November 2015 | The Evergreen, Greenhill School

Evergreen the

november 18, 2015

Everything Greenhill

volume 51, issue 2

Working hard or hardly working?

The difference between managing stress and being lazy.

I

t’s 10 o’clock on a given night, and the typical Greenhill student has been up since 6:30 in the morning. When he woke up, he wolfed down breakfast. He raced to school, slogged through two tests, a quiz, and turned in a paper. The school day was followed by a mandatory hour of physical activity, and finally, time with family.

Now he has a choice: after a stressful day, should he spend some time on Snapchat? Or should he hit the books immediately? After all, he has another busy day tomorrow.

Any minute of indulging in free time only chips away at his studies.

Surveys of American students have shown that stress is on the rise. In a report by the American Psychological Association, the average student’s stress level is 5.8 out of 10, compared to 5.1 out of 10 for adults. For Greenhill students, the rate is even higher.

When 100 students were surveyed, the average stress level was 6.9 out of 10. With added pressure from the college application process and homework, which averages between two to four hours per night, many students believe that stress is inevitable.

But administrators and psychologists struggle to understand whether students are truly stressed or simply having trouble managing their time.

According to Pew Research Center, 81 percent of teens have access to a gaming console, 73 percent of teens have access to a smartphone, and 24 percent of teens say they are “almost constantly” online.

Given that stress levels can be selfprescribed, it is hard to tell when stress management turns into procrastination.

School advisors say it’s important to minimize stress, but Jason Yaffe, Director of Academics,

thinks that managing stress in a healthy way is essential to the success of a high school student.

“One of the greatest predictors of success in life is not your GPA, not your standardized test score, not the amount of AP’s you take. It’s your own social and emotional well-being,” said Mr. Yaffe. “So if you are able to recognize your emotions and manage those emotions and figure out how your brain works and how your brain works best, you are going to thrive.”

Head of Upper School, Laura Ross, also mentioned that it is important students take time to alleviate stress. However it’s the school’s job to prepare students for a college-level workload.

“I absolutely think you should have breaks and hang out, but sometimes I see the same students always hanging out during breaks and get interims,” she said. “It’s our responsibility to help you learn how to manage your time and how to plan. While I think it adds stress developing those skills, I think it alleviates stress on the college level.”

Junior Hayes Barton says social media can be a handy distraction, making indulging hard to avoid.

“I do sometimes get caught on Snapchat or Twitter or Facebook, and before I know it I will have spent 30 minutes on it. But I am usually good about taking my breaks and getting back to work in a reasonable amount of time,” he said.

Junior Eleni Ageshen says she tries to take breaks, but it’s hard not to let those “breaks” turn into something longer.

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News

What makes a “basic white girl?” p. 3

Greenhill has conversations about Gender Identity p. 6

Serving Greenhill since 1966

“If I’m doing work and I can’t concentrate and I’m getting nothing done, then I can either get nothing done and not be taking a break, or take a break and come back and hopefully be focused. I’d rather watch Netflix than get nothing done,” Eleni said.

Junior Geli Kane agrees that social media can be a distraction, so she tries to keep herself in check.

“Say my math homework takes me an hour, I’ll finish it, and then I’ll take a 5 to 10 minute break but I’ll say to myself, ‘Ok by 5:30, I’ll be back starting my next assignment,’ Geli said. And then I do that assignment, and then take another break, and then eat dinner and hang out with my family, and give myself a longer break in between multiple assignments. I try to plan it out as best I can.”

According to Girls Varsity Basketball coach and Upper School Math teacher Darryn Sandler, when a student does poorly on an assessment, the first step is not to assume they were procrastinating.

“I don’t think it’s fair for a teacher to assume that a student is slacking off versus doing poorly without a conversation because you do not know what else that student has going on,” Mr. Sandler said.

Upper School Counselor Priya Singhvi said one of the best ways to manage stress is through conversation.

Feat.

Greenhill alumni lead on their college campuses p. 7

If a student is feeling stressed or anxious, social media, or chatting with friends “are actually all healthy ways to cope and connect versus isolation,” she says.

According to Ms. Singhvi, without communication and connection, there are negative results, perhaps tragic.

“When we become isolated, we think our problems become inherent about us rather than the situation and we tend not to access things that can help us,” said Ms. Singhvi. “So the worst case scenario becomes that your stress carries on for so long, and not coping with that then potentially turns into depression or anxiety and possibly suicidal thoughts.”

Greenhill students say that they manage stress in various ways. Senior Nicolas Suarez uses swimming as an escape.

“Swimming takes a lot of stress away that I have from academics, even though there’s stress with swimming. It’s really not getting rid of the stress, but [it shifts] the stress from academics to swimming and it evens out in a way,” Nicolas said.

Some students, like junior Annie Ablon, who balances schoolwork with cheer practice and

Arts

The college audition process is uncovered p. 13

4141 Spring Valley Road, Addison, TX 75001

her competitive dance team, struggle to manage their stress.

“It’s hard because I want to do everything, and it’s hard to maintain a healthy lifestyle and a healthy balance because I want to take academically stimulating courses,” said Annie. “[But] it’s hard to feel happy when I am always stressed and always have something to do.”

Greenhill has tried to implement and encourage ways to help students manage stress better, adding three no-homework weekends, as well as a later start to the school day.

On October 14, sophomores and juniors were administered the Practice Scholastic Aptitude Test (PSAT).

While there was consideration among administration and teachers about making the 14 an academic day, teachers saw it fit to give students a chance to take a bit of a break from the school.

“We decided to let the students get that energy out, be social, build that connection, do something fun, or give back to the community rather than force a half academic day onto the students,” Ms. Singhvi said. story by Ellen Margaret Andrews, Kathie Rojas and Samar Ahmad graphic by Avery Jane Williams

Sports

Are sports losing their integrity? p. 18

evergreengreenhill.wordpress.com

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Rants & Raves A RAVE to the Advantage app. We, as a collective Evergreen staff, apologize for our disregard to the subtle, yet effective app that is known as “Advantage”.

Now we know, it is nearly impossible to forget what class is next with the handy dandy app, and you can even check your grades while Snapchatting a selfie of yourself looking disappointed at the grades you have just received.

A RANT to the bungee chords in the junior and senior locker rooms. The doors in the Upper school are already hard enough to open even without the bungee chords [causing the doors to slam in our faces if we open them too hard].

A RAVE to the spirit at fall games this season.

The display of Greenhill #passion and #pride at the homecoming game was a tear-jerking sight to behold. The torrential rain that fell at SPC in Austin was not the angels crying out of displeasure, but at how beautiful the Greenhill student section was.

A RANT to the quiet tornado and fire alarms. Fires and tornadoes are not soft and docile so why should the alarms be? We don’t want a lullaby as a crisis approaches. We need something a little more blatant.

A RAVE to the color change of the water tower. It represents Ovarian Cancer Awareness, a disease from which a Greenhill alumnus recently passed away. The alum was a member of the first class to paint the water tower as in 1986.

A RANT to the long lunch lines. For a school that prides itself on intellect we sure can’t seem to count to four. Yes, you heard it right here folks, there are FOUR lunch lines in the cafeteria.

A RAVE to the Princeton Nassoons performance during community time. The Princeton Nassoons A Capella group is the most angelic bunch of humans to ever grace the Elliott Center. Not only did the entire student body fall in love with their voices (and faces), but at that very moment, Princeton became everyone’s number one school. Looks like our GPA’s need to start improving!

A RANT to the lack of participation from students in student council meetings. Hey, Student Council is called Student Council because students run it. We elected these people, so don’t be scared of them or of going to their meetings (every DDay at lunch!)

A RAVE to the USB chords in the gym locker rooms. Last year, walking into the gym locker rooms was a dreary, depressing sight. This year, music blares on first entrance, and athletes are motivated by the voices of our generation like Silento and Fetty Wap. Content courtesy of Zoe Allen and Abbas Hasan Top right photo courtesy of greenhill.org

Dump the Disrespect, Not the Dish It’s lunch. A student gets to the front of the line: “Hi, can I please have chicken, pasta, and some vegetables.” The student then goes to sit down at his table and takes a couple bites out of each thing on his plate, only to determine that this isn’t what he wants for lunch. Instead, he goes and makes himself a panini. During this lunch, this student has eaten one meal, but has gotten enough food for two. He isn’t the only one who’s done this. A large number of his fellow classmates have joined him in doing the same.

Essentially, Greenhill students waste a lot of food. If one were to look into the trash cans leading up to where students drop off their plates, they would see food piled

high in them. As a school that prides itself on being compassionate and respectful, how can we allow ourselves to take part in something so disrespectful to so many people in the United States and around the world?

According to the organization Feeding America, 48.1 million Americans live in food insecure homes (households without a reliable source of food). In Texas alone, food insecurity is an issue in 17.2 percent of homes. Per worldhunger.org, 11.3 percent of people are malnourished, with numbers as high as 20.5 percent in Africa.

At Greenhill these statistics have little tangible effect on any students. In general, Greenhill students are very fortunate to be

at a school where regardless of financial situation, all students are guaranteed lunch as part of their tuition.

Respect is a core value at Greenhill.

This means respecting those we cannot see, no matter how far away. Many of us come from a fortunate home. We should show gratitude through humility.

Ed Bogard, SAGE Food Services Director at Greenhill sees a particular issue with food wasting in the Lower School.

“I think the kids in Lower School have some waste on their plates. They get more food and compete to see who can get more food on their plate, so more food goes in the trash,” Mr. Bogard said.

In order to avoid wasting so much

Staff Editorial food, The Evergreen is asking that Lower School teachers remind students ahead of lunch to take only the food they need.

The Evergreen is not asking that Middle School and Upper School teachers watch to see what each student gets to eat and how much of it they actually eat; however, we are asking that each student be aware of what they choose to get when in the lunch line.

Consider if it is something that you will actually eat, or whether you are getting it to make your plate look full and colorful.

In so many other places we act with respect, and it’s about time we start acting with some in the lunchroom too. Don’t take your good fortune for granted. Eat it, or don’t get it.

the

Evergreen staff editors-in-chief

content editor

Madison Goodrich Catherine Leffert

Mia Krumerman

executive editor

Erratas, October 2015 issue

sports editors

design editor

backpage editor

news editor

asst. arts editor

copy editor

arts editors

views editors

Zoe Allen Zach Rudner

Areeba Amer Zayna Syed

asst. features editors

managing editor

features editor

online editors

Varun Gupta

Christina Zhu

Amna Naseem

Megan Wiora

Ben Schachter

Ellen Margaret Andrews Joseph Weinberg Suman Chebrolu

Lane Hirsch Ben Krakow

Arhum Khan

Sophie Bernstein Simra Abedi Radhe Melwani

asst. sports editor Lili Stern

asst. news editor

staff writers

Samar Ahmad Stephen Crotty Allie Frymire asst. online editor Maya Ghosh Josh Rudner Christian Quintero business manager Kathie Rojas Annika Squires Ryan Diebner Jordan Sternblitz Ross Rubin advisor Kionce Woods Lauren Silva Laughlin Alice Zhang Abbas Hasan

staff artists

Chandler Crates Anurag Kurapati Anusha Kurapati Adam Weider Avery Jane Williams

pg. 1 The banner of debate championships excluded titles won in 1999, 2014, and 2015. pg. 3 The graphic by Avery Jane Williams was miscolored.

the

Evergreen What’s Your Reaction to the Term #BasicWhiteGirl?

wednesday, november 18, 2015

The term “basic white girl” is extremely derogatory. What amazes me is that if people make offensive comments about race, weight, etc., the world jumps at the opportunity to criticize them about how they are inhuman and disrespectful. However, they have no problem labeling “white girls” with stereotypes such as drinking Starbucks and wearing Uggs/leggings. The problem with this is that society’s pinpointing certain people to certain things. I myself have been called a “white girl” because I say the word “like” often, even though I am Indian. I’m appalled that our society believes they have taken a stand against racism- yet they seem to be completely fine with the concept of generalization of “white girls”. Isn’t this a double standard? Many people feel that if something doesn’t apply to them, they shouldn’t interfere. However, persecution of anyone no matter religion, appearance, nationality, beliefs, sexuality, etc. should be fought against.

I suppose the thin-skinned perpetually offended class will be outraged, because well, it seems we’re all supposed to be offended by something at all times. As for the BuzzFeed list, I think it’s simply what us old timers use to call fads. It’s the list of things your kids will use when they dress up for “Twenty-Teens” Decades Day during Homecoming Week in 2045. Maybe we’ll be beyond hashtag activism by then.

-Brian Donnell, Middle and Upper School Band Director

As a white male, I think it’s difficult to give my opinion on whether or not the term is “offensive”, given that if it were, I’m not be the one being oppressed. With this in mind, I realize that any opinion I have on the matter should be taken with a grain of salt. However, I still think that any fuss over the term that does occur is uncalled for. Do you like pumpkin spiced lattes? Great, drink them as much as you want. Do you love fall?

Go crazy! Wear Uggs! Who cares? Don’t let anyone stop you from having the passions that you do because of a hashtag. You have much more important issues to worry about: women are oppressed in ways that actually matter (say, income inequality). I’m frankly disappointed with how unimportant this discussion is. Don’t be a #BasicWhiteGirl and lets discuss the world’s real issues.

-Evan O’Brien, junior

Graphic by Anusha Kurapati

-Melanie Girard, Middle School English teacher

When we scroll through social media it is pretty much impossible to not see the hashtag #basicwhitegirl. I don’t feel that there is anything wrong with this at all. I don’t use it myself, but I don’t see it as a problem if the people it is geared to (white girls) are using it themselves. Being in the generation that we live in, we really don’t take most stereotypes to heart so when we hear white girls using it themselves, then in our mind that makes it okay for us to use it without worrying about if they will be hurt by that term. I feel that if there are girls who feel that that it is a derogatory term, then they should tell people how they feel because until everyone else knows that saying that term really hurts them then it will continue to be okay for others to say it.

