Evergreen THE
May 14, 2014
Volume XLVIX, Issue 6
Also in this issue... Views Summer Philosophy With summer around the corner, The Evergreen investigates students’ rationale in allocating their precious free time. p. 3
Crime & Punishment It’s not black and white
News Clearing the Desks As Greenhill faculty retire, Arts Editor Catherine Leffert explores how their desk sheds light on them and their time at the Hill. p. 4
Features Laundry Lessons Greenhill is college-preparatory, but how prepared are students for real-world challenges, both big and small? The Evergreen accompanies seniors to the laundromat to find out. p. 7
Senior Section Leaving the Nest See where the class of 2014 is heading for college. p. 10-11
Arts A Hidden Talent Find out what treasures Brian Donnell, band director, crafts in his woodshop at home. p. 14
Sports Twelve-Timer Senior Brent Rubin has amassed 12 varsity letters, playing football, soccer and baseball. Asst. Arts Editor Arhum Khan investigates what it takes to accomplish this feat. p. 17
Backpage Deconstructing $9k Greenhill Business Club made $9,000 this year from their investment portfolio. Take a look at what that figure means on a Greenhill scale. p. 20
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tudents at all schools have, in moments of poor judgment, looked at a neighbor’s paper during a test, left campus without permission, lied to their teachers, or taken something that is not theirs. Greenhill students are no exception. In determining how to punish these disciplinary infractions, Greenhill has a choice: either implement a rigid disciplinary policy, or look at each case individually and holistically. Greenhill chooses the latter. The school’s disciplinary philosophy involves talking to the students directly to understand exactly what happened and why. Only in determining the consequence does past record or probationary status come into play. “There is no hard-and-fast rule,” said Laura Ross, Head of Upper School. “Every student’s story is different. It’s very Greenhill.” Once a case has been reported, the first step is a conversation between the suspected perpetrator and Mrs. Ross or Jack Oros, Dean of Students. Honor Council advisors Dan Kasten and Genie Burke are often sought out for advice. What others have to say about the student or the case are not a factor. “Greenhill is very student-centered,” Mrs. Ross said, comparing Greenhill to other schools that have a one-and-done disciplinary policy, where there are set consequences for specific infractions and no second chances. Possible disciplinary punishments include probation (which is most common), letters of apology, reflections, suspension and expulsion. Expulsion is reserved for cases with a breach of trust so severe that the school feels the student can no longer remain in the community. “Greenhill gives a lot of trust to students, so when they take advantage of [it], they break the trust of the community,” Mrs Ross said. When suspension or expulsion are on the line, the decision is made by Mrs. Ross, Mr. Oros and Head of School Scott Griggs. Suspensions and expulsions go on the student’s permanent record, but other than those three adults and the parties involved, the sentence is kept secret.
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While the disciplinary process is largely handled by administration, students often are the ones who report honor code violations. The cases’ confidential handling can result in speculation amongst the perpetrator’s peers. “I think the policy is really lenient,” said junior Remya Menon. “I see these offenses on a daily basis, and I know some students report them, but a week later, [perpetrators] are committing the same offense. Then the student body feels like there is no point in reporting, because even if students suffer consequences, they are not learning from them.” Greenhill does not use consequences as a deterrent, meaning one student’s mistake (and the resulting consequence) is not used to scare other students out of making poor decisions. “There are times I wish students had the facts right, but I value the privacy of students involved in any disciplinary infraction more than I worry about gossip,” Mrs. Ross said. As a suspected student goes through the disciplinary process, he or she is expected to behave honorably. “Kids are kids—they make mistakes,” Mr. Oros said. “What I hope we have taught each of [them] is to own up to [their] mistakes. It is a matter of character.” If students choose to hide the truth, it usually comes back to hurt them. “Sometimes I wish I could save students from themselves,” Mrs. Ross said. “They are so caught up in justifying or denying [their actions] that they don’t always recognize that if they apologized and told the truth, they could end up with a lesser punishment.” But sometimes it is the parent who encourages their child to be dishonest. According to Mr. Oros, parents have commonly told their children not to fess up to their transgression in order to avoid suspension, which they worry would put a dent in their permanent record. “Families are concerned that a suspension will have far reaching consequences on a child’s future. We believe that there is much to be learned at this age from many types of disciplinary consequences. A suspension may
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be what is needed to turn the student around,” Mr. Oros said. The root of the fear lies in college applications. Most colleges require both the school and the student to report any suspensions or expulsions in a written essay. College counseling works closely with these students to help turn their lapse in judgment into proof of character education. “I always encourage my students to think about what they learned, what the experience has taught them and who they want to be,” said Jennifer Kincaid, college counselor. Greenhill allows students to reapply after expulsion. After facing their consequence, students and parents have come to Mrs. Ross to thank her for the wake-up call. “When kids have been suspended and have to report it to colleges, Every it is filled with a lot of student’s fear. It’s powerful every story is year when [students] get different. [The in [to college]even with disciplinary an infraction as part of policy] is very their record,” said Mrs. Greenhill.” Ross, who has worked in college admissions and as a college counselor. “If a student made a mistake, wrote about it well and the school supported it, it can actually really be a positive for the student,” she said. While some may think the school’s policy is too lenient and not realistic, Mrs. Ross said she thinks Greenhill’s disciplinary policy is actually in keeping with real world procedures. For example, all students must sign an agreement at the beginning of the year, which signifies that the student has read and understood everything in the student handbook and that he or she agrees to abide by the honor code. “We’re not naïve,” Mrs. Ross said. “We know [students] often don’t read the handbook. But a signature means something. When you sign something, that comes with responsibilities.” story by Sera Tuz graphic by Sera Tuz and Ariana Zhang
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The Evergreen Wednesday [05.14.14]
VIEWS
A MENTAL SURVEY
Rants & Raves A RAVE to The Ray Johnston Band, which recently played on campus. The quad was overflowing with students, who, in between bites of delicious Sage hamburgers, reflected on a possible new career path. “Why don’t I just become a musician? I’m not a bad singer. I mean, of my friends, I’m definitely the best. Well, not the best, but definitely not the worst,” said one confused student.
A RANT to the nuclear warzone that the microwaves in the cafeteria have become. Many students fondly remember a time when they could microwave a panini with ease, a task that, due to near toxic conditions in the area, has become almost impossible. We don’t ask much, just that you wipe the inside of the microwave when your lasagna explodes.
A RAVE to the mass distribution of the Future Is Bright sunglasses at the Performing Arts Center Groundbreaking. Research shows that 90 percent of teens are big fans of sunglasses, and that 10 percent are fans of puns, so it makes sense that 100 percent of teens are fans of sunglasses coupled with puns!
A RANT to the gradual disintegration and peeling of the watertower graffiti. It is hard for us to see such painstakingly crafted artistic masterpieces being whittled away by the elements. Many have begun to wonder if we are finally paying the price for our hubris of science, or if the seniors just didn’t use a thick enough coat of sealer.
A RAVE to the spring pep rally. It’s nice to be reminded of the great things our classmates are doing on the field/court/ course, and it doesn’t hurt when that reminder features kisses from the tennis team, flying marshmallows, and gender-swapped sports demonstrations. Plus, the time outside gave us the much-needed chance to finish the tan we started during the groundbreaking ceremony.
A RANT to students parking in faculty spots. As heartwarming as it is to see students wanting to follow in the footsteps of their favorite teachers, it’s not so heartwarming when those students take said teachers’ parking spots. Many peacocks have been seen shaking their heads at students trying to slip into their cars unnoticed at the end of the day.
A RAVE to the array of topnotch international soccer teams that spent time practicing on Greenhill’s fields last month for the Dallas International Cup. As uncomfortable as it was to share bathrooms and oxygen with such beautiful specimens, the experience fueled our campus with some much-needed motivation to exhibit some relentless effort in our own workout routines.
A RANT to the recent trend of underclassmen sitting in Elliott Center chairs during assemblies. While we acknowledge that this is a petty complaint, we feel it is our duty to bring this problem to the attention of our community and, consider us old fashioned, but in our day, getting a seat had a prerequisite of two years of sore butts or Mrs. Ross’ signature.
A RAVE to people putting their trays away nicely in the cafeteria. Analysts are crediting Kindergarten’s increase in block-stacking courses as a reason for the improvement in cafeteria dish-stacking. The programs are so successful, in fact, Kindergarten is preparing for the introduction of AP Block Stacking in the fall.
Content courtesy of Harris Chowdhary; bottom left photo courtesy of www.svenskafans.com
Sharing the Love When we see unfamiliar kids in class or walking in hallways holding grey folders, we automatically know what to do. We approach them, say “hello,” and ask where they currently go to school. These “grey folder” kids are known as shadowers: prospective students who visit the Greenhill Upper School for a day to shadow a current student. We welcome these prospective students, and even greet them if we see them in the hallways the following year. The irony is that these students have a better understanding of the Upper School than current eighth grade Greenhill students do. Our own Middle Schoolers do not have the same opportunity to shadow Upper School students at Greenhill, but they should.
Staff Editorial
We are concerned about the missed opportunity. Greenhill students who choose to transfer after Middle School have a wide array of Dallas schools to visit, but they are missing out on touring their own school. We worry that not getting this valuable perspective could increase transfer rates. Greenhill Middle and Upper Schools have different atmospheres, and if current eighth graders had the opportunity to shadow an Upper School student, they could have a better understanding of what is to come. This is not only important for students who are questioning transferring, but also for current eighth graders who are anxious about their future years. Currently, Laura
Ross, Head of Upper School, gives each eightgrade advisory a tour in May. This gives them a grasp of where they are going to be their next four years, but nothing is more valuable than hearing about the student expierence firsthand. If Greenhill eighth graders could shadow, they would be able to see what their daily lives would be like and have a better sense of how the Upper School works. This could also serve as a way for the Upper School the open their arms to another division, which unfortunately does not happen as often as it should. This interdivisional bonding can be an opportunity for incoming freshman to feel welcome before they cross the quad the following fall.
Evergreen staff THE
Serving Greenhill
Errata from Issue 4/2/14
since 1966 • 4141 Spring Valley Road • Addison TX, 75001
editor-in-chief
views editor
arts editor
special sections editor
asst. arts editor
online editors
executive editor
news editors
sports editors
asst. news editor
art director
business manager
managing editor
features editors
double truck editor
asst. features editor
add’l contributors
advisors
Sera Tuz
Sofia Shirley
Sanah Hasan
Megan Wiora
Madison Goodrich Christina Zhu Varun Gupta Amna Naseem
Catherine Leffert
Lane Hirsch Ben Schachter Sofia Shirley
Andrew Friedman
Suman Chebrolu
Zach Rudner
One way we can make this opportunity possible is to have a sign-up sheet where eighth grade students can sign up to shadow a high school student for a portion of the day.The Middle school could designate a set couple of weeks where groups of eighth graders spend a portion of the day in the high school. This shadowing could be added as part of the Host on the Hill program run by the Admission, or Upper School students could volunteer independently. People like to have a sense of the future. Usually, this is an impractical goal, knowing how unpredictable life can be. But even just a day of shadowing can give students a peek into their futures at Greenhill.
Arhum Khan
Ariana Zhang
Harris Chowdhary Avery Jane Williams
Christian Holmes Ben Krakow Ryan Diebner
Eve Hill-Agnus Pamela Kripke
p. 4 The team leaders for 2014-2015 school year will be as follows: Berkeley Gillentine, freshmen; Melissa Battis, sophomores; Michelle Smith, juniors; David Lowen, seniors.
