The Fourcast, November 2022

PROTESTS IN IRAN

DIVE INTO ADMISSIONS

Senior volleyball player Payton Arbaugh reaches 1,000 digs. Page 19

Hurricane Ian’s reach

Teachers with Florida connections feel effects

By Hanna Asmerom | Web Editor

Onehundred and thirty seven deaths, 27,000 homes damaged and nearly $6 billion spent on recovery. These numbers quantify the damage to various North American countries since Hurricane Ian hit Sept. 28.

The Category 4 hurricane had a 12- to 18-foot storm surge and ranked as the most destructive hurricane in Florida in 87 years according to the AccuWeather forecasting service. As it approached the coast, it was also difficult to predict where the hurricane would hit, due to its wavering paths in the days leading up to landfall.

Upper school teachers Karen Sanchez and Jackie Girard paid particular attention to Ian’s path and were among those affected.

Though Sanchez does not have personal property there, her parents live in Labelle, Florida. Sanchez’s parents decided to stay in their hometown because they did not anticipate the hurricane hitting where it did, and when they found out, it was too late to leave.

“I was worried about their safety because they decided to stay,” Sanchez said.

Even though their town is not on the coast, they experienced 150 mph winds and severe rainfall throughout the week. Despite the inopportune circumstances, their house only lost power for four days and no major damage was done.

Girard has a house on Estero Island, one of the islands on the southwestern coast of Florida. The island was flattened, with many houses either floating away or getting washed out, Girard said. Due to her previous renovations, her home was safeguarded to protect

against hurricanes, but no other buildings in the area survived the hurricane.

“The storm surge took everything,” Girard said. “The whole northern part of the island was decimated.”

As Girard, Sanchez and other families attempt to rebuild their homes and their communities, those who wish to help may donate to the people in need. By giving to The American Red Cross, donors can help the 2.5 million displaced Floridians get basic necessities and get back on their feet.

NEWS SNIPPETS

StuCo mixer

SPC Ring Ceremony

Hockaday

NEW ON WELCH

A look at what’s happening on campus

Student

White blazer fitting

Although

The

Spirit night

Coffeehouse

On

Eighth grade musical

honored four of the 2021-2022 SPC Championship teams on Oct. 4. These included diving, soccer, swimming and track and field. Each athlete received a gold ring featuring the Hockaday “H,” a token of their victories.

Oct. 15, the Fine Arts Board put on the first Coffeehouse of the year. St. Mark’s and Hockaday’s Improv troupe performed various games, while other students belted out songs like “Dear John,” “Feeling Good” and “Friends on the Other Side.”

Since August, the eighth graders, performing arts faculty and parent volunteers have been perfecting the musical “Lion King Jr.” The Class of 2027 performed the show Oct. 26-28, showcasing the eighth graders’ talents.

the school year has just begun, Form III students already attended their first White Blazer fitting on Oct. 17 in Tarry House during Y period.

Council hosted the Hockaday Honkytonk StuCo Mixer on Oct. 1 in Metzger Plaza. Students enjoyed food trucks, a mechanical bull and music mixed by DJ junior Leila Tarighi.

school hosted its first Spirit Night on Oct. 14 in support of fall sports. Events included a drill team performance, cross country and fencing Senior Night and volleyball and field hockey games versus Greenhill.

Photos courtesy of Jackie Girard

Photo by Sally Hudspeth

Photos by Mary Grace Martin, Bennett Trubey and Anjy Fadairo

Hurricane Ian swept through southern Florida, leaving houses in ruin. Jackie Girard’s house was the only one in her neighborhood to survive the hurricane due to recent renovations that safeguarded it.

Photo by Elle Myers

Photo by Alexandra Dassopoulos

New SCOTUS term underway

Supreme Court faces varied slate of cases with broad implications

By Caroline Bush | Arts and Life Editor

The beginning of the Supreme Court’s term brings cases from all over the country to Washington D.C. On Oct. 3, the new Supreme Court term kicked off amid controversy over some of its recent decisions.

The Court’s approval ratings are at an all-time low after the decision in June to overturn Roe vs. Wade, the United States’ landmark abortion case. According to Pew Research Center, six in 10 Americans support legal abortion – the opposite of what the Supreme Court ruled.

Chief Justice John G. Roberts Jr. has spoken out in defense of the court’s legitimacy. Roberts, who has served on the Supreme Court for 17 years, said the role of the court should not be questioned simply because citizens do not agree with its decisions.

However, Justice Elena Kagan, who has served on the court for 12 years, said she believes the legitimacy of the court should be earned.

“The Supreme Court might have to be a little more transparent than they have been in the past,” U.S. Government teacher Kristen Blevins said. “I certainly don’t think the legitimacy of the court is destroyed forever or anything like that.”

Despite concerns about the court, the term will continue as usual with the addition of a new member. This year, Ketanji Brown Jackson, the newest appointee to the Supreme Court, joins in the decision-making. She takes the place of Justice Stephen Breyer, who served on the court for 14 years.

The Supreme Court term is divided between sittings and recesses, which alternate every two weeks. During sittings, the justices hear cases and deliver opinions. During recesses, they consider the business before the court and write opinions.

“There’s no hard rules on what cases the court must or must not take,” U.S. Government teacher Emily Mosley said. “They decide by discussing amongst themselves – which is determined based on the Rule of Four – if they will take a case or not.”

The Rule of Four means if four of the nine justices decide to take a case, the court will hear it. Multiple cases in the upcoming term focus on civil rights. Race seems to be a central issue at play.

Affirmative action

One case challenges the affirmative action programs at Harvard and the University of North Carolina. The ruling in this case could impact seniors

as they begin to submit their first college applications.

The issue of affirmative action has been brought before the court many times, and the court always has ruled it is legal for race to play a part in college admissions decisions.

However, the current, right-leaning court brings a new point of view. It is possible there could be a different ruling this year following the overturn of Roe vs. Wade, paving the way for other previously set precedents to be reversed.

Voting Rights Act

A case involving racial gerrymandering to limit African American voters’ influence will come before the court. According to the National Public Radio, since 1965, the court has struck down key parts of the Voting Rights Act.

Indian Child Welfare Act

The Indian Child Welfare act says that Indian children must be adopted or fostered in Indian homes when possible. Texas and a group for white adoptive parents are challenging this.

According to the Great Falls Tribune, challengers argue the act violates the

Civil Rights Act

The Civil Rights Act of 1964 states that businesses may not discriminate based on race, religion, national origin or gender when offering products or services. This law will be challenged in a case before the Supreme Court by Lorie Smith, a web designer in Colorado.

Smith refused to create and sell designs depicting same-sex couples, claiming doing so violates her freedom of religion. However, the court is not hearing the case on the basis of religion, but rather on free expression.

According to NPR, if the court rules in favor of Smith, the decision could send a message to white supremacists that it is okay to deny people of color business because of “free speech,” reversing years of precedent regarding discrimination based on race.

Election Law

Finally, the court will hear a major election law case during its new term.

Republican leaders in the legislature challenged this decision, citing the constitution, which says that the “time, places, and manner of congressional elections shall be prescribed in each state by the legislature thereof.”

This would mean that no state court is allowed to interfere with decisions made by the legislature when it comes to election rules.

Chief justices of state courts have come together to file a brief that opposes the argument, contending they do, in fact, have the power to make decisions under the constitution when it comes to election laws.

“I think a lot of times people don’t pay attention to the Supreme Court until the decisions are rendered, but it could be beneficial to have it on people’s radar,” U.S. Government teacher Scott Bowman said.

Blevins said most Supreme Court cases affect everyone in the country, whether directly or indirectly, making it important to be up to date on the decisions that could be made.

Questions of legitimacy

Equal Protection Clause and the Anticommandeering Doctrine. The case is a question of whether the federal government can enforce federal law in the states.

The North Carolina Supreme Court struck down a redistricting plan “on the grounds that it was an unconstitutional partisan gerrymander the constitution did not back up,” according to NPR.

supremecourt.gov

Ketanji Brown Jackson

The Supreme Court as composed June 30, 2022 to present.

Where does the money go?

State Fair profits benefit vendors, community causes, scholarships

By Amitha Nair | Staff Writer

With anywhere from 40,000 to 200,000 people buzzing from the rides to outrageous foods, the State Fair of Texas brought people of all ages to enjoy everything the event had to offer from Sept. 23 to Oct. 23.

The average person ended up paying somewhere between $10 and $15 for a ticket, not including the money spent on rides and food, according to the official State Fair of Texas website.

“The ticket prices are reasonable but the additional spending like rides, games, food, are expensive enough to keep me from going most years,” junior Maggie Coleman said.

Starting back in 1886, the State Fair of Texas has been promoting Texas agriculture, education, and community involvement through quality entertainment in a familyfriendly environment. In addition, Fair Park is home to the world’s largest collection of Art Deco structures and home to some of Dallas’ top museums and cultural

“So many people don’t know that the State Fair of Texas is actually a non-profit, so the fair itself serves as our largest fundraiser,” said Taylor Austin, public relations manager for the State Fair of Texas.

“A portion of proceeds from the admission tickets are going directly back to the community through different initiatives like our Big Tex scholarship program, the Big Tex Urban Farms that donate fresh produce back into the south Dallas community, and Our Community Giving, a grant program to give other non-profits funding for great initiatives,” Austin said.

In addition, the State Fair of Texas gives back through its partnerships with charities like the North Texas

Austin Public Relations Manager for the Texas State Fair

Food Bank and provides 2.1 million free admission tickets for North Texas students and teachers. The fair sponsors local community programs, giving college scholarships, hosting more than 1,100 creative competitions, providing 6,000 seasonal jobs and adding hundreds of millions of dollars to the North Texas economy, according to the State Fair of Texas website.

“We are not related to the government at all,” Austin said. “ We are a private non-profit organization so because of that we are able to give our money back in the way we would like to.”

Although the admission ticket proceeds go back to the community in many different ways, the thousands of dollars spent every day in each food booth goes directly to the operator, according to the Dallas Observer.