-Kristal Crockett-Rogers, seventh-grader

3

How Much of a Basic White Girl Are You? You wear leggings almost exclusively.

You’ve worn leggings, a North Face, and UGG boots together.

You can’t wait for pumpkin spice anything in the fall.

You have a complicated drink order at Starbucks.

You Instagram ANY time you and your friends are together.

You can quote Mean Girls like nobody’s business.

You have a Pinterest board for your future wedding.

You constantly complain about being single.

Or you’re constantly gushing over how perfect your boyfriend is.

You’ve had a Tumblr account since the beginning of high school that you’ve maintained.

-Anushka Harve, eighth-grader

I hate that my students are not only exposed to this [term], but are quite knowledgeable when it comes to it. They have told me that they are so used to it, that they aren’t offended by it anymore. I find this harrowing, as we are reading about Native Americans in seventh grade, and many of those Native people have “given up” on dispelling stereotypical names and associations. I am thinking it is just another fad phase, but it reflects the social implication that women are basic. There is also something very vapid about the #basicwhitegirl, and while girls are attempting to be beautiful, funny, and accepted on social media, there is a underlying theme of “stupid white woman” that is there. And the kids know it. Why isn’t there a #basicwhiteguy? Does white privilege play a role in this?

Have other races used social media to turn white privilege on its head? One student pointed out that it is offensive to whites- and women- and because white women are supposed to be privileged, other races feel they should take this insult with a grain of salt.

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After reading the BuzzFeed quiz, I pondered questions such as the following: Why is it acceptable or appropriate to make extremely simplistic generalizations about one group when a similar generalization about a different population with a different skin tone or gender would be deemed offensive, unfunny, or unpopular? Does having less melanin and a uterus make you more likely to indulge in burritos or have an iPhone? (I have plenty of men and women friends of various colors and creeds who eat at Chipotle and would feel lost without their Apple products.) WHO IN THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE DOES NOT LIKE NUTELLA? Although out of the target age range of the #basicwhitegirl phenomenon, I find the hashtag annoying, dumb and a perpetuator of unhelpful stereotypes.

-Regina Yunker, Lower School Science teacher

First of all, I’ve never encountered this hashtag. Based on the BuzzFeed checklist, though, it seems to be a hashtag that’s gentle in its teasing. Perhaps the most biting part of the teasing is that basic white girls are overly concerned with the surfaces of things (a fully-stocked closet of just the right brands) and with celebrityfor-celebrity’s sake. I lived through another catchphrase in high school and college.

When a person voiced a compassionate concern for, say, the homeless, the most cynical person within earshot would say, “That’s mighty white of you.” Now, that saying was focused more on race and privilege and security—It’s mighty white to voice an opinion, given that you are not going to do anything about it. Your voicing concern for the homeless, in some way, highlights your non-homelessness. White people can be compassionate—it’s the least that they can do, and it is all that they do… that’s the more critical social commentary of “mighty white of you.” The hashtag, perhaps, is a similar self-congratulation. Maybe a white girl in line at fro-yo would instagram or tweet a photo of her purchase with the hashtag. On the surface, it’s a self-deprecating jab at oneself; it is also a clear assertion of one’s comfort and one’s rewards in a certain social class.

-Joel Garza, Upper School English teacher

(…) you’ve used the words “totes,” “adorbs,” “TBH,” and “mad dec.”

You treat your iPhone like it’s your baby.

You’ve been addicted to one of these shows: Pretty Little Liars, The Vampire Diaries, Teen Wolf, Grey’s Anatomy, Gossip Girl, or One Tree Hill.

You have a deep love for Beyoncé.

You’ve been known to have Disney movie marathons just because.

You’ve said that you shouldn’t be eating those extra calories but you continue to eat anyway.

You had an existential crisis when Zayn left One Direction.

Getting your nails done is one of your favorite activities.

You follow at least one Kardashian/ Jenner on Instagram.

You have an unhealthy obsession with Chipotle.

You use the word “literally” very loosely and judge yourself each time you say it.

Disclaimer: This quiz has been edited for space.

Content from BuzzFeed

The Evergreen polled 241 Greenhill students from 7th to 12th grade on their thoughts about #basicwhitegirl.

Have you ever been called a basic white girl?

While I am aware that most people don’t mean offense when they use the term, it’s still really annoying that girls can’t do even the simplest of things without being judged for it. If a girl wants to wear Uggs and leggings and drink a pumpkin spice latte, she has that right (as does anyone). I usually brush it off, but it gets old. I don’t want to sacrifice my morning coffee runs in order to avoid a joke I don’t want to spend my energy on. The term “basic white girl” would be funny if it didn’t reflect a culture in which males feel that their approval is necessary for girls to dress and drink as they choose.

-Isabel Chavez, junior

41.4 percent yes 58.6 percent no Have you ever called another person a “basic white girl” 50.6 percent yes 49.4 percent no Do you think the term “basic white girl” is offensive?

21.2 percent yes 41.1 percent no 19.9 percent no opinion 17.8 percent other

News the

See p.6 for more on David Macaulay visit to Greenhill school.

The Cost of Success Areeba Amer Views Editor

Simra Abedi

Asst. Features Editor

Seniors Kevin Wei and Hartley McGuire cautiously carry the speakers for their physics extra-credit project up to steps of the science building and into their classroom. They are careful not to drop them. The speakers cost $400 to build.

Despite paying up to $28,000 for Greenhill’s annual tuition, some students pony up cash for class projects and school clubs as well. In some cases, students spend extra money on a project or for food for a single club meeting. Going this extra step isn’t mandatory –in some cases, teachers say they discourage students from spending extra money.

Nevertheless, students often think projects that carry high price tags can impress their peers and, as an added bonus, may help their grades.

This is why Kevin and Hartley spent $400 on their physics project, even though the project did not require students to spend money.

“We were just having fun. For most people [who built objects for the project][…]they bought the materials to do the project,” Kevin said. “It was not required in anyway to build something.

It was just something we loved, we love doing this, we want to make it awesome.”

However, according to a survey, 55 percent of students spend money on their project for their grade. For example, junior Annie Diamond baked food and created a fake cocktail party for one of her projects this year. The project cost her about $20.

“I’m not great at art or being very funny, so the greatest way after that to win the hearts and minds of teenagers is to supply them with food,” said Annie.

“It’s easy, it looks impressive. If you were creative and artsy and craftsy, I don’t think you would have to spend a single dollar.”

Nonetheless, teachers insist that extra spending is not necessary.

History Department Chair Scott Cotton says that spending money is not required for

projects and does not affect the student’s grade.

“They have to buy poster boards, but that’s the only thing that is required and that is split between two people,” he said.

“Anything else would be above and beyond.”

Some teachers even provide materials so that students don’t have to pay. Each student is graded equally they say, so that those who cannot afford the extra bells and whistles won’t be at a disadvantage.

“As a mom, it was really difficult when teachers would say to the kids, ‘you need to go buy all these supplies’, It was an expense that came out of our grocery budget. I’m a teacher now so I really understand and I don’t want kids to do things that cost money….I try to provide all the materials students need for their projects,” said Upper School History teacher Becky Daniels.

Junior Sarah Matthews was assigned a group project in her art history class to study a style of art and present it to the class.

Groups were told to do something interactive and creative, so Sarah and her team bought five cakes along with extra squeezable icing.

“

I’m not great at art or being very funny, so the greatest way after that to win the hearts and minds of teenagers is to supply them with food.’’

At the end of their presentation, students would go up to the cakes and draw with the icing in an impressionist style. To Sarah, the $50 the group spent was worth it to make a presentation that would impress the students and teacher in her class.

“We wanted our presentation to be memorable and creative.” said Sarah. “Ms. Daniels asked us to be creative with it in the first place, but we decided to go crazy with it.”

Advanced Video Production (AVP) teacher Corbin Doyle attempts to limit the amount students have to spend as well by purchasing cameras, filmmaking and editing equipment, and supplies. He pays for these materials out of his pocket. All students

By the numbers Compiled by Suman Chebrolu, Simra Abedi, and Areeba Amer

need to purchase, if they choose to, are the props they need for the film. However, even with the equipment paid for, students, like junior Jonah Goldberg still rack up bills over $300 on films in order to make them elaborate and creative.

Junior Evan O’Brien also believes that spending money may not be necessary.

“I think if you’re smart and maximize your resources, you probably wouldn’t have to pay a dime to make a movie the way you want it to be made,” Evan said.

This mentality carries over into clubs too. Food is a big attraction and is used as an additional incentive to get students participate. “[Food] is definitely good for club membership,” Kevin said, who is also part of the club leadership for Business Society, Life Changing Investments Club, TEDx Foundation, and Political Action Club. “I think that food [helps with teamwork] and definitely makes people more willing to collaborate and the atmosphere is more friendly. And if I have to buy the food… that’s something I am willing to do.”

But food costs money, and clubs are not always reimbursed.

Junior Rachel Friedman, leader of the 90’s club, says that she has to spend money because it’s a way to entice people to come to a meeting. Rachel spends up to $20 on average each club meeting, which amounts to hundreds of dollars over the year.

“What’s important to me is having the club there for people that want to be there and have some fun,” she said. “If it means that I have to buy doughnuts, then that’s fine,” Rachel said.

Clubs in the Upper School can only be

reimbursed for costs that directly relate to the club. This does not include spending money on food for each meeting but can include materials for a project the club is doing. “[Reimbursing food is] not what the budget is for,” said Dean of Students, Jack Oros. “It’s for supplies, it’s for things they do at the club, [and] supplies they buy for the club.”

To be reimbursed, the club leader purchases the item then gives the receipt to Mr. Oros, who fills out a brief form to get the student reimbursed.

“I understand why kids have food, but I don’t think that having food, is a requirement for coming to a club or leading a club,” Mr. Oros said.

Photo by Adam Weider and Graphic by Amna Naseem

CONTEMPLATING COST: Senior Kevin Wei spends money on food for the clubs he has a leadership role in.

Many club leaders believe food is necessary for their club, but due to Greenhill’s club policy, clubs who spend money on food may not be reimbursed. Kevin has also spent hundreds of dollars on a school project.

The percent of students who have spent up to or over $40 on a single class project.

33.8

55.5 The percent of students who have spent money on a project with the goal of getting a better grade.

The percent of club leaders who have spent up to 30 dollars on a single club meeting.

16.2

wednesday, november 18, 2015

the

Evergreen

news

Readers Without Borders

5

Sixth Grade Students Around the World Discuss Literature Radhe Melwani Asst. Features Editor

For the first time, sixth grade English classes are participating in Global Read Aloud, a program that promotes crosscultural exchanges within education for students around the world. In this program, students throughout the world read the same book, and then discuss the book with other students online. Teachers hope they gain a new global perspective they otherwise would not have.

“Being able to make connections with people and letting our kids realize that there are sixth graders all over the world reading the same book, doing the same work, and having the same conversations is pretty cool,” said Middle School English teacher Monica Bullock.

Global Read Aloud is a program created by Pernille Ripp, a seventh grade teacher from Oregon. To expand her program, she reached out on her blog to other teachers and it now has over 500,000 participants and 525,000 students currently partaking in the program. Classes from all over the world connect with each other through various websites including Skype, Edmodo, and Write About to discuss the book they have chosen to read during a six-week period.

“It is phenomenal because you get to connect with people around the world and that part of it really makes the classroom global,” said Middle School English teacher Anderson. “We are trying to create global thinkers and learners, kids who see the world from a global perspective, and what better way to see the world from a global perspective than to read a book with someone who is in a different country?”

Mrs. Bullock read an article about

Global Read Aloud and coincidentally heard about it again at a workshop during a conference in the summer. After hearing more about this program, Mrs. Bullock told Ms. Anderson about it. They knew they wanted to try it out with their students.

Students say they like this program because of the face-to-face contact it provides. Instead of having no idea of whom they are interacting with, they are able to see and talk with the students they have been messaging online on Edmodo and Write About.

“It’s cool because it’s not like we are just emailing each other, we actually get to see each other in person,” said sixth grader, Mikah Finley.

Three sixth grade classes are coordinating with students in Canada while another class is connected with students in

Graphic by Anusha Kurapati

California, all via Skype. Between the video chats, the students share thoughts, questions, and ideas through either Edmodo or Write About. For students, these conversations bring up unique ways of looking at a topic. The difference in locations sometimes provide cultural perspectives, which allow for new aspects of the book to be explored.

The students are currently reading Fish by L.S. Matthews. The story is from the point of view of a family of aid workers who have become displaced refugees.

The book recounts their journey to get to the border. The author does not disclose the characters’ names, gender, or when and where the book is placed. This creates many interesting conversations between the students in the program, who, although have similar ideas, are finding

new ways of interpreting the details.

“Usually we just get to talk to people in our class but now we get to talk to people from places we don’t even know and I think it’s really cool because we can hear different opinions,” Mikah said.

Students are surprised by the similarities and differences of their analyses.

Some are surprised by how similar their thoughts are on the location, the setting, and genders in the book. Others are surprised by how differently they interpret the characters and plot.

“It’s a really great opportunity for the kids to discuss the book and to see if people have different opinions based on where they are and their experiences,” Mrs. Bullock said.

According to Mrs. Bullock, Fish is also largely relevant to what is happening in the world today. Students have made a connection between the Syrian refugees and the refugees portrayed in the book. Their reading is supplemented by other books about refugees and watching United Nations videos about the crises happening around the world.

“The kids are really thinking about the issues that confront refugees and how hard that life is,” said Mrs. Bullock.