The
wednesday, may 14, 2014
Evergreen
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What is your summer philosophy? Meha Elhence, sophomore Joseph Kang, senior During my first couple of years of high school, I struggled with time management between school work, sports and other extracurriculars, which led to terrible study habits and dismal grades. So the summer before junior year I started visiting the local library and just checking out textbooks and prep books on the material for the upcoming school year. I spent about an hour or two every weekday just skimming through the books and taking notes on the material for most of my classes. Once the school year started, I didn’t really have to worry too much about the material being taught in class, as I already had done most of my work over the summer. My philosophy isn’t a really magnanimous, philanthropic one, but to me, summer is a time when you can devote a little bit of your time when you aren’t as busy so that you’ll have a little bit off your shoulders when you are. Following that philosophy, my grades and study habits have improved and I have had more time to devote to all my other commitments.
My summer philosophy includes the perfect balance between the upcoming school year’s preparation and creatively enriching my free time. Of course, it is hard to achieve both simultaneously while also making time to see friends and relax on my own. I don’t have the patience to deal with a summer without constant variety. In the past, my summers have consisted of an assortment of activities: family reunions, summer programs, camps, and the ever-dreadful Driver’s Ed classes. I’d be lying if I said that the sole reason I try to involve myself in college-based summer programs is for the sheer enjoyment of learning; in reality, it’s probably because one of the great advantages to those summer programs is that they show the colleges you are actually doing something marginally productive and educational with your summer. However, I do appreciate my fair share of community service and general down time mixed into the break as well. I don’t necessarily believe that summers should be all about school preparation. After all, that is not what a threemonth-long holiday is all about. The overwhelming stress would cause me to inevitably regret it as soon as I dove into first day back at school. On the other hand, using my summer as a time to indulge myself in the lifestyle of a couch potato probably isn’t the best idea. Overall, an even distribution of school/academic work and general free time is, in my opinion, an ideal way to make the most out of a summer.
Jonah Goldberg, freshman While many people look at summer as three months of rest and recuperation, a time to prepare mentally for the next year to come, I see it more as a time to experiment with different sides of your own personality. The people you meet during these months are likely to be people that you won’t be dealing with on a daily basis, therefore it is a time to try interacting with people in a way that you wouldn’t usually. Perhaps you’ll receive a great reaction, and will start working this side of yourself into your everyday life and interactions with the people that surround you. On the other hand you may receive a horribly negative reaction and make a note never to do what you tried with your constant peers. This can help anyone gain a huge amount of confidence as well as learn how people will react to different sides of them they were afraid to show before. I try to take as many of these social risks as I can. Most of the time it goes well and I gain a new experience that I can learn from and take ideas from that to influence who I am on an everyday basis. That is what summer is to me, and I would suggest that others try the same. You may learn something about yourself that you didn’t know before.
Letters to the Editor Knowledge is Power Lindsey Mahomes, senior After seeing the letter in the last paper concerning allergy issues (specifically gluten intolerance) and how they’re handled at Greenhill, I decided to offer my own opinion on a related issue. As a lactoseintolerant person, I have tremendous difficulty finding food to eat, particularly in Greenhill’s cafeteria. Although approximately 33 percent of Americans are lactose intolerant, with rates being even higher among minorities, dairy-free needs always seem to be left out when allergies are discussed. However, I don’t think the Greenhill cafeteria should necessarily have to be responsible for providing dairy-free food, or catering to any other specific allergy. I’d love it if I could walk up to the counter and grab a dairy-free hot lunch option, but I understand this isn’t the most practical solution. Rather, I think the Cafeteria should have the obligation of providing one comprehensive list of all the common allergens, such as dairy, gluten, and shellfish, contained in each meal they prepare. Quite frankly, I’m not
sure why this isn’t already a requirement given the diverse allergies present in our school population. Presently, there isn’t a way for me to look at a dish and know whether it contains dairy, gluten, or anything else. Furthermore, asking for detailed information about a dish’s contents during a lunch hour rush when the cafeteria staff is trying to handle hundreds of ravenous teenagers isn’t exactlythemost effective strategy. Additionally, with the variety of names dairy cleverly disguises itself as (milk, butter, casein, whey - the list goes on), it’s usually pretty difficult for anyone except the cook to know exactly what’s in it. Believe me, I’ve ended up sick more than a couple times and have since resorted to relying only on the sandwiches I can make myself at the sandwich bar. Think a sandwich tastes good? Try eating one every day because you’re afraid anything else will make you sick. A simple list wouldn’t be too hard to make and could easily be laminated for re-use.
Tyranny of the Minority
Genie Burke, Upper School history The article that was published in the Evergreen last month about leggings, or as I like to call, “Leggings-Gate 2014” was timely, and I appreciated hearing the student perspective. Mr. Oros, Mrs. Ross and I recently met with elected leadership from all the classes to get their opinions now that the first year of the Guidelines is coming to a close. We hope to continue to get student help and input in refining the guidelines before the new school year begins. A few things that both students and adults agree upon: there have been some poor choices made by a minority of students this year. On the other hand, adults on campus have not been as consistent as we could be in talking with students who have stepped over the line. So where do we go from here? I believe we can make this work, but it does require sensible choices by students and a willingness of adults on campus to engage students when they feel a conversation is needed. The goal remains the same and was best said in one of the student responses: “We want to be a school that allows free expression in a creative yet professional way.”
Going back to August, I don’t think I was alone in being nervous about how the new Guidelines would work. The thought was to initiate conversations with the student body so students would feel ownership in what I considered a fairly ground-breaking policy change. I was impressed by the data that came back from advisories. From my perspective, we had some productive conversations. There was a clear message from students that it’s everyone’s responsibility on campus to make this work. These conversations we had with each grade level bolstered my confidence that not only were the Guidelines the right decision, but I was confident we could make this work as an Upper School community. As the year progressed, I think the majority of the community has done an excellent job in making decisions that are sensible and expressive. I have had students express to me their strong desire for the Guidelines to stay in place, and they have also expressed their frustration at peers who continually wear things that in their minds are pushing the limits too far.
I could feel the frustration in the tone and language of the student editorial. We hear you, but we would also like your help. It is erroneous to say we don’t have any specific rules in place. Our goal a year ago when this was drafted was to make sure the rules we do have in place are gender-neutral. The language says, “While we choose not to have many specific “rules”, we expect that all students will adhere to our community’s principles when choosing how to express themselves through clothing.” The conversations we are having now and the questions we will be asking, to ourselves and students, include: Are there other rules that should be added? Are broad guidelines a workable format for high school students to be expected to follow? If not, what is next? Do we revert back to a more specific code? While I do not have the answers to these questions yet, I am proud of the conversations that have taken place across the Upper School regarding how we want to present ourselves. Students, please feel free to talk to Mrs. Ross, Mr. Oros or me if you have suggestions or concerns about the Guidelines.
The Evergreen Wednesday [05.14.14]
NEWS
campus cruiser
WHAT’S THE STORY BEHIND THE EMPTY POLICE CARS ON CAMPUS? Turn to pg. 6 TO FIND OUT.
Deskscapes:
Retiring faculty reflect on space and time Vince Mikulski Upper School Technology Teacher
“My office contains many resources that I share with students such as pencils, rulers, staplers, markers, tape, scissors, a hole punch, a pencil sharpener and such. My desk is a shared resource between us. I have students come to me asking, “Do you have a hole punch?” Yes, there’s one on my desk. “Where’s your pencil sharpener?” It’s on my desk. “Do you have a pen?” Yes, in the middle drawer of my desk.
Consuelo Buxton Upper School Spanish “Can I just talk about my cubicle? Because I love it. Normally, people will see my cubicle and say it is too clean and there is nothing going on. I love it because there is movement and people around it all the time. Maybe it is the
way I grew up, maybe for me it takes me back to Spain where you have people and noises around you all the time. Now, as to why my cubicle is always so clean. We are surrounded by clutter, and clutter makes
Jan Besco
me very uncomfortable. I need to see clearly the dimensions of a room, the angles, and where it is located. I feel better with the things I need and nothing else. And to me, this is the way I feel at home.”
Synthia Rogers
Upper School Math “You saw my desk. I’m probably a bit unorganized although I know where everything is. I’m a bit of a procrastinator so I understand students who procrastinate: I procrastinate on straightening up my desk. And nobody else has an Einstein action figure. Oh, I have an old basketball jersey. Mr. Sandler was giving them away and I said I wanted one. I love basketball.
I’m a little nervous [about retiring], because I’ve obviously never done it before. About 15 years ago I cut out a queen-sized quilt and it’s still in pieces. That’s going to take me a while. I bought a guitar a couple of years ago. I can do scales, and I want to learn to play the guitar better. So now I’ll have time to do things and they should keep me busy.”
Jackie Ziegler
Upper School Theatre Director “I love this little theatre. I do the best with what I’ve been given as far as my space goes. A lot of times there’s three or four activities going on in the same space at the same time. In the upstairs space, we’ve created a classroom by bringing in old props like tables and chairs so we can sit around and have a conversation. So we create other spaces to have classrooms. But as far as the space goes, I love the relationship of the audience to the actors. I think that’s really special. I like to quote a famous director.:“A theatre is an empty space.”
That way, students can just go in and take what they need. So it’s all pretty disorganized, but at least I know where everything is. It’s on my desk. I’m moving to Denver next month and once I get settled in, I would like to do some prospecting for gold, treasure hunting, fly fishing and camping on a few acres that I intend to purchase a few hours southwest of Denver.”
So that’s how I justify sometimes meeting in small spaces. I think that has forced us to be creative and sometimes I call upon the actors’ imagination to create a space. A lot of magic has happened because of the imagination of the artists involved. My office has been used for many things: an office, a dressing room, a rehearsal area, a storage place for props and makeup and set pieces. So goes an office in a theater. I have very mixed emotions about retiring. I love the students so I will really miss having that youthful energy in my life.”
Middle School Field Hockey “My desk shows how much I care about the kids, my family, friends, the staff, the teams, former players. They all mean so much to me. I love having the window, too. It’s a real open environment. It’s extremely comfortable and it feels inviting to me. I’ll miss the friendships I’ve made with colleagues, and
the interaction with the students. My colleagues in the office also like playing practical jokes on each other. Coaching has just been such a big part of my life. Total, it’s been 39 years. And over the years, I’ve seen lots of smiles. It’s been so fulfilling and rewarding.” story by Catherine Leffert Photos by Christina Zhu and Madison Goodrich
In addition to retiring faculty members, here are the remaining departing faculty Nikole Swize Art Hall Natalia Hernandez Early Childhood Art Director of Equity and Inclusion Director of Academics Paula Hall 3rd Grade Humanities Katie Peterson Donna Ferebee Learning Specialist Pre-K to 3rd MS English and History J.R. Neisweinder College Counselor
For more information on these departing faculty members, visit the Evergreen Online
wednesday, may 14, 2014
The
Evergreen
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Faculty mourn felled oak trees Sanah Hasan
Managing Editor
At the corner of Spring Valley Road and Midway lies a barren piece of land. It was once a grassy space, home to many trees. Now it is empty, with the exception of a few construction trucks. The trees were cut down in April for new field hockey fields as part of Greenhill’s large-scale construction project. “The trees are a reminder of where this place started when we got to the campus,” said Tom Perryman ’81, Assistant Head of School. “It’s a bitter-sweet moment to have them cut down.” The Marshall Performing Arts Building, which is currently under construction, will occupy the current field hockey fields. As a result, the fields are being moved to the corner of Spring Valley and Midway. “It’s always very sad to see nature being destroyed. Trees are living, and to see them die is obviously emotional. However, there has to be a balance. In order to make progress, we have to make certain compromises,” said Dan Kasten, Upper School English Teacher. When Mr. Perryman was in first grade, his class planted many of the trees that were situated at the Spring Valley corner. Mr. Perryman worked alongside an Upper School buddy to plant them.
