December 2023 | The Evergreen, Greenhill

How Greenhill embraces diverse student experiences amid rising immigration trends. Page 12

“Mean Girls”

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Greenhill eater dazzles with a cast of over 65 students in the production of “Mean Girls,” embracing popularity and pressure. Page 11

STEM Center Opening Remains Unclear

Sasha Wai, Adam Strauss

The Design and Innovation, Math and Science departments will be moving to the newly constructed Valdes STEM + Innovation Center sometime in the coming months. But details of the transition – and the precise timing – were still taking shape as of early December.

e entire move is expected to be complete sometime between December and January. However, with materials and furniture still to be delivered, the timeline for the transition is prone to change.

To ensure the move goes smoothly, Associate Head of School/Chief Financial O cer/Chief Operating O cer Kendra

Grace says that she wants to make sure teachers get everything moved over and settled in before students enter the building. “ is is a building that is very material heavy, so it’s trying to make sure we have all of [the materials needed],” said Grace. “It’s also trying to get support systems in place from a packing and moving perspective.”

ere are some materials that teachers will not need to transport to the new building. For example, the new building will be receiving all new desks, whiteboards, chairs and more.

“We went to the warehouse of the company that’s providing a lot of o ce furniture,” said Upper School Math Department Chair Darryn Sandler ’95. “We

PROGRESSING:

got to look at it and talk through things that we liked and didn’t like.”

Despite the 3D printer and additional machinery already having been delivered, both the Design and Innovation Lab and Science Lab require additional installations. For instance, the Design and Innovation Lab is awaiting the installation of storage spaces such as cabinets and shelving that are yet to be delivered.

helping our Middle School kids as well,” said Battis. “It opens up for more people to realize that they can help in math.”

Upper School discussions are underway regarding the use of the current Math Pod once the move occurs. Possible plans include converting some of the rooms to either extra space for alternative classes or study rooms.

Since its creation in 2021, the Student Inclusion Council has worked to bring the community of Greenhill together and promote inclusivity on campus. Heading into the holiday season and the second semester of the school year, the council plans to extend its outreach through several major initiatives.

e council, also known as the SIC, is a student-led organization at Greenhill that aids the school in being an equitable community. e council’s aim is to create an atmosphere for students that accepts diversity in interest, identity and personality, according to Interim Director of Equity and Inclusion Monsie Muñoz ’05.

“ e main goal is to help the Upper School feel like an equitable and inclusive place, a place where every student belongs,” Muñoz said.

When entering their freshman year, students are given the chance to apply for one of two positions on the council. In their junior year, students can apply for an additional position.

ese representatives will serve throughout their time in the Upper School. is gives us continuity in the perspectives on the council to move our goals forward,” Muñoz said.

Council members o en decide to apply for reasons pertaining to their own experience. Senior Ethan Strauss said he decided to join because of his experience as a new student during COVID-19.

“When I rst came to Greenhill, it was the big COVID year,” Strauss said. “I felt very isolated and when I look back, I didn’t feel

like a part of the community.”

Since the Student Inclusion Council was created, it has made many notable impacts in the community. One problem the council has addressed was the scheduling of important school events on holidays. ere were a lot of complaints about scheduling dates being placed on culturally important dates,” said sophomore Hasan Makhani, who serves on the council. “ e SIC came together to help solve these problems with the Greenhill Administration.”

Current Projects

On Nov. 15, the council hosted a mixer for new students. is event invited students new to the Upper School to eat breakfast together.

“It worked really well,” said Makhani. “We had a bunch of new students show up and everyone was talking. I met some new people, and it allowed new Greenhill students to meet each other.”

e Council is going to try to host another mixer in the second semester.

Director of Design and Innovation Matt Abbondanzio says he is trying to minimize how much is being ordered to ensure that everything gets delivered in a timely manner.

“[Everyone] is working countless hours trying to get us to the nish line,” said Abbondanzio.

Sandler acknowledged the di culty behind coming up with dates for the transition and the management of the project.

“Whenever you’re building something, especially of this magnitude, there are so many pieces that have to fall into place before people are given clearance to go into the building,” said Sandler.

Future Plans

With the addition of more classrooms for the Math Department, the Math Lab, a student-run club that helps tutor peers, hopes to expand its services from Hornet Block to the entire day.

