Evergreen THE
November 6, 2013 Volume XLVIX, Issue 2
Changes On the Horizon
Greenhill announces $52.5 million campaign to build new Performing Arts facilities. p. 12-13 Photo courtesy of Melissa Orth
STATE OF THE ART: After four years of groundwork and deliberation, administrators and trustees announced in October the largest construction undertaking in school history. Set to be completed in the fall of 2015, the project will include a brand-new Performing Arts and Assembly Center, as well as renovations to the dining facilities and athletic fields.
For teacher, history holds court
PRICELESS
reading about the fall of the Berlin wall and America’s involvement in the Gulf War. He was beginning to become interested in politics. “When I started to learn about what was going on, I started to connect the dots,” he said. Now Chair of the History Department, Mr. Cotton has an intense passion for history that carries him throughout the day. At 5 a.m. he is most likely running on the treadmill and listening to the political podcast Left, Right and Center. Once on campus, he begins teaching his first period class, “Understanding 9/11.” His inspiration for the class came from an experience he had on Sept. 11, 2001. Mr. Cotton recalls being a teacher at Richardson High School and adjusting his curriculum to account for what was happening after the attacks on the World Trade Center. “I started to go to the white board and just teach about it,” Mr. Cotton said. “My class was interested in Al-Qaeda, terrorism
and the Middle East. When I started thinking about 9/11 in relation to history, I realized that this could be a really powerful course.” He has taught the trimester class on 9/11 for nine years and this year offered an additional 9/11 class through the Global Online Academy, open to students internationally. Somewhere during his busy day, Mr. Cotton also teaches a history elective class on human rights. “I feel that issues like human rights are an important addition to the Greenhill curriculum,” he said. “It has also been a new challenge for me.” Mr. Cotton makes a serious effort to bring guest speakers to his classroom. “It is kind of humbling, because students always choose field trips or guest speakers as their favorite parts of a class. I do it because students appreciate it,”
News A Raisin in the Sun
Features Storm Chaser
Special Report 50 Years Later
Arts Inside the Cave
Sports SPC Traditions
Double Truck editor Christian Holmes details the Upper School’s trip downtown to see A Raisin in the Sun at the Wyly Theatre. p. 4
Editor-in-Chief Rachel Diebner sits down with Greenhill senior and resident meteorologist Nick Kraus to get the forecast. p. 8
Half a century after the tragedy in Dallas, Arts Editor Sanah Hasan explores Greenhill connections to JFK and that fateful day in 1963. p. 14
For AP Art students, the secluded cove that is the AP art room is the center of campus. Assistant Features Editor Christina Zhu reports. p. 16
Design Editor Laura Arnold talks to fall athletes about their teams’ ritual routines in the days leading up to SPC Championship weekend. p. 19
Shruti Rao Views Editor
During his freshman year at Georgia Institute of Technology, Scott Cotton noticed a student reading a book about the Middle East in the middle of math class. He leaned over and whispered a question. Later, he learned that the book was for a history class. He borrowed it and became fascinated by the connections between international relations, politics and government. “I can major in this?” he remembers thinking. Back in high school, Mr. Cotton hated history. “I felt like I was just memorizing dates and information,” he said. In fact, his high-school career was largely devoted to being an athlete. He graduated a trimester early in order to spend more time practicing tennis and preparing to play on the Georgia Tech tennis team. During that trimester, his mother made him read the newspaper to keep his brain active, and it worked. Mr. Cotton recalls
Director of Security Ralph Price poised to leave Greenhill this month after more than eight years of service. Staff Writer Ben Schachter reports. p. 7
cont’d on page 11
Also in this issue...
Serving Greenhill since 1966
4141 Spring Valley Road, Addison, TX 75001
evergreengreenhill.wordpress.com
The Evergreen Wednesday [11.06.13]
VIEWS
Rants & Raves A RAVE to the new doors enclosing the south entrance to the athletic building. In a time of strife and difficulty, it’s good to know that there’s an extra 46 square feet of air conditioned space to cool our minds and bodies.
A RANT to students not checking in in the morning. Mr. Oros has walked the equivalent of six ultra-marathons this past week alone while traversing campus to find students. Area fitness junkies are now reportedly joining him. “It’s a great way to stay in shape!” said one of them, attempting a playful hug that was quickly refused. Mr. Oros is all business.
A MENTAL SURVEY
A RANT to plates left outside the cafeteria. Seeing the tables, we wonder, where is the HRC? Honor Respect and Compassion, that is, not Ham, Rice, and Cheese which we unfortunately do see plenty of.
A RAVE to the inflatable football tunnel. Win or lose, we Hornets love our football team. Win or lose after they enter from a giant, inflatable, helmet-shaped portal of glory, and we love them even more. ALL HAIL OUR FOOTBALL OVERLORDS.
A RAVE to the faculty danceoff during the Fall pep rally. Although some Lower Schoolers reported recurring night terrors after witnessing certain memorable dance moves, we loved every second. Teachers, that was just the right amount of wrong. If this whole “educating” thing fails, it’s comforting to know you have a Plan B.
A RAVE to the all-Upper School trip to see A Raisin in the Sun. No, not to see a sunburnt grape, but Hansberry’s moving play. The play was poignant, incisive, not to mention a great break from our tumultuous, overwhelming lives full of stress and problems. Did we mention all of our problems?
A RANT to students being too loud in the history and English pods. Walking through the pods, we know our sixth-grade cotillion teacher is rolling in her grave thinking about our poor manners. Our only saving grace is that we can still masterfully set a table.
A RANT to the disaster that is the girl’s bathroom near the Elliott Center. Everything is in disarray, from the toilets to the soap dispensers. All we want is to wave lazily at a box on the wall and receive a sweet, premeasured rectangle of paper towel. Is that too much to ask?
A RAVE to the Upper School fall drama. Nary a dry eye was in sight during intermission. Students exiting the theater were silent, lost for words at the beauty of what they had just witnessed. Synthia Rogers wept quietly upstairs, smiling upon her disciples. (Disclaimer: This author is part of the cast.)
Content courtesy of Nick Kraus and Harris Chowdhary and graphic from mengaonline.blogspot.com
Staff Editorial All students have, at some point, filed into the gym and piled onto bleachers facing a select group of their peers, awaiting the speeches to start and awards to be handed out. It’s a common Greenhill experience. Several times every year, in separate ceremonies, the entire Upper School watches as members of the student body receive accolades for their excellence in the arts or academics. Introductions are given, names are called, and pins, plaques, and papers are given for all of the Upper School to see.
But where are the award ceremonies? The Greenhill triangle consists of arts, athletics and academics, and, like the actual geometric shape, requires all three sides to be complete. Though the arts and academics award ceremonies require the entire Upper School to attend, the athletic awards
A real triangle has three sides athletic
in private, after hours with only a meager audience. Athletic award banquets occur at the The Greenhill end of every season, Triangle consists for athletes who have of arts, athletics, lettered in a sport, as and academics, well as additional awards and, requires all for students that have three sides to be gone above and beyond complete. the standard for their sport. These are held in the Greenhill cafeteria; the only people who are held attend are the athletes and their
“
THE
families. The award ceremonies are not advertised to the student body. Academics and arts awards assemblies are mandatory for everybody, and a chunk of a school day is set aside for the celebration. The athletics awards are held feet away from a deserted lunch line, on a Sunday afternoon. Award ceremonies are important in a school. They bring the student body together, uniting the studies in athletics, academics and arts in the celebration of success. They commend those of us
who have epitomized an attribute, whether it be a dedication to a role in a musical, an exemplary research paper, or leadership on a sports team. The athletics ceremony concerns a large section of the student body, and having it be the odd one out is unfair and not representative of Greenhill’s values. Can we bring balance back to the triangle? Arts, athletics and academics are equally important to Greenhill students. All of their award ceremonies should be treated as such, too.
Evergreen staff
Serving Greenhill
editor in chief
Rachel Diebner
managing editors Alex Weinberg Ben Weinberg
design editor Laura Arnold
since 1966 • 4141 Spring Valley Road • Addison TX, 75001
views editor Shruti Rao
news editor
arts editor
asst. news editor
online editor in chief
sports editors
asst. features editors
advisors
Sanah Hasan
Sera Tuz
Ben Krakow Joseph Middleman
features editor
double truck editor
Sofia Shirley
Christian Holmes
Madison Goodrich Varun Gupta Christina Zhu
asst. arts editor
Catherine Leffert
Danielle Stoler Eve Hill-Agnus Pamela Kripke
business manager Blake Lieberman
backpage editor Lizzy D’Apice
staff writers
Suman Chebrolu Lane Hirsch Arhum Khan Amna Naseem Ben Schachter Megan Wiora
staff artists
Miles Andres Meha Elhence Max Harberg Brianna Houston Ariana Zhang Jackson Lowen
multimedia editor Isabet Tranchin
The
wednesday, november 6, 2013
Evergreen
views
3
Native or Not? Should students who are proficient in a language be able to take classes in that language at Greenhill?
Rodrigo Gomez-Palacio Senior
Mr. Sebastian Gluzman Upper School Spanish Teacher Yes, I think that students should be able to take their native language at their own level. Many students are proficient orally in another language but cannot write well, so they do benefit from the writing aspect of the class. Even if they are proficient in speaking, writing and reading, they should be able to demonstrate that, and I would encourage them to take the Advanced Placement exam in that language or an elective. In Spanish, we offer elective classes for students that either finished level 4 or did the AP. Those classes do not focus on the grammar and structure, but on the content of the subject. Students are able to put their knowledge of the language into practice and at the same time gain fluency and comprehension. There are some students that decide to double in a language, and I think that is very valuable and should be encouraged as well.
First of all, the purpose of taking a course is to learn something new. This year, I decided to take AP Spanish Literature as a native Spanish speaker, and I can definitely say I have learned some new things. This already makes it worth it. Secondly, I don’t see why it shouldn’t be allowed. Since when did class become a competition? Having a native speaker in a language-study course should be a valued asset rather than something looked down upon. Native speakers can add valuable perspectives to the class and can ultimately enhance the overall learning experience. Lastly, every student has the right to take any course he or she chooses. Preventing a student from taking a course based solely on the student’s linguistic background would quite frankly be discriminating. Also, when it comes to AP courses, a student should not be denied the right to knock out a college-level course and potentially save the student’s family some money.
Fabiola Miranda
Jake Eberts
Senior
Senior
Ever since I was in Middle School, I have heard the spirited debate about whether or not fluent speakers should be allowed to take that same language to fulfill their credits. As a student who speaks Spanish at home but takes French in school, my views fall somewhere in the middle. I know that some native speakers might be proficient in speaking and understanding the language, but not in reading and writing it, as is the case with me. In that instance, I would understand why someone would choose to take the same language they speak at home, as they would gain a more comprehensive understanding of the language. But I believe that bilingual students should still be encouraged to take another language. Adding on another language to a student’s repertoire could be incredibly valuable. In addition, native language speakers, like myself, learn languages phonetically, and therefore often lack a thorough understanding of grammar and different tenses. An already bilingual student has the opportunity to learn how to learn a language, something they can only find in a classroom.
Non-native language acquisition is an arduous process, so it’s understandable why many people who are bilingual from birth might wish to avoid the process entirely by taking classes in the language they already know. Or maybe a student who speaks Spanish at home, but is unable to read or write, wants to take a Spanish class to fill in those gaps. If that’s the case, they probably should not rely on four years of high-school Spanish to make them literate. But that’s a different point. More importantly, they are robbing themselves of an opportunity. Native bilinguals have a very unique opportunity to become trilingual. A native Spanish and English speaker will have a relatively easy time reaching fluency in French (or any other language, for that matter). Being bilingual is certainly a great asset, but being trilingual is even more valuable, and many students may limit themselves by opting to take a language they already know. This isn’t to say that students shouldn’t be allowed to take classes in their native language at all, but there should be checks in the system to make sure that they are still being challenged. Spanish classes in high school are not designed for people who simply need practice refining their speech patterns and grammar. They are designed for people who have absolutely no proficiency from the start and need step-by-step instruction in the nuances that heritage speakers will take for granted. Overall, it’s important to be bilingual; that’s why we’re required to take foreign languages in the first place. But if you are already bilingual, stopping there is a bad choice, and I strongly believe that the Greenhill curriculum has something of a duty to make sure students are challenged, even if this means taking a third or fourth language.
Dear Editor, I was extremely impressed with the thoughtful discussion about the culture of asking girls to dances at Greenhill. This is a difficult subject and the writers handled the topic with grace and sensitivity. I’m writing to raise two points as students continue to ponder this issue. First, it’s important for all students to keep in mind that you always have the right to say no to anything. I’ve been troubled during my time at Greenhill that girls have been told, often informally, that they “have to” say yes to a date or dance if a boy asks. I don’t want any girl or boy here to think that “saying yes” is the only socially acceptable option in any situation. My deepest concern and fear is that the pressure to “say yes” will extend, and not too far, beyond asking for dates and further into dating or social situations. KNOW that you never have to “say yes” to anything: dates, dances, sexual activity, drinking, or anything else that makes you uncomfortable. I challenge each of the Upper School students to support your friends if they decide to say no to anything. The protection of someone’s ego isn’t more important than your autonomy. Second, I challenge Greenhill students to reconsider the very outdated idea that only boys can ask girls to dances besides Sadies Hawkins Dance. I’m horrified that in 2013 girls feel like they “aren’t allowed” to ask boys for dates, and that we have an event that specifically “allows” girls to ask boys to a dance. Greenhill students speak up for their rights, are individuals, and stand on the bleeding edge of intellectual discourse. I strongly encourage the student body to consider changing our culture regarding this silly and outdated notion about dating.
- Marie Bigham, Director of College Counseling
The Evergreen Wednesday [11.06.13]
NEWS
BAND GETS A GIG ON OCT. 24, bAND pERFORMED At A RECEPTION FOR THE PRISM AWARDS, WHICH RECOGNIZE PEOPLE THAT HAVE MADE A CONTRIBUTION TO MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES IN THE GREATER DALLAS AREA. GO TO PAGE 6 TO READ MORE.
