skin Deep' where I interviewed a bunch of Hockaday girls in my grade about beauty standards,” Chun said. “Then, sophomore year,

I made this film called 'Garden Gnome’ about a boy who destroys his mother’s favorite garden gnome and tries to fix it.”

Chun said that the group of people in her class is helpful in the process of making a film.

“We share ideas with the class, so they can help us build off and grow our inspiration,” Chun said. “We also brainstorm together.”

Her films have been shown at the Hockaday Film Fest and at other film festivals.

Along with Chun, junior Isla McKenna is in the Advanced Film class.

She has created a variety of films during the past few years, including films about a clown stuck in a time loop and a reality TV show star who goes crazy.

“Sometimes it just comes to me,” McKenna said. “For my crazy reality show star film, I watched an episode of 'Love Island' and thought, ‘I should write something about this.’”

McKenna also believes the class is an important part of the process.

“Getting to hear other people’s perspectives is super helpful,” McKenna said. “Sometimes, they just see things you don’t see.”

Advanced Film teacher Bobby Weiss emphasized the difficulty of the film process.

Moed stresses the importance of not making a point about gender and seeing one’s performance and the results they produce whether they are a woman or a man.

“I always wanted to exceed whatever criteria was set and to perform in any kind of work, and that had nothing to do with gender,” Moed said. “I didn’t leave a margin for people to say that I got to do something because I was a woman; Whatever I did, I did well in absolute terms.”

From working in labs to teaching at Hockaday, Moed has loved all of her jobs.

“If you do something with a purpose and a meaning, it is already halfway guaranteed that you will enjoy it, and the rest is in the details,” Moed said. “I loved being a scientist and I look back at the accomplishments and I am proud of them and remember joy, happiness and friendships. Now, I love being in the classroom and I love knowing that I have contributed something to a student’s cognitive development and her ability to look at the math as a beautiful language that makes a lot of sense.”

“Filmmaking is a challenging and rigorous process that involves many different steps," Weiss said.

"In addition to writing scripts and working with actors, you need to know how to use a camera, lighting equipment, sound equipment and editing software.”

Weiss discussed the importance of having fun with film.

“The main point I try to emphasize is to enjoy every part of the process. That’s how you find your voice,” Weiss said. “If you make films based on your own interests, you’ll have the intrinsic motivation to continue exploring and discovering.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF SAVANNAH CHUN

Chun’s poster for ‘Garden Gnome.’

PHOTO COURTESY OF SHULAMIT MOED

Moed in the control room at Fermilab

what the sigma is

GEN X millenials

Bodacious babes and gnarly waves. The '80s were a time of radical change in slang. In a world of evolving consumerism, slang had no choice but to evolve with it.

Back in Upper School physics teacher Dr. Stephen Balog’s high school years, he was oblivious to the popular slang of the time. However, he kept up with the politics and pop culture of the time, which heavily affected the dialect of his generation.

“The terms were all related to pop culture, music and politics at the time, even before phones existed,” Balog said.

Upper School history teacher Lucio Benedetto believes that slang was heavily impacted by teenage trends of

“With the rise of skateboarding in the '80s, the word gnarly became super popular,” Benedetto said. “Soon, everything was ‘gnarly’.”

Walking into his classroom, Balog said he is bombarded by a wave of confusing and intriguing words. In a world that is constantly gaining new ways to say simple expressions, Balog is conflicted about asking his students the definitions

Don’t know '90s slang? As if! Their vocabulary was da bomb. As technological advancements continued, television shows and movies were the main source of popular slang.

Upper School English teacher Benjamin Gerdts has become famous in the senior class for implementing brainrot such as “Ohio” into his classroom.

“To me, brainrot is a confusion of language so much so that you can't find meaning behind anything,” Gerdts said. “There's no actual truth behind the language to hold on to because it's all being used in so many different and contradictory ways.”

When hearing words he does not understand in his classroom, Gerdts typically laughs at the slang, sometimes resorting to lightheartedly shaming his students or advisory.

“I don't look up slang words because I don't want whoever is watching me on my computer to know that I'm interested,” Gerdts said. “I think it’s funny how if the older generations start using the slang of the younger generations, they

What the skibidi does losing negative aura because sigma by the chat because you don’t have that examines how slang has progressed through developed by recent generations on social media)

by Lang Cooper, Sports Editor and

or ignoring the confusing terms.

“If I don’t get the context of the words, then I may ask ‘is this something I should know?’” Balog said. “I’m curious why they don’t just say what they mean.”

Even though Balog feels confused by this generation’s slang, he knows that slang is a way for teenagers to connect with others.

“When you're in that time period, it's not slang. It’s your language,” Balog said. “It's a way to communicate amongst your a, creating a better sense of belonging.”

Benedetto believes that slang has brought generations together throughout time.

“When I first began teaching at Hockaday, girls were always using the word ‘sketch,’” Benedetto said. “I heard it so much that even I say it now.”

Although Balog is unsure of what the future of slang will hold, he is certain that social media will ensure its constant evolution.

“Almost every year there's a new set of language,” Balog said. “It’s going to keep growing and there will always be people coming up with new words.”

move on pretty quickly.”

Gerdts has watched the slang of the '90s evolve. He has seen numerous increments of words describing something impressive evolve over the last thirty years.

“When describing something really cool, you would say ‘the bomb,’ but eventually it evolved to ‘da bomb’ which was double cool,” Gerdts said.

Though there was no social media in the '90s, slang was still spread through music and other pop culture.

12.5 % of students and faculty use the word "skibidi"

MTV’s “Total Request Live (TRL),” a television show that played the top ten music videos at the time, was extremely popular, and it influenced how teenagers spoke.

“‘TRL was huge. You would come home every day at 5 p.m. and they would play the top ten music videos of any genre,” Gerdts said. “Musicians and celebrities would say certain things and you’d be like ‘oh that slaps.’”

Gerdts believes the evolution of slang has had an overall positive impact on communication.

“Your initial reaction is probably going to be negative and confused,” Gerdts said. “Eventually, you realize it facilitates expression and builds community.”

Gerdts has noticed that some of his generation’s slang is still present while other terms have faded away. He believes this is due to popular shows such as “Friends” and “Seinfeld” which have influenced the language of both Millennials and Gen Z throughout the decades.