Updates on previously published stories Search for a Kidney Graphic by Jackson Lowen and Andrew Friedman
WEEPING FOR WILLOW: The oak trees that stood at the intersection of Spring Valley Road and Midway no longer remain. While they spoke to the school’s past, the current construction site speaks to its future.
“The trees just remind me of my days as a young boy on the campus,” he said. According to Mr. Perryman, when Greenhill first bought the land for the campus, it resembled a prairie. Mr. Fulton made it his mission to incorporate trees. He stressed the importance of Arbor Day and launched campus-wide activities dedicated to beautifying the campus. There are now more trees on campus than there were 2025 years ago. Mr. Perryman considers Greenhill to be incredibly lucky. “Many other schools in the Dallas area just don’t have the amount of land we do,” he said. In the weeks leading up to the trees being cut down, Mr. Perryman visited the corner.
“I went out there a few times with my camera, and just snapped a few photos and took a cheesy stroll down memory lane,” he said. However, he still was not prepared for the emotional impact. “I was getting gas, when I passed the corner and noticed the bull dozers. The trees were gone, and I had a catch in my throat,” he said. At the same time, Mr. Perryman is glad the school even has the option to build on the corner lot. In the ‘80s, a real-estate company asked Greenhill to lease the 12-acre lot for 99 years, and Greenhill agreed. The company completed Phase I of construction, building the Greenhill plaza office buildings on Hornet Road and Midway. However, as
the economy started to decline, construction ceased on Phase II and III of the buildings. Greenhill, seizing the opportunity, bought back the remainder of the 12-acre plot, which is now a crucial part of the campus expansion. “We were so close to not having the necessary space, and I am so thankful that we have the opportunity to expand our campus in the ways we see fit,” Mr. Perryman said. Once the fields are finished, new trees will be planted along their periphery. “It is important to us that we maintain the beauty and nature of Greenhill,” Mr. Perryman said.
change will also ensure that students and their teacher will have at least one common “off ” time to meet. According to Laura Ross, Head of Upper School, because the Foreign Language and Math department classes are defined by level rather than by grade, the new system will apply through level three for language classes and Algebra 2 for math. The changes stem from discussions held by the Upper School leadership committee consisting of administrators, team leaders, and
department chairs that met several times throughout the year. “We were dealing with the issue of ninth and tenth grade students struggling in year-long classes like Atlantic Experience 9 and Chemistry, and teachers and students talked about needing more one-on-one or small-group meeting time,” Mrs. Ross said. Each of the six departments will implement the system for one trimester, so the modification will affect two of a student’s classes each trimester. Mrs. Ross said it is possible
that if a department really liked the system, the modified schedule could continue throughout the rest of the year. “What I have said as an administrator [to the departments] is that the minimum expectation is to do this for one trimester, but if you like it and want to keep doing it this year, go ahead,” Mrs. Ross said. Mrs. Ross plans to survey students at the end of next year and have discussions in Upper School faculty meetings to determine whether this system will continue in
Jeff Diamond, ‘13 still needs approval by the American Kidney Foundation to get a transplant for a new kidney. He recently took tests to see if he qualifies. He hopes to get a donation over the summer.
New Basketball Coach Coach Joey Sims will replace Coach Andrews as Head Boys’ Basketball Coach. Coach Sims graduated from Texas Tech and led basketball programs in Como-Pickton ISD, Aledo ISD, and Bovina ISD. He has been an assistant at Arlington ISD and Birdville ISD as well. story by Suman Chebrolu
New rotation schedule designed for underclassmen Ben Krakow Online Editor
Starting this fall, the Upper School administration will pilot a modified schedule aimed at giving students more time to meet one-onone with teachers. Year-long academic core classes for underclassmen will meet only four out of six times per cycle with the fifth day a non-class day that will allow students to make up missed work and assessments, meet with the teacher or work on group projects with fellow students. This
HSSSE survey reintroduced after seven years, student engagement measured Varun Gupta Features Editor
The entire Upper School student body took the High School Survey of Student Engagement (HSSSE) survey in April. The online questionnaire asks for students’ feedback on qualities the school wants continue to foster. The last time students took the survey was in 2007. “I felt that we had not been gathering much data [before HSSSE]”, Mrs. Ross said. “I think for anything that you believe about your self, you’ve got to continue to test it and make sure you are doing it.” The major qualities assesssed include engagement, equality, and pride in classrooms as major hallmarks of the student experience. “It’s critical that we have a strong student-to-teacher connection,” said Mrs. Ross. “I would feel really excited if Greenhill students feel like our teachers care about them more compared to peer schools.” The survey also directly asked
students to evaluate their academic, social, and extra-curricular experiences. Mrs. Ross said she thinks this information will be useful when weighing policy decisions such as whether to start classes later. Trends in the survey results regarding sleep deprivation, for example, would provide quantitative data. The HSSSE survey uses standardized questions rather than a personal experience to shed light on student’s habits. Some students proposed improvements to expand the range of questions. “The survey is inadequate when it comes to measuring our happiness,” said sophomore Kevin Wei. “It may even help to monitor levels of depression, drug use and suicide rate.” The standardized format gives Greenhill a point of comparison to other ISAS schools, an academically accredited group of Texas private schools. This year, 20 peer schools
have taken the HSSSE survey, which has increased the total data samples from the previous year. “We are hoping that we can pull out common data sets between our [ISAS] schools,” said Mrs. Ross. “I’m curious to see if the responses differ over grade levels, gender, et cetera,” said Mrs. Ross. “I want to be open to whatever it tells us and not have any preconceived ideas.” In coming years, Mrs. Ross hopes to utilize HSSSE as a resource to gauge the school’s impact. “Engagement is being active in your education and is a really good proxy for a student’s love for learning,” said Mrs. Ross. HSSSE is not the only opportunity for students to give the school feedback. Mrs. Ross emphasized that she and other admininstrators are open to students’ comments throughout the year about the Upper School community and their academic experience.
the future. Trey Colvin, Upper School English teacher, already experimented with a similar model in his freshman English classes this year. Freshman Sarah Matthews, a student in his class, said she appreciates the time to catch up on reading of seek out individual help. She said she wishes her other classes would follow suite. “I like [the unscheduled days]. They’re really helpful. Especially if I need to do homework,” she said.
6
news
The
Evergreen
wednesday, may 14, 2014
Police cars on campus raise questions but do not lower speeds Lane Hirsch Sports Editor
Over the last four months, you may have noticed two empty Addison police cars stationed on campus, by the Lower and Upper School carpools, respectively. Although Greenhill students and faculty are not detectives, my investigations revealed that they considered the rationale behind the cars’ placement obvious. “I’m pretty sure the cars are stationed in the carpool lines to encourage people to drive slower,” said senior Brent Rubin. “No one is inside the cars, so they are just there to trick people into driving the speed limit.” Brent is not the only student who thinks this is the reason for the ghost cars on campus. Out of 37 students, 31 said they think the purpose of the cars is to keep speeding carpool moms and rowdy student drivers in check. Faculty members believe the cars are in place due to speeding as well. “The car is there to remind students and adults to slow down,” said Jack Oros, Dean of Students. As an avid journalist, which is code for qualified detective, I wanted to get to the bottom of this mystery. Since I just earned my license and never speed (well, maybe not never),
I figured it would be fitting for me to explore what triggered the placement of these cars. Going into my interviews, I was confident that I had already discovered the reason for the conspicuous placement of the police cars. With the support of Brent and 31 other students, I was positive they were there to regulate speed. Then came the awkward moment when I found out that I was completely wrong. The speculation surrounding the purpose of the cars could not be further from the truth. Head of Security Steve Smith, the policeman supposedly conniving to have people slow down, was taken by surprise when he heard my hypothesis. “It would be nice if the cars helped people drive slower. However, I have the police cars down here for my own use,” Officer Smith said. And just when I was feeling bad about accusing Officer
Smith of being a devious cop, I found out he actually moved the cars to help students. T h e cars were originally stationed in studentdesignated parking spots. “Parking was getting kind of tight around here,” he said. “Now that everyone is getting their drivers license, I try not to take up any student spots.” Hence parking in the carpool lanes. Officer Smith is responsible for the government vehicles, as they are part of the job he had before becoming Head of Security last December. “When I retired from the police department, I continued on as a reserve officer for the Addison Police Department,” Officer Smith said. Usually, reserve officers are given one vehicle, but Officer Smith was happy to take an extra car because it allows him to utilize
whichever car is closest in the case breaking speeds that far surpassed 10 of an emergency. miles per hour, some even racing in Thus far, Officer Smith has not at speeds in the upper 20s. I figured, needed to use the cars, but they still though, that I would give people get some crime time. a break since they were coming “Part of my responsibilities right off major roadways. Next, I with the department [are] that I am decided to take my investigation to required to work a certain amount of the straightaway near the science hours a month,” Officer Smith said. building. It seemed that the cars “It would not be unusual to see me were trying to catch up with me as I in my uniform because I am getting moved, but they did not slow down, ready to patrol the Addison area as they sped up. There are no speed part of my obligation as a reserve bumps on that straightaway, and officer.” out of 30 cars, not a Although it single one abided by might seem that my It would be the 10 mile per hour investigation was over, speed limit. As time nice if the cars passed and students don’t be fooled, because helped people got closer to being there was still another drive slower. late, the speed of the problem that needed However, I have cars increased and at to be addressed: Even though it was not an the police cars least 10 cars reached intended consequence, down here for speeds of 25 miles per did people slow down my own use. hour. with the presence of the Here are three police cars? This driving things I learned from question (no pun my detective work. intended. Okay, maybe intended) First, the purpose of the police cars led me to stand outside at 7:25 a.m. on campus is not to encourage people to take people’s speeds with a radar to slow down. Second, even if the hand-gun. My radar gun required speculations were correct, it wouldn’t me to aim at people’s windows, matter because people speed anyway. keeping me from being discrete Finally, I feel compelled to make in my attempt to catch people a public service announcement: I speeding. Break lights flashed as happen to know that Officer Smith drivers saw me, but even stomping is planning to start monitoring on the breaks didn’t bring the cars speeds more closely. A word for the down to an appropriate speed. wise: although my radar gunning Originally I stood at the gate as days may be over, Officer Smith is people entered Greenhill, record- just getting started.
“
Graphic by Avery Jane Williams
History department debuts new textbook Zach Rudner
Asst. Features Editor
Next fall, the Upper School History Department will replace the Western Civilizations textbook, currently required by both the freshman Atlantic Experience 9 (AX9) course and sophomore Atlantic Experience 10 (AX10) courses. Its replacement, Making Europe: The Story of the West, is intended to be more readerfriendly. The department made the decision because they believed Western Civilizations was too challenging as students’ first history textbook in Upper School. “The department felt that it was written at a level that was a little bit above some students’ [heads]” said Scott Cotton, Upper School History Department Chair. Students agree that the Western Civilizations book was challenging. “It was really hard to read,” said freshman Molly Bendalin. “It’s just not in a language I understood. It doesn’t flow well to me. The pages have so much on them.” The History Department
Graphic by Avery Jane Williams
hopes that the new book, which is more student friendly, will help give ninth grade students an easier |transition into high school, while still being interesting and challenging. “It’s a better balance, I think, between a rigorous textbook and something that’s more manageable,” Mr. Cotton said. Students will be also able to access the new book online.