Curriculum comes to life with A Raisin in the Sun Christian Holmes
last spring and saw A Raisin in the Sun,” said Linda Woolley, English After an exhausting week of department Head. classes, approximately 500 students The English teachers knew they poured off of buses on a Friday could not pass up the opportunity. in downtown Dallas and jostled “The Upper School English into the 80,300-square-foot Wyly department split into two groups: Theatre. The lights faded and silence one that would work on a Google permeated the theater. Actors Doc to discuss themes to cover appeared on stage, when teaching the bringing to life a play play, and one that that students had The play is a would organize the read and studied just vehicle to assist logistics of seeing the days before. On Oct. us in our quest to play,” she said. 25, the entire Upper The Cultural fulfill the school’s School ventured to see Arts Committee, mission and move a performance of A toward a better which funded an AP Raisin in the Sun, the understanding of Literature trip to see first play written by our place in the a production of King an African-American world.” Lear many years ago, woman to be produced generously contributed on Broadway. The funds to be able to English department see the performance. had integrated Lorraine Hansberry’s However, Mrs. Woolley said highly-acclaimed play into their that the euphoria of going to see the curriculum for students from all play was temporarily supplanted by grade levels to read and analyze. the reality of the monumental task “In an English department in front of them: transporting 500 meeting last spring, I voiced my people on buses downtown to see a desire to teach this play in all of play during a school day. my fall courses,” said Joel Garza, “It really was a community Upper School English teacher. effort,” she said. “The themes of race, gender, class Michael Manes, Head of Fine and the American dream seemed Arts, was instrumental in reserving to fit well alongside the themes of both Greenhill and coach buses, the other texts I’d be teaching in all and Steve Warner, Upper School my classes. Many of my colleagues Scheduling Coordinator, made the were interested in doing the day’s schedule. Angela Woodson, same thing, and by the end of the Admissions Director, Natalia meeting, the entire department had Hernandez, Director of Curriculum, voiced their support.” Art Hall, Head of Equity and But how did reading a play Inclusion, Chad Wabrek, Head turn into the whole Upper School of Athletics and Physical Education, traveling to see it, a never before and Laura Ross, Head of Upper experienced event? School, among others, helped “Mr. Garza was looking at to fund the bus rentals through the schedule of plays at the Wyly their budgets. Double Truck Editor
“
Written by 29-year-old Lorraine Hansberry and based upon Langston Hughes’ poem “A Dream Deferred”, A Raisin in the Sun focuses on an African-American family of five struggling to make ends meet in Chicago’s south side, desiring that “piece of the pie,” the American dream, all while facing 1950s discrimination. The play draws on many of Hansberry’s own experiences: her family moved into a white neighborhood in Chicago in 1938 and encountered similar prejudices. Her father fought for the integration of Chicago’s segregated neighborhoods in the Supreme Court case Hansberry v. Lee. According to Mr. Garza, the reason for having all Upper School students read and see the play was the intellectual discourse resulting from this cross-grade-level experience. “Freshmen might remind upperclassmen of how Homer’s understanding of home or Genesis’ depiction of exile can help in analyzing the play. Similarly, juniors can explain to underclassmen how their study of stage-craft adds to their reading of Hansberry’s play with its extensive stage directions,” Mr. Garza said. Sophomore Bradley Aptilon said he enjoyed the play because it is distinctive yet complements other texts he has read during his time at Greenhill. “The characters [in the play] are looked upon differently by society because of their race, which parallels the experience felt by Hester Prynne in The Scarlet Letter, whose red ‘A’ ostracizes her from her community,” Bradley said. “Yet, there is so much emotion in the play that sets it apart from others.”
It is these types of connections that the department hoped students would make during mixed gradelevel group discussions of the play on Oct 22 and 28. “The perspectives I gained from the students in my group were invaluable,” Bradley said. Senior Safia Hossain has read A Raisin in the Sun before, but never saw it on stage as a freshman at Shepton. “This was my second time reading the play and I loved it both times, and I was especially excited to see how the performers would portray the characters from the play.” Because famous actors such as Sidney Poitier and Ruby Dee have played the characters in Hansberry’s drama, many students wondered how the performers at the Wyly would add their own flair of uniqueness. “It was interesting to see if certain scenes were the way I imagined them and how the actors decided to do the scenes,” Bradley
said. “Overall, it was fantastic.” According to Safia, revisiting the play as a senior at Greenhill has given her new themes to consider. “The idea of success versus failure is a relevant theme for everyone. The issues introduced are ones that still exist today, which is why the play is so engaging,” she said. Art Hall, Director of Equity and Inclusion, hopes that the play helped students form a bigger picture of the world around them. “The play is a vehicle to assist us in our quest to fulfill the school’s mission and move toward a better understanding of our place in the world,” he said. “It is important that we push ourselves, as a community, to learn about the successes and challenges of various cultures and heritages.” Hansberry herself stated after the premiere of her play in 1959 that she hoped her playwriting would help society “reach a little closer to the world . . . sharing illuminations together about each other.”
Photos by Ariana Zhang and Sera Tuz
STANDING OVATION: The entire Upper School attended the play A Raisin in the Sun at the Wyly Theater on Oct. 25 after reading, discussing and analyzing it in their respective classes. Students walk into the theater (top), wait for the show to start (bottom) and listen to actress Liz Mikel answer questions about the production and her role after the play (middle).
wednesday, november 6, 2013
The
Evergreen
news
5
Home Away from Home
Minglun High School students reflect on their different homestay experiences Megan Wiora Staff Writer
Alice Yu, a student from Taipei, follows her host sisters around the house. Sophomore Audrey Nelson and freshman Emily Nelson are chatting with their friends after sports practice while Alice plays with the Nelson’s new puppy. Alice, freshly changed out of her Minglun uniform, stands quietly in the corner, taking it all in. Alice is one of 17 students who visited the school and stayed with host families for two weeks, continuing the second year of the Minglun-Greenhill exchange program. As she and her peers soon found out, this kind of exchange can be a big adjustment. “Alice was really shy at first. She wanted to
figure out the ground rules for how our family worked, and then when she warmed up to us she was so sweet,” Emily said. Emily said Alice was shy about learning her boundaries in the house. “Alice was always asking, especially my dad, if she could go upstairs or if she could go play the piano,” Emily said. “She said that in her family, they had to ask each other to do things.” Some of these initial differences were more about adjusting to a new household than they were about deep cultural differences. “Back at my house in Taiwan, my family members
are all very busy,” Alice said. “That is why [the Nelson’s] lifestyle isn’t very different from [mine].” The possibilities of similarity were even greater in the Liang house. Henry Wu, another student from Minglun, stayed with sophomore Eric Liang and his TaiwaneseAmerican family. Both Eric and Henry share a Taiwanese heritage, and both speak Chinese fluently. According to Eric, the lack of a language barrier eased the transition process. “It helped him get used to us much quicker and I believe it was easier to connect with him. The funny thing is that we really were not that similar at all, yet we both got along together so well.” Although their visit only lasted a short time, the students from Taiwan took many memories and experiences home with them. One memory Alice cherishes is going to Emily and Audrey’s sports practices. “She mentioned to me on first or second day that she really wanted to come see me play volleyball,” Emily said. Emily’s volleyball game was the first time Alice ever saw a live match. What seemed to surprise
A TALE OF TWO COUNTRIES: The Taiwanese flag overlayed on the American flag (top) shows the union between the schools and countries. This fall, 17 students and two teachers from Minglun High School in Taipei, Taiwan visited Greenhill for the second year of the exchange (middle). One of the teachers, Joe Chen, recieved a Greenhill jersey (right) at an F-Day assembly held on Oct. 4 for the Upper School to welcome the group.
Photos co Graphic urtesy of Case y Holid by Sera ay and Tuz Emil
y Wilso
n
her most was that students could be strong in both athletics and academics. “In Taiwan, people who are organized and smart seldom participate in sports,” Alice said. “Most of the people who participate in sports a lot are those who don’t have good grades.” Alice said she was inspired by Greenhill students’ ability to combine academics and athletics, a lesson she hopes to apply to her own life back in Taiwan. “I think my life is going to have a difference in the way I study,” said Alice. “In the past, I usually thought that I couldn’t put much effort on both my studies and exercise. After I saw Audrey and Emily, I started to have some different thoughts.” Just as sports opened a new world for Alice, Henry noticed striking differences in the way students viewed school. “In Taiwan, we have a big test when we are grade 13 [for university placement], so the students go to school just for tests and grades,”
Henry said. “We think we can have many activities for fun when we get in a good university, not in high school.” However, at Greenhill, this perception was dramatically different. “I saw everyone love their school. They like every activity, every class, and American students like to ask questions during the class. It’s good.” The students from Taiwan got a taste of Texas (literally) at the State Fair, trying various fried foods and riding rollercoasters. They also went to the Sixth Floor Museum and other attractions in Dallas. Later this year, Upper School students will complete the exchange by visiting Minglun High School in Taipei and staying with host families. Last year when Greenhill made the same trip to Taiwan, they attended school with their host siblings and also went to the National Palace Museum, the tallest green building in the world, Taipei 101, and the Chiang Kai-shek Memorial Hall.
6
news
The
Evergreen
wednesday, november 6, 2013
Band plays new repertoire at 2013 Prism Awards of the shadow and into the limelight.” He said he believes In between musical Mental Health America of pieces, women in cocktail Greater Dallas is one of the dresses and men in suits best in Texas. greeted Greenhill’s flautists For the band, playing and saxaphonists, champagne at the reception provided glasses balanced in their an opportunity to perform free hands. It was not the at a non-school event and typical audience for a showcase a new repertoire, school band. including swing music, A select group of and theme songs from the Greenhill students played at Pirates of the Caribbean and a reception for the Mental Harry Potter movies. The Health America of Greater band even had a psychiatric Dallas Prism Awards Oct. hospital business developer 25 on the and a doctor of 42nd floor at medicine swing Cityplace. The dancing to “Zoot We were Suit Riot.” Prism Awards background recognize leaders “The event music, so nobody was way better in the community was supposed than a concert who have helped to notice us, but and a lot better to erase the stigma when people than expected. We and improve did clap or were background awareness of compliment us music, so nobody mental health that was really was issues. supposed cool.” “I was to notice us, but standing here when people listening, and I did clap or love the swing compliment us, aspect along with the great that was really cool and I energy,” said Dallas Mayor hope I get to do [it] again,” Mike Rawlings, who received said freshman bass clarinetist an award at the ceremony. Zoe Williams. Mayor Rawlings had The students had organized a seminar to “bring volunteered to play at this [mental health issues] out event, which called for Catherine Leffert Asst. Arts Editor
“
at least one player for flute, clarinet, alto saxophone, tenor saxophone, baritone saxophone trumpet, trombone, bass, and drums. “I like the variety [of the music] and it was definitely nice to have a break from football games and band concerts,” said senior William Roberts, a percussionist. “I play the drums because I love helping direct the band. As a drummer, I help keep the band in time, and I help to control the energy of the music. I really enjoy it.” Middle and Upper School Band Director Brian Donnell drove the students to the event and played trumpet alongside them. “I was very proud of the band kids, especially since we had several freshmen who’ve never done this before. We met lots of people, and all of them had great things to say about the students. Makes me feel proud of them,” Mr. Donnell said. “Events like this are good examples for my students to see that they can use their love of music-making and their talents to make a positive impact on their community.”
TUNING UP: Select members of the Upper School band provided a swinging musical backdrop at the reception for the 2013 Prism Awards on Oct. 25, in Dallas.
wednesday, november 6, 2013
The
Evergreen
news
Safe Travels A
“Nothing changed. I went from wearing a police uniform one day to wearing khaki pants and a polo the next,” he said. Over the next few years, Officer Price fter eight and a half years, was able to expand his role significantly. Now, Ralph Price will leave Greenhill on Nov. 22 to he has five Addison policemen patrolling become Police Chief at Argyle Independent Greenhill each day. They report not only to School District. Officer Price was the first the Addison Police Department for Director of Security in the Greenhill’s instruction, but also to Officer Price. These history, and during his time, implemented officers are present at Greenhill throughout changes that affected the whole campus. the school week and also on the weekend at While Office Price said he has loved his sporting events. time at Greenhill, the new position offers an His work may go unnoticed by much of opportunity he could not pass up: being a the Greenhill community, but it has impacted police chief is the main goal of every police the school profoundly. officer, he said. He instituted the carpool system at “In a law enforcement career you have Greenhill, which beforehand, did not to think what is the crown jewel—and that exist. In making the lanes, Officer Price is becoming a police chief,” made Greenhill a safer and Officer Price said. saner environment. Officer Officer Price worked Price also added directional His personality, as an Addison policeman arrows in the streets to his presence, and at Greenhill before being help drivers and students the fact that he’s employed full time by the stay safe. always around and school. Beforehand, Greenhill He also changed the school’s available and that had no Director of Security, security system. he wants to help is but after seeing other schools “When I arrived at Greenhill, definitely a big part create similar positions, every single door in the Upper of what we’ll miss.” administrators chose to offer School was unlocked at night,” Officer Price the position. Officer Price said. “It was clear at that point Since then, the school has in time that it was a need for upgraded to the INTELLIKEY system. the school in terms of having someone being “If necessary, we can hit one button and in charge of safety and security,” Head of everything is locked,” said Mr. Griggs. School Scott Griggs said. “Having someone Officer Price also managed to see things with a connection with the Addison Police that only someone with experience could Department was invaluable.” notice. Office Price had ample qualifications. “He moved a lot of head shrubbery He was a former SWAT team member away from buildings because they were easy and still had certificates making him an paces for people to hide and try get into the active shooter (he can use firearms building,” Mr. Griggs said. “It’s things that you when necessary). Most importantly, he and I wouldn’t notice, but he does.” had a connection with Addison and Recently, Officer Price was also Greenhill. instrumental in implementing a crisis Although having a full-time security management plan. In the event of an emergency, presence was a major change for Greenhill, teachers and students can consult the and became an even larger one as time went Crisis Management Flipcharts in each on, it was just business as usual for Officer classroom due to the logical thinking of Price. Officer Price.
“
Aside from security, Officer Price has developed a relationship with students, and this year, he was a member of the senior retreat. “For the teachers, it gave us a sense of security that he was there,” said Jack Oros, Upper School Dean of Students. Not only did Officer Price provide the security for the trip, but he also joined in sports and other activities. “He was around participating and acting with everyone in a really positive manner,” said Michelle Smith, Upper School Science Teacher. “That was really helpful because he’s a community member.” After reflecting on his time at Greenhill, Officer Price said it would be hard to leave. “Everyday is a memorable moment at Greenhill. Everyday I get to see everybody…It’s hard,” said Officer Price. It is also difficult for the Greenhill community. “His personality, his presence, and the fact that he’s always around and available and that he wants to help is definitely a big part of what we’ll miss,” Mr. Griggs said. Mr. Griggs anticipates that Greenhill will have Officer Price’s replacement by Dec. 1 at the latest. At the moment, they are in the interview process. story by Ben Schachter
Photo by Brianna Houston
Director of Security leaves to pursue dream of being Police Chief at Argyle Independent School District
7
The Evergreen Wednesday [11.06.13]
ready, set, SMIlE Senior dylan roberts is a finalist in the 2013 kim dawson model search. he HAS modeled for companies such as jcpenney and is now back in front of the camera. see page 10.