The money spent on food is separate from the admission money; that money goes directly to those who hold the food stands, and there is no profit getting taken out of the money at the end of the day.

“We have more than 80 food vendors at the State Fair of Texas and you can think of them as small businesses,” Austin said. “For many of them, this event is critical to their success for the rest of the year, so it means a lot to them to be a part of the State Fair of Texas.”

Graphic by Emma Lin

“We are not related to the government at all. We are a private nonprofit organization so because of that we are able to give our money back in the way we would like to.”

Taylor

Money from the State Fair goes to a variety of causes and vendors.

Fall fashion trends

Autumn season brings edgy classics back into style

By Alexandra Dassopoulos | Staff Writer

An upscale evolution from the Christian Girl Autumn fad’s infinity scarves and skinny jeans, this season of fall fashion has ushered in a series of timeless pieces, remixed with an edgier feel. All eyes on models’ off-duty streetwear, Instagram stories or TikToks of fashion influencers, these updated classics have filtered down into teenage closets.

As seen on Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner and Hailey Bieber, Adidas Sambas have returned to popularity from their hiatus since the ’90s, originally created in 1949 for soccer players. Manufactured in a variety of bold colors, Adidas Sambas are sold at a $100 — making them an attainable celebrity trend.

A huge trend seen last fall was pleated skirts. This year, the classic has been re-imagined and styled in a new way. These skirts have gone low-waisted and micro, an ode to the 2000s. Now, they’re paired with oversized leather jackets and thick belts — giving them a grungier feel than the previous preppy look.

Another staple, ballet flats, have re-emerged to the fashion scene this fall.

“Real fans know they were never out,” said social media influencer Audrey Peters. Whether ballet flats went out of style or not, they have undeniably risen in popularity this season. Miu

Miu transformed the ballet flat, adding black straps with silver buckles to modernize the traditionally elegant style.

Thanks to Scandinavian influencer Matilda Djerf, another re-imagined classic has been the workwear suit. The sweater vest of fall 2021 has transitioned to linen, as well as various other suit fabrics. Oversized pleated work pants are sold in sets with these vests, often styled without undershirts to emphasize a more feminine, yet rebellious take on the menswear item.

Senior Molly McPhail recently wore one of these vests to Pitbull’s concert, styling it with low-waisted white cargo pants. McPhail said she would have styled the vest differently last fall.

“Then, I probably would’ve paired the vest with an undershirt and maybe a skirt, but this year, I’ve been into more low-waisted clothing and experimenting with unique silhouettes,” said McPhail.

Her styling undeniably reflects the new trend of vests this year and the spread of this trend through social media.

“I saw a Pinterest post of a girl in a matching set with a black vest and skirt and was immediately obsessed with the look,” McPhail said.

A juxtaposition from grungier pleated skirts and ballet flats, sportswear glasses have been seen frequently while scrolling through TikTok’s For You

Page and down the runways. Featuring metallic rims, reflective lenses and angular, wrap-around silhouettes, these futuristic sunglasses catch the eye and elevate basic looks. Not to mention, they put a highfashion spin on the Oakley sunglasses we’ve seen Hockaday Crew wear.

All of these trends could be seen as “done before,” but otherwise discarded classics have found their way back into the fashion scene for the young generation, empowering through their modern and edgy takes.

LIKE AND COMMENT

Emmy Roberts ’25 Globe Life Field, Arlington, Texas

Photo courtesy of Molly McPhail

Allison Lanners ’23 Dallas, Texas

Sophomores Emmy Roberts and Gaby Ortiz attend country singer Morgan Wallen’s concert.

Junior Harper Tagg poses at the Whitney Musuem of American Art in New York during Fall Break.

Harper Tagg ’24 New York, New York

Some of our favorite recent social media posts

Senior cheerleaders Allison Lanners and Molly McPhail sport pink pom-poms and bows for St. Mark’s Pink Out game.

Molly McPhail wears her trendy vest at a Pitbull concert.

Photo courtesy of Emery Stehel

Emery Stehel ‘24 styles her microskirt with cowboy boots.

Holiday traditions Students and families celebrate season in their own ways

By Melody Hu | Editor-in-Chief

During the holiday season, students each have their own unique ways of celebrating. Different backgrounds, cultures and religions can mean different holiday traditions.

Allison Lanners

Every year, senior Allison Lanners celebrates Thanksgiving with her family, enjoying Persian food with traditional American Thanksgiving food. The family has turkey, mashed potatoes and pie but also Persian dishes like lubia polo (a Persian green bean rice), ghormeh sabzi (Iranian herb stew) and fesenjoon (Iranian chicken stew). Additionally, their Thanksgiving feast always includes friends and neighbors.

Gray/Pendleton Advisory

Every Halloween, the GrayPendleton advisory buys mini pumpkins to paint. Advisees paint their own unique pumpkins to display in the advisory. Previous pumpkins’ designs have

included ghosts, flowers and even Harry Styles. Additionally, the advisory always has large bowls of Halloween candy around throughout October.

Aurora Dunn

For the holidays, senior Aurora Dunn’s family has a tradition called The Pickle Present. Each year, the parents hide a real pickle around the house, and the children are responsible for looking for the pickle. Whoever finds the pickle gets a fun treat or present, so the children always get competitive.

Ava Stern

Every year senior Ava Stern celebrates Rosh Hashanah with her family. Rosh Hashanah is the marker of the Jewish new year, and to celebrate, her whole family gets together and eats apples and honey to symbolize a sweet new year. Another tradition is blowing the Shofar, a ram’s horn, more than 100 times in a specific pattern.

Film fanatics

Students discuss love of film-making process

By Bennett Trubey | Arts & Life Editor

Junior Helen Railsback and senior Natalie Grove, Upper School film students, have passions for cinematography that go far behind the scenes.

The two prefer different forms of film and undergo different brainstorming and production stages during film-making unique to animation and live-action.

Railsback and Grove’s current projects also have undergone a new, collaborative editing process, allowing them to emphasize the natural flow of a film.

Railsback has created four films thus far in Upper School. “Dive?” was recognized as a finalist in the North Texas Alliance to Reduce Unintended Pregnancy in Teens’ 2021 Student Film Contest.

Her experience creating her own films has given her a new perspective when it comes to cinematography.

“I like watching movies,” Railsback said, “so it’s been fun to be able to make them and understand how they’re made.”

Railsback said her interest in filmmaking was sparked in theaters, and she has gained a new appreciation for every shot and minute detail in the frame.

“It gives you a new way of looking at film,” Railsback said. “You can see the work that went into shots and understand symbolism a little better.”

Her preferred form is animation even though it often requires more work in the early stages of creation.

“I write a script out first so I can get my timing done because I need to know how much to animate or how long to animate something for,” Railsback said.

Railsback said she plans to submit to more film festivals this year, like the All

during which Grove has produced six films through film class and another four outside of school for various projects, including National Geographic Student Expeditions.

Grove said she enjoys the collaborative, peer-editing process introduced this year in film class.

“We all read our screenplays and played each other’s actors,” Grove said. “From there we got feedback to make it more natural, and then everyone goes out to shoot individually.”

Grove works exclusively in live-action, bringing scenes to life in a different form than Railsback. She depends on actors, lighting and setting available to her to tell the story.

“My favorite part is screenwriting because we get to come up with various stories,” Grove said.

Many of her films are centered on obscure mental illnesses, such as Alice in Wonderland Syndrome.

American High School Film Festival, and she is currently working on a rom-com inspired animated film.

Grove’s love for film-making goes back to her childhood when she began messing around with making her own films at home.

“When I was younger, I used to make iMovies on my mom’s iPad,” Grove said.

Her early interest in film-making has carried into her Upper School career,

“I study the mental disorders and use my research to create a film using that perspective,” Grove said.

Through her works, she aims to bring awareness and a sense of reality to the disorders she features.

However, Grove said her current project – a deviation from her recent work – is a suspenseful, Halloweeninspired film including a haunted Abraham Lincoln.

Photo courtesy of Brittany Pendleton

Photos courtesy of Allison Lanners

Photo courtesy of Natalie Grove

REVIEWS

Swift synthesizes styles

Meet me at Midnight (or 11 p.m.)

By Jane Clark | Editor-in-Chief

Staying up till 11 p.m. (12 a.m. Eastern), hundreds of Hockadasies eagerly refresh their Spotify or Apple Music accounts, thrilled to hear Taylor Swift’s 13 songs in her new album “Midnights.”

Although Swift had announced there would be a surprise at 2 p.m. (3 p.m. Eastern), little did these same fans expect seven additional songs to be released on top of the rest of the album.

As one of these fans, I listened to the 20 songs immediately as they came out and was thrilled to hear the diverse moods and musical styles. Swift mixed tones from her previous albums: happy from “Lover,” revenge from “Reputation,” melancholy from “Folklore” and dramatic from “1989.”

Some of her “Reputation”styled songs in this album include “Lavender Haze,” “Midnight Rain” and “Karma.” They have more vengeful lyrics with electronic music in the background, especially “Midnight Rain.” This is a very different sound than the rest of the album. The piece starts with voice tuning and sound modifications, giving a creepier tone that carries the mood

through the end of the song.

Her “Lover”-type songs, to name a few, would be “Anti-hero,” “Question” and “Bejeweled.” These more upbeat, happier-toned songs remind me of the lighter tones in “Lover.” Since “Lover” is one of my favorite Swift albums, I was happy to have more peppy music in this album.

The sound of “1989” also makes a comeback in this album with the songs “Maroon,” “Mastermind” and “Paris.” They are very pop, dramatic and romantic, which reminds me of “1989’s” “Wildest Dreams” and “Style.”

With the representation of “Folklore” and “Evermore” as well, Swift is revolutionizing what it means to be in a “genre” because she explores so many moods and themes, all in 20 songs.

I was most excited for the comeback of her more upbeat music and was happy to have more variety in the album, because although I love “Evermore” and “Folklore,” they are both significantly slower.

