The Fourcast December 2021

FOURCAST THE

THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

11600 WELCH ROAD

WHAT’S INSIDE

DALLAS, TX 75229 DECEMBER 14, 2021

VOLUME 72, ISSUE 3

PUBLICATIONS PROCESSES

BUSINESS AND ECONOMICS COMBINE

READING THE SIGNS

Take a look behind the scenes of The Fourcast, Cornerstones and Vibrato literary magazine

Students in the Breaking the Glass Ceiling class gain real-world experience by creating their own business pitches.

Fourcast staff members take opposing stands on astrology.

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CURRENCY COMMON CLIMBS TO CRYPTO What is cryptocurrency and how does it relate to the world now?

Flip to pg. 12-13 to find out.

Illustration by Stella Sigurdsson

December 14, 2021

THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

THE

02news

“

It was like a sign. We could have been there, could have been in the middle of it all. ” Your World Today, p. 04

Going ‘mask optional’ FDA approval of vaccine for ages 5-11 factor in decision to update guidelines

By Anna Gum | Editor-In-Chief Recently, the FDA approved the Pfizer vaccine for children ages 5 to 11. This approval and other considerations regarding COVID safety played a role in the school’s decision to make wearing masks optional beginning in January.

T

he FDA approved the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine for children ages 5 through 11 on Oct. 29. Four days later, the CDC released a statement endorsing and recommending the vaccine for children ages 5 through 11. This approval has already had implications in the Hockaday community, including influencing the decision to transition to mask-optional beginning Jan. 18.

Similar to the Pfizer dose adults and children ages 12-17 receive, kids ages 5-11 receive two primary doses over the course of three weeks, but will receive a lower dose than individuals aged 12 and older. Thus far, the vaccine has been found to be 90.7% effective in this age range, according to the FDA website, as compared to the 95% for ages 16 and older.

According to Acting FDA Commissioner Janet Woodcock, availability of the vaccine for younger children is an important step in recovering from COVID-19.

“Vaccinating younger children against COVID-19 will bring us closer to a sense of normalcy,” Woodcock said in a media statement.

The school has already announced its decision to go mask-optional at the start of 2022 since the vaccine became

available for younger children. Eugene McDermott Head of School Dr. Karen Warren Coleman sent an email to the Hockaday community on Nov. 12 to deliver this news. According to Coleman, the approval of the vaccine for ages 5-11 played a significant role in this decision.

“One critically important factor is our vaccination rate on campus,

which continues to climb,” Coleman said in her email. “With the approval of the vaccine for the 5-11 age group, we are hopeful that these rates will continue to rise.”

Several other factors played into the decision to change the mask guidelines, however.

“In managing through COVID, decisions have been based on cumulative information,” Coleman said,

“and there’s not one single thing that pushes you over the edge.”

Coleman consulted with the Medical Advisory Committee and the heads of school at numerous private schools in Dallas while making this decision, taking into account case numbers on campus, quarantine numbers on campus and CDC recommendations, as well as campus vaccination rates.

As more and more Dallas private schools make the transition to mask-optional, including St. Mark’s, Greenhill and Jesuit, Coleman and the Medical Advisory Committee have observed and learned from their

‘With the approval of the vaccine for the 5-11 age group, we are hopeful that these [vaccination] rates will continue to rise.’

Dr. Karen Warren Coleman Eugene McDermott Head of School

not knowing what’s coming next has caused a lot of whiplash, so we wanted to avoid coming out of the gate with a decision and then saying ‘oops.’”

Taking all of these factors into account, Coleman decided to announce the change in mask guidelines several weeks before the change will take effect.

“We want it to be fair to families to be able to think about whether they’re comfortable getting their children vaccinated,” Coleman said, “but to know that as a School it is time for us to begin to emerge from the other side Graphic by Olivia Park of this.”

While students each COVID-19 policies, noting whether have their own thoughts and reactions and why going mask-optional has to the change in mask guidelines, been successful or not in other senior Fiona Chen shared her schools. excitement about choosing when she “In this case it felt totally fine to wants to wear a mask. be second or third because you get to “I will probably still wear one,” learn from other people’s decisions,” Chen said, “but I also know a lot of Coleman said. “One of the things people don’t really like wearing them, we’ve heard loud and clear from our so it’ll be nice to have less pressure to community all along during COVID is wear one in general.” that the uncertainty of decisions and

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news

December 14, 2021 | THE FOURCAST

CHECKING IN WITH

JEFF

Y

HULBERT

Snafus in the Supply Chain

Calculus and computer science teacher Dr. Jeffrey Hulbert talks about his teaching experience and life outside of the classroom.

Global supply, demand issues have local effects

By Elisa Carroll | Web Editor

Q. What inspired you to teach?

Chief Operations Officer Joan Guzman discusses the effects supply chain issues have had on Hockaday.

By Libby Hill | Managing Editor

T

he supply chain has always been a behind-the-scenes part of America.

Until “necessities” like breakfast cereal, computer chips, car parts and exercise equipment hard to find.

In 2021, especially in the United States, an item ordered with the click of a button is expected to arrive in two days or less.

Companies like Amazon and Instacart grew during the pandemic their convenience.

Dr. Cullum Clark, irector of the Bush Institute-SMU Growth Initiative at Southern Methodist University and an adjunct professor of economics, said the supply chain has seen changes during the 21st century.

“Companies have realized that the most efficient method of production is to separate their inputs and have them manufactured at different places to eventually come together at one,” Clark said. “This is a more efficient method of manufacturing that allows companies to have less inventory and have less money tied up.”

But here is where the issue comes into play. Most companies have low inventories on hand and have separate facilities that make different inputs for their products.

When one factory or one product is missing, the entire product is unfinished.

Early in 2020, factories in countries that manufacture products for most of the globe — like China, South Korea, Taiwan, Vietnam and Germany — had to close after the spread of Coronavirus cases.

In response, shipping companies cut their schedules in anticipation of the drop in demand for moving goods around the world.

While demand for some things — like restaurant meals, vacations, spa services — dropped, demand for material goods rose exponentially. People used money they had directed toward places like restaurants and

03

A. I’ve always loved the discovery aspect of teaching, where you help people realize concepts that are viewed as difficult like calculus or economics are very doable and fun in the right environment. Teaching is a career where if you bring great energy and skill you can really make a tangible difference in your student’s lives, which I find very rewarding. As a nice bonus, now when I want to bake I have students who will keep me from having to eat an entire cheesecake myself, so it’s also a great diet routine.

Q. What have you enjoyed about teaching at Hockaday so far?

A. I love the energy and passion the students at Hockaday have for learning. You are all hilarious and incredibly gifted, so it’s a true honor to get to help teach you.

Q. What can you tell me about your cats?

Graphic by Meera Malhotra

desk chairs, puzzles and gym equipment. But now there was no shipping for them.

This has affected just about every product on the market, and is even affecting the goods used daily at school, like paper products, food for Sage or even new computers for fifth-graders.

Chief Operations Officer Joan Guzman said delivery delays are substantial.

“As it relates to raw materials, we are seeing four- to six-week delays on things like paper products,” Guzman said. “Our tech department has been working now for months to try to replace our touch panels in classrooms and those have been three, four or five months behind schedule in delivery times.”

Luckily, Hockaday has a significant back stock of items like paper products and disinfectant to make sure there is always enough on campus.

While supply chain problems are expected to be prevalent during the 2021-22 holiday season, the Wall Street Journal reported shipping and retail executives hope issues will wane once demand for goods slows in the spring, as it typically does after the holidays.

A. I have seven wonderful cats my wife has rescued. Three girls named Katie, Kimchi, and Yuzu, and four boys named Manu, Shadow, Tonka, and Isthmus. All of them have unique personalities and preferences, so they are a lot of fun to interact with. Kimchi, the youngest, loves to play fetch with her toys and will start tossing your things off a table to get your attention if it’s time to play. Manu is obsessed with treats and will yell at you, or do this dance on your leg where he whooshes his paws up and down to let you know he’s hungry for decent food. Overall, cats are the greatest!

Q. What is your favorite thing to bake

and why?

A. I bake to make my family happy, so my favorite thing to bake is my wife’s favorite dessert, Habanero Honey Semifreddo, with my homemade habanero-infused honey. It has a great spicy/sweet combination and a semifreddo is a much lighter version of ice cream that pairs well with something with a kick. I also like making classic fruit tarts because they are pretty, and I love the challenge of making multiple elements and finding interesting flavors to pair with fruit for a balanced dessert. Making crème patisserie from scratch is a really fun activity, since it blends chemistry and attention to detail and creates something so uniquely delicious when it is done properly.

TIDBITS & TALES What’s new on campus?

SPC Crowning

Upper School Students and parents gathered to watch the Varsity Volleyball SPC Crowning in the amphitheater on Nov. 18. Coaches and players received daisy crowns and were presented with a mini version of their SPC Champions banner that will hang on the fence facing Welch Road and Forest Lane.

Terrific Talents

Upper School faculty and staff surprised students with a Faculty Talent Show during conference Dec. 1. They performed acts including stand–up comedy routines, cartwheels, singing, playing instruments and even a dance routine.

Dynamic Duos

Freshmen and seniors gathered for the Big Sis/Lil Sis Lunch on Dec. 2. The Big Sis/Lil Sis program is a tradition where every senior is paired with an incoming freshman to act as a mentor. The pairs dressed in “dynamic duo” costumes and participated in a mini fashion show to display their outfits.

Photos by Estee Phaneuf, Remy Finn and Jordan Innerarity

04

December 14, 2021

THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

THE

YOUR WORLD TODAY

THE

AFTERMATH OF

ASTROWORLD

Recently, fans at the Astroworld Music Festival went from dancing to fighting for lives. What does this mean for the world?

By Zoya Haq | Arts & Life Editor

T

ravis Scott’s Astroworld Festival transformed from an exciting weekend of music into a mass casualty event on Nov. 5, taking the lives of 10 attendees and injuring more than 300 others.

The deaths include two teenagers, aged 14 and 16, and one 9-year-old.

Fifty thousand people attended the Astroworld Festival, flooding the parking lot of NRG Park in Houston on the night of the 5th. The sheer size of the crowd has posed questions as to what audience numbers are safe at festivals and as to how such large-scale events can really be controlled.

The Astroworld festival has also prompted a media discussion surrounding “rage culture.” At large concerts like Scott’s, mosh pits and audience-related injuries are common.

At Astroworld, Scott reportedly yelled, “We want rage!” and prompted security surrounding the stage to “get the f--- back.” Pyrokinetics, flying dove props and booming sound prompted some people online, including KISS guitarist Ace Frehley, to compare the festival to a “satanic ritual.”

Scott has been charged with inciting violence at past events. He pleaded guilty to charges saying he encouraged fans to rush the stage both at Lollapalooza in 2015 and at an Arkansas concert in 2017.

Reportedly, Scott also encouraged a fan to jump from a high platform at a 2017 concert, saying, “I see you, but are you going to do it? They gonna catch you. Don’t be scared!” While that fan did not end up jumping, another concertgoer named Kyle Green was forced toward the edge of the platform in the excitement and fell off. He was paralyzed.