“If words can be worked into the lexicon through pop culture and captured in cultural artifacts like clothing, it can cement its longevity,” Gerdts said.

When thinking of the future of slang, Gerdts looks forward to seeing what the new generations will come up with.

“I think slang will grow even bolder and more inventive,” Gerdts said. “It’s fun to see what the current generation comes up with, and I believe it will be impossible for me when I’m an elderly person to be able to recognize what these words even mean.”

is up with brainrot?

because you’re not the rizzler mean? Ever been called a alpha in you? Travel through time as the Fourcast the decades and how “brainrot” (the language media) has affected our culture.

and Leyah Philip, Opinions Editor

The evolution of slang eats! From “yeet” and “slay,” to “sus” and “sigma,” slang has changed tremendously for Gen Z. With the growth of social media, accessing new words has never been easier.

Senior Jordan Lacsamana cannot imagine a world without brainrot.

“Brainrot means everything to me,” Lacsamana said. “Ever since I learned about skibidi, my life has been changed for the better. It added a new adjective, noun, verb, adverb, preposition and every other part of speech into my daily vocabulary.”

39% of students and faculty use the word "rizz"

“I would associate ‘yeet’ with my middle school phase, and I don't want to present myself how I did in that time period,” Golden said. “As you grow older, you don't want to be stuck with those words.”

GEN Z

“It’s so much more than ‘skibidi’,” Lacsamana said. “It’s a way that people bond with each other over trends on social media.”

Golden believes brainrot comes and spreads through social media.

“If someone hears something new in a video, it sparks their interest and then begins to spread,” Golden said. “People will talk about the word in the comments, then a replica of the original video with the word will be made and it will go viral.”

Senior Cassidy Golden also uses current day brainrot such as “skibidi” and “derp.”

“I don't even know what ‘skibidi’ means, but it rolls off the tongue nicely,” Golden said. “I love it.” During Golden’s freshman year, “slay” was the “skibidi” of the time. Other words like “period, extra, Karen and yeet” were popular then as well. She has seen a great change in her vocabulary just over the last four years.

Golden has watched slang have a positive impact on her relationships with others in her generation, although it has a negative impact on connecting with older generations as they may not understand the terms.

“With the rise of the internet, the usage of new words has spread a lot faster,” Golden said. “There's obviously slang for all generations and although Gen Z sticks out as being particularly weird, it’s normal for us because that’s how we talk to each other.”

Although brainrot may appear to be a silly trend from the outside, Lacsamana has seen the impact it can make.

Junior Alice Navarro agrees with Golden that social media is constantly evolving the way that we speak.

“You'll watch a really funny video, and a new term will come out of it, but the next day it’s already old news, and there's a new Donatella Versace trend,” Navarro said.

Navarro tends to enjoy meme culture rather than the typical brainrot that Gen Alpha initiated.

“I feel like I’m too old and wise for Gen Alpha slang, but I hope that some of these current terms stick around because they’re pretty hilarious,” Navarro said.

All three students enjoy staying in the loop of current slang and hope to see it continue to evolve in the future.

“Words are just flying in this digital age,” Golden said.

GEN ALPHA

Not sure why you have L rizz? Don’t worry, because reading this section will help you gain

While Gen Alpha is credited with creating the majority of brainrot terms, Gen Z is also incorporating this confusing terminology into their conversations.

Whether used

brainrot has made the conversations of teenagers harder and harder to decipher.

Many Hockaday students and teachers have heard sophomore Tari Agbeyangi saying words like “sussy” and “senpai” in the hallway. They wondered what on earth she could be talking about.

Agbenyangi is an avid social media user and gets the majority of her slang from online.

“If you hear a famous person say something, then everyone starts to say it,” Agbenyangi said. “It gets really popular.”

This new lingo is mostly derived from memes and online games that are popular

among younger audiences, making it difficult for those outside of this internet culture to understand their meaning, hindering communication between the generations.

“For me, slang has a positive and negative impact on communication,” Agbenyangi said. “The word ‘sus’ has a lot of different meanings and sometimes I have to clarify if it’s good or bad, but it’s how I express myself.”

Freshman Ruby Duncan also enjoys keeping up with brainrot and incorporating words like “sigma” into her conversations. However, she sees how it can be overwhelming for adults as slang is constantly changing.

“Slang words kind of come from others, like how the word ‘sigma’ came after ‘beta’ which came from ‘alpha’,” Duncan said. Due to the ever-changing uses of slang, brainrot words are deemed old and dated after short intervals of time and new ones emerge to replace them at an even faster rate.

“There’s lots of judgment around using old slang,” Duncan said. “I’m going to stop saying ‘sigma’ one day, but it won’t be today.”

The write way Writing Center aims to improve students' literacy skills

By Aadhya Yanamadala Features Editor

Scattered around the Hocka-halls are posters reminding students that following the honor code while writing papers is very demure and very mindful. The authors of these Tik-Tok reproductions? The Writing Center Interns.

Started six years ago by English Teacher Lisa Fisher, the Writing Center aims to help students with writing endeavors, while also encouraging them to embrace the writing process.

Within the school, Fisher, other teachers and trained students help writers across all divisions develop their writing skills.

“We started with just Upper School consultations,” Fisher said. “Then we piloted Middle School programs a couple years ago, and last year, we began helping the Lower School girls as well.”

For Middle and Upper Schoolers, interns and teachers offer 30-minute consultations for any and all writing assignments. “One of my favorite parts about the Writing Center is when I

help students reach their ‘aha’! moment,” senior Intern and Writing Center Outreach

Director Alex Blue Baron said. “It’s rewarding to see students having breakthroughs during our consultations.”

The program helps students improve their writing, but it also gives the tutors a chance to hone their own techniques.

“We’re all constantly learning while we are at the center, including teachers,” Fisher said. “We don’t ever assume that we have all the answers, and we hope to inspire that mindset in others as well.”

Student tutors are on the schedule two hours each rotation and are available for drop-in questions as well. Instead of editing the papers for the students, they are trained to ask questions to help them develop their papers. This ensures that the student can replicate the process in their next writing assignment.

“We are very focused on

building student confidence and helping people understand how to make their writing stronger,” Fisher said. “We want them to feel like they’re able to tackle whatever writing assignment they have, no matter what it is and if they’ve done something like it before.”