This new album is like a synthesis of her past five albums and perfectly represents her musical progression over the past eight years.

My only critique, which some people might find a positive aspect of the album, is the theme. I feel as though its overall sound is not as cohesive and distinct as it has been in the past.

Overall, however, this album is a great mix of happy, sad, vengeful and self-reflective emotions and accurately shows who Swift is. Instead of changing her whole appearance and image for this album, she is authentically herself.

POP CULTURE

WITH HARPER

“It’s time to BeReal!” are words I hear every day without fail while walking through campus.

Launched in late 2019, the BeReal app has been downloaded more than 43 million times since then and its user base continues to grow by the day.

One notification goes out randomly each day to all users, prompting them to “BeReal” and post a picture of themselves on the app. This time period is only two minutes long, and after that, your post will be considered “late.” Users cannot see their friends’ BeReal until they post their own, and once they post, they can comment on and react to other posts.

Honestly, there is no point in this two-minute time period because users can still post their picture throughout the day. Users may also retake their BeReal, defeating the point of the app claiming to be a raw depiction of what is going on at the moment the notification comes out.

5The app wants its users to be authentic and share what they are genuinely doing, unlike other social media platforms that are filled with fake and Photoshopped images.

3Half smiles for ‘Smile’

Not-so-thrilling psychological thriller disappoints horror movie enthusiasts

Following the app’s boom in popularity, other apps like Snapchat and TikTok added a feature like BeReal’s to their platforms. Snapchat has a split camera feature now, mirroring BeReal’s dual camera function. TikTok now has ‘TikTok Now’ where users can post BeReals on the app. TikTok Now is identical to BeReal, with users not being able to see other peoples’ nows until they post their own, the dual camera function and the ability to comment and like others’ posts.

stars

By Alexa Munoz | Staff Writer

In the midst of the Halloween season, horror fans crave a production that serves a scary good plot, spinetingling suspense and an uneasiness that sticks with you for days after the first watch. “Smile,” which premiered Sept. 30, fails to check the aforementioned boxes.

Prior to its release, paid actors in the stands of streamed MLB games wore an intense, unblinking smile and a neon shirt, leaving the media terrified. This viral marketing campaign promised a satisfying scare, eventually setting up viewers for major disappointment.

“Smile” makes a sorry attempt to follow in the footsteps of director Ari Aster’s “Hereditary” and film series “The Ring,” all with plots of an inherited curse that leaves witnesses of heinous violence haunted by an unnerving sight.

The film centers on a corporeal curse with an eerie smile that stalks psychiatrist Dr. Rose Cotter after she witnesses the suicide of one of

her patients, forcing her to confront her troubling past to escape her unbearable present. While Rose’s peers write off her experiences as fatigue or delusion, she perseveres to defeat the catalyst of this curse,

inevitably resulting in the worst.

Although “Smile” suffers from its cliché plot of an inherited curse, it has a noteworthy underlying touch of psychological commentary. The movie successfully conveys the mentally draining aspect of what it’s like to carry the weight of anxieties or stress, and the exhausting process of trying to explain it to a peer.

The movie’s distinct image of a fake smile is symbolic of society’s method of hiding any signs of something wrong. “Smile” fabricates an intriguing image which the viewer is sure to recognize, whether it be in others or within themselves.

Woven throughout the film, the “psychological” aspect of this “psychological thriller” overpowers its “thriller” counterpart. While I wished for a unique thrill from writer and director Parker Finn, the trite smile gag leaves me settling for an underwhelming scare and more satisfied with its underlying message than the visual fright.

While the BeReal app promotes this idea of being authentic and ‘real,’ the app’s features totally combat its goal of being an authentic social media app.

While I believe it is not that big of an issue that users post late, pose for a BeReal or retake a post, it completely goes against the app’s main point of ‘being real.’The app should remove the features that allow its users not to be their most authentic selves if it wants to continue to promote itself as an authentic social media app.

Features editor Harper Harris is a pop culture fanatic, and she’s here to address what’s trending.

Photo courtesy of Ashna Tambe

FRESH FLAVORS

New sandwich, salad shop reinvents classics

By Elizabeth Truelove | Staff Writer

IIntroducing high-quality ingredients into casual foods, Mendocino Farms creates the perfect restaurant for everything from a post-morning workout meal to a picture-perfect brunch. In 2005, founders Mario Del Pero and Ellen Chen opened the first location in Southern California, slowly growing across the states and, now, into Texas and Washington. Establishing the motto “Eat Happy,” Mendocino Farms says it hopes to create welcoming and kind environments within their locations.

The restaurant’s value of community is carried into its fundraising program “Give Back” that aids local clubs, teams, nonprofits and schools in need

Mendocino Farms has raised more than $162,000 for its communities.

Walking into the restaurant, I was reminded of similar Dallas restaurants such as Flower Child and True Foods with an aesthetically pleasing layout and plenty of natural light. After waiting in a fiveminute line, I ordered the prosciutto and chicken sandwich with a side of kale and apple rainbow salad. Instead of handing customers numbered markers for their tables, Mendocino Farms uses hands-free QR codes customers use to see order numbers on their digital receipts.

For those in a rush who want a quick bite to eat, I recommend trying the online ordering service to pick up food hands-free in the store, an option many stores added to their service post-COVID. As I sat down, I saw multiple adults hustling in and out of the door, with airpods in, listening attentively to their calls.

Soon after ordering, I received my lunch on a paper-covered metal tray. The flavor of the sandwich surprised me with its unique combination of classic caprese with honeyroasted almonds and fresh cut prosciutto and chicken. All of these ingredients, panini-pressed into warm slices of ciabatta, made the perfect delicious lunch after my grueling crew practice that necessitated a filling meal.

The kale salad contained an unusual combination of ingredients: kale, Granny Smith apples, coconut and a Thai basil vinaigrette. I once again was surprised by how much I enjoyed the sour taste of the apples mixed with the sweet but pungent dressing. In total, my lunch cost $15.65, a low price for such expensive-tasting food.

Mendocino Farms perfectly mixes high-quality ingredients into casual, everyday foods to create the ideal healthy lunch location for those who want fast service, delicious meals and not ridiculously high prices. The bright and welcoming decor invites everyone to come in and enjoy fresh, unique and

Mendocino Farms, 10720 Preston Rd, Dallas, TX 75230

Photos by Elizabeth Truelove and Jordan Lacsamana

AROUND

SEASONAL SIPS

By Kailey Bergstedt | Photo & Graphics Editor

Since leaves are changing colors and temperatures are dropping, make sure to check out these local coffee shops that embody fall spirit with their variety of seasonal drinks.

Fiction Coffee - 1623 N. Hall St.

With unique drink names that draw inspiration from pop culture like The Hellfire Club, The Godfather and Lovecraft Country, this cafe boasts numerous seasonal drinks including everything from cinnamon and basil cider to amaretto lattes.

Sip Stir Coffee House - 3800 McKinney Ave. #180

The Apple Crisp Latte and Maple Brown Sugar Latte are just a couple of this coffee shop’s signature fall lattes.

Ascension Coffee - 1621 Oak Lawn Ave.

This craft coffee house offers several fall drinks: the classic pumpkin spice latte, the chaider – an apple cider mixed with spiced chai – and the cortado pie flight – three mini apple, blueberry and pumpkin spice cortados with cardamom whipped cream on top.

Native Coffee Co. - 4319 Alpha Rd.

From their spiced orange latte to their caramel cold brew and toasted apple flat white, this coffee shop takes fall to the next level, completing its concoctions with cinnamon-sugar rims and cinnamon dustings.

Photos by Kailey Bergstedt

Changing with the times

By Aadya Kuruvalli | Opinions Editor and Melody Tian | News Editor

College culture shifts

Navigating the college admissions process can be a confusing and arduous task for seniors. The hustle and bustle of the fall semester means added stress, especially for those applying to universities.

“I think October is probably the hardest month for all students,” Upper School Dean Jordan Innerarity said. “You have the Nov. 1 deadline for seniors, plus your own personal stressors – your parents and your friends are all talking about college. Every instance of conversation about college is incredibly stress-inducing, so we’re finding ways to alleviate stress.”

One way the school is combating the stress of college admissions is through changing the way acceptance letters are posted in the senior commons. In previous years, seniors posted their college acceptance letters from every school they were accepted to on the windows of the commons, facing out for students to see.

“In the past, there have been some hurt feelings about comments made or comments assumed about colleges,” Innerarity said. “It is a very sensitive topic.”

The class of 2023 voted to display the letters inside of the Senior Commons, either on the front door facing inward or the back door facing inward.

“This was done in a way to protect a lot of people and to allow them to feel whatever they want to feel about colleges, but also to keep their special rights,” Innerarity said. “Seniors can still ring the bell and share their accomplishments with everyone.”

Another change for this year was eliminating the option to access the Maia Learning “scattograms” for juniors and seniors. Due to the new test optional option, these graphs were removed from view because the new data is not fully represented on the graph. The graph’s purpose was to compare college

applicants in a graph with other Hockaday students who previously applied to a school. Students could see how their standardized test scores and GPAs lined up with those who were accepted, rejected, deferred or waitlisted. Now students can ask their college counselors to pull up the chart to look at, but do not have personal access.

Another recent change is the College Admissions Period, introduced in 2019. CAP lets seniors take advantage of school hours to work on college applications instead of having to do it all at home.

“It takes hours to do some of these applications because each one has its own supplemental essays and more,” Innerarity said. “These are things that you have to pour a lot of time into, on top of keeping up with your course schedule. That’s why we implemented the CAP period, a free period where they can just work on their college essays.”

Innerarity said the two Upper School counselors are great resources to help seniors feeling the stress of the admissions process.

“Some steps we’re taking are just having open conversations about where we are,” Innerarity said. “It’s OK not to be OK and to have these feelings.”