“Having an e-version will give them flexibility and portability,” Mr. Cotton said. American Pageant, the other AX9 and AX10 textbook, will be taught for one more year, though the History Department plans to update the edition for the 2015-2016 school year. The textbook changes will be accompanied by a change in the Atlantic Experience curriculum. “We want to make it more about the actual Atlantic Experience and focus more on South/Central America and Africa,” said Genie Burke, who teaches AX9. To extend the classes’ focus, the overall AX9 curriculum will be shortened. Instead of beginning in ancient Europe, the course will begin in 1492, but it will still end in 1865. The department hopes that by shortening the courses’ timeline, classes will be able to go more in depth during each unit. The department also plans to add novels or other non-fiction books to supplement the course and diversify class readings requirements.
The Evergreen Wednesday [05.14.14]
GIVING THANKS history teacher david lowen provides a thankful wall IN his classroom as part of a push for positive pyschology. see page 8.
How not to turn your underwear pink . . . and other life lessons Madison Goodrich News Editor
Every year the college counseling office hosts a Senior Transition Workshop to teach departing seniors how to care for themselves away from home. As a test, The Evergreen assessed seniors Mary Lo, Jake Eberts, and Michael Meng on one of the many skills they will need for the real world: doing laundry. Michael pulls up to an old, faded Kwik Wash building and waves at Jake and Mary who are already inside. “Don’t destroy your clothes,” I say as I let them loose with zero instructions about how to wash and dry. As they put their clothes in the machine, Jake is the first to explain that he doesn’t separate his whites and colors because he doesn’t care if his underwear turns pink. Jake may not care about the color of his undergarments, but he does care about living in a whole new world at the University of Chicago. He ruminates as the machine starts to hum. “On the whole, Greenhill has done well in preparing me academically for college. Socially, I think it will be fairly easy to make friends as a freshman because everyone around me will be totally new to the school,” said Jake. We are not the only ones in the laundromat. A few machines down, a mother explains to her daughter how to do laundry. The daughter listens intently while clutching a light brown teddy bear.
“Can you wash teddy bears in the washing machine?” Michael asks. “I think you can,” I say. Michael may well need a teddy bear to clutch. He has a list of terrors he’s coping with as he gets ready for college. Laundry and cooking meals are minor chores for Michael, but staying away from home and family is even more frightening. “I also worry that I will loose touch with friends that I’ve grown so close to here at Greenhill,” Michael said. “I’m worried about how the Greenhill bubble will translate into a larger college real-world experience. What stepping out of the bubble will look like and feel like.” Michael’s strategy is not to lose sight of himself in the midst of his peer’s potential judgments. “If I could talk to my freshman self [once I’ve graduated from college], I would say not [to] worry so much about how others see the stuff that I do and the judgment that might come from that,” Michael said. “Just focus more on the question of, if I look back on myself four years from now, what will I see, what will I enjoy most, and what will I regret.” Mary is in her element with the laundry because she spends so much time with clothes. She has a passion for fashion and plans on majoring in women’s-wear fashion design. She still has her own fears, however. In September, Mary will be 4,739 miles away from home at the University of Arts London. “I guess that so many things can go wrong and it doesn’t make me comfortable [knowing] that my
mom is a nine-hour, very expensive flight away,” Mary said. “I just have to be very smart about my surroundings.” Living alone in a foreign country makes her nervous, but so does the pressure that comes with going to a college for the arts. “It’s going to be a whole different playing field,” said Mary. “I’m going to be with a lot of my peers that will know how to do what I do; I’m not going to be one in 100 like at Greenhill. I’m going to kind of be the same as everyone else and now have to prove that I’m different again.” She, like Michael, wants to be true to herself in the process. “Success isn’t defined by how I change myself for others so they’ll like me more; it’s defined by how
hard I work,” said Mary. “I don’t think the easy way out is ever the right choice, even though it might feel right at the time.” Introspective thoughts and memories of high school swirl through their minds as the dryer machine stops. The cycle ends, but now a new one is beginning. Their clothes turned out fine. Will they? According to Jake, as long as he keeps his priorities straight, he will be okay. “Future Jake needs to remember to not be unnecessarily dumb and to obey the law. Don’t do anything stupid. I worked my butt off to be where [I am] now.” Even if they don’t know the meaning of life yet, at least these three seniors know how to do laundry.
Photos by Varun Gupta
LAUNDRY 101: Three seniors trek to the local laundromat to test their skills with soaps and suds, while talking about their fear and expectations for college.
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features
Evergreen
wednesday, may 14, 2014
Posting Positivity
Photo by Ariana Zhang
SENTIMENTAL STICKIES: The students in Upper School history teacher David Lowen’s classes post positive sticky notes, highlighting the array of things they are thankful for.
Megan Wiora Views Editor
At the beginning of second trimester, the back wall of Upper School History teacher David Lowen’s classroom was blank except for a single sheet of butcher paper with the phrase “What I am thankful for.” He posted the paper as part of a unit on Positive Psychology in his Psychology class. Colored sticky notes started to appear, eventually filling the whole wall. Past the vibrant colors, a closer look reveals the messages written. Next to “My BMW,” messily scribbled in black ink, there are messages saying “God,” “Safe Learning Environment,” and “Shelter.” “The wall has to do with putting people in a happier state of mind, and I think it’s done that,” Mr. Lowen said. Positive psychology focuses on finding the bright side of things and discovering what is right in one’s life. Mr. Lowen implemented the Thankful Wall after learning about it at
the Learning and Brain conference in San Francisco in February 2013. Mr. Lowen said he believes that writing what each student thankful for everyday on the wall will help implement positive pyschology in students’ daily lives. His Psychology class learned that many middle to upper class teenagers suffer with depression, and having the opportunity to express what they are thankful for reverses some of the depression. Initially, the students did not take the wall seriously, but as time progressed, they got hooked. “I know it’s affected them because I have kids come in and ask why there aren’t any sticky notes when I run out. They are visibly upset that there aren’t any sticky notes for them to write on,” Mr. Lowen said. Once the Psychology class was given the assignment of writing on the wall everyday, Mr. Lowen’s two Atlantic Experience 10 classes asked to contribute to the wall as well. “Now I have students that I don’t even teach post on [the wall],” Mr. Lowen said.
In the Spotlight Andrew Friedman Special Sections Editor
Junior Wesley Johnson describes his daily routine: “Every morning, 5:30, wake up, I sit down, I pray, and then I read from the Proverbs of the day and read one chapter of Luke. I use my voice to worship God. That’s what I decided,” he said. However, Wesley’s religious path has not always been clear. Coming to Greenhill as a freshman, his experience of reading the New Testament as a literary document instead of a sacred text was difficult for Wesley to reconcile. He questioned the fundamentals of his Christian beliefs, established over years of Christian education at Ovilla and Trinity Christian schools before coming to Greenhill in ninth grade. Though it’s not the intent of the freshman English class, Wesley said, “Greenhill weeds out those who are going to be Christians for real, and those who are fake about their faith. In the end, it strengthened my base more than ever. Either you die or you live, and once you start living, you live a much fuller life.” Wesley co-founded the Christian Fellowship of Greenhill with his brothers,
Photo by Ariana Zhang
THE RIGHT KEY: Junior Wesley Johnson sings and performs “Drops of Jupiter” by Train. He has been playing piano since he was seven.
Langston and Regis, and cousin Auston Evans. Wesley’s freshman year also involved a personal artistic awakening. “Greenhill provided me with the practice I need. I can increase my abilities and hone my talents. I got serious because I had the ability to become serious,” he said. He cites one freshman-year experience as being particularly influential: He had just received his role in the Greenhill fall drama, Laughing Stock, his freshman year, and he was immediately overcome with dismay because he was required to be mute. His part did not have one word. When he asked Mrs. Rogers what he could have done better, she replied, “It’s not about you, it’s about serving the play.” He repeated the phrase slowly and thoughtfully, “It’s about serving the play. “It’s about serving the play.” Wesley has since adopted Mrs. Rogers’ slogan as his personal mantra and has made the quest to convey meaning an integral part of his life. His adaptation of Mrs. Rogers’ original is. “It’s not about me, it’s about the story being told.” Wesley derives his passion for service from Christianity. He organized and performed in a charity concert at his church, benefitting students in Nicaragua who needed school supplies. “I think my service is one way that I give back to my community and show that I am one of Christ’s followers,” he said, “You can’t live a life committed to Christ without serving and loving on others.” Wesley’s life philosophy can be demanding, but ultimately brings satisfaction. “Sometimes I’ll be mad, but I can always return to that place of tranquility and peace in my life, even though everything around me is completely messed up,” he said, “You can be happy when you sing on stage, but living a life for Christ is just a joy, an inward happiness.”
Along with statements of gratitude, people can also write random acts of kindness that they have performed on larger Post-It notes. Mr. Lowen encourages these cards because he wants to inspire awareness in his students for opportunities of positivity all around them. “If you’re outwardly kind to somebody, it promotes a feeling of well-being within you,” he said. When putting up the wall, Mr. Lowen was not looking for a way to change class discussion, but rather to change the way students perceive their lives. This can help in cases like as college admissions. “Every student I’ve ever met here has a high level of colleges they want to get into, and not everybody gets into those colleges. Positive pyschology [says] not to focus on the colleges you didn’t get into, but focus on the ones that you did,” Mr. Lowen stated. Mr. Lowen said the wall has changed him as well.
“It has made me more vocal about positive psychology. It has reinforced in my mind that I have to have this mindset,” he said. As both a parent and a teacher, Mr. Lowen said that it has helped him focus on the “good things.” To test just how attached students are to posting on the Thankful wall, The Evergreen decided to cover it up with poster paper for a day. “When the wall was covered, people were disappointed and surprised. We came into the class and people asked why the wall was covered,” said Jonas Frenkel, one of Mr. Lowen’s AX10 students. Next fall, Mr. Lowen plans to continue the Thankful Wall. He said he likes the bright and vibrant feel of the brightly colored sticky notes and reads them to see what his students are interested in and what they treasure in their daily lives. “Reading the individual notes gives a vignette of Greenhill life. They paint a picture of Greenhill that people don’t always see,” he said.
The
wednesday, may 14, 2014
Evergreen
senior section
S E N I O R S
graphic by Rachel Diebner
Welcome to the senior section! These four pages are dedicated to celebrating the Class of 2014 and the journeys we will embark on this coming fall. As the senior members on staff, we’d like to thank all of our readers for their dedication and support. Being a part of The Evergreen staff has been an important part of our Upper School experience, and we feel honored to have shared it with you. Rachel
Alex
Ben
Laura
Shruti
Danielle
Lizzy
Joseph
Isabet
9
10
The
Ever
And The
Key (students per s
0 1 2
3
rg
2
1
Dallas hic
by Ale x
1
17
be
1
We in
1
gra p
Number of student s attending college in various Texan cities
Austin 17
7 1
Houston
2
Abilene Christian University Amherst College University of the Arts London Austin College (3) Bates College Beloit College Boston University Brown University (2) Carnegie Mellon University University of Central Florida University of Chicago (3) Colby College University of Dallas Dartmouth College (2) Duke University (4)
rgreen
wednesday, may 14, 2014
11
ey’re Off !