Upper School math teacher Melissa Battis said she would like to expand the mission of the Math Lab to include younger students.

“I want to expand the student tutoring to nd people who would be interested in

Once the move to the Valdes STEM + Innovation Center is complete and all classrooms are fully functional, the Science Village portable classrooms on the lower campus Meadow will be removed, according to Grace.

As for the existing Design and Innovation Department space, Abbondanzio said possible uses of the existing classroom and Robotics Lab have yet to be decided by administrators.

Head of School Lee Hark says that the goal of the changes is to enhance departments and spaces that have room for growth.

“What we’re trying to do is strategically make investments in areas where we want to expand and grow,” Hark said.

Grace says that with the amount of work that went into this long project, everything is beginning to come together.

“It’s been a while, but now it’s starting to feel real,” said Grace.

For Hark, the impending move into the new Valdes STEM + Innovation Center is a milestone in his tenure at Greenhill.

“I’m most excited for students to be in there and to see it, and for the building to have the impact that we know it’s going to have on their learning and their experience at school,” said Hark.

Bringing Greenhill Together: Student Inclusion Council

e council also plans to bring interesting guests to Greenhill as a part of a speaker series. Last year, the council brought S.C. Says, a slam poet who spoke on the topic of inclusivity around race.

“ e SIC wants to bring in another speaker,” said Muñoz. “We want to create programming that allows people to be in the same room and interact with each other on these topics.”

On Jan. 31, the council will host a meeting of the Dallas Area Diversity Youth Organization at Greenhill. DADYO, as it’s known, is a group that works to create spaces for Dallas-Fort Worth high school students to discuss and explore topics related to identity and current events. is upcoming meeting will be the rst since 2019 to be hosted at Greenhill. It will be planned by both the Student Inclusion Council and the Upper School students who recently attended the Student Diversity Leadership Conference.

to discuss an inclusivity topic decided by the Student Inclusion Council.

Junior J.J. Arbuckle says this kind of conversation is necessary.

At the DADYO event, students from across the metroplex will come to Greenhill

“It allows students to have conversations about the realities of living in a modern world,” said Arbuckle, a council member. “We discuss a variety of topics all about identity and inclusion.”

ough the council has already made an impact on the Upper School, members hope to continue to do more for the community.

Arbuckle says the goal is to grow the council’s in uence and bring the campus even closer together.

“I hope that we can gain more of a foothold in the Greenhill community and do more events promoting inclusivity,” said Arbuckle.

Construction of the Valdes STEM + Innovation Center is in the nal stages, and the building is expected to open for students sometime next semester.

Photo by Scarlett Song

Justin Wu

J.J. Arbuckle

Monsie Muñoz

The main goal is to help the Upper School feel like an equitable and inclusive place, a place where everyone belongs.”

Matt Abbondanzio

[Everyone] is working countless hours trying to get us to the finish line.”

FOSTERING COMMUNITY: Founded in 2021, the Student Inclusion Council aims to create an equitable campus. Members are working to grow the council’s in uence.

Photo courtesy of Mashal Noor

Evergreen the

Busy Schedule Crowds Out Wellness

Mayer Sidikaro

Last month, counselors Amanda Frederick and Kathy Roemer hosted an optional wellness seminar for Upper School students.

No students showed up.

“ e seminar was going to be on the role of stress and anxiety and the di erence between the two,” said Frederick. “And then how stress and anxiety impact us both positively and negatively and starting to plant the seeds of like some ways to cope with it.”

While many students appreciated the attempt to bring about important discussions about wellness and mental health, several students said they didn’t attend because of high workloads before the break.

“I couldn’t go because I had a ton of work,” said junior Alex Sharma. “If I have a lot of assignments, I have to spend my time doing that instead of something that isn’t required to go to.”

Last year, Roemer and Frederick would speak to each advisory once a month about various wellness topics. However, because the advisory period is only 25 minutes, these sessions were not as e ective as they were intended to be, according to Roemer.

Last year’s ine ective sessions le the counselors in search of a better option for conveying important wellness information to students.

“I think we’re struggling this year,” said Roemer. “Last year, we tried doing push-ins into advisory and I think in many ways, it worked great, but we didn’t really get to connect with students. Now, we’re struggling with nding the right way to go about it.”

One method that has worked in the past is bringing in outside speakers to give lectures. However, according to Roemer, outside speakers are o en very expensive.

class that would give freshmen foundational knowledge about wellness and di erent topics that would help them throughout their Upper School journey.

