The Fourcast, September 2022

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THE RIGHT PERSON FOR THE RIGHT TIME

UT SOUTHWESTERN SUMMER STARS

Seniors Juliana Blazek, Emily Santos and Miranda Jefferds talk summer research at UT Southwestern.

15

Emphasizing Empathy

ATHLETE SPOTLIGHT: ASHNA TAMBE

Junior Ashna Tambe wins the Super 64 National

and continues to play

on the varsity team.

page 12-13 to

out more about Social Impact classes and programs

The right person for the right time

Head of School search launches with total community involvement

By Melody Hu and Jane Clark | Editors-in-Chief

The search is on for a new Eugene McDermott Head of School to replace Dr. Karen Warren Coleman who stepped down in June 2022. The search is engaging Hockaday to gather intel on who will be the best fit to lead the school.

The Head of School search has four phases: discovery, recruitment, interviews and transitioning. Education search firm RG175 is currently spearheading the discovery phase.

“They (RG175) are connected to a lot of phenomenal professionals,” said Mandy Ginsberg ’88, chair of the Head of School Search Committee. “It’s not just sort of posting a job and having people come in, but it’s reaching out to really great talent.”

RG175 has been getting to know the school, learning and understanding what Hockaday is like and talking to many constituents. The firm also is taking into account information from an all school, all community survey that went out Sept. 18.

“We really want to make sure with the survey that we have the opportunity for a variety of inputs from each of the different groups and that will really determine the best set of skills is for the future leader,” said Nicole Small ’91, Board of Trustees chair.

Once discovery is complete, recruitment will begin. The final candidates will face a rigorous interview process. After a candidate is hired, the transition will follow to set up the next Head of School for success.

Ginsberg chosen for leadership skills

The selection of Ginsberg as Chair of the search committee was also a purposeful step in this process.

“We wanted to identify someone who was an alum who deeply cared about the school, who had demonstrated leadership and hiring expertise,” Small said. “Mandy cares passionately about the school – she even happened to be our graduation speaker last year – and she was kind enough to agree to take on this leadership position on behalf of the school and our community.”

The Board of Trustees approved the committee with the goal of representing a breadth of experience inside the Hockaday community. Included in the group is a lifetime trustee; other trustees or ex-trustees; people spanning different generations; Lower, Middle and Upper School parents; and alumnae.

Faculty representation was heavily reevaluated this year; Ginsberg said faculty members need to feel they are heard in the process because in the past there has been one faculty member from one division of the school.

“We thought this was a great year to really show commitment to the faculty and to have representatives from Lower

School, Middle School and Upper School,” Ginsberg said.

The committee turns over its work to the Board of Trustees to digest the information and ultimately vote on the decision. The board members on the committee also will be involved in conducting interviews.

Being Hockaday alumnae themselves, Ginsberg and Small said they have priorities when it comes to the Head of School as well. Small said she wants somebody passionate about the community and about girls’ education who is going to be excited and engaged in innovative curriculum.

“I think the thing that Hockaday does so well is create future leaders who are going to go out and change the world that we’re all living in,” Small said, “and so I’m excited about having somebody join the team that can help lead our girls into this next generation, especially because Hockaday is producing such amazing young women who are game changing in so many different industries.”

Ginsberg added the school gave her a leg up and level of confidence and that she wouldn’t be where she is today without Hockaday. She said her priority is making sure the school educates and provides confidence and the platform for girls to be able to achieve whatever they want.

“I hope that over the next 10, 20, 50 years, we’ll continue to see girls go out into the world from Hockaday and have a leader who can provide them with support and empowerment,” Ginsberg said.

Some things worth considering when it comes to selecting a new leader for Hockaday are the number of people and challenges they will encounter as soon as they begin.

“You’ve got alumnae, you’ve got students, you’ve got faculty, you’ve got fundraising, you’ve got to manage the

school,” Ginsberg said. “Experience is key and so we will definitely look for people that have had great experience in independent schools and we think that’s going to be a big asset.”

The committee is working on a flexible timeline to allow for careful consideration of the new Head of School, but the community will continually be updated on progress through emails and the website.

“We’re going to find the right person for the right time,” Small said.

Interim Head of School assumes new position

As the search progresses, Dr. Laura Leathers has taken the position of interim Eugene

McDermott Head of School.

When the position opened, the Board of Trustees asked Leathers to be the interim Head of School because she was originally the Assistant Head of School.

“I love the school,” Leathers said. “It was an easy decision for me to be able to provide our faculty and staff with some continuity and hopefully keep things moving in a forward direction for this year.”

As the Interim Head of School, Leathers said some of her main goals are getting the school back into rhythm post-COVID, increasing communication with the Hockaday community and executing the strategic plan. She also is focused on creating connections throughout the school so everyone feels like they belong.

“We want everyone to feel connected to the school and like they have the

information that they need to be a part of the larger school community,” Leathers said.

Another focus for Leathers are courses and curriculum. Leathers works with faculty to design an education that starts with looking at the type of students they want to graduate from Hockaday. From there, they work backward to design the education that will get them there.

Leathers said those design decisions come from the leadership team, division heads and all of those who work in the different departments of the school.

“But what directions do we want to move in?” she said “A lot of that comes from the Hockaday Difference strategic plan that is refreshed periodically and talks about our vision as a school.”

Dr. Leathers’ schedule looks different every day, but typically consists of a combination of meetings, events and classes. Leathers meets with faculty and staff, the Board of Trustees and students throughout the day. Every other day, she also teaches a section of Environmental Chemistry in collaboration with Dr. Barbara Fishel. After school, she attends athletic events to support students.

One of her favorite parts of the position is interacting with students and having them stop in to her office during the day. Additionally, being a Hockaday parent, teaching a Hockaday class and having lunch with senior advisories gives Leathers feedback and insight into the community as well as its opinions.

“It’s great for me to hear what our students are excited about and what they’re nervous about and what’s causing them stress,” Leathers said.

As the search for the Head of School continues, Leathers will continue to serve as the Interim and will also put her name in as a candidate for the permanent position.

Photo by Sally Hudspeth

Nicole Small ’91, Board of Trustees Chair, and Mandy Ginsberg ’88, Search Committee Chair, at 2022 commencement.

New regulations

Push for ‘normal’ school year leads to changes

By Danya Risam-Chandi | Staff Writer

With the beginning of a normal school year post COVID-19, pre-COVID Upper School regulations returned with the addition of a few new ones.

During retreat week, Head of Upper School Lisa Culbertson ’96 announced teachers and deans would be enforcing uniform guidelines more strictly this year.

Sophomore Rayna Li said her advisor recommended she get new socks, as the ones she had on were ankle-baring and not in accordance with the handbook. She noted how it had never been an issue before and was surprised by the notice.

English teacher Mira Cranfill said the uniform is integral to the school because it was part of the four Cornerstones the school was founded on.

“There’s an expectation in each of the four Cornerstones,” Cranfill said.

“Character has to do with how we present ourselves as well as how we behave to others and put effort into our appearance. I could see how Ela Hockaday would think that was important.”

Sophomore Emily Yu said when regulations are enforced more strictly, they add stress to her life.

“I don’t think uniforms are an important part of the school,” Yu said. “Personally, I think Ela Hockaday wanted to create an environment in which girls could thrive in their education and overcome the boundaries of society.”

Culbertson said during COVID, the faculty and administration let uniforms and old priorities slide in the face of large changes. Now that things are back to normal, she said it’s time to remember we are a school with a uniform policy in place.

“Uniforms also have the benefit of adding a level of professionalism,” Culbertson said.

Another change this year was lunch being cut down by 15 minutes. Both students and faculty agree it’s been a difficult transition; however, things are looking up.

Cranfill recalled during the first few days of the school year she would watch the student lunch line anxiously, wondering if the girls at the end would get

to eat. She said as the days passed, the line began to look more manageable and she was less worried.

Culbertson attributed the shorter lunch lines both to the new staggered times, as well as to SAGE.

“SAGE has really been an excellent partner and they are allowing us to come in a few minutes earlier, as well as quickening up their turnover time,’’ she said.

Culbertson also said she makes sure she is the last person in line for lunch, so she knows how much time people have to eat. She said for the time being, people have ample time.

Culbertson said the time was taken out of lunch because ending the school day at 4:15 p.m., like Upper School did last year, pushed teachers and students into rush hour traffic and made practicing sports during the winter unsafe and impractical due

Another change for the school year and one that also impacts student athletes is a new approach to requesting an extension.

NEWS SNIPPETS

Dress Style Show

Seniors got a first look at their graduation dress options during the Dress Style Show Sept. 15. The show, held in Clements, was exclusively for seniors.

Writing Center course

Serving as a segue and companion to the Writing Center Internships, the new Writing Center course is intertwined with social impact and requires one hour of social impact service per rotation.

Students must now fill out a green sheet to receive an extension on assignments. This applies to extensions needed after multiple tests on the same day, missed assessments due to sports and work missed for an excused absence. This sheet requires an advisor’s signature and must be filled out one rotation prior to the due date of the assignment. Last year’s protocol was simply to email the teacher citing an explanation for the extension and copying the advisor.

At the Student Council assembly Sept. 19, three students from each form represented their classmates in a game of Jeopardy led by STUCO President Libby Warren.

Art by Ava Shipp

“The green sheets help start a thoughtful conversation with your advisor and teacher about whether your assignment, test, quiz, whatever it may be is really worth pushing,” Jordan Innerarity, Upper School dean, said.

“I think the green sheets will help both teachers and students keep track of their time more,” Li said. “It also helps teachers understand how to help you most efficiently.”

“Green sheets help students develop the habit of being on time,” Cranfill said. “That may not be a skill like embedding a quotation or analyzing a poem, but it does help you as a scholar and student.”

NEW ON WELCH

A look at what’s happening on campus

StuCo Assembly Club Fair

Affinity Groups, Social Impact clubs and Special Interest clubs participated in a club fair during conference and Y period on Sept. 21. Leaders from each club advocated for their organizations by showing off their posters to Upper School students in Metzger Plaza.

New clubs

Construction

A sight that many students didn’t see until coming back to Welch after summer break is the construction site.

This initial phase of the Athletics and Wellness Plan is estimated to be complete in fall of 2023.

Sophomores Anika Kapoor and Mae Flanagan recruit for the Squash Club during the club fair, hoping to meet membership requirements to make the club official.

Life pre-Roe returns

Students reflect on Supreme Court ruling on abortion rights

By Caroline Bush | Arts and Life Editor

The

sun blares down on the steps of the Marble Palace as protestors gather, chanting the words “my body, my choice.”

In the middle of summer, something came that abortion-rights advocates feared yet anticipated: the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

On June 24, the Supreme Court’s opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization became law. While Americans saw this coming after the draft of the opinion was leaked on May 4, the reversal of the landmark case for abortion rights immediately spread all over social media and the news.

The decision ended with a five-tofour majority in the right-leaning court despite 61% of Americans believing abortion should be legal in all or most cases, according to Pew Research Center.

However, the ruling did not lead to a complete ban on abortion. Instead, it removed existing protections of abortion rights that kept certain states from implementing trigger laws.

Trigger laws are laws that cannot be enforced until a certain change has taken place.

“In this case, if the Supreme Court overturns the decision in Roe vs. Wade, it automatically puts in place these restrictions on accessing abortions,” government teacher Kristen Blevins said.

Texas is one of 13 states with a trigger law on abortion. The law went into effect Aug. 25 and criminalizes all abortions from the moment of fertilization except in cases of “a life-threatening physical condition aggravated by, caused by or arising from a pregnancy,” according to the state statute.