“I think a lot of our kids did not realize that people don’t leave because they want to leave, but they now are coming to the realization that many refugees had no choice.”

Not only do the sixth grade English teachers, Mrs. Bullock and Ms. Anderson, plan on keeping this program in the curriculum for next year, but they are also planning to keep the book, Fish, as a permanent addition to the sixth grade English curriculum.

Greenhill Debuted Teen Read Week

Arhum Khan Design Editor

Zach Rudner Arts Editor

This year, in place of summer reading assignments, the Upper School Library decided to participate in Teen Read Week, a nationwide initiative created by the American Library Association to promote reading and books. From October 18 to 24, schools and libraries across the nation participated in this program in an effort to encourage reading and its benefits within their communities.

With different book-related discussions and games throughout the week, the Upper School Library and the Student Reading Committee planned various activities and contests for the student body to participate in.

In hopes of bolstering student involvement, some Teen Read Week events had also been integrated with Color Wars events and advisory activities.

In years prior to this event, students were each required to choose a book from a list of summer reading options. At the beginning of the following school year, they were organized into groups based off the books they had read and had a 45 minute discussion about the book. Although students were given an array of options to read from, many students and teachers were concerned due to the lack of student participation and the short conversations.

Upper School Librarian Jennifer Tirrell was in charge of organizing Teen Read Week. She felt that there needs to be a bigger impact on Greenhill’s reading culture.

“I didn’t want pleasure reading to only be in a school context,” Ms. Tirrell said.

Ideally, the goal of Teen Read Week was to put the idea of literature at the forefront of student thinking. Senior Ali Babool, a member of the student Summer

Reading Committee that was involved in the planning process, felt that the new program was beneficial for the student body.

“We wanted to change summer reading into something more exciting. We focused less on a few, specific books [but rather on] reading literature as a whole,” he said.

Ali believes that from the reaction of the student body, the program was more enjoyable than previous summer reading requirements. Although participation varied from day to day, he felt that Teen Read Week “went pretty well for its first time.”

Events during the week were intended to engage the community. For example, there was a game of book jeopardy during F-day Community Time where members of each class competed for their respective grades. There was also a bake sale benefiting Promise House, an organization that helps homeless youth. Towards the end of the week, a lunch discussion was hosted where students discussed Go Set a Watchman by Harper Lee. Ms. Tirrell plans to gain feedback from the week for future planning. She hopes this event encourages the Upper School community to connect more through books.

“Books are a gift that gives people an emotional and personal connection to their life situations,” she said.

She also asked that the Upper School consider how important the role of pleasure reading should be in a student’s life. She feels “it is very important to help develop as a student and a person.”

Likewise, reading is a proven practical mode for increased vocabulary and stronger writing skills, all of which are critical at the college level. Ms. Tirrell believes that students who say they dislike reading just may have not found the right piece of work. Nevertheless, she feels that books are important for Greenhill students and they “need to be a component of who we are.”

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Greenhill to start new gender identity movement Areeba Amer Views Editor

Stephen Crotty Staff Writer

Following the “Dear Greenhill” movement, a project taken on by the Class of 2015 last year to bring attention to microaggressions, Director of Equity & Inclusion Karen Bradberry is planning to start another round of activities on gender identity. In late January, Upper School students will watch two films on gender stereotypes and begin discussions and activities to supplement the movie.

Prior to the showing, Upper School students will participate in discussions and activities to create an environment where opinions can be freely expressed. These activities will attempt to prepare students before bringing

Graphic by Chandler Crates and Suman Chebrolu

Q&A David Macaulay

Maya Ghosh Staff Writer

David Macaulay, a world-renowned author and illustrator, came to the Greenhill campus to talk to students about his life and works about architecture. Macaulay is also a MacAurthur Fellow and a Caldecott Medal winner. He hopes his talks encouraged people to see past the surface level things, a topic which he hopes will spark a pursuit of life-long learning.

What are you talking about here at Greenhill?

I am talking about some of the work I’ve done over the past 40 years because regardless of the specific subject matter, my interaction with it has really been about seeing (not just looking) and, questioning the world around us. That’s the basic message I have to pass on. It’s really important for us all to connect with our environment, both manmade and natural, and to involve ourselves with it. It’s the only way to begin to take charge of what happens in our lives and to fix those things we don’t like. So coming to a place like this, with such a well-educated audience, is both a pleasure and an opportunity to share my ideas with friends and frankly, fellow students.

When did you first differentiate seeing and looking?

I’ve always been aware of the difference between looking and seeing, but until the past few years, I hadn’t bothered to verbalize my thoughts. This is important because if we don’t pay attention to what’s happening around us, we will have no say in outcome[s] of events and only have ourselves to blame.

What is the process of creating and writing your books?

First of all, I have to become interested enough in something to stay with it long enough to create a book. Some books take several months, others take several years.

The [goal of my] first few books was to finish them and see my name on the cover. I started as I always do with an idea and then be-

gan gathering research. This in turn begins with reading and then traveling to gain some first hand knowledge of the subject matter.

At the beginning of my career, I did a book a year and visited some wonderful places.

Next come the first sketches for illustrations along with the development of chunks of text. I try to do them both at the same time so that each ‘language’ (visual and verbal) is used to its best advantage and there is no unnecessary repetition of one in the other.

Some times words say things more clearly than pictures, other times the opposite is true. Figuring out what you want to say and whether it should be through words or pictures is the difficult part. Then making the art and writing the finished text it is mostly a matter of common sense and discipline.

What kind of atmosphere does Greenhill’s architecture promote?

I love the scale of Greenhill’s architecture and overall campus. It feels very human and therefore welcoming. This is just the kind of place where people with lots of questions and unbridled curiosity should come.

The new performing arts center seems like a bit of a monster at the moment when compared to everything else, but then again the spaces in side it (which is what really matters) have very specific requirements and need the volume. Once that huge brick wall has been covered with peacock feathers it probably won’t seem quite so overwhelming.

With its use of brick, Greenhill’s architecture has a real sense of being hand-made and it connects you with an understandable building process both of which reinforce that idea of human scale–buildings made to serve, not to limit. Bringing the bricks from the outside to the inside helps blur the barriers between the two and creates an almost continuous space for learning. And let’s not forget those peacocks. What a spectacular and surprising addition to the experience. I just hope that after you’ve been here for a couple of years you don’t stop noticing them.

up the discussion about gender stereotypes. “[We are working on] the art of civil discourse and how we can come together to talk about potentially controversial issues in a way that is respectful,” Dr. Bradberry said.

This year, administrators plan to “lay the groundwork” before beginning conversations about gender stereotypes.

“These are really big ideas, but if we don’t have a really good foundation and a good understanding of how to talk to each other respectfully, then the things we are trying to do fall apart,” said Head of Upper School, Laura Ross.

Administrators say they are having these conversations because Greenhill has an obligation as a college preparatory school to prepare students not only academically for college, but socially as well.

“If we are going to send students out into the greater world, then I want them guys to be exposed to these ideas, trained to have respectful dialogue, and be aware of these issues around the world,” Mrs. Ross said. “We’ve always been this school of radical inclusiveness... we have a responsibility to our founders because that’s how they wanted us as a school.”

Last year, students went to Dr. Bradberry and told her they felt they were not able to voice their opinion without being called racist, sexist, and more.

“We want to make sure we can talk comfortably. With ‘Dear

Greenhill,’ things kind of blew up and, not that it was bad, but it wasn’t something we [were] totally expecting... The responses [to Dear Greenhill] could’ve been different. I think [this] happened because we didn’t lay the groundwork prior,” said Dean of Students, Jack Oros.

The two films shown will be The Mask You Live In and Miss Representation. The first one, The Mask You Live In, will focus on stereotypes people enforce on males, the second one, Miss Representation, will focus on stereotypes enforced on females.

The idea to show these films originally came in May when Mr. Oros, Mrs. Ross, and a panel of students went to see these films.

“I think that we should have conversation on what gender means and gender identity and start think of [gender] as more of a spectrum than two opposites,” Mrs. Ross said. “The rights of transgenders are starting to gain more conversation, so we thought it’s a really good time to bring up this issue of gender.”

Administrators plan to make these discussions a yearly event. Each year, Dr. Bradberry will plan activities related to another social issue in an effort to create what she calls an “authentic” environment.

“The question is, ‘have we bred a culture of respectful authenticity or have we bred a culture of disrespectful politeness?’ Think about it, someone will insult you, then say, ‘I’m just joking,” Dr. Bradberry said. “You’re insulted, so instead of laughing it off or letting it go, you should be able to address it appropriately.”

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The Lessons We Learned Greenhill alumni take leadership skills to their college campuses Zayna Syed Views Editor

They were your Student Council presidents, captains of sports teams, and leaders of clubs. Now, after graduating from Greenhill, they exhibit similar leadership skills in college. Many of them claim their time on the Hill helped prepare them for their leadership positions in college.

According to the Director of Alumni Relations, Katie Young, many Greenhill alumni hold leadership positions in college, however the exact number is hard to quantify.

From captains of cheerleading squads, to board members of sororities, to presidents of college Student Council, many of these young alumni said Greenhill taught them soft skills like communication and teamwork that are essential to the positions they occupy now. Furthermore, Greenhill gave them the opportunity to test those skills in high school, through the various leadership positions.

“Greenhill offers current students the chance to serve in leadership roles during their time on campus, which I think contributes to alumni taking on leadership roles after they graduate,” Ms. Young said.

Eric Klein ‘12 was captain of the football team his senior year of high school, and captain of the track and field team his junior and senior year. He was also Class President his freshman and senior year. He now attends Syracuse University and is one of the captains of their Division I cheerleading squad. Eric said Greenhill taught him skills such as communication and authenticity, skills he currently uses in his leadership position at Syracuse.

“Being able to know how to be in a leadership position is essential. And I think knowing how to gain those skills, and how to communicate to a team, coach, and practicing what you preach. I definitely learned that from being a leader at Greenhill,” Eric said.

Additionally, Eric claims that his leadership positions at Greenhill allowed him to make mistakes in an environment where the stakes are not as high.

“There’s a huge trial and error when it comes to being a leader and I was able to probably have a lot more errors in high school, so when I got to college, I didn’t need to have that learning curve,” Eric said.

Another alumna, Lauren Butowsky ‘13, claimed that Greenhill’s small size helped fuel her confidence. Lauren currently attends University of Missouri, a state school with about 27,700 undergraduate students.

She said that after coming from a small school where “everyone knows everyone,” she wanted to be more than just a number in college and the skills she learned at Greenhill helped her achieve that.

While Lauren does not currently occupy a leadership position, she was on her sorority Sigma Kappa’s executive council as a freshman, the youngest amidst a room of juniors and seniors.

“I wanted to stand out, I wanted to make myself better, and I think my experience at Greenhill allowed me to not be afraid to

speak out,” said Lauren. “So I talked to the older members […] I was never afraid to talk to anybody.”

Ricky Jaramillo ‘15 was president of Political Action Club and a key member of the debate team at Greenhill. He now attends Columbia University and just ran for Vice President of the freshman Student Council. He was not elected. Nevertheless, Ricky claims that the leadership skills he learned at Greenhill, such as communication and organization, helped him through the election process.

“Regardless of whether I’m in a leadership position at Columbia right now, [the skills Greenhill taught] really helped me go through a competitive application process for a lot of these clubs,” Ricky said.

Ricky was selected to be an online writer for the Columbia Law Review and to go on a trip to Washington D.C. with a policy think tank called “The Roosevelt Institute.” Both of these opportunities came as a result of a competitive application process that included written essays as well as personal interviews. Ricky says the skills he learned at Greenhill helped him with these applications.

Additionally, Ricky said that losing the election helped him put things in perspective.

“I did not win my Student Council election. That was a moment that would be considered failure by a lot of people. And I’m not blaming Greenhill for it, but I think it would do well for Greenhill students to know that its okay to not get everything you want on the first try,” Ricky said. “It’s okay to not get everything you want, it’s okay to not be the absolute best at something, as long as you’re passionate about your interests and you’re working hard to do what you want.”

Ricky claims that Greenhill exceeds formal education and goes on to cultivate personal growth.

“I think the hallmark of a Greenhill education is that goes beyond just the classroom and really focuses on developing you as a person,” Ricky said.

However, some alumni think that students do not place enough of an emphasis on leadership and community involvement.

“

It’s okay to not get everything you want, it’s okay to not be the absolute best at something, as long as you’re passionate about your interests and you’re working hard to do what you want.”

Casey Holiday ‘14 said that while Greenhill has opportunities for leadership, she never really took advantage of them.

Now, as marketing chair for her business fraternity Alpha Kappa Psi at Southern Methodist University, she wishes she had taken on a more active role in the Greenhill community.

“I think its really important for everyone to get as involved as they can, and they really stress it in college, and I don’t

Photos courtesy of Casey Holiday, Eric Klein, and Ricky Jaramillo

LEADING THE WAY: Eric Klein ‘12 (above) cheers as part of Syracuse University’s Division I cheerleading squad. Casey Holiday ‘14 (bottom right) takes control as marketing chair of her business fraternity at Southern Methodist University. Ricky Jaramillo ‘15 (bottom left) ran for vice president of freshman Student Council at Columbia University.

think they stress it enough in high school.

It really means nothing to be a general member. Put in all the support you can with the involvement,” Casey said.

Some alumni claimed that Greenhill’s English classes played a vital role in developing their leadership skills.

Shayan Gaziani ‘14 was secretary of his senior class in high school. Although he says he has learned a lot from that leadership position, he attributes most of what he learned to his English classes, specifically those with English Department Head Linda Woolley “When you entered her classroom, it was as if you were entering a different world. You talked about so many things, you stretched your mind, questioned yourself, and questioned your ideas. Those are things you can use in decision-making processes throughout life. And it’s amazing how one person can relay that, but she did,” Shayan said.