The Weatherman Rachel Diebner Editor-in-Chief
Junior Griffin Olesky vividly remembers sheltering from a tornado with his friend and neighbor, senior Nick Kraus. The Kraus and Olesky families huddled by the door to the basement they had cleared out earlier. All that was left to do was wait for the cue to descend to safety. But Nick couldn’t sit still: He raced back and forth from the window to the graphs on his computer, trying to calculate precisely when and where the tornado would touch ground. Nick certainly was not the oldest in the room, with four adults and an older brother, but as Griffin recalls, everyone was looking at Nick, waiting for his command to take cover. “I don’t know what it is about weather that is so infatuating for him, but he’s basically just obsessed with it,” Griffin said. “I trust Nick more than any weatherman on TV.” When the two were younger, Griffin said, Nick would insist on checking the weather on Griffin’s computer when he came to the Oleskys’ house, something he found absurd but endearing. “Weather is so funny to me,” Nick said. “For a lot of people, the weather is the lowest common denominator of conversation. But I think it is an incredible phenomenon.” Every day, Nick reads the “forecast discussions” on the National Weather Service website for the Dallas-Fort Worth area. Unlike the average forecast, these reports are intense. Paragraphs upon paragraphs of small font detail the meteorologists’ complex predictions, which are based on professional weather models. The text is littered with sophisticated meteorology jargon— troughs and impulses, ECMWF and GFS—but Nick reads it with ease. “It’s like a different language that I’ve learned and decoded,” he said. There are two forecast discussions each day: One comes out around 3 a.m. (the best one, according to Nick) and another around 3 p.m. He often reads these discussions as he gets ready for school in the mornings, or after cross country (with the occasional sneak peek during class). “I really like to hunker down and
pick apart these forecasts,” Nick said. the weather.” As he has learned how to read the He sat with his son at the computer reports, he has been able to predict and showed him how to check the the weather with greater and greater temperature, the storm’s path, and the accuracy. When Hurricane Katrina was hourly updates. just forming, Nick had already figured “I just felt like all of the sudden I out the path it would take. had some control over the weather,” “He said to me, ‘Dad, this storm Nick said. “Now that I could see it, I is going to become a category 5, and could understand it.” it’s going to make a direct hit on New Nick soon made it his priority to Orleans,’” said Peter Kraus, Nick’s father. check the forecast in cities around the “And I remember thinking, ‘How does world, everywhere from Los Angeles he know that?’” to Yakutsk, Russia (one of the coldest Nick’s reasoning was well cities on earth). He began to give daily grounded, even if the storm changed forecasts to his second-grade class. at the last minute. (Just before Katrina His classmates’ mothers would call touched ground in New Orleans it him to ask for the weather before going transformed from a category 5 to a on vacation. For his tenth birthday, Nick category 3 storm.) met Kristine Kahanek, meteorologist Soon, he was able to predict the of Dallas-Fort Worth’s CBS 11. As Ms. weather with such accuracy that he Kahanek showed Nick her preparation, grew skeptical of the he “talked shop” with weathermen. When her, perking up when he It started from the tornados hit Dallas realized they checked some that fear of thunin April of 2012, the of the same weather models derstorms, and meteorologists had and asking her about the all of the sudden, ones he didn’t recognize. predicted ordinary I’ve gotten clarity Mr. Kraus said that the two thunderstorms, but Nick over these once “sounded like they were knew that a bigger storm really uncontrol- both weathermen.” was brewing. lable beasts.” Living in Texas, “There he was, this little where the weather is cherubic blond-haired kid volatile, also piqued with gold ringlets getting Nick’s curiosity. onto these very obscure “I know a lot of people, whatever the websites and soaking it up and loving weather is, they roll with it,” Nick said. it,” Mr. Kraus said. “It was always “For me, I have to know what’s coming. something I thought was cute when I have to know when the next cold front he was little, and it’s something I still is coming through, what it’s going to be love now.” like when I run my cross country race Now, Nick is known on the cross in a week. It’s just something on my country team for his detailed forecasts, mind.” which he presents the week before Nick loves the weather, but he hasn’t a race. always felt that way: As a toddler, Nick He loves to watch the spring would cry every time a thunderstorm thunderstorms that he once feared. rolled in. He’ll track the storms for a week out, “I remember having this really watching them morph rapidly as they distinct feeling of powerlessness when come closer and closer. And when they storms would come,” he said. “I would finally hit, he sets aside his homework be so scared because I didn’t know to watch. what was happening—and it really got “That’s where the interest all to me.” began,” he said. “It started from that One night, Mr. Kraus had an idea. fear of thunderstorms, and all of the “Nick was an inquisitive little kid,” sudden, I’ve gotten clarity over these Mr. Kraus said. “I sensed that it might once really uncontrollable beasts. I help him conquer his fear if he could can understand them to their rationalize what was going on with core now.”
“
Graphic by Ariana Zhang
wednesday, november 6, 2013
The
Evergreen
features
In the Spotlight We continue our “In the Spotlight” series, a chance to get to know one randomly-selected Upper School student each issue. Our fourth conversation was with sophomore Alanna Jaffee.
Photo by Max Harberg
MIX AND MATCH: Eighth grader Samantha Harberg tries several outfit combinations. Choices became more deliberate as she and her friends became more interested in fashion at the beginning of seventh grade.
Fashion Signals MS girls tailor their styles
Every inch of space is style. It seems that part of the reason completely covered. Every hanger certain styles become more popular is draped with brightly colored is due to the pre-teen and teenage pants, loose pastel dresses and girls’ perspective that the boys in the patterned tank tops; every grade will be attracted to one outfit shelf is stacked with ready- more than another. to-wear shoes, printed purses “Lots of girls like to wear and stylish accessories. Eighth grader statement necklaces. They help bring Samantha Harberg explains that the look together, which matters this purposefully arranged profusion because I think guys like it when of clothes is a recent development. we seem put together,” said eighth “Fashion used to not be a grader Gabrielle Coben. priority. My closet has always been Although these fashionable full, but I would put my clothes ladies of the eighth grade believe wherever and not think twice about that they have discovered what the what I wore,” she said. “But it’s boys of the sixth, seventh, and eighth become a part of my daily life and I grade are attracted to, this may not think about it all the time.” be the case. The transition “I don’t really care or notice from apathetic dresser to avid what the girls in my grade wear,” fashionista seems to happen during said sixth grader Max Arroyo. “I the Middle School years, though the hear them talk about it a lot, but turning point is different for each despite that, I cannot even pinpoint student. the favorite clothes or accessories “I remember the first time I that the girls wear.” started to care about Max is not the only fashion was at the boy in Middle School Now I don’t beginning of seventh whose attention is dress for other grade, when I was hardly focused on the people. I dress clothes of his female allowed to shop on my for myself in peers. own with a friend,” things that Samantha said. “I don’t really make me feel care what the girls Internal and confident.” in my grade wear external factors prompted this unless it is extremely newfound curiosity inappropriate, but that for fashion and the urge to look rarely happens. I care more about “cute.” As girls get older, they put what they’re saying rather than on the charm as well as the stylish the clothes they are wearing,” said clothes in order to impress boys. seventh grader Daniel Steckler. “As we started to hang-out with Boys may motivate girls to dress the boys in and outside of school, fashionably; however, they are not my friends and I began to dress everything. A few Middle School thinking, ‘Where will I be going girls attest that the bulk of input on today and who will I be seeing someone’s style is probably coming today?’” Samantha said. from their girl friends rather than Different fashion trends are the boys, and that verbal feedback is always emerging and becoming likely to leave an impact. popular, such as the infinity scarves, “It matters to me what my intricate necklaces, and lace shirts friends think of what I wear, that the eighth graders claim are in especially my most fashionable
“
friend, because she knows the most about fashion and has the cutest clothes,” Samantha said. The approval of friends who are respected for their fashion sense can help someone to feel confident in what she is wearing. As time progresses, however, it seems that girls gradually become more confident with their style without the input of others. “Originally I began to dress cuter because other girls began to, but now I don’t dress for other people,” said eighth grader Karis Thomas. “I dress for myself in things that make me feel confident.” Fashion is a form of selfexpression that provides a commonality for students, upon which a friendship can be formed. “People who like the same thing become closer, and one of those similar interests might be fashion. Fashion does not decide who’s friends with who, it is just a shared interest,” Gabrielle said. Fashion also articulates aspects of a person’s personality without the need for verbal recognition. “You find that people’s outfits relate to their personality,” said eighth grader Jessica Pugh. “People who wear bold things tend to be very outgoing and people who wear understated outfits tend to be pretty shy.” It also seems that fellow classmates support the fashion of their peers and encourage other students to dress in clothes that make them feel confident. “I love seeing people change up what the are wearing. If I see that someone is wearing something different from their usual style, I go out of my way to complement them,” Gabrielle said. “I think it is great to see people express themselves through fashion.” story by Lane Hirsch
Alanna is never afraid to try something new. The curious sophomore has an exploring nature both at Greenhill and outside of school. This year, she changed her routine summer trip to the Greene Family Camp in Waco, going instead on a vacation she has never been on before. “This summer, for the first time ever, I went on a vacation with only friends,” Alanna said. “We went to my friend’s house in Wisconsin and it was really fun.” She spent her days on the shore of Lake Superior, traveling to small islands with her friends. “It was the first time I’d done that, flying alone and that kind of thing,” Alanna said about the experience. But traveling alone is not the first time Alanna has stepped outside of her comfort zone. She tried being a vegetarian two years ago as a New Year’s resolution, and it stuck. “I try tons of new food, and I am a vegetarian, too, so that opens me up to a lot of different Asian foods,” Alanna said. Instead of going to the Texas
9
Photo by Varun Gupta
State Fair, Alanna went to the Veggie State Fair for the first time last year. The fair is held in Reverchon Park, populated with food trucks and tents set up with vegetarian food. “It’s something you don’t see a lot, especially in Texas, because it’s not a big vegetarian state,” Alanna said. “It’s a unique experience for Texans.” Alanna said she believes in being proficient in several areas, and not just a master of one thing. “I think it’s important to broaden your spectrum of your skills,” she said. Alanna followed this belief with her sports. After quitting club soccer, she wanted to try a new sport. “My brother was in cross country last year and he encouraged me to do that,” she said. She now spends two hours in cross country practice six days a week and also plays for the school soccer team. “I do pick up new things if I have the time. The time is the biggest limiting factor for me,” she said. Alanna plans to continue trying out new things in her life. “It definitely seems more intimidating as you grow up, because you feel you’re getting more judgment on the new things you try, but I would definitely encourage it.” story by Isabet Tranchin
10 features
Alex Weinberg Managing Editor
When senior Dylan Roberts was in Middle School, he loved opening up the newspaper, because he was often in it. At the time, Dylan was modeling like a mad man, and his face was plastered in advertisements from newspapers to magazines to billboards in New York City. “It’s fun to be in the limelight when you’re modeling at photoshoots like that,” Dylan said. “And it was cool showing my friends that I was in the paper.” He said he hopes it will be cool again, as he’s been on a hiatus from modeling since the end of seventh grade and is now trying to get back into the business. Most models are forced to take this break from working, because of the natural difficulties of being a model in one’s mid-teenage years. Most companies simply are not seeking many models in that age range, a kind of “awkward stage,” as Dylan calls it. But now, in the beginning of his senior year, having been out of the industry for over three years, Dylan is a finalist in the 2013 Kim Dawson model search, with hopes of signing a contract with the agency in the near future. But what happens when a young teenager, used to myriad modeling gigs, transitions into high school, where free time is scarcer, and so is the number of available jobs? “It’s definitely more competitive now than it used to be,” Dylan said.
The
Gerald Frankowski, the Head of Male Talent at the Kim Dawson Agency, can attest to that. He said he gets approximately 60 calls each week from Dallas-area male models hoping to find work modeling for print with the agency. Meanwhile, he said that only about 60 people are currently signed with the agency for male print modeling. That includes all ages, a range from about 17 to 42, according to Mr. Frankowski. Furthermore, those models are not guaranteed a set number of jobs. Rather, client demand dictates how often a given model will work. That can be multiple times per week or a couple times per month. So yes, it’s competitive. But it wasn’t always that way for Dylan. Dylan started modeling when he was four years old. His mother, Candace Henry, who has been in the modeling business both as a model and as a creative producer, applied for a mother-and-son job for Pella Windows and Doors, and the two of them got the job. Ms. Henry said the advertisement was posted in Lowe’s Home Improvement stores until a few years ago. Dylan continued to do some work here and there for the next several years, but his modeling career really picked up when he reached sixth grade. He signed a contract with The Campbell Agency and began modeling for JCPenney, or “Penney’s,” as Dylan fondly calls it. Through sixth and seventh grade, when Dylan was 12 and 13
Evergreen
wednesday, november 6, 2013
years old, he did photo-shoots for have been tough, as he was Penney’s every week, sometimes entering his “awkward stage.” Yes, as often as three times a week. For even professional models have weekday shoots, he was taken by awkward stages. taxi from school to the JCPenney “I was too old to play the kid headquarters in Plano, TX. Those roles and too young to play the adult gigs ranged from 30 minutes to roles,” Dylan said. “It goes that way two hours. Weekend shoots could for everyone. There’s just not much last all day. you can do about it.” Dylan said the amount With unfavorable conditions, of work he did then was more Dylan stopped modeling, devoting than the average model can more effort to schoolwork and his expect. He said he was lucky that Eagle Scout project. mother had connections in the “I definitely missed it,” he said. business, and his distinctive “The reason I did it so much in look (a light complexion and big the first place was because I really hair) made him an enjoyed it.” attractive model. So last spring, The workload towards the end of I loved being was not easy, but his junior year, Dylan on set with Dylan said he didn’t asked his mom about the wind mind. reentering the field. blowing and “I loved it,” he “I told him that if the music said. “I loved being playing and he completed his Eagle on set with the wind just having Scout requirements and blowing and the fun in front of his grades were solid, music playing and just the camera.” then we would pursue having fun in front of it,” Ms. Henry said. the camera.” Dylan met the Dylan’s pictures appeared criteria, and he and his mom on posters in JCPenney stores, went to the Kim Dawson Agency in print catalogues and newspaper this summer to gauge interest. inserts, and on a billboard in The representatives at the agency New York City. mentioned that the model search Despite his success, however, would take place in the fall, so Dylan Dylan had to stop working—by the submitted an application. mandate of his mom. Out of approximately 1,500 “No distractions,” Ms. Henry hopefuls, Dylan was chosen to said. “Education comes first, be one of seven finalists, three and modeling took up a lot of male and four female. time and attention.” In participating in the talent Even if Dylan had continued search, Dylan has done two phototo pursue modeling, it would shoots, and starred in a short film.