Violators of the law could seek a civil penalty ranging anywhere from a $100 thousand fine to life in prison.

This law differs from SB8 – which put restrictions on abortion in Texas before the Dobbs ruling – in that it targets the abortion provider rather than those seeking abortions.

For Texas Republicans, the ruling comes as a long-sought victory in their fight to criminalize abortion. Conservative lawmakers in the state put trigger laws in place in hopes this day would arrive.

Junior Hayden Marchant, who considers herself pro-life, said she was pleasantly surprised by the ruling. She said she believes society should focus more on sex education to prevent pregnancies that are not in the case of incest or rape.

“We wouldn’t have to deal with

these difficult debates if we were more diligent with preventing the pregnancies in the first place,” Marchant said.

However, for those who have worked to expand abortion access in the country, the law comes as a major setback to progress made over the past half-century.

Protests and celebrations took place around the nation as the news broke following the fights for and against abortion rights.

Freshman Melinda Hu was in a hotel room in Pennsylvania with her dad when she heard the result of the ruling. Later that day, they decided to drive to the Supreme Court to join the hundreds of protestors gathering there.

“The whole place was blocked off, and there were so many policemen, but the protest overall was super peaceful,” Hu said.

She said she was aware of the leak before the ruling was officially announced but did not think it would actually happen. She considers herself pro-choice and said she worries about those who lack resources necessary to

receive abortion care.

The closest abortion provider to Dallas is located 313 miles away in Wichita, Kansas. This means taking a trip requiring time and money some residents of the city cannot afford.

Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas argued in the initial opinion that the court should reconsider past rulings on topics such as access to contraception. The ruling on contraception access was made in the case Griswold vs. Connecticut on the basis of the right to privacy.

Blevins said the right to privacy creates a gray area since it is not explicitly stated in the constitution but is implied.

“I think people fear that if there’s not the right to privacy in abortion care, things like contraception and same-sex marriage are at risk,” Blevins said.

Pro-choice members of younger generations are taking action to fight for what they believe is right. Senior Josie Agnew has protested in support of abortion rights in the past, and as a result of the ruling, she applied to be on the Planned Parenthood Teen Board.

The board centers around sex education and spreading sexual health awareness to teenagers.

“I wanted to be as involved as I could, and it was the best way for me to have a hands-on experience,” Agnew said.

Currently, Texas is one of 10 states with the highest teen pregnancy rates. It is also one of five without a mandate on sex education.

“To me, the decision is outdated,” Agnew said. “I feel like it’s definitely time for reform and change in this country.”

‘

I think people fear that if there’s not the right to privacy in abortion care, things like contraception and same-sex marriage are at risk.”

Kristen Blevins Government teacher

Photo provided by Melinda Hu

Protesters gather in front of the Supreme Court after the overturn of Roe v. Wade.

Classes study implications

Classified government documents recovered from Trump’s Florida resort

By Aadya Kuruvalli | Views/Cover/Centerspread Editor

Followingthe FBI’s raid on former President Donald Trump’s Florida home, AP U.S. History classes have discussed the repercussions for the country. As they practiced AP themes at the beginning of the year, juniors in Aisha Ashraf’s class analyzed the issues surrounding the Aug. 8 raid.

A search warrant for Mar-a-Lago was issued as part of an investigation into the removal of classified presidential documents from the White House.

One of the main points of contention for the students was how the records stored at Mar-a-Lago could impact America’s relations with other countries. The Washington Post reported that, according to the FBI, former President Donald Trump may have been holding the nuclear secrets of a foreign nation.

The National Archives confirmed at least 15 boxes of confidential presidential information were recovered from Mar-a-Lago. Removing classified information from its proper place is a federal crime. The Insider’s legal experts reported Trump could face up to 33 years in prison.

The Department of Justice searched

for evidence Trump had violated the 1917 Espionage Act, which could earn him a decade-long prison sentence, as well as two other criminal statutes regarding the removal and concealment of government records.

The Associated Press reported that FBI officials retrieved over 11,000 documents, 100 of which were classified. According to the Washington Post, documents concerning government operations were among the seized files, some so secretive that even high-ranking national security officials do not know about them. Additionally, the FBI found foreign nuclear secrets.

The Office of the Director of National Intelligence conducted a “damage control” investigation to assess “the potential risk to national security that would result from the disclosure of the relevant documents.”

According to the Guardian, the home of a president can be a hotbed for foreign intelligence agents.

Additionally, the Trumps have been known to host foreign officials at Mara-Lago, including Chinese president Xi Jinping and Japanese president Shinzo Abe in 2017.

According to the BBC, Trump’s legal

Sweating the days off

team called the search “unprecedented, unnecessary, and legally unsupported,” but government officials called it necessary due to obstruction from the

Sky-rocketing temperatures affect summer plans, limit time outdoors

By Amitha Nair | Staff Writer

Broken records, triple digit temperatures for days on end, and cancelled plans due to the heat are only some of the effects the 2022 summer heat brought to Dallas residents.

Texas has always been known for its extreme weather, especially the heat.

According to the National Weather Service, the summer broke weather records by having the hottest July on record with an average temperature of 88.5 F. On July 8, temperatures hit 106 degrees Fahrenheit, which matched the highest record in 2020.

Finally, on July 19, the highest temperature of the summer hit: 109 degrees. This matched the highest temperature for the past 10 years and was only four degrees below the hig-hest temperature in Texas ever, dating back to a heat wave in 1980. At the end of July, this summer was already approaching a spot in the top 10 for years with the most 100-degree days, with more than 36 days in total, for Texas as well as the United States as a whole.

The scorching temperatures, in addition to the humidity, forced some students to cancel or change plans.

“I had to reschedule plans with friends so that we would be somewhere with air conditioning,” sophomore Gretchen Jones said.

Freshman Tanvi Joshi said she could barely stand to be outside for more than five minutes during the heat wave.

“So any plans of going outside, walking my dog, hanging out with friends and pool parties were sometimes demolished by the heat,” Joshi said. “Even in the evening

sometimes it would be 100 degrees. It was awful.”

Students’ sports practices in the extreme heat tested their limits.

“During the summer, I usually play tennis for three-plus hours each day,” sophomore Ranya Li said. “However, this summer, I would sometimes skip training or train super early in the mornings, 6 a.m., to avoid getting heat exhaustion or heat stroke.”

Some sports allow players to be flexible with their hours, while others force players to endure the harsh conditions.

“Field hockey practice required loads of sunscreen and water, and by the end of it we were all exhausted,” freshman Leyah Philip said.

Trying to perform your best in practice, all while the sun is beating down on your body, can be too much for the human body, and as a result, health-related mishaps occur.

“I kept passing out due to the heat, so I missed some sports competitions,” freshman Caroline Ballotta said.

After a whole week of constant downpour in June, the heat started to set in. The humidity began its

initial rise, slowly creeping up on unsuspecting summer lovers.

“I wanted to go out wearing makeup and looking decent but the second I stepped outside the sun melted my face off,” sophomore Madison White said.

Freshman Pilar Hoitsma found it necessary to chang her wardrobe.

“I can’t wear clothes I want to because of the amount I sweat,” Hoitsma said.

The abnormal heat sparked grass fires. DeSoto had more than 250 acres burned, though no one was injured. In Balch Springs, a $6 million grass fire burned over 26 homes, nine of which were destroyed, causing relocation or homelessness, according to the Dallas Morning News.

Homeless centers worked to accommodate more clients during the heat wave.

“With extreme weather we usually see more people wanting to come into the shelter; through the first part of July when it was really hot, we saw an increase from 84% to 97% occupancy,”

Teresa Thomas, Austin Street Center director, said.

The shelter extended its hours

during the worst of the heat, and also recently moved into a new facility, allowing for a bigger, air-conditioned space with more appliances.

“Previously, only clients of Austin Street could come onto our property and receive services,” Thomas said.

“Sometimes we place a water cooler outside the front door to offer water to those homeless on the street in the surrounding area. With our new facility, any person, client or not, may come into the lobby where we have a sink, restroom and water fountain.”

OurCalling began staying open an extra two hours and sending out teams to help the homeless affected by the heat.

“Over the summer we had a team called our ‘Search and Rescue Team’,” Ali Hendrickson, manager of OurCalling, said. “They go out every day driving around Dallas finding our homeless friends and providing them with ice-cold water, snacks, neckcooling racks and really focusing on trying to get our homeless friends off the street because obviously, the best way to stay cool is to be in a home and we want to recreate that.”

president’s lawyers. Trump’s lawyers are continuing their battle against the warrant and the investigation is ongoing.

Photo by Gage Skidmore via Flickr

‘So any plans of going outside, walking my dog, hanging out with friends and pool parties were sometimes demolished by the heat.”

Tanvi Joshi Form I

Art by Yanet Bisrat

Trump speaks at the 2017 Conservative Political Action Conference in National Harbor, Maryland. After the FBI executed a search warrant at his Florida home, recovering 15 boxes of records meant to be held in the National Archives, Trump faces an ongoing investigation.

Brava! Ludfords play Carnegie Hall Orchestra teacher, two daughters take on New York stage

By Alexa Munoz | Staff Writer

Admiring the talent of her family members, a 6-yearold Yung-Fang Hu Ludford sings along to her mother’s gospel song, patiently waiting her turn to perform for her family. Taking the stage in the middle of the living room, she belts out the day’s choir song, unaware her future would entail a similar performance at one of the most prestigious concert venues in the world: Carnegie Hall.

Inspired by her eleventh-grade music teacher, Ludford took the “unheard of” route of music education in Taiwan. Later, she came to Texas, where an Italian music group recruited her, allowing her to perform in Italy, France, Russia and China.

Motivated to continue entertaining, she auditioned for The Taiwan National Hall. After a successful performance at the Taiwanese concert hall, Ludford said, “How about Carnegie?”

Ludford passed the Carnegie Hall audition with flying colors in 2019, but COVID-19 postponed her performance until July 2022.

Ludford described her concert as a “cultural fusion.” Her program included pieces from Taiwanese, Italian, African American and Chinese composers.

“My mother has always championed minority composers, especially women, and this concert was no different, featuring several compositions by women and/or Taiwanese composers,’’ said her daughter, Vivian Ludford ‘11, who joined Yung-Fang onstage for the concluding piece.

The mother and two-daughter trio performed a 21st century Chinese art song composed by Kim Hee-Wen and influenced by a female-written Chinese poem from 900 years ago. Blending both Eastern and Western repertoire, “Thriving” incorporates violin, cello, piano and voice to portray resilience in one’s life.

“It was a great experience, and I’m glad I got to support my mother by playing the violin,” said Lilian Ludford ‘13.

While the song talks about a tree’s

roots growing deeper as it faces more challenges, she relates it to growth within her Middle and Upper School students.

“It reminds me of Hockaday’s mission- to strive for excellence and lead lives of purpose and impact,” Yung-Fang Hu Ludford said, describing the final piece.

Ludford received the prestigious 2020 Prentiss Grant from Hockaday, presenting her with the opportunity to travel internationally to further her understanding of women composers and enrichen her curriculum. For

an in-depth exploration of her global interests, the Fine Arts teacher will travel to Germany and Austria in the summer of 2023. Upon returning, she plans to teach her students about the

inspiring women, hoping to promote more female representation in the musical world.

“You never stop learning,” Ludford said. “It’s like a lifelong journey.”

LIKE AND COMMENT

“ It reminds me of Hockaday’s mission – to strive for excellence and lead lives of purpose and impact.”