Alumna Vanessa Akinnibosun ‘15 also recalls fond memories of English class with Ms. Woolley. One that particularly struck her was when she gave a speech about dreams and struggle during The Great Gatsby unit her sophomore year.

“I was extremely nervous and scared, even though I was a very talkative person.

I was still really nervous to talk in front of my class and give a five minute speech that you had to memorize. But I said it and Ms. Woolley and the class loved it,” said Vanessa.

“It really showed me that I needed to have great confidence in being able to speak to and in front of people.”

Vanessa is currently Student Council President of her freshman class at Scripps College and credits the skills she learned from her Great Gatsby assignment in helping her give the speech that would ultimately get her elected onto Student Council.

“That was something that I learned at Greenhill, to be able to get in front of somebody and express yourself and be genuine about it without showing your fear. Once you get up there, you realize that those people are there to support you. And that’s something I used [at Scripps] when I made my speech for running for President,” Vanessa said.

Some alumni claim they only truly understood the value of the leadership skills Greenhill taught after they graduated.

“After you graduate, only then do you really understand what you’ve learned from Greenhill. The skills that Greenhill taught, they will shape who you are… I owe a lot to that school,” Shayan said.

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An Ocean Away Junior Mira Fradkin decided to stay in Dallas, nearly 7,000 miles away from her family, who currently lives in Israel Editor-in-Chief

SOUTHWEST GALLERY

Junior Mira Fradkin used to sing her three younger siblings to sleep every night.

Now, an eight-hour time difference and nearly 7,000 miles separates Mira from her family.

Mira’s mom was offered a new job in Kadimah, Israel. Mira decided to stay here in Dallas to finish school, while her mom, dad, two little sisters, and little brother moved across the world.

“It’s hard not having the support system I’ve had all my life. They’re only a phone call away, but not having immediate access to them all the time [is hard,]” Mira said.

She said the little things are what she misses most, like watching TV with her siblings, doing homework at night with her dad, and going on random family outings to a museum.

These activities, which she sometimes hated, were the hardest things to not have anymore.

According to Mira, it took some time to get used to being halfway across the world from her family.

“The first week was so difficult. I was like, ‘Why did I do this? I just need to go back. This isn’t worth it,’” said Mira. “Now I’m better adjusted. I’m way more comfortable with the situation.”

She received the news of her mom’s relocation to Israel this past March. Her family was set to leave Dallas, the United States, and Greenhill

behind.

“Of course my first thought was, ‘Oh I’ll find someone to live with,’” Mira said.

She began calling and texting her local friends to ask for a place to stay. She wanted to graduate from Greenhill and stay in the city. Eventually, her parents realized Mira’s intention, and arranged for her to live with some family friends.

“As far as I remember, Mira originally did not want anybody to move. Not us, not her. When she mentioned the idea of her staying in Dallas, I did not think it was even possible and at first was not ready to consider it,” said her mother, Yana Fradkin.

After many discussions, school tours in Israel, and lots of extra planning, Mira is now here for the next two years, under her parents’ two rules: be happy and keep your grades up.

Even though Mira didn’t want to leave Greenhill and let her family go, Mira says that it has had its rewards.

“At first my sister was like, ‘I don’t want to be the oldest, I want an older sister,’ which is really hard to hear when you’re trying to make this decision,” said Mira. “But we talk every day. We’re really close now because every time we talk, it’s about more important things.”

Even though she gets to talk with her family, she doesn’t see them, except through a small webcam when they videochat. While most teenagers live with their parents and siblings, Mira goes home each night to a

family that isn’t hers.

“It took some getting used to because obviously they are different than my parents,” Mira said.

The Kremens, Mira’s family friends that she is living with while she is separated from her own family, said they noticed that she had a rough transition at first.

“In the beginning Mira wasn’t sure if she made a right decision, but after week or two, she became more comfortable living here,” said Irena Kremen, the mother of the household.

Although now that Mira has been there for a longer period of time, Mrs. Kremen said it’s much easier for her and the family.

“Every day we have a family dinner together. It’s a great feeling of a complete

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family,” Mrs. Kremen said.

According to her father, Meir Fradkin, because of Mira’s mature attitude throughout the process of living on a different continent than her family, her father sees her in a new light.

“One day, when I started feeling that I missed her, I realized that I was not actually missing today’s Mira, but Mira from a young age,” he said.

However, according to Mira, the 7,000 miles don’t change that she’s comfortable with the fact that she stayed, although she says she misses being a big sister sometimes, and her siblings feel the same way.

“Every time we talk they say, ‘Mira, we miss you,’” she said.

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Tweets to Teach Teachers use social media to connect with each other, alumni, and to find Lane Hirsch Online Editor

Nothing seems to characterize the adolescent experience as aptly as social media. Whether it’s posting, commenting, liking or stalking, once the screen lights up, the student tunes out. It is difficult to imagine that there are individuals who are not swept up in the social media soiree.

And yet, it seems as if the majority of teachers, the people who interact with these technologically inclined teens daily, have managed to evade this communal craze.

“I rarely post anything. I use Facebook and that is it – I don’t like any of the other sites,” said Upper School Math teacher Steve Warner when questioned about how often he frequents social media sites. If

ideas to use in the classroom.

not for the students, Mr. Warner said that he would not have created a Facebook profile in the first place.

“The Class of 2012 said that if I wanted to stay in touch with them, then I needed to get a Facebook account, so they were really the ones that prompted me to get involved,” Mr. Warner said.

This notion of staying connected seems to be the primary reason why many adults and teachers turn to social sites, with Facebook serving as the preferred social medium.

“I’m not a [Facebook] poster, I’m a Facebook stalker,” said Jack Oros, Dean of Students. “I just want to see what my friends and former students are doing and [Facebook] is a great way to stay

connected.”

One of the things that makes Facebook so popular is the sense of community it can foster.

“You do feel that community.

You keep in touch with people that you normally wouldn’t keep in touch with, [such as] friends from college and colleagues. When I meet people professionally at statewide or nationwide events, I’m able to say ‘I love seeing pictures of your grandkids,’” said Laura Hudec, Upper and Middle School Latin teacher.

Although Facebook may have widespread involvement, it seems as if a lot of the other social media sites, such as Instagram and Snapchat, have failed to show up on teachers’ radars.

“I definitely think it’s a generational thing. My son uses

Graphic by Ben Schachter

CONNECTED COMMUNITIES: Teachers use different social media outlets such as Facebook and Twitter to connect with students, share their classroom experiences, and get inspiration from the outside world.

In the Spotlight...

Josh Rudner

Asst. Online Editor

Annika Squires Staff Writer

We continue our “In the Spotlight” series, a chance to get to know one randomly selected Upper School student each issue.

This conversation was with sophomore Lilli Stone.

The lights are bright, the expectations are high, and the music begins: a week’s worth of hard work is put to the test.

Far from cracking under the pressure, sophomore Lilli Stone says this is her favorite part of being a cheerleader. “It’s a rush,” she said.

For Lilli, cheerleading has always been the ultimate goal. Now ,in her second year as a cheerleader, she has adapted to what she describes as a rigorous schedule.

“It’s more work than it looks like,” Lilli said. “You practice the entire week for two hours a day, you learn a new dance, new stunts, and a new cheer, and then have to perform them perfectly at the game on Friday.

Then, you do it all over again the next week.”

Outside of practice, according to her friends, Lilli is still infatuated

with all things cheer.

“She always follows cheer vines and would show them to me even when she wasn’t a cheerleader,” sophomore Anita Jahangiri said. “I remember she practiced for cheer the entire summer. She’s really dedicated.”

“She’ll go home and practice the cheer routine like ten times,” sophomore Emilie Raphael said.

Her love for music extends beyond the music she dances to during half-time shows in the fall and winter.

“My brother got me into music. He has really good bass in his car and he plays it really loud,” Lilli said.

She said she likes Skrillex and has an ongoing One Direction Phase.

“That will always be there,” Lilli said (but not before blushing).

But don’t judge her music taste based on one boy band. Her preference in music varies, she said.

“She goes to all these different music festivals like Austin City Limits and Coachella and she obviously really enjoys live music,” Emilie said.

Having come to Greenhill

in preschool, Lilli has fostered friendships that have lasted since her first few years.

“I think it’s important to surround yourself with people who you love and love you,” she said.

Throughout my interview with Lilli, friends like Anita and Emilie joined the conversation and shared memories and anecdotes they have of her.

“She ran up to me on the first day of Kindergarten and said, ‘Let me give you a Grandma-hug,’” Emilie said.

“Some may say she’s introverted, but she’s really not at all,” Anita said. Three other friends quickly agreed.

“Lilli always takes things very literally and she thinks everything through,” Emilie said.

“Also, sometimes Lilli just doesn’t understand sarcasm,” Anita said.

Sophomore Mia Lozano said that sometimes, Lilli’s friends call her ‘LiteraLilli.’

After what seemed more like a roast than an interview, Lilli had been thoroughly analyzed.

“We’re having an intervention for Lilli”, Anita said.

social media all the time, but that’s just his generation,” Mr. Oros said.

This generational divide applies to the younger faculty members who, comparatively, are active on a variety of social media platforms.

“I have an Instagram and Facebook, but I really like Twitter,” said Michael Haskins, Upper School Science teacher.

As it turns out, tweeting and teaching may be more related than one might think.

“I use Twitter more professionally. I follow a lot of high school physics teachers around the country and keep up with what they are posting and sharing and I get ideas,” Mr. Haskins said.

Other teachers that use Twitter seem to have a likeminded approach.

“I only tweet about literature, culture and teaching. For me, social media is exclusively about professional development,” said Joel Garza, Upper School English teacher.

His interest in the social media site began after he was introduced to a weekly Sunday night chat called “AP lit chat” among teachers throughout the district.

“They were all banding together for an hour once a week to share resources and encourage each other and it was great to watch and participate in the conversation,” Mr. Garza said.

In Mr. Garza’s case, Twitter seems to retain a unique capacity to kick start fervent discussion due

to its reduced foot traffic when compared with its counterpart, Facebook.

“Facebook is a little more passive because so many people do it, whereas no teacher that I know goes to Twitter just to check up on people; they are there because they are eager to bounce ideas off of each other. That is one thing that I like about Twitter for teachers – it is a community for enthused searchers and learners and really generous sharers of resources,” Mr. Garza said.

Those resources not only contribute to Mr. Garza’s predilection for the site, but also serve as inspiration for his own classroom dynamic.

“The conversation is among the most energetic, zealous teachers, and very often I try to implement those conversations into a classroom setting,” he said.

The multitude of academic implications that Twitter has can also be attributed to its prevalence in a global setting.

“I’ll receive something from somebody that is over in Italy or in England that I can use immediately as a visual resource,” Mrs. Hudec said. “I absolutely pull those visual resources from authors and museums that I trust on Twitter to be used in my classes.”

It seems that social media has managed to worm its way in one manner or another, whether as a professional or extracurricular development, into the lives of teachers.

Photo courtesy of Lilli Stone

CHEER CHAMP: Sophomore Lilli Stone (right) loves everything cheer.

Lilli has been a member of Greenhill’s Fall and Winter Cheer Team, and especially loves the music involved with the sport. Additionally, Lilli follows a number of cheer accounts on social media.

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How Greenhill’s delicate balance between its o contrasts with an area school’s p Argyle High School is only 40 miles northeast of Greenhill School. Take I-635 West to Texas 114 W around the airport, and head straight up US-377 N. About seven miles off 377, past a Chick-fil-A, a Dairy Queen, and a few fields with bales of hay, is the right turn into the school.

Argyle, like many rural Texas towns a short drive from the Big D, contrasts dramatically from the metropolis surrounding Greenhill, which is wedged between networks of traffic-laden highways on the north side of Dallas. For more reasons than the landscape, however, Argyle feels a world away.

Recently, Argyle’s school district reached national notoriety because of its decision to actively arm teachers with handguns. A sign upon immediately turning into the school warns visitors of this fact.

Guns aren’t the only stringent security measure at Argyle.

The school has one visible entrance. Front windows at the school are tinted so that the receptionist can see out but visitors cannot see inside. The front door opens up into a holding room that is small, tight, and confined. To gain entry into the main building, visitors announce themselves to the receptionist through a small glass window, similar to ones at a movie theater. They are then buzzed in through a set of locked doors.

From the outside, it’s impossible to determine the layout inside.

Greenhill School’s physical layout is its foil. The main sign posted at the school’s two main entrances into campus asks visitors to refrain from using cellular devices while driving on campus. To get on campus, visitors are asked to show an ID at the “Three Chimneys Building”, the administrative building that sits at the top of a winding road with speed bumps.

But it seems just as easy to park in the lot, trot up to one of many sidewalks straight on campus, up to one of a myriad of buildings, and merely step into a classroom. At Greenhill, buildings have several points of entry, entry points have glistening doors that allow for clear viewing in both directions, and most of the doors are unlocked.

“

Personally, and many agree, I would feel much safer with a weapon to defend myself and the students in my care. ”

But despite the dramatic differences between Argyle’s confined campus and Greenhill’s porous one, Greenhill has many underground safety measures that cannot be seen by the layman’s eye. Its hush-hush way of security isn’t by accident – it’s by design. For example, administrators said, as a matter of security, they cannot disclose whether there is a gun on campus at all times.

“Sharing [information about whether or not we have guns on campus] can lessen the security on our campus, whether somebody is armed or not,” said Scott Griggs, Head of School at Greenhill.

In practice, Greenhill more closely follows recommendations from national psychologists and the United States Department of Education (ED). But it doesn’t always mean teachers and students are reassured. Administrators say, security amongst students in an educational environment is a delicate balance to strike.