“
Other finalists include high school students at Trinity Valley School and Berkner High School, along with a few older contestants. Dylan said his interactions with these other finalists have been friendly, but there’s no doubt that it’s a contest. “We all get along and I have fun talking to them before and after shoots,” Dylan said. “But at the end of the day, we’re all pretty much competing for a job, so I have to keep that in mind.” Of course, it wasn’t always a competition for Dylan, who pretty much had it made in his earlier modeling years, when being “on the job” essentially meant acting like a kid. “I definitely have to be professional at all times,” he said. “Not that I didn’t have to be professional about my business before, but it’s especially important now.” Judges at the Kim Dawson Agency will determine the winner of the model search, who will be guaranteed a contract with the agency and will also receive a $1,000 NorthPark mall prize package. Additionally, an online poll open to the public will determine viewers’ choice amongst the finalists. The competition ends and winners will announced Nov 13. “Win or lose,” Dylan said, “I’m just having fun getting back to modeling again.” Center photo by Larry Travis courtesy of the Kim Dawson Modeling Agency. All others courtesy of Dylan Roberts. These are just a few of the many photos from his modeling career.
The
wednesday, november 6, 2013
Evergreen
features
11
Peculiar Pets
Some students live with creatures you might find strange Ben Schachter Staff Writer
With a leash in hand, senior Emily Margolis walks down her block, stopping occasionally as Petunia, her pet, sniffs around and gets her daily exercise. Petunia walks sluggishly and tugs reluctantly on her leash. Cars pass by and turn to smile because she isn’t your average pet. She’s a pig. “This happens all the time,” laughs Weezie Margolis, Emily’s mom. Petunia Margolis is one of the many unusual pets with whom Greenhill students share their homes. Sophomore Joseph Clint tends often to the chickens living in his backyard, and freshman Mira Fradkin bathes her chinchilla in dust. Families choose these interesting pets for a variety of reasons. In one case, a family member is allergic to cats and dogs. In another, the pets perform a useful function. Finally, some people have their weird pets just because they’re different. “It’s almost like
photos courtesy of Emily Margolis, Mira Fradkin, and Joseph Clint
PIG IN A BLANKET: Senior Emily Margolis’ pig Petunia lies down for a nap on her couch (left). Freshman Mira Fradkin’s chinchilla Weston rests in its cage (top right), and sophomore Joseph Clint’s chicken Benedict sits in his arms.
having a dog,” laughs Emily, “other than the fact that she doesn’t look like a dog.” Petunia, a white-pink Vietnamese miniature potbelly pig, fits the household requirements, as Emily’s dad, Dr. Mark Margolis, is allergic to cats and dogs. Mrs. Margolis has always wanted a pig, too. “My mom had wanted a pig since before my sister was born,” said Emily, “so when my sister went off to college, she decided to get one.” The Margolises have their pig for one reason, but the Clints have their chickens for a whole other purpose. “It’s a cool and interesting pet and we get fresh eggs,” said Joseph. “We get about two [eggs] a day.” Each of the five chickens—Boo, Flap, Lulu, Valentine, and Benedict—has its own personality, said Joseph. “Benedict and Valentine are really nice and don’t mind people,” said Joseph, “but Boo is much more frightful.” Not only do the chickens provide eggs and entertainment on a daily basis for the Clints, they also do some of the “d i r t y w o r k .”
“They eat all the bugs in the ground and their poop fertilizes the backyard,” said Joseph. Without the chickens, the Clints would be forced to do things that non-chicken owners do, such as going to the grocery or gardening store. Joseph’s chickens are more than a pet, but Mira’s chinchilla is just a pet that happens to look and act a little differently. As the softest animal in the world, according to “factzoo.com,” the chinchilla is best known for its service to furriers. But for Mira, he’s just a fun pet. “I always wanted a pet,” said Mira, “and my parents wanted to get me something unique, and they found a chinchilla breeder in Dallas and bought one.” Chinchillas might not be for everyone, though. “I think they’re for somebody who has a lot of time. They sleep during the day so you have to find time in the evening to play with them,” said Mira. Each pet owner said that their pets are extremely lovable and different, but like all animals, they can present difficulties. “You have to be very watchful of them,” said Joseph, “making sure they’re
not outside all of the time.” Chinchillas typically live in cooler habitats; therefore, they overheat easily in the warm Texas heat. This sometime provides a problem for Mira. “It’s hard in the winter when we have to heat up the house, but Weston forces us to keep the house cooler,” said Mira. Petunia is also a pretty needy pet. “My mom takes her on a walk three times a day,” said Emily. Like the chinchilla, the pig is also a pet for someone with a lot of time. With her constant need for exercise and her large appetite (a salad made of green vegetables, with dried pig food), Petunia forces her owners to pay close attention to her, but they don’t mind. Although they require more attention than your average pet, each of these animals provides their owners with something unique and special that few others get to experience. Because o f their dedicated owners, the unusual pets get the chance to live the city life.
graphic by Sera Tuz
Teacher shares passion for history and sports cont’d from page 1 said Mr. Cotton. If that doesn’t make him busy enough, Mr. Cotton also finds time to be the club sponsor for True Colors, Social Justice and the Political Action Club. His determination and persistence were especially needed during the Tri-Wizard program that was launched two years ago. The program brought Greenhill students and Israeli students together online. The students connected over Skype, sharing their cultural experiences and learning about the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and other cultures. “Greenhill students are hungry for authentic learning experiences,” he said. “I really liked that the program gave both perspectives, even for students with strong opinions.” Due to technical and logistical issues, the program ended, but Mr. Cotton was more than willing to try it. He has also been teaching a World
History class at University of Texas takes his passion for the Sox all at Dallas for the past 11 years. the way. He doesn’t just show “I’m going do it until I do it up to a game, he brings props. right,” he joked. During college, Mr. Cotton was a Despite all friend of a friend of his academic Nomar Garciaparra, commitments, the a famous Red Sox Greenhill stusports enthusiast in player, and has dents are hungry Mr. Cotton has lived for authentic ten years worth of on. He has been the cards learning expe- Christmas assistant tennis coach riences. I re- to show for it. The for 10 years. He is also are ally liked that the mementos a committed member program gave usually tucked away of “Greenhill Red both perspec- in a file cabinet, Sox Nation,” a faction tives, even for but are brought out of Boston baseball students with for games. enthusiasts on campus. What more can strong opinions.” He shared his love for Mr. Cotton add to his the Red Sox with his plate? Right now he is father growing up in also juggling his desire Atlanta and the two of them had the to learn French by listening to TV 5 chance last summer to visit Fenway Monde, a French radio station, Park with Upper School English and he just left for a professional teacher Andy Mercurio (another development trip to China member of Red Sox Nation), on Nov. 5. Mr. Mercurio’s father, and Mr. In the words of Mr. Cotton, Cotton’s son. “Who needs sleep?” Not surprisingly, Mr. Cotton story by Shruti Rao
“
12
The
Eve
A Changing Construction on the
Greenhill today looks different than it did fifteen years ago. And in less building projects, The Evergreen decided to examine the motivations be Ben Weinberg Managing Editor
In the final week of their visit to Greenhill, students from Taipei’s Minglun High School decked themselves out in traditional Taiwanese garb, cued the music, and began their dance performance before the entire Upper School – all eight students confined to a fifteen-byfive foot rectangle of space. Sprawled out across the Elliott Center were the more than 400 Greenhill students, not to mention faculty members and other guests who had dropped by to watch. Students sat on top of tables and listened from hallways. Feet and hands encroached on the Taiwanese students’ dance floor. For the seniors relegated to the back, the event was standing room only. Such is the scene at dozens of divisionwide gatherings throughout the year. Space at the regular all-Upper School meetings is simply too tight, even as the seniors already tune in via live stream in the Lecture Hall. More than 350 freshmen, sophomores, juniors, and faculty members squeeze into the packed Elliott Center multiple times per rotation – and assembly space isn’t the only area in need of update and expansion on campus. Paint peels and doors creak in the Zale-Fields Theater. Thirty students pack into a converted storage space for each Advanced Video Production class. Lunchtime at Greenhill stretches nearly three hours in order to accommodate the entire student body in the cafeteria’s limited space. The last 15 years at Greenhill have seen momentous physical change on campus. Since 2000, the school has erected new facilities for the Lower School, Upper School, and Athletics Center. With the construction, the need for updates and expansions of other areas around campus became even more obvious. Greenhill’s administration and Board of Trustees went public just this fall with their plan to respond in a big way. The early October launch of the $52.5 million Building Community campaign, the largest and most expensive construction project in school history, will reshape the east half of campus in the form of a brand new Performing Arts & Assembly Center and major expansions to the school’s dining and athletic spaces. Current plans are to break ground in spring of 2014 on the new building, which will sit east of Founders’ Place, accessible from Hornet Road. There are two central objectives: a performing arts facility to adequately support student interests, and an assembly space to accommodate large events on campus, such as division-wide gatherings and special guest speakers or presentations. According to Scott Griggs, Head of School, the reconstruction and addition of valuable student space will open up a wealth of opportunity. “This is going to transform our campus,” Mr. Griggs said. “It will change how we go about
our daily lives.” The $52.5 million is more than twice the amount raised for Greenhill’s last major construction project, the 2005 renovations of the Lower and Upper School. That project required $20 million in construction and $5 million in endowment. Greenhill’s fundraising thus far for the Building Community campaign has already surpassed the entirety of that past project: as of October 20, contributions totaled nearly $30 million, almost entirely from members of the school’s Board of Trustees. Now that the campaign has “gone public,” the goal is to get the rest of the community on board in order to keep the project moving along as planned. With such expenses, the fundraising has not necessarily been easy. According to Chief Financial Officer Melissa Orth, careful deliberations and planning were a priority before the school brought anything to its families and potential contributors. The push for updates in arts facilities originated with the Board of Trustees’ 2009 Strategic Plan. The plan identified an assembly space and a performing arts center as the School’s two most urgent needs. From there, the administration and the Board spent nearly three years doing research and groundwork to establish a strong and cohesive plan. It wasn’t until this past summer that the $52.5 million became the final number. Of course, those behind the planning realize that a plan this large and expensive requires an attention to cost-effectiveness, especially in comparison to past projects. According to Mr. Griggs, the nature of the specific goals of the Building Community campaign is what sets it apart. “We’re addressing several issues [with this project],” Mr. Griggs said. “It’s the multiplicity of efforts that is driving the cost.” Mrs. Orth also explained that the cost is partially so much greater than in 2005 because of what specifically is being built. Whereas the 2005 project consisted almost entirely of building classroom space, the Performing Arts & Assembly Center will have unique – and more elaborate – requirements, due to the more complex space and equipment necessary for theaters, workshops, and video production. “This is a very technical project,” she said. “That’s the major difference between an artistic and academic space.” First and foremost among the efforts: a simple need for more space. The new Performing Arts and Assembly Building will offer a proscenium theater with seating for 600, roughly three times the size of the current one on campus. This will be the first space on campus other than the Phillips Gymnasium capable of holding division-wide assemblies – a far cry from the cramped Elliott Center on C-days. The building will also offer updated and expanded facilities for video production, dance, and tech theater students, as well as a black box theater similar in size to the one currently on campus. The amenities of the new space will serve as an update to the performing arts facilities in both newness and equipment. According to Corbin Doyle, Video Production and Digital Art teacher, integration of the theater and film programs will be major steps forward for both. Now housed in a classroom separated from the Fine Arts Building by a storage room, video production classes will share a shop space with theater and technical theater students, fulfilling a goal
“This is going to transform our campus...It will change how we go about our daily lives.”
TUNE YOUR STRINGS: The Performing Arts and Assembly Center, as seen from Founder’s Place, will boast a 650-seat proscenium theater, roughly three times the capacity of Zale-Fields.
ergreen
wednesday, november 6, 2013
13
Landscape: e Greenhill Campus
s than three years, the campus will shift again. Given the continuance of hind the construction as well as future plans for our expanding campus.
DINING HALL: Interior view of the future cafeteria. The new dining space will feature a new round-table layout, as well as a private dining room to host meetings and events.
that Mr. Doyle and Technical Theatre Director Michael Orman have shared for several years. The hope is that the integration will lead to more crossover work between film and theater students, something that Mr. Doyle said he hasn’t seen much in the past. “You would think that proximity wouldn’t be that important,” Mr. Doyle said. “But we’ve come to learn that it definitely is.” It’s that kind of program advancement, Mr. Griggs says, that is so essential to the goals of the building campaign. “We have a fantastic arts program,” Mr. Griggs said. “It can still be so much more.” In addition to adding to the arts program, the new assembly space will likely expand what Greenhill is able to offer outside of the classroom. The proscenium theater, besides hosting student productions and C-day meetings, will also be utilized for special events. Mr. Griggs said he expects to see more unique opportunities for bringing guest speakers and presentations to campus – opportunities that were either unavailable or even undesirable before. “I’ll get inquiries from speakers about coming to campus, and I’ll have to shy away from them, because we do not have adequate space for assembly” Mr. Griggs said. He explained that due to deficiencies in space and facilities, Greenhill has simply not been able to play host to some of the opportunities of which the school is capable. The construction will also do more than just open up room for arts and assemblies in the new building. In the cafeteria, space issues result in the school lunch schedule lasting from 11:00 in the morning to 1:40 in the afternoon – an unnecessarily long schedule, according to Mr. Griggs. The cafeteria will undergo a top-tobottom overhaul: planned changes include dining area for students in Pre-K – 2nd grade, a private dining room for meetings and events, and a round-table layout to replace the current long-table format. “I don’t think people are even going to recognize the cafeteria when it’s done,” Mr. Griggs said. And by catering to more students in less time, divisions will no longer have to organize their schedules around when they get to eat. By narrowing and synchronizing lunch times, faculty members expect to have more flexibility in their curricular options. First, the school made proposals to 42 different architectural firms from around the coumtry. After months of interviews and deliberation, the group was narrowed to three for further visitation. The Board and administration finally decided on the New York-based firm Weiss/Manfredi. Weiss/Manfredi is a Manhattan-based firm run by husband-and-wife team Marion Weiss and Michael Manfredi. The firm has work all over the nation, most notably the Seattle Olympic
Sculpture Park, completed in 2007, and the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, which opened in 2012. The firm was also recently selected to design the Sylvan Theater on the National Mall in Washington, D.C. Decision-makers from the Greenhill side said they were impressed by the range and versatility of Weiss/Manfredi’s projects, in particular their ability to make the buildings properly fit the environment. “[The firm] had a tangible difference in terms of the talent, the creativity, the energy, and the work they’d done in the past,” Mr. Griggs said. “The decision was obvious.” From there, an architectural plan was outlined, and the initial fundraising efforts began, resulting in the $30 million raised thus far. Mrs. Orth noted that the school did not expect to obtain the final $22.5 million in contributions by the start of construction in spring, instead relying on financing for the remainder of the campaign goal. This is standard procedure for campaigns of this scope. According to the current timeline, it will be nearly two years before the Performance Arts and Assembly Center is complete. As of now, the current architects’ design will create a building visible from the intersection at Midway Road and Spring Valley Road, a prominent structure for Greenhill students to view upon arrival every morning. “This is going to be an iconic building on campus,” Mr. Griggs said. After years of deliberation and decision-making, it is sure to be a worthy one.