Green’s lawyer said in an interview with Rolling Stone that, after hearing about the tragedy at Astroworld this year, Green was “incensed by the fact that it could have been avoided had Travis learned his lesson in the past and changed his attitude about inciting people to behave in such a reckless manner.”

Scott, who has hosted the Houston festival since the release of his album by the same name in 2018, issued a statement on his social media following the festival’s cancellation.

“I’m absolutely devastated by what happened last night,” Scott tweeted on Nov. 6. “I am committed to working together with the Houston community to heal and support the families in need.”

Scott offered to cover all funeral costs for the lives lost at the festival. He also reimbursed all concert attendees.

The event both began and ended in chaos. Before the concert began, a reported crush of thousands of people bypassed security and jumped concert barricades, flooding the event arena.

Scott performs at Openair Frauenfeld in Germany in 2019. The artist has a history of encouraging fans to rush the stage during his concerts.

Photo by Frank Schwichtenberg (Share Alike 4.0 International license.)

Many did not have tickets but wanted the festival’s organizers. to be a part of the action and see A $750 million lawsuit against Scott live.

Travis Scott, Drake and concert As a result, the concert’s crowd was organizers was filed on Nov. 16 on larger than originally intended, which behalf of 125 victims, including likely contributed to more injuries.

21-year-old Axel Acosta, who died.

Scott is facing Sophomores legal action Abby Grace by impacted McGowan and families. More Estee Phaneuf ‘We didn’t really know what than 100 lawsuits we were getting into when were planning have been to attend the we bought the tickets.’ filed against Astroworld him and the festival but Abby Grace McGowan ended up selling festival’s event Sophomore their tickets at staff, including claims Scott (McGowan and her the last minute. incited violence, “We didn’t friend ended up selling overbooked the really know what their tickets.) festival venue we were getting and did not hire into when we trained first bought the responders. tickets,” McGowan said. “They didn’t The family of 9-year-old Ezra give us any information on how many Blount, who, after being trampled at people were going or how big it was.” the concert, was in a coma until his McGowan and Phaneuf noted their Nov. 15 passing, filed a $1 million relief at having narrowly escaped the lawsuit against Scott and LiveNation, disaster of the festival.

“It was like a sign,” Phaneuf said.

“We could have been there, could have been in the middle of it all.”

Some people are taking the Astroworld tragedy as a final sign to stay away from large music events, citing safety fears and past experiences with near-suffocation. According to Billboard.com, 32 million people attend music festivals per year in the United States; over a 10-year period, nearly 70,000 people were critically injured and 232 people killed due to festival-related causes. Astroworld brought this statistic to startling light - while the casualty numbers at Astroworld were far higher than typically seen in the festival industry, they reflect that large music events can be more dangerous than they seem.

What this means for the festival industry is yet to be agreed upon; however, the one shared takeaway that most have gleaned from Astroworld is to stick together at large music events, stay away from the stage and recognize when a situation has turned dangerous - or deadly.

WHAT YOU CAN DO NOW These places are two of many offering help to those affected by the event at Astroworld. Scan the codes to access their sites.

This link redirects to GoFundMe which benefits those who were affected by the tragedy.

This link redirects to BetterHelp, a service offering free therapy to those affected by Astroworld.

HOCKADAYFOURCAST.ORG

December 14, 2021 | THE FOURCAST

05

Photo by Margot Meyer

news

Carter BloodCare arrives at Hockaday to assist seniors in administering the blood drive for students and faculty.

Helping Hockadocs

On-campus drive collects blood to save lives

By Melody Hu | Arts & Life Editor

A

t the Nov. 25 blood drive, 18 students and faculty members were able to donate a pint of blood each, saving more than 50 lives.

Seniors Shree Allada and Margot Meyer, who organized the drive, plan on hosting another with Carter BloodCare in the spring. They would like for the blood drive to become a regular event.

“I thought that it would be a great and easy way for me to give back to my community and make a direct positive impact,” said junior Charlie Hamilton, one of the donors.

Allada and Meyer worked with Carter BloodCare to hold the blood drive on campus. Carter BloodCare is one of Texas’s largest blood donation centers, with mobile units they take to schools and companies.

Allada and Meyer, presidents of the HockaDocs Medical Club, wanted to

use their passion for medicine to help donate blood during the school day. others in need. Hockaday has worked The screening and donation process with Carter BloodCare in years past, takes around 45 minutes. but the event Donors was put on hold started out because of the by filling out ‘Especially with the pandemic, pandemic. Last a screening blood has been in such high year, Allada app that asks demand in our community, and Meyer questions decided to use about the so it was important for us to the already donor’s health find a way to use our resources established and medical to help.’ relationship history. Then, with Carter Shree Allada the Carter BloodCare Hockadocs President BloodCare to help the staff assessed community. a donor’s “Especially with the pandemic, viability to donate blood. They test blood has been in such high demand in for hydration, iron levels and blood our community, so it was important for pressure, among other factors. us to find a way to use our resources to “Someone’s viability to donate blood help,” Allada said. can change from day to day because During the blood drive, the mobile factors like hydration, food intake and unit was parked in front of the Health iron can change so frequently and affect Center and students and faculty could blood donation,” Allada said.

There are additional restrictions for people who can get their blood drawn.

Donors need to weigh more than 110 pounds and be over age 16. Sixteenyear-olds need parental consent.

Donors’ iron levels need to be within a healthy range, and there are restrictions for those who have traveled internationally in the past few years.

After the donors passed their tests, the nurses drew their blood, which took about 15 minutes.

The most common reason a student is not able to donate blood is iron deficiency. Iron deficiency is common among teenage girls because of blood loss during periods.

In the past, there also were misconceptions about whether gay people could donate blood because of AIDS risks, but these restrictions are currently not in place.

Each donor gave a pint of blood, which can save up to three lives. The blood goes to local hospitals such as UT Southwestern, Children’s Medical Center and Baylor Medical Center.

“Hospitals are constantly in need of blood,” Meyer said, “so donating blood is such a direct way to make an impact on our community.”

LOOKING FOURWARD Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Celebration Jan. 14

Ceramics Reception Jan. 19

Social Impact Food Drive Jan. 24-28

Photos provided by Scott Peek, Caroline Bush and Lili Beck

December 14, 2021

THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

THE

06arts & life

“

If you are an Adele fan or not, “30” is a must listen.”

Awesome Adele, p. 8

Preparing for publications

Enter the world of The Fourcast, yearbook, and Vibrato

By Hanna Zhang | Copy Editor seeing our yearbook staff truly working as a team to complete pages before deadlines and help each other out with everything, it honestly is an absolute blast working in the Cornerstones room all together again.”

Step into the publications room on the third floor of the library and work alongside The Fourcast,Cornerstones and Vibrato as they go through the process of creating a publication and sending it to press.

The Fourcast Gathered around the large table in the publications room, staff members of The Fourcast exchange their story ideas, the first step in the many involved with publishing an issue of the newspaper.

As newspaper staff members, writers undergo a process of brainstorming story ideas, gathering interviews, writing articles, placing content on pages and finally publishing the newspaper, with six issues per year.

This procedure is entirely student-led, with Editors-in-Chief Anna Gum and Maddie Stout directing and assisting the staff members as needed.

Along with the staff writers, there are editors for each section of the newspaper: News, Arts & Life, Features, Sports and Opinions. The Fourcast also welcomes guest writers to publish articles and features the work of artists who work alongside the staff writers.

The process of releasing an issue begins with brainstorming ideas. Each member of the publication comes up with at least three story ideas to bring to the story discussion the next class. While each person will offer up their ideas, oftentimes during this discussion, other staff members will also provide their own input and views to a story idea. This allows for each idea to be fully fleshed out and an engaged, combined effort from many perspectives.

After this discussion Gum and Stout, along with Managing Editor Libby Hill, compile a story list with the most timely and suitable ideas from the discussion.

After distribution of the story ideas among the staff, writers begin gathering interviews and photos and begin to write their stories. For the next couple of classes, staff members are working on their articles as well as chatting among themselves, making the publications room a loud but comfortable environment of collaboration.

Each article goes through a series of four drafts: the first draft goes to the editors-in-chief; the second to adviser Julia Copeland; the third to copy editor Hanna Zhang; and the final draft back to the editors-in-chief. Once drafts are finished, section editors can begin placing stories and designing their pages, filling in headlines, body text, pictures and captions.

This same process is mimicked while working on Jade, the magazine, except first and final drafts are reviewed by Jade Editor Katherine Grace Estess.

After the majority of drafts are completed, section editors come into the publications room over the weekend to finish their spreads. Staff members not in charge of a section arrive in shifts, aiding with cutouts or changing the lengths of their stories as necessary to fit on the

page. This workday is often accompanied by breakfast foods and energetic music.

The publication procedure, while at times can go smoothly, faces difficulties as well. Stout said a big obstacle is getting pictures and artwork in on time.

“I have wanted to join Fourcast since I was in lower school, and always flipped through the newspapers and imagined my own name in the byline.”

Maddie Stout Fourcast Editor-in-Chief “The staff is really good at finishing their work on time,” Stout said. “The difficult aspect is working with the people who don’t necessarily understand the journalistic process or the importance of deadlines.”

Even with all the obstacles, Stout said it is the most rewarding feeling in the world to look at the paper after it has come out.

“I have wanted to join The Fourcast since I was in Lower School, and always flipped through the newspapers and imagined my own name in the byline,” Stout said. “Even though you see the paper on the computer screen, it’s so much better to hold it in your own hands and feel the ink rub onto your fingers.”

Cornerstones Similar to The Fourcast, members of Cornerstones yearbook undergo a process of collecting interviews and designing pages; however, their work culminates in one large book to be completed by the end of the year. The process to publish the yearbook for the next year starts in May the year prior, when the staff outlines their goals for the following school year and brainstorms ideas for the theme.

In early August, the yearbook staff hosts workshops to welcome new staff members and to review Adobe Indesign and Photoshop as well as photography skills and journalistic writing practices.

In the weeks before the start of classes as well as the first few weeks of school, the members solidify the theme, colors, fonts and cover design for the yearbook.

Deadlines occur four times a year, when the staff turns in a set number of pages each deadline up until March.

The book covers events chronologically, each deadline covering specific topics of academics, student life, athletics and

Vibrato

Payton Thurman and KK Swango work on yearbook theme pages. other Hockaday events that occur for their respective season.

“One of our main goals this year was to organize responsibilities for each staff member far in advance so that they can maximize their work time during class to create a polished final product for each deadline,” Co-Editor-in-Chief Victoria Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez and Co-Editor-in-Chief KK Swango create modules in InDesign for each staff member to use in their individual pages. These modules organize information on each page of the book so staff members are able to fill them in with quotes, pictures and stories.

Throughout the year, staff members conduct interviews with faculty and students, taking pictures and building pages on Adobe InDesign for the school’s events and everyday life. The publications room may seem loud and chaotic during this time, but all the members are working in different ways in order to complete their pages. The goal is to create stories that illustrate the school community, with a particular focus on specific changes introduced in the current school year.