Outside of Hockaday, the Writing Center also has a Social Impact program where upper school students tutor at Dallas ISD’s Foster Elementary. They go three times a week, twice during the day and once after school, though tutors are only required to go for one of these times per rotation.

They teach students foundational concepts such as synonyms and antonyms.

“Helping kids with concepts such as these really sets them up for success later in life,” junior Social Impact tutor Mimi Davison said.

The program helps students

at Foster Elementary while giving tutors the opportunity to develop their own creativity.

“I created a book publishing program with the kids last year,” Davison said. “I loved being able to have the flexibility to create my own program and vision for how the students could learn literacy skills.”

Mini moments, big memories

Advisories have traditions as unique as the girls who make them

By Anya Aggarwal JADE Assistant Editor

Something special happens at Hockaday for 25 minutes each day.

45 Upper School advisories meet in their respective homerooms to get a bit of a break from classes, catch up or connect and perhaps even sneak in a special seasonal treat. No advisory is quite the same.

Grouped in cohorts of about ten students each, advisories have long served as micro “families” where students can convene in a relaxed atmosphere.

Many students find unique ways to personalize their advisories and make them memorable parts of their four-year high school journey together.

“They’ve done everything from creating a memory box of Polaroids to adopting ‘Gerald the Cat,’ a little mascot that was mysteriously left hanging on my door one day,” said Assistant Head of Upper School, Scott Bowman. He has just seen his first full cycle of advisees graduate and is serving as a junior advisor again this year.

It’s through the quirky, studentled rituals that each advisory becomes a place where students can blow off steam and just be themselves.

“One year we started the NonComplaint Fridays,” said Karen Sanchez, Computer Science teacher and veteran advisor

of five years. “We would write positive things on the board that were going well or that we were looking forward to heading into the weekend which just lifted the mood.”

Advisors encourage the girls to use the opportunity to step away from their customary activities and friend circles to make these times and spaces their own.

“I think it can be easy to fall into the expected or predictable groups at school, whether it be through sports, clubs, or all the other things students do on campus,” Bowman said. “I love that advisory sort of disrupts that. It allows kids to make connections with students they may not have classes with or have a chance to engage with otherwise.”

Through observing several advisories, one theme became unequivocally clear. Advisories thrive on creative traditions that center around food. From fresh griddle pancakes and chocolate fondue, to “Socktober” goodie exchanges and Crumbl cookie tastings, a popular part of advisory seems to be its delectables.

“A particular favorite has been making guacamole from scratch. My advisees get fresh ingredients and make it all right here in the classroom. Our motto has become:

‘What happens in Guaco, stays in Guaco,’” said Upper School Math teacher, Natalia Ismail, an eighth-year advisor.

Some traditions like decorating the ceiling tiles or Secret Santa have stuck around since as far back as 2012. Others, like playing Dance Dance Revolution, Wii or Spikeball became most popular after the pandemic when girls spent a lot more time in advisories between classes.

"Our advisory literally has a Costco membership to keep the snacks stocked,” junior Mia Temple from Ms. Girard’s advisory said. “We usually make a run once a month to get the classics- dot pretzels, goldfish, and of course, something from the bakery.”

“We ended up starting to play the New York Times game, Connections, which has been a surprising hit,” said Upper School Spanish teacher April Burns, who is in her second year at Hockaday and loves seeing a little friendly competition in her advisory through brain games.

Students have also stumbled upon more casual traditions that keep their advisories lighthearted and content.

Some students want advisory to be a full class length, but others say it’s just right because of the longterm relationship spanning over four years.

“I like the idea of students staying with the same advisory group as I see them become more trusting and allow us to become better advocates over time,” Sanchez said. “It becomes a place where the girls feel they can belong.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF ANYA AGGARWAL

PHOTO COURTESY OF AADHYA YANAMADALA

Temple doodles with fellow advisees

Senior Anika Kapoor participates in a consulation

Behind Hocka-admissions

Prospective students go through multifaceted admissions process

By Anika Shah and Shifa Irfan News Editor and Business Manager

We have all seen prospective parents visiting our classrooms; we have all interacted with a visiting prospective student; we have all stolen food from the table outside of Clements during an admissions event at some point.

While all of us regularly interact with the prospective new Daisies and families, the real architects of their journey, the admissions Office, go largely unnoticed. Their offices on the other side of Biggs Dining Hall are often unvisited or unknown to students, and many of us do not recognize the admissions officers we pass in the halls. However, these dedicated professionals play a crucial role at Hockaday, determining which students will join our school. The Admissions Office is led by Cyndi Lewis, the Director of Enrollment Management,

who has worked at Hockaday for 26 years.

“I started here as a very involved, active parent, and I was involved in various activities that involved working with the Admissions Office. 26 years later, here I am,” Lewis said. “I love it. We have a new cast of characters every year and it is very rewarding, and I really have seen the power of girls' education and what we do at Hockaday.”

There is one part of the admissions office that students might recognize-– H-Club,. H-Club is an application-based club that employs student ambassadors who act as representatives of Hockaday during admissions events. Ambassadors are required to gain five credits throughout the school year to be able to apply for the following year. Fulfilling that criteria can be done through touring prospective families, helping the admissions department prepare for events, hosting a prospective student for a day and attending an admissions preview day.

A.D. Ebeniro, Upper School Admissions Division Director and Faculty Head of H-Club, oversees Upper School admissions and manages anything related to H-Club, providing a unique perspective on the role of student ambassadors.

”H-Club is a student ambassador program that is multifaceted. Members conduct campus tours, they are sometimes selected as student panelists for events, and there is an application process in the spring where people will apply to be a part of H-Club,” Ebeniro said. “They are the school’s main ambassadors and provide firsthand experience to prospective families when they visit Hockaday.”

The 99 members of H-Club act as the face of Hockaday at these prospective family events. Their unique role allows them to provide firsthand experience to prospective families. “One of the reasons that we believe H-Club is so important is because we have heard from our prospective parents in our exit surveys that they really enjoy having the opportunity for their kids to meet our students and our current parents to get a true perspective what it is like to be a Hockaday family,” Lewis said.

In Upper School, the main entry point for new students is Form I. With 20-35 new students entering Form I each year, it provides a greater chance of admission and the special position of not really being “new,” as every student who enters Form I, new to Hockaday or not, is new to Upper School.