Throughout its 110-year history, Hockaday has evolved with the times. As the school reevaluates what it means to be a Hockaday student and the aspects intrinsic to the school’s culture, the school year brings modifications to curriculum, college culture and concepts of seniority.

Seniors step into new roles

Starting this year, seniors will serve not only as the social leaders of the school but also as mentors and advisors to younger students. As opposed to previous years, deans are putting more emphasis on seniors needing to earn their privileges by demonstrating leadership and responsibility rather than getting them by default.

“Hockaday’s trying to make seniority less of a big scary thing,” Form IV President Elle Chavis said. “When I was a freshman, we were terrified of the seniors.

I remember I wore a college sweatshirt, and my Big Sis texted me that some of her friends saw me in a college sweatshirt and to not do that again. I had absolutely no clue that was a rule.”

The school is striving to make seniors more approachable while also maintaining their leadership role. In previous years, for example, seniors thought that there was an unwritten rule that they were allowed to cut lunch lines, which has now been prohibited. However, the new staggered lunch line allows seniors to be the first to get their lunch, allowing them to be respected without tearing

“They’re trying to make seniors more like the emotional leaders and people you can look up to,” Chavis said the seniors have done balancing being authoritative still being respectful. While serving as socialemotional leaders is part

of what senior year entails, seniors also look forward to their traditions and privileges. Each year, seniors enjoy some special traditions including white blazers, class rings, access to the senior commons and splash day.

“I loved participating in splash day and getting dunked on by the seniors last year, so I’m very excited for this year,” Chavis said.

She said she is looking forward to seniors celebrating each other and enjoying each other’s company in her last remaining year.

“I’m super excited once everyone starts to, you know, ring the bell to figure out where they’re going to college and post their letters in the senior commons,” Chavis said. “I think that’s such a great way to kind of celebrate everyone and have one last hurrah of sisterhood.”

History department adds honors seminars

As the new school year commences, students have the chance to take courses that have never been offered before. Some changes include the addition of various social impact based curriculum and new courses like the writing internship as well as the multitude of new courses offered by Hockaday’s history department.

Juniors in the past have only been able to choose between taking AP U.S. History and regular U.S. History. This year, however, juniors who do not want to take APUSH yet still want to be challenged have the option to choose between two other year long Honors Seminars: American Foreign Policy and International Relations by Lucio Benedetto or Law in American Society by Scott Bowman.

“The honors seminars were a way to move away from just offering AP,” said History Department Chair Kathryn Hodgkinson, “and being able to offer U.S. history through different lenses.”

Hodgkinson said the new courses were developed based on the teachers’ specialties and serves the purpose of getting to know more about the world in an area that students may not study in other classes. Dr. Wesley Lummus developed a Middle East course and Dr. Elizabeth Bennett is developing an onlevel social impact course that focuses on local and U.S. history.

Hodgkinson said the courses overall were well-received. Students also tend to be more engaged and benefit more by learning things they can apply later.

“It is great to have a whole class of girls that are interested in the same thing,” Hodgkinson said, “because they are

more actively participating in class with courses that hit on their interest – it’s giving them another venue instead of just the straight seminar in U.S. history.”

Graphics by Emily McShane and Aadya Kuruvalli

Presenting research results

Students explain posters detailing in-depth summer projects

By Amitha Nair | Assistant Sports Editor

Students who spent the summer immersed in research presented their findings at the Research Symposium Oct. 21. The symposium consisted of students presenting detailed posters and describing their research and findings. After the presentations, the posters went on display in Ownby Lobby.

“The posters are left up for quite some time so that people can just wander through it and look at them and other members of the community and visitors can see them,” said Dr. Barbara Fishel, dean of studies and head organizer of the Research Symposium.

The students make their posters so they will be informative on their own, no matter how many weeks they stay up. Each one it is easily understood even without a person standing by to answer questions. These posters often inspire Upper School students and even younger girls to pursue research in the future.

“Younger girls who aren’t yet able to go do research see that and then they think oh, I mean that looks cool, I would like to do that,” Fishel said. “It is sort of a self-perpetuating kind of thing and encourages girls to figure out what they could do in a scientific field or any

kind of research field.”

During the symposium, senior Miranda Jefferds presented her findings to fellow students, teachers, and other people with connections to Hockaday. The summer after her junior year, Jefferds pursued her passion in research at Science Teacher Access to Resources at Southwestern (STARS), a two-month program where students are paired with a professional in their field of interest.

“I worked in the department of molecular biology at UT Southwestern and the lab investigated a bacteria called vibrio parahaemolyticus which is a gram-negative bacteria that is in contaminated seafood and when you eat it, you get food poisoning,” Jefferds said. “My research project focused on the secretion system within the bacteria that led to it having these virulence factors which are basically the factors that make it toxic to us.”

Jefferds made her poster at the end of her summer program to present it at the UT Southwestern Symposium.

“You really have to culminate your research and figure out what key points you want to highlight,” Jefferds said. “Then you have to identify the key materials and the methods that

RESEARCH

Years the symposium has been happening

Number of months spent at STARS

you used and what were the conclusion features in your experiment and organize it all into a poster that is going to be visually engaging.”

UT Southwestern was a common place of research for students over the summer. Juniors Angelina Dong and Christina Dong worked at the John Microbiology Lab at UT Southwestern.

“The main goal of our research and the lab’s research was to reprogram cells in the brain to functioning neurons to help replace those lost by neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimers,” Angelina Dong said, “and turn microglia and astrocytes, which are two types of glial cells, into fully functioning neutrons.”

The Dong sisters did not make a poster during their program but rather in addition to it.

“We have been preparing our poster for about a week and we talked about it

with our mentor,” Christina Dong said before the symposium.

The sisters said they benefited from their research by gaining extensive knowledge about their junior year science course.

“We are taking AP biology this year and I really think that this research opportunity helped us get ready and get the foundation that we needed,” Angelina said. “It’s really cool to see how these concepts apply in the lab.”

BY THE NUMBERS

Types of glial cells the Dong sisters studied at UT Southwestern.

Elle shares love for literature

Senior runs writing tips and tricks Instagram

By Kailey Bergstedt | Photo & Graphics Editor

Writing tips, book reviews, discussion posts and Instagram reels following popular trends can all be found on @ellesliterarycorner, senior Elle Chavis’ Instagram account that covers all things literary.

Chavis created the account in May of 2020 as a creative outlet to help lessen her boredom during the COVID pandemic. Since then, the account has attracted more than 28,000 followers.

“I followed several writing accounts on Instagram and thought it might be something fun to try,” Chavis said.

Today, the account allows Chavis to channel her love for reading and writing, whether by sharing her latest advice for developing characters or by creating a discussion post asking her followers about their favorite books.

“I have had such a love for writing since third grade, when we did a project where we had to write our own science fiction plays,” Chavis said. “I’ve been hooked since.”

When Chavis first created the account, she mainly posted writing tips

and advice but now posts everything from memes to Instagram reels and covers topics like diversity in literature.

“I started off posting things I thought people would like, but noticed once I started posting about publishing and diversity and other topics that are important to me, I got a lot more response and engagement,” Chavis said.

Chavis also occasionally posts excerpts of her own writing to get her followers’ advice, feedback and

sometimes constructive criticism.

“Since creating this account I know I have gotten much better at taking feedback and criticism and have become a more conscientious writer,” Chavis said.

Chavis aims for her account to be a safe, welcoming environment where her followers can share and discuss their own tips, opinions or experiences with writing. She also hopes it will work to inspire other beginner writers.

“I hope that, by sharing my experience with writing, it will help other people to see that the writing journey is super messy,” Chavis said. “I hope they will also understand that writing can be extremely difficult, and the most important thing is to focus on how fun it is, even if you aren’t the best at it.”

Another piece of advice Chavis has for beginning writers is to just start writing, even if it’s not the best, most fully formed concept and the most articulate sentences.

“One of the scariest things to a writer is a blank page,” Chavis said.

Days the Dong sisters spent preparing their poster.

“Just start typing something out, and even if it’s not the best, it’s a start in the right direction.”

Chavis also stresses the importance of staying true to yourself as a writer and not writing according to the latest publishing trends or the most popular genres.

“When I started writing for myself and not for what I thought others would like, I began to actually enjoy writing and was able to write so much more,” Chavis said. “It’s so important to write about what actually interests you.”

Graphic by Elle Chavis

Photo by Amitha Nair

Senior Lucy Cao presents her poster at the symposium.

An inside look at admissions

Process for prospective students and families detailed

By Shreya Vijay| Assistant Features Editor

Senior H-Club Ambassador Meera Malhotra greets prospective families at the doors of Hoak Portico and escorts them on a tour of the campus. During this time, parents and students hear about the Hockaday experience and walk around to view the school’s facilities. This is just one part of the admissions process for prospective Hockadaisies.

Every year, Hockaday opens admissions for students to apply to grades PreKindergarten-Form III.

“We are looking for a child that shows motivation and displays the joy of learning,” said Cyndi Lewis, head of enrollment management.

Applications are divided into two parts. The first, due near the end of December, includes the application, application fee, birth certificate and parent statement. The second, due near the end of January, includes student essays, teacher recommendations, transcripts and interviews.

Applications are then submitted and sent to the admission committees for review. Decisions are emailed the second Friday in March. Families of alums, siblings and faculty members receive their decision that Thursday.

Committees consist of Lewis, the division director and division head. They also include adhoc members who rotate on and off the committee every two to three years. Each person reads the file independently and makes a decision for that student.

“We look at what the student is bringing to the table, which includes diversity, not only of ethnicity, but geographic diversity, and socioeconomic diversity,” Lewis said. “We’re looking at all of those different pieces.”

Admissions is going back to pre-pandemic practices as they host student-led tours, shadow visits and in-person events such as question panels and interviews. However, they do offer virtual accommodations as well.

Upper School students can become H-Club Ambassadors through an application process that is usually completed in May. H-Club is a way to interact with families by offering tours, being shadow buddies and answering questions at the admission student panels.