“Our goal right now, especially thinking about the class is to help students understand the relationship between your physical health, your mental health and your academic

Aside from the class, Roemer and Frederick look to aid students’ mental health and well-being through other avenues. Two of these methods are the Hope Squad, run by Frederick, and the Link Crew, run by Roemer.

“It takes a special person who can get up in front of 500 people and keep them engaged and deliver a message that can be hard to hear,” said Roemer. “I would love to bring in more people like that. But I’m picky because the truth is, if I bring someone in and it ops, it is a [setback]. And then they’re also not cheap.”

Instead, Roemer and Frederick hope to bring back a

back to something like that.”

Roemer says that her plan for the class would be to give students the tools to help their friends and themselves when battling stress, anxiety and general mental health problems.

“We’re looking at it holistically like ‘what does it mean to be a healthy Greenhill student?’ from an academics perspective and we are working with the learning support sta to understand how to be a student and what does it look like to be a student,” said Roemer.

e Hope Squad is a suicide prevention and mental health awareness program designed to teach Upper School students how to help their peers through mental health struggles.

“We collaborate with mental health professionals to cra a program of events and activities to help students struggling with their mental well-being,” said senior Ruth Gebru.

In addition, Link Crew is a peer mentorship program in which juniors and seniors can mentor new students and freshmen to help them manage and develop skills like time management through activities and discussion.

Additionally, according to junior Adair Moses, mentors look for any developing mental health issues that their mentees may be struggling with.

“We try to notice their behavior during meetings and er a safe space for them to talk about anything they are struggling with,” said Moses, a Link Crew mentor.

“I try to give advice that I would’ve liked to hear when I was having a hard time,”

Hornet Mental Health is another way for the wellness team to improve mental health among students. HMH is a select group of Upper School students who focus on nding ways to involve students in e orts to improve mental health or ease stress.

e main goal of HMH is inform and support everyone across the campus,” said senior McKenna Higgins, the group’s president. “We want to make sure no one feels alone, boost morale, and er resources for students and faculty to get the help that they require. Meetings are very collaborative. We want to make sure that we work as a group and support each other.”

Using these resources like Hornet Mental Health, Hope Squad, and Link Crew, Roemer and Frederick hope to improve the e ectiveness of their wellness messaging.

“I really believe Greenhill cares about the health of kids,” said Roemer. “ at’s why they hired a second counselor. I really believe they care but we’re a school and it’s really hard to nd the time.”

Greenhill Admissions Season Ramps Up

Lyna Kamgang

Greenhill’s admissions season lasts from midSeptember to late January, and it’s lled with events that bring hundreds of families to campus.

ere are three types of events: previews, parent/ guardian visits and Hornet Tours. Each event separates prospective parents into two groups: Preschool and Lower School or Middle School and Upper School.

e biggest events are previews, which involve around 100 to 175 families. ere are only two previews during the admissions season. One for Preschool and Lower School that took place on Oct. 19, followed by the subsequent one for Middle School and Upper School on Oct. 26.

“It’s meant to be interactive, and it’s meant to be a way for kids and families to be engaged,” said Director of Admission and Enrollment Management Maryanna Phipps. ey’re getting to experience Greenhill and the people.”

e previews also involve teachers and sta . Certain departments prepare activities for parents to give them more insight into the school.

“We wanted to show families what we do with students, which is [to] try to help them think around problems and nd the right problems to solve,” said Joseph Meagher, who teaches Upper School computer science and innovation classes.

Meagher also says that teachers are important in getting to know the true Greenhill.

It’s meant to be interactive, and it’s meant to be a way for kids and families to be engaged. They’re getting to experience Greenhill and the people.”

“It is valuable for teachers to be a part of it,” said Meagher. “I think the parents enjoyed seeing the Hill Guides, students walking them around, and equally I think they enjoyed interacting with the teachers that they got to interact with.”

On the other hand, the parent/guardian visits have a much more focused goal: to provide speci c information

about the school. ere are three visits for Preschool and Lower School and three for Middle and Upper School. e visits include speeches from Head of School Lee Hark, Phipps and division heads. e tours also consist of student panels.

“ e idea is that the parents and guardians get the information they need and can really hear about who Greenhill is,” said Phipps.

