Evergreen THE
October 2, 2013 Volume XLVIX, Issue 1
With Hornet Passion and Pride... Photo by Miles Andres
RELENTLESS EFFORT: Chad Wabrek, new Head of Athletics & Physical Education, explains his approach to improving Greenhill athletics. Stressing open dialogue between coaches, students, and parents, Mr. Wabrek has made a point of ramping up communications and consistency, hoping that changes in operations will translate into greater success on the field.
Ben Weinberg Managing Editor
In the gyms and on the fields, fall teams train in their brand-new green practice uniforms. In the newly-named High Performance Center, dry-erase boards lay out detailed workout regimens for the day’s visitors. Outside, groups from out-of-season sports like soccer and basketball prepare for the fast-approaching second trimester. Walk by the east entrance to the Athletic Center lobby and you’ll find another unfamiliar view: the new office of Chad Wabrek, new Head of Athletics & Physical Education, and the driving force behind the Athletic Department’s radical rebranding of sports
at Greenhill. Mr. Wabrek’s career experience is both diverse and unique. Most recently at Louisville Collegiate School in Louisville, Kentucky, Mr. Wabrek has at various times worked as an athletic director, dean of students, lacrosse coach, and English teacher. That wholesome background shows through in a very holistic approach towards an overall improvement of Hornet athletics. This approach has taken shape in the Athletic Department’s new mantra of “relentless effort.” More specifically, his rhetoric has emphasized “relentless effort” in communication and engagement instead of placing an immediate
premium on tangible successes — facilities into the High Performance an approach he deems necessary Center. Inside, a greater emphasis to establishing long-term, positive on free weights and plyometrics change. has mostly replaced the previously “What I’m machine-based facility. trying to do is Brand-new strength and provide an identity conditioning coach Trey This isn’t just for the athletic/ Stringer has also joined my thing — Gillian Glengarry, Director physical education it has to be of Fitness Center, in the d e p a r t m e n t ,” everybody’s. upstairs space. While Coach Mr. Wabrek said. Ownership Glengarry will continue to And despite is key.” run the facility on a day-tobypassing numeric milestones in day basis, Coach Stringer favor of more has taken an active role abstract goals, there have been in coordinating individualized physical changes across the various workout regimens for all of athletics programs. Greenhill’s athletic programs. Most visible has been the According to Mr. Wabrek, these conversion of the upstairs workout changes in both equipment and
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MS students practice creativity, data analysis in brand-new STEM curriculum where students have to fulfill certain objectives. Middle School students are “It’s our thinking that kids are preparing for their future. The new exploring applications so much Middle School Exploratory Design on their own now,” said Susan class will now replace Palmer, Head of the required Computer Middle School. “But Applications in order teaching the systems to teach kids focus on of design thinking, I start back problem-solving. and problemand I figure out C o m p u t e r solving is not so what to do. But Applications emphasized readily available in school, if you the everyday uses of to kids.” fail something, computers. Lessons In order to you don’t really would detail how accommodate for treat it the same to make graphs and the new class, a way.” charts in Microsoft new position was Excel or how to make made. Don Myers, a professional-looking Middle School powerpoint. Instead of simply STEM Director, said that in his focusing on Microsoft Office, the class, failing is okay. When the new course asks students open- solutions fails, the students are told ended questions for which they are to examine why it failed and tasked encouraged to find solutions. Class to build a new solution. projects now include simulations “If I play a video game and Suman Chebrolu Staff Writer
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Serving Greenhill since 1966
I lose a life, it’s not a big deal,” he said. “I start back and I figure out what to do. But in school, if you fail something, you don’t really treat it the same way.” Exploratory Design is a required class taken by fifth and sixth grade students. Each trimester has a certain theme that prompts various questions, to which students work to find creative solutions. The first trimester’s theme is a Mission to Mars, in which students must find solutions to issues concerning human missions to the planet. The activity they are currently testing comes with a list of commands to get a group of kids who have their eyes closed to pick up basketballs in a closed course, representing the task of building a rover capable of retrieving rock samples. con’t on page 5
personnel have come as part of a concerted effort to strengthen the High Performance Center’s role in Greenhill athletics. “We felt like more of a program of fitness [was needed],” Mr. Wabrek said. “It’s [no longer] just strength and conditioning — it’s really high performance.” Already, several teams have made it a priority to work with Coach Stringer and Coach Glengarry. Boys’ volleyball has increased their presence in the High Performance Center, and both boys’ and girls’ cross country venture upstairs with regularity for the first time – a change that some coaches have met with praise. con’t on page 22
Also in this issue... News Linguistic Shift
Special Report Security at Greenhill
Arts Editor Sanah Hasan explores changes in a refocused LS curriculum geared toward Chinese and Spanish p. 4
As talk of security changes and nametags abound, News Editor Sera Tuz takes a look at exactly how we keep Greenhill safe p. 14
Features The Mum Shop
Arts Ms. Music
Assistant Features Editor Christina Zhu takes us behind-the-scenes to the source of these Homecoming staples p. 8
Assistant Arts Editor Catherine Leffert profiles junior cellist extraordinaire Julia Fulbright p. 15
Double Truck Breast Cancer
Sports Work Hard, Play Hard
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness Month, members of the Greenhill community share personal experiences with the disease p. 12
New staff, new mentality lead football to high performance and higher expectations p. 19
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The Evergreen Wednesday [10.02.13]
VIEWS
Rants & Raves A RAVE to the new furniture in the English pod. As fun as it was to sit around in chairs and talk about phallic symbols in the Odyssey, it’s even more fun to do so while lounging on comfy couches.
A MENTAL SURVEY
A RAVE to the new photos on the Greenhill website. Even though we did love reminising about the olden days every time we signed on, imagining that the Lower Schoolers in those photos could have jobs and families now! We hope our nowfresh faces will grace the website at our 20th reunion and beyond.
A RANT to spastic air conditioning. While sweater weather may be better weather, we don’t need sub-freezing Siberian wind chills or Saharan desert heat while taking a test. Is 73 degrees Farenheit too much to ask? Not Celsius! Not Kelvin!
A RAVE to the new study spaces on campus. The way the light hits those clean, quiet tables in the library, English pod, and History pod is absolutely poetic. It would bring even Mr. Mercurio to tears.
A RANT to Stinger’s decreased functionality in recent weeks. Stinger, we’ve been together for a long time, and we know we’ve said this before, but, it’s not us, it’s you. At this point even ‘Printers’ is looking more desirable.
A RAVE to last week’s allschool 10 a.m. start. A record breaking 52 percent of students reported getting over four hours of sleep the night before, and only 27% percent reported having a schoolrelated mental breakdown that day due to said extra rest. Next step: 12 p.m. starts for everyone!
A RAVE to outstanding school spirit in recent weeks. It’s one thing to see scrawny Greenhill students cheering at sports games, but it’s entirely another to see shirtless scrawny Greenhill students with painted torsos cheering at sports games. Claps all around.
A RANT to the campuswide misuse of recycling bins. C’mon guys, 6-inches to the right and you could’ve made it. Do it for the children! For the animals! For yourself! For the earth! It doesn’t really matter for whom or what, just do it.
A RAVE to the new snacks at the Buzz and Snack bar. All we’ve ever wanted was to have easy access to seasonal carnival food all year round and this change has brought our dream one step closer to reality.
Content courtesy of Nick Kraus and Harris Chowdhary
Staff Editorial Looking at your balance on eFollet can be a little scary. The price of textbooks, study guides, manuals, and literary tomes can quickly add up to an enormous price. Each August, we are asked to buy books that we may or may not need for the upcoming school year. Their high price is, for the most part, unavoidable. But are we buying more books than we actually need? After all, if students are spending upwards of $200 per year, we want to be getting our money’s worth. Cracking open a brand-new textbook just once a trimester is
Buying Books: Getting our money’s worth
simply wasteful and unnecessary. To be fair, Upper School departments say they are aware that books are expensive and have taken some measures to minimize the impact on students. The English department, for example, has cut out the Writer’s Reference from its required texts. The math, history and science departments issue loaned books at no cost to their freshmen and sophomores. On the other hand, students in certain trimester-long electives might buy a book that they only use once or twice. Some poetry classes
require a book that contains poems system of buying books. that students can easily Faculty, please be find online. consistent and considerate In addition, many when you select books. When you Remember that we have teachers who teach the add all of these to buy books for more same class use different factors together, than just one department. books. Students in one Students are Departments don’t loan class may have to read paying for a books to juniors and a certain play, while poorly orga- seniors as often as they other students may not. nized system of do to underclassmen. There is no reason for buying books.” If you’re only using one all students to buy the book if they won’t all story in a book, then read it. When you add don’t have the class buy all of these factors together, students it. Instead, try finding a more easily are paying for a poorly organized accessible version of that same
THE
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
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Christian Holmes
Madison Goodrich Varun Gupta Christina Zhu
asst. arts editor
Catherine Leffert
Danielle Stoler Eve Hill-Agnus Pamela Kripke
business manager Blake Lieberman
information elsewhere or consider using different materials that would still teach a similar concept. If your students buy a reference book that they rarely use, consider keeping a few class copies instead. If students are required to buy a reference manual or guide, then consider keeping copies in the classroom for students to use as necessary. Even if every Greenhill student pays only $25 extra on books they don’t use (and that’s generous), we as a school are wasting $11,000 extra. We’d rather spend that money somewhere else.
Errata from Issue 5/15/13
backpage editor Lizzy D’Apice
staff writers
Suman Chebrolu Lane Hirsch Arhum Khan Amna Naseem Ben Schachter Megan Wiora
staff artists
Miles Andres Julia Fulbright Brianna Houston Tamara Prabhakar Rachel Son Ariana Zhang
multimedia editor Isabet Tranchin
p.1 Students will be assigned their college counselors as sophomores, not freshmen. p.2 The football game cited as being against St. Andrew’s Episcopal School was actually against John Paul II High School.
wednesday, october 2, 2013
The
Evergreen
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Yes or No? Should students feel obliged to say “yes” when asked to a school dance?
Mr. Legacy
Harris Chowdary
Upper School Math Teacher
Junior
Rania Blaik
Should a girl be obliged/pressured to say “yes” if asked to a dance such as Homecoming? I believe the answer is an emphatic “no.” What happens when you really don’t want to go with this guy? In the past, there were girls hiding in the bathrooms because they were afraid certain guys were going to ask them to the dance and the pressure not to say no was intense. This should not be! We need to be okay with saying “no” when we need to. Our core values of honor, respect and compassion inherently include healthy boundaries: boundaries on what they post on social networking sites, boundaries on what they text and photograph, and wear and say and do. Greenhill continually reminds students to set such boundaries, not ignore them. It is not healthy to allow someone to violate your boundaries, even unintentionally. To imply that a girl has to say yes if asked is to violate those values. If you are not interested in going with him, tell him so. Don’t leave the door open if it shouldn’t be open. I don’t even like the “You’re a great guy, but…” line unless you have a really good conclusion (like ‘I’m leaving for Antarctica tomorrow for 6 months’ or ‘I’m going with someone else’). It just leads him to think: “Well, if I’m so great, why don’t you want to go to the dance with me? Above all else, be kind. If you do say no, say no kindly! Don’t ridicule him. That’s not nice. That’s not classy. That’s not kind. Don’t say: “Who me? Go out with you Are you kidding!?” He’s a person, too, with feelings. He took a risk in asking you out and for what? So you could make fun of him? And keep it to yourself. Don’t run and tell all your friends that you turned him down. That’s humiliating. Those actions violate so many of Greenhill’s core values. As Mrs. Ross said in her opening day speech, what she remembers most of all is the “failure of kindness.” I would note that the same arguments apply to girls asking boys, boys asking boys, and girls asking girls. graphic by Rachel Son
Every girl has the right to say no to any guy asking her to a dance because he is, as the word suggests, asking her to the dance. She is allowed to say no, but there is a fine line between when it is acceptable for a girl to say no, and when it’s just not. The instances where it is acceptable for a girl to say no are few. These instances include when she has other plans or is otherwise unable to physically attend the dance, when she is bound by some external force to not go to the dance with a date, or when a girl is wildly uncomfortable with the prospect of going to the dance with said date. While I think that the first two are relatively agreed upon, I feel the need to defend the third one. If the girl and guy are not friends, I don’t think it’s ever okay for the guy to ask her in the first place. It is not a huge burden for a guy to go and either talk to her friends, or his friends and ask them whether or not it is a good idea to ask this girl. Now, I accept that any boy who does this is putting himself at a risk of being told something that would hurt him by his peers (i.e. “you two have never spoken”) but to me, this is better than him being told no when he tumbles out of her locker with flowers and a box of chocolates and a sign on his back. This kind of a background check eliminates not only the prospect that the boy and girl are not friends, but lets the boy know that she physically can go to the dance. That being said, if the boy does not do this kind of a check, and asks a girl, he puts himself at the risk of feeling rejected and otherwise embarrassed. What I’m saying is not ridiculous, I just think that guys should have some sort of obligation to do a little bit of background research to find out whether or not she can and would be okay with going to the dance with them, and if he does not do that, she has the right to and is completely justified in saying no.
Kayla Rambeau
Senior
I don’t think any system in Greenhill should make students feel pressured to say yes to someone they do not want to go with. You should likely say no if the person asking you is not someone your parents would let you go with, is in your immediate family, has taken a piece of your hair for his/her “collection,” is a part of a cult that forcibly marries unwed couples, has a lower-back tattoo of any member of the Jonas Brothers, has donated sperm on craigslist, has put a hat on a cactus and referred to it exclusively as “daddy” for an extended period of time, wears bedazzled velour tracksuits and crocs daily, laughs at own crocs-joke, has said, “let’s take these guys for a spin,” while picking out socks, or makes you feel uncomfortable in any way. That being said, it’s one night. You’re spending about five hours of your life with this person, and there’s bound to be more people in your group. You’re going to dinner with this person, not putting a ring on it. It takes a good amount of courage to ask someone to a dance; unless there’s some damage that you think would be caused to your life, it may be better to just spare your peer’s ego and say yes.
Senior
The norms of Homecoming have always been controversial. As a Greenhill custom, girls are encouraged to say yes to whoever asks them to the Homecoming Dance. I believe this is the right thing to do in most cases. That boy probably gathered up a lot of courage to ask her, assuming that she would say yes. I do not think it’s right for a girl to say no just because she is waiting for the “right” person to ask her. Your date isn’t necessarily your future girlfriend/boyfriend. He/She is just someone you will get to know and have a good time with at the dance. It does not have to be anything more than that if you don’t want it to be. On the other hand, if the girl has never talked to that boy or feels uncomfortable going with him, she should say no if she wants to. If a girl decides to say no, she will have to keep in mind that she might not get asked by someone else. She should decline respectfully, so she does not crush his spirit. All in all, I think people should make conscious decisions and stick with them.