Fall 201 5
Planned opening of the new Performing Arts/Assembly center
KICKING AND SCREAMING: View of the athletic fields on Midway and Spring Valley, with a planned sports pavillion in the background.
14 special report
The
Evergreen
wednesday, november 6, 2013
Graphic by La ura Arnold
50
FLASHBACK: On Saturday, Nov. 22, 1963, President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in Dallas. The above newspaper clippings are reactions from the day of the fatal shooting. This year, Dallas recognizes the 50th anniversary of his death throughout November and mid-December.
Dan Kasten
Upper School English teacher Dan Kasten was a high school freshman in Minnesota at the time of the Kennedy assassination. “Our first reaction was disbelief, because certainly in my experience that just didn’t connect with anything we had known. But very quickly of course it sunk in that this was the truth. [. . .] It was all assassination all the time for most of a week and we just sat there with our mouths open, numb, watching the horror unfold. And then two or three days later, watching, literally, as Oswald was gunned down on national TV.”
Mary Tapia Upper School language teacher Mary Tapia was a seventh grader in Dallas. “I recollect that they put the flag at half mast, and we knew enough to figure out that something really sad had happened, but we didn’t know exactly what. So that afternoon when my mother picked me up, I said, “Is it true?” And she said, “Yes.” We didn’t talk for the rest of the way home. [. . .] When I was an exchange student in Japan in 1969, some of my classmates came up to me and said, “Poom, poom, Kennedy,” when they found out I was from Dallas.”
David Lowen Upper School history teacher David Lowen was a fifth grader in Garland, TX. “Kennedy was shot in November, and that following summer we went up to Kansas, and we walked into my aunt’s house and her first reaction was, ‘We should take every damn Texan, and shoot
years after the Kennedy assassination, teachers recount their memories. While some remember the shooting through media coverage, others recall their first-hand experiences.
‘em.’ That kinda caught me by surprise and showed me how much people disliked Dallas. We are not that city of hate, and it hasn’t felt like [the people of Dallas] have accepted that this was the place our president was shot.”
Monica Bullock Middle School English teacher Monica Bullock was a second grader in Connecticut. “I was really too young to see it all, but I just took it all in. I mean, after hearing about all of this, I was afraid of being assassinated. I had trouble sleeping, staying alone, and even going into our basement. It was just so ‘real.’ It was the country’s loss of innocence, but it was also my loss of innocence.”
Peggy Turlington Middle School history teacher Peggy Turlington was a first grader in Dallas. She published a tour book of the sites President Kennedy visited during his trip to Dallas and has more recently created an iPhone application, JFK in Dallas, which contains virtual maps and other features. “There is something so local and rich about this part of our history. These sites should never be lost,” she said.
Tony Brigham Fourth grade science teacher Tony Brigham was a seventh grader who witnessed the motorcade in downtown Dallas prior to the Kennedy assassination. “We were standing about three blocks away from where he was shot. The streets were lined with hundreds of men dressed in black suits and fedora hats. The only thing
I saw from the parade was a quick flash of pink. It was Jackie Kennedy. We stood out there for 45 minutes to an hour. All in all, I just saw the brilliant flash of pink, and then the parade was over. We turned around and walked to the car, which was around three to four blocks away. By the time we sat in the car, the radio announced that President Kennedy had been shot. We thought it couldn’t be true, since we just saw him, we just saw the president. There was no way. But the reports kept coming in. I got back to school and the teacher asked me, “How’s the president” and I said, “He’s been shot.” Everybody was telling me not to make fun of him like that; no one believed me. Fifteen minutes later, the principal told everybody that the president had been shot and killed. It was a sad, sad day.”
Andy Mercurio Upper School English teacher Andy Mercurio recounts memories with his father, a Boston native, visiting the Sixth Floor Museum in downtown Dallas. “My father felt so compelled to see where one of the worst evils of his lifetime was committed. He had to see it. He had to confront this. I think it was then, at the [Sixth Floor Museum] that I understood the depth of his connection to the president. My dad identified with him. My dad believed in his hope. At that museum, that’s where I finally understood his hurting. I also didn’t realize how hard it was for my parents having me come down here. It’s taken a while for them, because all they ever knew of this city was that their own was taken from them.” Story by Sanah Hasan
Upcoming Events: 2013 Living History Series: Bill and Gayle Newman (with sons Clayton and Bill) The Sixth Floor Museum; 2 pm-3pm 411 Elm St. Dallas, TX, 75202 The program presents the Newmans, who were the closest civilian eyewitnesses to JFK when he was shot. It occurs on Saturday Nov. 9 . It is free with museum admission and only $10 if you go just for the program. See the Dallas Morning News Event Listings for more details. Reporters Remember: JFK in Dallas Ben E. Keith Company; Thursday, Nov. 14, 6:00 PM 1805 Record Crossing Rd. Dallas, TX 75235 The Ben E. Keith Company will be hosting a gathering of long-time Dallasites to convene and remember the assassination. The event will feature a meet-and-greet with local authors, followed by a panel of journalists who covered the events of Nov. 22, 1963. Tickets cost $20 at the door. See the Dallas Morning News Event Listings for more details. Jackie and Main Street: A Retrospective on the Influence of Fashion by Jacqueline Kennedy during the 1960s H. Paxton Moore Fine Art Gallery 801 Main St. Dallas, TX 75202 Monday, Nov. 11 – Friday, Dec. 13 10:00 AM – 4:00 PM El Centro College hosts an art show exploring the influence of first lady Jacqueline Kennedy on fashion retail during the early 1960s. Admission is free. See http:// www.elcentrocollege.edu/artgallery for more details. Additional reporting by Laura Arnold
The Evergreen Wednesday [11.06.13]
ARTS
& Entertainment
PROJECTING NEW IDEAS For a closer look at the work of Greenhill actors and tech crew for the fall drama, flip to p. 18
W
hen people think of the Assistant Head of an Upper School, they might not envision someone who designs floral arrangements five months in advance of an event, shipping flowers from as far as Chile and Colombia. While still running a tight ship on campus, Rebecca Shuman adds art to her job. Crafting, a casual hobby for many people, is an activity that Mrs. Shuman has spent almost her whole life doing in various forms. “I have a love of color and texture, and that love of color and texture finds its way into scrapbooking and my other art endeavors such as card making and flower arranging,” she said. Mrs. Shuman’s love of creating beautiful things goes back to her childhood. “When I was little, I had a garden and I planted flowers and I would put them in jars and soda cans and arrange them. I’ve always had a love of flowers, so I would just do something with them,” she said The garden was in her backyard in smalltown Clinton, Illinois, Mrs. Shuman was drawn to flower arranging at an early age, using her creativity to match the colors and shapes from her garden into displays in vases. Now, her crafting passion has turned into an activity that relaxes her. Each scrapbook made by Mrs. Shuman is different. Some she makes completely digitally, using Shutterfly to put the images together. Others are made by gluing pictures to colorful paper and adding stickers, captions, and handcut borders, changing in size and dimension for each book. One corner of her garage, her crafting haven, has stacks of patterned paper, glue, paint, markers, stickers, scissors. This is where she escapes the sounds of chatter and television. She stocks this crafting corner with supplies recycled from old projects, papers that have accumulated over the years, and even old posters left around the Upper School by students abandoning their projects. Mrs. Shuman also goes to the craft store about once or twice a month. She uses her ability to give back to others, making scrapbooks and cards for events such as wedding gifts, presents for her family, and
Photo courtesy of Rebecca Shuman
METHOD TO THE MADNESS: Mrs. Shuman’s craft space in her garage has a place for all of her materials, organized by medium and color. She uses this work space to create all of her projects, from journals to scrapbooks. Not only does it offer a quiet environment, but it’s cozy too.
in memory of those who have died. items from Mrs. Shuman. “That’s important to me. I can buy a “Mrs. Shuman gave me a notebook that store-bought card, but I can make a heartfelt I use for school and professional work. My card. That’s meaningful to me and I think it’s family is on the inside cover and my initial is meaningful to them,” said Mrs. Shuman. “I on the front, and it’s easy to carry around so I like to make thoughtful things.” always have it with me,” said Mrs. Smith. She makes a physical documentation of One other item is a Do-It-Yourself, or memories that only last an instant. DIY, notebook where Mrs. Smith can jot down “Some things, if I don’t take her ideas for inspiration. For Mrs. a photo, then it won’t ever get Smith’s wedding, Mrs. Shuman recorded,” said Mrs. Shuman. made a bridal shower memory I have a love She is known by her family as book, themed with the colors of of color and the “family historian,” recording the wedding, chocolate and pink. texture and that genealogy for not only her family, As she records her life love of color and but for her husband’s as well. through pictures, and even other’s texture finds its “The scrapbooking is really way into scrap- lives, one thing she does that will about preserving family heritage booking always stick is the Senior Tennis and having it there for other people Scrapbooks. For each graduating to pass on,” said Mrs. Shuman. senior in tennis, Mrs. Shuman, the And through her joy, she head coach, makes a scrapbook. brings others joy through her creations. Upper “Throughout my years on the team, [the School Science teacher and fellow crafter scrapbook] was something we all looked Michelle Smith has received three handmade forward to recieveing. It has pictures from
“
all my four years on the team.” said former Greenhill Tennis player Emitom Hillsman ‘12. “It is just a great collection of memories and a beautiful way to remember one of the most beloved parts of my high school experience.” Mrs. Shuman feels fortunate that in addition to the busy day-to-day process of meetings, contacting people, and solving problems as Assistant Head of Upper School, her job also gives her opportunities to create for projects such as the Baccalaureate and Commencement ceremonies. “I’m lucky that the kind of job I have, I have to use a certain level of creativity,” she said. Mrs. Shuman has developed her crafting from flower arranging as a child into scrapbooking and even multimedia projects. Given that so much of this giving back is for Greenhill, it seems like an added bonus that her favorite color is green. story by Catherine Leffert
Improv is no joke for its committed troupe Arhum Khan Staff Writer
At morning practices, the members of the improv troupe might be given a topic. After a quick conversation, members create a humorous scene in just seconds, causing the team to burst into laughter. They’ll do it again and again until it’s second nature. While this may seem as simple as spouting out a clever pun or pop culture reference, improvisational theater is no easy task. It requires a mindset of rigorous habit and intensity, along with long hours of practice. “There are a lot of misconceptions, because if it was actually pure improv, then there would be a couple of people with absolutely nothing,” said senior Ricky McMurry. “We find structure in games, while still not knowing what will be thrown at us.” The practice of improv is like muscle memory for the mind, and members are
trained to handle any situation that they face. The troupe practices at least once every week at 7 a.m., and even more often in the weeks before a performance. They also meet once per rotation during bagel break. However, improv is no ordinary club. “We’re not a club where showing up once a month allows you a spot,” said club sponsor Henry Paolissi, whom the students know as Mr. P. “This acting takes practice.” The team also meets during studentrun lunch meetings every D-day, as well as occasional weekend practices. “It is very intense, and it requires a lot of work,” Ricky said. During practice, the team runs over the games they would play in a performance. Mr. P often pauses them to give tips and feedback so that they know how to react to anything that their partners say. The tips are part of a core set of principles
that’s all about building professionalism. “We try hard to keep an appropriate environment. Staying professional is important, and it sets us apart,” said Mr. P. Part of this professionalism is always propelling the scene forwards. To do this, the students make sure to stay away from any negation. Even if someone says something outrageous, the troupe goes with it. Upperclassmen share and pass on this and other knowledge of improv to the newer members. For example, this past summer, Ricky visited New York, where he attended various improv shows throughout the city and even got to interact with professionals. “I tried to pick up as much as I could. Improv really connected with me from my freshman year onwards, and now I wanted to bring something back to the other members, especially the younger guys,” Ricky said. One of those new guys is freshman
Evan O’Brien. Juggling improv and another extracurricular can be difficult, but Evan manages to balance football and improv. “It can be a little tough balancing sometimes when I have to miss a morning workout for sports, but it is all extremely worth it,” Evan said. After these hours of practice and dedication, the troupe becomes very close to one another. “In many ways, we are like a sports team, because the group really bonds, and the team become really close,” said Mr. P. “They can depend on each other and we are a very closeknit group.” New members are welcomed with wideopen arms. “Already, the team is close in such a short time, and I feel like I know the others like it’s been a while,” said freshman Jonah Goldberg.
16 arts
The
Evergreen
wednesday, november 6 , 2013
Photo by Ariana Zhang
ART CORNER: Each year, Advanced Placement art students claim a space in the art room, where they will work throughout the course. Their workspace becomes their own works of art as they decorate it however they want. Pictured above is Junior Maddie Montoya’s workspace.