Finally, the Hornet Tours are led by Greenhill students known as Hill Guides.

Junior Sami Aidala says her knowledge of the school prompted her to join the Hill Guide program.

“I feel like I have a lot of knowledge about Greenhill that I wanted to share with other people,” Aidala said. “I like hearing about what activities the prospective student is interested in. en I focus on those areas during the tour.” ere are four o cial dates when families can go on Hornet Tours, but o en families coming from out of the country and the state will receive tours on di erent dates.

ese admissions events are intended to share with prospective parents what makes Greenhill unique and special; then they can make an informed decision about whether this is the right t for their families,” said Hark.

Changes

Recently, Greenhill has had a signi cant surge in applicants, with a 25% increase last year and strong interest again this year. Along with the increase of applicants, the nature of the admissions events has changed as well, according to Phipps.

“We used to do events in a way that were more or less just delivering information to people,” said Phipps. “Now it is meant to be more interactive where they’re getting to experience Greenhill.”

Hark says the changes being implemented have been for

the better.

“In terms of putting our best foot forward, I think we’re doing a really good job,” said Hark.

Phipps says that in the end, nobody can represent Greenhill quite as well as the people, whether that be the teachers or the students.

“We want to be, like our mission says, authentic, and if we put student and faculty voices out there it’s going to be,” said Phipps. “ at re ects our mission, and also just gives folks a real look at who we are.”

AROUND CAMPUS: Upper School Hill Guides o er campus tours to families at admissions events.

Photo by Nora Ahearn

Kathy Roemer

Graphic by Camila Hanson

Lee Hark

I feel like I have a lot of knowledge about Greenhill that I wanted to share with other people.”

Expanding Alumni Outreach

Rory Liu

Before Head of School Lee Hark arrived at Greenhill, the Alumni O ce hosted three to four alumni reunions around the country every year. Last year, the Alumni O ce organized reunions in eight di erent cities. e alumni outreach initiative launched by Hark will feature six so-called “travel reunions” this year. e reunions are held in cities with large alumni populations. e group that typically represents the school at these reunions is comprised of Hark, Director of Alumni Relations Katie Young, Chief Development O cer Aaron White and Associate Head of School for Mission, Community and Culture Tom Perryman ’81.

Logistical Demands

With areas like New York home to more than 300 Greenhill alumni, preparations are extensive. Several planning considerations include the event time, meeting place, alumni invited and travel schedule.

“When we go to California, we y into San Francisco in the morning and we try to have lunch with an alumni board member or connect with a former trustee in the area,” said Young. “In the evening, we host a gathering for any alumni that live in the Bay Area and get on an early morning ight to Los Angeles the next morning. We land, host a networking alumni luncheon for young alums, check into our hotel, host an evening event, pack up the next morning and y home.”

Sometimes the Greenhill representatives visit alumni in their places of work. In November, during the Washington, D.C., trip, they visited Assistant Press Secretary Robyn Patterson ’11 in the White House.

“We try to meet alumni where they are,” said Young. “We try to see alumni in their element because they’re pursuing their passions and living really authentic lives. We love to see what that looks like in action.”

Reunion Experience

e travel reunions are also an opportunity for alumni across classes and generations to connect and network over shared experiences, interests and traditions.

“ ere are Greenhill experiences that are the same for graduates no matter what year you graduated,” said Young. “[ e reunions] are the establishment of more enduring relationships and connections that will take [alumni] through their adult life that maybe they didn’t realize.”

Brad Girson ’09, who attended one of the travel reunions in Brooklyn, New York, connected with Perryman over an in uential class they both attended decades apart called “Nature and Uses of Language in Culture”.

“Greenhill taught me so many things about writing, thinking and how to live life,” said Girson. “It was really cool to talk to Mr. Perryman about our shared experience in that very speci c junior year English class and the amazing teachers I had.”

Kathryn Hamm ’87, who has attended nearly all of Greenhill’s alumni reunions in Washington, D.C., attests to the intergenerational community-building e ects of the travel reunions.

“Now I go back [to these travel reunions] and I’m recognizing Hornets from other grades,” said Hamm. “I met a young woman who graduated in 2018 and we continue to stay in touch. ere is a new community developing with new and familiar faces and it’s going to be really fun seeing them over the years.”

Purpose

ese reunions have proven to be powerful catalysts in fostering a sense of community and connection.