Editorial Policy The Evergreen is a studentrun newspaper serving the Greenhill community. Its goal is to help the local community interpret campus, local, national, and international events. It serves as a forum for expression and change. The Evergreen aims to fulfill this agenda with policies of integrity and upholds a stringent code of ethics that values honesty, accu-
racy, and responsibility. The Evergreen reserves the right to edit submitted material for accuracy, grammar, and length. The Evergreen will not publish any material that falls under the Supreme Court’s definition of unprotected speech: works that are libelous, obscene, or invasions of privacy. For these reasons, The Evergreen does not consider disciplinary actions
suitable for print. All accounts of deaths and other personal issues will be printed only with family consent. Letters to the Editor are encouraged provided that they fall under protected speech. Any letters that are considered attacks on a plan or proposal will be shown to the person the letter most likely affects. All individuals will have a
chance to respond to criticism in a letter. Anonymous letters will not be published. Others will be printed on a space-available basis. The Staff Editorial represents the opinion of two-third’s of The Evergreen staff, not necessarily that of Greenhill School. Similarly, Letters to the Editor, columns, and other opinion pieces do not necessarily reflect the opinion of The
Evergreen or Greenhill School. The Evergreen does not submit to censorship and believes in First Amendment rights for student journalists. Suggestions, critiques, and complaints are welcomed and encouraged. The paper encourages businesses to advertise in The Evergreen but reserves the right to refuse an advertisement.
The Evergreen Wednesday [10.02.13]
NEWS
new FACULTY With the largest group of new faculty since the ‘90s, THE 30 NEW FACULTY MEMBERS THIS YEAR ARE TAKING THE SCHOOL BY STORM. READ PAGE 6-7 FOR MORE.
LS language curriculum encourages multiculural exposure Sanah Hasan Arts Editor
For the first time, Lower School students will learn Chinese and Spanish simultaneously, in order to increase their linguistic and cultural exposure to the languages. For the past two years, students have been learning Spanish in first and third grade, and Chinese during second and fourth. They had language class twice a week, in two, 30-minute class sessions. Last spring, Michael Simpson, Head of Lower School, and Trevor Worcester, Head of the Language Department, started planning the new language schedule, which allows students to learn Spanish and Chinese in the same week. The schedule is structured on a two-week rotation, and students will alternate languages throughout the week. “The idea is that we introduce the language to the kids. We know that we are not going to have proficient Chinese and Spanish speakers coming out of fourth grade, but we just want the kids to have a feel for the sound, and structure of the language,” said Mr. Simpson. When Chinese was first introduced to the Lower School two years ago, Mr. Worcester, and Mr. Simpson had the intention of implementing the current language schedule. However, there were conflicts with coordinating other courses around the alternating language curriculum. This spring, Mr. Simpson was able to work around Lower School students’ other classes, to fit in the new schedule. Previously, students had a twoyear gap in between each language they studied. Now, with the elimination of that gap, teachers feel as if they have more opportunities to provide students with a stronger
foundation on the language. “I can build without having to start all over again. I am able to give my students more difficult, and progressive bits of the language,” said Nora Garcia, Lower School Spanish teacher. With the old language system, students did gain exposure to both Spanish and Chinese; however, teachers expressed some of their concerns about the logistics of the schedule. “Teachers just couldn’t start where they left off, and it was hard for them to build momentum again,” Mr. Simpson said. According to the National Science Foundation, childhood is a critical time for language acquisition. As a child gets older, picking up a new language becomes difficult because a child’s brain is already wired to a certain grammatical style. The Lower School’s curriculum change allows students to gain exposure to both Spanish and Chinese at an incredibly young age. “We are so lucky, that at our school, we have the opportunity to give our students the chance to learn new languages. A lot of the schools in our area don’t start a language class until late middle school, or even high school. We are just so lucky,” Mr. Worcester said. Also, according to the National Science Foundation, research shows that accumulated experience and usage of a language can alter the way language information is processed in general. When Lower School students enter fifth grade, and are introduced to the Carousel system, where they learn a new language each trimester, they have already
been introduced to the language. The Lower School’s language goals are not for students to achieve complete proficiency in Spanish or Chinese. Students will have an understanding of the general pronunciation, and spelling, but they will have some experience in the language. “My goal for myself is how can I make my students learn, and respect different languages and cultures,” said Lower School Chinese teacher, Ms. Nusrat. Although studying Spanish and Chinese at the same time could have the possibility of making students confused, this is not the case. Studies show that it is better to learn them both at the same time. According to the Foreign Language Institute, multilingual students who are exposed to several languages gain a higher sense of cognitive understanding. However, there are inherent differences when students learn Spanish and Chinese. English speakers spend roughly 1,320 hours in
becoming proficient in Chinese. Mandarin’s grammatical structure is completely different than that of Spanish. Mandarin is tonal, and students need to understand and memorize thousands of characters. Having a head start for Chinese in the Lower School just increases the possible success rate of proficiency. “My students have heard, and know what Spanish sounds like. Chinese is very, very different. It’s a new style and it is very hard to learn. It’s like two languages in one; you have the writing and the speaking. But I do not expect my students to come out speaking fluent Chinese,” Ms. Nusrat said. This is sharply contrasted to the 480 hours required to become a proficient Spanish speaker. According to Education Week, children should begin their lan-
ANOTHER DAY, ANOTHER LANGUAGE: Since the beginning of this school year, first through fourth graders have been simultaneously taking Chinese and Spanish three times a rotation. They take two Chinese classes in a row followed by a Spanish class and then vice-versa.
Alumni News-in-Brief
Hunter Jumper ‘08 scored his first Major League Soccer goal on August 23 during the Chicago Fire game against Sporting Kansas City. At Greenhill, Jumper was co-captain during the ‘06 -‘07 and ‘07-‘08 winter seasons. After graduation, Jumper played college soccer for University of Virginia. He was then selected to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America’s All-South Atlantic Region Second Team.
project between University of Sydney Medical School and Sydney Symphony Orchestra. The goal is to explore the effects of core muscle activation and strengthening on upper extremity injury and pain in instrumental musicians. Daniels currently lives in Germany and works through the University of Cologne. He plans on spending the next year researching how Germany’s small and mid-sized enterprises view risk and lending practices.
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Matt McCrary ‘08 and Doug Daniels ‘09 have been awarded the Fulbright Awards. McCrary lives in Sydney, Australia. He will spend the next year creating a collaborative research
John Piermarini ‘10 opened Piermarini Boutique three years ago. This year, he has teamed up with fellow Greenhill alum and Project Runway veteran Mila Hermanovski
guage education as soon as possible, in order to maximize the amount of exposure they are getting to a language. Since students are going to be going back and forth between three languages (Chinese, English, and Spanish), they will be able to compare and contrast cultural and linguistic similarities and differences. “The program in the Lower School is an experiential one. We are not getting them ready for AP in sixth grade. I am extremely excited about the collaboration that can happen between Ms. Nusrat and Mrs. Garcia. I really think this will make an unbelievable difference,” Mr. Worcester said.
‘87 and is carrying her fashion line in the boutique. The two share a unique and edgy aesthetic. This is the first time Hermanovski has brought her line to Dallas. A trunk show to present the line will be held on October 19.
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... Samantha J. Haas started a company called WagAware that sells dog charms to fund dog rescue and adoption. This is the only dog charm on the market, and 50 percent of the profit is donated. WagAware strives to reduce the mass euthanasia of healthy, adoptable dogs in the United States. Haas graduated from Emory University and Harvard Law School. After practicing corporate law, Haas returned to her true passion. She spent four years helping with animal rescue as a philanthropy director for the Humane Society of North America, the nation’s largest animal protection organization. Currently, Haas continues her innovative efforts with WagAware.
Lesli Linka Glatter ‘71 was nominated for “Outstanding Directing” for her work on an episode of the critically acclaimed TV series Homeland. The episode was titled “Q&A” and aired in October of 2012. Glatter remains as an executive producer for the series as it enters its third season. Glatter has directed episodes of other shows, such as Grey’s Anatomy, House M.D., Heroes, Pretty Little Liars, The Newsroom, and True Blood. story by Arhum Khan, Suman Chebrolu and Megan Wiora
The
wednesday, october 2, 2013
Evergreen
Optional homecoming banquet organized for freshman class Madison Goodrich
This optional dinner is an event the PA has wanted to happen for In order to increase inclusivity some time. and alleviate stress for students Dani Butowsky, the Parent and parents, the school has created Association President, feels the an optional grade-wide dinner for new dinner arrangement will help freshmen. alleviate the stress freshmen face In previous years, most during homecoming season. freshmen organized pictures, dinner, Mrs. Butowsky came up with and transportation to and from the this idea after hearing of freshman dance for their friend groups and homecoming dinner successes at dates. Boys would ask girls, friends schools like St. Mark’s School of would go with friends, or individuals Texas, Trinity Christian Academy, would choose to attend and Parish Episcopal the dance alone. School. The pre-dance The PA started Yes, you activities caused so talking about the idea may know some last November after much social anxiety of the kids, but homecoming. among freshmen, the you don’t know Parents Association “We specifically everyone. It just talked about Upper (PA) approached takes away a School Jack Oros, Dean of homecoming lot of the truly and how we could make Students. u n n e c e s s a r y it more cohesive and “I think there stress that goes inclusive for everybody have been times when into the dance.” kids, especially new to in ninth grade,” Mrs. Greenhill or socially Butowsky said. not a part of a group, On the other hand, don’t come to the dance some students feel that because they didn’t feel a part of it,” the new dinner arrangements baby Mr. Oros said. the freshmen. In the past, parents have “I think since we are in high complained about their children school, we are mature enough at this feeling left out and have asked the point to arrange our own dinner,” Upper School to consider a group said sophomore Nicky Cannon. dinner for the freshman. Mr. Oros “Sure, [there will be] struggles, said he feels now is the best time but [since] it’s their first time to start the freshman homecoming experiencing something like this, it’s dinner because of the drama he an important step. If they [do] what witnessed within the groups in the school offered, they wouldn’t get previous years. any experience with [this process] “It’s providing an option. There and would come across the same was a lot of drama last year,” he said. problem sophomore year.” Asst. News Editor
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Faculty members say the change is a positive one. “This is beneficial because we are bringing them together as a group and letting them meet each other because some of them don’t know each other’s names,” said Melissa Battis, ninth grade team leader and Upper School math teacher. “Before they can start asking people on dates, you need to know peoples’ name, and we just don’t have that this early in the year.” She also feels that the dinner is particularly important for the freshmen because of the large number of new kids who come to Greenhill freshman year. “Because there are 30 new kids, it’s a totally different group than in eighth grade,” Ms. Battis said. “Yes, you may know some of the kids, but you don’t know everyone. It just takes away a lot of the truly unnecessary stress that goes into the dance.” The catered pre-dance dinner, which will cost $30, will take place across the hall from the dance. Mr. Oros expects around 100 people to RSVP for the dinner and has booked a room based on those predictions. If fewer people arrive than expected, Greenhill will have to pay the difference. The school owes the venue a sum total of $3,000. Two photographers will also be available at the dinner to take candids and class photos, and parents will serve as chaperones. Since pictures and dinner are in the same location as the dance, students will not need to organize transportation or rent a party bus.
Middle School STEM curriculum launched
Photo by Danielle Stoler
CAN WE BUILD IT? YES WE CAN: A fifth grade Exploratory Design student works on a class project. The MS Exploratory Design class, which is replacing the old Computer Applications requirement, was designed in an effort to spark problem-solving solutions and creative thinking in students at a young age.
cont’d from page 1 “We’re taking the spot of a rover on mars. And there’s a driver, and they write out a course of how to get sample rocks. He tells us the commands and we close our eyes and do what he says,” said fifth grader Lucas Henry. “Sometimes, it’s a failure, sometimes it works.” New classes offered to seventh and eighth graders include Impact Your World, which uses community service to teach problem-solving and answering openended questions. Students brainstorm issues in the community that need a solution, such as litter. NXT Robotics starts out with telling the students how to use the Lego Mindstorms NXT sets to design robots that fulfill a task. There are no planned new courses to accommodate for the fifth and sixth graders once they reach the Upper
School, but senior Emily Margolis may be leading a wave of new classes to the Upper School. Over the summer, she went to two science programs; both were male dominated. With the help of Jeff Funkhouser, Upper School science teacher, Emily started the club Women in STEM in order to provide girls with older female role models in STEM. She says that hopefully this will lead to an increased interest in the field. “Literally, I had just read an article that I had forwarded to Ms. Hernandez and Mrs. Ross to say, ‘Hey, here’s one thing that people are doing,’” Mr. Funkhouser said. “And then within two days, Emily sent this email to me basically saying ‘Hey, would you be interested in this? We’d like to get some female faculty involved.’ And I was totally fired up. It just could not have been more perfectly timed.”
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wednesday, october 2, 2013
Faculty Freshmen: Class of 2013 Parker Ainsworth Matthew Blimline April Burns Ralph Dintino Brynn Gannaway
Matthew Giorgio Lauren Giovannini Mohammad Haque Hannah Harkey Qadir Islam
Richard Jaggers Emily Kane Shanti Majefski Alicia Mayer Sally Miller
Third Grade Carter Teaching Fellow
Athletic Trainer
Upper School Spanish
Director of Sports Center, Head Football Coach
Kindergarten Carter Teaching Fellow
Best trip? Europe with my best friend from high school. He was abroad in London, so we home-based there and went to Paris, Berlin, and Munich. Best Story? Getting lost going to a castle in Germany. Favorite restaurant? The Magnolia Café in Austin, "3 Alarm" breakfast tacos and the pancakes. And the "mag mud" queso. Middle School History & English
Favorite sports moment? Having the opportunity to be around boxing greats Muhammad Ali and Joe Frazer in Ali’s training camp in Pennsylvania several times. Also, playing tennis with Arthur Ash. TV character that reminds you of yourself? John Belushi. If you know his work such as Animal House, no further comment is needed. Pre-Kindergarten Teacher
Three celebrities you’d take to dinner? Girl’s night with Audrey Hepburn, Frida Kahlo, and NeNe Leakes. I choose Audrey because I love her movies and her charity work, Frida because I love her art and she has a fascinating story, and NeNe because she is hilarious and has good style. We would get manicures and pedicures and then eat Mexican food. Upper School Math
First job? At a small Catholic school in Ithaca, NY, teaching K-8 P.E., seventh grade biology and eighth grade physical science. I also coordinated an after school sports program and my salary for the entire year was $5,700. What I remember most was the fact that my only break was 20 minutes for lunch!
Celebrities you’d take to dinner? Sir Alfred Hitchcock and Senator Robert F. Kennedy. I’d enjoy discussing cinematic plot twists and surprise endings with “Hitch.” I would very much like to thank Mr. “Bobby” Kennedy for his service and encouraging in me a larger sense of community. Since these guys have made millions over the years I would order lobster and ask them to foot the bill. Kindergarten Carter Teaching Fellow
Proudest achievement? Holding the most Woman’s Tennis Single’s Wins at The University of Texas at Tyler. Three celebrities you’d take to dinner? I would only want to go to dinner with one celebrity, and that is Roger Federer. He is my idol and very good looking.
Grew up? I grew up in NYC. Favorite dish? My favorite dish is chicken korma, but only the way my parents make it. First job? My first job was as a teaching assistant at University of Texas at Austin.
Favorite sports moment? When the Texas Rangers struck out Alex Rodriguez to secure their spot as American League West Champions. My husband proposed to me the very next day, but I was pretty nervous he was going to do it as A-Rod walked off the field. Unusual hobby? I really love Zombie movies/T.V. shows. I also like cheesy jokes. What do zombies eat for breakfast? Grrrraaaaiiinns. Head Field Hockey Coach, Physical Education
Character that reminds you of yourself? I often find myself relating to Indiana Jones. He’s book-smart, wears cool blazer-sweater vest combos while being a professor, always gets sucked into finding a new treasure that would further enhance his craft at teaching, is an explorer at heart, and doesn’t mind getting down and dirty for the cause.