In the last five years, more than 300 people have been shot in schools around the United States (U.S.) in over 100 different shootings, according to research studies. Recently, the ED set out recommendations to encourage schools to prepare for armed intruders, something they call “active shooter situations.”

The ED said schools should openly discuss the potential of a shooter, and suggests that schools conduct drills regularly.

“Understandably, this is a sensitive topic,” a report from the ED said. “There is no single answer for what to do, but a survival mindset can increase the odds of surviving.”

The ED said there are three basic options when a shooter enters a school. “You can run away from the shooter, seek a secure place where you can hide and/or deny the shooter access, or incapacitate the shooter in order to survive and protect others from harm.” The ED believes that the options should be ranked this way in order of safety: first run. Hide if running isn’t an option. Then, as a last resort, fight.

Some organizers around the country have closely examined how schools should respond to active shooters.

Rob Cox is one of the founders of Sandy Hook Promise, an organization in Newtown, CT that includes many of the family members of the victims of the shooting in the elementary school that took 26 lives.

“A lot of these shootings, whether in a school, a church, or a cinema, have been in places where guns aren’t allowed,” he said. “But the likelihood of any number of bad things happening, whether it’s getting killed, suicide, domestic violence, all sorts of things, are exponentially greater when there are firearms.”

Guns aren’t the only security measure that schools consider. For example, schools including Greenhill regularly conduct drills that practice the ED’s guidelines.

Argyle’s outward approach is far more extreme. Steps away from Argyle’s school entry sits Chief Paul Cairney, a former U.S. Air Force officer who is behind Argyle’s push to arm teachers throughout its school district. He’s an avid gun enthusiast (encouraging these reporters and their advisor, in the short meeting with him, to get their gun licenses.) On his desk sits an empty Smith & Wesson box. He isn’t shy to show visitors his bullets. Television screens with live shots of the campus line walls of his office.

“People were behind this decision, in the wake of the Newtown shooting. Even here in Argyle, we can never take for granted that we’re always going to be safe,” he said. “It takes time to respond and get [to this situation]. In the critical three minutes, a lot of people are going to get hurt so we need someone on the spot.”

Argyle puts its armed teachers through a process. First, teachers are required to receive their concealed carry license from the state. Teachers who wish to carry arms on school grounds must then be recommended by the principal. Chief Cairney then puts these teachers through high intensity “combat” training where they go to a ranch and shoot blanks at other teachers. According to Chief Cairney, it’s a move that helps them become comfortable with a handgun under pressure. He also said they go through copious amounts of target practice.

Teachers also pass a series of tests created by the school district including a psychological exam, which is periodically updated.

Teachers who are chosen to bring guns into the schools are required to carry their guns on them at all times. If they can’t afford a gun or don’t own one, the school will purchase the guns for them. The school keeps the names of these teachers under wraps. But the guns have to be concealed, so teachers with the guns often wear jackets or large sweaters to hide the weapon.

Some regional schools also have guns on campus as a common practice. Both St. Mark’s School of Texas and Highland Park High School, two prominent schools in the area, have policemen walking on campus throughout the day.

These policemen are armed.

Greenhill has taken a different approach. The administration won’t talk about guns. If guns are on campus, they cannot be seen.

“Whether Greenhill has a gun or not on campus isn’t an issue,” says Director of Security Steve Smith.

Head of Upper School Laura Ross is equally tightlipped.

“I wouldn’t make the assumption that we don’t have

guns, but I wouldn’t make the assumption that we do,” she said.

Greenhill puts other security measures in place out of common sight, administrators said. For example, the windows are clear and aplenty, but many are bulletproof. It has numerous security cameras inside buildings and in outside areas. But, unlike Chief Cairney, the security team sits in a separate command center away from the main building to monitor activity.

“I watch a lot of stuff on cameras of y’all,” Mr. Smith said.

“We’d rather be safe than sorry.”

Greenhill has a contracted security firm that walks around on campus. Recently, police departments in the area merged their forces, so response time to Greenhill following a 911 call is down to five minutes. And following the Newtown shooting, the school ran a security audit by Security Systems International, where it passed with flying colors, according to Mrs. Ross.

Mr. Smith is also a retired Addison police officer. While Greenhill doesn’t have an active policeman on campus, the police department allows Mr. Smith to carry around one of their portable radios.

“If there were any issues, whether a bad person was on

Photos by Christina Zhu and Lili Stern

ATTENTION: A sign (far right) on Argyle High School’s campus warns visitors that guns will be used, if necessary. Chief Paul Cairney (middle) is a police officer who patrols Argyle High School, always armed for emergencies. Another sign on Argyle campus (left below) states federal law about what is prohibited on campus, exempting guns. A sign on Greenhill campus, (left above) states what is prohibited on the Hill.

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wednesday, november 18, 2015

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11

open campus and private security measures public decision to arm teachers campus or there was a fire, they know whenever I get on the radio calling for help, they know who I am and where I am,” he said.

The school also conducts lockdown drills that the students don’t see. Last year, the school brought in local Addison police to conduct a mock shooter drill with teachers when students were not present.

Ahead of the drill, teachers received a notification that a drill was going to occur that day. Teachers were to pretend it was an A day. At around 10 a.m., shots went off at the school.

Upper School Spanish teacher April Burns remembered hearing a mock shooter yelling, “Where is Mr. Griggs?” Fight or flight overcame her, she said. Flight won. Mrs. Burns hid behind the blue cabinets in her room.

As she was behind the cabinet, she saw the shooter walking outside of her room. He was wearing a vest that read “police” across it, so she was confused whether he was actually the shooter or not. She decided to stay hidden and once he passed, she decided to walk over to her designated “safe spot”, the room behind Chris Bigenho’s, Director of Instructional Technology, office. But as she walked quickly through the Elliott Center, Assistant Head of Upper School Rebecca

Shuman stopped her. She had to help other injured teachers, Joel Garza, Upper School English teacher, and Maria Suarez, Upper School Technology teacher.

As Mrs. Burns was assisting them, the shooter walked back into the Elliott Center and went up to her. “You are dead now,” he said to her.

“I think it was kind of a reality check and a wake-up call,” Mrs. Burns said. “I think it was a valuable experience in terms of being really cognizant about when you see someone strange on campus, asking them questions and making us more aware that we’re part of the security process as well.”

The National Association of School Psychologists recommends that schools try not to go overboard with their outward security measures. “The National Association of School Psychologists cautions against over-emphasizing extreme physical security measures or universally increasing armed security in schools as such strategies may undermine the learning environment while not necessarily safeguarding students,” a recent report said.

Nevertheless, teachers have mixed feelings. “I think it’s wise to have a trained police officer on campus – who would presumably be armed,” said Upper School History teacher

Scott Cotton. “I wouldn’t be comfortable with arming teachers.

To me, this could cause a lot of confusion/suspicion and undermine part of what makes us a strong community.”

Upper School Science teacher Mr. Krueger would like the school to go further.

“I feel like a sitting duck while hiding in a dark room.

Then I imagine a real maniac on campus with a gun looking to hurt me and my students,” he said. “Personally, and many agree, I would feel much safer with a weapon to defend myself and the students in my care.”

Newtown’s Mr. Cox calls putting guns in schools a “slippery slope.” “What kind of country do you want to be in?” he said.

Ms. Ross acknowledges the struggle. “While philosophically, this campus is built for a reason, like the openness and glass [and] the transparency of the learning process, we wanted to make sure we weren’t tipping too far into that side and ignoring security concerns,” she said. “I know why we practice these, but I hate that in our country we have to.” story by Christina Zhu, Zoe Allen, and Lili Stern

Special Report the

Part of your daily grind m

rhu yA b ic

an

Kh

The caffeine craze has percolated through the Greenhill community

ph

Gra

4%

the percentage of students that drink coffee as part of their daily routine.

18%

the percentage of students that say they do not ever drink coffee.

49%

the percentage of students that say they drink caffeine to stay awake.

93%

the percentage of students that say they sleep less than eight hours per night.

Courtesy of survey of 209 students conducted by The Evergreen

Suman Chebrolu News Editor

Sophie Bernstein Asst. Arts Editor

Wake up. Brush your teeth and take a shower. Change into clothes. Get a cup of coffee. That final step – coffee – has become as much of a routine for many people in America as brushing teeth. Coffee shops seem to be on nearly every block. It’s hard to escape the shadow of caffeine. Greenhill Upper School students are no exception.

Nearly two-thirds of Greenhill students drink a caffeinated beverage every day, according to a survey conducted by The Evergreen. Many others who do not consume caffeine daily still use the pick-me-up every so often.

Several medical studies show negative effects of caffeine on kids when not used in moderation.

For students who do not consume caffeine regularly, the stress of school might push them into drinking coffee and tea at certain times, which can be addictive for some. Experts say that this behavior can be a slippery slope.

“I do not drink [caffeinated beverages] that often,” freshman Justin Caldwell said. “The only time I do is before school [when] I really need to wake up, but I don’t really drink it that much.”

Of those that responded to the survey, roughly half said they drink coffee, about a quarter said they drink caffeinated tea, and about a quarter said that they drink caffeinated soda regularly. Only about 5 percent said they drink energy

Pros

drinks.

According to Caffeine Informer, a website that guides people to the amount of caffeine in foods and drinks, a moderate amount of caffeine, or about 100 milligrams a day, is okay for young adults between ages 13 and 18 (excluding those with certain health issues).

The Mocha frappuccinos at The Buzz have less than 100 milligrams. However many typical coffee drinks have far more.

For example, a Starbucks venti brewed coffee has about 500 milligrams.

Caffeine has many negative effects on kids. According to a 2010 study in The Journal of Pediatrics, kids who drink caffeinated beverages generally get less sleep than those who do not.

“Parents should be aware of the potentially negative influence of caffeine on a child’s sleep quality and daily functioning,” asserts Dr. William Warzak, a licensed psycologist at the Munroe–Meyer Institute.

Greenhill students said they have noticed that caffeine can inhibit sleep patterns.

Of those who do not consume caffeine, a vast majority (80.2 percent) get eight or more hours of sleep. Only 6.9 percent of caffeine consumers get the same amount of sleep.

Many students say they consume caffeine specifically so they don’t fall asleep. Caffeine gives students that little extra push when doing work, they say.

“I usually don’t drink coffee, but when I am extremely tired I do, because it gives me the boost of energy that I need to finish

the day,” said junior Nikhil Rao. “I feel like sometimes you get so little sleep that caffeine is the only option.”

A national study conducted

by Brown University shows that teens ages 13 to 17 get about 7 hours and 49 minutes of sleep while Greenhill students get anywhere between five and a half hours to seven and a half hours. Those who sleep between four to eight hours consume more caffeine to stay awake.

“

If I don’t drink coffee then the alternative would be not doing my homework and I’d rather be sleepless than not [finish] my homework .”

“It gets into a cycle. You’re so tired that you feel like you need a pick-me-up, but then that pickme-up keeps you from getting healthy restful sleep,” said Priya Singvhi, Upper School Counselor and Wellness teacher.

This combination makes for an unproductive sleep cycle. An article of the Journal of Clinical Sleep Medicine found that caffeine taken three or six hours before bedtime results in more sleep disturbances.

“I find myself drinking coffee at night when I do my homework. If I don’t drink it, I’ll just fall asleep, but then the problem with drinking it at night is then when I’m ready to go to sleep, my body isn’t,” said junior Isabel Chavez. “If I don’t drink coffee then the alternative would be not doing my homework, and I’d rather be sleepless than not [finish] my homework.”

Caffeinated beverages are easily available to students.

Since last year, The Buzz removed the sale of carbonated sodas to cut down on the amount of sugar available to students, but tea and bottled Starbucks frappuccinos are still sold.

Compared to last year, tea sales jumped 11.2 percent while frappuccino sales have jumped 129.2 percent.

SAGE, the catering company that serves breakfast and lunch at Greenhill, has a pot of coffee available to students and faculty every morning.

Each day, they make about three gallons of coffee for both students and teachers.

For teachers, coffee is easily accessible, as it is supplied in the teacher lounges.

“Teachers are an early rising breed. We caffeinate,” said Dr. Amy Bresie, Upper School History teacher.

Trevor Worcester, Modern & Classical Languages Department Chair, said he drinks about seven to eight cups of coffee a day and most of the time, almost an entire pot, but he doesn’t just drink it for the caffeine.

“It’s the taste,” Mr. Worcester said in response to why he drinks so much coffee.

“I like good coffee. I am a coffee snob. I think at this point it’s just habitual, honestly.

I hate to waste a perfectly good pot of coffee.”

Coffee doesn’t need to be a dangerous thing for students.

“My advice? Everything in moderation,” Mr. Worcester said.

Cons

Caffeine provides energy and may help you stay awake at night.

Caffeine may increase cognitive function and skills.

Caffeine may be dehydrating.

Drink water instead.

Caffeine may cause anxiety or the jitters.

Caffeine intake may help protect from certain diseases.

Drink coffee for the taste.

Bitter or sweet?

Caffeine disturbs sleep patterns.

All nighters are bad. Go to sleep.

Caffeine is addictive.

Drink responsibly.

Data courtesy of CNN and Brown University

the

Arts

See p. 15 for a culinary and cinematic exploration of our Southern roots.

Audition for Acceptance Varun Gupta Executive Editor

Nerves buzzing, a teenager takes the stage in front of a row of judges. A five-minute acting performance decides whether she gets into her dream school.

Many high school students write supplemental essays or send in a portfolio of published work to apply to schools like the University of Texas or Harvard University.

However, students applying to theater and music programs at schools like The Julliard School in New York City or the Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) in Baltimore must perform their craft live. Unlike those typing in a Microsoft Word document, they cannot pause or correct mistakes during the timed audition.

Sometimes, they only have one chance.

“It’s a little daunting because it’s a very short window. Your acceptance depends on your audition,” said senior Mose Kane.