{ }
BY THE NUMBERS States Represented: Foreign Countries:
26
3
Editor’s Note
45% Number Going with a Classmate: 68% Number Staying in Texas:
Committed Varsity Athletes (Divisions I, II, and III): Taking a Gap Year:
1
Farthest Distance from Greenhill:
state):
9
This map shows where each member of the Class of 2014 has decided to attend college in the fall.* Our reasons for publishing an anonymous matriculation list are as follows: First and foremost, we aim to protect the safety and privacy of our classmates. Publishing a college decision—where a student will be for the next four years—is just as personal as publishing a phone number or home address. In a survey conducted in April, more than a quarter of the Class of 2014 indicated they would feel uncomfortable with The Evergreen releasing their college decision on such a public platform. One third of those responses expressed concern for safety and privacy. Furthermore, every decision The Evergreen staff makes adheres to journalistic principles; above all, a commitment to telling stories as completely, clearly and accurately as possible. No two college processes are the same. A list of names and colleges leaves no room to explore those complexities. Therefore, we feel it would be misleading and inconsistent with our goals and values as a publication. The policy of publishing an anonymous list will be our default going forward. Thank you for reading, and congratulations to the Class of 2014!
7,343 miles
3-5 6-8 53
Emory University (3) Franklin College Switzerland Harvard University Harvey Mudd College University of Houston Indiana University at Bloomington Johns Hopkins University Kenyon College King’s College London Massachusetts Institute of Technology University of Michigan (2) Morehouse College (2) New York University New York University - Shanghai Niagara University
Northwestern University (3) University of Oklahoma University of Pennsylvania Pitzer College (2) Pomona College Prairie View A&M University Princeton University Purdue University (2) Reed College Rhodes College (2) Rice University University of Southern California (3) Southern Methodist University (17) St. Olaf College Stanford University
Tarleton State University Texas A&M University (7) The Ohio State University The University of Texas, Arlington (2) The University of Texas, Austin (17) The University of Texas, Dallas Tulane University United States Military Academy Preparatory School Washington University in St. Louis (2) University of Washington Yale University (2)
*self-reported by students in Naviance as of May 9, 2014
12 senior section
The
Evergreen
wednesday, may 14, 2014
Four years.
How can such an integral part of our lives simply end? I am impressed with your growth, fascinated by your interests, and appreciative of your honesty. We joke that our advisory was all about food; that’s certainly true. (We love you Mom Massad!) Truthfully, it was about so much more. Think of what happened around that food: negotiating relationships, completing seemingly endless paperwork, conquering looming deadlines, juggling conflicting priorities, and managing all those concussions. I will miss your kindness, patience and laughter. Eleanor Roosevelt once said, “The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.” As you go forward, stay true to your dreams, surround yourself by people who support your journey, and seek out those worthy of your support.
Becky Daniels While you know
that I’m not known for my seriousness, if you’d allow me to be serious for a minute, I have three things I would like to share with you. First, there are not enough words to express how much I’ve enjoyed being around you. Despite my initial reservations from freshman year, all of you have grown tremendously, both as individuals and as a group. In particular, I believe our advisory is the most cohesive unit across the senior class, and I thank you for making this happen. Second, I think if we have learned anything in advisory over the years, it has been that we should always strive to be ourselves. Don’t try to be something or someone that you’re not. Finally, as my wife and I embark on a new stage in our lives, I would be remiss if I didn’t state the obvious: all of you have made an impact on my life. There are many traits that all of you have that I hope someday my daughter will have too. She’ll be a better person if she does. Oh yeah, and I forgot one last thing: ¡DFW!
These memories,
“which are my life, for we possess nothing certainly except the past,” will be always with me. Memories of room 208, Spanish posters, beautiful windows ... Memories of laptops, books, iPhones, games, bubble letters on the board, conversations … Memories of time to breathe, to unwind, to recharge . . . Memories of growth and transformation . . . Memories of my advisory group . . . Memories of every one of you.
Jonathan Weber Whether I’ve known you
for four years, three or two, it has been a pleasure and a privilege to watch each of you grow. This is a wonderful time in your life, as you begin little by little to take on more responsibility for yourself, for others and for the world around you. The thought of each of you brings me fond memories, but in the spirit of looking ahead (always good policy, I think), I’d mostly like to leave you with a charge: Think more about what you give than about what you get. Think more about how you serve others than about what others think of you. Think more about who you are – or who you become – than about what you accomplish. Take care of the little things, and the big things will take care of themselves. Best wishes in everything! Drop a line if you need help or want to talk.
Nicholas Park It is hard to believe
that three and a half years have gone by since we sat in 308 and took our first advisory picture. It makes me smile every year when we get in the same position for every picture. My, how you have grown! We lost a couple of advisees and gained another, but we truly are a dysfunctional family. Nothing warms my heart more than when you just want to hang out in the office after advisory. You have suppported each other through the ups and downs of Upper School life. I hope that I have been the extension of your parents and have given you the tools to move on to the next step of your life. I look forward to hearing about your first year away from Greenhill. I am like a proud papa – sad to see you go, but knowing that you are ready. I will miss you, but you know I am always here for you.
Jack Oros
Consuelo Buxton We may joke
about not being the smartest advisory, or always the most ambitious one, but collectively you were always so respectful, honorable and compassionate. I admire how well you all got along as a group. I love how well you welcomed the new students into the advisory as freshman, and how you welcomed Mrs. Ross into our advisory this year. You were always so kind and supportive of one another and those are qualities I hope you carry with you for the rest of your life. I do not know how I could not address the amazing run that you had, finishing 14-1 in our four years of kickball. The banner with the years 2011, 2012, and 2013 will be forever stitched in my heart. Three championships were great, but the memories are even better. It was a team effort all the way around for four years, and I will never forget you guys. It has been my pleasure and honor to serve as your advisor and watch you grow up. I am excited for each of you to head off for some wonderful experiences next year. Please remember to continue being honorable, respectful and compassionate. Thank you, and I will miss each of you greatly!
Darryn Sandler
Every four years
my seniors ask, “Are we your favorite advisory?” My answer is always yes. I wish you had asked a different question: “Did you have the most fun with our advisory?” I will not soon forget the monthly games of Two Truths and a Lie (and all of its fascinating alternatives), our annual Christ-Kwanz-Hanukah party or the three-year struggle to build a lasting kickball dynasty. If only we had more time to share. Best of luck in all of your future endeavors. Godspeed.
During freshman year,
you hardly talked to each other. Many traveled in different circles and had different friends. I despaired that you would spend four years in this wilderness. We couldn’t even coordinate an advisory lunch! This year, I can’t get you to stop talking to each other long enough to conduct advisory business. You have challenged me in good ways, not the least of which is to ramp up my baking skills to meet your creative requests—although a Dobos Torte may be a bridge too far. Sophomore year, we adopted Rachel and Kristian and junior year we welcomed Noah and said goodbye to Bryce (but only for one year!). I look at you now and see a group of mature young men and women about to leave Greenhill for newer, greener pastures. It has been a pleasure to know you and I wish you the best. Continue to be the individuals you are and remember the words of Ralph Waldo Emerson, “To be yourself in a world that is constantly trying to make you something else is the greatest accomplishment.”
Michael Legacy
I could not have asked
for a more wonderful group of advisees. Today, May 1, 2014, is a bittersweet day for me. It is our last day as a full advisory. With each of you wearing your college shirts I felt a bit verklempt. Three of you are going off to senior projects. The remainder of the school year you all will disperse to take your APs etc. I will miss the 15 minutes that we shared each B, D and E day because for those moments we were able to act as a family at school. I appreciate your tenacity, respectful demeanor and compassion. I truly feel privileged to have the opportunity to serve as your advisor. I will miss you all and our conversations (both silly and serious) next year. Thank you for making my world a better place. Keep in touch! Love,
Michelle Smith We came in as freshmen
together, newly navigating these halls. It is with a full heart and a great deal of pride that I see you off on your next adventures. It has been remarkable to watch you grow. In my mind, you will always be the Hill-Agnus Hill-billies, in denim overalls and plaid shirts, embracing the kickball tournament of life. Over the years, you struggled and soared, learned how to advocate for yourselves and others, campaigned for justice, raised funds and awareness and trimester grades—and sometimes a skeptical eyebrow. You are silly and savvy. You are earnest and fair. Above all, you are unabashedly yourselves. Stay that way. And when your alma mater tugs at your heart and you return, tell us of your adventures. With great fondness and an extra serving of barbecue,
“Big Mike” Krueger
Eve Hill-Agnus
The Evergreen Wednesday [05.14.14]
ARTS
What’s Cooking?
& Entertainment
For a mouthwatering taste of banana leaf thai cuisine and musings on indie film beasts of the southern wild, reviewed by lane hirsch and amna naseem, see page 15
Photos by Michael Nye and Ariana Zhang
A PICTURE AND A THOUSAND WORDS: Portraits by artist Michael Nye show subjects who were interviewed and photographed his part of an exhibit about mental illness (top).The exhibit, Fine Line is on display at Southern Methodist University until May 16. Visitors can listen to the stories of these individuals with different mental illnesses (bottom).
College campuses offer rich exhibits, new perspectives Catherine Leffert Arts Editor
I stand face to face with the image of someone suffering from a severe mental illness. Putting on the earphones provided under the portrait, I listen to his story. He has killed people, spent time in jail, and tried to kill himself multiple times. His name is David, and as the audio plays, I hear him tell the entire story of his mental illness in only four minutes. This multimedia artwork, along with 30 others like it, is not on display at a museum or mental illness facility, but in a lobby of Southern Methodist University (SMU). The walls of the Annette Caldwell Simmons School of Education and Human Development at SMU are currently lined with these portraits of people suffering from mental illness, along with recordings of them sharing their stories. Each subject was photographed and interviewed by artist Michael Nye, someone who saw the opportunity to help erase the stigma of mental illness through art. This exhibit educates about the facets of
mental illness, demonstrating that normal people can have these problems. It also illustrates that fascinating exhibits and performances can be found close to home, offering a glimpse of art that may not be like the works found in museums or professional theaters. “Their voices can help and they matter,” Nye said of his subjects. “I feel so lucky to do [this project.] I get to hold on to people’s stories.” Nye believed the story of people with mental illness, people he met on streets or in diners or in a random arrays of places, was worth telling and so he dedicated four years to his project, the Fine Line exhibit. “It takes time for people to tell their story, but it also takes time for people to change their story,” Nye said. Nye’s passion is evident is his final product, the culmination hours of patient interviewing. “They trust [Nye] and they know he wants their story to be told. And people respect that,”
said marketing consultant Dianne Pfeffer, who helped publicize the exhibit. As I walked through the exhibit, I found one quotation taken from a recording of a girl suffering from depression especially gripping. “Sadness cannot be measured in tears, but in time wasted and lost moments,” she said, in a piece Nye entitled “Sadness.” Seeing an expression of art on a campus is a different experience from seeing it in a museum or theater. On college campuses, it’s easier to have a more intimate connection with the piece. As opposed to work you see in a museum, work on college campuses is often created by a teenager or young adult, making it easier to relate to for other high school students and I. According to Mental Health America of Greater Dallas, college years are the time when people are most diagnosed most with mental illness. Because of the stigma associated with mental illness, it’s especially difficult for college students to deal with. Thus, this particular exhibit is especially relevant on
college campuses. The compelling experience I discovered in this exhibit can be found in college exhibits throughout the Metroplex. In my experience, I’ve seen that college artists put their heart and soul into their work. Their passion shines through and they have a unique outlook. Exhibits such as Fine Line are accessible to people of all ages, and are worth going to. They range from dance performances to art exhibits, and musicals and are accessible throughout the school year, often for low prices or for free. Along with SMU, I researched other local college campuses with fine art programs worth checking out. Collin College has a dance company that performs numerous shows throughout each school year and over the summer. University of North Texas and University of Texas at Arlington show musical works and plays during the school year welcome to an audience of all ages. All one needs to do is search on Google and take a quick drive to get there.