Yung-Fang Hu Ludford Middle School Orchestra Director

Photos courtesy of Yung-Fang Ludford

Senior Charlie Hamilton kicks off senior year with friends and cowboy boots.

Charlie Hamilton ’23 Dallas

Junior Bella Duarte celebrates junior Ashley Chemmalakuzhy’s birthday with high tea at the Adolphus.

Bella Duarte ’24 The French Room, Dallas

Senior Caraday Martin poses with designer Michael Kors at New York Fashion Week.

Caraday Martin ’23 New York, New York

Some of our favorite recent social media posts

Yung-Fang Hu Ludford performs on Carnegie Hall stage with daughters Vivian and Lilian Ludford.

Drill team kicks off season Pep rally performers’ program changes

By Hanna Asmerom | Web Editor

Five, six, seven, eight!” Senior drill team captain Ava Stern counts down the team to begin its routine. As the team begins its fourth season, they adjust to some changes in the program.

One of the most significant is the new leadership structure. There are five captains: three seniors and two juniors.

This change was made with the goal of uniting the grades and providing the team with more people to choreograph dances. The new structure also allows the juniors to gain leadership experience before they have to fully lead the team.

“As a junior captain, I am really looking forward to being a bigger part of the drill team, when I thought I would have to wait to be a senior to do so,” Aria Bahtki said.

The team also will have more performances at full-school pep rallies. They will sport new outfits and

dance to new music this year.

“I hope the changes help to support all Hockaday athletes,” senior captain Maddy Grace Sporl said.

Despite the changes program, some things have remained the same. Tryouts began with a staff member from Preston Center Dance teaching the aspiring performers a routine, which they had to execute from memory shortly after. The dance instructor then picked about 30 members to join the team officially.

The team now holds practices every even day morning to learn routines choreographed by the captains. The captains also hope to diversify the performances throughout the year.

“We want to branch out of just jazz this year,” Sporl said. “Maybe we’ll try hip-hop or contemporary. All in all, we want to do all that we can to make Hockaday athletics a place of support and success.”

SPOTLIGHT

Meera’s natural gift

Thamaran’s art featured at Coppell Arts Center

By Elle Myers | Staff Writer

It is no wonder this artist’s favorite store is Michael’s. The aisles filled with supplies and wonder are just like her imagination: endless.

Senior Meera Thamaran showed that imagination in her recent art exhibit, “Color Study,” at the Coppell Arts Center. Organized and brought together by the Coppell Creatives, Coppell Arts Center is a local gallery that exhibits regional artists. It celebrates artists coming together to showcase their artistic abilities.

Thamaran began taking art classes at the age of 5. She started at Falak Arts, a Coppell studio. There, she learned different styles of art, drawing and painting skills. She gravitated toward artistic expression through the use of color and different mediums. She said she enjoyed the happiness her art brought to people around her.

Thamaran saidshe draws influence from everywhere: the details of a stick on the ground and even concepts she studies in debate, yet most of her inspiration comes from nature. The untainted aspect of nature offers her the freedom to oversaturate the color and convey her vision uniquely. In addition, she draws inspiration from Pinterest, Instagram and,

most notably, Canadian artist Alexandra Levasseur. She said she hopes to mirror Lavasseur’s concepts in her art.

“Lavasseur’s art is surreal – very psychedelic, almost – but focuses on abstract elements while combining a nature of humanity,” Thamaran said.

After feeling pride through her work, Thamaran decided to compete with others.

“Judges were looking for a very distinct type of art that is very portrait-heavy, and realism focused,” Thamaran said.

She found herself painting the most random things to fit the theme. However, she said this did not teach her about the art styles she was trying to develop, making her stray away from art competitions.

She now wants to focus on subjects that inspire her to create and develop an art style she can call her own. Thamaran hopes to continue making art, engage in local art showcasings and most importantly, do it on her own. After “Color Study,” she knows to pursue “art the way it was meant for me.”

Photos provided by Meera Thamaran

Thamaran poses with her art exhibit at Coppell Arts Center.

“ I hope the changes help to support all Hockaday athletes.”

Maddy Grace Sporl Senior Captain

The team follows along as junior captain Gracie Little teaches a routine created by the captains to be performed at an upcoming pep rally.

Senior captain Ava Stern demonstrates how to do a tilt jump during practice.

Photos by Hanna Asmerom

‘Nope’ centers on cinema

Peele’s third movie offers satisfying scare

By Elle Myers | Staff Writer

Jordan Peele released his third directed film, “Nope,” satisfying the insatiable desire for a great scare. Starring Daniel Kaluuya and Keke Palmer, this science fiction horror film will leave you on the edge of your seat.

Divided into five chapters, “Nope” is about the horse-wrangling Haywood siblings, OJ and Emerald Haywood. After a nickel fell from the sky and killed their father, the siblings tried to find answers to his mysterious passing. One night, they eerily lose power, forcing them to look up at the sky, where they notice an unmoving cloud which makes them wonder if their father’s death was extraterrestrial.

Slowly, the Haywood siblings believe the answer lies in the unexplainable presence of a UFO. When trying to capture the UFO, they discover more about it–most notably, its hunger for living objects. Jupe, played by Steven Yeun, is a washed up child actor turned carnival host who also tries to catch the extraterrestrial being after a fateful encounter during his younger days. Without giving too much away, the movie results in the Haywood siblings finding the “Oprah shot” they have been looking for.

Now, let’s get into the reason everyone watches Jordan Peele films: symbolism. It’s no shocker that “Nope” was embedded with symbolism after seeing Peele’s

“Get Out” in 2017 and “Us” in 2019.

After watching “Nope” twice, I still find it difficult to understand the subtly added symbolism.

However, I believe it adds depth to his films, especially “Nope.”

One of the major themes in “Nope” is the influence of cinema. Throughout the movie, the Haywood siblings and their co-conspirators try to capture a photo of the UFO in spite of knowing how deadly it is. Gaining an “Oprah shot” of the UFO will not only make them money but also notoriety. The lure of fame and success further pushes the influence of cinema.

“Get Out” can be easily understood without the explanation of underlying themes. In “Get Out,” the themes are clearly race and betrayal. However, in “Nope,” the line is not as evident. Without the understanding, audiences would enjoy a cute movie about a man taking a picture of a UFO.

Another notable aspect of the film was the powerful acting. Daniel Kaluuya, who also stars in “Get Out,” gave another astonishing performance, playing the role of heroic OJ Haywood. Sitting in the movie theater, you can feel his guttural cries as he tries to save his sister. Similar to Kaluuya’s performance, Keke Palmer, who plays the role of Emerald Haywood, gave audiences a humorous performance while she finishes her long and

strenuous journey. These impressive performances add depth to an already magnificent film.

“Nope” is one of the best movies I’ve watched since “Us.” Peele has proven his film capabilities once again, and this film is arguably his best film to date. “Nope” is currently in theaters and on Amazon Prime.

POP CULTURE

WITH HARPER

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

Putting on their Shein outfits and lacing up their Golden Goose shoes, thousands of college girls across the country prepare for sorority rush.

Founded in 1882 at Syracuse University, sororities quickly spread throughout the country, creating new chapters and houses. Now, rushing has gained popularity with certain rules, spoken and unspoken.

During the summer of 2021, potential new members, or PNMs, started posting rush content on TikTok, including what they were wearing and their experiences during recruitment week.

These videos quickly went viral, starting #BamaRush, alluding to The University of Alabama, which has a large Greek life population and one of the most exclusive rush programs. Certain PNMs gained thousands of followers due to their posts about rush, but some of the same girls who got famous ended up getting dropped.

5Members get dropped during rush week due to poor grades, posting inappropriate behavior online or not fitting in well with any of the houses.

2‘It Ends with Us’ underwhelms stars Do Hoover’s books live up to the hype?

By Aadya Kuruvalli | News/Cover/Centerspread Editor

Colleen Hoover has asserted herself as a staple of modern romance publishing during the past two years. With over a dozen books published, she has become popular on the literary side of TikTok (Booktok) for her novels, “It Ends With Us” and “Ugly Love”. Although they’re considered “must-reads” by many influencers, Hoover’s books don’t live up to their reputation.

When I first picked up “Its Ends With Us” during the early days of quarantine, the back cover sold the novel as a lighthearted love triangle about a girl deciding over two men. I was astonished by what the story turned out to be; the further I read, the less it felt like a cute romance novel, and the more it turned into a horrifying story about domestic abuse. I didn’t mind that Hoover was choosing to tell this story, but I thought the way “It Ends With Us” was marketed was unfair and concerning.

Also, I think that Hoover’s writing underwhelmed me as I read “It Ends

With Us.” Although I appreciated the novel’s storyline, Hoover’s language did not successfully express the ideas I thought it was trying to, either a problem of simplicity or poor writing.

“Ugly Love,” Hoover’s other popular novel, is similar in story and writing quality. Although Hoover never fails to have a story to tell, her books are often poorly written, and sometimes just cringe-worthy. I think Hoover’s imagination and her writing ability clash in her novels, leaving the reader grasping for more at the end.

Although Hoover’s novels remain popular on Booktok, many other lesser-known authors deliver both the storyline and the quality I found lacking in “It Ends With Us” and “Ugly Love.” Despite having their own charms, Hoover’s books are not ones I would recommend to a friend looking for something new to read.

For those still looking to try lighthearted romances like Hoover’s novels, I would suggest Emily Henry, another popular author on TikTok. Her romances, “Book Lovers,” “People We Meet on Vacation,” “Beach Read” and others are exactly the kind of cute, gentle stories I was looking for

While in a sorority, members must pay dues, attend all parties hosted by the house and keep up a certain online persona. Some girls cannot keep up with all of the sororities’ demands, so they drop out.

Sororities claim to be a “sisterhood,” but some girls drop out of their sororities due to the ‘toxic nature’ of the organizations or the other girls in the house. Teenage girls evaluate recruits, which some members find destructive. Sororities also tend to lack diversity in race and sexual orientation, especially in larger houses and schools.

One of the PNMs who got famous on TikTok for posting her outfits, Grant Sikes, got dropped before bid day. Sikes was dropped by all but two houses before day one. She announced she got dropped by posting on Instagram, thanking those who supported her and her choice to rush.

This has caused backlash because some people think she was dropped unfairly.

Not every sorority is the same, and many have tried their hardest to create a more inclusive environment for members. It is important not clump all sororities together. Sororities have come a long way by trying to include more girls in their houses, and I hope to see even more inclusion further in the future.

DECADENT DONUTS

Jarams brings gourmet treats to Dallas

Jarams Donuts Lakewood, 2117 Abrams Rd, Dallas, TX 75214

By Juliana Blazek | Jade Editor

CCrowds of people swarm the purple-painted building of Jaram’s Donuts on an early Saturday morning. From “cronuts” (croissant-donuts) to banana funnel cake donuts, this shop has been serving Dallas gourmet donuts since 2018. While their menu offers a range of kolaches and other breakfast items, Jaram’s attracts visitors who are looking for a fluffy, delicious donut.

The shop offers “plain Joe donuts,” and a variety of special donuts in addition to the most famous funnel cake and croissant donuts. They also offer donuts for each holiday, so Halloween donuts are currently stocking their shelves. The donuts range in price from $1 to $7, depending on how detailed the design of the donut is. In addition, for birthdays the shop also makes letter-shaped donuts that can be covered in sprinkles or a multicolored-galaxy gloss.

When I visited Jaram’s, I decided to try out a box of different flavors of donuts including some of their famous flavors. I first tried the classic cake donut and chocolate glazed donut. Both were impressive, offering a fluffy, not dense, interior and the right amount of sweetness with the glaze.