Adding another piece to the process, starting this year, many performing arts colleges require pre-screening, a process for students to showcase their theatrical or musical talent in a video. Only a few are invited back for a live audition.

“Pre-screening did surprise me a little, but it’s kind of nice because you don’t have to fly all over the country for [schools] to say, ‘I’m sorry but you can leave now,” said senior Rachel Poole.

Select applicants are then invited to campus for a live audition.

“They have the right to say in the middle of the audition, ‘thank you for coming, we will not need to see more. You were just not what we were looking for,’” Rachel said.

Yet, the added audition layer comes at a cost. Connecting with a camera is very different than acting for an audience, according to some students.

“I am film acting when I am being considered for the [school’s] acting program, so it’s kind of a paradox in that sense,” Mose said.

Upper School Theatre teacher,

Catherine Hopkins agreed.

“For stage acting, I think [prescreening] is an odd requirement and doesn’t serve the student well,” Ms. Hopkins said.

For both filmed and live auditions, students embark on an artistic journey, as they select a character to fit their personality and style. Some attend local summer acting workshops while others seek assistance within the Greenhill Fine Arts department.

Rachel attended a summer camp hosted by Garland Summer Musicals to prepare for her musical theatre audition. She said the program tested her impromptu ability by singing a new song on the first day and learning a dance number of the last day.

“It challenges you and it makes auditioning less scary because that was probably the scariest thing I ever had to do,” said Rachel. “It’s very intimidating because everyone [at the camp] is so talented.”

While attending camp, in the back of her friend’s car, she also discovered one of her audition pieces. “Kindergarten Boyfriend”, a slow song, recounting a female supporting character’s childhood, struck a cord within Rachel.

“When I heard that song, I was like, ‘where is the music?’ I want to sing that song because yes, I relate to it a little bit but also I can feel her story,” said Rachel.

Senior Raven Breitfeller, who plans to major in theatre and get a concentration in directing, said she used trial and error to select her classical monologue.

“Honestly choosing a monologue is easy as going to Half Price Books, opening a random play, seeing if it has female characters in your age range, flipping through it, reading the monologue and seeing if you like it.

If you do, then you read the whole play to get the context,” said Rachel.

Learning a monologue or memorizing song lyrics takes research. In addition to committing the piece to long-term memory, theatre student closely observe

how actors have performed the part before.

“I literally plug my headphones into my iPad and sit and watch [clips] until I fall asleep,” Rachel said. “You have to know what the character goes through, up until they sing the song, and then what happens after that monologue, so you can place it in their timeline but also give it life, and put your spin on it.”

Many students said the Fine Arts department is a useful resource for personalized feedback. They schedule oneon-one appointments with Ms. Hopkins and Vonda Bowling, Middle and Upper School Choral Music teacher.

“You have to find people who know plays, who know musicals, but who also know you and will give you really good suggestions,” Rachel said.

Like a new pair of eyes help edit college essays, senior Max Harberg requested a fresh set of ears to hear his song-lineup.

“You can’t take just one person’s opinion. I sang with Mrs. Bowling and I think I did that like three times or so over the course of a couple of months,” said Max. “That’s the thing I love about

A Good Place to Art provides insight to the upcoming arts events around town, including concerts, exhibits, and special events.

Greenhill, the teachers are really nice about that.”

Ms. Hopkins said she recommends students interested in collegiate-level acting, to start the admissions process as early as sophomore year. Selecting authentic material sometimes takes a lot of time.

“I can tell you from experience finding the right comedic material is like making magic happen. It’s very difficult to find universal comedy that’s contemporary, without being a typical high school monologue,” said Ms. Hopkins.

“It’s such a cliché that you can turn off your readers and judges.”

While the audition guidelines remain the same throughout, some students check for updates from each university.

“My parents and I did a lot of deep digging to get to the bottom of what we actually need. We were incredibly surprised,” said Mose.

“It adds a whole nother layer to the application process. I don’t think a lot of people understand that.”

Although some seniors do not pursue a performance-based major, they must audition. Max, who plans to study music business, said the pre-screening requirement shows he has proficiency in music.

Music

POPPIN’ CULTURE: Tom Wesselman’s print, Still Life No. 35, is a part of the Dallas Museum of Art’s International Pop Exhibit.

Dallas Museum of Art Late Night at the DMA: 11/20

11/29: Azaelia Banks @ House of Blues

Concentrations 59: Mirror Stage— Visualizing the Self After the Internet: through 12/12

12/1-12/6: The Book of Mormon @ Bass Performance Hall Photo courtesy of Dallas Morning News

He depended on song suggestions from his sister, sophomore Samantha Harberg, and his own favorites, such as Van Morrison’s “Brown Eyed Girl”.

“You just want something comfortable so that way you go in and sing a couple of songs before you let loose and go crazy,” Max said. Sometimes, the music selection does not work. Max said he abandoned a Gavin DeGraw song after practicing for a couple of months.

“The thing that’s really important in auditions is that all the songs are very different in scope, different genres and different styles. [The song] wasn’t showing anything, so you have to change it,” Max said.

While performing arts requirements extend the application process by a few months, most students said their experiences, so far, are positive despite the stress and pressure of auditions.

“I think I would have enjoyed putting myself out there,” Mose said. “So far I’ve enjoyed working with the people and am ready to move forward with the audition process, however intimidating it may seem.”

11/25/: Mac Miller @ the Bomb Factory

12/1 : Calvin Harris, 5 Seconds of Summer, Ellie Goulding, Zedd, Shawn Mendes, Tove Lo, Charlie Puth @ American Airlines Center

Graphic by Anusha Kurapati

Photo courtesy of Max Harberg

NOT SO COMMON APP: Senior Max Harberg (above) is one of many seniors auditioning for a performing arts program applying with a preescreening, a video to be sent in before the live audition. The live audition differes from written applications, you cannot pause or correct mistakes during the live audition.

12/2: Muse @ American Airlines Center December 4 -6: SMU Meadows Symphony Orchestra: Beethtoven & Brahms

Late Night at the DMA: 12/18 International Pop Exhibit: through 1/17 Saints and Monsters: Prints by Albrecht Dürer: through 4/10 Content courtesy of Zach Rudner and Sophie Bernstein

14 arts

the

Evergreen

wednesday, november 18, 2015

Theater Company: A Class for Cast and Crew Amna Naseem Managing Editor

Alice Zhang Staff Writer

The curtains on the car windows drew.

Outside of the car, the tech theater students frantically worked as they tried to change the background set from daytime to nighttime.

When the curtains opened, the windows of the car created an illusion that it was now nighttime.

Inside the car, the two actors in the front seats continued to perform to the three audience members in the back seats.

They performed their short play that they had written and produced as two students and one faculty member watched from behind.

Student-run productions like this car project form the basis of the new tech and acting class, Theater Company. This yearlong course is co-taught by Performing Arts Building Coordinator Michael Orman and Upper School Theater teacher Catherine Hopkins. With 20 advanced tech and theater students, this class focuses on incorporating both the technological and theatrical aspects of a production.

The class is primarily student-run and the curriculum is built on group projects. For most tasks, the class is split into groups and given a rubric to follow in

their performances. For the productions thus far, Ms. Hopkins and Mr. Orman have given groups a specific prompt, like music or a concern, which must be incorporated.

The groups then write a script, plan the technical theater (tech) aspects, and finally perform their production to people inside and outside of the class.

“Our first project took place in the lecture hall and that was just a traditional play. The criteria that we had to meet was that it had to be about dreaming, it had to incorporate a song that we were given, and there had to be a moment of waking,” said senior Ryan Pollack, who is focused on the tech aspects of the class.

In general, the class is fast-paced and currently features short plays that take only two to three weeks to produce. The purpose of this is to inspire independence, flexibility, and creativity in the theater.

Ms. Hopkins and Mr. Orman explained that in the first trimester, the class is focusing on the process more than the performance itself. As the students gain more experience and move into the second trimester, the class will shift its focus towards community based performances. Finally, in the third trimester, the entire class will produce, direct, act, and plan the tech for a published work.

“We’re looking at how to connect community, to connect audiences, to work

on original pieces and really push the envelope and re envision what theater could be,” Ms. Hopkins said.

In addition to offering challenging performances, this class exposes the advanced students to all aspects of a production. Rather than staying within their own area of expertise, students are asked to work with and provide input for the many moving parts of a production.

“As an actor or director, you just look at how the actors are doing. But when you’re working with tech, you have to keep the tech aspects and props in mind as well. It’s a lot of logistics that actors are not generally used to,” said senior actress Raven Breitfeller.

Similarly, whereas most tech students focused only on the “behindthe-scenes” of a production, tech students in Theater Company are able to provide input into a play and even help to write the script.

“When I did advanced theater before, I walked in thinking ‘Alright now it’s tech time. Mr. Orman, tell us what to build, we’ll build it.’ But now, we are the ones planning the tech and working directly with the actors,” Ryan said.

This class emerged from a larger discussion last year about advancing the theater program as a whole. Specifically, Ms. Hopkins and Mr. Orman wanted to offer

a class that combined the components of theater.

“Last November we were brainstorming on the direction of the entire Upper School Theater program, so [Ms. Hopkins and I] were talking about essentially different classes that we could offer, and then Ms. Hopkins came up with the idea of a collaborative class,” Mr. Orman said.

Mr. Orman and Ms. Hopkins explained that the class is a way for students who have been focusing on one specific aspect of theater to get out of their comfort zone and expand their interests.

“The idea of the class is to have, under one umbrella, designers, actors, writers, and directors, so you have a writer who is suddenly acting, or a tech person who is suddenly directing, or writing, or even acting themselves,” Ms. Hopkins said.

As the year proceeds, both Ms. Hopkins and Mr. Orman hope that this class will provide its students with a real-world experience of the challenges that come when making a theater production.

“Theater Company has really worked to integrate actors into tech, writing, and directing. It had done a good job of pushing us out of our comfort zone, and it has allowed us to see all aspects of theater,” Raven said.

Photos courtesy of Catherine Hopkins

CURTAIN CAR CALL: Seniors Mose Kane and Madison Grimes act in Car Show (left). The show was performed in a car in front of three people in the backseat. Theater Company is a new year long course taught by Mr. Orman and Mrs. Hopkins. (Right) the entire Theater Company class gets goofy for a photo in the athletic parking lot.

CAKE INGREDIENTS 1 cup sugar 2/3 cup canned cooked pumpkin ¾ cup flour ½ teaspoon cinnamon 1 teaspoon baking soda 3 eggs ½ cup powdered sugar

FILLING INGREDIENTS

1 cup powdered sugar 1/2 teaspoon vanilla 2 tablespoons butter softened 8 ounces cream cheese softened

COOKING INSTRUCTIONS Cake 1. Combine cake ingredients, except powdered sugar; mix well.

2. Cover a 12” by 15” cookie sheet with parchment paper, spray lightly with cooking spray, and pour cake batter in the prepared cookie sheet and spread evenly.

3. Bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees for 15 minutes, or until golden brown.

4. While cake is baking, sprinkle ½ cup powdered sugar onto a cloth kitchen towel.

5. Flip cake over onto sugared towel.

6. Remove parchment paper and while hot, roll cake up in towel.

7. Unroll cake when cool.

Filling 1. Mix filling ingredients.

2. Spread evenly onto unrolled cake.

3. Reroll.

4. Cover in plastic and place in the refrigerator to chill.

Serve Chilled.

Recipe courtesy of Jack Oros

Photo courtesy of Jack Oros

wednesday, november 18, 2015

15

the

Evergreen

arts

Dinner and a Movie Finding Southern roots in traditional homestyle food and Matthew McConaughey movie, Mud Abbas Hasan Asst. News Editor

Zoe Allen

Arts Editor

Ross Rubin

Staff Writer

Walking through the back entrance of Ida Claire, we were immediately swept away into a whirl of the southern hospitality and finesse of a lovely homestyle meal.

The servers were friendly, and everyone seemed like they were there to have a good time. The small, brightly colored and fun open-air area where we sat felt out of place amongst the hoards of chain restaurants surrounding it.

We decided to head to Ida Claire to eat some of the South’s greatest gifts to the world: a lot of butter, fried chicken, and whiskey cake. The restaurant is on the corner of Beltline Road and Quorum Drive, a busy intersection not far from Greenhill. Patrons use mason jars, and the small, quirky restaurant is decorated with deer skulls. It was impossible to be bored.

Zoe went after the quintessential Southern meal: chicken and waffles. When the server brought out the dish, Zoe picked up a waffle in one hand and a piece of fried chicken in the other.

Z: “Look! It’s bigger than my face.”

The server gave us a weird look, but the sight of food after sports practice kept us occupied. These were no Eggo waffles.

Rather these were homemade, delicious, and authentic Southern style waffles. They had barely come out of the kitchen when Zoe began to scarf them down.

A: “Zoe, breathe. Those waffles aren’t

Graphic by Anusha Kurapati

FRIEND-SHIP: Abbas and Zoe stand in the Mississippi Delta, with Matthew McConaughey front and center. McConaughey plays a distraught man who goes by the name “Mud”.

going anywhere!”

Abbas, who was feeling adventurous, tried crawfish ravioli. Seeing only five raviolis on the plate left a look of disappointment on his face. The meal was filling, but Abbas was ready for dessert. With intense focus, he waved down the waitress until she came their way.

Ida Claire’s desserts incorporate Southern styles into sweet creations, like their sugared bacon and bourbon. Ida Claire has few dessert options, but all are worth trying. We decided on the Bartender’s Cake. It was obvious that this cake was doused with alcohol.

Z: “The alcohol burns off anyway….

right?”

A: “….Let’s hope.”