With this goal in mind, yearbook members work to cover the variety across the school properly, often spending time gathering interviews or photos outside of class time at Lower School or at Penson.

Final deadline pages are turned in right before spring break.

Gonzalez said one of the biggest obstacles has been working around COVID-19.

“We really try to stay away from including hundreds of pictures of students in masks in the yearbook, as we would love to showcase full faces in smiles from the school year,” Gonzalez said.

To Gonzalez, yearbook was the opportunity to use her imagination and creativity to build an important, memorable book for all students.

Additionally, her time on the yearbook staff has influenced her career path; Gonzalez plans to pursue graphic design and yearbook in college as well.

“We work in a very collaborative environment, where all staff members help out one another, regardless of if you are paired up with that student on a page or not,” Gonzalez said. “I love

Different from the other two publications, in creating a literary magazine, members of Vibrato compile the literature, artwork and media from the student body into one cohesive piece. The magazine is heavily dependent on the work of others, as the staff takes in other people’s works and showcases the talent of artists and writers across the Upper School.

The process begins with gathering submissions up until January, and throughout that time staff members work to understand the process of constructing the magazine as well as developing the necessary skills within Adobe InDesign. Vibrato is the only publication that doesn’t require Intro to Journalism as a prerequisite so the older staff members instruct the newer members on how to work with the different programs required.

During this time, the staff also is making promotional posters and hosting bake trades and other events to encourage students to submit their works of art and literature.

Each submission is reviewed in an anonymous format with conversations and discussions about whether the pieces fit with Vibrato. Members critique each work as if the artist is in the room then take an anonymous vote on whether to include the piece in the magazine. Then Co-Editors-inChief Abigail Ruble and Gabriella Rees create pairings of art and literature for the staff to include on their spreads, until finally Ruble and Rees proofread to prepare to publish.

As creativity takes time, Ruble said this limits the amount of time the members of Vibrato have to work on their spreads, so a lot of the work falls heavily right after spring break. Even with this deadline pressure, Ruble said she likes that she is able to display the creative works of other students.

“That’s why I like Vibrato so much,” Ruble said, “as it has the ability to display what everyone has got and their talents in a different form and medium that’s equally accessible through the website. It just brings everyone together in its own way.”

Sophia Fowler and Maya Malik collaborate on a spread for the December yearbook deadline.

HOCKADAYFOURCAST.ORG

December 14, 2021 | THE FOURCAST

arts & life

Seventh-grader publishes novel

07

Naisha Randhar traces journey to becoming a teen author

By Aadya Kuruvalli | Staff Writer

Seventh-grader Naisha Randhar publishes her first book, “Roses of Arma” Seventh-grader Naisha Randhar published her first novel, “Roses of Arma,” Oct. 18. While she said she has always had an interest in writing, this is the first work she has ever completed and published.

Teen writers are not given the same backing as their adult counterparts, but platforms for publishing work still exist for them. For those looking to publish their writings informally, websites such as Wattpad and Archive of Our Own are some places for creative and fanfiction writers to begin.

Publishing a novel, however, is a little different from publishing online.

Companies such as Amazon, Apple, and Barnes and Noble have all created platforms for writers who seek to self-publish. Kindle Direct Publishing, Apple Books, and Barnes and Noble Press are all great places for people who seek to publish their own works.

But before a book can be published, it needs to be written. Randhar said she worked on “Roses of Arma” for 17 months before publishing it. Five months were spent on her first draft and almost a year was spent on revising

and editing.

“I wrote almost 15 drafts before I felt ready to publish,” Randhar said.

“I’m lucky my dad helped edit mine because he’s a really good writer.”

Kindle Direct Publishing gave Randhar a free editor, but she mentioned that most of her revising came from her father and other close friends. For teen writers, passing a draft through multiple people helps check for mistakes.

“It’s really hard,” Randhar said, “because we have to go and check our own grammar and mistakes.”

To release her work on Kindle Direct Publishing, Randhar had to design her cover, as well. The cover of “Roses of Arma” features the main heroes and the villain, but Randhar spent a while finding the right person to draw it.

“The first cover artist we went to was kind of a fraud,” Randhar said. “He kept pulling stuff off the internet.”

For all teen authors, publishing a book might seem like a huge challenge, but self-publishing makes it a feasible goal for many. The difficult part is writing the book, not publishing it, Randhar said.

“The hardest part of writing a book,” she said, “is having the work ethic to sit down and do it.”

Naisha’s

WRITING PROCESS How ‘Roses of Arma’ was born 1. Brainstorming 2. Writing a first draft. “The hardest part of writing a book is having the work ethic to sit down and do it,” Randhar said.

3. Continuing the drafting process by revising and editing. Naisha went through almost 15 drafts.

4. Finding a cover illustrator.

5. Advertising the book’s release and publishing the final copy.

ARTIST SPOTLIGHT

A journey to victory

Sophomore Madeleine Chen ranks in top 12 in national dance competition

By Melody Tian | Staff Writer

B

right lights, music playing in the background and a vast crowd could be someone’s biggest nightmare, but for sophomore Madeleine Chen, the stage is home. Last month, Chen placed in the top 12 of the senior classical division of the renowned dance competition Youth America Grand Prix.

Her triumph was captured through a short and sweet Instagram post, but her achievements were acquired through years of perseverance and hard work.

Chen’s dance journey officially began when she was 8, when she started taking classical ballet training at The Dallas Conservatory. However, she was soon faced with challenges.

“At the beginning of my career there was a lot of body shaming,” Chen said.

“Getting told to start diets at 8 years old was extremely mentally draining, and

“After every two-minute dance, I am wheezing... the reason I push through every single time is because it’s an outlet for me to express myself.”

Madeleine Chen Sophomore

something nobody should go through.”

The stereotypes of having the perfect body surrounded Chen, as well as the words “you will never make it”.

Being in the dance field also means numerous injuries. At the age of 11 or 12, Chen fractured her ankle and was diagnosed with tendinitis.

“Everytime after taking a break for an injury, it took weeks or even months to rebuild her muscle strength.” Madeleine’s mom, Linda Hou said. “She definitely would have quit a long time ago if it wasn’t for her passion for dance.”

Chen believes having the right people behind her has also helped her tremendously in her dance journey.

Her biggest supporter has always been her mom, who has been there for every part of her life. There are also other people who understand what she goes through.

“All of my dance friends and dance teachers are always there,” Chen said. “Every single one of them has experienced what I’ve experienced, and some of them have actually been through the professional career.”

For Chen, it was important to prove to herself she could face the obstacles despite what anybody else said. Her love for dance has gotten her through so much, she said, she keeps that in mind during tough and trying times.

This year’s Grand Prix proved to be another challenge for Chen, as she

Madeleine Chen holds her Youth America Grand Prix award.

Photo courtesy of Madeleine Chen

entered into the senior division for the first time and competed against dancers ages 15-20.

“It’s extremely hard for me to compete because I have to balance dance with all my school work at Hockaday.” Chen said. “Even though I dance until 8 p.m. or even 10 p.m. each day after school, most people dance from 9 in the morning to 8 at night.”

Because of these circumstances, having a good mindset and competing for the right reasons was crucial for Chen’s recent success.

“Madeleine really adjusted herself to the situation so she can perform calmly,” Hou said. “She decided to compete with herself instead of anyone else, showing improvement year by year. Out of everything,

I am most proud of her dedication and perseverance.”

Aside from her accolades, Chen also uses dance to inspire others and help out those in need. She partnered with sophomore musician Elizabeth Echt to establish the non-profit organization Visions for Confidence.

“It’s a great thing if you have a passion for doing something and you share it with other people,” Echt said.

“We just want to help others build up their confidence through dance, music, or an instrument.”

So far, the organization has given out four scholarships to dancers to help fulfill fees for competitions and advance their training.

Dance is more than a hobby to Chen, and through all her highs and lows she persisted and helped others along the way.

“I would say dance is hard yet exhilarating,” Chen said. “After every two-minute dance, I am wheezing, coughing, and so out of breath, and the reason I push through every single time is because it’s an outlet for me and a way to express myself.”

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December 14, 2021

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THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

THE ON THE SCREEN

reviews Exotic’s Broken Record stars

By Lea Whitley | Castoff Editor

In March 2020, as stay-at-home orders forced us into our houses and onto our couches, Netflix’s original series “Tiger King” seemed to captivate us all. The docu-series captured quirky zoo owner Joe Exotic and his much darker, more dramatic murder-for-hire plan against Carole Baskin, a fellow big cat enthusiast.

This show became something people loved, a common link during a time of such uncertainty. But when I saw that a second season was going to air at the end of November 2021, I was skeptical. Was “Tiger King” ever meant to be more than a one-off Netflix original? I didn’t think so.

The first episode spotlights Eric Love, an Exotic enthusiast so sure that Donald Trump would pardon Joe that he ordered a limo to wait outside the prison for his arrival. This opening showed me this series would be focused less on the actual tigerhandling dynamic and more on the various characters emerging from the woodwork in hopes of Netflix fame.

Surface-level already.

5 stars

Wikimedia Commons photo

‘Tiger King 2’ meaningless cash grab

As I continued to watch with subtle agony, it was hard not to feel like this season was the same story all over again. There are continual references to the successes of the original season and constant repetition of old clips and interviews (clearly because the true stars of season one were too afraid to show their faces to Netflix ever again). Did the producers really think I forgot what had happened when I glued my eyes to the screen watching Exotic a year before?

Maybe it was because I wasn’t locked in my home with nothing but a new banana bread recipe to excite me, but I found it extremely difficult to forget how emotionless and lacking in remorse the subjects of the series are. Watching the story replayed all over again almost made me feel like I was a bad person for giving these people attention greater than what they’ve already gotten. These people don’t deserve any more fame.

Additionally, this series is clearly not one meant to impart any sort of extra information or wisdom to the audience. It’s made to spin the already broken record of “Wow! Look how crazy these people are!” I kept finding myself wondering...when are we going to talk about the abused

HARPER’S THOUGHTS

Staff Writer Harper Harris loves pop culture – and she’s here to tell us what we should know right now.

I am a huge fan of Taylor Swift, and “Red” is one of my favorite of her albums. When Swift announced in June she was rerecording her fourth album, I was excited but disappointed I would have to wait five months for its release in November.

When Nov. 13 rolled around, I was thrilled to finally listen to the album I had been waiting for since June. As a fan, I knew she had worked very hard to re-record and completely own her work, so it was worth the wait.

Swift is re-recording her first six albums because she wants

Photo courtesy of Netflix

tigers again?

To me, “Tiger King” 2 feels like a blatant cash grab. What producers failed to realize, which so utterly ruined the success of a second season, is that the world has changed greatly since March 2020.

These same self-obsessed characters continue to care about only themselves while the true victims, the animals, suffer in utter silence. Giving attention to the bad decisions these people made, and the terrible figures they continue to be, is giving press to the entirely wrong issue. I honestly wish Netflix had just taken the funds used to make this season, donated them to big cat sanctuaries and called it a year.