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wednesday, may 14, 2014
Inside the Workshop Band director forges handmade batons Christian Holmes Online Editor
Many days, band director Brian Donnell retreats to his woodshop at home, where he undertakes an unusual hobby crafting, or “turning” his own conducting batons. “I began turning my own batons 10 years ago, after the father of one of my band students showed me how one weekend,” Mr. Donnell said. Mr. Donnell’s friend also taught him how to use a lathe, a machine that rotates wood around an axis for ease of sculpting. “I started to enjoy the creative aspect of woodturning. From that point on, I knew I would want to share whatever I created with others,” Mr. Donnell said. He purchased a small lathe and thus began his craft of producing conducting batons. “It took a long time before I got comfortable with the finished product,” he said. “I’m still very picky, and won’t sell or give any away until I’m satisfied.” The crafting process takes about
two hours: one hour to shape the Donnell said. handle and sand, and another hour Cheryl Hopkins, Middle to shape and paint the shaft. School band assistant, has Mr. Donnell first selects the received two pink and red batons perfect material for the handle, from Mr. Donnell for use in usually a block of native Texas wood conducting. such as mesquite or oak. He then “What I like best about them is places the block on the lathe and their uniqueness. The craftsmanship carves the block into his desired is great,” Mrs. Hopkins said. shape while the lathe spins at 1,000 His batons are also popular in revolutions per minute. the band hall. “The hardest “The students part about this is the I started especially like the unpredictability of the to enjoy the batons made out of wood. Given how fast creative aspect acrylic, because of [the wood] is rotating, it’s of woodturning. their creative designs not uncommon for it to From that point and color possibilities,” tear apart and fly all over,” on, I knew I would Mrs. Hopkins said. Mr. Donnell said. David Herman want to share After the handle is whatever I created ’12 saw Mr. Donnell’s turned, it’s sanded and with others.” batons and began coated with a linseed and crafting his own batons superglue mix. Next step and pens when he was is the shaft, which is made from a at Greenhill. He also organized a wooden dowel, tapered on the lathe, woodturning workshop at ISAS in sanded, and coated with paint. 2012 and wrote a college essay on “After making sure the handle crafting batons. and shaft are balanced and sanded “It’s not common to craft your properly, I glue the two together, own batons, but they are just as good and the baton is ready for use,” Mr. as the conducting batons found in
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music stores or at conventions. I have sold hundreds since I started, and have several faithful customers who place return orders,” Mr. Donnell said. Besides forging the batons for band, Mr. Donnell’s hobby for woodturning has opened up other doors. “I started selling the batons to pay for new woodshop equipment,” he said. “However, I realized that crafting batons, writing pens, and bottle stoppers could also be good presents, so I expanded my market and began molding those.” What started as curiosity morphed into a business venture, as Mr. Donnell has sold over 100 wooden creations for events ranging from anniversaries to birthdays, and has his own website, texasbatons.com, where people can place custom orders.
Photo by Ariana Zhang
CONDUCTING CRAFT: Band director Brian Donnell (top) conducts the Greenhill band with one of the batons he has turned himself. Under are several batons that he has fashioned himself to add personalization and character to his conducting at school.
wednesday, may 14, 2014
The
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features
Dinner and a Movie
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Lane Hirsch Sports Editor
Amna Naseem Features Editor
Walking into Banana Leaf, we are greeted with the smell of spices. As we sit down in our booth, our minds are still filled with the sights and sounds of “Beasts of the Southern Wild,” a movie that raised questions about imagination and reality, presented through the eyes of a six year old child. We immediately dove into conversation. We haven’t even opened the menu. “I’m still confused about the beasts. Were they real or just Hushpuppy’s imagination?” “The beasts are a means of coping. She’s just a kid. She uses the beasts to help explain what is happening around her. They are her personification of all the frightening things in her life. As a six year old, it’s hard for her to fully wrap her head around her situation.” “That kind of confused me when the beasts would seem to randomly show up. I understand that they are not real, but why have them there at all?” “I think the director was trying to blur the line between imagination and reality.” The satay chicken that arrives on two skewers is unquestionably in the realm of reality. And it is delicious. We dig in like ravenous beasts. “I can’t imagine dealing with a father’s fatal heart condition, the
Photos from FIlm Monitor and Decorado
FEASTS AND BEASTS: Hushpuppy, the main character in Beasts of the Southern Wild, faces an auroch who represents her fears. Quvenzhane Wallis received an Academy Award nomination for Best Actress, making her, at 9 years old, the youngest nominee for this award in history. The film received three other nominations.
collapse of my community’s home, the onslaught of FEMA authorities, having no mother at only six years old...” “Some people who watched the film said that the director was trying to glorify poverty, but I think it is more about embracing where you come from.” “What’s interesting is that we see, from her perspective, where she’s comfortable. She’s comfortable in her world.”
As the fried rice and orange stir-fry comes out, we enter a completely different world. The world of magnificent Thai food. Our taste buds are going wild. We glare at each other as we both reach for the fried delete rice. “One of the biggest ideas in the movie is fighting for what you want and having your voice heard. Even though Hushpuppy goes through a lot of hardships, she’s a survivor.” “She fights to stay close to
home because it’s where she came from. No matter how bad her situation is, she will always love her home.” “I really think her comfort and love for her ‘Bathtub’ home, as she calls it, drives her desire to fight.” “Her life is messy and complicated, but that love is clear and simple. She also uses home as a place of comfort, despite being taken away from it.” Meanwhile, our table is messy and complicated as we shovel Pad
Thai into our own plates, using our hands to pick up stray noodles that fall on the table. “It was so interesting to see a child’s view of the world from a part of life that we have never experienced. It is a bitter-sweet movie because although her life, like you said earlier, is difficult, she loves it anyways.” As we share an order of fried ice cream, we relish in the fact, at least at this moment, that our lives are purely sweet. We eat one bowl ourselves and order an extra one in honor of Hushpuppy. Want to visit? Banana Leaf Thai Cuisine 17370 Preston Rd. Dallas, TX 75252
sports
The Evergreen Wednesday [05.14.14]
Spring standouts boys’ tennis and girls’ track and field claimed their respective championship titles. Boys’ lacrosse also set records. see p. 18.
Work It Out
The ramifications of summer training requirements for fall sports paring for a season nearly Ben Schachter three months Sports Editor away. Many fall sport student-athletes “It’s a lot have expressed concern about new, of pressure more stringent fall sports program e x p e c t i n g requirements. While the changes athletes to are being enforced by the Athletic stay in town,” Department to benefit student-ath- said freshman letes’ performances on the field and f i e l d - h o c k e y court, many students are reluctant player Molly Bento take periods of time from their dalin. “Summer is a summers to commit to the tougher time to be with family conditioning requirements. or go to camp.” “I think the summer is our Instead of hearing the time,” said junior cross-country thump of volleyballs hitting forerunner Griffin Olesky. “We are very arms, the girls’ volleyball players good about running on our own. will be jumping onto hurdle-high The requirement to lift [over the stools and finishing their last reps summer] is unnecessary.” of weighted crunches. Beginning Beginning this year, a revamped in early May, the girls volleyball program will require fall team is back at pracathletes to participate in a tice, participating in minimum of ten workout more relaxed practices I think the sessions at the High Perto aquaint new team summer is formance Center (HPC). members. our time. We Thirty of these training Over the summer, are very good sessions will be offered to players are expected about running each student-athlete durto attend exercise proon our own. The ing June and July. grams in the HPC at requirement To promote better least three days per to lift [over the organization, instruction summer] is week and complete a and commitment, Trey unnecessary.” total of 22 hours beStringer and Gillian Glentween June and early garry, HPC coaches, are August. In August, all in charge of designing team work- teams must participate in two-aouts. Instead of the teams’ coaches, days for physical and mental conthese specialized trainers will assign ditioning. These are two-hour long athletes personalized workouts that morning conditioning practices foladdress the specific needs of each lowed by two hours of sports pracsport. Immediately after spring tice in the afternoon. sports conclude, fall sports start preMany fall athletes struggle to
balance col lege preparation programs, extracurriculars, and summer vacations that interfere with their passion for playing their sport. Sophomore volleyball player Max Harberg is taking a year off from volleyball to concentrate on building his college application, attending the Berklee School of Music in Boston, and managing a chapter of the B’nai B’rith Youth Organization (BBYO) for Jewish high-school students. “For the people who want to do activities on the side like myself, I think it’s a huge commitment,” Max said. “I understand where a coach is coming from when they want the entire team to workout in the HPC, but at the same time, if a student wants to do more than one thing, I think there should be some leeway.” According to Max, he would play volleyball in the fall if summer workouts were not mandatory. Others just try to make their schedule work. For example, Molly was forced to alter her summer
Rank of senior golfer Jassem Setayesh at the Southwest Prepartory Conference (SPC) championship out of 95 participants. Jassem shot a tworound total of 151, only seven shots behind first place.
The number of feet in freshman Zoe Williams’ second-place shotput throw at the Southwest Prepartory Conference track meet. The throw was a Greenhill record in shotput. The previous record was 34’ 1’’.
Varun Gupta Features Editor
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By the 4 numbers compiled by Ben Schachter
Graphic by Ariana Zhang
34’ 2.5’’
plans because of the required HPC sessions during June and July. “I’m trying to be a counselor for a camp, but I can only do halfdays so that I don’t miss too many High Performance sessions,” Molly said. However, some students see the advantages of going to the HPC. “I love the High Performance Center because I believe that it can improve our running ability,” said junior cross-country runner Paulo Springer. “I think athletes can take advantage of added sessions and opportunities. I find that there are times when I want to workout in the summer and the HPC isn’t open,” Athletes who cannot drive themselves to practice rely on carpools, additionally put a larger burden on their parents, who must drive them to all these practices. Junior volleyball player Carly Raskin recalls when the entire freshman volleyball squad organized a carpool. She and five other freshmen on the team began the carpool one and a half hours before practice started in order to pick everyone up in time. Even then, they managed to be late nearly everyday.
32
The number of minutes of junior Chris Jones’ semifinals match against St. John’s. He won 6-0, 6-0 en route to the boys’ tennis team’s second consecutive Southwest Prepartory Conference Championship win.
“It was hard to pick up teammates that lived in Highland Park and all the way across town,” Carly said. ”We were late a lot of the times and [the whole team] had to serve the consequences.” Ultimately, some athletes feel that the new training regimen takes away from the enjoyment of their team sport. “I joined [cross-country] because it’s something that I enjoy, not because I enjoy lifting,” said sophomore cross-country runner Alanna Jaffee. In response to student concerns, the Athletic Department realizes that the summer HPC workouts cannot please everyone. “It wouldn’t surprise me if some people feel like the enjoyment has been taken out [of the the sport] because they have to sacrifice some things,” said Chad Wabrek, Head of Athletics and Physical Education. At the same time, Coach Wabrek wants people to know that there’s an expectation at Greenhill. “I don’t want our efforts athletically to be anything less than above average,” he said.