AP art room provides personal sanctuary for artistic growth Christina Zhu
Asst. Features Editor
Natural light pours in from windows up above, barring the need for artificial light. The smell of wet paint hangs in the air. The wall is speckled with sticky notes, magazine clippings and sketches. Colored pencils, sketch books and scissors cover the tables. There are palettes of still-wet oil paints with a note to not touch them. Every tool has its own special place on the tables, and disturbing them would be a violation of
personal space. Noise from classes going on in adjacent rooms is muted as though in a different world. Each personalized corner of the room is a projection of one of the four Advanced Placement Art students. “It gives them their own space to work in,” said Lesley Rucker, AP Studio Art teacher. “They’re here all year, so they need their own space and are able to embellish it in whatever way they want. It gives the students the opportunity to be who they are and express their voice, and
that’s important.” The AP Art room, tucked behind the Middle School and Upper School art rooms, is divided into four distinct areas, one for each student in the class, which they can decorate however they want. Junior Maddie Montoya painted her walls sky blue and hung some of her finished art. In another corner, the walls are mint green with a pouty, pug face painted on one of them. “It’s nice to have a personal space,” said Maddie. “I like surrounding myself with things I’ve already done, because it kind of helps me think in the future about other creative stuff. I also put Post-It notes, reminding me to do stuff, so it’s like my own little office space.” Senior Chandler Hull has not decorated his section yet, and that’s exactly how he wants it. “I may end up putting some stuff up, but right now it’s not my first priority. I’m okay with a white wall. Fewer distractions help me,” he said. For Maddie and Chandler, the AP Art room is a perfect sanctuary for focusing on art. “At home there are a lot of distractions around me, so when I want to sit down and draw it can be difficult,” Maddie said. “I like how it’s not in a normal class room,” said Chandler. “It’s just a side classroom; no one really comes back here, because most people don’t even know about it, except if you’re in AP Art.” Throughout the year, students complete at least 29 pieces of art for three different portfolios that will be sent to judges for the AP exam. The Breadth portfolio demonstrates strength in technique and versatility in subject matter. The Concentration
portfolio is a series of 12 images that “It takes a lot of work and deditell an artistic narrative. The third cation, and it does need that passion component is the Quality portfolio, and drive. You’ve got to really want composed of the student’s five stron- it. Whether it’s just for yourself or gest pieces. Because each student you’re going to pursue a career in creates a personal portfolio, the cur- art,” Mrs. Rucker said. riculum for AP Art is approached With deadlines to meet, studifferently from other art classes. dents often spend extra time in the “I used to have assignments AP Art room to work on the pieces. that the whole AP class had to cre“You cannot create your portfoate,” said Mrs. Rucker. “[But] the lio just by coming to class,” said Mrs. goal is when you look Rucker. “That’s why they at all the final pieces for have their own spaces, It’s nice to the portfolios, you want so that they can come in have a personal them to show their voice anytime. They can bring space. I like as an artist. So I started their lunches and do surrounding work. We have Studio individualizing the curmyself with Saturdays, so that they riculum.” the things I’ve can come in and work in Depending on what already done.” the studio for an extendmedium the students choose for their portfoed period of time.” lio, the teacher may vary, The workload but usually it is Mrs. Rucker. ramps up as the portfolio deadline Chandler said he appreciates looms in April. how Mrs. Rucker interacts with the “I usually come in here during class. “She’s really helpful,” he said. my breaks. I have a couple breaks a “She’s back here most of the time day, so I’ll spend another class and a and we can ask her anything. She half or so, on average, and some days gives us ideas and tells us what to do it’s two, two and a half classes,” said or what not to do.” Chandler. “Sometimes I’ll spend Mrs. Rucker said her job is to lunch in here, too.” make sure that the students are getBut the students are happy to ting what they need out of AP Art. put in the extra time. “I’m here to teach and guide. “Art is everything to me,” MadMy hope, as a visual art teacher and die said. “It’s a huge part of my life painter, is that a student comes out and it’s my main stress reliever. It’s of the AP Studio Art program with the one thing I love putting my great critical-thinking skills. If I can whole heart into. It’s never really do that, and encourage and keep stressful, because the creative part of their passion alive, I think I’ve done the class makes it a lot better.” my job,” she said. “It’s just something that I can To be considered for AP Art, a be myself more in instead of followstudent must take prerequisite class- ing a prompt for a paper, I can just es, usually six trimesters in total. do whatever I want. Even if there are “You have to submit work and certain guidelines I have to do, it’s show that you’re ready,” said Mrs. still mine, it’s me, and that’s what I Rucker, because though the room is like about it instead of other school tranquil, the process is intense. work,” Chandler said.
“
The
wednesday, november 6, 2013
Evergreen
arts
17
Take Three: The many traits of the many Crates Suman Chebrolu Staff Writer
It all started with trying to prove their mom wrong. Three years ago, the Crates sisters, Chandler, Cameron, and Campbell Crates (grades nine, eight, and six) were in the car with their mom listening to the radio when they heard an ad about auditioning for a competition in Orlando, FL. Chandler, the eldest, memorized the number and was eager to call it. Mrs. Crates did not believe that it was even valid, but called it in order to prove her point. To her surprise, it worked, so Mrs. Crates took the three sisters to the auditions in Dallas. Afterwards, they were invited to go to Orlando for the final stage of the competition. Campbell placed second in her age division. She was contacted by 13 different agents afterwards. Since then, life in the Crates household has been busy with running to practices and preparing for auditions. “We live in a zoo,” said Mrs. Crates. Campbell was only a third grader when the family took the
trip to Florida. But ever since she was very young, she had an interest in acting and took theater classes. Earlier in her third grade school year, she discovered a new interest: film. She wanted to take film classes, a choice that partially led to her desire to do the auditions in the first place. Her success in Orlando influenced her to continue auditioning for film. Cameron, a current eighth grader, was also interested in acting on the stage before the audition. “In elementary school, I was really into doing the plays,” she said. “Although I felt like there was something missing, and then I found out about film.” Cameron has not been in any films yet, but she sees light in the future. “I think it’s [going to] work out, because I have faith in myself and I believe if I keep working hard for what I want, then I’m [going to] eventually get there,” she said. “I don’t know if it’s [going to] be today, I don’t know if it’s [going to] be tomorrow, it may not even be in ten years. But who knows?” Chandler, who wanted to audition in the first place, discovered
she did not like acting after all. Only after the auditions did she discover her real passion: guitar and singing. Self-taught, she has been practicing for the past three years. Sometimes her dad does help her with guitar, since he played in high school. Chandler owns over 30 band shirts, which she wears often. She is currently taking drum classes. The entire family goes to Los Angeles, CA over the summer, where they stay in a rental house. The girls practice their acting and take singing lessons with David Coury, who has worked with artists such as Ashley Tisdale, Hilary Duff, and Leona Lewis. Cameron and Campbell audition for multiple roles over the summer. There are always plenty of girls trying out, so chances are not always high. “The traffic [in L.A.] is awful and the people are kind of rude,” said Chandler. But other than that, she said she enjoys the life there, especially since the family has friends there. In general, Mrs. Crates said she is glad the girls can pursue their own interests. In September, Campbell
participated in the Action on Film International Film Festival. She won the award for Best Young Actress for her role as “Dawn” in “The Call,” a professional film in which Dawn is abused by her father. Mrs. Crates said the family was surprised that she won the award, considering they are very new to the industry. Cameron and Chandler were extremely proud of their sister. Like most siblings, the girls do not always get along. “All I can ever do is sit in my room and Chandler starts blasting music,” Campbell said. “She would be singing so loudly that I could not even hear anything.” TRIPLE THREAT: Sisters Campbell, Chandler, and But, ultimately, the Cameron Crates strike a pose on the red carpet. sisters hold a very close Photo courtesy of Angela Crates bond.
New elective puts photography within reach Students usually have to put away their iPhones and iPods during classes, with only the occasional furtive glance at the screens. But in this year’s new Middle School photography class, an iPod touch lies conspicuously in front of each student. In fact, most of the class revolves around these devices. Greenhill opted to purchase iPod touches for this class rather than traditional cameras, as they will be more accessible to the Middle School students as beginning photographers. “It made a lot of sense because it’s stripped-away technology. It’s using technology they’re familiar with that doesn’t throw an additional barrier to learning photography,” said Frank Lopez, Upper School Visual Arts Department Chair and now Middle School photography teacher. “Whenever you can use the tools that the students are used to, it makes all the difference for the experience in the long term.” Instead of learning how to operate a complex camera, students can take quality photos with the tip of their fingers. “The iPod touches are much easier to use than a normal cam-
era. Using a camera app on the iPod, you can drag the focal point across the screen and adjust the lighting very easily by using your finger,” said eighth grader Alice Zhang. The Middle School photography class is a standard Middle School elective, meeting every other day for 45 minutes. Each student in the class receives an iPod touch that is their responsibility for the duration of the trimester. The iPod touches will remain strictly in the Middle School class, as the techniques used when working with film cameras and high-quality digital cameras are central to the Upper School photography classes. The Middle School class was created to learn the basics of photography as an art form, not to get bogged down with the technical details. Using iPod touches made a lot of sense for this, and will help to ease the transition in Upper School photography. “They will still need to enroll in the Basic [photography class]. At that point we’ll be teaching technique. However, we will have a visual language that we will be able to start communicating with immediately,” he said. PICTURE PERFECT: The new Middle School photography elective, taught by Frank Lopez, has replaced traditional cameras with iPod Touches. This simple technology offers students a chance to explore the art without the burden of a complex camera. Photo by Frank Lopez
Not only do the students use the iPod touches to take their photos, but they also edit their photos on them using Snapseed. Snapseed, which won Best Mobile Photo App in 2012, is a semi-amateur free app that will allow the Middle School students to color-correct, apply various effects, and more. The students edit the photos they think are good to display or enter in contests. “We make the corners and sides darker and highlight the center,” Alice said. Although Snapseed is one of many photography apps available,
Mr. Lopez chose it because he uses it himself. He says he often uses his iPhone for photography due to its convenience. “I create a lot of my imagery with my iPhone now. It’s available. I always have it with me. It’s an instant camera, and I’m able to see the world and create imagery in a unique perspective,” Mr. Lopez said. Mr. Lopez has sold and exhibited some of his images created on his iPhone. However, it does have its shortcomings. “The technology is not as good,” Mr. Lopez said. “There are always limitations with any kind of camera
that you carry, but you use that to its advantage.” Given its possibilities, the iPod has now been added to the long list of media being used in Greenhill’s Fine Arts Building. “I wanted to use technology that students are accustomed to using,” Mr. Lopez said. “I wanted to bring it to a basic level, where they could just concentrate on the image, communicate with the image, and learn all the basics things that all of the arts require.” Story by Sofia Shirley
18 arts
The
Evergreen
wednesday, november 6, 2013
Screen projections add dimension to the fall play It was the perfect playground. Sophomore Ryan Pollack was assigned to photograph a playground at Wither’s Elementary School in Dallas early September. He shared the pictures with his Advanced Technical Theater class to get feedback, went back to take new pictures, then handed the job off to the class’ designated Photoshoppers. Two weeks later, skylines added to the background, shadows were removed, the hue made gloomier. These images and many more were projected on three screens at Greenhill’s fall drama last weekend to bring to life the play’s various locations. Full disclosure: I am in the Advanced Tech class, and little did I know that instead of painting backdrops and building flats this trimester, I would become a Photoshop expert. Bright Ideas, this year’s fall drama, follows the dark minds of young parents Genevra and Josh, who will do anything to get their son into Bright Ideas, an elite school. Filled with a multitude of location changes and rich metaphors, the play offered a perfect opportunity to use projections instead of a traditional theater set. “This play changes location almost mid-sentence. This changes the design of the set, because you either have to go very abstract and make the audience understand this is theater, or do what we are doing, which is what a lot of theater is moving into, utilizing the technology of projections,” said Technical Theater
Director Michael Orman. Mr. Orman had to get creative. “A lot of plays that are coming out now, because this is a newer production, are written very similar to TV and movies, where there are a lot of locations [that change] very quickly,” said Mr. Orman. This was not the first time Mr. Orman said that he had considered using projections for a long time, but there has never been a production where it seemed necessary. For example, with last year’s musical, Once Upon a Mattress, there were only four main locations throughout the entire show, so it was easier to make a traditional, generic castle than to have projections that would change halfway through an act. “Even though [projections have] been around for a long time,they
Photos by Ariana Zhang
SCREEN SHOT: Upper School actors rehearse their lines for the fall drama Bright Ideas (above and below). In addition to on-stage props, the technical theater class designed screen projections to complement the set.
have not been integrated into theater as much, especially at our level, because of the cost. As things get less expensive, we are able to utilize it a lot more,” Mr. Orman said. In addition to the straightforward stills that represent the locations, Corbin Doyle, Upper and Middle School Visual Arts teacher, created videos clips to bring out the imagery and mood of the play. Mr. Orman and Mr. Doyle decided to officially collaborate this summer and met extensively to discuss how
the play’s metaphors and emotions the medium. Previously, Mr. Orman could be translated onto the screen. would have to teach how to built a “From these meetings we made platform or use a drill, but now, he a list of images, moving is sending off students and still, that we wanted to take photos and edit to build the space from,” them. This gives stuMy classes Mr. Doyle said. “We want dents a chance to be are no longer to add to the actors, not invested in their work based on how overwhelm.” because they know it is to build a platIn one scene, when solely their responsibilform theater the mother, Genevra, ity to get the job done. wall. We are fois mixing poisonous “Since part of the cused more on pesto as part of a grand set is what I created, I abstract design scheme to get her son want a lot of people to and concepts.” into preschool, the picsee it,” said junior Jade tures of the kitchen and Basinski, who Photodining room fade away. shopped many of the In its place, two sevenphotos, including the foot-high, bare hands emerge, bare- playground. ly twitching, to capture the subconMr. Orman also saw this as an scious remorse Genevra is feeling opportunity for his students to exthroughout the scene. perience another side of technical Other projections include a theater. plant growing from seed to blos“I want to push my students som, water slowly turning red to every trimester,” Mr. Orman said. represent blood, and roots and vines “I never want my students to come spreading and overlapping. in and do the same thing as they did “There is a paradigm shift,” Mr. the trimester before.” Orman said. “My classes are less foWhile there was a lot of focus cused on how to build a platform on the projections, Mr. Orman said or theater wall and based more on he does not want this to end up upscript analysis and design concepts.” staging the actors. This is the first time that Mr. “We are there to support the Orman’s students have come into show,” he said. his class already knowing a lot about story by Sera Tuz
“
sports The Evergreen Wednesday [11.06.13]
leading the team
Examining the role of sports captains at Greenhill p. 21
Photos courtesy of Joe Monaco
RACE TO THE FINISH: (Clockwise from top left) The field hockey team huddles before beginning play; the football team rushes onto the field; the girls cross country team circles up before a big race; the girls volleyball team looks to finally clinch the Division I championship; the cheerleading squad strikes a pose at the end of their fall pep rally routine.
Sports Teams Gear Up for SPC Athletes prepare with special traditions
Laura Arnold Design Editor
With only minutes left in the second quarter, all eyes are on the Hornet football team as they close out the half. Over on the sidelines, senior cheerleading captains Allie Woodson and Jasmin Lawrence give their team a pep talk before beginning the “I Love You Circle,” which they do before every performance. In the circle, each member of the squad looks first to the person on her right and then to the person on her left and says, “I love you.” “Just as the football players huddle up and chant before the game, we do the ‘I Love You Circle,’” said senior Virginia Dollins. “I have no idea how it got started. It’s been a ritual since long before I joined the squad.” This tradition is essential to the squad before going on to the field to perform. “I think we perform our best when we feel united as a team,” Virginia said. “The “I Love You Circle” calms us down and emotionally prepares us for stunts, jumps, and crazy dance moves.” As the Greenhill fall sports teams gear up for the Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC) Championships on Nov. 8-9, every moment of preparation is vital, especially when it comes to pre-event rituals.
Field Hockey SPC means something different to each team, but for the field hockey team, SPC means a two-foot high cake. The field hockey tradition for the last four years has been to meet at a player’s house before the game and celebrate their participation in the championship by eating a slice of a huge vanilla cake. Not only is the cake big, but it also has a history of exploding. Senior captain Shelby Beauchamp recalls last year’s “special effects”
confection. “We all screamed,” she said. “We were [supposed to be] taking a picture and then they turned it on behind us and we were very surprised it exploded.” The colors used for the cake are green, gold, and white. It also has the names of the varsity players written on small white jerseys as well as moving parts, lights, and field hockey sticks.
Girls Volleyball Per a tradition of Greenhill teams prior to SPC, the girls’ volleyball team gets together at a senior’s house for dinner and festivities. Every year, the team watches a video to recap the season. Because the team has finished in third and second place at SPC in the past two years, they like to stick to their rituals. “The SPC dinner is important because it brings the team together and makes each player more excited about SPC,” said senior Kelsey Goldberg. “We understand the importance of not wanting to let our teammates down.” This year, they finished with a 5-2 record in counter games. “The great thing about SPC [this year] is that it is going to be so even,” said head coach Tatiane Deibert. “Up until last year you could know who was most likely going to get in the final, but this year, my bet is completely different.” The girls’ volleyball team also prepares for SPC the way they prepare for any other game: watching film, spending time training in the High Performance Center, and working hard at practice.