“It’s a wonderful time to come to Hockaday because everyone is new to high school,” Lewis said. “Even if you’ve been at Hockaday for years, it’s just a different thing to be in a high school setting.,”

Lewis noted that the program typically attracts around 150 applicants for approximately 25 to 30 spots, with an acceptance rate generally falling between 18 and 20%. For the current 20242025 school year, the overall acceptance rate was 18%.

transcripts for the past two and a half years, the student interview, English and math teacher evaluations and testing. Hockaday accepts both the ISEE (Independent School Entrance Exam) and SSAT (Secondary Schools Admission Test), though the ISEE is more common.

During the admissions process, prospective students and their parents visit campus for tours and student interviews, which are conducted after half a day of visiting classes with a student buddy. On these visits, the admissions office makes an effort to get to know the girls and get a feel for their personality and interests.

For Form II and Form III students, acceptance is based on attrition, which means a student must leave or there must be availability within the grade for someone to be accepted. Hockaday does not accept applications for rising Form IV students.

The Upper School application process consists of two parts, with deadlines in mid-December and the end of January. The admissions process takes place from September to midMarch, with applications opening on Sept. 1 and admissions decisions going out March 14.

The first part of the application consists of the general application and fee, the parent and student questionnaire and a copy of the student’s birth certificate. This year, the deadline for part one is Dec. 16.

Part two of the application process is due on Jan. 31 and contains the student’s

“Generally speaking, when they come to visit, we try to give them opportunities to be with our girls and encourage them to engage with other girls and teachers, and we get feedback from teachers whose classes they visited,” Lewis said. “But we try to have opportunities during preview days to have time to kind of chat with the girls and try to get to know them.”

Head Admissions Coordinator Julie Little described the whole admissions process as a learning experience on both sides.

“To find future Daisies, it is important to help families gain an understanding of Hockaday at the same time our team becomes acquainted with the applicants,” Little said. “The process is full of learning on both sides.”

PHOTOS COURTESY

Students speak at an admissions event

New students and parents mingle at a welcome event

Laura Leathers speaks to prospective parents

H-Club greets families at an admissions event

Self-care for surviving sports

Hockaday athletes shares skincare and haircare routines for success

By Aanya Naini and Emilie Illum Staff Writers

Sweaty and drained, junior Allie Gerber heads home after a long and grueling practice.

Wanting to just flop on her bed and sleep for hours, she groans as she looks at her bathroom mirror, remembering the skin-and-hair-care routine ahead of her.

Athletes are working hard during the sports season to hone their respective talents while trying to maintain healthy hair and skin. Having a 15-step routine isn’t always reasonable with these intense schedules, and there are often additional skin/hair-care obstacles as a side effect from playing sports.

Here are some of the quick tips and tricks athletes have recommended for covering the basic self-care challenges of working out, running, swimming and more.

Gerber stresses the importance of sunscreen in protecting her skin from sunburn, skin cancer and even premature aging. As a cross-country runner, she spends an average of two hours running outside each day—between after school practices

on weekdays and meets on weekends. To combat sun-damage and dryness, Gerber follows a specific routine before and after running each day.

“Because we’re outside all the time, we need to protect our skin,” Gerber said. “Every morning, I use a daily moisturizer with at least SPF 15, and I use a higher SPF right before practice to be extra prepared.”

Gerber opts to use lightweight sunscreens in order to allow her skin to breathe, and to avoid the “white-cast” caused by thicker SPF lotions— a pet peeve shared by most outdoor athletes. She recommends using the Cetaphil Daily Face Moisturizer for basic sun protection, and the Pacifica spray sunscreen for full-body coverage.

The second step to Gerber’s routine is one she believes is beneficial for all athletes: proper cleansing.

“Working out makes you really sweaty, and it means that you need to up your skincare routine to prevent breakouts,” Gerber said. “I always wash my face right after practice and I put on more moisturizer.”

Sweat mixing with impurities on

the skin can lead to breakouts. By keeping their skin clean after working out, athletes can help prevent the formation of whiteheads or sweat pimples.

Complementing cleansing, moisturizing is another important skincare step— one that sophomore Shea LeRosen prioritizes.

As a swimmer and water polo player, LeRosen spends a great deal of time in the water, but often at an extreme cost to her skin.

“Chlorine dries out my skin more than the sun,” LeRosen said. “If I’ve been in the pool a lot that week, I’ll put a thicker body lotion on my face just so it doesn’t feel like it’s cracking.”

LeRosen also recommends using a Cetaphil product— the Moisturizing Body Cream— which helps her keep her skin refreshed even when she doesn’t have time for a proper routine. Similarly, the swimmer also takes care to keep her hair hydrated, which also often experiences the negative effects of chlorine damage.

“I don’t take a lot of time to do my hair,” LeRosen said. “But sometimes if I feel like I’ve been in the chlorine a lot that week, I’ll put some condition-

er in my cap that keeps my hair from being dry and brittle.”

Leave in conditioner is also a great trick for athletes with curly hair, helping to shape their curls while maintaining a softer hair texture.

Sophomore Victoria Zavala recommends the “It’s a 10” conditioner for outdoor athletes and swimmers.

“I don’t have a specific routine, but I always put in leave-in conditioner,” Zavala said.

Skincare and haircare don’t need to be overly complex processes to have a positive effect on athletes, and there certainly isn’t a finite set of rules for them either. Athletes can experiment with different routines to find what works for them— whether that's using one product or having seven steps— because every individual is different.

“For me, skincare is important because even though it only takes a few minutes after practice, it’s a way for me to show up for myself, and give myself a little bit of love,” Gerber said.

Mastering the meadow mentality

Sports psychologists and HockaCares gear up for the school

By Alina Zheng Staff Writer

Stepping into the meadow for their third year, the sports psychologist consultants from the University of North Texas (UNT) continue their connection with Hockaday’s athletic teams.

New consultants Nicholas Heldman and Jadyn Owens run the sessions this year, bringing their passion and knowledge for sports psychology to the athletes they work with.

“Sports psychology lets us continue to immerse ourselves in the world of sport while we assist young and driven athletes to reach the fullest of their potential,” Heldman said.