10
The record number of wins for the boys’ lacrosse team this season. They reached the final four in Division-II of the Texas High School Lacrosse League. They also placed sixth in the Southwest Prepartory Conference.
wednesday, may 14, 2014
The
sports
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Tale of a Twelve-Timer
“Being a leader to older kids was not hard; I had already been Senior Brent Rubin’s athletic playing older guys in select soccer career can be seen as a long epic, up until eight grade,” he said. “I bookended by novelty and change. think [my] coach just saw the reason He played under a new football why I played and how I was vocal coach his freshman year and a as a person and was able to handle new football coach his senior year. the pressure.” Meanwhile, Brent has been a fixture, Brent said that being captain at the only student in his grade to be a a young age allowed him to learn a three-sport varsity athlete all four of lot about himself and being part of his high school years. a team. He utilized this knowledge Brent didn’t expect to play on when he became a three-sport varsity football his freshman year. captain this spring in his senior Many freshmen may dress out but baseball season. not get playing time. But Brent As a senior, Brent continued displayed an uncommon willingness to connect with the younger to support the team in any role. contributors of the soccer team “I honestly didn’t care what I not only as a vocal leader, but by was doing, I just wanted to play on example as well. the field, making a difference in the “He’s probably the best leader game,” he said. I’ve been with in Eventually, Brent sports, and he leads He’s probably by example. He gives developed into a leader of the team, the best leader it his hardest,” said becoming a captain varsity I’ve been with freshman of the team. He in sports, and he soccer player Chris developed into having leads by exam- Quintero, who played a consistent role on the Brent for the ple. He gives it under football field whether first time this year. his hardest.” it was as a quarterback This past fall, or punter. Brent helped lead Becoming cothe football team captain of the soccer team his through the coaching transition sophomore year was an even more with the arrival of new head coach unusual feat. Brent played a pivotal Ralph Dintino. role as a starting sweeper and “It was tough to adapt to a new was a strong vocal leader for the coach and learn his system and style team in his first year on the squad. in just one year,” he said. His success brought him the new Although they had limited challenge of being a team captain time together, Coach Dintino said as an underclassman. This meant he instantly saw Brent’s qualities of earning the respect of players up leadership and responsibility. to two years older than him. Club “I promise, from the first soccer gave him prior experience moment I met Brent, [when with this challenge. I was] new to this school, not Arhum Khan
Evergreen
Asst. Arts Editor
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knowing anyone at all, I saw he was a true leader, and I was right,” Coach Dintino said. “If the team needs anything, whether it is with the coaches or the school or whatever, he is the one that represents them, on and off the field.” Junior Stewart Matthews played football with Brent for three years and described his leadership as a given. “Some people are just born with good leadership skills,” Stewart said, “He had a combination of that kind of charm that gets people to follow you and just being an understanding guy and a good leader, both on and off the field.” As Brent reflected on his past four years on the athletic field, he thought about the skills he’s picked up in all three of his varsity sports. “With everything, I’ve learned team work, responsibility, handling pressure,” he said. Brent said he will miss his time playing sports at Greenhill, especially the bond he’s developed with fellow players. Some teammates have grown up with him playing sports and are now some of his closest friends. “I’ve been playing with some of these guys forever, and now we’re closer than ever,” Brent said. Brent is hopeful for what the future brings for the school and its athletic program. “I think we are heading [in a] positive [direction]. I remember when they just asked us to start and optional summer program, and now it’s mandatory,” he said. Brent plans to continue playing sports in college on the intramural level. Through his growth and development, he feels
Photos courtesy of Brent Rubin
TRIPLE THREAT: Senior Brent Rubin plays football, soccer, and baseball. Brent has been a member of each varsity squad for all four seasons of his high school career. He has been a captain for all three teams.
that sports has taught him a vast amount about relationships and responsibility, tools that he plans to apply elsewhere. He plans to
carry those qualities to the Univeristy of Texas at Austin where he will attend next fall.
18 sports
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wednesday, may 14, 2014
Girls track and field wins SPC championship Suman Chebrolu Asst. News Editor
For the first time in seven years, the girls’ varsity track and field team achieved first place at the Southern Preparatory Conference. This year, the team started out strong, with dedicated players. Throughout the season, their focus was to simply get stronger. “The way we trained, we trained to be as sharp and fast as possible by the end of the year,” said Stacey Johnson, Head Track and Field Coach. “The girls’ testament to the way they work off season was key to that.” The team took part in 13 of the 17 possible events at SPC, leaving the tournament with 10 medals. In total, Greenhill scored 132 points, beating Kinkaid, which scored 120.5 points. “Because we are training in our own events, we don’t really have an idea of how everyone else is doing,” said Remya Menon. She recalled the speech their coach gave them, “when we first realized that we had a legitimate chance of winning SPC.” Freshman Zoe Williams, who is moving away at the end of the year, set a new Greenhill record for girls shotput. “It was my last throw, and the whole entire throwing team was there, and then I realize this is my last throw at Greenhill,” Zoe said. “This is the last time I’m competing for GHS in anything. I gotta do something.” Zoe broke her personal record in the first throw at 32’ 11.75”, but was determined to aim for 33’. Her last throw for Greenhill, at 34’ 2.5”, set the new school record. Freshman Madison Cook said she saw the team’s win as a great moment in her athletic career so far. “It was really exciting because everyone dreams of winning SPC as a freshman.” The only senior on the team, Shelby Beauchamp, was overwhelmed by a sense of emotion when the team won, even while recovering from an injury. “[The team] definitely deserved it because they have done a lot of the work that needed to be done this year,” said Shelby.
Graphic by Ariana Zhang
SERVING UP SUCCESS: (left to right) Boys’ Tennis seniors Lewis Carlson, Hank Golman, Matthew Milner, Grant Solomon, and Joseph Middleman have won the Southwest Prepatory Conference championship three out of their four years on the Greenhill tennis team.
Boys’ tennis clinches another SPC title Ben Krakow Online Editor
The boys’ tennis team ran onto the court and celebrated as senior Grant Solomon ended his undefeated high school career. He ripped open his shirt after he won the final, deciding match of the tournament. The team captured their second straight SPC championship over Kinkaid at home and their sixth SPC title in eight years. While some people might think that playing at home trying to defend a championship against your arch rival would be a lot of pressure in front of friends and family, the team members said they enjoyed the experience. “If anything, I felt playing at home was extremely helpful with all our fans right next to the court supporting us. It took the pressure away from us and put it on the other team,” said sophomore starter Michael Kerner. The spring SPC championships do not often come to Dallas, so it was a rare opportunity for the team to get to the play the championship tournament at home. “We have played before large crowds the last several years at the tournament but the crowds always supported the other team. This year the crowd supported us,” said senior captain Hank Golman. “We probably played before as many people during the tournament as have watched our home matches over my four years on the team.”
After a devastating loss in the SPC finals to rival Kinkaid two years ago, the team has been more motivated than ever to win championships. The last two years, they have beaten Kinkaid in the finals and team members said that this year’s victory was especially sweet because the team was able to play all their SPC tournament matches at home in front of many Greenhill fans. While the team has been dominant the last few years in SPC counter play, rarely losing a match, they say that they were as motivated as ever to win every match because of the desire to beat Kinkaid. “Every time we play a match, we just think about how we are going to beat Kinkaid in the finals and that each match is another step towards our goal of beating Kinkaid in the championship,” Michael said. The team prides themselves on their confidence despite all the pressure to come through and win championships year after year. “We always feel pressure to win our matches because people expect us to win. More importantly, we expect to win ourselves and work hard towards that goal,” Hank said. Exuding confidence is key. Last year, before departing to Houston for the SPC championship, the team had SPC championship shirts made for themselves and brought them to Houston before they had won a single match in the tournament.
During matches, team members can be heard yelling “Let’s Go GMT” after they have won a big point or simply want to give the rest of the team some positive encouragement. They yell it loud enough so teammates on the various courts next to them can hear the message. “GMT” stands for Greenhill Men’s Tennis, a phrase they use often in emails to the student body, on players’ posts on Facebook, and on the Twitter account they have created under that name. Throughout the team’s last eight successful seasons, much has changed, but one thing has stayed the same: a Golman has been on the team. Hank, a senior and the last of the Golman brothers, was able to continue on the championship run that his brothers started several years back. “My brothers Jake and Clint set a high standard by winning three championships before I joined the team. I am proud to have been part of three more, including one with Clint. I cannot imagine a better ending to our Greenhill tennis run than beating our arch rival Kinkaid in the finals,” Golman said. The team will undergo major changes next season with five current seniors graduating including Solomon, who will continue his career at Harvard. Yet, the team said that they feel that they can still be successful with several starters returning along with younger players stepping up as evidenced by the team’s continued success over the last eight seasons.
Boys’ lacrosse goes to state championships Amna Naseem Features Editor
The boys’ lacrosse team concluded its season with eight major awards and a U.S. Lacrosse Texas State Coach of the Year honor for head coach Kevin Barnicle. The team finished in fourth place in the Division II state championships, their first time participating in the Final Four. Senior Drew Kaplan, junior Daniel Spomer, and sophomore Trevor Hetrick won All-State honors; junior Cole Cramer and sophomore Luke Wagner won All-District awards; and senior Colby Denesuk, junior Daniel Spomer and sophomore Luke Wagner brought home All-SPC recognition. “I’m very proud of how the boys finished the year. It was a true honor to be there [at the state championships], and next year we obviously don’t want to just get to the Final Four, we want to win a State Championship,” said Coach Barnicle.
After defeating Magnolia High School and St. Mary’s Hall in the District competition, the team was able to make it to the Final Four for the Division II state tournament. Though they beat Flower Mound in the regular season, 12-8, they lost to them, 15-8, in the first round of state, leaving victory for another year. “Even though we lost, going to state was a great learning experience for our team,” said Luke, a starting defender. Various players were honored with awards from both the Texas High School Lacrosse League and the Southwestern Preparatory Conference. Each league recognizes athletes with their respective awards. The All-State award, however, is the highest possible achievement given to student athletes within Texas. “When I found out I was an AllState player, it was such an awesome feeling. I knew that all my hard work and dedication to the team had paid off,” said Trevor.
