Our voices, our future

As the younger generation, it is our responsibility to enact change

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Jane Clark & Melody Hu

MANAGING EDITOR

Caroline Petrikas

JADE EDITORS

Juliana Blazek & Zoya Haq

WEB & SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR

Hanna Asmerom

NEWS EDITOR

Melody Tian

ARTS & LIFE EDITORS

Caroline Bush & Bennett Trubey

FEATURES EDITOR

Harper Harris

SPORTS EDITOR

Ambyr Baker

OPINIONS EDITOR

Aadya Kuruvalli

PHOTO, GRAPHICS & CASTOFF EDITOR

Kailey Bergstedt

STAFF WRITERS

Alexandra Dassopoulos

Anjy Fadairo

Elle Myers

Alexa Munoz

Amitha Nair

Danya Risam-Chandi

Elizabeth Truelove

Shreya Vijay

FACULTY ADVISER

Julia Copeland

Editorial Policy

The Fourcast is written primarily for students of the Hockaday Upper School, its faculty and staff. The Fourcast has a press run of 1,500 and is printed by Greater Dallas Press. It is distributed free of charge to the Hockaday community. The staff reserves the right to refuse any advertising which is deemed inappropriate for the Hockaday community. Opinions will be clearly marked and/or will appear in the views section. Commentaries are the expressed opinion of the author and do not necessarily reflect that of The Fourcast staff, its adviser or any other member of the Hockaday community. The Staff Stance on the views page reflects the position of The Fourcast staff, but not necessarily the position of the Hockaday administration or community. The Fourcast staff determines the content of each issue and strives to work as independently as possible in producing the student newspaper, but the content is subject to prior review by the head of Upper School, the communications director and other members of the Hockaday leadership team. Letters to the editor and guest columns are welcome and should be addressed to the editor-in-chief. Only signed pieces will be published. Corrections and clarifications from previous issues will be found as designated in the news section. Any questions or concerns should be addressed to Editors-in-Chief Jane Clark at jclark23@hockaday.org or Melody Hu at mhu23@hockaday.org.

Injustices around the world and the aftermath of the midterm election make us, as the younger generation, realize that even though some of us may not be of age to cast our votes, our voices are influential and worth hearing.

We may often feel like small actions cannot effect big changes, but small steps toward progress can impact our communities in big ways. Small steps could add up to change the lives of our peers, friends and families.

Those steps need not include drastic actions. On TikTok, a viral video shows two young people in London throwing a can of tomato soup at a Vincent Van Gogh painting to protest for the Just Stop Oil campaign. To voice our opinions and ideologies, we do not have to throw tomato soup at expensive paintings, but realize that protesting allows sharing of thoughts that could influence public opinion and government policy.

After the summer of 2020, it is easy to paint the picture of protesters as waves of people coming together to march. However, protesting can also take the form of boycotting companies that do not align with your views. As easy as it is to post a story for our friend’s birthday, it is just as easy to post current events that impact your community.

An online presence that informs peers can be just as beneficial. Posting a quick reminder of an upcoming protest on your Instagram casts a wider net to those who will be touched and informed of issues you care about.

As we become inspired to enact change, we must remember that social media makes it easy to believe in the first thoughts and comments posted; however, researching and actively seeking correct information is an avenue for finding what you are passionate about.

For those who can vote, we encourage you to use your ballot to cast a vote for candidates who support your ideologies. Voter turnout is the lowest among those ages 18-24, meaning that those elected most likely do not represent the ideologies and agendas you support. One vote may seem like a drop in a bucket, but it allows you to exercise your right as a citizen and keeps American democracy running. We may have the impression that our actions are insignificant, especially those of us who are not of voting age. Doubtful voices within ourselves and from others can easily overwhelm our attempts to create a better world. However, even those ineligible to vote can help candidates they support by working in the polls and at phone banks.

As the next generation takes control and realizes decisions we make now will impact our lives 20 years down the road, we must act to make a difference in matters that affect us.

As we grow older and become leaders of a world whose decisions previously were in the hands of our parents, the responsibility will be ours. The impact of that responsibility is dependent on the actions we take now as the generation that is considered “too young.”

Thanksgiving Break Winter

Everyone looks forward to this time of the year to take a week off, eat some amazing food and enjoy quality time with family. But with the holidays near the end of the first semester, the weeks before and after are a crunch time for classes.

Everyone is excited to get into the spirit and celebrate winter holidays, but not all students think fondly of the chilly weather that comes with the season.

BLACK FRIDAY

Who doesn’t love shopping?? Daisies look forward to buying a bunch of steals after Thanksgiving, but this day also means many stores will be sold out before Christmas. Better get to those lists early!

NEW YEAR’S EVE

A fresh leap into another new year gives us a chance to fully restart all of our activities, but especially for seniors, the incoming spring season brings us closer to our final days at Hockaday.