“It was fun to be back in the Greenhill context,” said Kailey McNeal ’17, a er attending her rst alumni reunion in Washington, D.C. “It was fun to share stories and because we all have the same background it’s easier to relate to each other.” ese alumni connections also enable the Greenhill community to expand connections beyond Dallas.

“I’m reaching out to an alum we saw on our travels this year because someone in the Personal Finance class is looking for someone who works in the food service industry,” said Young. “We’re always looking for alumni willing to give their time to strengthen our institution.”

Beyond building connections and networking, the alumni meetups and reunions play an important role as avenues for Greenhill fundraising.

When deciding whether to donate to Greenhill, many institutions look at the percentage of parents and alumni that give back to the school. e school accreditation process, a periodic review by the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest that determines if educational programs meet quality standards, also evaluates the percentage of current and alumni Greenhill constituents who are involved with the school.

“I don’t think we talk with students as much about the need to give back and the importance of philanthropy, but it is something that our school has bene ted from since the early years of Greenhill,” said Young. “We have bene ted from the generosity of our wider community giving back to make things possible.”

is generosity has also sparked discussions between di erent generations of alumni about the changes and evolving resources on campus, many of which are supported by their philanthropy.

While the campus and community are undergoing rapid change, alumni view their experiences with Greenhill’s traditions and culture as a stasis point for connection and networking.

“As someone who le Dallas a long time ago, Greenhill is a really connected, special place for me because it’s a big part of my community and my development,” said Hamm. “When I meet the people there or I connect with people where there is a legacy of our shared connection, it feels really good. It’s like a little piece of home.”

Music for a Cause

On Nov. 27, the Music for a Cause club held an open-mic event in the Quad for students to perform. Alongside the live music, club members sold pizza and baked goods, and all the proceeds were donated to organizations that help students gain access to a music education.

Transition to Winter Sports

With the winter sports season in full swing, students can now support the soccer, basketball and swimming teams in their competitions. Teams are preparing for the Winter Southwest Preparatory Conference Championships, which will be held in Houston in early February.

Nutcracker Tradition

On Dec. 15, Greenhill will host the 73rd annual kindergarten performance of “ e Nutcracker,” a two-act classical ballet. e event will take place in the Marshall Family Performing Arts Center, with kindergarteners performing in homeroom groups as di erent characters.

Winter Festivities

e last day of school before Winter Break is Dec. 20. Many festive traditions and activities will take place during a half-day schedule. ere will be the annual holiday Sing-along, in which the Upper School Band, Orchestra, Singers and Dance Company perform for the school to instill holiday spirit. Students will be let out at 11 a.m. to begin the break.

Debate Tournament

e Upper School Policy and Lincoln-Douglas debate teams will participate in the 2023 John Edie Debate tournament in Minneapolis Dec. 15-18. Debaters are working closely with a variety of faculty and non-faculty coaches to prepare for this event.

Greenhill Goes Camping

On Nov. 10, Greenhill students in the Backpacking and Camping class traveled to Palo Duro Canyon State Park in Canyon, Texas. Students camped for two nights and engaged in various activities such as hiking and cooking outdoors. On the trip, students utilized skills they learned during the course.

Showcases

On Dec. 6, all Upper School theater classes as well as the Greenhill Dance Company put on a showcase in the studio theater at 6:00 p.m. Students performed skits, songs and dances. Following the showcase, the Greenhill Improv Troupe held their holiday performance in the studio theater, featuring holidaythemed games.

CREATING CONNECTIONS: Past graduates meet in various cities across the country at events hosted by the Greenhill Alumni O ce. These reunions are catalysts for alumni networking and professional collaboration.

Photo courtesy of Tom Perryman

Photo courtesy of Tom Perryman

REUNION: Associate Head of School Tom Perryman ’81 represents Greenhill in travel meetups with alumni.

Middle School

Eighth-Graders Visit Nation’s Capital

Eighth-grade students recently visited Washington, D.C., for the annual trip where they learned about politics, honored America’s history, and participated in fun activities.

From Nov. 6-9, students visited museums, memorials, and government buildings.

“I say to parents at orientation that students will be voting in four short years,” said Head of Middle School Susan Palmer.