ON THE RECORD

Amazing Adele

Look inside the British singer’s new album, ‘30’

By Campbell Harris | News Editor

After not releasing music for six years, Adele released her new album “30” on Nov. 19. The album reflects her complex feelings after going through a divorce and the effect it has on her son.

Her first single from the album, “Easy on Me,” had all the characteristics you would expect from a heartbreaking Adele ballad. However, she takes risks through the rest of her album, featuring some of the most up-tempo songs of her career.

These risks are featured on “Oh My God,” with the album’s most intense production of claps, organ, piano and bass supporting Adele’s journey.

Additionally, “Cry Your Heart Out” is included as a happier song with playful vocals, piano and bongo playing.

Adele returns to her roots with the track “To Be Loved,” featuring only piano and vocals. Through her lyrics, she expresses the decision to separate from her ex-husband and the belief that the sacrifice is worth it to find true love.

The heart-wrenching ballads continue with “My Little Love,” a song explaining

AND FROM

The cover of Adele’s new album, “30.” the divorce to her son. Throughout the song, clips from a phone call between Adele and her son are heard which convey their personal feelings regarding the situation. While it can be seen as a confession, Adele has never been bolder in the construction of this song.

The 12-track album concludes with “Love Is A Game.” This song is about Adele being open to finding love again after her journey through divorce, ultimately finding self-love.

The album is all about the ups and downs of relationships and in the end finding happiness in oneself. If you are an Adele fan or not, “30” is a must listen.

Swift on her “Red” tour in 2013. to own her work. Under a nowexpired contract with media executive Scooter Braun, he owned the original recordings.

After she got out of her deal with Braun, she re-recorded and released her second album, “Fearless,” in early 2021. Swift now owns the masters to her re-recordings and her last three albums: “Lover,” “Folklore” and “Evermore.”

I am impressed with the number of songs on “Red (Taylor’s Version)”, but it did take me a while to listen to all of them.

I made sure to listen to the unreleased songs in order.

In “Red (Taylors Version)”, Swift re-recorded 30 songs, including nine unreleased songs, and she claims these songs are “From the Vault.” My favorite songs “From the Vault” are “All Too Well (10 Minute Version),” “Nothing New” and “I Bet You Think About Me.” “All Too Well” is supposedly about Jake Gyllenhaal and their brief relationship in 2010 when Swift was 20 and he was 30.

Swift’s fans have been waiting for the 10-minute version of her 2013 song. This is one of Swift’s most popular songs, with over 170 million streams on Spotify.

I am proud of Swift for being so vulnerable with her fans. She sings about heartbreak and loss on “Red,” using perfect language and metaphors to convey those feelings.

She is also brave to leave her toxic label that included Braun so she can own the music she created.

Photos courtesy of Wikimedia

HOCKADAYFOURCAST.ORG

arts & life

4

09

The scoop on Jeni’s Ice Cream

stars

I

December 14, 2021 | THE FOURCAST

Jeni’s Ice Cream opens second location in Addison Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams, 2649 Main Street Dallas, TX 75226

By Elisa Carroll | Web Editor

It’s never too cold for ice cream! Along with a shop in Deep Ellum, Jeni’s recently opened a second location in Addison off the Spring Valley Road exit at the Tollway in the Prestonwood shopping center. In addition to their “scoop shops” all over the country, the nationally acclaimed brand sells pints of their flavors in retail stores like Whole Foods and Central Market.

Jeni’s national presence goes a step further with a flavor dedicated to Joe Biden. Pints of “White House Chocolate Chip” also are sold in stores.

The president’s flavor features vanilla bean ice cream with bits of chocolate flakes and chocolatecovered waffle cone pieces. Jeni’s also offers vegan options and seasonal flavors like White Chocolate Peppermint and Cognac with Gingerbread.

Walking up to the Addison shop, I was hit with the sweet, warm smell. Jeni’s makes waffle cones fresh in-house, and the sugary scent lingers outside the storefront. The interior of the shop also had a warm vibe with bright lights and a clean, modern layout. The display case stretched the length of the store and featured over two dozen ice cream flavors with appealing names. I ordered three half scoops: Gooey Butter Cake,

os ot

Ph ll

ro ar aC

s Eli by

Coffee with Cream and Sugar and Darkest Chocolate.

The employee who served me was incredibly kind, and when I asked her what her favorite flavor was she was quick and energetic with her response of Gooey Butter Cake. I can see why! The smooth cream cheese ice cream was nice and sweet, and the swirl of caramel-butterscotch sauce inside created a flavorful complement. Small bits of vanilla cake were evenly distributed throughout and added a nice texture to contrast with that of the ice cream. I highly recommend this one!

As a big coffee drinker, I had to try their Coffee with Milk and Cream. After my first bite, I was immediately reminded of the coffee I first started drinking when I was younger that was about 50% coffee and 50% milk and sugar. It was a nostalgic flavor for me that also created a pleasant taste.

There were also tiny bits of coffee beans that heightened the flavor, creating a great balance of sweetness and coffee.

I decided to go with a more basic flavor for my third selection, so I chose the Darkest Chocolate. I’m a big chocolate lover, and this choice did not disappoint. The bitterness of the dark chocolate counteracts the sweetness of the ice cream to create a perfect balance of taste. It is a great basic flavor if you are not super adventurous!

Overall, the taste of the ice cream was amazing, and the shop had a great environment. I was able to get such a variety of flavors compared to just buying a pint at a retail store.

There were so many flavor options and the taste was more fresh and satisfying than store-bought Jeni’s ice cream. My only complaints would be that it was a bit of a drive and on the pricey side, but Jeni’s uses high quality ingredients to produce great flavors.

If you’re in Addison or want to make the drive, I highly recommend this notable ice cream place.

FLAVOR REVIEWS Coffee This is a perfect choice for coffee lovers! It has little bits of coffee beans in it to heighten the flavor of the coffee with the creamy sweetness of the ice cream.

Darkest Chocolate A great basic flavor with a perfect balance in taste between the bitterness of the chocolate and the sweetness of the ice cream.

Gooey Butter Cake This is a very popular choice at Jeni’s. It has a pleasant butterscotch flavor, and the little bits of vanilla cake also add a nice texture to the smooth ice cream.

Salty Caramel The sweetness of the caramel against the saltiness of the ice cream create a perfect balance of sweet and salty.

FROM

ELISA’S

KITCHEN Ingredients:

Directions:

1. 2 cups heavy cream 2. 1 cup whole milk 3. 2/3 cup sugar 4. 1/8 tsp. fine sea salt 5. 6 large egg yolks 6. Flavoring of choice

1. Simmer heavy cream, milk, sugar and salt until sugar completely dissolves.

Remove pot from heat.

2. In a separate bowl, whisk yolks. Whisk about a third of the hot cream into the yolks, then whisk the yolk mixture back into the pot with the cream.

3. Return pot to medium-low heat and

gently cook until mixture is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.

4. Strain through a fine-mesh sieve.

5. Cool mixture to room temperature.

6. Cover and chill at least 4 hours or overnight.

7. Churn in an ice cream machine. Enjoy!

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December 14, 2021 | THE FOURCAST

THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

THE

from 2021

By Maddie Stout | Editor-in-Chief

There’s no question that this year has been a great one for music – two Taylor Swift albums alone make that clear enough. As 2021 draws to a close, Editor-in-Chief Maddie Stout is reflecting on a few of her top tunes released in the past year, and it’s been difficult to narrow them down. With suggestions from the Fourcast staff, she’s carefully chosen 21 of her favorite songs from 2021 to share in a playlist. Scan the link below to listen in, and read on to hear about four of her favorites.

Clean

Maude Latour One of my favorite newer artists of this year is definitely Maude Latour – if you’re not listening to her, you’re missing out. Latour, who is currently juggling her career as a musician and her senior year at Columbia University, could be described as a mix between Taylor Swift and Lorde, who, if you know me, are two of my favorite people.

Her song “Clean” details the process of her getting over a breakup, struggling to keep her room clean rather than think about her ex. It’s the perfect pop song for any occasion, and I’m so excited to see what Latour does in 2022.

All Too Well Taylor Swift

I am, above all else, a Taylor Swift fan. I often include her in the titles of my English papers; she’s in multiple college essays of mine. So, you can imagine my excitement for this song – it’s basically unmatched. After waiting nearly five months for Red (Taylor’s Version), All Too Well (10 Minute Version) was the icing on an alreadyperfect cake. My year was bookended

by Fearless and Red, but I have to admit I’m most excited for 1989. Stop teasing us, Taylor!

WUSYANAME

Deja Vu

Tyler, The Creator

Olivia Rodrigo

If there’s one thing Tyler, the Creator does well, it’s curate an aesthetic.

Two years after the baggy pink suits and blonde bob wigs of IGOR, Tyler returned to the scene with “Call Me If You Get Lost,” an album that practically brings a Wes Anderson-esque aesthetic to your ears. “WUSYANAME,” one of the more upbeat songs on the record, features YoungBoy Never Broke Again and Ty Dolla $ign, and often gets stuck in my own ears. Tyler nevers fails to create an imaginative album, and “Call Me If You Get Lost” is no exception.

2021 began with a bang with “drivers license” by Olivia Rodrigo – that song alone defines the first few months of the year for me, as I’m sure it does for many others. However, “deja vu” is Rodrigo’s standout song of 2021 for me. With nods to “Glee” and Billy Joel, Rodrigo perfectly captures strong, powerful emotions while reminding us how young she really is. I would not be able to count the number of times I’ve screamed along with her in my car to this one, along with the rest of the impeccable “SOUR” album.

Listen to the playlist here:

HOCKADAYFOURCAST.ORG

arts & life

December 14, 2021 | THE FOURCAST

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SEASONAL SWEETS Dallas shops serve holiday treats As the holidays approach, shops have started offering seasonally flavored items. Here are some of the best places to get holiday treats.

1

See’s Candies 8687 N US 75-Central Expy 1000, Dallas, 75225 See’s Candies offers a wide variety of holiday desserts including Egg Nog Truffles, Peppermint Krispys, Double Chocolate Cocoa and Christmas Peanut Brittle.

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3

3

Sprinkles Cupcakes 4020 Villanova St, Dallas, 75225 Sprinkles Cupcakes offer a variety of holiday baked desserts such as their Gingerbread, Christmas Cookie and Chocolate Peppermint cupcakes.

Kate Weiser Chocolate 8687 N US 75-Central Expy 1000 #400B, Dallas, 75225

A gourmet candy shop that sells an array of holiday treats such as chocolate ornaments, advent calendars, peppermint bark, a Hanukkah chocolate collection and Carl the Snowman – a dark chocolate snowman filled with hot cocoa mix and mini marshmallows.

4 4

5

Mom and Popcorn 215 E Louisiana St, McKinney, 75069 Although it is not in Dallas, this gourmet popcorn store had to be included for its many different holiday popcorn mixes like Elf Mix, Grinch Mix, Holiday Spice, Peppermint Bark, Rudolph Corn and Snowflake Mix.