Then, I moved on to the cream cheese and mixed berries donut, which was a glazed donut topped with cream cheese icing and an assortment of berries. I again was impressed by the amazing consistency of the donut itself; however, the icing on top of the glaze combination was a bit too sweet for my liking. If you’re a cream cheese icing fan, this donut will

definitely blow you away.

My next donut was a cinnamon twist donut that encapsulated both cinnamon roll and donut into one.

It brought out a vibrant cinnamon flavor which blended nicely with the glaze. The donut was also in a fun twist shape which enabled me to pick off small pieces of the donut at a time. Lastly, I tried one of their most well known flavors, the creme brulee donut. This donut outshined the rest with a hard sugar top, but a creamy inside filling spilling out of the fluffy donut cake.

There were many elements to this donut, so it was very rich.

If you’re looking for a yummy morning treat or even a catered dessert, Jaram’s has it all. These donuts bring the taste of a fancy dessert to a typical breakfast item. With endless flavors, both sweet and savory, any person is guaranteed to find a donut to fit their liking. Jaram’s is located in Lakewood and takes online as well as in-person orders.

FUN AND GAMES

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Photos by Juliana Blazek

LifeArts & Summer travels

Students experience new cultures, meet new people

By Melody Hu | Editor-in-Chief Spain

Seniors Charlie Hamilton, Phoebe Miller, Molly McPhail and Payton Arbaugh went on an immersion trip and stayed with host families. They took classes in the mornings and did activities in the afternoons.

Zumaia, Spain Madrid, Spain

Seniors Charlie Hamilton, Phoebe Miller, Molly McPhail and Payton Arbaugh pause during a hiking along the cliffs of Zumaia, Spain. Fun fact: this is also the place “Game of Thrones” was shot.

Italy

Pamplona, Spain

Miller, McPhail and Arbaugh visit Pamplona to watch the Running of the Bulls, an annual tradition during which fighting bulls and steer run through the streets. They dressed in the traditional all-white outfit and red scarf.

Seniors Meera Malhotra and Maddy Grace Sporl took a trip to Italy together with family. They spent their time sightseeing and exploring the country.

Hamilton, Miller, McPhail and Arbaugh wait to go on a tapas tour around the city of Madrid. Tapas tours offer tourists a unique opportunity to experience the culinary and cultural history of Madrid.

Venice, Italy Rome, ItalyRome, Italy

Seniors Meera Malhotra and Maddy Grace Sporl take a photo on a bridge in Venice, Italy. Venice is often referred to as the “City of Bridges” because of the many bridges that cross over their waterways.

Israel

Meera Malhotra and Maddy Grace Sporl take a quick break from exploring Italy to eat pizza. The Campania region of Italy is the birthplace of pizza, and it is definitely a must-try when visiting the country.

Junior Julia Small and senior Jessica Aftergut went on a trip with the Jewish Federation of Dallas. This was a religious and cultural trip with other students and leaders.

Sea of Galilee

Small and Aftergut take a break on their hike in the Masada National Park in Israel. Masada is an ancient fortress in the Judean Desert located on a plateau overlooking the Dead Sea.

Julia Small and her friend take a sunset boat ride on the Sea of Galilee. The Sea of Galilee is a well known lake in Israel with lots of religious importance. The lake is also the lowest freshwater lake on Earth.

Malhotra and Sporl explore the Spanish Steps which lead from the Piazza di Spagna square to the French monastery church Trinita dei Monti. The Spanish Steps are a famous tourist spot in Rome.

Wall

Junior Julia Small visits the Western Wall, also known as the Wailing Wall, in Israel. The ancient limestone wall in the Old City of Jerusalem has historical and religious significance.

Photos courtesy of Julia Small

Photos courtesy of Meera Malhotra

Photos courtesy of Molly McPhail and Charlie Hamilton

Graphics by Melody Hu

AROUND

3

A BOOK LOVER’S HAVEN

By Elizabeth Truelove | Staff Writer

As the season of AP classes, all-nighters and hectic weekends begins, check out these local bookstores to help relieve the stresses of Upper School with a new bestseller.

The Wild Detectives - 314 W Eighth St.

Complete with an outside venue for live music, poetry readings and more, The Wild Detectives’ retro vibe and delicious coffee bar makes it the perfect study spot.

Interabang Books - 5600 W Lover’s Lane, Suite 142

With shelves and tables packed with different genres, this bookstore guarantees you a copy of every book you could imagine. They also host a monthly book club that is open to all.

Deep Vellum Bookstore & Publishing Company - 3000 Commerce St.

The simple decor in the light and airy space creates a welcoming environment to pick up a variety of books, ranging from classics to scientific fiction.

Half Price Books - 5803 E NW Hwy

The sell-back option is perfect for untouched AP textbooks, English novels and summer reading books. The store also contains an abundance of records and board games

Photos by Elizabeth Truelove

Emphasizing

By Kailey Bergstedt I Photo and Graphics Editor

Partnering with the Dallas Zoo, pitching Shark Tank business presentations, dressing like Disney characters and analyzing first graders reading to dogs. If these don’t sound like typical class projects, that’s because they aren’t. These are activities teachers of Social Impact classes assign to their students. Hockaday currently has 18 Social Impact classes in six different subject areas, including the performing arts.

Biology, Impact and the Zoo

The idea of Social Impact classes came about after a brief exchange in the hallway between Laura Day, Executive Director of the Institute for Social Impact, and Brandi Finazzo, Upper School science teacher.

“I asked her what she thought about shifting the biology class to have more of a real-world impact,” Day said. “She immediately loved the idea.”

The two collaborated over the summer of 2018 to create the flagship Social Impact course – Biology, Impact, and the Zoo, which just began its fifth year. The course combines introductory biology with a year-long social impact project that guides students through Stanford’s Design Thinking Process.

At the beginning of the year, students identify a problem they are interested in and, with the help of the biology concepts they learn, create and execute a plan to help address this issue. Students can choose any topic that interests them — from issues centered on human behavior to animal physiology.

“The project is completely driven by student interest and passion, which is what we hoped for,” Finazzo said. “It aligns with the Institute for Social Impact’s goal to help every student identify something they care about and then work towards a goal to help them engage with that topic.”

After choosing their topics, students spend the first semester building empathy for those affected by the problem and collecting both qualitative and quantitative data on their topic. After students analyze this data in the second semester, Day leads them through a series of exercises to broaden and challenge their thinking process and allow them to come up with creative and innovative solutions.

At the end of the school year, the project culminates in a Shark Tank-style event during which the students pitch their

project ideas to a panel of outside judges. The winners receive a $500 grant to jump start their developed concept.

One of last year’s winning groups focused on making online shopping more environmentally friendly. They created a Chrome extension that rates the sustainability of clothing items on a letter grade scale. If the clothing does not score highly, the extension will recommend a more environmentally conscious option. Students in this group identified a problem in a subject that interested them and, using Stanford’s Design Thinking Process, created and implemented a solution.

“This course teaches juniors to identify and research a problem, create an original idea, prototype it, receive constructive feedback, analyze and implement that feedback, and then present and make an argument for their ideas,” Finazzo said, “which are all incredibly valuable life skills they will take with them not only to college, but also into the workforce.”

Writing Internship 101

Sophomores, juniors and seniors can integrate Social Impact into their school day through Writing Internship 1, a new one-credit, pass/fail course that teaches interns skills the Senior Writing Center interns use.

Participants choose to work with either Middle School students or DISD elementary students once a rotation to help them improve their writing skills. They will also submit a one-page reflection twice a semester addressing which Social Impact outcomes they practiced most frequently and how those outcomes shaped their experience. Although the internship focuses most on building empathy, the

interns practice exemplifying all of the social impact outcomes in addition to strengthening their writing skills.

“Building empathy is such a crucial part of working in the Writing Center,” said Lisa Fisher, Writing Center director. “Interns need to understand how students are feeling and where they are coming from to best work with and teach each individual.”

Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Economics and Social Entrepreneurship

Breaking The Glass Ceiling: Economics and Social Entrepreneurship is another Social Impact class that uses Stanford’s Design Thinking Process. Using this method, students enrolled in this senior seminar create and execute a business idea with a focus on social impact that, similar to Zoo, concludes with a Shark Tank-style business pitch.

“We really thought about how we could expose students to business and these business concepts while framing it through this different lens of social impact and social entrepreneurship,” said Kristen Blevins, Upper School history teacher.

The project’s main focus is to help students build empathy, either with

their intended customer base or with the social impact component of their business. Students also learn to make social or business ventures more sustainable and to produce positive change.

While teaching both Breaking the Glass Ceiling and Government, a social impact semester course designed for seniors, Blevins has noticed higher engagement levels and a renewed curiosity in both herself and her students.

“Adding this open-ended application piece based on a problem or concept that students want to explore, has really reinvigorated the course,” Blevins said.

Teachers in charge of such Social Impact courses said their courses are constantly evolving, as they are learning more about the impact students want to create and thinking of new ways to include service to many communities in their courses. Students’ opinions seem to reflect the success of the courses as well.

Empathy

Bennett Trubey

Hockaday integrates Social Impact into curricula as early as preschool. Each grade learns about different social issues such as hunger, homelessness and community engagement.

“Through these classes, we aim to teach students lessons and skills they can apply outside of the classroom and will take with them into the real world,” said Laura Day, the Executive Director of the Institute for Social Impact.

US Government

In government classes, all sophomore students identify a problem in their community, everyday life or even throughout the country and research a way to address the cause of this problem. They also develop advocacy skills by taking action — writing a letter to a local or state representative, creating a campaign to raise awareness or any meaningful effort.

“Government is one of the most exciting social impact classes because it is really the first time many of these students will have the opportunity to take a social impact class and to be exposed to this new type of learning that has real world application and impact,” Blevins said.

Statistics

Jeri Sutton, the US Math Department chair and statistics class teacher, and Day discussed how they could integrate service into a math classroom. This year is the second time the social impact-designated statistics course has been offered.

The statistics class partners with Dallas Animal Services, one of the largest animal shelters in the country, to collect data varying from Animal Control calls to the number of kennels at the facility.

Sutton said the numbers they collect from the shelter are the game-changer.

“It’s got the real data,” Sutton said.

“There’s just something wonderful about recognizing that math is not just crunching

numbers. It’s about data, and organizing it, visualizing it and analyzing it so that you can draw your own conclusions.”

Sutton found her greatest enjoyment in this class through her students’ abilities to ask questions and interpret data for themselves in a way that built up empathy.

Last year, in the course’s pilot year, students created visual displays based on data from the Dallas Animal Shelter that connected first graders reading to dogs at the shelter to higher adoption rates, as the interaction often calmed the dogs. To further engage with their data, the statistics students visited the first graders and presented their findings to the kids.

“That was impactful to those first graders because then they see some value in what they’re doing,” Sutton said.

Sutton and Day are planning a Zoom meeting with a leader at the shelter to discuss how the statistics class could support them, deepening the impact the course can have on the community.

Sutton said the real-world experience found in her course can be applied to many areas of service.

“We’re surrounded with data in all aspects, there are areas where we can go in and help organizations wherever there’s a need or wherever change needs to happen,” Sutton said.

Daisy Company & Hockaday Theater Company

Not far from the science

classrooms is the Upper School Black Box, where Emily Gray, chair of Performing Arts and US Theater teacher, teaches her own social impact course — Daisy Company. The introductory course focuses on developing students’ theatrical skills, while also teaching them how acting can serve the community.

“Ms. Day came to me and told me specifically about an opportunity,” Gray said.