Proudest achievement? Marrying my wife, Alice. Superpower? Telekinesis. It’s just so versatile. Others describe you as… Passionate, funny and at least a little crazy.
Proudest achievement? When I ran a 1/2 marathon in New York last spring. I am not athletic at all, so it was quite an accomplishment for me. Character that reminds you of yourself? Jo from Little Women reminds me of myself because she is adventurous and likes to read.
Favorite family tradition? My favorite family tradition takes place on Christmas Eve. Every year as a family we hop in the car and drive around looking at all the Christmas decorations. After we look at Christmas decorations we go back to the house and all sit down in the family room and watch a Christmas movie (usually Elf) while drinking hot chocolate.
Favorite family tradition? All of my favorite family traditions revolve around food - that must say something about my family? Specific dishes that we always have for special occasions. My mom has baked her homemade chocolate birthday cake for me every year since my first birthday!
Fourth Grade Carter Teaching Fellow
Story compiled by Sera Tuz, photos courtesy of Joe Monaco
Lower School Counselor
Favorite restaurant? It is really hard for me to list one restaurant as my favorite, because I love food. I especially love to be adventurous and try new foods. Unusual hobby? I don’t know that this would be considered unusual or odd, but I have a passion for cooking healthy. Interesting that two of the questions that I answered revolve around food!
Third Grade Humanities
Proudest achievement? Paying all my own bills. Actress that reminds you of yourself? Reese Witherspoon. I’m obsessed with her! Unusual hobby? Watching soap operas and I’m 23!
Middle School English Carter Teaching Fellow
Kindergarten Carter Teaching Fellow
wednesday, october 2, 2013
Second Grade Carter Teaching Fellow
Favorite family tradition? Making Santa his special cookies! He only loves Peanut Butter cookies. If you were another person, who would you be? Beyonce. Superpower? I think it would be pretty fun to be able to fly.
Pre-Kindergarten Carter Teaching Fellow
Three celebrities you’d take to dinner? Aw man I only get to choose 3? I would have to say Miranda Lambert (she can bring Blake Shelton if she wants), Beyoncé, and Jennifer Lawrence- all so different, but such strong women and good role models. Favorite sports moment? Winning the softball State Championship in High School.
Strength, Conditioning & High Performance Coach Favorite family tradition? Taking my son to Omaha, Nebraska in June. Every year since 1950 the College World Series has been held in Omaha, and if you’re a baseball fan, in my opinion, there’s nothing better. Three celebrities you’d take to dinner? Billy Graham, Nelson Mandela, and John Wooden.
Middle School Science, STEM Coordinator
Favorite sports moment? Johnny Football winning the Heisman. Say what you will about the kid, but he is magical on the football field. I have suffered a lot with my Aggies throughout the years, and when they called his name as the Heisman winner I will admit I cried. Not a lot, but I shed a few tears of joy. Gig’em.
Kindergarten Carter Teaching Fellow
Unusual hobby? I collect hot sauce! At any given point, I’ll have around 15 - 20 kinds of hot sauce in my kitchen. I put it on everything. Do with a million dollars? What would you do with 1 million dollars? 1. Pay off my student loans 2. Sell my house, Buy a boat and sail the world for a year.
Upper School English
Favorite family tradition: Christmas! Actually Christmases. In my family we have two Christmases--Christmas in August and Christmas in December. Many of my family members are born in August, and we get together for a Texas reunion. I listen to a different Christmas album every day until January 6. My family hates me for this.
The
Evergreen
Assistant Athletic Director
Best trip? In my 20’s, The Bahamas to compete on TV the National Fitness Challenge. First job? Drive-in movie theatre in the concessions. My memory was how greasy it was! Three celebrities you’d take to dinner? Madeline Albright, Ronald Reagan, Billie Jean King.
Middle School Math
Favorite family tradition? Having ice cream for breakfast with the kids when Mrs. Ross is out of town. Favorite sports moment? Saturday, October 25, 1986. Game 6 of the World Series at Shea. Vin Scully calling for NBC. Bottom of the 10th. Schiraldi, then Stanley. Tworun deficit. Two outs. Single, single, single, wild pitch, error. Mookie and Buckner.
First Grade Carter Teaching Fellow
Superpower? It would be the ability to multiply myself whenever I wanted to. I always feel like there’s not enough time. If I could multiply myself, then I could do all the things I wanted to do. I would not want to have permanent clones though because I would be worried that they would then begin to take over my life.
Pre-Kindergarten Carter Teaching Fellow
Toughest decision you ever had to make? Leaving my life in England, and starting anew here in Dallas. It has been the best decision so far! Favorite restaurant? [It] is called Nandos, it’s a Portuguese restaurant in England, and I do believe they have one in Washington DC, my favorite dish would be there peri peri chicken!
Upper School Counselor
Superpower? If I could have any superpower, it would be the ability to have perfect memory. I know it sounds pretty nerdy, but think about it: if you could remember every conversation, every book you read, every lecture you heard. You could be fluent in 15 languages, breeze through school, and never have to take notes again!
Head of Athletics & Physical Education
First job? Working with MS Math and English and coaching football, MS JV girls basketball, and lacrosse. Two memories: it took me 40 minutes to review two math word problems because I answered every question I was asked. My second memory is coaching MS JV basketball where our lone win was a 13-12 nailbiter where the girls cried after the game.
news
Athletics Office Coordinator
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Mia Moorehead Don Myers Toni Oppliger Bhavisha Patel Marsha Rapé
First job? Doing yard work at my house and my dad’s office. [It] was located on a busy street, so I remember getting quite embarrassed as people drove by honking at me as I mowed the lawn. Proud of...I was a Marine Officer’s spouse for the past nine years.
FourthEighth Grade Learning Specialist
Crosby Rolle Meghan Rooney Gregg Ross Priya Singhvi Laura Sparkman
Proudest achievement? Attending my alma mater as a third legacy at Southern Methodist University. This accomplishment includes my Bachelor of Arts in Education and Psychology as well as my Master of Science in Counseling as a Licensed Professional Counselor. Three celebrities you’d take to dinner? Frank Sinatra, Lucille Ball, and Julia Child.
Early Childhood & Summer on the Hill Coordinator Best trip ever? I could talk a life time about this… Medical Mission trip to Ukraine! Helping with patient intake and vision screening was an absolute joy! Even though there was a language barrier, it was amazing how we were able to communicate. I learned a little Ukrainian/ Russian and the Ukrainians learned a little Texas twang English! Dasvidaniya!
Trey Stringer Karin Thomas Michelle Van Rooyen Chad Wabrek Gayle Willis
The Evergreen Wednesday [10.02.13]
Lower School Library A new, versatile space features innovative learning stations. Turn to Page 11 for more information.
Demystifying the Mum Christina Zhu
Asst. Features Editor
Miniature teddy bears of different sizes fill up wooden shelves. Bundles of ribbons and braids hang on the walls. Bells and spirit chains are stored in blue plastic bins. All of these disconnected parts make up our Texas tradition: homecoming mums. Mums are a staple of homecoming spirit in Texas. The Mum Shop, located in Plano, is the ultimate producer of mums for schools in the surrounding area. The shop buzzes with activity as kids shop for additions to their mums, pay for them at the cash register, and pick up personalized mums. The workers are there to help guide them through every step of the process. The owner, Amy Fogarty can help with whatever you need. “We know just about every school’s mascot, colors, size, trinkets, and rules for their mums. When a kid comes in, we want to make sure they’re happy and comfortable with what they’re purchasing in their environment, in their school,” Ms. Fogarty said. They make mums for 22 schools around the Dallas metropolis, and know the specifics of each school, including Greenhill’s. The Mum Shop also fixes mums. “They call us ‘mum doctors,’” Ms. Fogarty said. They get cases with mums that have the wrong colors, or have fallen apart. They will fix these for a small fee. “It’s just trying to make sure the kid feels like they’ll fit in,” Amy said. Greenhill’s mum tradition all started with the cheerleaders. Initially, they made mums as a fundraiser. But the school saw how expensive they were getting, and said that cheerleaders could no longer make mums for a profit. The
I grew up in Texas where mums were big in the culture, and I never realized that mums are specifically a Texas thing. I worked at a boarding school in Connecticut for eight years and they didn’t do mums at all. In fact they didn’t really have homecoming. When I came back, Ms. Bigham, welcoming [me] back, got me this homecoming mum, and I hung it on my board. What’s been funny about that is every year around this time, hundreds of visitors from colleges come to visit us from all over the country and all over the world. When I chat with them, they always see this homecoming mum and those that are not from Texas are always like, “What is that about?” So I tell them about mums in Texas. This year, I actually had one of the college representatives ask if he could put the mum on. I took his picture and he put it on Facebook.
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Mums by the Numbers 7,200
teddy bears The Mum Shop uses each season
5,000
pounds of ribbon The Mum Shop goes through every year
600
pounds of glue used by the Shop each fall
1.3 million staples used in constructing the Shop’s mums each year
17,206
dollars Greenhill students spent on mums and garters last year
492
total mums and garters Mr. Oros ordered for Greenhill last year
Photos by Varun Gupta, Megan Wiora, and Ariana Zhang
Mum Tales, as told by College Counselor Jennifer Kincaid:
school asked Jack Oros, Dean of Students, to This process is repeated for the 8,000 take on the project. orders they fill each year. Mr. Oros knew from experience how Making all of those mums takes time and expensive mums are. He had to pay for his commitment. “The worst part of the job is the son’s $100 mum. So, he agreed to take on the lack of sleep during the season. We sleep about project as long as students were not allowed to four to six hours a night during the season,” customize their mum. Ms. Sandy said. Mr.Oros made a deal with The Mum At Greenhill, the students of the Fashion Shop. “Not many schools do it the way that and Design club started to make mums and we do. We are one of the few schools that does braid ribbons last year. The club’s president, one-mum-fits-all.” Mr.Oros said. senior Vicky Zhou, also can speak to the hours The Mum Shop utilizes an assembly line of work required. set-up to efficiently finish the orders they get “It took lots of effort to search and buy the each year. materials for the mums. Keeping Ms. Fogarty has been everything on track and getting Making mums working at the store since she was the mums done by homecoming is a year-long in high school, when her mother is difficult. We also have to know project. Everyand aunt started the store. Now, the tutorials for each different thing that is in braid we make every day. So I Ms. Fogarty works there with her this store that have to find, learn, and send the own children. is made out of videos to other officers on how to “It’s 29 years of well-oiled ribbon, we make make each braid, so they could machine. Making mums is a ourselves.” help facilitate the process. We year-long project. Everything that is in this store that is made have to plan things and be on top out of ribbon, we make ourselves. of it,” Vicky said. Every braid, every bow, every The Mum Shop can little sticker letter is put on by us, everything overcome these obstacles just to make kids is stapled by us. Every single piece just starts happy. “In all honesty, the best part is watching with a bolt of ribbon,” Ms. Fogarty said. a kid walk in, hold up the mum, and that kid’s The process to make a mum starts with look on their face. It seems like their name on someone walking in the door. They fill out a that mum is lit up in lights, that it is so special form and decide what size mum they want, for them. That is the best part of the job,” and what kind of letters for their names. They Teri said. go through a list of trinkets and check what they want. After filling out the form, it gets taken to the back and all the supplies needed to make the mum are pulled from the stocks and put into a plastic bag. “We staple everything that we can staple To personalize your mum or garter, on to the streamers. Once everything is stapled contact the Mum Shop directly: on to the streamers, it goes over to our glue station. Then we glue everything that needs 221 West Parker Road Suite #400 to be glued on to the streamers as well as the Plano, TX 75023 flowers. We set it to dry and then it’s done,” 972-423-6867 said Teri Sandy, co-owner of The Mum Shop.
The
wednesday, october 2, 2013
Evergreen
features
THE DIRTY WORK Alex Weinberg Managing Editor
When Upper School students gathered on the fields at the northeast corner of campus for an emergency fire drill, most were delighted to have a short break from class. For students in Science and Sustainability, however, it was more an interruption than a retreat. They were reluctant to leave their compost piles by the science building. Those fledgling heaps of decaying organic material have been the students’ main project in the class for the first part of the trimester. To an outsider, the soggy, wilting boxes of dead plants and food scraps, many of them hot to the touch with the activity of decomposition, probably look like they ought to be thrown out. To the students who are making them, however, the compost-to-be is like conservationist gold. Only it’s brown, and looks more like soil. And is essentially made of garbage. Since last year, Upper School Science Teacher Michelle Smith, who teaches the course, has had her students partake in a composting project, in which small groups of students attempt to make usable compost, an organic fertilizer, over the course of a few weeks. Basically, they are getting excited about a pile of food scraps decomposing. “We all have really been having fun with it,” senior Brent Rubin said. “It’s a lot different from what you usually get to do in class.” Compost is organic matter that has been decomposed and recycled as fertilizer and soil additive. It’s a way of turning waste into reusable material that can assist garden
growth. Making compost is no easy task, though. In fact, it’s a process that requires much time and attention if it is to yield viable results. For starters, the collection to be composted consists of both nitrogenrich (or green) and carbon-rich (or brown) materials. Green materials include grass clippings, weeds, flower trimmings, and fresh food scraps. Brown materials are dry, and include dead leaves, wood chips, and sawdust. In order for the decomposition process to work, Mrs. Smith has recommended that her students use equal parts green and brown materials by weight. While the decomposition takes place naturally, it needs a little help. Compost piles require constant maintenance. They should be kept moist, but not soaked (this has been a challenge since several sprinkler heads are within range of the compost boxes). The temperature of the decaying material also needs to be monitored. The students have used heat probes to determine the temperatures of their piles. According to the Berkeley method of rapid composting, which the class is using, compost in the works can climb as high as 160 degrees Fahrenheit. Finally, aeration is essential. Students need to turn their materials over periodically in order to ensure that plenty of oxygen interacts with all parts of the mixture. Compost that isn’t consistently turned will decompose much more slowly than regularly aerated compost.
Clearly, there’s a lot that goes into transforming garbage into useful garbage. That’s something Mrs. Smith knows all about. She’s been gardening and making her own compost at home since last spring. She said she was moved to implement the project at home after she watched a Ted Talk by Ron Finley, which discussed the lack of sustainable fresh food sources in South Central Los Angeles, an area classified as a food desert. In his talk, Finley asserts that “growing your own food is like printing your own money.” He claims that maintaining one’s own sustainable food source is the key to combatting many problems facing his community, including poverty and obesity. Finley likes to call himself a “Gangsta Gardner.” His ideas struck a chord with Mrs. Smith. “I have a lot of passions related to sustainability,” she said. “This composting and gardening was a very relatable manifestation of that.” There were, of course, some preliminary concerns. After all, composting can be a very dirty job. “My husband was dead set against the composting initially,” she said. “But once I could illustrate for him that it wasn’t going to make our kitchen unnecessarily smelly, he got on board.” Now, Mrs. Smith keeps three 55gallon receptacles at her house, two of which were commercially made and one of which she engineered herself out of an old trash can. The homemade composter has produced the best results so far, she said.
A lot goes into transforming garbage into useful garbage.