Deck the Hall Street 1623 N Hall Street, Dallas, 75204

5

Every year, Fiction Coffee Shop transforms their interior into a pop–up Christmas coffee shop, called Deck the Hall Street, serving up holiday drinks like the Falala–latte and Hohohot Cocoa.

Kailey Bergstedt | Staff Writer

Photos by Kailey Bergstedt

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December 14, 2021 | THE FOURCAST

THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

THE

Crypto climbs to c Students using cryptocurrency

W

ith Bitcoin and cryptocurrency’s increasing economic presence, Upper School students have become involved with it both through the Technology Board’s “Tech Talks” and individual research.

Technology Board hosted its first “Tech Talk” of the year on Oct. 21 and centered it around all things crypto.

“We chose crypto for our first tech talk because the terms ‘crypto’ and ‘Bitcoin’ seem to always be floating in current conversations, whether it’s our parents or on social media,” Technology Board Chair Riya Guttigoli said. “It’s important for students, us girls especially, to be aware of the movements that are taking over our future.”

The meeting focused on providing students with an overview of what cryptocurrency means as an overarching term and its presence and impact in day-to-day life, Guttigoli said. After explaining the basics of Blockchain and crypto technology, Laura Day, the executive director of the Institute for Social Impact, conducted an interactive simulation with attendees to develop a mock cryptocurrency – “Daisycoin” – and explain how the process of trading it and building value works. Finally, Director of Technology Hubert Ham led a short presentation covering specific cryptocurrencies on the rise, environmental concerns surrounding mining of Bitcoin, the social impact with crypto and how important it is for women to be educated and involved in this realm of technology.

The presentation impressed students because the interactive aspect provided clarifying information beyond the basic definitions of Bitcoin and crypto, Guttigoli said.

“The whole concept of crypto can be confusing since we’re just assigning arbitrary values to ‘currencies’ that aren’t even tangible like paper money, so having girls go through the process of creating and trading their own ‘Daisycoin’ was super beneficial,” Guttigoli said.

Unlike the Technology Board, Investment Club has yet to formally introduce the topic of crypto and Bitcoin, but plans to familiarize members with all significant asset classes, Investment Club Co-President Sophia Yung said.

Both Yung and Guttigoli have been researching Bitcoin, but neither owns any at the moment.

Still under the minimum age requirement of 18, Guttigoli’s involvement

primarily entails remaining updated on what’s new in the crypto world, whether it be rising or dropping currencies or what countries are getting involved, she said.

However, this winter, Yung plans to buy some Bitcoin of her own and hold it, rather than trade immediately.

“I am trying to be more of a long-term investor and not a trader,” Yung said.

Yung’s interest in investment began in middle school and crypto and Bitcoin have only spurred on her passion.

“I started understanding investments when I was in middle school, going to the Berkshire Hathaway annual meetings in Omaha,” Yung said.

“I realized in the last two years that Bitcoin is the most important asset and investment for the foreseeable future and the fact that it involves computer code has allowed me to understand it well.”

Yung has continued to research and involve herself with crypto, attending an application-only, intensive blockchain programming course for professional programmers seminar and conference in Mexico.

“The conference was amazing, with a wide variety of characters from across the industry,” Yung said.

“Panels ranged from topics of theology to cryptography to El Salvador’s adoption of it as legal tender.”

To Yung, the most interesting part of crypto is its youth.

“It’s very exciting as a young person to encounter such a young technology,” Yung said. “Our generation has grown up in the digital age, and now the way to get involved with and learn about digital assets is through the internet. Simply put, it’s our future.”

What is cryptocurrency?

A

ccording to Penn Today, cryptocurrency is virtual currency, allowing people to trade monetary values without being tied to a national government. With a growing value, cryptocurrency attracts investors by giving them a fast and versatile way to make transactions.

In addition to investors, companies and businesses can use cryptocurrency to trade more quickly, on the same day or instantly in comparison to the normal one- to two-day payment systems with regular money. Therefore, cryptocurrencies allow for industries to easily trade with each other and play a vital role in business transactions across the world.

However, since cryptocurrency is not associated with a central government that accounts for its value, the value of cryptocurrency is constantly changing, making it a high-risk currency. According to E-Crypto News, there are around 7,000 different types of cryptocurrencies, including Bitcoin.

“Bitcoin is a lot less stable in terms of its value, whereas a dollar gives you the ability to predict the market and make money off it since it will probably be the same next year,” Upper School Economics teacher and Bitcoin user Dr. Jeffrey Hulbert said. “This is why Bitcoin is kind of fun

because there is a lot of buying and selling that you can do.”

While there are various types of cryptocurrencies, NFTs (non-fungible tokens) are becoming increasingly popular and starting to play a larger role in the art, sports and music industries.

Behind all cryptocurrencies is blockchain technology, originally created to make financial transactions easier.

According to IBM, blockchain is a shared ledger that makes crypto transactions easier. Every transaction is embedded in this blockchain technology, allowing the public ledger to know the record of each value that has been traded, reducing the possibility of fraud.

Since Bitcoin mimics gold, it can be mined by powerful computers that solve math problems. With Bitcoin becoming more popular, the math problems start out easy but as the competition increases, so does the difficulty of the math, making Bitcoin free of inflation.

People can acquire Bitcoins by accepting them as payment for goods and services, mining them through completing math problems or trading them with other users on the network.

HOCKADAYFOURCAST.ORG

December 14, 2021 | THE FOURCAST

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13

common currency

by Juliana Blazek and Caroline Petrikas Illustrations by Stella Sigurdsson

Future of cryptocurrency

S

ince its creation 13 years ago, cryptocurrency has become increasingly popular, especially in recent years with Bitcoin’s greatest value of $60,000 being reached this year.

However, many people still have varying views on the future of cryptocurrency and whether it has limitless potential or if it is a trustless network.

Blockchain has made the financial transactions more transparent since all the cryptocurrency users are performing their transactions in a public space and each action is recorded in the block technology.

This can further lead to fewer problems surrounding

fraud and allow financial institutions to more easily make deals.

Some companies and institutions are starting to allow for more use of digital currencies as a way of payment and making it easier for users to spend their virtual money. Central banks, for example, are considering forming CBDCs (central bank digital currencies), which they would control the value of, but allow for their customers to use virtually. Also, credit card companies, such as VISA, are debating making a credit card that will allow for cryptocurrency to be stored on it and then used as money.

More and more companies are accepting cryptocurrency as a form of payment including Amazon, Subway, Dell and Tesla.

However, it will still take time for Bitcoin to be accepted globally as a form of currency.

Although investors can try to predict the future of cryptocurrency and its value for the upcoming years, no one really knows what is going to happen to it. Therefore, according to Time magazine, it is important to be aware of the risk when investing in cryptocurrency and to be comfortable with its uncertainty.

Bitcoin value

information provided by wikiMedia commons

Bitcoin’s value from 2010 to 2021

year

Cryptocurrency climate effect

A

lthough computers may seem unrelated to climate change, cryptocurrency links them together. To obtain Bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, companies “mine” it by essentially using computer systems with specific computational power and specialized chips to “find” the algorithm to solve mathematical puzzles.

“These computer processes require an insane amount of electricity, and in places where generating electricity uses fossil fuels, mining can be extremely detrimental to the environment,” Guttigoli said.

After solving these equations, the computers must reveal their “proof of work” or “proof of stake” to get rewarded and create the new cryptocurrency. The proof of work process requires large amounts of electricity and is used to mine Bitcoin, Guttigoli said. Newer cryptocurrencies like Ethereum 2.0 typically use a proof of stake mechanism, which distributes mining

power based on the miner’s coin supply.

Due to the environmental effects of proof of work, some cryptocurrencies and algorithms are transitioning from requiring proof of work.

“In the future and right now, a lot of these algorithms are going from proof of work to proof of stake because it requires a lot less energy,” Ham said. “It’s like 99% of the energy costs are decreasing when you go proof of stake.”

Although older cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin still rely on proof of work, because of the widespread transition to proof of stake, much of the argument about the amount of energy mining cryptocurrency requires is disappearing as the environmental effects are decreasing, Ham said.

December 14, 2021

THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

THE

14features

“

A fun activity in our house is eating dinner because Rosemary is new to eating food, so it’s a big production.

—Kristen Blevins A Day in the Life , p. 16

Challenging stereotypes with impact

Breaking the Glass Ceiling class promotes entrepreneurship

By Campbell Harris | News Editor

W

omen working full time in the United States are still paid 83 cents to every dollar a man makes, according to the American Association of University Women. And at the current rate, the gender pay gap will not close until 2111.

This gap does not have to persist, however, with the help of the Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Economics and Social Entrepreneurship class.

Anchored in business and economic concepts, the class provides students with knowledge and experience to prepare them for success in business and entrepreneurship beyond the classroom.

Director of the Institute for Social Impact Laura Day and former Assistant Head of Upper School Joni Palmer started the course during the 2019-2020 school year. After Palmer left, economics teacher Kristen Blevins took over in the fall of 2020.

“The idea for the class came after Ms. Day heard that lower school boys at St. Mark’s would trade stocks while waiting to be picked up,” Blevins said. “She felt like our girls were behind if that’s what the boys were already doing.”

In addition to learning about economic and business concepts, students get real-world experience through guest speakers, alumnae and local small businesses.

“We have Hockaday alumnae join our class to advise our students and tell their story of how they went from Hockaday to starting their own business, in the hopes that our students can see themselves in the stories of these women who have come before them,” Blevins said.

To further their experience, the students create a business plan to put into practice what they learn in the classroom. Senior Margo Wasburne’s project focuses on supporting local retail businesses.

“My partner and I started an online gift guide that makes it easy to shop locally,” Washburne said. “Everything on the website will be sourced in Dallas and organized in a simple but cute way.”

Washburne said making it easy to shop locally is especially important now because of COVID-19.

Senior Claire Cahoon is creating a sustainable shopping app.

“The app helps to de-stigmatize sustainable clothes,” Cahoon said.

“It is important because fast fashion is a very dangerous issue because of the amount of waste and carbon emissions, and it is important to find a solution for it.”

Besides their projects, the girls also learn topics to help them beyond the classroom: taxes, credit, the stock market and communication skills.

“Since having a guest speaker learning about the stock market, I have invested $20 in the stock market,” Cahoon said.

Through the class, students are better prepared for college and beyond to chip away at the glass ceiling, Blevins said.

“Real word experiences that make a difference are at the heart of social impact,” she said. “We want to give our students the knowledge and skills so that they can not only be successful in life, but also have success in traditionally male-dominated fields like finance, business and entrepreneurship.”

Katherine Mathes Bullock ‘97 spoke with the class about her experience as an entrepreneur and helped them with their business plans.

Photo by Sara Stoltz

Seniors involved in the economics and social entrepreneurship class each design a business plan to implement what they are learning in the class.

Photo by Sara Stoltz

Historic year for Rhodes Scholars

Two alumnae chosen for prestigious scholarship

By Libby Hill | Managing Editor

T

he Rhodes Scholarships, established in 1902, are the world’s most prestigious awards for international study. This year for the first time, Hockaday boasts two winners. joining the school’s previous three scholars.