“As an H-Club Ambassador, I am supposed to answer questions and offer tours for prospective families,” Malhotra said. “I also help out with other admissions related processes, like making videos or packets for ambassador training.”

H-Club Ambassadors are expected to attend admission preview day, when families come in and ask questions about the school. This year’s preview

day was Oct. 23. Students who visit are mostly from the greater Dallas area and will not be able to apply for boarding, which is being phased out.

Katie Doherty, Admission Division Director for Upper School, said she still gets inquiries from families interested in boarding, but closing boarding will not affect admissions numbers.

“The number of actual accepted students is going to be the same; those seats reserved for boarders have been absorbed into the day population,” Doherty said.

Another change in the process is in how interviews are conducted. Group interviews are being held for Upper School applicants to assess how well they work together.

“They’re going to be doing an escape room activity,” Doherty said. “I think it may be a little bit less intimidating than a one-on-one.”

Through the admissions process, the department

is looking for well-rounded girls who would excel in the Hockaday community.

“Admission is just not admission, it’s not just recruitment, it’s retention,” Lewis said. “It’s really all-encompassing in that we really want to be mindful of the students that are here and what their experience is like.”

“

We are looking for a child that shows motivation and displays the joy of learning.”

—

Cyndi Lewis Head of Enrollment Management

Student ambassadors Dithyae Devesh, Eleanor Murchison and Anna Crook greet the families of prospective students.

Photo courtesy of Sara Stoltz

During the admissions preview, eighth graders offer a preview of their musical, “The Lion King Jr.,” for families of prospective students.

Photo courtesy of Sara Stoltz

HEARD THROUGH THE HOCKA

HALLS

Our favorite overheard quotes from the hallways

BOARD SPOTLIGHT

Athletics Board Fine Arts Board

By Elle Myers | Staff Writer

“If

- Evelyn

Form I

sushi restaurant all for one foot pic, I’d do it.”

- Maddy Grace Sporl, Form IV

“If I were a condiment, I feel like I would be relish.”

-Payton Arbaugh, Form IV

“I mentally relate with Sue Sylvester.”

- Lillian Castrillon, Form IV

The audience full of supportive parents, students and staff bursts into applause as the drill team finishes its last dance move, officially beginning Spirit Night.

The Athletic Board planned Spirit Night, composed of four home games, food trucks and activities. Junior Zoe Stone said the mission of the Athletic Board is to “bring spirit to the school and advocate for every sport.”

Stone said not every team feels it is given the same spotlight and hopes to address the issue by having more spirit nights to raise excitement and encourage more students to attend games.

Board Chair Carmen Duque-Diaz said she hopes to implement plans to further the athletic program and give athletes fun things to do. She said enjoys the crazy ideas for activities that board members bring up during meetings, such as setting up inflatable obstacle courses.

Working with Director of Athletics Deb Surgi, the Athletic Board also is in the process of creating a costume for an official Daisy mascot.

Coffeehouse typically has a theme. On Oct. 15, Hockaday hosted a Haunted House themed event in the amphitheater, partnering with Marcus Elementary School.

Board Chair Maia Hartley said the mission of the Fine Arts Board is “to promote and encourage other students to get involved in the fine arts and find what they really care about.”

Following the example of previous board chairs, Hartley said she wants to help students find their passions and support them in the process.

Hartley said she understands some students may not be able to come to events during the weekend and hopes to offset the problem by having more Lunch Boxes, events similar to Coffeehouse that happen during the school day.

Forensics frenzy

New course gives seniors opportunity to delve into crime scenes

By Juliana Blazek | Jade Editor

From testing fingerprints to examining the way blood splatters, students in the forensics class learn how to approach a crime scene as investigators. This is the first year Brittany Pendleton, Upper School science teacher, is teaching forensics class after it had been taught in previous years by another teacher.

At the beginning of the course, Pendleton asked her students to choose topics they would most like to study, which ended up being death investigation and behavioral science. Pendleton crafted her own curriculum for the class, including investigating both real and made-up crime cases, hands-on projects and virtual simulations.

“I like this class because it is not like anything I have ever taken before,” senior Phoebe Miller said. “It’s exciting to get to learn about real crime cases that happened and sort through the evidence they had.”

The first part of the forensics curriculum involves researching crimes for which individuals have been wrongly imprisoned or executed as a result of bad evidence. The students also review different types of evidence, which can involve strands of hair and fingerprints, and how to collect them.

“I really just wanted to point out the flaws in the justice system and show the students how good evidence can impact a case,” Pendleton said.

The next part of the curriculum involves hands-on projects for which students are given a crime scenario and placed in a scene where the evidence was found. Pendleton sets up the crime scene in the idea lab and uses fake blood to allow students to investigate with blood evidence.

“My favorite part of the class is when we get to actually see what evidence would look like first-hand,” senior Alexa Welch said. “I think it is so cool to experience what detectives would be looking for when arriving at a crime scene.”

Another hands-on lab students participate in is observing dead pigs and determining their cause of death based on injuries. Students also will research and present a cold case at the end of the semester, presenting evidence and reasoning for the outcome of the case.

“This class embodies what Hockaday science is about, which is being comfortable with uncertainty,” Pendleton said. “Many times, students won’t actually know who was guilty, but as humans, all we can try to do is observe the situation and use reasoning skills.”

Senior Lauren Roach investigates a simulated crime scene during forensics class.

The crowd laughs as the improv group performs a skit about the French Revolution at Coffeehouse. Planned by the Fine Arts Board, Coffeehouse gives Hockaday and St. Mark’s students a chance to showcase their talents.

Photos by Elle Myers

Students watch the drill team perform at Spirit Night.

Junior Ava Shipp performs at Coffeehouse.

“If I get my wisdom teeth removed, does that mean I’ll be stupid?”

- Viviana Armendariz, Form IV

“How are my little ducklings today?”

-Christine Sigurdsson

“I have an irrational fear of elbows.”

Yau,

it comes between Top Ramen and going out to a nice

Photo by Brittany Pendleton

For the love of students

At the front desk or in the dining hall, staff members offer support

By Anjy Fadairo | Staff Writer

Every Monday through Friday, as the sun gently climbs over the horizon, Jasmine Hill, Renequial Walker and Elsa Luna make their way to Hockaday to start their work days.

The school relies on staff members like these who work in services such as SAGE and campus security.

Walker, affectionately known as “Miss Nikki,” has been working here since October 2008.

When she arrives at school in the morning, Miss Nikki turns on numerous kitchen appliances, ensures students have a bucket to place used silverware and dives into her busy day.

“I make sure the Daisy Den has their snacks, their fruit,” Walker said. “I work on the line, I make the tea, I cut the fruit for the tea, I do the silverware, I make sandwiches for Lower School. I take care of all the special diet kids — the gluten-free or the ones who can’t have bread or wheat or milk. Those kids come to me and make sure they do what they’re supposed to do.”

Walker said she misses seeing the lower schoolers, who no longer eat in the dining hall, a practice started for safety reasons during the pandemic. During her 14 years here, she has gotten to know lower schoolers and followed them through graduation.

“I was so used to seeing them, and now I don’t get to see them,” Walker said. “They get their food over there in lower school, so it’s been two years now.”

Jasmine Hill, another SAGE worker, gets to work at 7 a.m., setting up the spa water, lemonade and the lunch line, and cleaning as needed.

Hill said arriving early gives her flexibility with her family schedule.

“It gives me time to work,” Hill said. “I have kids, so it balances out for me.”

Elsa Luna, who has been working at Hockaday for 17 years, greets all those who enter Hoak Portico. While at her desk, she spends her hours answering phone calls, communicating with security and responding to the door buzzers.

Like Walker, Luna said she would like more direct

interaction with the students.

“I’m not able to be as involved with the students as I would love to. Once I come this is my job,” Luna said, referring to her post at the reception desk. “Here.”

Hill said she came here because she loves kids.

“I like to work in the kitchen, but I love children, too,” Hill said, “and I like y’all’s faces — like on pasta days. Y’all love pasta.”

Luna said she loves the interaction her job provides.

“My favorite part about the job is interacting with people, the students, teachers, parents and visitors from all walks of life,” Luna said.

Walker also said she loves the students.

“I love you guys so much,” Walker said. “Y’all make my day. That’s why I love this job,” Walker said.

TheDAISY STEM

By Juliana

| Jade Editor

Of the 78,000 students who took the AP Computer Science A exam in May, junior Kimberly Zhang was one of 369 who received a perfect score.

Hockaday offers AP Computer Science as a senior year class, but Zhang took it upon herself to learn this information during her sophomore year, entirely on her own time.

Having an interest in computer science early on, Zhang took JavaScript courses at Khan Academy and enrolled in summer camps throughout middle school. Then, from winter break to the exam date, Zhang studied with College Board resources and prep books.

“I would quite literally marathon through all of the AP daily videos while on winter break,” Zhang said.

In addition to watching videos and taking notes, Zhang took practice exams from past years and graded her responses. She spent about an hour every day after school leading up to the exam doing different practice activities.

“I had previous experience with computer science throughout my life, but I still dedicated a lot of time to preparing for the exam by self-study,” Zhang said.

Zhang received her AP exam score of five in July, but College Board emailed her in mid-September, informing her of the perfect score.

Best Buddies breaks barriers Program matches students to buddies with learning disabilities

By Danya Risam-Chandi | Staff Writer

Junior Isabelle Hughes walks to the Best Buddies meeting point and raises her poster. It’s the beginning of a friendship that will impact both Hughes and her buddy.

During the Dallas Down Syndrome Guild’s Buddy Walk, students in the Best Buddies Social Impact Club met their new “buddies’’ for the upcoming school year.

Best Buddies' mission is different from other Hockaday Social Imact groups because it is a worldwide organization that aims to create opportunities for one-on-one friendships, integrated employment, leadership development and inclusive living for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

As members of Best Buddies, students are matched with a “buddy” with IDD, Intellectual or Developmental Disabilities, and spend time with them throughout the year in an environment that fosters inclusivity.