“ is trip really helps people be the full citizens that they can be. I’m proud, always proud, on how 100-plus kids come to D.C. and represent the school so beautifully.”

e rst day, students ew into Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport. A er arriving at their hotel, they met with instructors who led workshop groups. With their assigned groups, students began going to memorials.

e rst stop was the Franklin Delano Roosevelt Memorial, followed by the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial and the omas Je erson Memorial.

Later that evening, students ate dinner at the Pentagon City Mall before visiting the Pentagon 9/11 Memorial at night.

On Nov. 7, students had the opportunity to go to one of three National Mall museums, including the National Museum of Natural History, National Museum of American History, and National Gallery of Art.

e National Museum of Natural History was eighth-grader Ella Tobias’s favorite destination.

“I liked to see all the animal structures and other natural exhibits,” Tobias said.

A er the museums, students had lunch in Chinatown before listening to a seminar led by Anika Manzoor, CEO of Youth Activism Project. Students learned about ways to bring change through activism, no matter their age.

Students then visited the National Archives, where they were able to see the original Declaration of Independence, Constitution, and Bill of Rights.

e day concluded with the anticipated tradition of advisory dinners, held this year in Old Town Alexandria. Each advisory

went to a di erent restaurant to spend time together.

On the third day, students visited Capitol Hill with their advisories. ey were able to meet members of Congress or their sta , explore the area where lawmakers and sta ers work, and pose for a group photo with the Capitol Building in the background.

Visiting Capitol Hill and meeting with sta members of U.S. Rep. Sylvia Garcia, D-Houston, was the highlight of the trip for eighth-grader Vanessa Anderson.

“It was interesting and allowed me to express points of concern and improvement [a ecting] the Hispanic community in Texas,” Anderson said in an email. “I was able to voice how their culture is being erased or their safety is being put at risk by local law enforcement. As a Hispanic person this meeting grew my knowledge of the schedule in Congress and how my representatives approach my points of issue.”

Next up for students was the Library of Congress, where many eighth-graders took the opportunity to take photos.

A erward, they spent a few hours at the National Museum of African American History and Culture, where students were free to travel in small groups to learn about both the somber and upli ing parts of African American history.

“ e museum had so much interesting history and valuable information which gave me a new perspective,” Rehan Menon said in an email. “ e culture section had so much interesting facts about talk shows, and celebrities.”

e evening began with dinner at Carmine’s and ended with students visiting the WWII Memorial, Lincoln Memorial, Vietnam War Memorial, and Korean War Memorial with their workshop groups.

On the morning of Nov. 9, students re ected on the trip as a group before going to Arlington National Cemetery.

At the cemetery, students witnessed the Changing of the Guard at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.

roughout the trip, students didn’t have cellphones or other electronic devices, allowing them to focus on all the places they visited.

Quiz Bowl Buzzes Their Way to Success

Last May, the Greenhill Middle School Quiz Bowl team found themselves in one of the most important moments of their competitive careers, the national tournament in Chicago.

ey were neck and neck with only a 30-point di erence between themselves and their opponent.

A seventh-grade student, Adam Tawil, was thinking about how hopeless their situation was when he buzzed in and answered a question correctly.

It was a turning point in the crucial match.

“I think in these situations, when you’re losing, it’s good to never give up,” Tawil said.

Looking back on the moment, Tawil says Quiz Bowl has taught him to never admit defeat.

e Middle School team pulled out a victory in that match. e team went on to nish 49th overall out of 160 competitors. e national tournament last spring marked the culmination of a long year of competitions for Middle School Quiz Bowl team members.

e year starts with interested students signing up for Quiz Bowl, which is classi ed as an a er-school club.

All Middle School students have an opportunity to join Quiz Bowl at any time during the school year.

Members think of Quiz Bowl as a teambased competitive trivia game where you create connections with peers and grow stronger together. e club promotes hard work, dedication and, above all, healthy competition.

“My favorite part about Quiz Bowl is the adrenaline rush you get when you get a tossup, especially when it’s a buzzer race,” said seventh-grader Colin Houpt, who has been a member of the team since 2021.

Like any sport, Quiz Bowl is highly competitive and requires frequent practice.

Currently, the team is led by sixth-grade advisor James Herman, an avid Quiz Bowl enthusiast.