Later in the evening, we continued with our Southern theme for the movie. We decided to watch Jeff Nichols’ Mud, which stars Matthew McConaughey and Tye Sheridan, both Texas natives. The movie is about two young boys who meet a strange man who occupies a boat that they want for themselves.

Z: “Why do these actors look like they’re 10? They’re supposed to be 14. They look like they just finished Lower School.”

The strange man, named Mud, asks the boys to make a deal and the two friends readily agree. In exchange for his pistol and

the boat, the two boys have to help him win back his girlfriend. What Ellis and Neckbone, the two boys, don’t know is that Mud is a fugitive who committed a crime for his girlfriend. By helping him out, the two get caught up in a wicked love story.

Meanwhile, Ellis must face some struggles of his own, like his parents’ divorce and the subsequent loss of their houseboat. Both of us have always lived fairly simple lives, and we have always had homes. Watching Ellis struggle with the prospect of being homeless really struck a chord with us.

After the film was over, Zoe had a smile on her face. The movie was long, but the ending made it worth it. We both felt happy after seeing that everything Ellis and Neckbone went through all worked out in the end.

A: “Honestly, Ellis and Neckbone friendship goals. I need to reevaluate my friendships now… and my Southern accent.”

We exchanged many confused looks throughout the movie to see if the other had been able to understand the characters’ thick Arkansas accents.

All in all, the movie was beautiful, charming, and intense. It really emphasized the ideas of having a home, and having people to love.

As Ellis, Neckbone, and Mud bond over time, they learn more about who they are, and where they come from. So did we.

At Ida Claire, we found a new place in Dallas where we could reconnect with our Southern roots. Zoe stared out at her living room.

Z: “I really love home.”

A: “ That was deep.”

Sports the

Christian Quintero

See p. 18 to read about Greg Hardy and integrity in sports.

A Different Track to College

Staff Writer

Ben Schacter

Features Editor

Jordan Sternblitz Staff Writer

opening. I learned from it, and that’s what set me on my path to where I am today,” Jacob said.

Jacob said that the recruiting stress was day-to-day.

“There are some situations when [it just] doesn’t work out. Like they can’t take someone in your position that year, and they really like you as a kid, they really like you as a person and player, but they just can’t take you,” said Jacob.

“I’ve already had that happen to me. It’s kind of stressful, just that everything is out of my hands.”

Jacob has managed the stress and currently finds himself in the final phase of the recruiting process: the decision.

Regardless of where he ends up next fall, Jacob said that he is grateful that he will be able to play football collegiately and get a better education because of it.

“It gives me an opportunity to get in to schools that I probably couldn’t get into with just my academics alone,” Jacob said.

Graphic by an Arhum Kh

For students trying to play college sports, the pressure of getting into college is different than that of most students.

Freshmen try to improve and put-up good statistics to catch coaches’ eyes. Sophomores often attend weekly camps at colleges of interest in the hopes that coaches will notice them and show interest. Typically by junior year, when college coaches can legally contact high school students, studentathletes already know the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division in which they are capable of competing at.

When senior year rolls around, most students are frantically submitting college applications, but for top-notch student-athletes, the hardest part is over. They are being flown across the country to experience the life of a studentathlete at that university. At this point, all they have left to do is choose the college they want to attend: something that is not as easy as it sounds.

However, before all this can happen, student-athletes must work hard to attract the attention of collegiate athletic departments.

By the age of 14, freshman Allie Burch already had the phone numbers of several college soccer coaches programmed into her phone. Before even finishing Middle School, Kansas University had shown an interest in recruiting her.

“The stress of soccer is definitely greater [than academics] right now. I feel like soccer is what is going to get me into college and it’s what I want to do in college, so if I want to do that I have to work harder in soccer,” Allie said.

Sophomore Mason Marano began his college recruitment process in eighth grade, with dreams of playing lacrosse at the NCAA Division I or Division III level. Now, two years away from starting college, the majority of Mason’s free time is spent travelling to prospect camps around the country, where he plays and familiarizes himself with coaches. In just the past month, Mason has spent multiple weekends playing at different prospect camps across the country.

“I couldn’t get in to a Michigan or a Georgetown with just academics, so I’m trying to use athletics to get me into one of those schools to get a better education,” Mason said.

Senior Naya Sharp, who holds multiple Greenhill Girls’ Track and Field records, just ended her recruiting process by committing to the University of Notre Dame.

Naya received recruiting letters all throughout her junior year, but coaches were not allowed to call or make

direct contact with her until this summer because of NCAA rules.

“I had about 15 different colleges do home visits and some other coaches couldn’t come to Dallas so they continued talking to me on the phone,” Naya said.

Eventually, Naya narrowed down her search to five schools, where she then took her “official visits”, college visits in which the student-athlete is flown out to spend two days at the college. These official visits are typically sponsored and paid for by the school. The visit consists of campus tours, meetings with academic counselors, and, Naya’s favorite part, watching the football game from the sidelines.

Senior football player Jacob Pugh, who has been recruited since freshman year, said that the recruiting process during the early years could get very stressful at times. Since freshman year, he has had to constantly perform for college scouts and tweak his playing style.

Though it has been difficult for him at times, he said that overall, the process has been beneficial.

“I didn’t know how that whole p r o c e s s works [of recruiting].

If anything it was just eye

Patti Monzingo Takes Over as Head Swim Coach Ben Krakow Online Editor

Patti Monzingo is no stranger to the Greenhill swimming program. After serving as Head Middle School and Assistant Varsity Coach since the 2009 season, Coach Monzingo steps in as head coach of the Boys and Girls Varsity Swim teams after former Head Varsity Coach Jim Montgomery retired to open a new swim school.

Coach Monzingo, who runs her own swim school, School of Fish Swim School, in the spring and summer, managed many of the daily team operations last year. She knew Coach Montgomery planned to retire.

“I was told I was being interviewed by some of my swimmers. It was nuts. It was really nice and extremely welcoming. They were like ‘congratulations!’ and I was like ‘what do you mean?’ since no job had been offered to me at that point,” Coach Monzingo said.

The swimmers said they are eager to work with their new coach.

“She seems really excited. I think she is trying to make a lot of changes from what she has observed from the swimmers,” said senior and former swimmer Whitney Pettijohn said.

The team members also said that Coach Monzingo is the right person for the job.

Photo by Varun Gupta

IN HER ELEMENT: New Head Coach Patti Monzingo smiles in front of Greenhill’s newly redone natatorium.

“Coach Monzingo is very talented and well qualified and hopefully this year will prove to be our best one yet,” said senior swimmer Nicolas Suarez.

Coach Monzingo said she hopes to open up lines of communication within in the team as they pursue an Southern Prepatory Conference title. This was one of the topics that came up in the meeting between the coach and

the seniors.

“I believe that no matter what your speed is on the team, you belong here and we need you. We all need to come together and work together as a group. This year my team motto is ‘It takes a team.’ I want everybody to come together and support each other,” Coach Monzingo said.

Students agreed with Coach Monzingo, and said they hope to create a more inclusive and supportive environment within the team.

“The past two years, there seemed to be some bullying on the team. I don’t think people do their best when they don’t feel people have their backs. I feel like support and trust is a really big thing when it comes to swimming since it is such a tough sport,” Whitney said.

Coach Monzingo said she has high expectations for both the boys and girls teams and herself despite their lack of swimmers compared to other SPC schools.

“I think it [new job] really is just more pressure to perform and not mess up and do a good job. I wanted to do a good job before, but I want to do an even better job now,” Coach Monzingo said.

Dan Havrilak will return to the team as an assistant coach after taking a break from coaching the last two years.

Amanda Clark will join the team as an assistant coach and new member of the redesigned coaching staff.

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wednesday, november 18, 2015

sports

17

A Winning Weekend Joseph Weinberg Sports Editor

From November 5 to 7, five Greenhill Varsity teams traveled to Austin to compete in the 2015 Fall Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC) Championships.

Greenhill finished the weekend with two SPC champions, winning both Boys and Girls Volleyball.

Boys Volleyball entered the tournament as the second seed and handily won their quarter and semifinal matches (3-0,3-1).

The team went on to defeat Casady in the championship match by a score of 3-0, to claim Greenhill’s first Boys Volleyball Championship since 2011. The team will lose five seniors next year, including senior captains Jackson Rothbart and Ryan Diebner.

According to senior captain Jackson Rothbart, winning the championship was a dream becoming reality.

“Ever since watching the [Greenhill] volleyball team win SPC in Middle School, it has been my dream to put another date on that banner,” said Jackson. “My dream of winning SPC as a senior is still a surreal feeling.”

Boys Volleyball Head Coach, Mauro Grasso, who is in his first year as the program’s head coach, expressed that he was most proud of the welcoming environment on the team as well as the selflessness the players showed throughout the season.

“What was most important for me was the way the boys started to embrace our philosophy, donating themselves more and more to the team, caring about each other with a huge dose of respect and commitment, balanced with fun and discipline,” he said.

The Girls Volleyball team entered the tournament with a perfect 8-0 record in counter games but was put to the test in their first game of the tournament against The John Cooper School.

They fought their way to a fifth set against John Cooper and had to overcome a match point before hanging on to win the final set and the match by a score of 18-16.

By the numbers Compiled by Joseph Weinberg and Ellen Margaret Andrews

Photos courtsey of Greenhill Athletic Department

Girls Volleyball Head Coach, Tatiane Deibert, noted the team’s focus and professionalism as key to their ultimate success. The championship is also the first for Coach Deibert, since she took over the program in 2010.

“This season’s volleyball team was by far one of the most coachable groups I have ever had,” said Coach Deibert. “They set a great example for the teams that will come after them and I couldn’t be more thankful for this group of young ladies.”

Girls Cross Country placed third overall at the SPC meet in Austin.

Sophomore Ariana Luterman and Juniors Madison Cook and Chandler Crates all had top 20 times, earning them All-SPC honors. Boys Cross Country placed seventh overall and had two runners place in the top 20 overall, sophomore Daniel Brickman and freshman Jacob Shepherd. Conditions for the race were not ideal as both teams had to battle a soggy, muddy course.

“

[Winning] meant that all of the team’s hard work and dedication had paid off and I couldn’t have asked for a better ending to my Greenhill Varsity Volleyball career .”

Photo courtsey of Allana Luterman

ALL SMILES: The Boys Varsity volleyball team (top left), Girls Varsity Volleyball team (top right), and 3 All-SPC Cross Country runners (bottom), Ariana Luterman (left), Madison Cook (middle), and Chandler Crates (right) celebrate after a successful weekend at SPC.

After the close call in the first game, the team cruised their way to their first SPC Championship in nine years, failing to drop a set in both the semifinal and championship matches. The 2015 championship gives the team its third conference title in the last 10 years.

“The feeling I got after winning was indescribable, as I had waited four

Total Number of SPC championships Greenhill teams have won in 2015. They captured Girls and Boys Tennis titles, a Girls Track championship, and Boys and Girls Volleyball titles.

This is the most championships among all SPC schools this year.

5

long years for that moment. Getting that trophy and being able to hold it up with so much pride is one of the best memories I will take out of my Greenhill Experience,” said senior captain, Dani Milner. “[Winning] meant that all of the team’s hard work and dedication had paid off and I couldn’t have asked for a better ending to my Greenhill Varsity Volleyball career.”

20:06

Average time it took Greenhill’s top three runners, Chandler Crates, Madison Cook, and Ariana Luterman to run 3.1 miles in the SPC Championship Meet.

All three of them earned All-SPC honors, finishing in the top 20.

Field Hockey finished tied for sixth place overall in SPC and left Austin with a 1-2 record overall in all tournament games. The team won their opening game of the weekend against St. Stephens by a score of 2-0.

In their quarterfinal matchup against the number one seed, Casady, the Hornets came from behind to tie the score at 1-1 and send the game into overtime, before narrowly losing in penalty strokes (2-1). Senior captain Abby Shosid scored a team-high of three goals combined in the team’s three games at the tournament.

In total, the Hornets brought home two fall SPC championships, the second most of any school in the SPC conference.

Number of games the Girls Varsity Volleyball team lost in SPC conference play this year.

The team went 8-0 on its way to winning the SPC title.

0

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wednesday, november 18, 2015

Op-Ed: Does Integrity Still Matter in Sports?

Fédération Internationale de Football Assocition (FIFA), the governing body of international soccer and one of the most powerful organizations in the world of sports, came under scrutiny this past year amidst examples of corruption among its top senior officials. The controversy centered on the selection of Qatar as the host country for the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Allegedly Qatar’s bid won because FIFA officials accepted bribes in exchange for their vote in selecting the host for the World Cup. In addition to Qatar’s selection to host the event, the nation has come under fire for poor treatment of the immigrant workers it has used to meet the architectural demands of the 2022 event. Over 1200 laborers have already died in preparation; the majority of these deaths stemming from poor living conditions in Qatari-built labor camps where these workers reside.

Critics claim these deaths could have been avoided had FIFA chosen a nation suited to handle the preparations for an event of this stature, such as the United States.

FIFA isn’t alone in coming under fire. These days, sports news outlets are littered with headlines that call in question the integrity of the world of sports: “Penn State Football Child Abuse Scandal Cover-Up” and “Cowboys Defensive End, Greg Hardy, called ‘a leader’ by owner Jerry Jones.”

A roster of colleges have come under fire for practices that range from providing small cash gifts to prospective student-athletes to hiring prostitutes and escorts for high school students looking at a particular college: including but not limited to major universities such as University of Louisville, University of Southern California, and University of Miami. These are just the egregious alleged offense. Let’s not forget deflate gate, the football cheating drama that had New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady dominating headlines for weeks over whether or not he knew air had been taken out of footballs. Whether he knew or didn’t know is irrelevant, but rather the amount of attention is attracted is what makes the incident concerning.

Another specific example came this summer, when the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was accused of academic fraud. Former student-athlete, Rashad McCants, said he took phony classes and had tutors take his exams.