Hughes started the Hockaday chapter her freshman year after creating a lifelong friendship with a buddy she met at her previous school. Hughes also serves on the Best Buddies Texas Advisory Board and the

Best Buddies Young Leaders Council.

“I started Best Buddies at Hockaday because I made this really great friend through the program at my old school,” Hughes said. “Her name is Victoria and she’s 20 years old now. We still talk to this day with regular facetime calls.”

Hughes said Best Buddies aims to help students with IDD form friendships since they are usually excluded from social interactions and their conditions often make it difficult for them to form relationships easily.

Rachel Manley said she joined Best Buddies to give back to the disabled community.

“I have a brother with special needs, and I thought Best Buddies’ mission was really important, especially educating people in the Hockaday community since we don’t really see disabilities around here,” Manley said.

Hughes said Best Buddies is also a learning experience because oftentimes people with IDD need special attention and take longer to get used to.

“It’s really taught me to be adaptable and patient,”

Manley said. “You really have to get to know your buddy and see how their brain works and what they’re thinking. It takes a lot of time to go through that process with them. There’s also a lot of trial in just hanging out and having conversations with them. It just takes a little more effort than it would with a typical functioning person.”

Hughes said the events Best Buddies hosts make an impact on the buddies.

“Last year we had a Friendship Ball which was hosted by Highland Park High School,” Hughes said. "They basically made an event for all the buddies to get all dressed up, like their own version of prom.”

Hughes is involved in planning these events and understands people with IDD need special consideration to make sure they have fun, just as they do in personal one-on-one relationships.

“The most important thing we think about when planning events like these is making sure there is always something the buddies can engage with because sometimes people with intellectual or developmental disabilities don’t have very long attention spans,” Hughes said.

Manley remembers meeting her buddy for the first time in freshman year.

“I was wearing a blue shirt and he said ‘Whoa, you’re wearing a blue shirt and I’m wearing blue, too,’ and it was just an amazing moment where we connected over something so small,” Manley said.

Best Buddies tries to pair buddies up with the same people every year, so Manley said she can’t wait to see her buddy again at the Friendship Walk and make even more memories.

Each issue, The Fourcast highlights a student who has accomplished something in the STEM world or a special event that is STEM-related.

Blazek

Photos by Anjy Fadairo

At 6:30 or 7 a.m. Monday through Friday, Jasmine Hill, Renequial Walker and Elsa Luna (below), make their way into school to start their work day.

Photo courtesy of Isabelle Hughes Hughes and her buddy dance at the Friendship Ball.

Photo by Anjy Fadairo

Sports on the meadow

HypeWomen spark student spirit

Senior duo boosts appreciation for teams

By Ambyr Baker | Sports Editor

In Fall 2021, alumnae Landry Grover ’22 and Brooke Adams ’22 created the Hockaday HypeWomen, a social media duo promoting Upper School spirit for athletes. To continue the tradition, Grover and Adams chose seniors Ava Tribolet and Payton Arbaugh to be their successors for 2022-23.

Athletic Board Chair Carmen Duque-Diaz said there has been a noticeable difference since the HypeWomen were initiated. Because school administration does not permit teams to run their own Instagrams, the HypeWomen’s approved social media updates keep the student body informed.

“They add a fun connection to athletics that is student centered,” Diaz said.

Arbaugh said that spirit is especially important for the school’s morale. After handling the academic rigor of any week, students should make time for themselves to decompress and to have fun supporting their peers.

Arbaugh said she looked forward to this opportunity because she enjoys going to events and dressing in theme.

“One day, I got a text from Landry in all caps that said, ‘You have been chosen to be a Hockaday HypeWoman, do you accept?,” Arbaugh said. “I was so excited about this opportunity because I love spirit weeks and making myself look like a fool.”

Tribolet was inspired to join the group because she thinks athletics does not receive enough attention from Upper School students.

“I used to be on the Athletic Board through freshman and junior year, so I know from that experience the history of sports not getting enough representation,” Tribolet said. “I asked myself, ‘How can I be a part of helping Hockaday Athletics?’ and I decided that this will become my way of making change.”

Both Arbaugh and Tribolet draw a direct link between school spirit and athletic performance.

“If you look at last year’s results, it was our first time back since COVID, and we had insane school spirit,’’ Arbaugh said. “Students showed up to so many events to ‘protect the meadow,’ and the athletes, in turn, earned five SPC titles, a state title, and the Athletic Director’s cup, the most in school history.”

Hockaday HypeWomen takes a hands-on approach to rallying school support. Rather than simply going to general meetings about the schools’ athletics, Tribolet values how this role allows her to be in touch with each athletic team.

“I add every team’s schedule to my personal

calendar and I usually text them before or after games,” Tribolet said. “I ask them how it went and what they want to be posted, then they send me caption ideas, pictures and relevant terminology to use to help me create posts for the official Instagram.”

The HypeWomen work closely with the Athletic Board, Athletic Director Deb Surgi and even the Superfanmen from St. Mark’s. With the goal of involving as many people as possible with athletic events, both Tribolet and Arbaugh strategically plan their collaboration.

“One of the reasons Payton and I knew we were a good match-up was because she does a fall sport whereas I do a spring sport,” Tribolet said. “Right now, I can go to all of the games while she does most of the volleyball posting. But when lacrosse season starts for me, she will be able to attend things I cannot.”

Duque-Diaz said she appreciates how the HypeWomen bridge the gap between athletic administration and the students.

“The Athletic Board’s focus has a much wider range,” Duque-Diaz said. “The HypeWomen are a student-centered mission and focus on making all the sports feel seen.”

Photos courtesy of Ava Tribolet

Tribolet and Arbaugh pose with Athletic Director Deb Surgi before a varsity field hockey game.

Photos courtesy of Ava Tribolet, Kailey Bergstedt and Nancy Chen

Fencing her way to success

From roots as fencer to goals as captain, Victoria Li dominates the piste

By Zoya Haq | Jade Editor

En garde with saber in hand, Victoria Li stands strong on the piste, laserfocused on her opponent in front of her. Captain of the fencing team, Li has been a competitive fencer since middle school, dominating both state and national competitions.

“I started fencing in fifth grade, and I didn’t really like it at first; my dad kind of forced me into it,” Li said. “But I slowly began to like it, and then in seventh or eighth grade I started fencing competitively.”

Li said the intellectual side of fencing really drew her in and fostered her love for the sport.

“I really learned that fencing is like a physical game of chess,” Li said. “It’s very mentally grounded.”

Li practices four times a week for two hours a day at her out-of-school fencing club, on top of her practices with Hockaday fencing. Her dedication earned her top ranks at the USA Fencing National Championships and the Junior Olympic Championships.

However, her fencing career, while studded with

successes and triumphs, has not always been easy.

“It was a really hard journey with a lot of hardships,” Li said. “I’m really grateful, though.”

Li joined the Hockaday fencing team during her

Arbaugh achieves 1,000 digs

Senior volleyball captain sets new record

By Caroline Petrikas | Managing Editor

Smashing the previous school record, senior varsity volleyball captain and HypeWoman Payton Arbaugh celebrated her 1,000th dig on Sept. 7 during a home game against Trinity Christian Academy. Fans and teammates swarmed the court and surrounded Arbaugh as Coach Andy Gass and Coach Allison Camp presented her with a poster and crown.

Although Arbaugh had reached her 1,000th dig a few weeks prior, the coaches waited until the next home game to celebrate, catching her off guard.

“Since it had been a little while, I had no idea what was going on, so it was a really nice surprise,” Arbaugh said.

“A volleyball technique used to return an opposing “hit” and set up the offense, the dig has specific standards on when it can be counted, making it difficult for players to average many per game,” Arbaugh said. Because reaching 1,000 digs is so challenging, it had been a goal of Arbaugh’s since she was little, so it was a special

and surreal moment, she said.

“It was really cool to see all of my collective hard work from freshman year to now as a senior pay off,” Arbaugh said.

Arbaugh said she felt thankful to share the moment with the Hockaday community and attributed her success and gratitude to Gass and Camp.

“It’s really nice because Coach Camp and Coach Gass actually keep the stats from all four years, and they want to raise awareness about school and personal records,” Arbaugh said. “I love that I got to share another aspect of volleyball with the whole school.”

As one of the school’s two HypeWomen, Arbaugh is used to supporting other sports and celebrating them, so enjoyed getting to experience it herself.

“Having everybody congratulate and celebrate me really showed me how inclusive and uplifting Hockaday’s environment is,” Arbaugh said.

Arbaugh’s favorite part of the celebration were the

freshman year. She said the team has been a great support system for her throughout her time in high school.

“Hockaday fencing provides a very healthy community,” Li said. “I know that sometimes, sports are a lot more competitive and there can be toxicity, but for Hockaday fencing, I feel like everyone’s very just there to have a good time.”

Li’s commitment to the team earned her the title of captain this year. While leading the team, she is working to leave a legacy when she graduates.

“As a captain, I want to push for fencing SPC because it seems like one of the only sports that doesn’t have SPC,” Li said. “I’m working with administration with that, trying to lead by example.”

Overall, Li attributes her successes to the growth mindset that has guided her career.

“If you focus on the results, they actually don’t come to you,“ Li said.“If you focus on your daily work, it flows a lot better.”

“I loved getting to take it home and read all the sweet little notes the team had written for me,” Arbaugh said. “Especially with this being my last year with the team, it was so touching to see all of their kind messages.”

As the season progresses, Varsity Cross Country seems to get faster with every meet. Runners continue to set new personal records and the team saw impressive results at the Northzone meet. From that, the top 10 runners are training for the final Southern Preparatory Conference Championship Meet and will compete for a title.

“I always love to do the overnight meets because of the team bonding experience, and we get to compete against teams we don’t usually see,” captain Brie Johnson said.

The Varsity Fencing team’s season started strong with a record number of 40 students in the preseason tryouts. Since then, the team had a notable performance in the Hockaday Challenge Tournament and competed against students from local schools including Ursuline and Highland Park. The team looks forward to next year because Athletic Director Deb Surgi has found more tournaments for the group to compete in.