Mary Orsak and Elizabeth Guo, members of the class of 2018, will attend Oxford University beginning in October 2022.

Guo and Orsak were chosen from a pool of 826 applicants nominated by their respective universities, and are the members of a historic year.

They are a part of a class containing 22 women, the most ever elected in a year.

Orsak, who plans to pursue a Master of Philosophy in Russian and Eastern European Studies, said it was gratifying to be chosen alongside Guo. “When I heard Elizabeth’s name first, which was alphabetical before me, and then my name, I was so surprised,” Orsak said, “and honestly the first thing that crossed my mind was like, ‘Wow, I’m so honored to be considered to be equivalent to Elizabeth.’”

Orsak attended Hockaday from pre-K through senior year, and views that as a major influence in her life.

“From the age of 4, I was told I could do anything — don’t ever let anybody tell you that being a girl,

being a woman, is any disadvantage,” she said. “You have a voice just as loud as your male counterparts.”

Guo,plans to pursue a Master of Science in Mathematical and Theoretical Physics and a Master of Science in Social Science of the Mary Orsak and Elizabeth Guo, class Internet. of 2018, have been named Rhodes “I am very interested in the Scholars for 2022. intersection of science, law and Photo by Sally Hudspeth policy, particularly in the space of quantum computing, and I can’t supported me, and I am so excited for wait to continue my studies in physics the opportunity to study at Oxford.” and tech policy through the Rhodes Guo and Orsak join three previous Scholarship,” she said. “Most of all, I am winners from Hockaday, Libby Longino tremendously grateful for my family, Cohen ’06, Laura Roberts ’12, and Mary professors, and friends who have Clare Beytagh ’14.

HOCKADAYFOURCAST.ORG

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December 14, 2021 | THE FOURCAST

15

Senior health switching up Course adopts a new schedule for this year

By Lacy Green | Staff Writer

I

n past years, the Health 201 course has been a strictly second-semester class for seniors to fill their health and physical education requirements. However, this year the course has been reimagined and adapted in hopes of benefiting the senior class.

After the retirement of former Form IV Dean and US health teacher Rebekah Calhoun, Assistant Head of Upper School Dr. Tiffani Kocsis took over the Senior Health program.

As she took over the course, Kocsis realized the change will elicit some alterations to the teaching methods, but most of the material will be the same.

Rather than having specific units on topics such as nutrition, Kocsis plans on embedding these lessons into a more encompassing lens under the umbrella of stress and eating disorders.

One of Kocsis’ main goals is to educate the seniors on what they feel a need to learn rather than assuming what they may or may not already know.

“I think it’s important to not assume what kind of health information students walk in with,” Kocsis said. “So the curriculum will be fluid and everchanging based on what each class section needs specifically and wants to talk about.”

In addition to changing the way the course is taught, Kocsis has made significant alterations to the layout and timeline of the course. Instead of starting at the beginning of the second semester and running through the end of the school year, this year Health

201 will run from Nov. 11 to Dec. 17 in the large group and asynchronous format. After returning from holiday break, from Jan. 5 to March 10 the class will transition to the typical small classroom environment.

One of the goals of the schedule adjustment is to provide relief to seniors in the spring. During the season of commencement, spring events and AP testing, ending the course before spring break will allow for more free time at the end of the year.

Another goal of these changes is to review and learn relevant topics prior to spring break when stress regarding college applications, alcohol and relationships might occur, Kocsis said.

While the course has changed in some regards, it is still designed to incorporate self defense into the curriculum, Kocsis said, as well as small class sizes to continue to provide a more intimate environment to foster meaningful discussion and reflection.

Not all students, however, feel they are reaping the benefits of the new schedule, including senior Ananya Sharma. She is particularly critical of the elimination of free periods in the weeks leading up to the end of the first semester.

“For seniors, the first semester is the most important grade-wise, as the majority of seniors have to submit mid-year grade reports,” Sharma said.

“Although we get those free blocks back in the spring, they are not useful to us then, when coursework is significantly less rigorous.”

Completing an assignment for the course, senior Jesse Vanston studies a variety of topics while attending the class virtually until it will be held in classrooms starting in January.

Photo provided by Lacy Green

While she acknowledges she is not an expert on the scheduling piece, she said the course would be most beneficial after returning from the holiday break in January. Other students, including senior Madison Conerly, are more optimistic that the schedule change will provide the benefits it is supposed to yield.

“Now that the first round of college applications are done, it’s not so much of a lost Y period, as just a change in direction during a free period,” Conerly said.

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December 14, 2021

THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

THE

A DAY IN THE LIFE OF

Kristen Blevins Between teaching three different courses, sponsoring Model UN and raising a baby, Kristen Blevins has a lot on her plate.

So, how does she balance it all? Let’s take a look into a typical day for Blevins.

By Olivia Garcia | Business manager

Good morning!

6:15 A.M. RISE & SHINE | After Blevins wakes up,

she starts getting herself and 9-monthold Rosemary ready for the day. At 7:10, the pair leave their house and head to Hockaday. Upon arriving at school, Blevins first heads over to the CDC to drop off Rosemary, then she starts working on lesson plans.

9:00 A.M. CLASSES START | Blevins

starts both even and odd days with AP Economics.

Currently, Blevins and her senior students are tackling topics like the Federal Reserve and monetary policy.

1:35 P.M. AFTERNOON CLASS | On even

days, Blevins teaches Breaking the Glass Ceiling: Economics and Social Entrepreneurship during G period. This senior semester course is centered around developing and pitching a socially conscious business plan that addresses a current world issue.

4:15 P.M. HEADED HOME | After

wrapping up with students, Blevins treks to the CDC for the final time to pick up Rosemary and head home. Once at home, Blevins and her husband have fun introducing Rosemary to new foods and playing in the living room.

See you tomorrow!

12:00 P.M.

LUNCH TIME | During conference, Blevins makes her third trip to the CDC to feed Rosemary. Afterward, Blevins makes her way to Biggs to eat lunch and catch up with fellow teachers. “After a year on line, I missed having lunch with my friends and am glad I can do it again,” Blevins said.

10:15 A.M. ADVISORY TIME | During this 25-minute advisory period, Blevins leaves her classroom and wanders to math teacher Caroline Robb’s classroom. Blevins and Robbs are co-advisors to nine juniors. “Our advisory is very laid back,” Blevins said. “Most days everyone just hangs out.”

10:45 A.M SECOND PERIOD | On even days,

Blevins teaches government during B period. Her sophomores just turned in their research papers and are currently working on the civic action element of their project.

On odd days, Blevins teaches another AP Economics class where she discusses the federal government and reserve with her senior students.

Photos by Ambyr Baker, Olivia Garcia and Hanna Zhang

HOCKADAYFOURCAST.ORG

features

December 14, 2021 | THE FOURCAST

Trimming the tree

17

Students decorate Christmas tree for Scottish Rite patients

By Bennett Trubey| Staff Writer

D

uring the holiday season each year, the hallways of the Scottish Rite Hospital for Children are decked out with glowing strings of lights, varying shapes and sizes of ornaments and creative, extravagant tree toppers.

This festive, Christmas tree-filled scene is part of Scottish Rite’s Holiday Tree Decorating Event, one of the Social Impact Board’s many long-standing holiday traditions.

“We’ve been doing it for a long time,” junior Isabel Bhasin, in charge of SIB’s Projects Committee, said. “I believe this year is the 30th year.”

During the event different community organizations decorate trees in a hallway of the hospital. Once the trees are decorated, patients who are spending their holidays at Scottish Rite Hospital for Children can walk down the hallway and enjoy the festive scene.

“In past years, the entire Social Impact Board would go together and it’s normally a super hectic day at the hospital because there’s like a ton of people there,” said sophomore Harper Tagg, a representative on the board and a member of the Projects Committee.

This year, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Social Impact Board could send only four members to decorate the tree, including Tagg and Bhasin.

In advance of the Nov. 29 event, all members of the SIB’s Projects Committee gathered to prepare their plan for the tree they were in charge of decorating.

Tagg’s said her favorite part of the event was the preparation, which included painting and assembling ornaments and crafting the mesmerizing planet tree topper.

“We made all of them by hand,” she said.

Working on the project alongside fellow members allowed Bhasin to get to know other

students involved in the Social Impact Board.

“We really get to work together on it, so it’s a good bonding experience, especially for the people in the projects committee,” she said.

By participating in this event, the Social Impact Board hopes to bring more joy to the kids who have to spend their holidays in the hospital, just so they can have another thing to make them happier, Bhasin said.

‘It brings a lot of holiday joy to the kids and it’s really nice for those that have to stay overnight during the holidays.’

Sophomore Harper Tagg Social Impact Board Representative Only members of the Social Impact Board participate in the tree decorating event, but Bhasin recommends those interested in getting involved in other service opportunities with Scottish Rite ask Executive Director of the Institute for Social Impact Laura Day. “She’ll have a lot of opportunities and know a lot of people at the hospital,” Bhasin said.

For other opportunities outside of Scottish Rite, Tagg suggested volunteering with soup kitchens and food drives or making blankets for the SPCA to bring more holiday cheer.

The Scottish Rite Holiday Trees will be on display throughout Christmastime for the children and staff at the hospital to enjoy. Dozens of different organizations have decorated 50 Christmas trees,

Photo by Bennett Trubey

The Christmas tree students helped decorate at Scottish Rite Hospital displays science and school-related ornaments. including the Social Impact Board’s festive pine, at the hospital’s Dallas location.

Bhasin’s final words of recommendation to inspire holiday giving and service?

“Look for unconventional ways to help,” she said, “just little things to help kids that might bring them joy.”

HOCKA-HISTORY A look back into our past

Eleanor Roosevelt at the class of 1952’s graduation where she gave the commencement address for her granddaughter and her classmates. She encouraged them to pursue their education for they can have a great impact on the world.

Eleanor Roosevelt’s time at Hockaday In her visits to the school, the First Lady inspired girls to become strong, educated women.

Each issue, The Fourcast browses Hockaday’s archives and chooses a moment to look back on. This month, we look at First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt’s time spent at Hockaday and the influence she had on students.

By Maddie Stout | Editor in Chief

The Roosevelt family is commonly known as one of the most powerful political families in American history, containing two of the most well-known presidents and the “First Lady of the World.” What is lesser known is the family’s connection to Hockaday, especially that of former First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.

Roosevelt first met Ela Hockaday in 1936 at a luncheon honoring the First Lady as part of the Texas Centennial Exposition Celebration. The following year, Roosevelt visited campus to speak to students on the edge of World War II. She advised students to take an interest in public programs to help improve the government, urging them to learn about the process of taxation and take an interest in community conditions.

“These responsibilities will be yours someday,” she said.

In 1952, Roosevelt returned to Hockaday to give the commencement address at the graduation of her granddaughter Chandler

Roosevelt with her granddaughter, Chandler Roosevelt Lindsley ‘52, at her graduation ceremony.

Roosevelt Lindsley. To an audience of more than 1,800 people, she encouraged students to continue their education as they ventured out into the world.