“He does a lot of the behind-the-scenes stu ,” said Houpt. “He is a good Quiz Bowl coach.”

e Middle School Quiz Bowl team is divided into smaller groups of ve people who compete at tournaments. Greenhill Middle School teams B and C both had a preliminary round match record of 8-3 by last May.

is year’s Middle School Quiz Bowl team will compete at a tournament in January. is will be one of their nal opportunities to practice in a competitive setting before the 2024 national tournament in Chicago.

Overall, three Greenhill teams have already quali ed for next spring’s national

Ellie Tran, Avery McGraw

Photos courtesy of Natalie Davido

tournament.

Middle School Quiz Bowl competitors are already dreaming about success at next year’s nationals.

“I think if the teams are solid, we have a decent chance of making it past the quarter nals,” Tawil said.

BUZZWORD: Middle School Quiz Bowl team members practice on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The annual national tournament will be held in Chicago in the spring.

Photo by Kate Ponnambalam

Brooklyn Dean, Natalie Ledyard

Features

Almanza Empowers Latinas rough Poderistas

For the past three years, Upper School Spanish teacher Stephanie Almanza has been a member of the nonpro t organization Poderistas. is organization strives to raise awareness surrounding Latina issues in the United States.

Almanza rst became involved in the organization through social media. On Instagram, one of Poderistas’ founders, actress America Ferrera, posted about the opportunity to be a part of the nonpro t. Almanza clicked on a link, lled out the application and sent it in.

Almanza says she was pleased to be accepted into this organization. It includes its fair share of big names such as Ferrera and actress and producer Eva Longoria, but it also uses its platform in a way that includes women in di erent roles all across the nation.

Poderistas is made up primarily of women and was founded in August 2020. e group has three distinct levels: founders, sta and the Power Squad.

Almanza has been a part of the Power Squad since October 2020. e Power Squad is comprised of about 100 women who were selected to represent the organization. Each of these women identi es as Latina and acts as ambassadors for the causes that Poderistas aims to tackle.

e Power Squad is “all about connectivity and using your circle while

recognizing that though your circle may be small, you can still make an impact within the communities that you belong to,” said Almanza.

Poderista Experiences

Greenhill students have had opportunities to work with Poderistas members through Almanza’s connection. e Power Squad is also made up of women from across the nation who share the same goal.

“I applied to be surrounded by other people who were like-minded, or at least invested in the same things and couple [of] weeks later, I got requested to submit additional information and then got selected to the Power Squad and I’ve been involved ever since,” said Ayanna Kelly, who is a member of the Power Squad and based in Virginia.

Kelly’s involvement in Poderistas gave her the opportunity to travel to Washington, D.C., to attend a Mother’s Day event held at Vice President Kamala Harris’ residence, where both Harris and the founders of Poderistas spoke.

In addition to the Power Squad, Poderistas keeps members engaged through an electronic mailing list.

“Any individual can sign up to get the newsletters and hear about what the organization is doing, but what the Power Squad is intended to do is serve as mini leaders of our regions for the organization,” said Geida Cleveland, who is another member of the Power Squad, and is based in Minnesota.

RAISING AWARENESS: Stephanie Almanza is one of 100 members of the Poderistas Power Squad, which organizes events to empower Latina women across the nation.

Not all Poderistas members are required to attend every event, but they host events that range from informational panels to fundraisers for worthy causes.

I applied to be surrounded by other people who were likeminded, or at least invested in the same things and couple [of] weeks later, I got requested to submit additional information and then got selected to the Power Squad and I’ve been involved ever since.”

At the most recent Poderistas event Almanza attended, they organized a panel of Latina women that come from di erent backgrounds to speak. is activity was named Cafecito Chats because of its causal environment and setting.

“It’s centered on caregiving and had a panel that ranged from a registered nurse who has ample experience in medical caregiving to a psychologist,” said Almanza. “And then there was a mother, a mother who not only has to be the caregiver for both her own mother and her son who is a specialneeds adult.”

Another of the experiences she had with Poderistas included a trip to the White House. She had the chance to meet U.S. Supreme Court Associate Justice Sonia Sotomayor and attend a meeting with all the Latina women who worked in and around the White House.

Greenhill Impact

On top of the impact she makes with Poderistas in her community, Almanza is also one of the faculty sponsors for the Latinx Student Union at Greenhill. She works closely with the student leaders of the group to foster community and improve the Latinx experience. Her involvement in this group has also helped individuals feel more comfortable

identifying with the Latinx community at Greenhill.