“I have neighbors that will stop if they’re walking by and ask ‘What’s that?’” Mrs. Smith said. “They’re very curious about it, and so it opens up a conversation.” And that conversation spilled over into the classroom. Mrs. Smith said her Science and Sustainability course, which she began offering five years ago, was always intended to be a servicelearning course. In the past, she let her students choose the service project they would do. However, with her evolving efforts at home, Mrs. Smith decided this year that she would make sustainability at Greenhill the focus of the service. Now, her students are renovating the previously overgrown, unkempt community garden, and using it to grow crops that they’ll donate to Pleasant Grove Food Pantry, a local organization that provides fresh food to residents of the Pleasant Grove area and surrounding neighborhoods. This season, they’re growing radishes, broccoli, and lettuce, three crops Mrs. Smith said will give them a quick yield. She’s also made some changes to the composting project to make it more successful than last year. The students now have their miniature compost piles set up right outside the science building as opposed to having them on the other side of campus. Mrs. Smith said she hopes this convenience will encourage her students to more carefully maintain their projects. Admittedly, it wasn’t a successful project right from the start. “Last year it didn’t go so well,” Mrs. Smith said. “We did have one group make a pretty decent compost, but for the most part it fell flat.”
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Photo by Megan Wiora
Mrs. Smith said she attributes this to a lack of consistent maintenance. The compost piles were set up in Greenhill’s community garden near the Lower School, so students faltered in checking on their compost each day. “Making this work requires more effort than that,” she said. “You have to be very particular.” The class is also considering ways that they can make the Greenhill campus a more sustainable place altogether. They’ve split up into several groups to realize that goal. For example, one group of classmates is in charge of maintaining the community garden, while another is responsible for enhancing Greenhill’s preexisting but not very viable compost pile. The pile, which sits in the northwest corner of campus, past the baseball field, is currently composed in large part of big pieces of yard waste. The class, however, hopes to work with the cafeteria staff to ensure that the enormous amounts of food scraps that come out of the cafeteria each day, and that could make the compost pile sustainable, are actually put to use. Another group is in charge of marketing the initiative. This entails placing receptacles around campus for compostable material, as well as creating signs or organizing public announcements that advertise the collection of compostables and stress the importance of doing so. “At first, I didn’t even know what composting was,” Brent said. “Even when I learned, it just seemed like decomposing trash. But now I can really see how this can impact the Greenhill community as a whole in a positive way.”
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The
Evergreen
wednesday, october 2, 2013
US counselor brings passion to position, PAL Madison Goodrich Asst. Features Editor
Priya Singhvi opens the door and welcomes me into her office. I walk down the narrow white hallway and meet her at the door. I sit down on the couch and take a moment to look around. The room has an open feel and the plush multi-colored pillows make it enjoyable to sit down. Chairs and a small table are to my left and a shelf with a jar of candy is to my right. Behind me, a tinted black window keeps other students from looking in. I turn back around to face her; she gives me a big smile. This room is a space where students are invited to talk to Ms. Singhvi, in her new role as Upper School counselor, about their problems and or their accomplishments. Ms. Singhvi didn’t always know that counseling would be in her future. “I didn’t know you could make a whole career from just talking to people and helping them help themselves with their problems.” Her first impressions of counseling came from her high school counselor whose role was not to focus on the emotional needs of the students. “When I was younger, our school counselor was the person who did scheduling and college advising. Unfortunately, in the public school system, a councilor wasn’t really available to do the type
of thing I have the privilege of doing Halliburton, “[He] was like a little every day, [which is] having a real brother to me. He struggled with conversation with students talking bipolar disorder and depression and about their struggles and their ended up taking his own life. [That’s successes.” when I knew] I wanted to be a part After dropping out of Ross of a cause that helped recognize the University’s medical school, Ms. signs and symptoms [of depression] Singhvi, who arrived at Greenhill before a kid feels their only choice is approximately two months ago, to end their life.” realized that she wanted to do According to Ms. Singhvi, something different with her life. it was almost magical how this She decided to get her Masters job opportunity presented itself. of Science in counseling and “[Greenhill had an] opening for Marriage and Family Therapy at the first time in 10 years, [and this Southern Methodist University’s opportunity was perfect] with me Annette Caldwell Simmons graduating, having my license at School of Education and Human the right time, and [me] feeling Development. like it really fulfilled my life goals of “[I] was terrified of failing mentoring.” again and not completing Prior to becoming another piece of Grad a counselor, she tutored school [but] I knew within Greenhill students for She’s four years in math and the very first class that connected science. [this] was the place I was with the suppose to be. From the Students can set students professor, to how quickly up meeting times by this year. email or stop by when I grasped the material, to People it is convenient for how quickly I immersed open up to them. After setting up myself into the course her.” an interview, a student work, everything just felt right.” comes to Ms. Singhvi’s After Ms. Singhvi received office and talks to her about their graduated from SMU she worked for struggles and successes. Ms. Singhvi The Grant Halliburton foundation, feels that she has already made an a non-profit organization that impact on the students she’s met specializes in young adult mental with. health. She wanted to work there Ms. Singhvi is also in charge of in honor of her friend, Grant the PAL program. The PAL program,
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Photo by Brianna Houston
GRINNING EAR TO EAR: Upper School Counselor Priya Singhvi is embracing her new role at Greenhill and heading the PAL program.
Peer Assistant Leaders, is a class available to sophomores, juniors, and seniors where students serve as mentors and advise the younger students in the school. When Ms Singhvi found out that she would have to opportunity to be the faculty head of PALs she was glad to have the opportunity to teach students how to mentor others. “Getting to be a sponsor for PALs and getting the school counseling aspect as well. It was sort of divine how lots of little things came together for this complete picture.” “She’s been on top of things and I also think that she’s connected with
the students this year. People open up to her.” Said senior PAL member, Jocelyn Lee. Ms. Singhvi recognizes the emotional drain that comes with being a busy and hopes students realize they are not alone. “Kids at this school are dealing with a lot. I think some kids feel like they have to have a happy face all the time [because] that’s what their friends or teachers expect of them and that can be tough. I encourage those kids to be mindful that everyone has their own struggle that their dealing with and their not alone.”
Hemisphere Swap: An Aussie in America Ben Krakow Sports Editor
Photo by Tamara Prabhakar
CULTURE SHIFT: Foreign exchange student, junior Lizzy Cox, is living with the Shoshids for the year as part of the American Field Service (AFS) program. In her time here, she has joined the field hockey team and video production crew.
She asks where the bubbler is. Her friends look confused. Then they realize that she is asking for the water fountain. Australian exchange student junior Lizzy Cox has had quite a few of these misunderstandings as she tries to adapt to American lifestyle and culture. But Lizzy wants to absorb everything she can abbout America, and so she takes each of these moments as a chance to learn. Lizzy did not begin the Greenhill school year coming off Summer Break. It is currently winter in Australia so Lizzy was already half way through her school year before coming over for the full school year at Greenhill. She is staying with the Shosid family, home to sophomore Abby, and Weston ’12 who is now at the
University of Texas. Lizzy left her whole family but still tries to Skype with them about once a week. She says she has almost found a second family in the Shosids. “I do miss my family, but I feel like I am part of the Shosid family now,” Lizzy said. One thing that has helped Lizzy fit in is field hockey. Lizzy plays in Australia with most of the same rules, so it was an easy transition for her playing in the United States. The only major difference is that in the United States you have to wear goggles when you play. Even though Abby is on the varsity squad and Lizzy plays junior varsity they are able to share the passion together. “The competition is much tougher and they take practice much more seriously over here,” Lizzy said. Lizzy anticipated having to get
used to American food but that has and she has adjusted to American been less of an adjustment than she culture really well,” Abby said. “The originally thought it would be. Much Shosid family is really sociable and to her surprise, she has enjoyed the Abby has introduced me to so many food in America and says it is much people.” Lizzy said. better than the food in Australia. She says the Shosid’s food for the Australian American Jewish High Holidays has been English English one of her favorites so far. She also wants to try Outback Steakhouse and see how faithful their food is Deece Decent to traditional Australian food. Lizzy has had Abby try Fair dinkum Genuine, honest Australian food, but Abby says she is not a huge fan, especially of Mad as a cut snake Very angry the Australian specialty, vegemite, a strong-tasting, yeasty paste that’s Bangers & mash Sausages & potatoes often spread on toast. In their short time together Cheers, mate Thanks, friend Abby and Lizzy both say they have formed a bond and have Spit the dummy Lose your cool become good friends, which has made the adjustment easier. “She is really easy to get along with
The
wednesday, october 2, 2013
Evergreen
features
11
Little library, big changes Varun Gupta
Asst. Features Editor
Last spring, Head Librarian Donna Woody and her co-workers obtained permission from Head of School Scott Griggs to redesign the Lower School Library, now called the Lower School Commons. The space, reorganized over the summer, features a SMART Board, Puppet theater, and comfortable seating arrangement, to encourage literary learning and peer-to-peer interaction. “I think the way people learn is through a social activity, by reflecting and sharing ideas, and working as a team,” Mrs. Woody said. On a Thursday afternoon, a class of 12 Lower School students brought their pleasant chuckles and wild spirits to the library, where half sat on the couches and the rest on a colorful rug. Children recited their favorite lines from Dr. Seuss and facts from Guinness World Records. A year ago, multi-leveled bookshelves lined the room, but now this clutter has moved to the main room of the Montgomery library. Instead of a maze of books, the Lower School Commons incorporates a reading area, desks for classroom lectures, and communal storytime seating. “I think [the redesigned library] reflects what our school is, more than what we were doing in the past,” said Mrs. Woody. Greenhill’s shift mirrors a trend in libraries today. A group of three second grade students praised the yellow plush sofas and carpeted steps that create an amphitheater semi-circle as their favorite additions to the space. According to Lower School Librarian Carrie Martin, the carpeted amphitheater-style steps help kids stay focused when she’s reading a story or giving presentations. Lower School students can use
photos by Varun Gupta
READING ROCKS: Second graders read in comfort in the Lower School Commons (top). Fourth graders utilize new library Netbooks for data analysis (left). The carpeted amphitheatre is used for storytime (right).
the main (Montgomery) library to flip through junior fiction and nonfiction titles. Moving the books out of the Lower School Commons,
Cason Wetherill said. According to Mrs. Martin, Lower School students like feeling included with older kids. They are also learning bigkid skills to be prepared for diving into class projects. Mrs. Woody introduced a new scheduling system, called Flexible-Access, letting teachers bring their students into the library. Fourth Grade Fellow Emily Kane communicates weekly with Mrs. Martin, as part of this program, to create lesson plans. According to Mrs. Martin, her role is to educate students on ways of using technology and literary strategies as a benefit in the classroom. On a Friday morning, a class of fourth graders learned strategies for organizing data, using a program called Live Binder. A movable SMART Board and cart of Notebook computers provided students with individual learning tools to follow along with Mrs. Martin. “We can have multiple things going on at once and the library is big enough to accommodate multiple classes at a time,” Mrs. Martin said. For example, along with classroom activities, the librarians might have puppet shows for the Child Development Center kids in a corner of the room. Mrs. Martin’s personal office has also become a learning center with a pulldown screen that provides an additional mode for projecting presentation slides. According to Mrs. Woody, all of the changes have received positive feedback. She said she is happy with the results. “The literary program for each school level helps foster the children’s love for reading, which helps motivate them to be lifelong learners and they continue to be interested in books,” said Mrs. Kane.
means there is a larger selection to choose from, and students can check out higher-level reading with permission.
“I like the new arrangement, since the old one had books everywhere and now the books are organized better,” fourth grader
landscapes,” Zayna said of her drawing class next trimester, “and draw more of people than their profiles.” Zayna has an affinity for drawing portraits of people and practices the common habit drawers have of doodling on all available surfaces. “My favorite thing about drawing is probably being able to express yourself,” Zayna said animatedly, “and the satisfaction you get when one of your drawings turns out well, and just being able to create something in your own vision.” Zayna beams when she describes celebrating Eid al-Fitr, a religious holiday commemorating the end of Ramadan, with her family. The Syed household leaves school and work to attend services in the morning and eat dinner with friends in the evening, sometimes enjoying a potluck at her grandparents’ ranch. “It’s a celebration after a hard month,” Zayna said. “It is quite beautiful to know you achieved something and to be able to sit back and enjoy that achievement.”
ICE PRINCESS: Freshman Zayna Syed poses with her ice-skating coach and team after medaling in an ice-skating competition. She recently competed in the Ice Skating Institute Worlds Competition in California.
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 third conversation was with freshman Zayna Syed. “Zayna is Arabic for ‘beauty,’” she said with a smile. Freshman Zayna Syed incorporates beauty throughout her life. She brings her perspective into her hobbies, her sports, and her faith. Zayna speaks fondly of her times at the Muslim Youth of North America camp, an organization that strives to create a diverse network of youth fostering North American Muslim Culture. There, Zayna gets her feet wet canoeing and swimming, as well as rock climbing and participating in workshops. “We put on a talent show at the end of camp, which is hilarious,” Zayna said, mentioning that she met Hebah Khan ‘13 there, who is on the MYNA National Executive Committee. Her best memories of camp are centered around the
people she meets there, which holds true for other parts of her life. “I’ve met a lot of friends ice skating,” Zayna said. This year she went to California for Ice Skating Institute Worlds Competition. She stayed with her family and friends in the same hotel, prepping together for the competition and helping each other slip on costumes and put on makeup. “I like competing,” Zayna said. “Over winter break, I do the Christmas Show at the Galleria. [This year] we have these fat Santa suits we wear.” (The Galleria Christmas show is featured during the Macy’s Grand Tree Lighting Celebration that runs from late November until Christmas every year.) Zayna started skating when she was eight. “It combines skill, stamina, grace, and it’s a beautiful sport,” Syed said. “If that sounds cheesy then I’m sorry, but it is.” Just as figure skating has been a part of her life since early childhood, Zayna has been drawing ever since she can remember. “I hope to learn how to do
story by Isabet Tranchin
Photo courtesy of Zayna Syed
12
The
Eve
Unravelling th
In honor of Breast Cancer Awareness month, The Eve and emotions of Hornets who have bee
A Te a c h e r a n d h e r For titude Upper School Language Teacher Mary Tapia sits alone in a quiet room of her house, reading to herself. “Every morning make a vow to stay awake and remind yourself several times during the day to pay attention to ‘the now’” she says, quoting from Robert J. Wicks’ Everyday Simplicity. As she has done every morning since she was diagnosed with breast cancer, Mrs. Tapia performs an inspirational reading before an audio recording guides her through ten minutes of morning meditation. This particular morning, she lies down, but on other days, she stands, or sits. The process is new to her, so she has yet to establish a routine. This July, Mrs. Tapia visited her doctor for an annual mammogram. When the doctors determined that there was a small abnormality in her breast, they performed a biopsy on a sample of tissue. This was the second time Mrs. Tapia had required a biopsy, and due to its previous negative results, she was not worried. On Wednesday, August 21st, however, while sitting in the first all-school staff meeting during orientation week, Mrs. Tapia received a personal phone call from her doctor. “I saw that the doctor was calling me, not the lab, and I knew that was bad news,” said Mrs. Tapia. “I got emotional, but I could not leave the meeting. All I could do was sit there. That was one long meeting.” When it was over, Mrs. Tapia called her doctor, who informed her that she had carcinoma. She was referred to Greenhill parent Dr. Archana Ganaraj at Breast Cancer Alliance of North Texas. “What was most upsetting was that it took several days before I was further informed as to the stage of the disease. All I knew, until that point, was that I had breast cancer, and that’s frightening,” said Tapia. Mrs. Tapia has stage zero cancer, meaning that the atypical cells have not spread beyond the ducts into the surrounding breast tissue. According to Dr. Carolyn Thomas, a former student of Mrs. Tapia’s, who works in the same practice as Dr. Ganaraj, the survival rate of stage zero breast cancer is about 99%. If it returns as an invasive cancer, however, that can be life-threatening. Mrs. Tapia has had two lumpectomies: one partially successful, and the second to fully remove the remaining cancerous tissue. She will continue with radiation therapy for six weeks to eliminate any remaining cancer cells and ensure that they do not return. It is difficult to predict how a patient will react to her diagnosis. “There are so many varieties of personalities out there, so there are that many varieties of responses,” explained Dr. Thomas. “Some patients are incredibly composed, non-emotional, and in control, while others are very upset and distraught, or even in a mode of shock.” While some patients struggle to cope with their diagnosis, Mrs. Tapia approached cancer in a positive light, viewing her situation as an enlightening journey. “I have to be optimistic, that is my modus operandi,” said Mrs. Tapia, who went home upon receiving the call from her doctor, but returned to school later that day. “I could sit at home and make myself sicker, or I could go back to school, so that’s what I did.” Mrs. Tapia prides herself on all that she has gained from her positivity, looking for what she can learn from the experience, and putting her entire life into perspective. She has begun to be more transparent about her feelings, strengthening her relationships with others. She is also taking time out of each day to develop a formal practice of being mindful and more spiritual, steps that she believes will “undoubtedly help [her] healing process.” “I realize that having cancer is really like any other difficult situation in life,” she said. “I have to learn to accept that I cannot control what happens to me, but I do have a degree of control over how I respond to whatever comes my way.” Mrs. Tapia is adamant on not being pitied, but rather viewed as a supporter for others with similar circumstances as hers. “I encourage anyone who is going through a difficult time to avoid being overwhelmed by negativity and to aim, whenever possible, to view their issue as an opportunity for personal growth.” story by Danielle Stoler
Photos by Ariana Zhang
TOUCH OF PINK: Hornets honor Breast Cancer Awareness month by adding a splash of pink to their lives, like the pink shoelaces athletes wear (above) and the pink ribbons on mums (bottom right).