“Do not think that education ends when school ends,” Roosevelt said. “Education becomes more important every year of your life. At school, you merely get the tools to educate yourselves.”

In Roosevelt’s diary, she remarked upon her time at the school with great admiration for the campus and its students.

“I was much pleased, too, by the spirit of the school,” Roosevelt wrote. “Every girl I saw seemed to have a real concern about doing her best. They were not just getting by, as I find so often is the attitude of the young people, but really using their abilities to the very best advantage.”

The Roosevelt family has remained intertwined with Hockaday in years since, and students studying FDR or Teddy Roosevelt in APUSH can remember their connection to our very own campus.

December 14, 2021

THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

THE

18sports

“

I knew I wanted to play college lacrosse when I was in third grade.”

Meet junior Lauren Roach, p. 20

Managers to the rescue

Hidden heroes of athletics support players

By Hanna Asmerom | Staff Writer

From swim times, to goals scored, to fouls drawn, sports matches need someone to keep track of the stats. Meet the people behind the scenes of our athletic success, the team managers.

E

ven though the hype of winter sports is on the field, court and pool, it’s the work behind the scenes that makes it all possible. Leading this charge are team managers.

From icing legs to distributing uniforms, here is a look into what the managers of winter sports do.

Senior Genesis Flores-Homuth, basketball manager, starts every practice by bringing out the equipment for the varsity and junior varsity teams. She then sets up the scoreboard and clock in the gym to prepare for drills to come.

“Throughout practice, we help the coaches with anything they ask for,” Flores-Homuth said. “We stay a little later after practice to clean up, too.”

During practice, Flores-Homuth and the other managers take score, control the clock and support players. During games, managers use a score book to keep track of points, fouls and team statistics.

Flores-Homuth said this was one of her favorite parts of managing.

Similar to basketball managers, senior varsity swim and dive manager Cristiana Miele started the season by organizing Google forms and spreadsheets for uniform orders and attendance.

During competitions, she records swimmers’ times and helps injured athletes. Much of her work is supporting the team during practices, too.

“A lot of it is sitting, watching and cheering on the swimmers,” Miele said, “It [is] fun to do.”

During practice, senior soccer manager KK Swango takes attendance, keeps score and makes herself available for the coaches.

When she attends games, she takes statistics for the coaches to review.

“There is an app where I take the stats at games,” Swango said. “I think it’s a lot of fun.”

Swango also said she enjoys sitting on the bench with the team

at games and being a part of the sport’s lifestyle without playing.

All in all, managers become more and more integral to their teams as the season goes on, varsity soccer coach Rodney Skaife said.

“The people like the support they bring and the fact that they get an experience out of the soccer program,” Skaife said.

“They can enjoy the fun the players are having.”

Varsity swim and dive manager Cristiana Miele keeps track of the athletes’ times during practice.

Photo by Hanna Asmerom

“I’ve always missed the sport but I didn’t want to actually play. I love being involved in sports culture and interacting with the team.”

Cristiana Miele Varsity Swim and Dive Manager

Varsity swimmer Margaret Thompson said managers are a big part of team morale.

“They are very integral to the team community,” Thompson said. “It’s nice to have them during difficult workouts. They are a big part of the team morale.”

Thompson also appreciates the managers’ role as player-coach liaison and their significance in conveying information. Compared to sports at her old school, without managers, she said the athletic process runs much more smoothly.

“I didn’t know that managers played such a big role in the team,” Thompson said.

All three managers agreed the best part of managing was being a part of the team atmosphere without taking the field.

“I’ve always missed the sport but I didn’t want to actually play,” Miele said. “I love being involved in sports culture and interacting with the team.”

Senior Genesis Flores-Homuth keeps track of points, fouls and team statistics as basketball manager.

Photo by Hanna Asmerom

Seniors KK Swango and Elisa Carroll record the goals scored during a varsity soccer game against John Paul II. Photo by Hanna Asmerom

HOCKADAYFOURCAST.ORG

December 14, 2021 | THE FOURCAST

sports

JV Soccer teams welcome new coaches

AND IN

REMY’S

COURT

Lisa Munoz and Claudia Fricker join athletic department

By Melody Hu | Arts and Life Editor

T

his season, the Upper School soccer program welcomed two new coaches.

Lisa Muñoz and Claudia Fricker will be joining the JV coaching team.

Muñoz grew up playing soccer in Dallas and played in college. She first started coaching as a player at Texas A&M University and has been coaching club soccer for more than 30 years.

She currently coaches at the Renegades Soccer Club and said she still plays with many of her former teammates on the weekends when given the opportunity.

Muñoz said she is excited to coach at Hockaday because it is an internationally known institution for excellence, and she hopes to have a profound influence on the girls’ lives.

“My favorite part so far is the enthusiasm the girls show to learn and become better soccer players,” she said. “Their enthusiasm is contagious and will make my job easy.”

This season, she said she hopes to teach

19

players how to be comfortable with a soccer ball and how to be confident on and off the field. Muñoz also hopes to encourage players to trust their teammates and work together. She is looking forward to working with students and impacting their lives through soccer.

Fricker has been playing soccer since she was 3 years old and has played for clubs all over Texas such as Sting, FC Dallas and Odyssey. In high school, she was a three-year captain and a four-year starter. She went on to the University of Nebraska to pursue her education while playing on the club team at the university.

So far, Fricker’s favorite part of her new position is the encouragement among teammates. In the first two games of the season, she was proud to see her team work together for the first time. She said wanted to coach at Hockaday because she knows how hard the athletes work and wants to use her experience to help develop the players.

This season, she said, she hopes to motivate everyone to reach their full potential and enjoy every aspect of the game. She is excited for all of the players to become better in the fundamentals of the game and excel at the sport.

Moving forward, she said she believes the team will grow together and be successful on and off the field.

“I am here on the sidelines to be a positive influence while each player grows through the trial of the game,” Fricker said.

Seniors Leena Mehendale and Jules Johnson are combining the worlds of soccer and social impact through their new project building soccer goals for DISD schools. As members of the varsity soccer team, the duo understands what it takes to have a functioning sports team — and that includes things like regulation fields and goals.

After volunteering together at Foster Elementary and holding soccer clinics with the varsity team through the Institute of Social Impact, the two quickly identified the school’s need for goals. At first, they hoped to raise money for new regulation goals, but it didn’t seem like the most economical option.

“We looked into purchasing goals, but they are really expensive,” Mehendale said.

Instead, they sent out an email asking their fellow students if they would be willing to help plan and build the goals themselves, and then got to work with the project, heading to Lowe’s routinely to work out the logistics of the PVC pipes and different nettings. They experienced several episodes of trial and error, which included shifting to more traditional sports netting after the deer netting they first tried ripped early in the process.

In the end, the regulation goals Mehendale and Johnson made cost only $300, whereas regulation goals online cost several thousand when bought new.

Now, the pair are setting their sights on other local elementary schools, hoping to build them similar goals if needed.

“This was the perfect project for us because we have different experiences,” Jules said. “We are really proud that our skills came together to build something.”

Lisa Munoz coaches JV soccer during a match against the Parish Episcopal Panthers.

Photo by Jane Clark

CAPTAINS’ CORNER

LEENA MEHENDALE, soccer

KENDALL MARCHANT, basketball

SARAH ROBERTS, swimming

“So far, our varsity soccer team is undefeated. We’re looking to continue our winning streak as we start to face stiff SPC competition in the coming weeks.”

“Basketball is off to a great start. We have two tournaments coming up and a stacked schedule that will help us prepare for postChristmas counter games.”

“This season has been great so far. Swimming is a special sport because it draws a motley crowd, and we always end up getting really close by the end of the season, which I love.”

THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

THE

Photo by Hanna Asmerom

20

December 14, 2021

Volleyball players celebrate their SPC Championship title, marking the first time the team has won the title in 13 years.

Cross Country poses with the Runners-Up Trophy.

Photo by Hanna Asmerom

SPC victories Teams finish in first, second, third place

By Ambyr Baker | Assistant Sports Editor

Volleyball Ending their season with a 6-0 record, varsity volleyball brought home the Fall Southern Preparatory Conference Championship title for the first time since 2008.

“We haven’t won an SPC championship in 13 years, but from the beginning of the season, we all had a feeling that this was ours,” junior Lauren Ingram said.

“After sweeping Oakridge a few weeks ago, we knew that we could beat them if we kept our cool,” Ingram said. “We just told ourselves to focus on playing the way we always do.”

Making her first SPC appearance, sophomore Avery Jackson credits this season’s victory to their team chemistry.

“HVVB has always been a welcoming family,” Jackson said.

“I’m so thankful that my first SPC was a win with my favorite people.”

While the talent of this team goes without saying, Director of Athletics Deb Surgi said the team’s

character on and off the court was their secret weapon.

“The first words that come to mind when I think of this championship team are unselfish, fun and dedicated,” Surgi said.

“There are many talented teams that have the ingredients of champion, but this particular one has it in abundance.”

Cross Country

Varsity cross country finished as the Girls Cross Country RunnersUp in the Southern Preparatory Conference Championship, 10 points behind the champions, Episcopal School of Dallas.

“Of course, since we were not able to compete in SPC at all last year, having it for my senior year was really special,” captain Leena Mehendale said.

Sophomore Margaret Thompson dominated, placing first overall with a five-kilometer time of 18:37.

The runners decisively defended their home turf with four placing among the top 15.

Field hockey players celebrate their third place title.

Along with Thompson, freshman Jordan Lacsamana placed fourth, Mehendale placed ninth and sophomore Gracie Little placed 15th.

“Racing-wise, our team obviously has phenomenal runners, but throughout the season, we’ve grown such a tight-knit bond,” Thompson said. “With that and the enthusiastic sideline cheers, everyone’s support motivated me to push until I crossed the finish line.”

Field Hockey

Varsity field hockey fought a competitive battle to finish their season with a third place Southern Preparatory Conference title.

After last year’s pandemic upset, senior captain Landry Grover said she saw this year as redemption for last season’s abrupt ending.

Riley Carter, also a senior captain,

ONE TO WATCH Daisies to keep an eye on

MEET

Lauren Roach Junior Lauren Roach is a rising lacrosse star who has set her sights high since third grade.

By Harper Harris | Staff Writer

Lauren Roach, a junior lacrosse player, started playing in third grade for H-Lax. She said she uses lacrosse as a stress reliever.

“When I play, I am so much happier because it is a really good escape from everything,” Roach said. “If I am stressed or upset I like to play lacrosse because it has a purpose for me.”

Roach credits lacrosse with helping her gain a diverse group of friends she otherwise never would have met.

“The teams I play on always have really good team chemistry and team culture,” Roach said.

“Through lacrosse, you get a whole second group of best friends.”

Roach also plays varsity field hockey but said she has always wanted to pursue lacrosse further.

“I knew I wanted to play college lacrosse when I was in third grade,” Roach said. “I loved playing, and I had so many great role models, and that pushed me to want to play at a collegiate level.”