“We want more people to come to our events, so I hope there is more advocating for fencing in the future,” captain Victoria Li said.

The Field Hockey team’s chemistry and focus have improved throughout the season. The players’ stick skills continue to improve, and they saw some impressive results against top rival, ESD. The team celebrated its senior players Oct. 20.

“I loved senior night because it was an amazing team bonding experience. Especially since this is my last year playing field hockey, it was a great way to create a lasting memory with the team,” captain Lauren Roach said.

CAPTAINS’ CORNER

Photo courtesy of Victoria Li

Photo courtesy of Payton Arbaugh

Arbaugh celebrates with a poster her teammates made for her. handwritten notes from the team and coaches on a poster they presented her.

Li competes in national fencing tournament.

on the Sportsmeadow

Mascot madness

Athletic Board, staff look to grow school spirit with a

By Anjy Fadairo | Staff Writer

Protect!

The Meadow!

Protect! The Meadow!

Hockaday athletics has almost everything — loud, dedicated fans, encouraging coaches, fabulous athletes, official HypeWomen to rally spirit and post on Instagram.

However, the athletic inventory is missing one particular item – an official mascot.

Not for long, though. The athletic board and staff are in the process of bringing a Daisy mascot to the school.

The history

The process of finding a physical Daisy mascot has been years in the making. In fact, Deb Surgi, director of athletics, said the seeds of the search were planted about three years ago with Margaret Woodberry ’20, the Athletic Board Chair.

“The athletic boards were really involved in raising the level of spirit and trying to move the community to embrace the Daisy,” Surgi said. “Hence, ‘Protect the meadow!’ and the botanical approach to being a Daisy.”

The demand

Senior varsity volleyball player and HypeWoman Payton Arbaugh said the school has long needed a mascot.

“People are able to sometimes dress up like a Daisy, but now, we’ll finally have a mascot, which is so important for school morale,” Arbaugh said.

Surgi said the amount of school spirit the student body had during the 2021-22 school year especially brought the process of acquiring a mascot to fruition.

“Last year, the students were so spirited, and we said, we need a true mascot,” Surgi said.

The process

Sophomore Athletic Board member Mae Flanagan said after Surgi found the mascot company that would create the Daisy, board members found inspiration from sources such as the internet and other schools’ mascots.

Because of how uncommon a plant –specifically a floral – mascot is, the athletic board and directors concentrated on aspects of the mascot that many other mascots already possess, such as the face and limbs.

“We took inspiration from the internet and other mascots and then drew some designs with attention to detail,” Flanagan said. “We had to focus a lot on the face.”

Surgi said one challenge of crafting the mascot’s face was ensuring it made the Daisy suitable for different spaces.

“How do you get the eyes right, the eyebrows, the look, the face, fierce enough to be an athletic mascot, welcoming enough to be at Lower School carpool?” Surgi said. “It is in the nuance of the design where the sweet spot of spirit lies.”

Senior lacrosse player and HypeWoman Ava Tribolet served on the board that initiated the mascot development process. She said the board had to, for example, figure out whether the Daisy had arms or leaves.

“It’s not a conventional object to put a human inside of,” Tribolet said. “We had to really get creative with it.”

Seeking inspiration

Surgi said she heavily focused on the UC Santa Cruz banana slug as inspiration because of its similar novelty.

“If you’re designing a shark or hawk, even a camel, or an eagle, they already

have a face,” Surgi said. “They already have features that you have to create in a Daisy.”

On the other hand, Flanagan regards Stanford University’s Tree mascot as especially spirited.

“The Tree is just really funny; everyone laughs at it,” Flanagan said.“Mascots bring a lot of spirit.”

A well-timed coincidence

While there is not yet a definitive completion date for the Daisy mascot project, it may be finished in the spring – a few months before Phase One of the Health and Wellness plan, the athletic facility construction, concludes.

For Hockaday, forever

Flanagan said the mascot will allow the Hockaday community to build upon what’s already a strong athletic community and tight-knit family.

“I think it’ll bring everyone closer together and give people a reason to come support their friends and classmates,” Flanagan said.

Tribolet said the idea of having the mascot at One Hockaday pep rallies and home events excites her.

Arbaugh, whose father once dressed up as a Daisy for an SPC championship, said a mascot is a fun and easy way to boost school spirit.

“No one actually ended up seeing this because it was in Houston, but it was so fun,” Arbaugh said. “It’s a really easy way to have a lot of energy.”

Mascots are a point of pride, Surgi said. “It’s what represents us, and speaks to the deeper meaning behind who we are as a community and an athletic community.”

ALUMNAE IN ATHLETICS

Daisy

Soccer superstar kicks off season

Alumna Leena Mehendale bonds with teammates as MIT player

By Hanna Asmerom| Web Editor

After completing her high school career, college freshman Leena Mehendale began adjusting to her new life as a student-athlete at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.

Mehendale graduated from Hockaday in 2022 and participated in varsity cross country, varsity soccer and varsity track and field, serving as captain of those sports her senior year. She won seven coaches and Most Valuable Player awards as well as two Southern Preparatory Conference championships.

She co-chaired the Nonprofit Fashion Show committee and was the editor of Vibrato. She completed hundreds of hours of community service and won the Founder’s Day award. She had a lot on her plate during her time at Hockaday and she reflects on how that has helped her in college.

“Throughout my high school career, I was able to cement my study habits and I have already applied them to school now,” Mehendale said.

Mehendale is majoring in Biological

Engineering and minoring in Spanish. With the rigor that comes at MIT, she learned to be ultra-productive with her time. Athletically, Mehendale noted the differences between high school and college sports. Because of the COVID-19 pandemic, older players received extra years of eligibility, so Mehendale and her team play against 18- to 24-year-olds.

“College is definitely a step up in terms of physicality,” Mehendale said.

“The girls are just so much bigger than the girls we played in high school.”

To start off her busy day filled with school and sports, Mehendale has breakfast with her women’s soccer

training, a lift and a team dinner.

“My day is very team-oriented, which I love,” Mehendale said.

Soccer has quickly become a “safe space” in her busy school schedule and a break from the demanding academic scene at MIT.

“Because of all of the work I have to do, it can be hard to step away, but soccer forces me to take a break and balance my time,” Mehendale said.

Despite the hectic environment, Mehendale loves the experience of bonding with her teammates on and off the field.

“My teammates have quickly become some of my very best friends,” Mehendale said. “It is very fun to go to class, live and train together.”

teammates. Then, she attends classes in the middle of the day and meets back up with her team in the evening for

Leena Mehendale ’22 defends a competitor from Brandeis. MIT won the Sept. 1 season opener 2-1.

Photo courtesy of Leena Mehendale

Photo by Anjy Fadairo

“ Because of all of the work I have to do, it can be hard to step away, but soccer forces me to take a break and balance my time.”

— Leena Mehendale ’22

DixeyPiper Auer sports a makeshift Daisy mascot costume to rally spirit. The Athletics Board and department are working toward acquiring an official mascot costume.

Student first, athlete second?

Priorities of student-athletes switch weekly

By Elizabeth Truelove | Staff Writer

Shuffling through miscellaneous worksheets, oversized textbooks and a concerning number of folders, I finally find my half-crumpled pink sheet and thrust it onto my advisor’s desk with the words, “Yes, I am missing school for rowing again.” The complex process of what to do when a student-athlete misses school has begun.

The pink sheet travels from class to class, slowly accumulating hours of homework and makeup assessments in its comments section. Taunting me with upcoming deadlines, my newly updated calendar illustrates the seemingly impossible schedule that missing school creates for athletes. In that moment, the stress hits me and I realize the magnitude of the work ahead of me, all while my coach just requested to add an extra practice this week.

This situation is common for student-athletes throughout their high school careers. No matter the amount of planning in advance or meeting with teachers, I feel as a student-athlete that I must choose which takes precedence over the other. Determining which Cornerstone to prioritize each week, Scholarship or Athletics,

should not be a choice athletes have to make.

I feel like student athletes are expected to succeed athletically while also attempting to maintain the perfect GPA, prepare for standardized tests, take part in social impact activities and create time for friends and family. The only thing that could make their lives more stressful is the misconception that all of these obligations should be completed with perfection and urgency, every day.

This “Hockaperfect” culture has surrounded students, particularly studentathletes, ever since they have walked our halls. I remember the overwhelming anxiety of every seventh-grade girl praying to make the plaid team and the immediate sense of superiority she received by making a middle school basketball team. Taking the academically competitive nature into sports can create a hostile community that provides an unhealthy relationship for students with their sport. I love healthy competition, the rush of adrenaline one receives after winning a race and the satisfaction of working out. Yet the cons of participating in a competitive sport can definitely outweigh the pros when that pink

Elizabeth Truelove Staff Writer

sheet slowly fills up with stress and rescheduled assignments.

To lighten this amount of stress, studentathletes, teachers and students should be reminded of why we take on the busy schedules and late nights. Experiencing the “aha” moments in class, receiving the grade I worked for relentlessly and having that practice where everything clicks — those are the moments I find myself thinking, “Everything was definitely worth it.”

So, as I sprint to Mr. Innerarity’s office to turn in my pink sheet late, dodge the disapproving looks on my captain’s face and head straight back to cramming before a Spanish quiz, my head is focused rather than frantic. I recognize the hardships in balancing Scholarship with Athletics, but I would not trade my ability to progress in both of the rigorous Cornerstones for the world.

Why menstrual equity matters

Goingto an all girls school, I barely think twice about having free menstrual products available to me every day. Periods are a part of life, and therefore it shouldn’t be difficult to find necessary items for free, right?

But this is certainly not the case in most of the United States. The government categorizes menstrual products as “luxury” items, taxing them to the same extent as items like decor, electronics, makeup and toys.

Products that allow us to satisfy basic needs should be available as the bare minimum of care from our government. According to the Global Health Reports, 800 million people in the world menstruate, making period products a basic necessity for over 25% of the population.