Do you know someone with breast cancer?
*SurveyMonkey survey based upon responses of 100 Upper School students
The Komen Foundation According to the American Cancer Society, approximately 39,620 women will die from breast cancer in 2013. So, how did the name of Susan G. Komen, one woman amongst thousands who have lost their battles to breast cancer, become synonymous with breast cancer awareness, and a little, satin pink ribbon? Susan G. Komen, a Dallas native, was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1977, and lost her three-year battle with the disease in 1980. When it became clear that Komen would not survive, her sister, Nancy G. Brinker, promised that she would do everything in her power to end breast cancer forever. In 1982, Brinker began the fulfillment of her promise, launching Susan G. Komen for the Cure®, the global breast cancer movement that has raised more than $2 billion, and is present in more than 50 countries today. story by Danielle Stoler
ergreen
wednesday, october 2, 2013
13
he Pink ribbon
ergreen has chosen to examine the struggles, challenges, n p e r s o n a l l y a f f e c t e d b y b r e a s t c a n c e r.
A Dad and his Daughter They started each morning together, in Brian Donnell’s band class. At the end of the period, as the class tucked their instruments back into their cases and shuffled out the door, his then-freshman daughter Leanne hugged her dad goodbye before heading to second period. And at the end of the day, the two piled into the car and vented on the drive home. They talked about all of the things they couldn’t talk about around Mrs. Donnell— a tough day, an awkward situation, a frustrating moment. It was August 2010. Mrs. Donnell had been diagnosed with breast cancer and had just undergone two surgeries to remove a two and a half centimeter stage 1 tumor, followed by weeks of chemotherapy and radiation. “Cancer is just an awful, terrible, horrendous thing,” Mr. Donnell said. “But I think that moment I just kind of went into ‘What do we need to do to make sure that she’s okay?’ ‘How do I make sure that life is normal for my [kids]?’” For Mr. Donnell’s son Foster ’10, who was heading for the Marines at the time of the diagnosis, coping simply meant knowing that his mom was okay. But for Leanne, coping meant understanding exactly what her mother was going through. “Leanne had to know everything,” Mr. Donnell said. “Details about the surgery, details about the medicines, details about the treatment.” “I had to know what was going on all the time,” Leanne said. Like his daughter, Mr. Donnell coped by gathering as much information about the disease as he could. “I didn’t know anything about breast cancer when she was diagnosed but quickly became an expert,” Mr. Donnell said. “The cancer and the disease is completely outside of my control, so having knowledge gives me a little bit of control.” Knowing that Leanne was mature enough to handle the details she requested made it easier on Mr. Donnell, he said. “[With young children,] you can’t ever promise that mom or dad will be okay because we don’t know that,” Mr. Donnell said. “Leanne was our youngest, and she was old enough to understand what was happening.” Leanne’s maturity also meant that she knew what topics to avoid around the house. “We wouldn’t really complain about our days around Amy,” Mr. Donnell said. “No matter how bad my day was, it doesn’t compare with going through radiation.” Leanne texted her dad during the school day to make sure that Mrs. Donnell’s radiation went okay. She helped him with the chores that her mom did before the diagnosis. She accompanied her mom when she had her head shaved, saving a lock of her curly hair. Now, three years later, Leanne drives herself to school. Mr. Donnell misses those car ride chats. And Mrs. Donnell is in remission. One thing the father-daughter duo is doing without: grilled cheese. “We joke about hating grilled cheese sandwiches because after chemo the only thing that Mrs. Donnell wanted to eat was grilled cheese sandwiches, so for three nights, three days, all weekend, we would only eat grilled cheese sandwiches,” Mr. Donnell said. “I still hate grilled cheese sandwiches. We had them today at lunch, and I just didn’t want any part of it.” story by Rachel Diebner
Over
50%
of Upper School students have a family member who has been affected by b re a s t c a n c e r.
A Girl and her Friends She glanced over the text one last time before pushing the “Send” button. Remy Fine ’13 was in eighth grade when her mother’s breast cancer returned after years of remission—and she needed her friends to know. “My mother’s diagnosis affected my every thought,” she said. “That’s why I made sure to tell my friends and tell them how I wanted to be treated.” That’s why she used to update her friends through group texts. “I can’t hide anything from my friends,” Remy said. “If you hide a sickness, it’s more scary than if you don’t hide it.” Her friends, Remy said, were very supportive. Once, during a particularly bad stage of her mother’s illness, her friends took her out for a special girls’ night out. “We were at Mi Cocina having a girls’ dinner, and they pretended it was my birthday,” she said. “They had people come sing to me—I was so surprised, I had no idea.” But those who weren’t as close with Remy often didn’t know how to respond. “Some people will flat out ignore it because they think you don’t want to talk about it,” Remy said. “Some parents and friends that I’m not close with will ask me some very personal details. And they’re trying to be nice, but it’s not their place.” Within her own family, she realized that communication is key. “I don’t like going to chemo,” Remy said. “The first time my mom asked me to go, I cancelled on her. She was really upset—she thought that I ditched her on something important. And then I explained to her what I feel when I’m there, and she completely understood.” Since her mom’s bout with cancer five years ago, Remy has learned what it is to be the giver of support too. Last year, Remy found herself on the opposite end of the exchange when a friend’s dad became sick. And she did exactly what she would have wanted had the roles been reversed—she reached out. “People want to be so strong and hold everything inside, but if you do that, you’re just hurting yourself,” Remy said. “You have to be honest about what you’re feeling.”
story by Rachel Diebner and Christian Holmes
14 special report
The
Evergreen
wednesday, October 2, 2013
Safety First
Greenhill became one of the last of its area peer schools to introduce ID badges for all faculty and staff. With results of a summer security audit pending, more changes in the interest of school safety could be on the way. Sera Tuz News Editor
The first day of school started out the same as always: teachers introduced themselves, their courses, and their goals for the year. The second day of school, however, saw a new addition to the campus. All faculty and staff wore ID badges on metal chain necklaces throughout the day. A week later, the chains vanished, and personalized nametags and lanyards were being used instead to hold the badges. This summer, Greenhill hired Security Solutions International (SSI), a Homeland Security company, to complete the first security audit for the school in over a decade. Auditors toured the school, taking in the 14 buildings with multiple exterior doors as well as the openness of the campus and the floor-toceiling windows in classrooms. They also learned about Greenhill’s culture: how Upper School students check-in at different times of the day; how senior privileges allow them to leave campus at lunch; and how Upper School students have the freedom to walk anywhere on campus without an adult specifically responsible for them at the time. They also talked to students and faculty, asking them questions about how safe they felt safe on campus. “We told them we want this to be as safe of a place as possible, but without altering the culture of [the school],” said Melissa Orth, Chief Financial Officer. In September, SSI created a report, whose results Greenhill received in mid-September. All changes will be forthcoming within the next year. But even before the report came in, the school had to make one visible change. Greenhill knew the ID badges would be a suggestion in the audit results, so over the summer, Head of School Scott Griggs and the administration team decided to have the faculty and staff wear the already-made badges as a security precaution. “Safety and security is a top priority for schools,” Ms. Orth said. “There is an expectation that people on campus are safe and protected. The physical layout of the campus at Greenhill makes it a challenge to physically uphold what we know we should do from a safety and security standpoint.” The ID badges were put in place to identify who is supposed to be on campus. When a visitor comes on campus, they are currently expected to check-in at either the Lower, Middle or Upper School office; then receive a visitor sticker, which they are to wear at all times on campus. So, if a faculty member sees someone with no badge or sticker, they immediately know that they do not belong. “We’ve gotten large enough to where there may be two employees who work in two entirely different divisions or departments that don’t regularly interact and may not know that the other works at Greenhill,” Ms. Orth said. According to Ms. Orth, all employees must help to monitor compliance with our visitor registration policies and procedures. Employees should question people walking around campus without a visitor badge. Without ID badges, it made it difficult for employees to feel comfortable questioning other adults on campus for fear that they may be questioning a fellow employee. “It depends on the teacher. [Faculty and staff] should be able to talk to [an unidentified visitor] to see if they need help. They should engage them in a conversation to see why
they’re there,” said Ralph Price, Director of Security. ““It’s not all perfect. Not [all faculty and staff] will talk.” However, Greenhill was one of the last of our peer schools to have teachers wear ID badges. “We don’t have metal detectors in schools like some of the other larger public schools. We initially resisted requiring everyone to wear name badges because it seemed to be somewhat in conflict with the culture at Greenhill,” said Ms. Orth. Within a couple days of wearing the badges, teachers began to make them more personalized. The women in the College Counseling office all received “blingy” lanyards from senior Regis Johnson’s mother, Lolita Evans, after she came into the office one day with one of her own. “I jumped up with excitement to ask her where she got her lanyard,” said Pam Hopkins, Assistant to College Counseling Director. “She brought one for each lady: [myself, Marie Bigham, and Jennifer Kinkaid]. I love that the faculty get to find their own lanyards that fit their personalities.” Other staff members, such as Chad Wabrek, Head of Athletics, and Andy Mercurio, Upper School English, wear their IDs on a lanyard with their favorite sports team. “One of the key recommendations from the security audit will be having a consistent understanding and formal record of exactly who is on campus during the academic school day,” Ms. Orth said. “Even though our campus is completely fenced, we have lots of visitors on campus throughout the day, as well as evenings and weekends, so this will be a challenge, but
are initially implemented, the changes can gate could be seem very counter to our culture, but over a deterrent, time it just becomes the norm,” said Ms. Orth. we need to “When we first installed the fencing and gates, evaluate how there was resistance to closing off our campus. adding this safety Now it would seem odd not to have a perimeter and security fence and entrance gates. We used to have all measure fits exterior doors open during the day, and when with the culture we moved to locking all but the main entrance of the school and doors to each of the buildings, many felt it the other audit was inconvenient and a burden. Again, now re c om m e n d at i ons it feels like an appropriate, standard practice, and related priorities. consistent with our peer institutions.” It is not something What other changes we’ll make, no one yet that we’ve for sure knows. Greenhill is just beginning the process decided to do, but of implementing the audit’s suggestions. Not guarded gates will be all suggestions from the audit are put into considered, along with place at Greenhill, but they are other potential all considered. safety and security We told Now that the school has enhancements.” them we want received the report, the next Other schools this to be as steps will be to read through already have these safe of a place it, talk to management and security measures in as possible, but then propose the suggestions place. The Episcopal without alterto the Board of Trustees. As School of Dallas ing the culture (ESD), has a guard they go, they will be weighing of [the school].” checkpoint, but they both the security benefits and how it will affect the culture of do not check cars our school. that go through According to Ms. Orth, during morning drop one of the audit examiners’ biggest verbal off. After morning carpool, suggestions was the importance of knowing the guard begins to check and accounting for all people on campus at all the identity of all visitors times. Not only does this give the school an on campus. understanding of who is on and off campus According to Robert during the day, but it is also ensures that in Monts, Assistant Director the event of a crisis, the school can account for of Security at ESD, all everyone on campus. visitors must sign in and This system will soon be centralized so are checked against a sexual that all visitor check-ins can be viewed through offender database. one consistent system. Although there are However, it is ultimately some things in place, Ms. Orth said she hopes up to Greenhill to make an that having a central check-in system will be independent conclusion beneficial to the school’s safety and security. about what is best for the “There may be some audit school. recommendations that are counter to our Greenhill’s location culture. We could make our campus tightly also plays a role in security controlled as far as who comes on campus decisions that are made. “Being in Addison, we have a very close relationship with the Addison Police Department, and I think Security Solutions International (SSI) visited the campus to [building a relationship with them] might have been more understand the culture and identify and address safety condifficult to do if we were in a cerns. Their visits this spring and summer included: larger area like Dallas,” Ms. Orth said.
“
The Audit
Comprehensive tour of campus
Examination of school and building entrances and exits
Briefings on day-to-day student and faculty procedure
Interviews with students, faculty, and administrators
we understand the importance.” From a student’s perspective, the teachers personalizing their badges really helped to make the change more in tune with Greenhill’s culture. “I was apprehensive about the teachers getting the ID badges because it’s not the tradition at Greenhill, but it’s nice that they are following the culture of expressing themselves by personalizing the lanyard, and I like that they use them for security reasons,” said junior Brianna Houston. Fifteen years ago, Ms. Orth said there was backlash to the school’s decision to fence the perimeter of the school. “When safety and security enhancements
and how people are able to roam around campus, but if that flies in the face of our culture and who we want to be, then we have to evaluate what we’re willing to give up in order to enhance security.” Another possible security change on many Greenhill community members’ minds is having security at the front gate of the school. “We have to really think through how guarded gates would realistically be implemented. Oftentimes guarded gates at other schools simply wave visitors on, without capturing who is coming on to campus,” Ms. Orth said. “Though we understand a guard at the
The Evergreen Wednesday [10.02.13]
ARTS
Junior Julia Fulbright opens her hot pink sparkly cello case, adorned with stickers from her music havens, Good Records and Waterloo Records stores. She pulls out her baby, Hazel. She sets it in between her knees and lays the neck on her shoulder. Her eyes focus, and she starts to play. “I’ve found out a lot about who I am through music. I learned that I’m very ambitious and I love playing. I like the connection I feel with my cello when I play,” said Julia. When Julia places the bow on Hazel, her eyes focus and the rest of the world. Her elbows bend elastically as she moves the bow. At each wrong note, she grimaces, as if the mistake gives her physical pain. When her fingers jump quickly across the neck, her lips tighten and her brow furrows in concentration. Julia started playing the cello when she was ten years old. She has taken private lessons since the beginning, and also plays in the Greenhill orchestra. “There’s a lot that I love about being able to communicate through music.”