Yet even with all the evidence and charges against UNC and other schools, few face serious consequences.

The problem begins with money. The National Collegiate

Photo courtesy of the Dallas Morning News

Greg Hardy walks off the field following a Cowboys’ game.

Athletic Association (NCAA) makes billions of dollars off college athletics. Better players lead to more exciting plays, bigger crowds, increased popularity, and ultimately more money for the NCAA. The NCAA evaluates all allegations on a case-to-case basis, allowing it to choose how severely they punish schools.

But it’s easy to draw out each example’s nuances, and, so long as the best athletes continue to succeed, their leniency with the rules works in the organization’s favor.

As a result, some colleges are let off the hook with small punishments, like a loss in the number of annual scholarships. Often these punishments are not detrimental enough to prevent teams from continuing to break the rules in pursuit of winning.

Moreover, universities find ways to bend the rules. Even FIFA, which had a blatant example of corruption, seems to be facing little consequence overall. Some of the FIFA officials were extradited, but Qatar is still set to host the World Cup. As a teenager who has grown up watching sports his whole life, it is disappointing to see a lack of integrity consistently plague my passion. Integrity should be just as important as winning and money. And if those two concepts are not commensurate, we have a huge issue on our hands.

But it is not quite that simple. Truth is, I love sports and I, like a diehard soccer fan in Brazil who has waited four years to watch the World Cup, will not stop watching my beloved Dallas Cowboys because they have chosen to sign Greg Hardy, who was convicted of domestic abuse last year.

I love to see the plays that make me jump out of my seat and question everything I once knew about the boundaries of athleticism, like Giants’ wide receiver Odell Beckham Jr.’s famous one-handed catch last year. So, by allowing the best athletes to break the rules, I am getting what I want, right?

Wrong. The more I see instances like the FIFA scandal and the NCAA’s leniency towards schools who have violated policies, I start to question whether I should be enjoying those extraordinary plays quite as much.

Is it worth it to watch the FIFA World Cup knowing the corruption and integrity, not to mention the human lives, that were lost leading up to it? Should I cheer for and support a team with an owner like Jerry Jones, who by signing a player with a violent, criminal history may be condoning domestic violence among professional athletes?

It seems extreme to hope that people like me will boycott a sport altogether. For sports fans all around the world, supporting their team is not just a passion, but also a crucial part of their identity. Therefore, it would be unreasonable to expect dedicated fans to give up a part of who they are.

Finding ways to bend the rules and cheat has had a place in sports as long as they have existed. Ty Cobb, a hall of famer who currently holds the record for the highest career batting average in Major League Baseball history, was arguably most well known for his dirty playing style and violent nature both on and off the field. Southern Methodist University received the “death penalty” in the 1980s because players accepted improper benefits from athletic boosters. The NCAA shut down the school’s football program for two whole years.

But the modern-day culture in sports is dangerous. As revenue grows at organizations like FIFA and the NCAA, the pressure to meet the increasing demands of fans becomes more intense. Integrity is left struggling to find its’ place in an enterprise where ethics and morals rarely take priority.

As long as a fans’ beloved team is winning, or an organization is making a profit, the means in which that endresult was achieved seems to have little importance in the grand scheme of things.

We have the ability to restore integrity to sports but this restoration will not suddenly change overnight. All affiliates with the world of sports; fans, players, coaches, and owners alike have to buy in. It must start somewhere, anywhere really. And maybe that somewhere, is simply me writing this, and you reading this. written by Joseph Weinberg

wednesday, november 18, 2015

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afterwords

19

A Muslim at a Mitzvah

When I entered Greenhill in fourth grade, I was the only Muslim girl amongst my peers. While most of my classmates thought of me as “just another Indian girl”, the truth was quite the opposite. In addition to being Muslim, I am Pakistani, and at the time, most of my classmates didn’t understand that I was not an Indian. No one really

bothered to learn my true identity, and thus, I felt isolated. My religion and ethnicity did not seem to matter to those around me. I was a minority.

During my fourth grade year, I completed reading the Quran, an important Islamic Arabic text. Since I was five, I had been learning and reading Arabic, and none of my friends even knew. I felt as though my efforts were not validated since those around me did not even acknowledge them. When I finished, I had an Ameen, which is a religious ceremony honoring one’s completion of the Quran. To this day, my Ameen is one of my fondest memories, but I was unable to experience those memories with any of my school friends. I felt as though I was the only one in my grade who had experienced a religious passing, which only led me to feel further isolated because of my religion.

Middle School brought many changes; more freedom, the transition from glasses to contacts, and Bar Mitzvahs and Bat Mitzvahs. At first, I thought these celebrations were simply a grand birthday party. However, after attending my first Bat Mitzvah in late sixth grade, I realized that I had been wrong. When I stepped into the temple for the Torah reading, I immediately knew that my Jewish friends had to study Hebrew for years in order to perform at their ceremony, just as I had studied Arabic. It was like a Jewish Ameen. I wasn’t the only one who had spent years preparing for one moment.

By the end of seventh grade, I had attended about twenty Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, and each one strengthened my idea of the commonalities between the celebrations.

Although an Ameen and Bar Mitzvah and Bat Mitzvah have their own special qualities,

they aren’t as different as I thought they were.

I realized that I wasn’t alone. Others had experienced the same things I had– learning a new language, reciting in front of friends and family, transitioning between childhood and adulthood, and reading a sacred text.

We were more similar than I thought.

As I entered high school, I had a new perspective. I walked in to high school confident that my religious accomplishments were not isolated nor invalidated; both my Jewish friends and myself had experienced a coming of age. I realized that I shouldn’t have automatically assumed that I was so different from everyone else, and, more important, I could feel comfortable speaking about my religion and what I had accomplished. Now, everyone knows that I’m a Pakistani Muslim, and I have come to terms with the fact that I am not that different after all.

When we are spending so much time on our profiles, it cannot possibly be a true reflection of ourselves. I do not want to display my most vulnerable and flawed self for judgment. This is why my generation is so transfixed on social media; we are creating the perfect versions of ourselves. From appearance to content, we want to show the world who we want to be, not necessarily who we are. On social media, there are no awkward introductions, no bad hair days, and no imperfections.

My social media persona is different than who I am in real life. I do have awkward conversations and bad hair days. As I tweet a witty remark that I would never have the courage to say aloud in conversation, I start to question whether social media is a good way to connect to people. The people I meet– and the people who meet me – well, we aren’t meeting the real us.

Up until a couple of weeks ago, I had never messaged someone on social media that I had not previously met. But when scrolling through twitter, I noticed a friend of a friend’s profile that seemed a lot like mine. We were retweeting similar articles and seemed to value similar things. Having a sense of courage that I wouldn’t have had if I were not protected by a three-by-five screen, unexposed from the judgmental looks I would have gotten if I were to randomly approach someone I didn’t know, I messaged him. We got to talking about our interests, and we made a genuine connection that we wouldn’t have had it we met in person. Our passions and interests were laid out like a newspaper ad, and we bought into each other’s self-advertisements.

No longer is meeting people online an abnormality. People are constantly swiping left and right on tinder and over a third of

new marriages start online. But how are we supposed to start relationships of any kind of a foundation that isn’t true to our real selves? When we spend so much time looking down at screens into an alternative cyber universe, we are straining our real-life relationships. But as much as I realize this, I was able to connect with someone through social media. How am I- and the rest of my generation- supposed to feel about this discrepancy? Maybe there isn’t an answer, and that is okay.

Looking back on my awkward introduction to my twitter message, I cringe because low-key stalker vibes emanate from those 140 characters. But it was my social media self that was the stalker, not the real me. Maybe my online doppelganger isn’t so bad after all.

from my background.

I’m not as open about everything. I am not a person who easily communicates, but it is because I am not comfortable with the superficial civil communication. I wondered if there would always be a cautious sensitivity as to what we were allowed to say.

It would be far easier to distinguish microaggressions v. aggressions v. ignorance. It would be less hurtful that way as well. I have realized that as time passes, we gather more information on socializing, the wide variety of perspectives that we have formulated on various topics like politics, on a God/god, and on groups of people. As we age, words do not spew out of us as impulsively and openly as before, especially not at Greenhill. With the large diversity, the cautious dialogue is a common language carried throughout the school. We become more withdrawn in terms of expressing our emotions and more cautious with words.

a meeting with my college counselor and she expressed her frustration with me. A completely understandable frustration, as this had not been the first meeting I had missed. When I walked into her office, her irritation was clear and her words were direct. It was revitalizing, because this morning meeting, although I was upset, reminded me there’s honesty. There is clarity that some people are still willing to offer.

A clarity I appreciate as a person who over interprets, ruminates in the past, lives in my mind. This way, I knew how she felt. There was no question that I had caused her to be upset.

This is what I had been waiting for my past four years here at Greenhill.

Transparency. Transparency disappears in this community because we are immediately expected to adhere to a code of respect and compassion. It can be difficult in a setting in which you are told to uphold core values of compassion and respect specifically when these values are misinterpreted as being polite. It is unnecessary to be conflicted when it comes to sharing your beliefs or emotions in order to avoid uncomfortable situations where you might insult others.

Uncomfortable moments are necessary. Real compassion is demonstrating unfeigned concern for the suffering of others. There might be animosity, but it is crucial to recognize the ultimate goal. Getting to a point of sincerity. At a place with so much diversity, with so many conflicting cultures, races, and religions, it is difficult to come out and say what you want to say. But isn’t it better to express ourselves publicly than to insult each other privately?

Focus on MEdia

Shiny hair, perfect simile, witty bio. My social media page, along with many others my age, is a self-advertisement to the world, whether or not we realize it. I post my best pictures after meticulously editing them and debating whether Inkwell or Valencia is the best filter. I make sure to have a balance of funny and socially-aware retweets and time my uploading at the busiest time for social media: 8pm on a school night.

Use Compassion, Not a Cover-up

It was all so different there, at North Garland High School. I had made a switch towards the end of my junior year to finish up classes. I needed to focus on my mental health, Greenhill offered me a compassionate proposal I desperately needed: time. It wasn’t the academics at North that were a relief however.

No one there was afraid to express animosity. Their relationships were disclosed on the bathroom doors. Each door had a trail of comments that followed the initial insult. She’s a b*tch. She sucked his…She’s a whore. F*ck you.

Students would respond with arrows in comments, with jokes or admissions about their weekend wrongdoings. It was a version of a social network message board where people’s aggressions were exploited for others to see.

At Greenhill, these insults stay underground. Bathroom doors are clean.

Hallways are cordial. For the most part, on the outside, students adhere to a code of respect. There are comments here and there, but they are all hushed to keep the peace.

There is an image, an identity that everyone tries their best to pertain to. Everyone stays in their lane.

The school seems polite, mostly, but it has a more complicated, discreet, underground social understanding. Issues are not brought to light often. But subtle insults exist. It may be a minor snicker or side smile and stare or ignorant comments like: “All the people they recruit for sports are black. They always end up leaving because they can’t keep up with the work?”

Or “All the people trick or treating on my street were Mex-,” his eyes find mine “had trucks. A trail of kids ran out the car at every stop.”

OR “Ugh. It’s so hard. I am taking three AP classes while others only take 1 or 2. I wish I was Hispanic or something other than white.

It would be easier for me to get into college.”

There is a passive censorship and at the same time, people are still insulting you.

After hearing comments like this on a regular basis, I felt nervous talking about myself. It is not my job to represent or defend people of my ethnicity or the minority majority that exists outside this ‘perfect bubble.’ I shouldn’t need to. In many ways, the endorsement of compassion, equity and inclusion that Greenhill promotes is false.

Being a minority at Greenhill has been difficult. Near the end of my junior year, the detachment I felt with Greenhill over the course of my high school career, became more prominent. The circumspective, deceptive social setting made me question the goodness in people. I didn’t want my differences to supply a reason for me to be at Greenhill. I was angry that my socioeconomic and ethnic differences gave me more significance than who I am apart

“

Compassion is not being ostensibly polite.

Compassion is not being ostensibly polite. Compassion calls for hearing someone’s story, being clear in your emotions and recognizing and accepting the existent differences between the two of you. You are not helping anyone by lying to yourself or others about how you feel regarding certain topics. It is unnecessary to be on surfacepolite.

I had an astonishing experience a few weeks ago. A quite refreshing one. I missed

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wednesday, november 18, 2015

Who flipped their switch?

Before they could inspire their students, teachers first had to be led to their professions. Here is who lit their passions.

One of my biggest influences in my teaching continues to be Bruce Springsteen. His diverse and gripping explorations of the “American Dream,” particularly the role that socioeconomic class lays in our search for contentment, has profoundly shaped the direction and content of my courses.

-Andy Mercurio, Upper School English Teacher

My inspiration is my fifth grade teacher, and she had us do a project where we had to pick apples and try to sell them and that hands-on application of math got me really interested both in math and how I try to approach different topics.

-Melissa Battis, Upper School Math teacher

There was only one teacher that I stayed in touch with from high school after I graduated named Mr. Stewart, and he was a history teacher. He was one of those guys who had interesting ideas. He would deliberately change the distribution of the chairs in the room so we wouldn’t sit in the same place, in a time where everybody would sit in rows.

-Mary Tapia, Upper School Spanish Teacher

My dad was my high school physics teacher, and I had him for three years in a row, and he was a really great teacher, so I

I’m inspired by Mister Rogers, for his kindness, his patience, his music, his imagination, his wardrobe, his neighbor-liness, and his refusal to sell out (no products, no movies, no fast-food tie-in, nothing) over decades of fame.

-Joel Garza, Upper School English teacher

really enjoyed that experience.

-Michael Haskins, Upper School Science Teacher

Graphic by Megan Wiora and Areeba Amer