Heldman emphasizes not only the importance of physical health, which he views as the exteriors of a building, but also the importance and impact of mental health to athletes’ performance, which he portrays as the support beams of a building.

“No matter how strong the exterior is, without sturdy support beams, the building won’t stand for very long,” Heldman said. “We need to make sure our support beams, like how we talk to ourselves and being supported by others, are strong in order for us to persevere

and overcome challenges.”

To ensure that athletes are mentally successful as they face competition, Heldman and Owens host team workshops that cover vital aspects of the mental game such as goal setting, visualization and self-talk, and they also spectate practices and games.

Strengthening the effectiveness of the sessions, senior athletes

Annabel Callahan and Aynalie Charron founded HockaCares, a student committee that collaborates with the sports psychologist consultants to provide student feedback and suggestions about the sessions. Through one meeting per rotation, committee members help to provide teams with psychology tips in the teams’ weekly newsletters, and they contribute to designing workshops.

“With the captains’ workshops, we helped the sports psychologist consultants define what leadership meant to us and worked in collaboration to design a unique workshop based off what we believed leadership to be,” Callahan said.

In addition to the captain workshop, HockaCares plans to create posters to display on lockers to promote positive mental

year

health practices ahead of SPC and host a panel with the senior committed athletes.

As college-bound athletes themselves, Callahan and Charron understand the importance of mental health and its correlation to sports performance.

“The way you think affects what you do, especially in sports, and if you are having negative thoughts, it impacts your play negatively,” Charron said. “People don’t realize that, so I think it’s important to spread awareness so people understand

that if they are excited and think positively, they will do well.”

Similarly, the impact of mental health on sports performance motivates Heldman to share his piece of advice.

“Try to find a reason to smile and be proud of yourself. With all that we have going on, it is easy to get bogged down with the stresses of everyday life,” Heldman said. “So, starting with that one thought of positivity and pride can make a huge difference in how we feel and ultimately act.”

PHOTO COURTESY OF ALINA ZHENG

Heldman works with the Varsity Field Hockey team

Texas vs OU Hockaday community shares their stance on the Red River Rivalry

By Mary Bradley Sutherland and Anderson Rhodus Photo and Graphic Editor and Staff Writer

Ever since 1934, the University of Texas (UT) and Oklahoma University (OU) have held an annual rivalry football game at the Cotton Bowl Stadium at Fair Park in Dallas. This historical game, the Red River Rivalry, finds its name after the Red River that separates the two states apart.

The winning team of the matchup is awarded the Golden Hat Trophy, a ten-gallon hat of gold, until the following year’s game. In the rivalry’s 119 games played, UT leads the series 63-51-5. This game is a tradition in both university’s fanbases, as the rivalry has spread to all sports the two teams play each other in.

this year, as they currently lead the College Football rankings at #1.

LaBoris Bean, Hockaday Athletics coach and OU alum, has experienced this rivalry as a Division One Track and Field athlete himself.

“Most people just look at it as OU versus Texas football,” Bean said. “But it's within every sport, and it was very huge at the school.”

He remembers that during practice before a meet, UT always was the utmost focus.

“I remember one year when they had Vince Young, we lost to Texas, and I had to take pictures in UT clothing while holding a UT Longhorn stuffed animal,” Bean said. “Coaches send it to me every year to this day.”

Alumni Perspectives

For Hockaday faculty members and alumni of both universities, the tradition of the game is still strong.

Mr. Brody Lyons, Upper School math teacher and UT alum, attended the big game two of his four years as a college student. In one of the games, in 2008, #5 Texas upset #1 OU 45-35, and the next year Texas won and went on to lose to Bama in the National Championship.

“That game is one of the best games I have ever been to,” Lyons said.

Lyons included that one of his favorite traditions for the game was meeting for breakfast in Highland Park at a good friend's house and going to the game right after.

“It was a great kind of camaraderie-building time,” Lyons said. “Being at the game was crazy because there's just a lot of hate and animosity for the teams. The lead up to the game is just really intense.”

Lyons does plan on attending the game this year: however, he is anticipating a win for UT

Although Bean does not plan on going to the game this season, he will watch it on TV with his Oklahoma friends.

A Daisy’s Perspective

Whether they have family ties to one of the universities, or they simply enjoy the spirit and game that is college football, many Hockaday students share a passion for this rivalry.

Junior Sadie Manaster, lifelong UT fan, has attended roughly 15 Texas football games in her life, and she plans to attend the Red River Rivalry again this year. Her earliest memories of being a Texas fan include watching games with her family and childhood photoshoots at a pumpkin patch dressed in UT merch and colors.

“Growing up we always went to the games together as a family, but now we like going to watch parties with family friends,” Manaster said.

Her passion for UT runs in her blood. Manaster said that most family members from her father’s side graduated from UT, and she has relatives currently studying there.

“My whole family loves Texas,” Manaster said. “My cousin is actually now a Silver Spur, which means he handles Bevo [the Texas University mascot and live longhorn] at all of the games.”

Representing the Oklahoma Sooners, senior Kathryn Stoller has grown up in a passionate OU household. She regularly keeps up with the team, following updates such as the team’s recruits and players who move onto the NFL.

2024 Game Recap

This year the Red River Rivalry took place at the Cotton Bowl on Saturday, Oct. 12. Since the beginning of this year’s college football season, UT has consistently stayed within the top three ranking of the first Football Bowl Subdivision, FBS I. As of Oct. 15, UT is ranked first, while Oklahoma, is not in the current top 25.

Continuing their winning streak, UT won this year’s Red River Rivalry 34–3.

Due to UT’s immediate success this season, tickets for the Red River Rivalry trended in the top five searched-for-games in most ticket-selling apps, such as Seat Geek and Stubhub for weeks leading up to the game. The lowest

priced tickets were priced more than $400 by the weekend of the game. The highest recorded game attendance is around 96,000, achieved 2009-2011.

“My favorite Sooners to watch on Sundays are Ceedee Lamb, Mark Andrews, Kyler Murray, Jaylen Hurts, and Baker Mayfield,” Stoller said. “My Grandpa takes me to at least one OU game a year, and I always attend Texas/OU.”

Stoller recalls attending her first Red River Rivalry game as a six-year-old in 2011, which ended in a Sooner victory. Now, Stoller annually attends the Red River Rivalry, following her routine of visiting the fair to grab snacks before heading into the game.