Photo by Ariana Zhang
SAY CELLO: Junior Julia Fulbright expresses her happiness as she laughs and plays her cello, Hazel.
& Entertainment
Julia’s private teacher, Candice Holcomb, believes that Julia has the ability to push her cello playing into a career. “Learning to express yourself in music really helps express yourself in general. Julia’s on that next plateau,” said Mrs. Holcomb. This past summer, Julia got to explore her cello abilities at a five-day series of workshops at Berklee College of Music in Boston. She went to three classes each day, and a jam session each night. Many students went to the sessions to improvise with their respective instruments, such as cellos, violins, and fiddles. “I think it was there that I realized this is what I want to do. These are the people I want to be around for my life. I want to compose music for film and score movies, and at Berklee I could do that,” said Julia. She also attended a five-day cello camp at University of Texas in Arlington, for the I’ve fifth summer. found out Since the start, a lot about Julia has played who I am classical orchestra through pieces, but also music.” i nt e r p re t at i o n s of songs that she likes, figuring out the music by ear. “Royals,” by Lorde, the Game of Thrones theme song, and “Radioactive,” by Imagine Dragons are several such pieces. Julia has been a model for the other students from the time she began in the Greenhill Chamber Orchestra. “The feeling of being part of something, in an orchestra, it’s like being part of a team,” Julia said. “The kind of student that Julia is, is a good example for Greenhill. Somebody that is very focused in her talent, but not necessarily always doing the same thing. I remember when I first heard her play, I was struck by how focused she was. She seemed to be a serious player and that this is a big part of her life,” said Mr. Nick
“
HeartWorks For a closer look at the work of Greenhill artists in the Dallas community flip to p. 18
Paraskevas, Middle and Upper School Strings teacher. Julia also plays in the New Conservatory of Dallas Orchestra, which required an audition for acceptance “New Conservatory is an awesome opportunity for me to play with other musicians outside of school and be part of a bigger ensemble,” she said. As a musician in orchestras, Julia has to perform in concerts and judged solo and ensemble events. “One pre-audition ritual for honors orchestra and camp and things like that is bananas. They make your fingers move better. Eat bananas before you play and you sound better,” she said. Along with her love of playing music, Julia has a love of listening. She discovered vinyl as a tenyear-old, when she found her parents’ old Beatles records. The place where she feels comfortable and most surrounded by melodies and harmonies is in her favorite record stores. Of the 14 stickers on her cello case, her favorite is one from Waterloo Records store in Austin. “When I walk into a record store, it’s where I’m completely covered with music. There is vinyl everywhere, which I love. They’re my favorite places.” Julia fills her life with music. This passion is driving forward her life and her cello career. “When it comes to my music, I am driven. Ambitious. Passionate,” she said. Story by Catherine Leffert
Photo by Julia Fulbright
16 arts
The
Evergreen
wednesday, october 2 , 2013
REVIEW: SUSHI & &
A SONG
&
Photo courtesy of Sushi Robata
ROCK AND ROLLS: Sushi Robata (above) has a wide range of sushi combinations and traditional Japanese food to choose from.
I am in a personal pursuit for the best Ahi Tuna Tower in Dallas. From downtown to the furthest corners of North Dallas, I am relentless in my quest. Now, I have found myself just a mere 5.5 miles due north from Greenhill at Sushi Robata. As soon as I open the door, I am immersed into Japanese culture: bottles of Shochu, a traditional alcoholic beverage, line the wall to my left in myriad colors. I am shown to my seat, and am overwhelmed by the foreign languages spoken around me. I can’t understand what the chatter among the group of women next to me is about, but their plates are filled with kinds of sushi I have never seen before. Over my shoulder, I see five focused chefs behind the sushi bar, each of whom have more than 20 years of experience in Japanese restaurants. I feel a rush of excitement. Could it be that I have finally found the location of the perfect tuna tower? My waitress hands me the sushi menu, filled with detailed pictures, as well as a standard dinner menu for those a little less inclined to consume raw fish. I order the tuna tower and on an impulse, decide to order the
Spider Roll, as well. Before it is mixed, an Ahi Tuna Tower is pristinely presented as a neat stack of sushi rice, spicy tuna, crabmeat, avocado, and caviar in a wasabi-mayo sauce. As I dive into the dish, I find myself both pleasantly surprised, and somewhat disappointed. I have not discovered, for me, the best Ahi Tuna Tower in Dallas. It is not even in my top two. However, the unusual lack of spice is refreshing, and it is by no means unappetizing. Just minutes later, the Spider Roll arrives. I have almost forgotten about it. The dish looks exactly as it did on the menu: delicious and well-crafted. This roll surpasses my expectations. As I make my way to the last piece, I notice something I have never seen before. The whole fried soft shell crab is inside, legs and all. It is a little frightening to eat, and shockingly tasty. While I don’t find the tuna tower I had sought to discover, I stumble upon an appetizing, unusual dish, instead. Perhaps the spider roll will be the new Ahi Tuna tower
I had never witnessed a grown man sing to Journey’s “Don’t Stop Believing” until I went to Family Karaoke. In a bar full of strangers, he stood up on stage in front of a 200-inch television that displayed the lyrics and demonstrated his talent (or lack thereof). Most of the crowd was entertained, while others merely engaged in personal conversation. There was no judgment, even though he had clearly had a few too many drinks. Speaking of which: for a venue called “Family Karaoke,” I certainly did not feel like this would be the next spot I would take the kids I babysit. The main room was made up of mostly adults who had
focused more on the alcoholic section of the menu than the food. To be clear: There was no age restriction, and I was not the only person my age. But, open until 4 a.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 a.m. the rest of the week for those over 21, Family Karaoke seems to target the party-loving much more than the family-oriented. However, the venue does offer private rooms that groups can reserve ahead of time that are much more age appropriate. So, if you are over 21 and looking to embrace your inner High School Musical character, this may actually make for an entertaining night out. But if you are in search of a venue for your child’s next birthday party, I would steer clear. Story by Laura Arnold
Want to visit these places? Sushi Robata 4727 Frankford Rd Dallas, TX 75287
Family Karaoke 11433 Goodnight Ln Dallas, TX 75229
wednesday, october 2, 2013
The
Evergreen
arts
17
The Structure of Sound Resident sound guru indulges a passion, furthers a skill Lane Hirsch Staff Writer
Listen, sound is not as simple as you might think. Think about the movies you watch and sound’s vital part in setting the mood. There are thousands of sounds, and the ability to manipulate those noises and use them to tell a story is a powerful tool. There are programs in America that educate people on sound design, but multiple prerequisites are usually required to participate, and the program’s curriculum is usually a blend of theater and lighting, with only a miniscule section dedicated to sound. For people like Robbi Holman, Greenhill’s Audio/Visual Coordinator, who has a passion for sound design, these programs are not sufficient. She had to look farther afield. “There are very few programs in America that focus on sound. In order to do a technical program you have to take a performance degree, and you take only one class on lighting and sound design, the rest is for stuff you do on stage,” said Ms. Holman. Passionate about furthering her knowledge of sound, Ms. Holman looked for programs elsewhere that could satisfy the standards she was looking for. She discovered The Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in England, an institution that has earned a prestigious reputation for classes that focus on specific aspects of technical theatre. One of the programs is specifically for sound design, providing Ms. Holman with the
perfect opportunity to explore her interest in sound design. The course did not require prior qualifications. This summer, Ms. Holman was one of three students to participate in an intensive five-day, 35-hour program. Seven hours a day may seem tiring, but Ms. Holman explained that there were two breaks during the day. These breaks, paired with the handson lessons, made the program an extremely positive learning experience for Ms. Holman. “It’s definitely given me a new perspective on sound in that it made me see how intricate and all-encompassing it is. I definitely want to do it again.” Each day was geared toward enhancing the student’s knowledge of sound. They began with the basics, talking about the history of sound design and the reverberation differences associated with indoor and outdoor locations. As the course progressed, it became increasingly interactive. “We chose a script and did a read-through where we made a list of all the sounds that would need to happen in that script, footsteps, wind blowing, the sound of a furnace in the background.” After the sound was recorded, Ms. Holman and the other students edited the sound and prepared a presentation to be showcased on the final day of the program to the other courses: lighting, set design, set construction, and costume design. This program and the skills she learned
have translated into her professional work at Greenhill. Ms. Holman explained how the program helped changed the way she looks at sound in any venue, because she is much more aware of the fine details involved. As the Audio/Visual Coordinator of Greenhill, she is responsible for monitoring the equipment in all areas of the campus that utilize sound every day, such as the cafeteria, the gyms, the quad, and the rotunda. “Robbi is really and truly a critical part of maintaining the sound system on campus. If she’s not here we are missing her because somebody else has to pick up the slack,” said the Director of Computing Resources, Michael Kessner. Because sound can be used as a form of expression and connection, it is a critical part of the academic life at Greenhill. This is why Greenhill allotted Ms. Holman a grant so she was able to participate in the program over the summer. The tuition to attend the program is costly, however grants can be provided to applicants who receive recommendations from their supervisors. Because the program would improve Ms. Holman’s knowledge of sound design, Tom Perryman, assistant head of Greenhill School, wrote the recommendation for Ms. Holman on Greenhill’s behalf. “That’s one of the things I love about Greenhill. They’ll say, ‘Go do that! And tell us what it was like!’” Ms. Holman said. Music has been a major part of Ms. Holman’s life since she was a child, playing
four instruments, piano, French horn, obo and percussion. Her musical background prompted her love of music, a passion that has carried over into her professional career. If she was able, Ms. Holman would love to participate in this program again. “I want to do it again next year. I really, really liked it.”
Photo courtesy of Robbi Holman
SOUND ADVICE: Robbi Holman spent part of the summer in London as one of only three students in a hands-on course devoted to learning advanced skills in sound design.
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wednesday, october 2, 2013
Photos by Ariana Zhang
ART FOR LOVE: Greenhill students showcase their artistic talents in artwork that will be displayed for the anniversary of JFK’s death. Some of the artwork that is to be submitted is pictured above.
Students submit artwork to Dallas Love Project commemorating John F. Kennedy’s assassination
Ben Schachter Staff Writer
Greenhill students will participate in Dallas Love, a citywide project that will place art around Dallas in commemoration of the anniversary of John F. Kennedy’s assassination in November. Director of Community Service, Sally Rosenberg, has organized for Dallas Love to feature pieces from Greenhill. Students will send collages, paintings, and photography. Greenhill is not the only school participating in Dallas Love; the project will feature around 30,000 pieces, from hand drawn pictures by young school children, to sculptures made by professional artists. From Greenhill alone, there will be artwork from the classes of Frank Lopez, Valerie Gillespie, and Lesley Rucker; together, Greenhill will be sending around 25 pieces. The project is sponsored by 29 Pieces, a non-profit organization whose mission is to make social change. Mrs. Rosenberg said she feels as though the project will benefit and unite the people of Dallas.
“I think anytime the city from north, south, east, and west comes together to improve the city, it is positive,” she said. Mrs. Rosenberg said she thinks Dallas Love is essential to the development of the city. “The only way to counteract [hate] is to spread kindness and learn from the past,” says Mrs. Rosenberg. Frank Lopez, Upper School Visual Arts teacher, is coordinating the project. “[50 years ago] the city of Dallas was known as a city of hate. Now, 50 years later, the project is going to turn Dallas into a city of love.” Mr. Lopez said. Dallas Love requires that each work include a quotation about love. Pieces include quotations such as “Love is a language spoken by everyone, but understood only by the heart.” Some of the Greenhill art has a somber feel, with colors like black, white, and gray outlining the words love. Inside the letters are duller colors illustrating the mood of a nation and city at the time of the
assassination. On the other hand there are pieces, like that of seventh graders Dani Perales, Sophia Little, and Jaclyn Goldstein that use bright, happy, and positive colors. Their piece has a sky blue background. Love is at every corner, literally, with magazine cutouts and hearts filling up the page. Topping it off is a quote by Dr. Seuss. “I know it’s a sad event, but it’s more about love,” said Sophia, explaining her group’s choice of design and quote. Regardless of the person’s artistic credentials, the goal is to show the nation the compassion and care that the people of Dallas have for our environment, residents and community. The project has also taught younger artists about the impact of the Kennedy assassination on Dallas and the world. “I think we’ve been labeled as a bad city, and we need to come together and give back somehow,” said Sophia. Dallas Love will run from September 21 until November 29.
For more information about the Dallas Love Project, check out their website: www.dallasloveproject.is/whattheworldneedsnow/
sports The Evergreen Wednesday [10.02.13]
Going for gold
Girls Volleyball aims for SPC title after 2nd place finish last season p. 21
Football team captures victory Team looks to build off first win in two years
Joseph Middleman Sports Editor
Two years. 0 wins. 16 losses. This defines the Greenhill Football program of the past. However, on September 9, 2013 on the Brinkman Stadium Field, the Hornets captured their first home win in more than 1,000 days, defeating John Paul II High School, 48-45, in double overtime. Both players and long time fans were overjoyed with the victory. This was senior quarterback and captain Brent Rubin’s first home win since defeating Southwest Christian High School, 26-21, in 2010. “To win felt incredible,” said Brent. “The fans were great; the suspense in double overtime was great. After losing for so long, I forgot how great it feels to win. It was almost like a dream.” After senior quarterback Noah Montgomery threw the game-winning touchdown to senior wide receiver Jalen Sharp, the crowd stormed the field with joy. “The crowd erupted. I jumped over the railing and fell to the ground to storm the field. It was difficult to hide my emotions after so many losses. It was an incredible moment for the team, the students, the parents, and the coaches. I could have never asked for anything more than what happened that night,” said spirit leader and self-described die-hard fan, senior Miles Andres. Miles had not witnessed a win in more than 1,000 days in his high school career. “It got difficult to come back each week. The first player I met as we stormed the field was [junior] Jordan Steinberg. We embraced and broke into tears,” Miles said. Many parents, such as Brent’s father, Howard Rubin, have been to every game for the past four years and finally witnessed the long awaited victory. “Obviously, it was a win that was fun to watch, but also one that we know was pivotal for the boys, the program, and the school. The team has been working so hard and the energy and excitement that night were amazing,” Dr. Rubin said. The energy was high before the game. The coaching staff had arranged for retired Dallas Cowboy running back legend, Emmitt Smith, to give the pre-game speech. “We had [him] come talk to the team before the game. He talked about everybody supporting each other. What I told them before the game is if they had the guts to grab the win, they can get it,” said Head Coach Ralph Dintino. The team and coaching staff attribute the win to the program’s new mentality. “The entire team believes. We practice
Photos courtesy of Joe Monaco
GAINING GROUND: Clockwise from top, the Hornets take the field for their Sep. 9 game against John Paul II High School; Head Coach Ralph Dintino calls a play; senior Matthew Jones fights his way through the Cardinal defense. The 48-45 (2OT) vcitory was the team’s first of the year.
hard and come together through adversity. In the past everyone made excuses. We are past that phase and now work as one cohesive unit,” Brent said. The all-new coaching staff agrees that the players are the heart of the operation. “The leadership is spectacular. It is the seniors’ job to take ownership of the program and they have done just that. The juniors, sophomores, and freshman all support the seniors because it is their last year,” Coach Dintino said. “What we preach as coaches is that the players have ownership of the program. They can make it as good as they want or as bad as they want. We hope that with this win, there will be a culture change and more buy in
By the 48 numbers
Number of points the Greenhill football team scored in the second half and overtime, after not scoring in the first half of their win against John Paul II on September 9.
and respect for the program.” Brent revealed the strategies he uses as a leader, many of which echo Coach Dintino’s idea of leadership. “As seniors, we try to lead by example. By showing our dedication to the program and hard work, we hope that the younger players will follow our lead,” Brent said. “Being on the team for three years now, the seniors know what it feels like to go home game after game defeated,” said senior running back Matthew Jones. “We came together as a squad and decided this needed to change. We now have seniors pushing other seniors to work harder. This catches on with the younger players and now everyone pushes each other.”