Boys Volleyball On the court, senior captain P.T. Yager stands out. As the team’s libero (a player that specializes in defensive skills), he wears an all-
gold uniform, while the rest of the team wears green or white. But what truly makes P.T. stand out is when he dives for the ball, and there is a flash of his neon pink sliders. P.T. has worn his pink sliders in every game since the homecoming game of his junior year. “It is very important to me that I have them,” P.T. said. “I’m very superstitious in general, and I am also very passionate about the cause they stand for.” P.T. wears pink sliders for breast cancer awareness in honor of his mother, who is a survivor. “At first, some teammates [teased me], but when they realized the symbolism behind them and why I choose to wear them, nobody teased me at all,” P.T. said. The team finished their regular season 4-3 in counter games.
On the girls side, seven runners finished in the top 12, earning them All-SPC North Zone honors; Nick Kraus also received this award. The team also has pre-SPC dinners prior to the biggest meet of the season. “While obviously our training is most crucial, even what we eat in preparation for SPC gets in our head,” said senior captain Rebecca Sostek. “So, on that level, having the team all eat the same thing provides an odd sense of comfort.” Rebecca also feels it is important to socialize with her team before SPC. “We know the next morning we’re all going to be in pain in that second mile, but getting to laugh and talk to my team somewhere other than the starting line lets me calmly see how cross country is a team sport,” Rebecca said.
Cross Country
Football
“To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift.” This season, head Cross Country coach Jason Yaffe has provided persistent inspiration for his team through this quote by Steve Prefontaine, one of the world’s best cross country runners. From emails to t-shirts, the team has prepared with this quote in mind. “Cross country is an intensely mental sport,” said senior captain Nick Kraus. “Although we function as a team, each runner has a personal responsibility to run the best race possible for them. This quote embodies that drive that each runner needs to have.” Both the boys and girls teams had their first SPC North Zone meets on Oct. 18. The girls finished in first place, while the boys finished in fourth. Freshman Maddie Cook led her team with a fourth-place finish overall, while Nick Kraus piloted the boys with a finish in ninth.
While only finishing the season with a 1-6 record, the football team improved on their record from last season and adapted to a slew of new coaches. The lone win this season came during an overtime nail-biter on Sept. 6. “Without question, the highlight of the season so far was the great comeback and win against John Paul II,” said Head Coach Ralph Dintino. “I believe this inspired the entire Greenhill community.” Looking ahead, Coach Dintino is disappointed to see this year’s seniors depart. “I believe the seniors exercised a great deal of leadership and will be an integral part of the rebuilding of the football program here at Greenhill,”he said. “As a whole, the seniors will be leaving a legacy of hard work and sacrifice that will be a cornerstone for future Greenhill football teams.” Additional reporting by Madison Goodrich
20 sports
The
Evergreen
wednesday, november 6, 2013
ULTIMATE WORK ETHIC
Photo by Varun Gupta
FRISBEE FLINGER: Upper School math teacher Melissa Battis gives passion and time to local recreational leagues and helped organize a national USA Ultimate tournament last month.
Varun Gupta
Asst. Features Editor
Between the sounds of player-to-player encouragement and Frisbees cutting through the brisk, 15-mph wind, a voice on the megaphone announces the start of an Ultimate game. At the FC Dallas stadium entrance, a bright-faced, energetic schoolteacher hobbles on a pair of crutches from the ticket booth to a white, rectangular pavilion. At her side, a colleague chats about tournament details. Meanwhile, a college-level player comes into
the pavilion clutching his ankle. Without hesitation, the crippled, yet powerful leader directs the man to the trainer’s office for an ice pack. Melissa Battis, Upper School math teacher, puts in numerous hours captaining a recreational team on weekends and performing volunteer-coordinator duty for the USA Ultimate Club Championship. After attending Carleton College, Ms. Battis moved to Texas five years ago and was asked to continue her Frisbee career on the
Ultimate club’s winter league team. In college, she was intrigued by her school’s fame for Ultimate and begun to learn the motion to effectively throw and catch a Frisbee, the rules for Ultimate, and the spirit of the sport. “I just fell back in love with being athletic and playing a sport with very good people,” Ms. Battis said. Part of Ms. Battis’ intense love for Ultimate comes from the sport’s spirit of honesty, teamwork, and problem-solving. Traditionally, Ultimate is played between two teams without a referee to enforce the rules. According to Ms. Battis, the absence of a referee honors an athlete’s sportsmanship and commitment to playing fairly. For a teacher at Greenhill, staying up late or waking up early to finish a lesson plan is normal, but an extra-curricular can be a release. With piles of ungraded tests stacked on her desk and an ailing foot coming off a risky surgery, Ms. Battis teaches three AB Calculus classes, attends faculty meetings at lunch, routinely meets with her students, and has a weekly conference call with other volunteers in the USA Ultimate League. Even though her school schedule is demanding, Ms. Battis conserves part of her energy for after school. Whether it is revising an Excel spreadsheet on her laptop or attending an Ultimate board meeting, Ms. Battis expends persistent effort to improve the game through passion and pleasure for Ultimate. “I love making sure that Ultimate is consistent and strong. We have good organization behind it so others can have fun. So that’s why I keep taking leadership roles,” she said. “Personally, I can appreciate the athleticism of Ultimate, because I’ve seen it on ESPN and been to the national tournament. As a teacher, I respect Ms. Battis’ dedication to a sport on such a high level,” said Michael Legacy, Upper School math teacher. For the Upper School, the week of Oct. 13 was a calm, four-day week when the buzz of homecoming had subsided. For Ms. Battis,
however, that week was more hectic than homecoming. She was coordinating this year’s National Ultimate Tournament, which took place Oct. 17-20 at the FC Dallas Complex and Memorial Stadium in Frisco, TX. That Friday, Fall League Ultimate teams, along with hundreds of spectators across Texas, were welcomed by Secretary Battis and her staff of volunteers. She waved to newcomers and regularly relayed commands on a yellow walkie-talkie to college students at the ticket desk. As secretary of the Dallas Ultimate division, Ms. Battis was responsible for ensuring the safety of players, and provided ticket holders with a USA Ultimate Championship brochure, with team rosters and directions to navigate the FC Dallas complex. By Friday evening, she had started removing the tournament’s banners, packing up equipment, and dismantling the volunteer pavilion, as the venue changed for Saturday and Sunday. Even after two long, tiresome days, Ms. Battis maintained a friendly attitude, and confirmed that all tasks were being completed on schedule. Ms. Battis continually praised her volunteers’ hard work throughout the weekend. To communicate her appreciation, she gave each worker a going-away gift: a rainbow Frisbee and a USA Ultimate shot glass. “It’s been very well run, I feel, but I could not do it without all this support,” she said. When she recovers from her foot injury, Ms. Battis looks forward to playing Ultimate for the winter and summer leagues. Meanwhile, the injury has not stopped her from playing Frisbee and participating in the Ultimate community. “Most people think I am crazy around here because I throw so much of my life into Ultimate Frisbee,” she said. But her colleagues are supportive of her interest. “We all have things outside of school that are necessary outlets, and Ultimate is hers,” said Upper School math teacher Velvet Dow. BUSY BEE: Upper School math teacher Melissa Battis spends her free time playing Ultimate Frisbee (left) and organizing tournaments (below). Photos courtesy of Melissa Battis
wednesday, november 6, 2013
The
Evergreen
sports
21
Captain personalities shine in leadership Ben Krakow Sports Editor
The boys cross country captain is expected to lead team stretches at every practice and occasionally lead a practice without the coaches in attendance. The girls basketball captains will have weekly lunch meetings with their head coach all season. The Boys Volleyball captains promote team bonding by organizing occasional dinners. Captains’ leadership depends on their own personality, the control their coaches give them, and the makeup of the team. Each captain’s style reflects his or her personality. “I always have to focus on setting a positive and encouraging example,” said Nick Kraus, Boys Cross Country Captain. “I think a captain really can have the power to set the tone for the team and shape the morale of the athletes if they lead the right way.” For Kraus, his outgoing and friendly style makes it easy for him to send funny emails informing the school about cross country. Many captains send emails out to their fellow classmates the day or two before a home game, telling
them what time the game is and encouraging them to come out and support the team. If a team has multiple captains, often a senior captain or a captain with a big personality is responsible for the emails. Some captains with an outgoing style give pregame speeches in order to pump up their teammates. Kraus says these can be helpful. Captains’ roles also vary depending on how much control their coach gives them. “I think it depends on how strong the leadership is each year,” said girls basketball coach Darryn Sandler. Some teams have players vote for captains. According to Coach Sandler, player votes have almost always elected good captains, with only one occasion when the elected person had to be removed. This was due to poor decisions that captain had made, putting themselves before the team. Players on various teams surveyed said they vote for people whom they respect and believe are good leaders. They said that this does not always mean voting for their best friends on the team. Players said they look for a leader who will do whatever he or she can for the team.
For some sports like cross country, the coaches select one or more captains for the boys and girls side before each season starts. In track and field, the coaches often wait until a few weeks into the season before selecting captains, always including at least one non-senior. On other teams the captains are selected based on who the coaches feel are the best leaders in the first part of the season. The trend has been that the bigger the team the more captains that team has. The track team often has four or five captains for the boys and girls teams, while boys and girls golf many years has only two captains combined. Last year, Coach Sandler formed an athletic leadership committee with juniors and seniors in their respective sports. Coach Sandler and the leaders met to discuss leadership ideas. The committee helped both Coach Sandler and the leaders get a better perspective on what makes a good leader, but it is not a simple answer. “We talked about different athletic issues that we have to deal with and how to deal with them,” Coach Sandler said.
The last time they won a title at home was in 1918, when a young player by the name of Babe Ruth came in as a defensive replacement in the clincher. After I watched Fenway Park rejoice on Wednesday, with cheers nearly a century in the making, I drove around my neighborhood shouting “WORLD SERIES CHAMPS” out the window, tears of joy flooding my face. Behind my tears, however, was more than a mere championship. Yes, the Red Sox became the first team to win three World Series in the 21st century, just like they were in the 20th (a statistic I must attribute to Mr. Merc), but Wednesday evening’s historical turmoil-to-triumph victory was not just a game. It united all of Boston, a city still paralyzed by the terrorist attack of
April 15, when two bombs exploded near the finish line of the Boston Marathon. History has demonstrated sports’ ability to transcend the game itself and be a force for cultural change. Everyone knows the story of Jackie Robinson and his impact on the integration of Major League Baseball. Sparked by his career, the playing field is now a place where people of all backgrounds, fans and athletes alike, come together because they share a passion for a game. Just so, the Red Sox 2013 World Series win transcended the game itself, uniting a broken city. Players say the MLB season, at 162 games, is a marathon, but this year, that metaphor has dual significance. When game 6 was in the books, and the fans at Fenway spilled onto the
Photo courtesy of Rebecca Shuman
LEADING THE WAY: Greenhill Girls Cross Country captains, senior Rebecca Sostek and junior Rachel Carp discuss plans for a race with their coaches.
Opinion: Red Sox help revive city with title after attack
Danielle Stoler
Online Editor-in-Chief
A year ago, the Boston Red Sox suffered a 93-loss season, earning a last-place finish in the American League East. To say they hit rock bottom is an understatement, and I’m speaking of a team that suffered an 86-year World Series-less curse. 2012 was absolutely dreadful, plagued by managerial issues and tension in the clubhouse. Oh, what a difference a year makes. Last season is far from my mind, now, as my Red Sox completed their worst-to-first transition on Wednesday evening, defeating the St. Louis Cardinals 6-1 to win the franchise’s eighth World Series. The fact that they won it in Boston makes it that much sweeter.
By the numbers
7
Number of Greenhill girls cross country runners who earned All-SPC North Zone honors at the North Zone race at Norbuck Park on Oct. 18. The girls team won the race as well.
29
1
The total number of points scored by the Fort Worth Country Day girls volleyball team against Greenhill on Oct. 22. Greenhill won the match 3-0.
The place earned by the Greenhill cheerleading squad at the State Fair of Champions, which allows the team to attend the national tournament in late March in Hollywood, CA.
7
9
Total number of goals allowed by the Greenhill girls field hockey team in the regular season.
The place earned by boys cross country captain Nick Kraus in the North Zone race at Norbuck Park on Oct. 18. The finish garnerd him All-SPC North Zone honors.
streets of Boston, many made their way to the Boston Marathon’s finish line at Boylston Street. They united in joy, kissing the pavement that, about six months ago, was the scene of pure tragedy. Just like that, one baseball game reverted Boston from a city of sorrow to a place of pride and perseverance. The win cannot take away the physical destruction of the bombing, but it is fading the emotional scars of Red Sox nation. Change did not come without heartache in 1947, when Robinson made his MLB debut for the Brooklyn Dodgers, and in 2013, no less sorrow has been endured. Deaths, injuries, and intense fear are burdens the city has carried since last spring, but rising from the destruction caused by the bombing is a city
far stronger and more united than it has ever been. Like the Yankees’ run to the Series after 9/11, the Red Sox 2013 championship has provided more than a trophy. It is an athletic feat that is providing solace. I am a 17-year-old senior in high school, a Boston-born Red Sox fanatic living 1,760 miles away in Dallas, Texas. When my family lived in Boston, my dad worked a medical tent at the finish line of the marathon each year. I feel so deeply for all who were affected by this year’s tragedy. Thank you, Red Sox, for capping off an emotional season with a championship, and relieving some of the pain of a grieving city that holds such a special place in my heart. Boston strong.
22 sports
The
Evergreen
wednesday, november 6, 2013
Fencer Takes Flight
Sophomore extends fencing travels to international tournament Amna Naseem Staff Writer
Photo courtesy of Kriti Narayanan
TAKE A STAB: Sophomore Kriti Narayanan (closest to viewer) lunges forward to stike her opponent and achieve victory. Kriti hopes to compete collegiatly and then in the Olympics.