Bean at a watch party for an OU game

The Texas vs OU game

Manaster in her childhood photoshoot

Lyons attending a UT football game as a student

Sports over school?

Student athletes tackle balancing their academic and athletic lives

By Ai-Vy Ho and Elizabeth Farrell Staff Writers

Missing school and spending countless weekends away for athletic events can be a struggle for student athletes, but with the help of flexible teachers and organizational skills, these athletes find a balance between school and sports.

“During the spring, I probably miss one and a half weeks total of school,” junior rower Peyton Johnson said.

Missing weeks of school for their sport can sometimes cause stress for rowers when it comes to rescheduling assessments and catching up on many missed classes. Although this is not ideal, many rowers believe that arriving early to a regatta is worth the school they must miss.

“I think going before to prepare really helps you get into the mindset and you’re not just like arriving, racing and leaving,” Johnson said.

While at a regatta, rowers have little time to catch up on schoolwork, as a typical day includes being at the racecourse from 8 a.m. to 4 or 5 p.m., eating team dinner and then going to bed after an exhausting day of racing. Despite this, rowers can complete their work during the long bus or plane rides to and from their regattas.

"The shortest bus ride we have is probably three hours if we’re not flying anywhere, so that’s a considerable amount of time to get your work done,” senior rowing captain Persia Brown said. “It just depends on if you’re mentally in it, and you choose to.”

Due to their frequent absences, these athletes must learn how to effectively communicate with

their teachers and plan out their makeup assignments.

Brown explained that whenever she misses an exam because of rowing, she tries to reschedule it before her absence to avoid having to study or stress about the exam during her regatta. This solution creates a shorter amount of time to study but one less thing she must catch up on after her regatta.

“I don't think it affects my grades too much because you can always reschedule things, but it is definitely a burden,” Brown said.

Although missing school is not ideal and creates extra work for the athletes to catch up on later, when the rowers arrive at their regatta, school becomes a second priority.

"Once you get to the racecourse, your mindset changes and you focus more on your race,” Johnson said. “I'll worry about school after my race.”

In addition to the rowers, the Varsity Volleyball team has traveled out of town four times in six weeks, causing them to miss school each Friday of a tournament.

“It’s difficult at the beginning of the year because you miss a lot of the solid beginning curriculum,” senior volleyball player Zoe Heintges said. “It’s kind of hard to get caught up, but once you do, you miss more school and then get behind again.”

Often times, extensive traveling

can cause the athletes’ stress levels to increase as they have to perform both academically and athletically.

“I think [traveling] becomes a lot whenever you’re behind in your classes,” Heintges said. “It doesn’t help whenever you’re missing an entire day of classes. I’ve literally missed more BC classes than I’ve gone to.”

Since athletes have missed school for various tournaments, it has been important for them to learn how to manage their time wisely.

“When I get back, I make sure that whenever I have free time, I use it to finish my work and really prioritize making up everything before I get started on whatever I have that’s new,” freshman volleyball player Clara Gruner said.

As they participate in different events, the athletes ensure to set

aside time for studying, while they compete against an elevated level of competition and gain experience.

“You get to play teams that you might not be able to play otherwise, so there’s a lot of opportunities to grow,” Gruner said. “Also, with our team traveling so much, it helps you learn what to do and what to not do when you’re traveling.”

Furthermore, the volleyball team has been able to develop a closeknit family bond through their traveling experiences.

“I believe that the experience and the ability to hang out with your team and bond is beneficial,” Heintges said. “I feel like we’ve gotten close as a team this year because we’ve spent so much time together out of town.”

As a result, athletes know that they can rely on their teammates along with their teachers for support while facing the challenges of missing school.

“I think missing school partly affects my overall academic performance and my grades, but teachers are also really understanding, and you can get extensions when they allow it,” Heintges said.

Many athletes also use a to-do list or planner to help manage their stress loads and organize their assignments. In addition, they meet with their teachers once they return and try to understand the material they missed.

“Traveling makes stuff a lot harder,” Gruner said. “I get behind really fast, but at the same time teachers really work with me, and it ends up getting better as long as I use all the time I have available.”

Junior Peyton Johnson carries boat before race in Oklahoma

Varsity volleyball team travels to their next game

PHOTO COURTESY OF HELEN LIU

PHOTO COURTESY OF AI-VY HO

The epidemic of mukbangs

Videos of people eating have flooded the internet

By Melinda Hu Arts & Life Editor

Ashort Wingstop mukbang comes across your “For You Page” on TikTok, featuring seven-piece hot honey tenders, well-done fries with extra seasoning, Cajun fried corn with extra seasoning, a large Coke and, of course, the obligatory huge cup of Wingstop ranch. Or maybe you’re scrolling on YouTube and come across someone slurping 18 packs of the infamously spicy Buldak ramen with Kraft Singles American cheese melted on top. Whether short-form or longform videos, you’re bound to have come across mukbangs on your screen. Mukbangs are a form of entertainment focused on someone eating, usually a large amount of food, in front of the camera. They rose to popularity in the 2010s and

have been on the rise since. The term “mukbang” originates from South Korea and roughly translates to “eating show.”

Because of its origin in South Korea, most mukbangers and newer types of mukbangs start from South Korean creators, but as its popularity continues to rise, more Western creators are posting mukbangs as well.

There are many types of mukbangs such as family mukbangs, animation mukbangs (which I highly recommend), ASMR mukbangs, storytime mukbangs and many more. Mukbangs can provide comfort for viewers, as some find it satisfying. For others, eating with the mukbangers makes them feel less lonely.

With the influx of mukbangs, there are negative effects. I think certain mukbangs can be

dangerous. Seeing someone stuff their mouths with 10 packs of instant ramen, 20 eggs and then 15 burgers promotes binge eating and misrepresents reality. Most of the mukbangers aren’t actually eating that much food; instead, they edit out the parts where they have a bowl in their lap to spit the food out.

As with most things, I think mukbangs are good in moderation. I enjoy mukbangers who don’t eat impossible amounts of food. Instead, it feels like I am simply joining them for a regular, normal, daily meal and not a pre-planned overly saturated show.