3
Total number of touchdowns scored by Jalen Sharp against John Paul II. Sharp returned one, and caught the other two, including the game winner, in double OT.
Since the Hornets’ victory over John Paul II High School, they have lost to All Saints Episcopal School, 14-56, and to Cistercian Preparatory School, 21-28. However, Coach Dintino said he believes that the rest of the season – and even further – looks promising. “What we hope for the future of the program is that other students who have thought about football or previously played football will see the excitement and fun created and will want to come out,” Dintino said. “We are hoping for a culture change to the point where football is no longer looked down upon. And based on the reception Friday after defeating John Paul II, the change is already in progress.”
721
The number of days between Greenhill football victories. The Hornets broke their streak with their first win of the season over John Paul II.
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wednesday, october 2, 2013
Martial Masters
Students learn life lessons through ancient arts
Sofia Shirley Features Editor
When given a choice, junior Ariana Zhang heads straight for the three-sectional staff, a six-foot long wooden whip connected by chains. She can also use sabers, nunchuks, double-hooked swords, and break cement blocks with her hands, or squash someone underneath a bench. No, she’s not a death-dealer; she’s a martial artist. Sophomores Eric Liang and Matty Walsh also participate in martial arts. Ariana specializes in Chinese kung fu, while Eric takes Korean taekwondo, and Matty practices Japanese kenpo karate. Getting them together to talk about their respective styles revealed differences in each form, as well as their experiences, which are as varied as the belts they wear. While all three styles involve the crazy moves, board- breaking, and mental drive portrayed in the media. Each style of martial arts actually has different movements. Kung fu relies more on first evading the opponent, then coming back to strike. Taekwondo is fairly aggressive, with lots of lower body movements and kicks. According to Matty, who practices twice a week, kenpo karate isn’t competitive. Commercialized in the United States by Ed Parker, kenpo karate is largely marketed as a self-defense system. It involves many quick strikes in succession. Photo by Maddie Montoya Matty often practices in the form KARATE KIDS: Sophomore Eric Liang, junior Ariana Zhang, and sophomore Matty Walsh dedicate time and effort of kata, which is essentially practice to their specific martial art, an endeavor that has challenged them in many aspects of their daily lives. against an invisible opponent. She “It’s definitely not conventional. and their morals, as along with To demonstrate this respect, slices through the air with her kicks Kung fu isn’t a hobby for me. It’s fun, mental toughness, martial arts also Ariana always bows to anyone and punches. definitely, but it’s not a hobby. The teach other core values. A common who helps her study kung fu, “It’s just like a self-defense class best way that I can describe it is that value both Ariana and Eric found especially Master Lee. Eric bows pretty much,” Matty said. it’s a lifestyle. It sounds excessive in taekwondo and kung fu was to his competitors and shakes Because of this defensive and kind of strange, but that’s how respect. their hands at the beginning of approach, she’s mostly focused on it is.” “Taekwondo values respect each round. defense against weapons, thought This “lifestyle” definitely extends and discipline, so fighting dirty is Because of the mobility and they do occasionally use simpler out of the studio, particularly in frowned upon. Fights are based on evasiveness Ariana described in weapons like bow staffs and Ariana’s Chinese household. pure skill and physical and mental kung fu, they wear more decorative nunchuks. Eric uses weapons fairly “The ethics of kung fu have ability,” Eric said. clothing. Generally she wears a often, but the variety of weapons been driven into my head since I Ariana said she has a code of black vest with yellow frog buttons, Arianna uses for kung fu shocks was little. In fact, my dad actually ethics based on ancient Chinese a traditional Chinese button with a even Eric. The weapons are only used trained with the same tradition that dictates what is and is knotted piece and a loop. in strict forms, due to master as the one I am not appropriate in class. “I definitely feel much more the obvious physical training with now, Master “The most important aspect professional when wearing my I was raised danger of using bladed Lee, about 15 years ago,” of that is the idea of respecting all uniform; it signifies that I am in the with a kung weapons against she said. “So even before people, whether they are your elders role of student, teacher, and martial fu mentality another opponent. I started actually learning or people who are not as senior as artist. My day-to-day uniform is by my parents: Ariana trains kung fu, I was raised with you are,” Ariana said. a black top, while a lot of the less Never give up. at Lee’s White a kung fu mentality by What doesn’t kill Leopard Kung Fu, my parents: Never give you will make and her instructor, up. What doesn’t kill you you better and Grandmaster Johnny will make you better and tougher.” Lee, is one of only ten tougher. Don’t quit just people in the world because things are hard; with a tenth degree hard times make the good times black belt, the highest level. She even sweeter.” practices every day of the week, as Master Lee also provides well as teaches classes for younger her with comic relief. As a first students. She primarily trains generation immigrant from Hong with college students and college Kong in China, he occasionally graduates. Three Greenhill alums trips over some English phrases, (’13) trained with her last year. especially with the idiom ‘piece of Ariana said the mental cake’. component of martial arts is key. “When trying to practice a “There’s definitely a mental difficult move that I can’t yet do, aspect. You can’t be a good martial Master Lee is always very reassuring artist without willpower. Your body and lets me know, ‘Ariana, as long as can sustain a lot more than you think you keep practicing, you’ll get better, it can,” Ariana said. and soon, you will be a piece of cake!’ Because of all the challenges, Oh, Master Lee. How I would love to time commitment, dedication, and Photo by Maddie Montoya be a piece of cake,” she said. athleticism, Ariana describes her Martial artists learn how to HARD WORKER: Junior Ariana Zhang works on becoming a better athlete, kung fu commitment as weird. push their bodies, their minds, artist, and person by practicing with her renowned coach, Johnny Lee.
“
advanced students wear white. It constantly reminds me that I am at kung fu not just to learn, but to act as a role model and guiding mentor to the less senior students at the school,” she said. Matty keeps it simple with a black gi, and Eric has a white gi with a black color to represent his black belt status. “Although the white uniform does make me a bit proud to wear, it does make it slightly difficult to move and spar,” Eric said. Eric’s parents enrolled him in taekwondo when he was four, and that has now morphed into an intensive time commitment, with practices four days a week during the school year and six days a week in the summer. “What usually makes taekwondo rewarding for me are the little improvements I make over time. It feels good to know that I’m continuing to get better at the sport. The awesome community really makes me look forward to practicing,” Eric said. However, practice is no “piece of cake.” “My mindset during practice is usually very focused. When it gets tough, I usually think about how much I really want to improve, and how my master will yell at me if I slack off,” Eric said. Competitions increase the mental pressure. “I actually get very nervous during competitions, and tend to let my mind wander before my matches,” Eric said. “Winning is a great thing for me, but win or loss, I’m most satisfied if I know I fought my best.” Eric is a current black belt. Matty and Ariana are looking at getting their black belts in the future. The test for Matty’s kenpo karate is a warrior weekend at Lake Texarkana. They go through katas, 1,000 punches, and a portion where they stand in the middle and have to defend themselves from others oneby-one. Ariana describes the stringent requirements at her studio, Lee’s White Leopard Kung Fu. The test is four to five hours. To pass, you must break three cement blocks, do five minutes of horse stance (essentially a harder version of a wall-sit), and fight five people at the same time. According to Ariana, they only invite people to take the test when they’re confident that they’re ready. “I’ve never known anyone who has failed. Some people go to the ER, but they get [to] restart, so it’s okay,” she said. Matty and Eric gaped at her in astonishment. When the going gets tough, they think about future gain. “Every time things get hard, I just have to remind myself that it gets better. Pain is temporary; the strength that I gain from training will last forever as long as I keep doing it,” Ariana said. “What motivates me every day is the idea that everything I am doing today will make me a better athlete, artist, and person in the future.”
wednesday, october 2, 2013
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Girls volleyball uses two-pronged approach to gain gold Amna Naseem Staff Writer
Fourth. Third. Second. Now is the time for first. After a painfully close loss last year at the Southwest Preparatory Conference (SPC) Finals and a third and fourth place finish the years before, the Greenhill Girls Varsity Volleyball Team has its sights set on getting the gold this season. Whereas most sports teams started pre-season two weeks prior to the first day of school, Head Coach Tatiane Deibert began her two-a-day, five-hour practices a week earlier than all of the other fall sports. Team practices have been both focused and challenging for the Varsity girls, but their coach’s main goal is to get them ready for the upcoming season, both mentally and physically. “I can physically prepare the girls for their games, but if they don’t know how to deal with the situation and mental game, plus if they don’t have a heart for it, we can’t win,” Coach Deibert said. Much of the training that Coach Deibert has been doing with the girls also involves intense mental conditioning. At a recent game, the players were able to employ the skills they learned during “silent” practices, in which the girls use only their body language and facial expressions to communicate. Rather than playing individually, the girls worked together fluidly in their passing and hitting. They were able to anticipate one another’s actions and respond to the passes they were each making. “We need to build our team chemistry, but once we do that,
I feel like everything will come together,” said senior captain Kayla Rambeau. The girls all agree that if they build strong team chemistry, they will improve their psychological game tremendously. Team chemistry will allow the players to recognize and anticipate what they’re going to do on the court. Communication and cooperation are important parts of winning SPC. “Volleyball is a lot more mental than it is physical—it’s mentally exhausting,” said senior captain Alexa Fisher. For most of the girls on the team, the hardest part about being on the volleyball team is being mentally prepared for the time and effort they have to put into the sport. After their close loss last year in the finals of SPC, the whole team had to repair the mental damage that they had experienced from coming in second. It was disappointing to get so close to the gold and lose in the last moments of the match. “In four years, we haven’t made it to the finals, and for us it was great to make it there. But, every year is a new year, and we leave everything out on the court,” Coach Deibert said. Sophomore Nicole Koonce explained that bringing mental energy to the court is challenging, yet crucial. Physical training has also “ramped up” this season. With the recent changes in the Athletic Department, the girls are required to do performance sessions with the new training program. “The training sessions consist of about an hour of conditioning
Photo by Miles Andres
PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT: The Greenhill girls volleyball team looks to win the SPC championship after falling short in recent years. The players have focused on mental preparation in order to achieve their ultimate goal.
and agility training, which is followed by a 30 to 45 minute lifting session,” said senior captain Rachael Sklar. “It’s gotten so much more intense,” Alexa said. “We have to have 20 performance sessions, minimum, and we lift a lot more.” These training sessions were not as physically demanding last year, and they have helped the team improve its skills tremendously this
season. “It was tough to lose, both emotionally and physically. Losing has definitely motivated me to work harder this year,” said Kayla. Even though this season will be challenging, the girls are excited and eager to redeem themselves at SPC. Coach Deibert explained her three keys to success: “Volleyball
for me is repetition so you can learn the skills, work mentally with tough situations, and use strategies. And that’s how we’re going to win games.” The varsity girls’ volleyball team is working efficiently as they aim for the gold at SPC. The players’ familiarity with one another, matched with their volleyball skills, will be the key to success this year at SPC.
New Field Hockey coach puts college experience to good use Blake Lieberman Business Manager
Fitter, faster, stronger—with the addition of a new coach, the Field Hockey team is keeping these three components in mind as it aims to make Division 1 of the SPC tournament for the second year in a row. Alicia Mayer, former University of Michigan Field Hockey player and new head coach, aims to influence her team the same way she was impacted as a player. “My coach taught me to be tough, and demanded hard work and relentless effort,” Coach Mayer said. “She pushed me every day to be the best I could be on and off the field. Now, I am in her position and I hope to influence my players like she influenced me.” Coach Mayer was a midfielder and forward on the University of Michigan Field Hockey team and won the Big Ten Conference Championship twice. There, she earned many accolades, such as Big Ten Conference Player of the Week, Big Ten Conference Player of the Game, and University of Michigan Athletic Academic Achievement honoree. It has been a smooth transition for Coach Mayer from being college athlete dominating the field to a high-school coach on
the sidelines. “Of course, I still get the urge to jump on the field and play, but I have had my time and it is now my players’ time to shine. I feel the same pride coaching as I do when I played,” Coach Mayer said. She appreciates that her department has made her “comfortable with the Greenhill way” by teaching her the school’s core principles of honor, respect, and compassion. Coach Mayer runs a strict practice. One time she made the players do their warm up three times because she believed they were not focused enough. They also often do a drill where they shuffle and have to keep their left hand below their knee. Sprints and lifting also are included in the average day of practice. “Coach Mayer believes in relentless effort. She believes that the only way that we are going to win a game is by being fit. Her coaching style is strict and she disciplines the team if the drill is not executed properly,” said sophomore Peyton Shuman. Her commitment to relentless effort and discipline has impacted the players. “I immediately realized the
impact Coach Mayer would have on our very young team,” said senior captain Shelby Beauchamp. The players have noticed a clear difference in coaching structure, and understand that it takes great discipline to improve. “[Coach Mayer] expects our best all the time, and she does not accept anything less,” said junior captain Emily Richmond. The team hopes to reap the benefits of their dedication in the offseason. With the departure of five seniors, Coach Mayer knows that it will take strong leadership to be successful. “The seniors on our team are very motivated and always dedicated. This work ethic and leading by example rub off on all of us younger players and motivate us to work hard as well,” Peyton said. Coach Mayer recognizes that is prepared to take this season’s challenges head on. “I was taught how to act in the face of adversity. Through hard work and relentless effort I learned how to succeed on and off the field.” The Greenhill Varsity Field Hockey Team is on track for a great season, with a 2-0 start to counter games.