She referenced the many DISD students in the fourth and fifth grades who are beginning to take the STAAR tests, in which there are questions about drama ranging from dramatic composition to the definition of a play.

“A lot of those students come from low-income families, so of course, those families aren’t going to spend a lot of money going to see plays and ballets and operas,” Gray said. “All those students are lacking is just a frame of reference.”

To remedy this problem, she worked with her students to choose ageappropriate workshops to teach to the DISD students as an engaging way of

“We have so many opportunities to get involved with things that interest us,” said Lola Isom, head of the Social Impact Board. “It’s coming at us from all sides. It gives us direction — a point — to what we are doing and learning in class.”

learning the vocabulary of theater.

Gray said the Theater Company will be doing Social Impact work this year at Thomas C. Marsh Preparatory Academy, not far from Hockaday. The school is celebrating its 60th birthday in October and inviting students from the elementary schools that feed into it to enjoy a Halloween-themed carnival.

Gray recognized that such an experience can be intimidating for the younger students, and worked with Assistant Director of the Institute for Social Impact Laura Laywell to design an exciting element for the younger students.

“Our students are going to dress as Disney princesses, villains, and other students’ favorite characters – so it’ll be a lot like a theme park,” Gray said.

She said she hopes her students come away from their courses with an appreciation for how the arts can impact their community, but also how it allows the students themselves to be more creative.

“You really only understand how important what you’re doing is when it has an impact on someone else, and the arts is all about this,” she said.

Gray’s takeaway is that the arts can have big impacts on both her own students and outside communities.

“It gives more depth and meaning to the stories we tell and the things we do because it’s about giving a voice to kids who maybe don’t feel like they have a voice,” Gray said.

An academic summer

Students participate in summer internships, research programs and camps

By Shreya Vijay| Staff Writer

Sophomore Anya Ahuja strolled through the Harvard campus, experiencing life at the university. With a goal of exploring various forms of debate, she took part in an intensive two-week program and explored student life at Harvard while living in the dorms.

Ahuja, along with other Hockaday students, participated in these programs and found them valuable.

“I joined the program because I wanted to get some debate practice over summer because I do debate in school, but I wanted to try out a new form of debate and not just limit myself to one,” Ahuja said.

In addition to the camp curriculum, Harvard also offered seminars on topics such as the overturn of Roe v. Wade. The camp also allowed her to explore financial independence as she spent some time off Harvard campus.

Senior Isabel Bhasin participated

in both a five-week summer course on Human Rights at Yale University and two-month internship with the Consulate of Peru.

“I really enjoyed being able to learn from professors and the students around me specifically,” Bhasin said.

Bhasin’s course was not termed “pre-college” at Yale due to it being an official summer course offered to Yale students as well.

She said she learned how to budget time and study effectively for college courses. She noted these programs were rewarding in terms of student experience, but there are more cost-effective options, such as internships, to consider as well.

As an intern at the Consulate of Peru, Bhasin worked on two research projects about the integration of Peruvian culture into American life and the Real ID acts placed on Peruvian immigration.

“I think doing both this internship

and taking classes was a really great experience because a lot of the content from my Human Rights class overlapped with the work I was doing at my internship,” Bhasin said.

Jones also said College Counseling has not found a correlation between participation in pre-college programs

and readiness for the college admissions process.

“Representatives recognize that many pre-college programs are cost prohibitive,”Jones said. “Pre-college programs are not considered more valuable than other free summer opportunities.”

SUMMER BY THE NUMBERS

Number of Weeks Anya Ahuja Spent at Harvard

5

Number of weeks Isabel Bhasin spent at Yale2

2Number of months Isabel Bhasin Spent interning at the Peruvian Consulate

Stellar research at STARS Students explore science at UT Southwestern program

By Melody Tian| News Editor

Standing in front of a giant poster board, senior Miranda Jefferds gives a presentation on the localization pattern of an enzyme and how she tested her experiments on HeLa cells, a culmination of everything she learned during her eight weeks of research at the Science Teacher Access to Resources at Southwestern program.

Students at the STARS research program spent eight hours every weekday during the summer meticulously working in a laboratory. Jefferds took AP Biology during her junior year, which inspired her to pursue a path in science.

“I thought it was really interesting to learn about all the different parts of the cell and their structures and how they came together to have a bigger effect,” Jefferds said.

Due to her interest in cell structures, Jefferds requested molecular biology as her topic of research at STARS. She focused on the study of bacteria, as she said she found it especially intriguing due to the pandemic.

Senior Emily Santos devoted her

time to molecular biology as well. She said she found her experience very rewarding due to the highly academic environment.

“I worked with a bunch of graduate students and postdocs,” Santos said, “and everyone there made me feel very welcome; you meet so many like-minded people and I never felt like I was dumb because I was a high school student.”

Jefferds agreed, adding that she definitely had to calibrate to working in a lab with people who have gone through college and graduate school in ways like learning the lingo and synthesizing past knowledge. In spite of the challenges, she said she found the experience really fun and got a taste of what a career in a research environment would be like.

In addition to doing research, students got to watch a presentation every Wednesday by a prominent researcher, one by a Nobel Prize winner. There was also an exhibit opening that featured prominent women figures.

“Getting invited to all the different

social events was one of my favorite parts,” said senior Juliana Blazek, who researched radiation oncology at STARS. “It was just super cool to be invited to all these events and be around a community of different doctors.

Santos said her favorite part of the program was meeting other students in surrounding areas that shared her passion for science and research.

“We established this sort of friendship,” Santos said, “because we would see each other every single day, eat lunch, and we’re all kind of doing the same thing.”

Jefferds said she also appreciated her time spent with fellow researchers and values the experience of being a high schooler working in a professional environment. She also said she would recommend the program to anyone interested in science.

“I personally want to pursue a career in scientific research of some sort,” Jefferds said, “but I think any research experience like that, whether it would be the STARS program or not, I would totally do again.”

2Number of research projects Bhasin worked on while she interned

‘ I really enjoyed being able to learn from professors and the students around me specifically.’

Isabel Bhasin Form IV

Photo courtesy of Miranda Jefferds

The Harvard Quad where Sophomore Anya Ahuja spent two weeks of her summer.

Photo provided by Isabel Bhasin

Photo provided by Anya Ahuja

A painting Isabel Bhasin photographed as part of her internship with the Consulate of Peru.

Senior Miranda Jefferds performs experiments in the molecular biology lab at STARS, an eight-week research program UT Southwestern Medical Center during the summer.

Preserving lessons of past Holocaust and Human Rights Museum director dedicated to education

By Asha Gudipaty| Guest Writer

Mary

Pat Higgins believes everyone can be a perpetrator, upstander, bystander and victim.

“In any given day, you could be all four of those things,” said Higgins, CEO of the Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum. “It’s not an absolute, and we’re not perfect, but if you’re more thoughtful about the choices you make and about the impact that they will have on you in your future and on others, then you have a chance of making a difference.”

The Dallas Holocaust and Human Rights Museum houses a comprehensive permanent exhibit recounting the Holocaust and human rights conditions in different countries over the decades. Before her work at the museum, Higgins worked at Hockaday as the Chief Financial Officer. Former Head of School Liza Lee hired her when she was 26 and she spent 22 years at the school.

“I was an unlikely candidate to be a CEO of a museum,” she said. “When I was there, we did the Academic Research Center and the Lower School Building and renovated the classrooms. Because I had been there for a long time, and as I matured in my career, I found more time to volunteer. And I really fell in love with the mission of the museum.”

The Museum

The Museum was founded in 1984 and has had several location changes. The most recent move was in 2019 to its current location on Houston Street. The museum features a permanent exhibit with three separate wings, two unique theaters and a special exhibit area.

The museum hired three key people to work on the exhibit: Michael Berenbaum, a renowned Holocaust scholar; Elie Weisel, the project design overseer; and Eddie Jacobs, who had worked 15 years at the Holocaust Museum Yad Vashem in Israel.

“What emerged from that was this desire to teach the history of the Holocaust, other genocides, and civil rights in the United States,” Higgins said.

By teaching history, she said, those involved with the museum hope to combat prejudice, hatred, and indifference.

“I was not a museum person,” she said. “I’m not a historian, and I had never raised funds before, so it was an incredible opportunity for me to learn new things.”

The museum follows an untraditional path. It starts with an orientation, then documents the Holocaust in different places in Europe and Asia before diving into human rights.

“It is laid out geographically and that’s different,” Higgins said, “and the reason we did that is to emphasize upstander versus bystander behavior.”

She described an upstander as someone who “stands up for other people and their rights; combats injustice, inequality, or unfairness; and sees something wrong and works to make it right.”

Upstander Mentality

Higgins said she wanted the upstander mentality to be the “connective tissue” to show the impact of prejudice and hatred, what can happen if people don’t stand up, and the role the individual plays.

After the Holocaust wing, visitors enter the journey of repair and the evolution of human rights in response to the Holocaust, Higgins said. Visitors read about the new standard for human

rights through the United Nations’ Universal Declaration of Human Rights, yet the next gallery, the Ten Stages of Genocide Gallery, depicts horrible violations of these rights.

Higgins noted it’s crucial to, educate people about genocide so they can be alert to the warning signs.

“The goal is not that people are going to come out and have encyclopedic knowledge of any one genocide,” she said, “but to be thinking about what leads to genocide: classification, symbolization, discrimination.”

She encourages people to think about these signs in their daily lives.

“When you hear on the news somebody calling someone ‘a cockroach or vermin,’ what does that lead to?” she said. “Why is it dangerous to refer to other human beings as something less than human?”

Higgins also described the museum’s Dimensions in Testimony theater and Unconscious Bias theater.

The USC Shoah Foundation created the Dimensions in Testimony theater after Steven Spielberg filmed Schindler’s List and realized the rapidly declining number of survivors. When Higgins joined the museum, the concern was preserving the voices of survivors. Fundraising began and the theater was born.

“We actually went to one family who gave us $2 million because they had a lifetime relationship with Max Glauben, our local survivor,” Higgins said. “Now, even though Max passed away at the end of April, we can still learn from him.”

Unconscious Bias

The Unconscious Bias theater was a bit trickier, she said, as the museum was wary of unintentionally reinforcing bias. The museum worked with Kamilah Collins, an equity, diversity, and inclusion consultant who advised how to teach about unconscious bias.

Higgins said they chose the term unconscious bias because it sounds “less threatening” than implicit bias. The theater uses interactive touch-pads to engage visitors more than just listening.

Higgins described a visit to the museum as “rather a deeply moving and thought-provoking experience.”

In the post-visit surveys, she most often hears, “the world needs to know this history” and “thank you for having this history available in North Texas,” but sometimes she gets responses like, “I really want to try to focus on being an upstander,” which she said she finds incredible.

She recommends students become more involved in their communities to learn first-hand about history.

“When you’re learning history, think about how that history relates to what you’re going through today,” she said. “Be just a little more engaged and aware of how our actions impact other people. If you know that it can have this amazing ripple effect, you might do something today.”

“ As I matured in my career, I found more time to volunteer. And I really fell in love with the mission of the museum.”

Mary Pat Higgins CEO of the Dallas Holocaust and Humans Rights Museum

The new Holocaust and Human Rights Museum was founded in 1984 and now sits on Houston Street in downtown Dallas. The Museum houses three wings, two theaters and one special exhibit area.

Photo provided by MacTheWikiman

An exhibit explores dehumanization and attacks on human rights in countries across the globe.