But, to avoid the negative aspects of mukbangs, I’ve turned to animation mukbangs. It makes me feel better that

I’m not watching a real person forcing food into their mouths for their viewers. Since animation mukbangs are a newer form of the genre, most of them are from South Korea, the origin of mukbangs.

In the animated versions, the sounds of eating are the same and so are the types of food. Some people find it weird, but I find it relaxing, it’s like a combination of childhood cartoons and mukbangs.

At the end of the day, people are free to enjoy watching what they want, but they should be cognizant of what they’re putting in their brains, how much they’re watching and the effect on the people on the other side of the screen, the mukbangers themselves.

Park Jung Won, better known as Tzuyang, a popular YouTube mukbanger eats 113 plates of sushi.

An example of animation mukbangs.

PHOTO COURTESY OF @CHONGMMYUNG ON YOUTUBE

PHOTO COURTESY OF @TZUYANG1614 ON YOUTUBE

All witches welcome

By Mary Elise Estess Staff Writer

as someone whose favorite holiday is Halloween, I believe that people of all ages should be able to trick-ortreat.

Some of my earliest Halloween memories are of my friends and I dressing up and trickor-treating around my neighborhood. And while some may think that trick-or-treating is a childish activity, I think that it is a timeless tradition that strengthens the Halloween spirit.

Aside from the promise of free candy, trick-ortreating is a great way to get involved with your community and make connections with your neighbors. Including family, friends and neighbors makes Halloween’s fun traditions enjoyable for people of all ages.

ELLE, NO!

Part II: Rating Hockaday traditions.

Trick-or-treating is a great way to reconnect with the joy and spirit of Halloween that we remember from our childhoods. When everyone joins in on the laughs, smiles, and nostalgia Halloween feels more like one big celebration rather than something that is just for little kids.

My goal this Halloween is to get together with my friends and go trick-or-treating on the renowned street of Alta Vista. In Dallas, and especially in the Hockaday community, the street Alta Vista is a well know trickor-treating destination where many Hockaday students began their trick-or-treating careers. Even if we only go for 15 minutes, walking around the neighborhood and seeing everyone dressed up creates a great way to have fun and spend time with my friends. Some people think that trick-or-treating is an activity that kids outgrow, but I believe that the activity should be open for everyone. Older kids, like high school students, may not always have plans on Halloween. Instead of staying home on Halloween watching a movie or being on their phones, teenagers should be able to go trick-or-treat with their friends, spending their Halloween enjoying a classic tradition. People should not set an age limit on fun traditions. Holidays are about coming together as a community and celebrating. Such celebrations should not exclude people based on age.

STAFF STANDOFF

Creep it real

By Juliette Friguletto Staff Writer

Picture this: You are six years old and dressed up in your Cinderella Halloween costume with fake high heels and a big tulle dress from Spirit Halloween. You walk up to somebody’s house, and yell “trick or treat!” Then, a 20-year-old girl with her boyfriend and a group of her friends come rushing onto the porch...

To the average 6-year-old, this may seem exciting! Older girls want to hang out with us! But to a teenager, student or to whoever is reading this, does this seem normal? Sensible? If I saw a group of 20-year-old adults coming to my door asking for candy, I would think there was some big prank they were trying to pull on me.

If you have graduated high school, are in college or are a working adult, there is no reason to be trick or treating unless you are chaperoning your little sibling, nephew, niece, or cousin. If you are out trick-or-treating entirely to get candy, wait for Nov. 1 when the prices drop, which is more sensible.

The entire point of trick-or-treating is for

PRO CON

little kids to have fun on a school night, eat some candy, hide it in their beds and snack on it for two days before they finish it all.

Even for high schoolers, Halloween can still be fun by wearing cute costumes and taking pictures with friends to celebrate the holiday. With outfits and tons of pizzazz, the holiday isn’t as suitable for young adults, at least not the actual trick-or-treating part.

There are still many fun events and outings you can participate in as a college student or a young adult: stay in and bake, watch a movie, go to a friend’s house and travel essentially wherever you want. The possibilities are endless with the ability to drive or take public transportation. Although you might not take away from the kids’ experiences, they likely find more entertainment in finding king-sized candy bars and walking miles with their families. So, if you have no logical reason to go out, why should you?

Welcome! You’re reading Elle’s column, and today we are going to rate some of Hockaday’s traditions; the good, the bad and the ugly.

Ring Day 9.3/10

While Ring Day is fun and I did get an Instagram post out of it, the reason why it does not receive a 10/10 is because I had to go to class right after. Talk about anticlimactic? In addition to getting to don the classic jade ring, it was the first time I got to wear my senior blazer and consider myself an actual senior (I’m getting old, I might need Botox soon).

Advice: Double check the ring size before you buy it and TRY IT ON with the representatives!

Nov. 1 Deadline -10/10

Although not an actual Hockaday tradition, it might as well be considering how stressed everyone is and running on three Venti Pumpkin Cream Chais (that might just be me though) and Celsius.

Advice: Meetings with your Hockaday college counselor will fill up days leading up to the major deadlines, so make sure you think and plan beforehand.

Form Day 100/10

Best day of the ENTIRE YEAR. No need to say anything else.

Advice: You only get three Form Days your entire time at Hockaday, so make it last and show out. SENIORS ON TOP.

JRP 7.1/10

While traditionally this ten-page paper is called the Junior Research Paper, it should actually stand for Juniors Really Perturbed. I didn’t actually think the paper itself was hard, but I shouldn’t have started my mini draft two days before the deadline.

Advice: The Starbucks at Inwood (open until 8 p.m. on weekdays) should be your best friend, and it is the perfect environment to work in general.

Spirit Weeks 8/10

Despite the fact that I am not a three-season varsity athlete, I have always found spirit weeks fun. My only grievance is that we are not allowed to wear sweatpants. Administrators: please let us wear sweatpants during spirit week, we don’t ask for a lot.

Advice: Don’t fall in front of the entire school while running.