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Head of Athletics focused on building from the ground up cont’d from page 1 “[Coach Stringer] has been very useful,” said Keith Nannie, Boys’ Volleyball Head Coach. “He gives [our players] very good reports as far as their improvement on weights and on technique, which is especially important.” Students who have worked in the High Performance Center shared the same sentiment. “We’re focusing on quality training, rather than just training for the sake of training,” said senior cross country captain Nick Kraus. According to Nick, an emphasis from the department on high-performance training has helped the cross country team get to the weight room with consistency. According to Nick, these more regular visits have led to improvements in injury management and core training, adjustments that have been vital to the team’s success thus far. On the less physical side, the department’s most prominent changes include a noticeable increase in the frequency and organization of communication between coaches, students, and parents. According to Mr. Wabrek, this was one of the first problems he identified upon taking the job in the spring. “Some consistency was needed in the athletic department as it related to coaches’ expectations and coordination in communications,” he said. Mr. Wabrek has made it a point to ensure more frequent communication — predominantly via email — from coaches to their athletes
and parents. Coaches are not the only ones to increase their virtual presence. “Visibility means a lot to me,” he said. “I want there to be an open dialogue [between students and me].” He would also be pleased to know that students have taken notice in the changes he is implementing. “[Mr. Wabrek] has definitely been more present in the lives of students at Greenhill,” Nick said. Mr. Wabrek has taken to sending weekly previews and recaps of athletics throughout the programs, offering schedules and details about the week’s events. Winter athletes already know their practice schedules for the Thanksgiving and December holidays. In previous years, that information would not typically arrive until just a couple of weeks prior to the vacations. Of course, Mr. Wabrek’s ideas have not all manifested completely quiet yet in their size and scope. For example, not every team wears its new practice uniforms on a consistent basis, a change the department has worked on implementing. However, he expressed optimism based on the feedback and results seen thus far. “Our athletic programs have been very open to dialogue,” he said. Change has not necessarily been consistent from program to program. However, Nick said he has seen improvement across the board.
Photo by Miles Andres
FACING FORWARD: Head of Athletics and Physical Education Chad Wabrek looks toward the future, tightening training and communication with the aim of a cultural shift and more success.
“Everyone’s starting to find a routine that works,” Nick said. “Refocusing Greenhill athletics has definitely been a good thing.” Coach Nannie, who has coached volleyball at Greenhill for 26 years, said he does not anticipate undergoing much more change for his specific team. “It’s fun and exciting to work in a new environment,” Coach Nannie said. “But after 26 years [here], I’m always going
to be me.” Different interpretations, of course, are expected. Mr. Wabrek said that, for him, implementing the cultural changes he has championed is going to be a lengthy and holistic project. “It’s about sustaining and doing things properly over the long term,” he said. “This isn’t just my thing — it really has to be everybody’s. Ownership is key.”
wednesday, october 02, 2013
AFTERWORDS
The life of a walking resume
I am former President, Secretary, and Event Coordinator of the community service organization Young Men’s Service League; the Real Estate Sector Leader of the Business Club; a Hill Guide and Sports Editor of the Evergreen (as you hopefully know by reading this). I was also Gizbor (in charge of fundraising) in my B’nai Brith Youth Organization chapter; a member of the Jewish Family Service Teen Board and the Jewish Youth Tzedakah Foundation of the Jewish Federation of Dallas;
and I attended a summer program at Emory University. These are just of few of the pieces that make up my resume. You are probably wondering, “Why is this annoying overachiever is telling me all of this?” But I’m not the only overachiever. The majority of students at Greenhill spend an inordinate amount of time and effort trying to look good on paper. This college prep mindset is embedded in us by our culture, which encourages us to “strive for perfection.” Greenhill students are so caught up in building their resumes that often, they don’t get to participate in extracurricular activities that they enjoy, simply because they don’t look as impressive to college admissions directors. I am a victim of this. As a senior compiling my resume, I notice that the majority of the things I have done throughout high school have been for college and not for myself. I have let college occupy my life every year that I have been in high school. Now, I am not saying that I don’t enjoy
all the extracurricular activities I have listed above. In fact, if I didn’t love writing for the Evergreen, I wouldn’t be writing this column. But I have participated in many other pursuits simply for glamour. Impressing college representatives does not just stop at extracurricular activities. In fact, these acts of “padding” our resumes carry over into our class selection. I cannot tell you how many times I have heard someone say he really wants to take a certain class, but can’t because he needs to take an AP course, which looks better for college. I have broken this trend only one time last year when I joined an indoor soccer team comprised of my classmates. We played once a week on Sunday nights and this took some time away from my studies. However, I actually enjoyed this activity. I got to play soccer with my friends while competing against other teams. Although “Indoor Soccer Player” does not look nearly as impressive on my resume as an internship at a hospital does, I believe
When a Greenhill student can’t find Syria on a map
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that I got more from soccer—learning about working with others, leading, and following— than I will ever get at any internship or a club that I am not interested in. Now I don’t want to hamper any of your chances of getting into a great school. Because, after all, college representatives do tell us time after time to do what we are passionate about. But then, they tell us that they look at the rigor of our schedule. So, my solution to this is to be an overachiever in the areas that you love. I challenge you to take the classes you are most interested in. I challenge you to join the club or organization you are passionate about, even if it doesn’t look so amazing on your resume. Find your “Soccer Team” and participate in an abundance of them. Because, when you are compiling your resume for college, you will look back on your four years of high school and be pleased that you pursued things for yourself. College will fall into place. Or at least I hope so; I’ll let you know in April.
Alright, kids. Let’s talk about politics. Don’t give me that groan and that nasty look. These next 500 words aren’t going to lay out my position on tax reform or Syria. You don’t want to hear that, because I don’t work for CNN or the New York Times. I’m no expert. And therein lies the problem. Greenhill students are full of bright ideas and strong opinions. Our student body’s
areas of expertise range from Shakespearean literature to fantasy football. We could tell you all about the differences between Manet and Monet, and we could wax poetic on the literary merit of The Iliad for hours. But bring up congressional budget negotiations at the lunch table? Crickets. Just a couple weeks ago in a PAC meeting, I sat listening to students debate the pros and cons of potential U.S. intervention in the Middle East: a fairly typical day for the club. But as I listened closer to the students clashing over chemical weapons and dictatorial regimes, I grew disappointed. The arguments were intricate and the points logical – but the facts on both sides were just wrong. On the surface, it sounded right, but upon closer inspection, it became clear that we had no idea what we were talking about. As any alum of AP Government could tell you, it is a longstanding fundamental fact of the American population that when it comes
to politics, both knowledge and activism increase with age. I knew that in comparison to our parents and grandparents, we weren’t the most politically involved group, but my PAC experience prompted me to look further into the problem. I found that it was much worse than I’d thought. A 2007 poll by the Pew Research Center found that of Americans in our youngest age demographic (18-29 years old), only 15 percent are considered to be of “high political knowledge.” The vast majority of us are too young to even reach that bracket, and assuming the trend holds, that means that an even smaller percentage of Greenhill students are highly politically aware. I can pretty objectively say that we are a smart group of students, but this lack of awareness and engagement worries me. Most of us have not yet reached voting age, but all of us are getting close. Waiting until our 50s to pick up a newspaper would be unacceptable
and, frankly, dangerous. As we speak, our elected officials in Washington struggle over how to handle the precarious situation in Syria. But before making any official move, both the president and Congress have emphasized that public opinion will be a key consideration. In either case, Syrian and American deaths could ensue, which begs the sobering question of how we can make decisions of life and death when we don’t even know what we’re deciding. Simply put, don’t we have a responsibility to know what we’re talking about? It’s time that Greenhill students get informed—not only on ancient history, but also on today’s world. With too few exceptions, sophisticated political talk doesn’t pervade Greenhill the way it should, considering the intelligence and general social awareness of our student body. We’re a smart group of kids, but we could all benefit from picking up the newspaper a bit more often.
“So, what exactly do you do for Rosh Hashanah?” At first, I was a little stunned. In the 11 years I had gone to Greenhill, I had never heard the question before. Now, nearly a month later, the
question still nags at my mind: Why hadn’t anyone asked? At Greenhill, we are lucky to have a diverse population—more diverse than any other private school in the area. The word “diversity” is printed on every admissions brochure; in fact, it’s the fourth word of our mission statement. But beyond the numbers, do we really value diversity? Diversity is not just having unique individuals, but having those people interact and learn about each other. If we don’t understand each other’s cultures, what’s the point? At summer camp, I was the first Jewish person my roommate had ever met. That summer, she peppered me with questions. She saw a picture of my brother and asked me if he wore “one of those funny little hat things.”
She piled bacon on her plate at breakfast and asked me whether I kept Kosher—and what ‘Kosher’ even meant. I sat cross-legged on my bed with her, eagerly answering her clumsilyworded questions. But maybe, because there is such a large Jewish population at Greenhill, the students don’t need to ask—they already know. After all, approximately 33 percent of the school is Jewish. As seventh graders, my fellow seniors and I attended 30-something bar and bat mitzvahs. Sometimes, we’d have a service and a party every weekend for an entire month. By the time my own bat mitzvah rolled around, many of my non-Jewish peers were reciting opening lines of prayers by heart and telling me “Mazel tov” instead of “Congratulations.” But a year of Saturday night services
and parties doesn’t suffice for cultural understanding. We should continue to ask these questions, to learn about each other’s traditions. Or maybe they’re afraid to ask. . . . Most of us have been going to school together since the age when we still colored outside the lines and had trouble telling time. To ask now would be to admit a decade of ignorance. After all, wasn’t I in the same boat? My freshman year, I Googled the word “Easter” because even though my own best friends are Christian, I still was ashamed to admit that I had no idea what the significance of the holiday was. It was something that I was supposed to know— but didn’t. The truth is this: I don’t know why no one else asks these things. But I’m going to start.
Last Sunday, at approximately 9:15 p.m. CST, a little part of me died. Breaking Bad, the television series that has consumed my Sunday evenings and my daydreams for the past four and a half years, finally came to a close. I knew this moment was coming, but I didn’t adequately prepare myself for it. For those self-denying individuals who have chosen not to tap into the entertainment gold mine that is Breaking Bad (and I pity you), the show essentially follows a 50-year-old
high-school chemistry teacher named Walter White, who contracts cancer and, in order to pay for treatment and provide for his family, begins manufacturing crystal methamphetamine. Just as some of the characters are hopelessly addicted to drugs, I have become hopelessly addicted to the show. Since I first started watching, I’ve been gripped by its intricate, convoluted plotline. I’ve felt intense loathing as well as overwhelming adoration for its fictional, yet hyper-realistic characters. I’ve spent entire weeks trying to comprehend how the previous episode could affect me so poignantly. How could a nail-biting train heist make my heart beat so fast? How could the death of an innocent character make my stomach drop so violently? I’m fairly certain the shock of the penultimate episode actually made me physically ill, but I was left wanting more every single time I watched. But now, there is no more. Vince Gilligan, the creator and psychological mastermind responsible for Breaking Bad, got me hooked
on his product and then took it away. Now I’m stuck looking for another story in which to get desperately lost. With the impending task of writing my college applications, the most obvious choice is the story of myself. My assignment is to package and sell myself to college admissions officers, so, in turn, I need to figure how to tell my story compellingly. I need to identify what it is about me that a top-tier college would want. Just like meth-heads are hooked on drugs, and just as I am hooked on Breaking Bad, I need to get readers hooked on me. That’s not so easy. This trimester I’m in Senior Rhetoric. Our first unit, on which we spent the first few weeks of class, was called “Telling Your Story.” There were days when class was awkwardly, almost painfully quiet. This was usually the case when we were asked to examine our own lives, to tell our own stories, even if it was just informally during a class discussion. For seniors who are in the heat of the college process, telling our stories is as
important as it’s ever been. I can also say that, for me, it’s the hardest story to tell. Unlike Breaking Bad, my life story has not won ten Emmys, nor has it been named the highest rated television series of all time by Guinness World Records. It doesn’t involve a multinational drug empire or masterfully orchestrated money laundering. It isn’t adorned with mind-blowing transformations or cataclysmic developments. My life is about a kid who wakes up and goes to school every day, and then goes to basketball practice in the afternoon. It involves family trips, holiday gatherings, and religious events. It’s adorned by sweeping changes to my fantasy football lineup and radical new decisions about what to order for lunch from Torchy’s Tacos. Getting engrossed in one’s own life can certainly be more of a challenge than getting excited about a great TV show. Being your own main character feels odd and unnatural. But desperate times call for desperate measures; see Breaking Bad.
Going deeper with diversity
When breaking isn’t so bad
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wednesday, october 2, 2013
: E L I F N I E S S U A C N E M T E X R E C L P SE O R T E M W F D Mission 1: Starbucks Starbucks is so common, I was astonished to hear that it had a “secret” menu. I wasn’t going to believe it ‘til I’d seen it, so I went on the World Wide Web and Googled “Starbucks secret menu.” Sure enough, I soon found myself exploring exotic and bizarre concoctions. Frappucinos with names like “Rolo” or “Nutter Butter” or “Ferrero Rocher.” I needed to see if this was for real, so I grabbed my keys, headed to the nearest Starbucks and asked the cashier for the “Captain Crunch Frappucino.” Instead of giving me a weird look, he asked, “And what size would you like that?” A few minutes later, some sort of strawberries and cream creation was before me. I took a sip. It felt like eating a spoonful of Captain Crunch Cereal. Aside from a weird aftertaste, the name held true to the taste. Starbucks does in fact have a secret menu. Upon further investigation, the Captain Crunch Frap turns out to be the most popular drink off the secret menu. For any other drink, the customer must present the barista with the actual recipe. For more information visit www.starbuckssecretmenu.net
Mission 2: In-n-out burger Word on the street was that In-N-Out Burger had a “top-secret” menu as well. I had to find out for myself. I went to my local In-N-Out, marched right up to the cashier and asked, “So what about your secret menu?” She laughed and proceeded to tell me a few things she knew from the strictly confidential menu. You can give your burger an extra kick by having it “mustard grilled” or go “au naturale” by foregoing the bread and eating two patties with just cheese and onions in between. Feeling adventurous, I asked for the “Flying Dutchman—Animal style.” That means two patties slapped on either side of a slice of cheese, adorned with grilled onions, pickles and Thousand Island sauce. You could say I like to live on the wild side. I also asked for fries “well-done,” which meant they’d be cooked a little longer in the oil, making them crunchier and more potato-chip like. When my order came, I took one look at my Flying Dutchman and immediately thought: utensils? Aside from the hassle of trying to eat it, my peculiar burger was actually pretty delectable. The fries, on the other hand, didn’t seem any different than their usual fries which are just pathetic. My “well-done” fries were above mediocre, but still not up to my standards. Fortunately, the secret-menu offers some options that could help remedy the taste. For more information visit www.innoutsecretmenu.net
mission 3: Jamba Juice Jamba Juice prides itself on delicious and yet healthy drinks. But scratch the surface and you can find a variety of sweet and tantilizing drinks to satisfy anyone’s guilty pleasure. Now a pro at handling secret, underground menus, I approached the cashier, glanced side to side and asked, “So, does this Jamba Juice have stuff off the secret menu?” The problem with secret menus is that not every store of the chain can provide drinks off of the menu. But, the lady behind the counter gave me a knowing look and I knew I’d hit the jackpot. I was about to go into unknown territory and felt somewhat like Sherlock Holmes. I had done my research and asked the cashier for a “Red Gummi Bear.” (I’m a sucker for anything sweet and chewy.) After much hustling and bustling, my drink was presented. Euphoria. It tasted exactly like a giant liquid red gummy bear. Even better: this delicacy cost the exact same amount as any other drink off the menu. Could you say I fell in love with their secret menu? Yes. Could you say I’ll be going back? Most definitely. For more information visit www.secretmenuguide.com
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