Alongside the players’ awards, Coach Barnicle was awarded North District Division II Coach of the Year in addition to earning the state recognition. Each year, coaches in both North District and the entire state select one coach to receive each of these awards. “To be honest, I won those awards because of the boys. We have a really good group of kids, and I’ve been very lucky to have such talented players,” said Coach Barnicle. With skilled players and an award-winning coach, the boys’ lacrosse program is rapidly moving forward. After participating in Division I SPC and making it to the Final Four, the team is excited for the future. Ultimately, Coach Barnicle would like to see the team participate in Division I for all tournaments. “We’re building for the future, and I know this is a step in the right direction,” said Coach Barnicle.
wednesday, may 14, 2014
A pampered pup
AFTERWORDS
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completely oblivious. That is, until we Skyped and I held Argo in front of the camera. “Hey mom, look at what we got!” I said. Did I mention that my mom has a huge phobia of dogs? Frequently, my mom wouldn’t come out of the car while picking me up if my friends had their dogs nearby. The way my family went about buying our pet is one of the most irresponsible things I’ve spearheaded. But we’ve had Argo for a year and half now, and what happened with my mom is even more surprising. I never expected the huge reversal of roles. My mom legitimately treats our dog like a human baby. She hand-feeds this pampered prince with a spoon and spends close to 20 minutes each day chasing him around the house, kibble in hand. She’ll go on nightly ice cream runs for Argo, or she’ll scrape off the chocolate on ice cream bars and lets him lick the vanilla part. My mom spoils me a lot, but this takes it to a whole new level. I definitely
don’t want to be hand-fed by my mom, but I don’t think she would do the same for me. Meanwhile, my brother and I stand back and scold her for spoiling Argo. Though my mom’s actions are completely absurd, I am surprised to admit that I find her relationship with Argo to be really endearing. In some ways, I wonder if she’s just channeling her affection into something else. With my brother and me leaving the nest soon, her desire to protect and care for others may be her way of coping with this transition. Argo’s addition to our family has really changed the way I see my mom. As junior year ends, the reality that I’m going to be a senior is starting to hit me. Time has passed so quickly, and it’s hard for me to digest that I am going to leave in a year. Honestly, the more I look at it, maybe my mom’s obsessive hand-feeding isn’t so crazy after all. In a year I won’t get to see Argo every day. Maybe I should start kneeling on the floor and hand-feeding him kibble!
remembered it was a Friday night. I checked for the time: 8:02. Sure enough, a belly dancer came spinning through the door. I’d started to pick at my food, the usual diversionary tactic, when I caught a glimpse of my niece’s eyes. One look at the belly dancer’s sparkly costume and she was hooked. Instead of retreating like I had, she begged for the belly dancer to come her way. Was she actually going to go up there of her own accord? The dancer didn’t even have to ask; Sorina leapt out of her chair when the dancer came close. She spun from table to table with the belly dancer, shaking her hips and waving her arms wildly. Instead of shrinking from the attention, she lapped it up with a kilowatt smile on her face. “I wanna be a bellydancer,” she declared as she sat down. I found myself inspired by her energy. I’m not my niece. I’ve always been cautious, and I’ve always tried to pull attention away from myself. I’ve never liked talent shows, never liked recitals. I’m still not sure why Sorina
thrives on the same attention that I used to hate, but simply watching her for that one night destroyed my years’-long loathing of belly dancers. By the end of the night, I found myself holding a conversation with the dreaded dancer. Granted, Sorina dragged me out of my chair to go talk to her. But instead of being terrified, I found myself curious. Who was this woman and why was she spending her weekend nights belly-dancing in a restaurant on Lovers Lane? I begrudgingly introduced myself and learned that her name was Selena. She explained that she had actually only started taking belly-dancing classes a few months ago. Selena, Sorina, and Sofia made quite a trio: a belly dancer, an aspiring belly dancer, and me. That night, I saw belly dancing through my niece’s eyes. I saw the freedom in the dance, the dazzling display of confidence and fun. Now, if another belly dancer ever comes my way, I just might join her of my own free will.
As usual, I finished my Chinese quiz and began doodling on the back. By the end of class, I had covered the entire half-sheet of paper in my design. I asked Lei Laoshi if I could copy my quiz onto another paper so that I could take my doodle—masterpiece—home. “Doodling helps the brain function!” I added (which, according to Time magazine is
absolutely true: doodling improves focus). As he muttered, “Only for you, Sera,” Lei Laoshi went to his cubicle to record my quiz grade so that I could keep the paper with me. Little did he know why I cared so much about this work of art. As soon as I arrived home, I whipped out my quiz to show my dad. But rather than show him the score, I flipped it over to the design I’d worked so hard on. “Please make it a square,” I thought as he examined the piece. A square is what my dad and I call each 3x3 box on a large canvas hanging by our study (one out of 320 total). These mini paintings catalog our lives together, whether they are cut out from our favorite ice cream carton (Ben & Jerry’s Pistachio Pistachio) or sketches of fruit (I had a phase in sixth grade where I only
drew pears). Pitching an idea for a square is scarier than actually painting it on the canvas. My dad and I agree on pretty much everything—giving us a two-to-one advantage over my mom—and I’ve fought to preserve our similar mindset over the years. Getting my dad’s approval that my ideas are worthy of being added to the canvas means everything to me. At the same time, I know that even if I asked to doodle a half-eaten muffin, he’d probably say yes. But to me, each agreement we had for a square was a sign of our synergy. I started to feel this way at eight years old, when we began making square paintings. At 17, I still do. At 21, will I send my dad ideas for squares from college? Will my kids send ideas to their grandpa? I value this tradition so much that I shook
in anticipation as I awaited his reaction. “You should make this a square!” my dad suggested, even though I never actually asked him. He had the sense. We were the same. Art can be seen as completely extraneous and supremely impractical. Not only did I probably miss out on some important grammatical rules in Chinese, but I also started my homework way too late that night because I spent so long transferring my design onto canvas. Yet there is something about having an idea that’s worthy—worthy of being set down permanently—that makes art meaningful. These squares not only bond me and my dad, but also stand for some of the most important memories and values in my life. So thank you, dad, for teaching me how to capture and retain these principles in just nine square inches.
Psycho. Crazy. Retarded. Insane. Messed up. These words are often used to describe patients with mental illness, but is that really all these people are? A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to see a photography exhibit presented by Mental Health America of Greater Dallas. The exhibit featured stunning black-and-white portraits of mental illness patients, each accompanied by a 5-10 minute audio recording of the person’s story. I walked into the exhibit hall and was greeted by the faces of about 30 strangers. There were women, men and children from all
walks of life: their ages ranged from 12 to 60 or 70. Some were businesspeople with spouses and children; others were homeless and resorted to dumpster diving. “Don’t be naïve. I don’t care if you’re a doctor or a lawyer,” said one of the women featured in the exhibit. “Mental illness discriminates against no one. You could be here too.” I can tell you, she is absolutely right. A few years ago, I was hit hard by depression and anxiety. I couldn’t get myself out of bed, and had panic attacks two or three times a day. I spent hours every day thinking about what would happen if I killed myself. At one point, I planned to run outside and throw myself in front of a car. (In hindsight, that was probably a better formula for a medical bill that would cost more than my college tuition, but I wasn’t exactly in the mental state to realize that at the time.) That was when I decided that I needed help. I had been suffering from mental illness for over a year by then—since I was twelve years old. There wasn’t a definitive moment when I “contracted” my mental illness. The
fact that I didn’t have a good “reason” to be depressed and anxious all the time made me even more reluctant to tell anyone about my affliction. I had a roof over my head, two living parents, and a good education, so what did I have to be sad about? I hid my illness away from the world for years. During my suicidal period in freshman year, I missed a full week of school because I was unable to function as a human being. When I came back, I told people I was gone because of “family things.” I was afraid of the labels that would be pinned on my back: Psycho. Crazy. Retarded. Insane. Messed up. This is kind of my “coming-out” piece. I have never talked openly about mental illness to this degree, much less my own experiences with depression and anxiety. I was diagnosed four years ago, and it’s been a constant battle ever since. I’ve spent 25 percent of my life being examined by different doctors, 25 percent of my life dependent on pills so that I can function normally—25 percent of my life as a mental illness patient and survivor.
The photographer of the exhibit, Michael Nye said, “A portrait is just a shadow of a person—there’s always so much more to know.” Much like a portrait, mental illness does not define a person. I am more than a patient with depression, anxiety, or bipolar disorder. I am not any of the stereotypes that have been projected onto the mental illness community. I am not a body dressed in white in the mental ward of a hospital. I don’t need a straightjacket. I’m not a psychopath. I’m not crazy. There is depth in every mental illness patient’s story, because we are people, just like everyone else. Just like people with broken bones, it might be harder for us to function in the way that everyone else does, but we make it through. Mental scars heal, things get better, and more often than not, psychological illness can be addressed and taken care of. We all get sick sometimes, but we also get better. Mental illness was just a temporary period in my life; I’ve moved on to a new chapter: one of mental health. And that’s a real story worth telling.
For years, whenever my parents asked me what I wanted for my birthday, I responded with the same answer: “Can I please, please have a dog?” They always answered with a big, fat, no. I talked up my responsibility and dependability, but nothing changed. The exchange went on for years, until I finally accepted defeat and dropped the subject. Flash-forward to November of my sophomore year. My mom went on a three-
week vacation to Pakistan, leaving my dad, brother, and me at home alone. Before leaving, she repeatedly reminded us that she wanted the house in exactly the same condition when she returned. Little did she know how ironic that statement would prove to be. I recognized my mom’s departure as the perfect opportunity to bring up the “puppy case” again with my dad. I struck during his weakest moment, naptime, and got him to agree to getting a dog. The pursuit for our new pet began. I wanted to find our dog as soon as possible, before my dad had a chance to change his mind. I called up pet stores, but all the adoptions were the next weekend. I ended up typing “puppies” into the search bar on Craigslist. My brother and I clicked through the pages until we found a mini Schnauzer puppy. Five minutes later, I was on the phone with the breeder, and we picked him up the next day. Meanwhile, my mom was in Pakistan,
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Bellydancing through life
The music came on and she entered in a haze of gauzy fabric, her castagnettes clanging as she swirled from table to table. The other patrons at Café Istanbul stared in awe at her gyrating belly, but I felt only terror as this noisy creature danced her way around the room. A shy seven-year-old, I prayed that she would stay far, far away. More than anything, I wanted to stay out of the limelight, but she wove in my direction. Soon, her made-up face
loomed over mine as she motioned for me to stand and join her. Heart pounding in my chest, I beseeched my parents to save me, but they pushed me out of my chair. After a few twirls, the belly dancer had me get on the floor and roll quarters on my bare stomach. All eyes were on me. That was the moment I discovered an innate predilection for rolling my stomach. At the time, I was far from thrilled. For an introverted Lower Schooler, this sort of public spectacle was torture. My family returned many times over the following years. I loved the food, but came up with excuses not to eat there at 8 p.m. on Friday or Saturday nights, when the belly dancer came out. If all else failed, I mastered the technique of picking at the hummus on my plate until she passed me by. Then, last summer, we took my seven-year-old niece, Sorina, to the restaurant, and I learned to look beyond my own fear-clouded perspective. We had just ordered appetizers when I
Memories in nine square inches
Sick, not psycho
20 backpage
The
Evergreen
How much is
$9,000?
wednesday, may 14, 2014
At the end of the 2012-2013 school year, the Greenhill Business Club was granted $100,000 by the Greenhill Investment Committee to invest in the stock market. Since then, they have made a return of approximately $9,000 (accurate as of May 2, 2014). Berkshire Hathaway, Warren Buffet’s holding company, achieved 11.75 percent growth this year, only 2.75 percent more than Greenhill Business Club. The Evergreen decided to investigate how $9,000 would translate to a Greenhill context.
53
Number of new American Pageant textbooks that could be ordered through Greenhill’s Online Bookstore.
8.39
Number of years for which one could buy daily school lunches.
47
1.41
Number of trips to Australia and New Zealand one could afford.
The number of Babolat Pure Strike tennis rackets (the racket of choice for SPC Champion Grant Solomon) that could be bought.
8.37
Number of full-house shows Avenue Q would have to sell at $5 a ticket.
692
Number of tickets that could have been bought to see A Raisin in the Sun.
8,725
Pounds of cat food that could be bought for Greenhill’s peacocks.
0.02%
Percent of $52 million fundraising goal for the Marshall Family Performing Arts Center.
$54.54
Amount a Greenhill student would have to save each school day. story by Zach Rudner graphics by Andrew Friedman