STAFF EDITORIAL

FEDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Elizabeth Truelove & Shreya Vijay MANAGING EDITORS

Elle Myers & Danya Risam-Chandi COPY EDITOR

Alexa Munoz

WEB EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Jessica Boll & Anjy Fadairo JADE EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Amitha Nair

ASSISTANT JADE EDITOR

Anya Aggarwal NEWS EDITORS

Audrey Liu & Anika Shah ARTS & LIFE EDITORS

Larkin Clouston & Melinda Hu FEATURES EDITORS

Sarah Moskowitz & Aadhya Yanamadala SPORTS EDITORS

Lang Cooper & Emily McLeroy OPINIONS EDITORS

Cece Johnson & Leyah Philip PHOTO, GRAPHICS & CASTOFF EDITOR

Mary Bradley Sutherland BUSINESS MANAGER

Shifa Irfan STAFF WRITERS

Caroline Ballotta, Sophie Cho, Jenny Chu, Siena Ebert, Mary Elise Estess, Elizabeth Farrell, Juliette Friguletto, Ai-Vy Ho, Emilie Illum, Katie Ma, Aanya Naini, Anderson Rhodus, Sophia Salem, Aneeka Tansen, Alina Zheng FACULTY ADVISER

Kristy Rodgers

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 500 and is printed by Midway Press. It is distributed free of charge to the Hockaday community. The staff reserves the right to refuse any advertising which is deemed inappropriate for the Hockaday community. Opinions will be clearly marked and/or will appear in the views section. Commentaries are the expressed opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect that of The Fourcast staff, its adviser or any other member of the Hockaday community. The Staff Editorial on the Opinions page reflects the position of The Fourcast staff, but not necessarily the position Hockaday administration or community. The Fourcast staff determines the content of each issue and strives to work as independently as possible in producing the student newspaper, but the content is subject to prior review by the Head of Upper School, the Communications Director and other members of the Hockaday leadership team. Letters to the editor and guest columns are welcome and should be addressed to the editors-in-chief. Only signed pieces will be published. Corrections and clarifications from previous issues will be found in the news section. Questions or concerns should be addressed to Editors-in-Chief Elizabeth Truelove (etruelove25@ hockaday.org) or Shreya Vijay (svijay25@hockaday.org).

The staff editorial is an unsigned piece representing a consensus of opinion among members of The Fourcast editorial board regarding a current issue.

Politics on campus Why politics should be a topic

In today’s highly polarized world, avoiding political discussions seems impossible – especially given the current presidential campaigns.

The divisive politics that have become commonplace in our society flood news and social media platforms.

However, despite the unavoidable loom of politics, educating students on the government and encouraging discourse is often overlooked, considered too controversial or divisive.

While Hockaday encourages respectful political conversation among students and faculty, this is not the case for most other schools. This needs to change; schools must allow for and cultivate an environment that encourages neutral and civil political discussion.

At Hockaday, U.S. Government is a required course for sophomores. This class is crucial for giving students accurate knowledge about our government. However, in most Texas public schools, government is not taught until senior year.

By the time many students in Texas are taught about politics and government, they are old enough to vote. This information is getting to students too late. Without a proper understanding of government, students cannot be expected to have a comprehensive understanding of our country and their role in it.

discussed in schools

A survey conducted by the Annenberg Public Policy Center at the University of Pennsylvania in 2016 found that 31 percent of Americans cannot name any of the three branches of government.

If the government can, and does, make decisions that impact our everyday lives, why is it not a priority to teach students about it?

As presidential campaigns ramped up over the summer, many people voiced their concerns that both candidates at the time, President Joe Biden and former President Donald Trump, were too old to hold such office. According to a poll done by The New York Times and Siena College, 61 percent of people felt that Biden was “just too old” to be an effective leader and 21 percent of people felt the same about Trump.

With this recent push for younger politicians, Gen Z will be involved in, and leading, politics in the coming years.

As excited as people are about this new era of young lawmakers, how can there be an effective and educated new group of leaders if politics are avoided in many Texas classrooms? If we do not teach students about policies and governmental action, there will not be a future of change. After all, people simply cannot be expected to make an impact on something they are not taught about.

be taught on campus so students can develop their own informed opinions without the bias of social media.

Our generation is very new to politics and tends to be misinformed. According to a study done by the Pew Research Center, 39 percent of 18-to 29-yearolds get most of their political news from TikTok.

Social media platforms like TikTok are not reliable sources for people to base their political opinions on. When politics are taught in schools, students are given context and knowledge neutrally, broadening political understanding and civic engagement.

With censorship movements, Critical Race Theory, book banning and more, education, at its core, is political.

Even subconsciously, everything that students are taught and how they are taught is political. From the textbooks, to the curriculum, to school policies that dictate teachers’ lesson plans, everything is politically and ideologically informed.

Not teaching politics in school to “protect” students from uncomfortable or controversial discussions is an inherently political choice.

Avoiding these topics, divisive as they may be, is not the answer. Being able to understand and formulate our own opinions about them is far more powerful than leaving ourselves

National Hispanic Heritage Month

A glimpse of how Hockaday celebrated this month

By: Mary Bradley Sutherland Photo and Graphic Editor, Social Media Manager

Every year, millions of Americans celebrate National Hispanic Heritage Month from Sept.15-Oct.15. On Oct.3, Hockaday's Latin Hispanic Student Union (LHSU) held a Latin American Independence Day Celebration in the Amphitheater for all of the faculty, Upper School, and participating student parents to enjoy. At the event, LHSU members set up tables, inviting attendees to learn about their culture through photos, food, and sharing stories.

"I loved having this space to be proud of my heritage and being able to share it with the Upper School," senior Gabriella Gaona said.

Gaona is the LHSU president and organized the celebration. The highlight of the event occurred when Lower, Middle, and Upper Schoolers performed traditional Folclórico dances to the songs "Son de la Negra" and "Un from the movie "Coco."

In order to accomplish this performance, Gaona coordinated with the Latin American Mothers Association to involve students of different ages. Gaona also served as an emcee for the event, presenting cultural information about each dance the girls performed.

"It was so wonderful to perform with the lower and middle school students," Gaona said.

PHOTOS BY MARY BRADLEY SUTHERLAND

"I loved making those cross-division connections." The participating students rehearsed once a week for 1-2 hours for a month in order to perfect their routines. Overall, the celebration not only provided fun, interactive tables, but the addition of the multi-grade dance performance really made the event as charming and eye-catching as it was. "It was really a magical feeling to see all of our hard work come together," Gaona said. "It sounds cliche to say, but it really gave me those warm and fuzzy feelings to see our community coming together."