Roach credits varsity lacrosse coach Molly Ford Hutchinson for helping her get to where she is in her lacrosse career.

“She’s the one who helped me get big in lacrosse and I wouldn’t have played without her help,” Roach said. “I don’t think I would have ever played if it wasn’t for Molly.”

In addition to lacrosse, Roach also plays varsity field hockey.

Photo courtesy of Lauren Roach

Photo by Hanna Asmerom

added the team also had the incentive to perform for their 11 graduating seniors.

“It was a lot of people’s last year playing field hockey,” Carter said.

“The team was very determined to do well in the SPC tournament because this was it for some of us.”

But not all of this team’s success came from the field. Grover credited the coaches for their hard work behind the scenes and the fans for their encouragement on the sidelines.

“Coach Johnson, Coach Thumlert and Coach West are the best trio that anyone could ever find,” Grover said, “and it was great to see spectators instead of cardboard cut-outs occupying the stands.”

HOCKADAYFOURCAST.ORG

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December 14, 2021 | THE FOURCAST

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“

Astrological labels and their connotations are inaccurate and they often give people the wrong impression of a person.”

Astrology significance, p. 22

Not so merry and bright

More hurting during holidays than we know

By Jane Clark | Views Editor

T

he “merry and bright” holidays are upon us and as they bring “peace on Earth,” families gather to celebrate and enjoy the festive time of year.

However, underneath the frivolous traditions and bright Christmas lights lining the houses, the holidays can be a hard time for many people. The pressure to be happy and cheerful can be harmful to mental health, as it can force individuals further into isolation and feeling heavier burdens.

Throughout the holidays, remember to continue prioritizing your mental health and be aware of others who could be struggling as well.

Jane Clark Views Editor

For many, the holidays can be unbearable due to death and mourning of loved ones, along with escalating financial pressure and familial interaction. The National Alliance on Mental Illness has recorded that 64% of people living with a mental illness feel their conditions worsen around the holidays.

As the holidays remind people of past trauma and hardship, grief and anxiety can resurface, leading to substance abuse as a way of coping.

“There is a lot of evidence that suggests that individuals during early abstinence who are confronted with stress are more likely to relapse,” said Dr. Jessica Sullivan, clinical psychologist and director of Centerstone’s Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinic.

As well, despite the thrill of getting Christmas cards in the mail, the big happy family pictured seems to have no problems or challenges. The comparison of one’s family to others’ during November and December can increase tensions within the household. A family’s problems seem magnified when everyone else walks around with a “holly jolly” facade covering their own problems.

Some ways to deal with intensified emotions and pressure include remembering to take time for yourself and not allowing others to rope you into festivities in which you do not feel like participating.

Throughout the holidays, remember to continue prioritizing your mental health and be aware of others who could be struggling as well.

Illustration by Maddie Stout

The BetterHealth mental health website offers these tips for dealing

• • • •

with hardship and feelings of sadness during the holidays:

Don’t be afraid to switch up tradition Don’t hold others to unrealistic expectations you wouldn’t want to be held to Talk to those you are close with about how you’re doing Don’t compare your holidays this year to those

• • • •

LIKE & COMMENT Some of our favorite posts recently

Genesis Flores and Olivia Garcia spend time over the break at the ranch.

Lola Barnard visits Bryce Canyon National Park over Thanksgiving break

So Med cial Spo ia tlig ht

Stella Kozielec and Millie Trumpower dress festively for the holidays!

you have had in the past Get lots of rest to avoid being overwhelmed Continue exercising and eating healthy foods Consider volunteer work to take your mind off of things Seek professional help if you feel you need it

22

December 14, 2021

THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

THE

STAFF STANDOFF

We Love It, We Love It Not

Astrology: Meaning or Myth?

Staff members debate the importance of astrology and whether the time and month you are born makes a difference in your personality and your future.

ASTROLOGY IS NOT “ALL THAT”

MEANING IN THE STARS Caroline Bush | Assistant Photo Editor

By Hanna Asmerom | Assistant News Editor

Ambitious, organized, practical, goal-oriented. I was born on Dec. 28, meaning I am a Capricorn. Like many other teens on social media, I enjoy learning about my zodiac sign through the internet.

As the rise of astrology makes its way to social media, TikTok stands out to me the most in its popularization of the practice among youth.

On the app, creators make videos informing users about their sign, including information like their horoscope, personality traits and even pictures of what each sign reminds them of.

To me, astrology is a fun way of explaining why some things in my life happen. I love learning what all of my friends’ sun, moon and rising signs are, and through that information finding reasons we bond so well.

Many people know their sun sign, which is based on what month and what part of that month they were born in. But a lot of people do not know that astrology is a lot more than just being an organized Virgo or a sensitive Cancer.

Astrology at its core is based around the stars. It involves 12 houses, and each of these houses revolves around a different part of your life, giving an explanation of what makes you yourself. Even if you do not feel like your sun sign perfectly describes you, taking a deeper look into your birth chart reveals more details about your astrological placements you might find interesting.

Similar to following a religion, I use astrology as something to lean on when things feel unclear. When I see my horoscope for the week, I’m faced with information that guides me and gives me something to focus on, even if it does not end up coming true. Being able to look into the future grants me a sense of security and comfort that everything will turn out all right.

This stability is something astrology followers yearn for when all the news and controversies in our everyday lives make us a little uneasy. It is nice to believe that everything is “written in the stars” rather than to go through life without meaning – even if skeptics view it as magic.

While I understand that astrology itself does not have any scientific evidence to support it, I think if you are open to the idea of it, you’ll see life through a new lens that you may never have considered before.

VS

“I don’t like Cancers... we can’t be friends because you’re an Aries… you’re a Scorpio? You’re probably really mean.” Because of phrases like these, I don’t believe in, or agree with, astrology.

Astrological labels and their connotations are inaccurate and they often give people the wrong impression of a person. Just because you are born in October doesn’t mean you are “mysterious” or “passionate” and two people can still be friends even if they don’t have compatible signs; a Virgo, a “submissive” sign, can still be a major leader.

Categorizing an average of 350,000 people born each month as having one specific set of traits is confining and promotes stereotypical thinking.

There is also ZERO scientific evidence proving the position of the stars at birth determines anything about a person’s personality.

People often use their signs and characteristics to excuse bad behavior.

If an Aries is stubborn and unwilling to change, they blame it on their sign. If a Sagittarius is impatient, they pretend they have nothing to do with it and blame it on their sign. Buying into the facade that is astrology deters a person’s rightful responsibility. It is an overused excuse for people’s intentional mistakes.

To top it off, astrologers believe the position of the sun and stars can predict the future. The position of the sun and stars never actually change, as the earth spins, it looks as if they change places but, the sun and stars will, yet again, be in the same position one year later. So, if you are looking to the cosmos for an answer to a question, that answer will change from day to day, hour to hour. That just doesn’t make sense.

Saying the sun, moon and stars determine and predict one’s personality and future is not a solid explanation for the complex workings of our world. Your experiences, trials, success and ambitions are what make you, you, not the made up images of what a certain sign “should” be.

To conclude, astrology is fun to mess around with and try to “predict” certain things with your friends but, at the end of the day, it is all just meaningless mysticism that has no bearing on the real world.

Holiday Break Studends anticipate time off from school and fun traditions!

Mask Optional News of masks being optional mid-January excites students for school to be finally going back to normal.

College Applications Although many applications have already been submitted, seniors continue to work on them for coming up deadlines.

First semester classes end Students are rushing to get their grades up before grades come out and some are sad because the semester classes are coming to an end.

HOCKADAYFOURCAST.ORG

December 14, 2021 | THE FOURCAST

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After Astroworld

Festival tragedy shows need for caution, change STAFF STANCE

T

en died and hundreds were injured at rapper Travis Scott’s music festival in Houston, on Nov. 5.

Gross mishandling of the large crowd and deadly mishandling of the emergency situation are largely to blame for the tragic events at the festival.

As many Hockaday students attend festivals, concerts, and events such as this one, Astroworld Fest represents the danger inherent in large party-like gatherings such as these and the need to be prepared.

Scott is known for his “rage culture” and injuries at his concerts and festivals are no isolated occurrence. At Astroworld Fest, crowd surges and massive overpopulation of the arena contributed to the deadly event.

Over 50,000 people, most teenagers or younger, attended the concert. As Travis Scott took the stage around 9 p.m., chaos ensued.

Some were trampled, others were suffocating in the thick swarms of bodies and many were unconscious. This tragedy caused by a complete failure of crowd control is scarily common in the festival scene. A stampede at Love Parade in Germany killed 21 people in 2010. In Rhode Island, 100 died in 2003 in a fire and stampede at a concert.

This year, many have been excited about returning to “normalcy” after the pandemic.

Entertainment events like concerts and festivals have reported record crowd sizes. This comes with clear danger.

Large crowds are difficult to control and safety is never guaranteed. Adding alcohol and drugs to the situation, as many celebrators do, only makes it worse.

When attending these events, it is of paramount importance to be well aware of your surroundings and maintain an exit plan, should a crowd surge occur. Furthermore, as having access to water may be far more difficult than one would imagine, staying

Illustration by Aadya Kuruvalli

hydrated becomes important. At Astroworld Fest, attendees reported that lines to get water were hours long.

People had been standing at the festival all day, and the event was not prepared to

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Anna Gum & Maddie Stout

NEWS EDITOR Campbell Harris

MANAGING EDITOR

ARTS & LIFE EDITORS

JADE EDITOR

FEATURES EDITOR

WEB EDITOR

SPORTS EDITOR

Libby Hill

Katherine Grace Estess

Elisa Carroll

COPY EDITOR Hanna Zhang

BUSINESS MANAGER Olivia Garcia

SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Lea Whitley

Zoya Haq & Melody Hu

Juliana Blazek

Remy Finn

VIEWS EDITOR Jane Clark

CASTOFF EDITOR Lea Whitley

PHOTO & GRAPHICS EDITOR Caroline Petrikas

cater to the needs of a crowd of that size.

Ten people paid with their lives for these egregious mistakes made by Travis Scott and his team. Clearly those attending such events should proceed with caution.

ASSISTANT SECTION EDITORS AND STAFF WRITERS Lacy Green Ambyr Baker Hanna Asmerom Kailey Bergstedt Caroline Bush Aadya Kuruvali Melody Tian Bennett Trubey Harper Harris

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 Anna Gum at agum22@ hockaday.org or Maddie Stout at mstout22@ hockaday.org.

The Fourcast 11600 Welch Road Dallas, Texas 75229

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December 14, 2021

castoff

THE HOCKADAY SCHOOL

Art by Sarah Roberts

Jewelry, fuzzy socks, Comfy robe, scented candle, canvas tote bags, face masks, spa certificate, her favorite nail salon certificate and a gift perfume,and perfume andaanew new card to their favorite restaurant. throw blanket.

Cutting board, coffee mug, Yeti tumbler, airpods case, grilling spices set, electric razor and a new pair of athletic shoes.

By Lea Whitley | Castofff Editor

Kindle paperwhite, picture frame with family photo, oven mitts, house slippers, bird feeder and a memory book.