Food stamps and government subsidies under the women, infants and children program help provide access to groceries , but somehow do not cover menstrual products.

According to Harvard Health Publishing, in the United States, 22 million people who menstruate live in poverty and do not have adequate access to period products – an issue known as “period poverty.” According to a study

done in Obstetrics and Gynecology, 21% of people who menstruate are unable to afford these products every month. Lack of access to hygienic products heightens the growing poverty crisis in our country.

People with heavy flows cannot afford to change their products when it is necessary due to the financial challenge that comes with having to buy more pads or tampons than the average menstruating person. They might also try to extend the life of their products, which could put them in a life-threatening situation because they are at a greater risk for developing toxic shock syndrome.

To solve this problem, we need to start by removing the stigma surrounding periods altogether. If people begin to view period products as a necessity, just like food, lawmakers

easier for people all over the country to

Bush Arts & Life Editor

The movement to make menstrual products more accessible has already begun, but we still have a long way to go. Dallas ISD already offers free period products in all of its schools. Last summer, Austin ISD followed in its footsteps to provide the same services. The district spent about $85 thousand on the dispensers and $70 thousand on the first batch of products.

Moreover, a unanimous decision in Scotland made all period products free. Scotland sets an example for lawmakers in the United States, laying out the framework for us to see that period equity truly is possible if we bring awareness to the issue.

Caroline

Period products should be free for everyone — period

Graphics by Diya Hegde

“

I feel like student athletes are expected to succeed athletically while also attempting to maintain the perfect GPA, prepare for standardized tests, partake in social impact and create time for friends and family.”

STAFF STANDOFF: PARTNERSHIP WITH ST. MARK’S

Combine for collaboration

By Jane Clark | Editor-in-Chief

The benefits of Hockaday and St. Mark’s becoming official brother and sister schools outweigh the complications. The advantages would include school dance corroboration, joint classes, maximized social impact and more athletic fan participation. Every year, students at both schools fret about dances. Homecoming and Winter Formal cause stress because the schools do not invite each other’s student bodies to the dances, so students are unable to go without a date from the host school. Becoming official partner schools could lead to inviting all of each other’s Upper School students to the dances. People could still go with dates, but wouldn’t be required to.

Second, I recently spoke to some alumnae from Hockaday who used to take classes at St. Mark’s when they were in high school and loved the experience getting to know some of the guys there in an academic setting. I like the idea of combining from time to time for classes because having a more diverse gender representation in class discussion can open up new perspectives. It might even help both student populations with social skills they might lack before going to college.

PRO JANE CLARK STAFF STANDOFF

Third, the impact the schools could make in the community would be monumental if more of the efforts were combined. Social impact is one of our priorities and inviting St. Mark’s boys to more of these opportunities could be beneficial. One example is when I have gone to Gooch Elementary to tutor. Sometimes I have had trouble relating to the elementary age boys in the classes, and they do not respond as well to me as they might to a boy who is older and can talk to them about more things they might have in common.

Lastly, I believe becoming official partners would bring a larger sports audience to both St. Mark’s and Hockaday games. Although the student section is usually packed at the St. Mark’s football games, I rarely see the Marksmen on Hockaday’s campus supporting the girls. Although the process of becoming offical sister/brother schools would take time, I think it would be mutually beneficial and a fun way for the students to get to know each other better, as well. I hope with time Hockaday and St. Mark’s will progress toward combining their efforts more often.

DAISIES’ TAKES

- Sophie Karthik ‘25

Leave Lions to themselves

By Shreya Vijay | Staff Writer

I cannot help but wonder if the Hockaday experience would be elevated if we were not informally affiliated as “sibling schools” with St. Mark’s, and I see no reason to formalize the relationship.

The schools have separate agendas — it is a different experience being in an all-girls school as opposed to being in an all-boys school. I do not think we need to be affiliated with them, especially when we are doing more than fine on our own.

I am in no way saying you should not interact with the St. Mark’s boys, and this is not intended to cause negative feelings toward them. I am merely pointing out why there is no need for us to be formally associated.

To begin with, I applied to Hockaday with the sole purpose of having the all-girls experience. Being affiliated with the boys veers away from what this school was founded on.

What makes this school so amazing is the fact that we have a community of girls with whom

we go through the first steps of life together. I believe more interaction with St. Mark’s would cause our “sisterhood” to deteriorate.

Additionally, I do not see why we need to have more social impact activities or classes together. Hockaday has a great, challenging curriculum already, and we do not need to add St. Mark’s students to our already lively classrooms.

Each school has its unique goals. The Cornerstones and our school’s values are not the same as St. Marks’ values. It would not make sense for us to be grouped together despite having different ways of experiencing school. I am not discouraging interaction with St. Mark’s; I am merely saying there is no need for us to be “sibling schools.” While some may attach importance to the tradition of considering St. Mark’s our “brother school,” that tradition is not sufficient reason strengthen the affiliation.

- Mary Grace Martin ’23

’25

“Lululemon is mid.”

“Straight mayo is good.”

“All food is better when not mixed. Why ruin two perfectly good foods by combining them? Chicken and waffles is a crime.”

- Eva Spak ’24

HOT“I never get ice in my Starbucks drink because it waters it down.”

- Maddy Grace Sporl ‘23

“‘Grease’ was a bad movie. Sandy gave up her entire personality at the end just so a guy would like her more.”

- Dani Perez

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Jane Clark & Melody Hu

Caroline Petrikas

JADE EDITORS

Juliana

Hanna Asmerom

Melody Tian

Caroline Bush & Bennet Trubey

Harper Harris SPORTS EDITOR

Ambyr Baker

Aadya Kuruvalli

PHOTO, GRAPHICS & CASTOFF EDITOR

Kailey Bergstedt

STAFF WRITERS

Anjy Fadairo

Elle Myers

Alexa Munoz

Amitha Nair

Danya Risam-Chandi

Elizabeth Truelove

Shreya Vijay

FACULTY ADVISER

Julia Copeland

EDITORIAL POLICY

The Fourcast is written primarily for students of the Hockaday Upper School, its faculty and staff. The Fourcast has a press run of 1,500 and is printed by Greater Dallas Press. It is distributed free of charge to the Hockaday community. The staff reserves the right to refuse any advertising which is deemed inappropriate for the Hockaday community. Opinions will be clearly marked and/or will appear in the views section. Commentaries are the expressed opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect that of The Fourcast staff, its adviser or any other member of the Hockaday community. The Staff Stance on the views page reflects the position of The Fourcast staff, but not necessarily the position of the Hockaday administration or community.

The Fourcast staff determines the content of each issue and strives to work as independently as possible in producing the student newspaper, 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 editor-in-chief. Only signed pieces will be published. Corrections and clarifications from previous issues will be found as designated in the news section. Any questions or concerns should be addressed to Editors-in-Chief Jane Clark at jclark23@hockaday.org or Melody Hu at mhu23@hockaday.org.

STAFF EDITORIAL

Practicing transparency

Leadership strengthens connections with students

With a new leader and school year, administration has made more of an effort to create a welcoming and open atmosphere for students. While students complained of feeling “out of the loop” in recent years, this fall has been different because administrators have become more receptive to students’ concerns.

We commend the efforts of Interim Head of School Dr. Laura Leathers, Head of Communications Sara Stoltz and Form Deans Dr. Emily Bemenderfer and Jordan Innerarity to create a better relationship between students and the administration. Their openness to students’ thoughts and ideas about the school further strengthens students’ trust in administration to ensure our education and well-being are the priority of this school.

We frequently see Leathers walking the halls, giving students a chance to talk to her and allowing her to learn our names and stories. As a chemistry teacher and mom of a senior, Leathers has a strong connection to the student body because she sees students often and knows the girls personally through her multiple roles at the school.

She also started her own Instagram account (@hockaday_headofschool), posting academic and athletic accomplishments of all Daisies to show her pride in the school and its students.

Stoltz also is often spotted around campus, taking pictures and talking to students. She runs the Hockaday Instagram and is very active on that account to share how proud the school is of its students.

Form Deans Bemenderfer and Innerarity connect with the students regularly and are always willing to talk about anything a student is struggling with. Even though they are the rule-makers and enforcers, they are transparent about why these rules are in place and why a student may have received an infraction.

Both are advisors, making it easier for them to create bonds with students and understand the stress and issues students experience.

In past years, some members of administration have been disconnected from the student body and not as integrated into the day-to-day life of Upper School. With COVID, it is

understandable that their jobs might have been harder, making it difficult to click with the student body, but administrators need to continue to make it a priority to connect with students.

We are hopeful the administration keeps up this transparency and continues to create bonds with all students, making it clear that our education is their No. 1 priority.

We love it, We love it not

FALL SPC

THANKSGIVING BREAK

Students are counting down the days until Thanksgiving Break. The long-anticipated week off will give students a break to spend time with family and friends without worrying about deadlines.

NOV. 1 DEADLINE

For seniors, fall means one thing: college applications. Though daunting, the Early Decision and Early Action deadline means one less hurdle as they embark on their futures.

Athletes look forward to seeing their hard work pay off at the SPC competition this weekend. Sadly, however, since the competition is in Houston, there will be fewer fans attending.

LUNCH LINES

Students have been stuck in lunch lines, giving them less time to eat. While administration has tried to fix the problem with staggered times per form, the lines are still long, especially after assemblies.

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

Graphic by Emily McShane

Nightmare on Welch Road

By Kailey Bergstedt Castoff Editor

Photos by Jane Clark, Caroline Bush

Katelyn Nguyen

Savannah Frederiksen

Emily Lofus

Aubrey Burns

Lauren Roach & Brie Johnson

Grace Hoverman & Miranda Jeferds

Kate Stevenson & Emily Lofus

Phoebe Miller

Josie Agnew

Maddie Muller

Ava Tribolet & Alexa Welch

Juliana Blazek, Brie Johnson, Sarah Connolly