Photo courtesy of Asha Gudipaty

By Juliana Blazek | Jade Editor

Sinwell

BOARD SPOTLIGHT

Student Relations Board Student Diversity Board

By Shreya Vijay | Staff Writer

With pitched tents and no cell phone service, senior Josie Sinwell spent a week traveling down the Salmon River, rafting nine hours a day. Sinwell and her family found this trip through a family friend and were part of a group of 30, in addition to 10 rafting guides.

Her day began around 6 a.m. with breakfast, and then she and her group got into the rafting boats, embarking on a trip to their next destination. While on the river, the group would hit level 3 or 4 rapids while in their big raft, but for levels 1-2, Sinwell and her friends would tackle the rapids in personal kayaks.

“It was the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen,” Sinwell said. “We rafted beneath these amazing mountains and into really clear water where you can see all the stones underneath.”

The group sometimes would take a break from the rafting course to go on hikes, relax in a hot spring or fill up their water jugs at a creek. Sinwell also saw paintings in nature from natives who lived there thousands of years ago, and she learned about the history of the area from the tour guides.

“Throughout the day, the kids would all go on mini adventures throughout the mountains and explore the terrain surrounding us,” Sinwell said. “It was super cool because occasionally we would see a bear or bald eagle.”

Their day of rafting concluded at around 4 p.m., and the group would arrive at their next campsite. After dinner, Sinwell and her friends enjoyed playing cards or even participating in hide and seek games in the wilderness. Once the sun set, each person had to pitch their own tent and sleep on a mat with blankets.

“A lot of the kids didn’t really use the tents and instead we’d sleep outside because we got to see the stars, which were incredible,” Sinwell said. “However, it was kind of scary at times because there were rattlesnakes and many bugs.”

The trip concluded after seven days of rafting, hiking and camping.

“It was an amazing trip because everyone was really living in the moment, especially without having access to their phones,” Sinwell said. “I had never experienced anything like this before, but I would definitely do it again.”

Seniors stroll around campus with freshmen beside them as they participate in Big/Lil Sis Reveal, hosted by the Student Relations Board. This is an annual event where each senior is paired with a freshman and helps them navigate the transition to Upper School.

“Our goal is to promote student involvement,” said SRB Form IV representative Maddy Grace Sporl. “We also want to create events that involve everyone.”

SRB is also focused on fostering relationships between Forms II and III this year.

“We are planning on doing Form Day this year, and we are making a lot more activities with Form II and Form III,” Sporl said.

As the year goes on, SRB is working to plan themed lunches during holidays. Their aim is to make the Upper School experience a little more enjoyable.

Members of the Student Diversity Board gather in Upper School conference rooms and library tables in the beginning of August to discuss their plans for the school year.

Student Diversity Board, no longer under STUCO, plans to host several events throughout the year including four Chit-Chats and two Forums. The first SDB Chit-Chat was on Sept. 23 during Y period. SDB chit-chats are very similar to forums, but are considered informal discussions where all Upper School students are welcome to come and share their views.

The discussion was centered on how people with different perspectives perceive issues, such as the overturning of Roe v. Wade.

“We also hope to get involved with Middle School, specifically the eighth graders, to encourage younger students to practice productive conversation early on,” Muller said.

AROUND THE HOCKA-HALLS

By Harper Harris | Features Editor

Photo by Shreya Vijay

Photo by Leila Tarighi

Senior

Student

Get ready to RMBL

By Caroline Bush | Arts and Life Editor

The

DAISY STEM

by the mountainous landscape of Gothic, Colorado, junior Maggie Coleman flies a drone to measure plant growth on plots of various lands of microclimates. She later presents her findings to fellow classmates, teachers and professionals alongside a partner.

Surrounded

Coleman was among 11 students who had the opportunity to live and research at the Rocky Mountain Biological Laboratory Aug. 16-20.

RMBL is in a biological field station in the Rocky mountains of Colorado that was originally a mining town. Now, it is a nonprofit that funds and hosts biological field studies year-round.

Though it has been operating for nearly 100 years, this is the first time Hockaday students have gone. In the past, students have attended the Marine Biology Lab, which will continue to be offered in the spring.

Coleman’s typical day at RMBL began with coffee at Coffee Lab, a small shop in the town. After that, students drove into the valley to start whatever work was planned for the day.

“Every day was different,” Coleman said. “Sometimes we learned about stream ecology or meteorology, and sometimes we did population estimations and censuses.”

Students began with classroom work to get a feel for the surrounding location. In the next few days, they worked with various professionals in the field on their projects.

“It was sort of like a sampling menu of all of the things that were going on at RMBL,” Science Department Chair Dr. Marshall Bartlett said.

Later in the week, each student was paired up with one of the professionals as a mentor, with whom they dove deep into a topic to center their final project around. Students were involved in collecting data, analyzing that data and making presentations on what they had done at the end of their trip.

Topics included remote sensing with drones to collect plant distribution data and working with small mammal

populations to analyze the co-dependent relationship between field mice and beetles, examining the interplay between two different species.

Sophomore Kate Gonzalez did her final project on how different substances put into soil affect whether ground squirrels nest there.

She examined three different types of plots –nitrogen, carbon and the control. As a result of the experiment, she discovered that the squirrels prefer the nitrogen and carbon plots.

Gonzalez said she enjoyed being surrounded by beautiful scenery at all times, even when working in the field.

“Being with the nature that you are learning about and testing was something I found really important to the experience as a whole,” Gonzalez said.

Genetics, evolution and environmental science teacher Jessie Crowley said she hoped students would get a good idea of what it is like to be a field ecologist and see that there is so much more to do in the field.

“We don’t know everything,” Crowley said. “There are still scientists out there trying to uncover certain questions, and I’m glad the girls had an opportunity to work one-on-one with some of these scientists to develop their own questions.”

The science department hopes to make RMBL a yearly trip as a result of the positive feedback from students.

‘Addams Family’ prep underway

Work on winter production begins in fall

By Ambyr Baker | Sports Editor

Though “The Addams Family Musical” will not be presented on stage until March, preliminary preparations for the production have already begun. Director Emily Gray sent out preparation packets last Friday and auditions are set for Nov. 1 and 2, with callbacks Nov. 3.

Hockaday, St. Mark’s and Cistercian will collaborate on this musical production to integrate the separate student bodies. Gray, the Performing Arts Chair, said while Hockaday actresses will get priority for the show, all of the actors are coming back with an equal vengeance, excited to perform for a packed audience for the first time since the pandemic. Gray is working with Choir Director Abi Poe to put on the production.

“We will be able to do a free student and faculty performance on March 1 where the entire Upper School gets to see the show,” Gray said. “This is something that’s very much enjoyed and beloved but we have not had to do it for two years because of COVID.”

There also will be opportunities for the general public to enjoy the production. Performances are scheduled for 7 p.m. March 2-4.

Senior Maddy Grace Sporl said she looks forward to auditioning for the role of a dancer in the production.

“I really appreciate how Mrs. Poe and Mrs. Gray are working together to put on this entire thing,” Sporl said. “I am excited for the opportunity to work with different actors on stage.”

Whether or not students decide they are made for the spotlight, Sporl said there are many ways to be a

part of the experience.

“Mrs. Poe and Mrs. Gray make sure to find a spot for everyone,” Sporl said. “Anyone who is interested can find a way to be involved.”

Senior Crew Head Sonali Konda’s personal passion for behind-the-scenes work. With Tech Crew, Konda’s contribution is indispensable to the musical team.

“Tech crew will start working on the musical in October, a little earlier than the auditions start, as soon as we finish working on the current dance show ‘Harlequinade,’” Konda said. “We spend an hour and a half after school every day to work on the sets, and we are not even a part of the official fine arts class.”

The three leaders of Tech Crew, Konda, senior Design Head Lillian Rubarts and junior Build Head Alex Cox, partner with the Tech Theater class to build production sets.

“Previously, we were only involved with musicals alone, but since last year, we became fully involved in other projects,” Konda said. “The fine arts class takes a more holistic approach while we work on a project-toproject basis.”

Still in the very early stages, the costuming, set designs and casting list are pending. Even so, senior Miranda Jefferds said she looks forward to the wintertime just for this event.

“The Upper School Musical is definitely one of my favorite parts of the school year,” Jefferds said. “Although it is difficult at times to juggle rehearsals with my studies, I embrace the challenge because I will miss it so much after next year.”

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

By Zoya Haq | Jade Editor

Sunlight streams through the open windows in the Engineering Workshop as Tianxin Xie bends over her robot, Sparky, and adjusts its position on the table. Xie, a senior, is the robotics team’s newest captain, but her STEM journey started long before she first entered the Engineering Lab.

“I did robotics in sixth grade just to try it and I really enjoyed it,” Xie siad, “So when we got to high school, I wanted to join again because it’s kind of the same system and I wanted to see if it would be just as great of an experience.”

Xie joined the team her freshman year, helping to lead robotics to victory in 2020 Regionals and in the 2021 state competition.

Her love for robotics inspired her to explore another design-related discipline: 3D printing. Xie’s 3D printing endeavors introduced her to an opportunity that would prove to change a life.

“A muscular dystrophy patient could not use her wheelchair because it was missing a piece, and she had been searching for 4 years and nobody could help her make that piece,” Xie said.

The patient’s doctor, Dr Emily McCombs Frisby ’10, reached out to her former science teacher at Hockaday, Brandi Finazzo, for guidance. Finazzo connected her with Xie, as she knew Xie enjoyed 3D printing in her spare time and for robotics.

“I got to design a bunch of prototypes of wheelchair pieces until one worked, and now the patient is able to use her wheelchair,” Xie said.

As this year’s robotics captain, Xie looks forward to continuing to explore the intersection of social impact and robotics, expanding the team and increasing Hockaday’s national robotics presence.

“It’d be great to go past state this year. Coming out of COVID, some things about the game have changed a little,” Xie said. “I’m hoping that, as a team, we’re able to come together and work in an efficient and fun way such that we can accomplish our designs with the speed that we want.”

Photos courtesy Maggie Coleman

RMBL students and teachers pose with balloon they signed before leaving. Junior Maggie Coleman uses binoculars to examine in the field.

Photos courtesy of Tianxin Xie

Xie stands beside patient Sandy S., whose wheelchair part she constructed with Hockaday’s 3D printer

Sparky, Xie’s robot, prepares for competition.

Sports on the meadow

Icons leave inspiring legacies

Serena Williams, Allyson Felix retire after long athletic careers

By Hanna Asmerom | Web Editor

With 858 tour victories, 73 singles titles, one Olympic gold medal and 319 weeks at No.1, Serena Williams has smashed records all over the world. Now, her star-studded career is finally coming to an end. Similarl y, track veteran Allyson Felix, after winning 11 Olympic medals, has wrapped up her momentous caree r

In 1985, teenager Allyson Felix burst into national a nd i nternational competition a s a young phenom and shortly afte r, at age 14, Serena Williams made her way onto the world stage in 1995. Both athletes were incredibly successful, but they were young, black female athletes and faced challenges throughout their careers.

“Allyson has really inspired me to keep going even when I’m tired or unmotivated,” junior track athlete A lyssa A nderson s aid.

Sophomore tennis player Rayna Li said Williams’ accomplishments keep her going in hard times. Their retirement marks the end of an era and makes way for new talents to surface. The athletes’ legac y, howeve r, is still pushing the next generation

“ aving Serena to look u p to re ally inspires me,” L i said.

Beyond t he s ocial s truggles, W illiams encountered push-back for her muscular build. When she was playing in the early 2000s, petite figures were trending, and she would often be told she looked like a man. Thes e comments often discouraged her and made her uncomfortable.