After waiting 14 hours at the Virginia Beach airport, sophomore Kriti Narayanan was finally able to catch a stand-by flight back to Dallas. Having travelled 16,630 miles across the United States as a fencer, Kriti plans on adding more stamps to her passport with upcoming international tournaments. She kicked off her world travels with a competition this October in Austria. As an elite fencer on the U.S. Fencing Team, Kriti has competed in different American cities almost every weekend. Her new international competitions come after six years of training, which placed her in the third highest tier in the U.S. “Travelling definitely opens you up to a lot of new experiences. You meet all kinds of different people and learn about all kinds of different places and cultures. It adds to my overall experience and fencing skills,” said Kriti. It’s difficult for Kriti to practice in Dallas with high-level female fencers. In fact, there is only one other international competitor at her club, and Kriti often has to play in a higher tier at competitions to get the challenge she needs. But Kriti’s coach, Ali Khamis, is helping her train so that she can travel internationally. Kriti has become an expert traveler. After several airlines misplaced her fencing clothes,
she has learned to keep her necessities within reach, packing all of her equipment into her carry-on bag. With the exception of her swords, Kriti’s fencing uniform is with her at all times when she is traveling, so that she doesn’t lose anything before a large tournament. On the plane, Kriti spends her time doubled over her tray table, rushing to finish her assignments before they’re due. “I try to use my free periods to work, and I actually take my homework to tournaments and do it on the plane. Sometimes I do homework between bouts (matches), and I do it in the hotel. Whenever I can get a moment, I do my homework,” she said. Kriti’s mother, who works for American Airlines, helps Kriti and her dad get cheap stand-by flights to their tournaments. Now that Kriti will be traveling internationally, her days of standby flights are over. On her recent flight to Austria, Kriti’s parents made her sleep on the plane in order to overcome jetlag. She also follows a special diet that helps enhance her performance. Coach Khamis wants Kriti to eat a lot of protein and she loads up on carbs immediately before her major tournaments. Kriti is a vegetarian, so her mom makes her special shakes so that she is able to consume proteins. In her upcoming international tournaments, Kriti hopes to become internationally acknowledged and ranked. She is aiming to play in college and eventually take part in the Olympics.
wednesday, november 6, 2013
AFTERWORDS
Balancing act could use some support
On my first day at Greenhill, I walked in for my first-ever C-Day meeting as a wideeyed freshman with braces, not even knowing whether to push or pull the doors into the Elliott Center. I sat down, and Mr. Griggs walked up to the podium and delivered his first address of the year to the Upper School. I remember what he said because it
Pay for Play
Last year, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel led his school to the biggest upset of the college football season, broke the single season record for offensive production in the SEC, and became the first freshman ever to win the Heisman Trophy. As of October 26th, the reigning “most outstanding player in collegiate football” had already led his school to a 6-2 record. Yet the biggest story of the season is not the young star’s jaw-dropping
was greeted with frustration from both of my coaches, and I had expected that. It wasn’t the potential consequences that perturbed me; it was that my coaches seemed disappointed in me. I felt guilty, as if I had done something wrong. Ultimately, though, I didn’t have any other options. All I could do was make my decision and stand by it. While I understand that it is inconvenient for an athlete to be absent, I was only trying to do what is ultimately asked of me as a Greenhill student. I tried to be involved as I possibly could. But based on my coaches’ response, it seemed as if they wanted the exact opposite. I didn’t expect to be praised. I don’t think I deserve to receive more playing time than others who dedicate more of their time to a particular team. I am not even asking to be exempt from consequences. However, I believe, if there is an emphasis
placed on well-roundedness, there should be an understanding among the Greenhill community regarding students being absent from time to time. Coaches, mentors, teachers, whoever they may be, should be understanding of conflicts. These extracurricular activities are not our professions; they are electives. We, as students, must also be willing to accept the repercussions of our decisions, because that is part of life. However, isn’t the person that engages in a multitude of academic, athletic, and artistic interests supposed to be the “model” student? If so, then that person cannot be discouraged every time there is a conflict, otherwise they will not want to be actively involved. My suggestion is simply to allow for a more understanding atmosphere within our community if the standard of excellence is that we strive to be multi-faceted.
talent, but rather, whether he should have been allowed to make a slim chunk-of-change for signing his autograph. I used to argue emphatically against the idea that college athletes should profit from their trade. Scholarships and on-campus perks sufficiently compensated for their skills. I recently read a New York Times article regarding the timely issue, however, in which business writer Joe Nocera stated “the hypocrisy that permeates big-money college sports takes your breath away.” As a sports enthusiast, it broke my heart to see the words “college sports” and “hypocrisy” in the same sentence, so I began researching the economic aspect of various athletic programs. My discoveries pain me to admit that injustice towards players plagues collegiate athletic programs nationwide. Everyone in the business of college sports profits except for the players, yet without the players, the billions of dollars generated by the
programs they are affiliated with would not be possible. Let me explain to you, quantifiably, why collegiate athletes should be fully permitted to profit from their craft. The NCAA, as a whole, makes $6 billion annually, yet the players themselves see none of that money, regardless of the fact that they risk career-ending injuries every time they suit up. The NCAA signed a $10.8 billion TV contract for March Madness, and the Pac12 signed a $3 billion television contract, yet how much of a cut do the players make? None. A big-time football program such as the University of Alabama’s makes roughly $45.2 million annually. How much of a cut do the players make? None. The athletes are the ones putting in hours upon hours of training, fighting to balance a rigorous school schedule with a demanding practice schedule, all while trying to maintain their physical and mental well-being. Without
them, the billions of dollars that corporate sponsors, broadcasters, their schools, and the NCAA are making would not be possible. People often argue that collegiate athletes’ contributions to their school are sufficiently compensated for in scholarships and housing. There is more to college, however, than simply tuition. These men and women deserve to earn a bit of extra cash without becoming ineligible to compete at the college level. I am no expert. I am fully aware that if a system were implemented allowing student athletes to be paid, it would have to be highly regulated and treat all universities on an even playing field. The logistics of paying college athletes would need to be ironed out, and for this, I have no solution, but the athletes deserve for the logistics to be addressed and for an agreement to be put in place. They deserve pay-for-play, plain and simple.
My answer, of course, was yes. And, to this day, we’re still best friends. Sometimes I wish that someone would still spin around and ask me if I wanted to be friends. Because the truth is that it’s hard to make friends. I followed Amy for days before she noticed me. I did things I hated in order to win her attention. Even now, at age 17, making friends is still difficult, as silly as it sounds. You can “friend” someone on Facebook, sit next to them in class, strike up a conversation with them, and invite them to hang out on the weekend. You can do all of that and more and still never gain a friend, because friendship isn’t something that can be forced. It happens slowly, in bits and pieces. Although I could pinpoint the moment that Amy and I became friends, most of the time it’s not so obvious. It’s a change that
you can’t see happening, but when you look back, it’s clear that it did. But for that transformation to happen, I’ve had to take risks. I’ve shared my fears and my dreams, my quirks and my pet peeves. I’ve revealed pieces of myself that are a little bit vulnerable, a little bit raw. And now I have friends who know I’m upset before I even say a word. I have friends who will be there for me through thick and thin, friends that I can trust with anything. Come fall, I’ll be enrolled in college in a different city, sharing a dorm room with a perfect stranger, walking a campus where I don’t know my way around. Somehow, I’ll have to make friends. But now I realize that I can’t chase after friendship, and I can’t rush it, either. I just have to sit back and let it happen.
Last baseball season, one of my teammates seemed to complain constantly. He would go on and on about how he’d rather be playing a different sport. He said he really didn’t enjoy playing baseball like he used to. His attitude certainly prevented him from giving his all during practices and in games, and it distracted fellow teammates from working their hardest, too. More than a few factors go into making a successful sports team. Talent level is certainly a component, but it’s only one. Sports analysts often talk about a star player, say LeBron James, whose true value lies in the fact that he makes his teammates better. Just as powerful however, is the player who makes his teammates worse by having a negative attitude. It doesn’t have to be that the player is aggressively expressing discontent. It’s easy to spot despondency. Even a teammate who just seems mentally detached during a practice can have a profound infectious effect. For me, having a disconnected team
member meant wasted effort. I found myself unable to focus on my game because I was expending so much mental energy trying to engage, and then eventually block out, my teammate. Besides that, negativity tends to have a contagious effect. I don’t think other players became disillusioned about their love of baseball, but I do think animosity between the negative teammate and others manifested on several occasions. And he was one of our more skilled players. As basketball season commences, without a doubt, I would prefer that those three seniors return to the team for a final season. They’re all talented players, and they’re all good teammates. But if their priorities and passions lie elsewhere, then I fully support the decision to depart. It’s best for them, and at the end of the day, it’s best for the team. Besides, maybe I’ll get some more playing time now?
Why I had picked her out of the dozens of kids at the camp, I don’t know. But somehow, even at age five, I knew that I wanted to be friends with her. There was only one problem: I was too shy to introduce myself. So, I simply decided that I’d join whatever game she was playing at recess. When she played make-believe, I did, too. When she decided to go on the swing set, I swung, too. Even when she played tag, a game I hated, I joined in. After a few days of following her, I found myself in line for the monkey bars. I don’t think I even knew how to do the monkey bars. Luckily, I didn’t have to. At that moment, Amy spun around. “Hey, do you want to be friends?” she said, as if it were the most ordinary question in the world.
Know when to move on
Two weeks before the season started, three seniors, all of whom were on last year’s varsity boys basketball team, quit. This kind of thing isn’t so unusual in Greenhill sports. Since I entered high school, I’ve seen dozens of talented athletes choose not to compete for Greenhill in their respective sports. It happens with boys and girls alike, from field hockey to football, soccer to softball. Often, I hear my classmates respond
23
is the same thing echoed constantly across Greenhill’s campus: be a well-rounded person. He encouraged us to remember the school’s equilateral triangle of values: academics, fine arts, and athletics. Naturally, as a new student, I knew I wanted to strive to become the quintessential Greenhill kid, so I signed up for an assortment of new activities. I am glad I stepped out of my comfort zone and tried new things, but now, as a braces-free, introspective senior, I feel confused. On a Thursday afternoon before a weekend with two important games for each of my respective athletic teams, my practices overlapped. Field Hockey ended at six; soccer started at six. No matter the choice I made, someone was going to be disappointed with me. After much deliberation and a couple “final” decisions later, I chose to miss equal parts of field hockey and soccer practice. I
Friendship: not as easy as it looks
I met my first friend by following her around for three days. It was the summer of 2001. My mom had signed me up for summer camp, and I didn’t know a soul. The first time I saw Amy was at recess. She wore a yellow t-shirt with a flower on it, and she had the biggest smile on her face.
views
critically to these “retired” athletes. They say Greenhill students owe it to their school to contribute to sports teams. They say quitting is selfish, and that it displays a lack of will to work hard and succeed. They say Greenhill students are too frail, that they’re too quick to resign when the going gets tough. I disagree. As far as I know, nobody at Greenhill has quit a sport to spite his or her teammates or coaches. Kids don’t do it to deprive the team of valuable talent; they do it because they feel it’s the right decision for themselves, personally. Some quit a sport to avoid injury. Some quit one sport to devote more time to another, or to free up time for another activity. On a most basic level, kids quit because they don’t want to play anymore. And why is that wrong? It’s not. In fact, I’d argue that sticking with a sport, or with anything for that matter, when one’s heart isn’t really in it is far more damaging to a team, regardless of how gifted an athlete may be.
24
Dinner with the Dean
wednesday, november 6, 2013
With Thanksgiving around the corner, we can’t help but daydream about the delicious food the holiday brings. Our hunt for recipes led us to Jack Oros, Dean of Students. Find out what the at-home chef recommends for a mouth-watering feast.
Sweet Potato Casserole Roast Turkey with Gravy “About 20 years ago, I planned to roast a whole turkey. I prepped it (see recipe below) and put it in the oven. When I took the lid off of the roaster, the breast bone was sticking out and there was no meat on the breast bone. I exclaimed that the store had sold me a bum turkey. Come to find out, I put the turkey in the pan upside down and the breast was in the bottom of the pan. That year, my turkey was the best it had ever been since the breast was basting in the dripping the entire time. It was not the picture perfect, Norman Rockwell turkey, but it was the moistest one. Since that Thanksgiving, I have always baked my turkey upside down, and laugh at myself every time I put it in the oven.” Turkey 1 turkey, thawed and rinsed (make sure to take giblets out of the cavity) 1 stick of butter, melted Seasoned salt Oregano (thanks to Gina Delmont) 1 onion, chopped 3 stalks of celery, roughly chopped
5 pounds of sweet potatoes, cut into chunks ½ cup half-and-half (or ¼ cup milk and ¼ cup cream) ½ cup maple syrup 1 teaspoon vanilla ¾ teaspoon salt 1 large egg, lightly beaten Cooking spray ½ cup flour ½ cup packed brown sugar ¼ cup chilled butter, cut into small pieces ½ cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. Cover potatoes with water and boil until tender (about 20 minutes). Drain. Cool slightly, then peel potatoes. In a mixer, combine half-and-half and next four ingredients. Add potatoes to egg mixture and beat at medium speed until smooth. Spoon potato mixture into a 13” x 9” baking dish coated with cooking spray. Combine flour and sugar in a processor and pulse to combine. Add chilled butter and pulse until mixture resembles coarse meal. Stir in pecans and sprinkle over potato mixture. Cover and bake for 15 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 25 minutes or until the topping is browned and the potatoes are thoroughly heated.
Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit. Spray a roasting pan with vegetable-oil spray. Cut off wing tips and tail and save for stock. Pat dry the turkey. Place the onion and celery in the cavity of the turkey.Coat the turkey in melted butter. Sprinkle generously with seasoned salt and oregano. Place breast side down, in the roasting pan. Cover with the roasting-pan cover or aluminum foil. Bake 15 minutes per pound, basting every 30 minutes. Transfer turkey to another pan or serving platter and save the drippings for the gravy. Gravy Wing tips, turkey tail, turkey neck, gizzard and heart (I don’t use the liver) 1 onion, chopped 3 stalks of celery 1 tablespoon of salt 1 teaspoon of peppercorns 2 quarts of water 1/4 cup flour 1/4 cup cornstarch 2 cups of water Boil all ingredients in a large sauce pan for 30 minutes. Strain broth into pan with drippings, whisking to remove any bits from the pan. Strain back into the saucepan and put on medium heat. Mix vigorously the flour, corn starch and water in a covered jar. Pour slowly, not all at once, into the saucepan and whisk to keep lumps from forming. Bring to boil. Cook until the flour/cornstarch has cooked out and gravy thickens. Add more of the flour/ cornstarch mixture to thicken or water to thin. Salt and pepper to taste. Strain again if lumpy. Add shredded/cut-up giblets if desired.
Pumpkin Roll-Up
CAKE 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 1 cup powdered sugar ½ teaspoon vanilla 2 tablespoon butter, softened 8 oz cream cheese, softened
Cake: Combine cake ingredients, except powdered sugar; mix well. Cover a 12” x 15” cookie sheet with waxed paper and pour cake mix on top. Bake in preheated oven at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 15 minutes or until golden brown. Sprinkle ½ cup powdered sugar onto a cloth towel. Flip cake over onto sugared towel. Remove wax paper and roll cake up in towel. Unroll cake when cool. Filling: Mix filling ingredients. Spread evenly onto unrolled cake. Reroll. Top with powdered sugar. Serve chilled.