“I have sometimes encountered situations in my life where I feel I don’t fit in or follow the norm. Serena’s career reminds me that if you’re doing something different, you’re making a difference.” World Languages Department Chair and nationallyranked Padel tennis player Alejandra Suárez said.

Both athletes challenged the ster eotype that mothers can’t be successful athletes. After having her daughter in 2018, Felix spoke about the lifethreatening complications she faced during pregnancy. She also publicly talks about how she was denied support from her professional partners throughout her recovery and her return to the track. Despite the adversit y, she still managed to win two Olympic medals after giving birth.

“ To see Allyson’s longevity throughout her career inspired me when I was a college athlete and also now as a mom and a woman of colo r,” said Adaku Ebeniro, health and PE teacher and former college athlete.

At the end of this era of inspiring female athletes

lie two lesser known athletes. Sue Bird and Sylvia

Fowles, Women’s National Basketball Association players, have overcome many challenges in their careers as people of color and as women in a maledominated sport.

All of these athletes have blazed trails and

persevered through challenges to reach the pinnacle of success, and their stories remind others that victory comes only through hard work.

“Looking at these athletes’ legacy reminds me that I can do anything, no matter what comes my way,” Li said.

Photo by Vinod Divakaran via Flickr

Photo courtesy of Tourism Victoria

Photo by Eckhard Pecher

Photo by Edwin Martinez Flickrworker

Sunnie future in lacrosse

Sophomore gains attention from elite national programs

By Elizabeth Truelove | Staff Writer

Whipping her black and yellow stick past her face and into her right hand, Sunnie dodges her defender and seizes her open opportunity, scoring her first of three goals this game. Her teammates congratulate her as they make their way back to center field, resuming one of the hundreds of games sophomore Sunnie Wang played this past summer.

“I was pretty excited for this summer because I wanted to perform to the best of my ability, and I wanted to prove that Texas teams can match against East Coast teams and do really well,” Wang said.

Since the start of her career in fifth grade, Wang knew she wanted to play lacrosse at an elite level. After retiring her middle school jersey, she joined the varsity Lacrosse team and quickly created a reputation for herself.

“Sunnie is a very strong, well-rounded player and it shows,” sophomore teammate Mae Flanagan said.

Wang’s talent gained recognition from two summer camps, the USA Under 16 Combine and Under Armour 150. The USA Combine recruits athletes for the U.S. National Team over a three-day process.

“It’s probably the best thing I’ve ever been to but

also the most nervous I’ve felt in a while. Everyone there is just as good as you are, if not better,” Wang said.

The tryout tested agility, speed, strength and skill level by forming teams and then competing against other athletes. Coming back from the camp, Wang brought home new skill sets as well as things she wants to work on during the upcoming season.

Along with the USA Combine, she also received

Goal-driven season

one of the 150 invitations sent to the class of 2025, inviting her to join the Under Armour 150 camp in Baltimore, Maryland. Here she played against Hockaday teammate Flanagan as well as other athletes in a bracket style competition.

“I liked playing against her because I am really competitive and it makes me a better player,” Flanagan said.

After attending multiple programs this summer and playing at the highest level, Wang said her favorite memory was playing with her Hockaday teammates in the Girls National Lacrosse High School Showcase broadcasted live on ESPN.

“It is not often that varsity seasons end up going into summer and play out of their season,” Wang said. “I loved the varsity team so much this past year and didn’t think I’d get to play with them again. It was awesome getting to take the field with the team one last time.”

Though the team suffered a loss, Wang managed to help her team with three goals and an assist.

“She’s a great teammate to have because she’s powerful and a very large scoring threat,” Flanagan said. “Whenever our team is in a slump, Sunnie always helps to get us out of it.”

Tambe works to improve her game on and off Hockaday’s courts

By Jane Clark | Editor in Chief

Basketball for junior Ashna Tambe is centered around her goals. With the intention of playing in college for four years and contributing to the Hockaday team getting first place in North Zone, she has been working all summer to prepare.

“I played with my AAU team on the Adidas circuit this summer,” Tambe said. “We played in six tournaments — four in July during the live period where college coaches can come watch us in person.”

With coaches watching, the pressure on Tambe and her teammates to perform at their best is especially intense.

Ending the summer with impressive results, Tambe’s team ended up winning the Super 64 National Championship in the top 16u division.

“In my last tournament I broke my club scoring record with 32 points and 7 threes,” Tambe said.

Over the past year, Tambe said she has improved on

her shot range as well as her goal percentage and has gotten physically stronger and faster.

Apart from her club team, Tambe participates in Hockaday varsity basketball.

“Hockaday basketball is super fun and something I really look forward to because I get to be on the court every day with school friends and represent the school,” Tambe said. “Last season I averaged 25.5 points, 3.1 assists, 5.5 rebounds, and 3.3 steals every game.”

This year in the Hockaday season she has set higher goals for herself and her team.

“My goal is to score 1,000 points this season,” Tambe said.

Tambe has continued to improve during high school on the Hockaday court and off with her club team, but with the new season approaching, it is exciting to see what she will do.

As the interest in rowing grows with each passing year, the team’s preseason exhibited a promising increase in competition. In comparison to previous years, senior co-captains Sophia Clavenna and Savannah Frederiksen said an impressive 35 freshman newcomers tried out for the novice team, for which only 15 athletes made the cut. The varsity team looks forward to the first regatta on Sept. 24, when they will face other private schools and clubs from around the Dallas, Austin areas as well as Oklahoma.

Coming off an SPC title win last year, varsity volleyball begins the fall season in full swing, aware of the looming challenge to repeat a record-breaking season. Making it to the Challenger bracket of the Island tournament, the team found success in preseason facing off against 5-6A public schools in the area. Looking forward, the team prepares for regular conference play by honing their chemistry among all grade levels. Co-captain Lauren Ingram congratulates the underclassmen on stepping up to fill vital roles vacated by previous seniors.

Senior co-captain Libby Warren has high expectations for varsity field hockey in the coming season. Building off the work done last year, Warren said the sheer athleticism and skill this team possesses can take them far, hopefully far enough to reclaim a North Zone champion title and find a place within the top three of the Southern Preparatory Conference.

Photo courtesy of Sunnie Wang

Photo courtesy of Ashna Tambe

Sophomore Sunnie Wang shows her athleticism during a match.

Junior Ashna Tambe will strive to score 1,000 points this season.

Sportsmeadow

on the

Daisy demolition

Athletics and Wellness Plan reconstructs some athletic fields

By Anjy Fadairo | Staff Writer

Just days before the pandemic closed the campus in 2020, the Board of Trustees approved the Athletic and Wellness Plan. Now, the plan is in full swing. The fields and track have been demolished and construction on both are well underway.

The athletic plan specifically impacts track and field and softball, as it includes the demolition and construction of a new track with a turf field and a softball diamond. The plan entails the construction of two new competition and practice fields, a cross-country path, easy-access parking, outdoor classroom areas and the new Cornerstone Plaza which includes a concessions pavilion.

With these new updates comes a new challenge for the athletic staff: finding practice spaces for athletes.

The coaching staff is looking for schools to host the track and softball team practices.

“We’re still searching and hoping that something will come through for us,” softball coach Natalie Kozlowski said. “It’s just a matter of finding a place and then getting all of our equipment to and from every day.”

Kozlowski also looks forward to some of the end results of the plan.

“I think we’re going to have a really nice facility and I hope that draws more interest in getting kids involved in softball,” Kozlowski said.

Senior Lola Isom, track and field captain and cross country team

member, said the plan will impact sports teams more deeply than just relocating practices.

“It’ll be important to keep our team bonded because we won’t have a home turf - just commuting to wherever we have to practice,” Isom said.

new facilities, including a track, playing fields oriented north-south, a softball diamond and cross country path. A concessions pavilion, outdoor classrooms and easy-access parking also are on the way.

Jennifer Johnson, Assistant Director of Athletics, said that one of her favorite parts of the plan is that the changes are finally underway.

“It’s been a long time coming to have the right surfaces, for track to be able to host meets and for softball

ALUMNI IN ATHLETICS

Check out what some daisy alumni are doing post graduation

to have a great facility to play in,” Johnson said.

Isom said that she is especially excited for the new track.

“No more shin splints and hip problems and knee problems and back problems,” Isom said.

Dashing into sophomore year of D1

By Amitha Nair | Staff Writer

Quick on her feet, anxious to dribble the ball, hoping to score a goal - Emilia Callahan ‘21 plays midfield and defense on the Dartmouth women’s field hockey team.

Callahan graduated from Hockaday in 2021 and played varsity field hockey for all four years of Upper School, as well as varsity soccer and varsity track & field. Her freshman year, she won the Coach’s Award: an award is given to a player that demonstrates star player qualities like sportsmanship. Her junior year, she was named to the High School National Academic Squad for field hockey along with eight other juniors and seniors, in addition to winning Hockaday’s Most Valuable Player in 2019.

Because she learned how to balance playing sports and studying, Callahan took the values and habits she formed at Hockaday with her to Dartmouth.

“I learned a lot at Hockaday and most importantly I developed the ability to balance my schedule and not wait until the last minute to get something done and not putting the proper amount of time into something,” Callahan said.

“Having 20-plus hours of field hockey on top of school is difficult at times, but Hockaday gave me the skill set to be able to do it.”

When it wasn’t field hockey season, Callahan played field hockey at Lone Star Field Hockey Club. She still plays at Lone Star when she isn’t at Dartmouth with her head coach, Clarence Jannelle encouraging her every step of the way.

“Whenever I can catch five, 10 minutes of the game, I’m jumping onto the Big10 platform so I can see a little bit,” Jennelle said. Janelle was amazed at Callahan’s endless stream of talent.

“She started playing in 7th grade but I had the pleasure to coach her when she was in 9th or 10th grade, she was already one of Hockaday’s better players because of her speed more than anything else,” Jennelle said. “Field hockey gave her an outlet for things that build up during school and she could just cut loose and run and do her thing.”

With her positive attitude and contagious smile, her impact on others was undeniable.

“Emilia was always happy, you could never find the time when she wasn’t

smiling about something,” Jennelle said. She would always be running around, trying her very best in the game.

Not only has she impacted club field hockey, but she was also a role model to her sister, sophomore Annabel Callahan.

“When I watched my sister play field

hockey, she was always having so much fun with her teammates, this inspired me to want to participate in the sport,” Annabel Callahan said. “She was always happy when playing field hockey and this influenced me by always trying to remain positive when playing a sport.”

A

Emilia

field hockey team

Callahan ’21 dribbles past a Central Michigan competitor.

Photo by Doug Austin Photography courtesy of Emilia Callahan

Photo by Julia Small

Fall sports leap into action

Field hockey, cross country, volleyball, cheer and crew start season

By Melody Hu | Editor-in-Chief

Photo by Nancy Chen

Junior Caroline Warlick dribbles the ball in a game against Trinity Valley School. This season, seniors Libby Warren and Lauren Roach are leading the field hockey team. Assistant Athletic Director Jennifer Johnson is serving as the head coach for the varsity team and Coach Meagan Rowe is coaching the junior varsity team.

Senior Brie Johnson sprints to the finish line at the James Smith Invitational Cross Country Meet at Camp Hoblitzelle. Johnson and senior Caroline Petrikas are the captains this season. Many cross countries runners have set personal bests this season.

Photo by Stella Grabham

Junior Alexandra Dassopoulos does a jump at the USA-themed St. Marks pep rally. Cheerleaders have been attending pep rallies at the school on days with home games. They also cheer every Friday at football games. Seniors Abby Carlisle, Sarah Connolly and Maddy Grace Sporl are the team captains this year.

Photo by Ava Tribolet

Junior Avery Jackson jumps for the ball during a game. This season, seniors Payton Ar baugh and Lauren Ingram are leading the volleyball team. They are looking to repeat their SPC win from last season.

Photo by Kailey Bergstedt

Seniors Stella Kozielec and Victoria Pereira row to the finish line during a recent regatta. Sophia Clavenna and Savannah Frederiksen are the captains of the crew team. The head coach is William Forteith.

Photo courtesy of Ava Thigpen

Hockaday planners work for me

By Caroline Petrikas | Managing Editor

On

the first day of school, after my first class, I realized something was missing.

After three years of high school using the trusty Hockaday Planner, staying organized without it is simply impossible. I rushed down the hallway to Dr. K’s office to grab my fresh, new planner out of the box.

With a deep green background and daisies adorning the cover, the planner’s appearance coordinates with my uniform and makes it the perfect accessory for the school hallways. The back page of the front cover is complete with a description of the Four Cornerstones, reminding me of Miss Ela Hockaday’s values and encouraging me to exemplify the characteristics of a true Hockadaisy.

Despite complaints that the Hockaday planners are boring (LIES) or not always the most convenient, I choose to overlook the trivial downsides in comparison to the numerous benefits. I can’t imagine life without the planner and its six-day rotation schedule, class block dividers, and labeled days off.

The numbered days make it impossible for me to forget dress uniform days and form meetings, which are especially important for me. As Convocations Board Chair, I must always be in dress uniform during assemblies. The class block dividers help me keep my

homework organized, remember what assignments are due which days and notice when I have tests coming up. Thanks to the holidays marked in advance, I can use that extra space to plan my days off from school.

Unlike electronic planners, Hockaday’s paper planner is immune to issues of inaccessibility. Computers or iPads might die or glitch and prevent the recording of homework or important tests, thus creating the possibility of forgetting to complete your homework or missing a test date. With the tactile planner Hockaday offers, you never have to worry about not being able to jot down a quick assignment.

I believe the Hockaday planner is the best way to keep up with school events, tests and quizzes, and homework. After the Look Ahead email comes out each week, I can easily scroll through and add my cross country workout plan and any other meetings in the margins so that I can stay on track for all areas of life including sports.

Thinking about my final year with my Hockaday planner is sad because I’ll never have such an informational (and free!) resource at my disposal again. I look forward to staying organized in college and will probably resort to using a different planner, but the advantages of the Hockaday one will never be matched.

HOT

Soft serve and

Planner app keeps

By Melody Tian | News Editor

The best part about finishing a task is getting to check it off of my to-do list. Seeing the check mark appear in the blank box next to the task and my task list getting shorter and shorter gives me an inexplicable feeling of satisfaction. In fact, sometimes when I forget to put a task on my to-do list, I add it just so I can check it off again.

I have experimented with all types of planners in the past, including the Hockaday planner. However, I found that although the Hockaday planner includes different events from the school year, its disadvantages far outweigh the advantages. Ever since my friend recommended an app called “Todo Mate” to me, my Hockaday planner has been buried under piles of books, never to see the daylight again.

To start off, the design of the Hockaday planner is mediocre at best. Its simple green and white layouts get extremely repetitive after just weeks of use. Todo Mate, on the other hand, can be customized. Tasks can be easily organized into different categories, such as personal, school and extracurricular, each

on track

with a different color. Tasks that are incomplete by the end of the day can also be moved to the next day with the click of a button.

Todo Mate is also always readily accessible and can be used either as an app or on the web. Not only can I avoid the inconvenience of forgetting my planner, but I can also save the very precious space in my usually fullto-the-brim backpack. Not to mention, I can also feel good about saving trees in the process.

Another great thing about Todo Mate is the ability to add friends on the app. This way, I can see the tasks my friends choose to make public, which has definitely helped me when it is a dress uniform day or I forget to put down a homework assignment. Seeing the notification of a friend finishing a task also helps motivate me to do work instead of procrastinate.

Maybe you’re tired of the green and white design or maybe your Hockaday planner somehow got soaked in the rain. If so, try out a new planner — it could change your life.

The

Hockaday needs to put as much emphasis on fine arts as they do on athletics. - Anu Akingbade ‘25

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Jane Clark & Melody Hu

EDITOR Caroline Petrikas

EDITORS

Juliana Blazek & Zoya Haq

WEB & SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR

Hanna Asmerom

EDITOR Melody Tian

ARTS & LIFE EDITORS

Caroline Bush & Bennet Trubey

FEATURES EDITOR Harper Harris SPORTS EDITOR

Ambyr Baker VIEWS EDITOR Aadya Kuruvalli

PHOTO, GRAPHICS & CASTOFF EDITOR

Kailey Bergstedt

STAFF WRITERS

Anjy Fadairo

Elle Myers Alexa Muñoz

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. 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.

Back words with action

Amid rise of social media activism, don’t just post —act

Repost this Instagram photo and we’ll plant a tree!

Donate to Change.org to save elephants in Ethiopia! Sign this petition to save a turtle!

Scrolling through Instagram, posts like these flood our screens. We’ve all seen them. They’re eye-catching; they grab you with their colorful graphics and their effusive language. But how realistic – how impactful – are they, really? Can one story repost really save a life or change the world?

When we see these posts on Instagram stories or on Explore pages, they should push us to contemplate that very question, among other more specific ones. Who’s going to be gathering the 4 million seeds needed to plant 4 million repost-fueled trees? Who’s going to be channeling the money we funnel into Change.org (which, by the way, collects 1% of all donations matched through its website) into resource production and aid for elephant populations? What is the link between clicking a petition link and a turtle’s life being saved? Most of the Instagram users participating in these mass online campaigns don’t know the answer to those questions. The reason? There’s often not an answer.

Take Plant a Tree Co., an organization that started a campaign in 2021 to plant one tree for every pet picture reposted with its Instagram sticker. By virtue of their promise, they should have already planted 4.7 million trees by now. But a quick skim

of their recent online presence shows the company, run by a 23-year-old entrepreneur in Florida, has yet to plant even a singular seed.

Another popular fundraising organization, Elephantrescue.net, collected over 25,000 signatures and tens of thousands of dollars to “save elephants in Africa.” However, their efforts were exposed as eco-scamming after investigators identified that the elephants they were “saving” were already in protective custody by African preservationists.

You may be wondering: so what? Even if some Instagram campaigns are fake, it doesn’t cost me anything to repost an image, so why should I care?

Well, metrics prove that “Slacktivism,” as the “social media activism” phenomenon has been so lovingly christened, has dire consequences for real-world action. According to a Tufts poll, only 22% of users who participate in online activism translate their words to offline action. The other 78% feel their clicking of a button makes enough of an impact to excuse inaction. But if many of these online campaigns are fake and no real change is coming out of them, then shouldn’t we be reframing our activism focus to tangible, influential solutions?

At Hockaday, we’re incredibly lucky to be a part of a culture that emphasizes impact and service as two of its core values. When we see statistics on our Instagram feeds about gaps in elementary school reading levels

STEPS

1. Research the issue you’re posting about on news sites and platforms other than Instagram.

2. Research the organization you’re supporting & ensure that their work aligns with your values.

3. Find action items that support the issue you’re reposting about.

4. Post - making sure that you’re doing more behind the screen, as well.

and the education-to-prison pipeline, Hockaday empowers us to do more than just repost a graphic. Through tutoring programs, Institute for Social Impact partnerships and design-based processes, we’re able to work toward an actual solution. We’re able to be a part of the change we seek – and it’s important that we chase that changemaker attitude in our lives outside of school, too, in the ways that we carry ourselves when we’re working to make an impact on the world around us.

So the next time you’re tempted to press the “Add to Story” button on the latest Instagram graphic trend, take a moment to sit and reflect. Learn about the cause you’re claiming to support; research its background and the ways you can actually make an impact. Don’t blindly donate time and money to a cause unless you’re sure your efforts are going to the right place. And when you finally do press the Repost button, do it with intent and with purpose. Do it only to empower others to take real action, as well – action that extends further than a petition link or a digital sticker.

Earning senior privileges

Students deserve clarification of process, requirements

By Ambyr Baker | Sports Editor

To state it plainly, the class of 2023 has not had a typical high school experience. Still, we survived it; whether facing a tornado, snowmageddon, worldwide pandemic, virtual learning or even a presidential election, as a united grade, we made it to our senior year ready to tackle the next challenge.

And that challenge, right now, is earning our senior privileges.

Administration and the senior class are at odds. Why should our class have to wait for our privileges to be granted instead of inherently having a right to these upperclassman perks?

As a senior myself, I also inquired about this. As part of a class who has made it through so much during our high school experience, I and many others feel a natural sense of entitlement to rights distinctly outlined to our grade.

But, that very assumption is where the lines between rights and privileges become blurred and is also my primary reason for believing privileges should be earned rather than automatically allowed.

Contention #1: Making the seniors earn their privileges encourages more responsibility and leadership.

To be quite frank, seniors have not historically handled senior privileges with much grace. Most of us will agree that in years prior, these advantages were almost flaunted in underclassmen’s faces

— simply on account of “seniority.”

This term somehow wields so much power over the upper school, disregarding any sort of standard that a senior should and must uphold to rightfully earn that label.

Enforcing the idea that senior privileges are not easily granted encourages unity among all classes.

Contention #2: Think about safety.

More specifically, with a privilege like leaving campus, think about all the opportunities that open up for us: an unrestricted food choices, a lunch date with friends, time to run personal errands or even a chance to catch a quick nap on your couch at home — freedom is everywhere! But, at the same time, we must think realistically.

Allowing young drivers to travel anywhere, at any time, comes with an inherent risk.

However, if we show we can handle ourselves well throughout free periods, the senior retreat, during school events, etc., we correspondingly demonstrate we are mature enough to handle ourselves beyond the school’s halls.

I’ll be honest: I did not really see the other side of this argument until I spoke with administrative voices such as Head of Upper School Lisa Culbertson ’96, Upper School Dean of Students Jordan Innerarity or Assistant Head of Upper School Dr. Tiffani Kocsis. And I do not think my annoyance with their rules necessarily

came from a place of negligence.

My call to administration: if seniors treat your rules with respect, we deserve that respect to be reciprocated.

To clarify, my questions to you would be these: what prerequisites are involved in the decision of granting privileges at all? What qualities constitute a “good” class that earns privileges early? When each and every senior graduates into their respective post-high school lives and newly possesses an infinite load of freedom, what is the school’s deliberate plan for preparing us for that next step?

Overall, yes, I do agree that senior privileges should be earned, but our attitude toward the administration’s strict policies should not be shrugged off or met with disdain. The senior class requests more explanation.

Let this article serve as an exhortation to both sides.

To seniors: understand the administration’s rules come with thoughtful reasoning. They plan, prepare and execute those rules to keep the Upper School in balance.

To administration: understand that as seniors, we should be treated as young adults who are aware actions have consequences and responsibility comes with trust.

We want to and are working toward earning these privileges. Please help us by being more transparent.

The staff editorial

consensus

Senior Shirt Spotlight

Every year,

Emily Loftus

Audrey Mitts & Ava Stern

By Kailey Bergstedt

Editor

“My dad has called me Teeny Tiny since I was little so it has a lot of significance for me.”

Mili Pathak

“I chose this name because it is a nickname my friends have called me since freshman year.”

“I wanted my senior shirt name to be a play on my last name and I think this word is very fitting.”

“Mili Rock” is a nickname my friends have always called me that comes from the dance move.”

choose