Senior Alex Peplinski has been a part of the Latinx a nity group throughout their time in the Upper School. Peplinski came to Greenhill in ninth grade and joined the group to nd a space where they could be comfortable with their culture. ey have worked their way up to be a co-leader and now organize and run events for the group.

“I love that I’ve been able to nd Latino communities at Greenhill, especially since I was one of the only Latinx students at Greenhill,” Peplinski said. “I’ve de nitely felt safe and accepted as a Latino student here.”

As a leader of the Latinx Student Union, Peplinski has worked closely with Almanza and has been taught by her in classes as well. eir common goal for increased representation along with Almanza’s dedication to upli ing and empowering Latina women through her work with Poderistas helps foster a safe space for the Latinx community at Greenhill.

I love that I’ve been able to find Latino communities at Greenhill, especially since I was one of the only Latinx students at Greenhill. I’ve definitely felt safe and accepted as a Latino student here.”

“Last year, Ms. Almanza gave some [Latinx Student Union] members and leaders the opportunity to attend one of these Poderistas meetings and actually meet America Ferrera,” said Peplinski. “It was an amazing experience and it felt so special to be surrounded by people of all ages who have gone through the same experiences as me. It was inspiring to see one of my teachers be so involved in an organization like Poderistas.”

Helina Tedros, Ravi Vasan

Stephanie Almanza

Alex Peplinski

Photo courtesy of Stephanie Almanza

Debate Duo: Seniors Adam Kesselman and Seth Lee Rise to New Heights

Riya Kommineni

In the past year, seniors Adam Kesselman and Seth Lee have earned signi cant achievements as Lincoln-Douglas debaters.

At the prestigious Tournament of Champions at the University of Kentucky last April, Kesselman reached the semi nals and Lee reached the elimination rounds. Since then, the two students have continued their success at various national tournaments during the 2023-2024 debate season.

Along with their successes, Kesselman and Lee have developed a close friendship because of their time spent together preparing and traveling for tournaments.

“I’ve always been friends with [Kesselman] because we’d known each [other] throughout middle and high school, but I think debate brought us closer because we had to do a lot of preparation,” said Lee. “Over tournaments, we would call a lot about various strategies, so as a result we just clicked.”

Beginnings

Kesselman and Lee have had very di erent paths to becoming accomplished debaters in the Lincoln-Douglas format.

Lee was rst introduced to debate when

no longer really interested in activity. So it was really hard to get into debate because there were not a lot of positive role models and leadership.”

e summer before his junior year, Kesselman attended the Global Debate Symposium camp, where he was able to gain the foundations and tools necessary to succeed in debate. From there, he realized that he wanted to make a serious commitment to debate and take a step back from soccer.

“I kind of saw soccer as something that wouldn’t pay o in the long run,” Kesselman said. “When I did an honest re ection, I realized that I probably was not [going to be] good enough [at soccer] unless I started putting in an excessive amount of work and I just wasn’t passionate enough to push through. Knowing I would have a lot of free time I tried to divert my energy towards something else and that became debate.”

Friendship

ough Lincoln-Douglas is a oneversus-one format, Kesselman and Lee o en work together extensively to prepare for tournaments. When a new debate topic comes out, they try to divide the work between the two of them. eir research is comprehensive,

partner would have to compensate for my weaknesses. But in Lincoln-Douglas, I’d have to face my weaknesses alone, so I think that also helped me get better.”

Unlike Lee, Kesselman began his debate journey in high school, but was initially more focused on competitive soccer. During his freshman year, he participated in very few debate tournaments, all of which were online due to the COVID-19 pandemic. e year a er, he began participating in more tournaments, but still struggled to nd a balance between debate and soccer.

“Freshman and sophomore year I was really impacted by the lack of seniors in debate because of COVID-19,” Kesselman said. “A lot of them got burned out or were

Hawaiian housing policy.

“In terms of working together, we have to make sure that the prep burden is evenly distributed. We’re obviously di erent people and we have di erent interests in the types of arguments that we go for, so we have to make sure we’re not just doing redundant preparation,” Lee said. “We have to research unique things that are actually useful for what we might use in a tournament.”

Despite both being successful debaters, Kesselman and Lee have never been competitive with one another regarding their achievements.

“

ey’re very good at being each other’s hype man,” said Paramo. “ ere was never a moment where you felt that they resented

A er last spring’s Tournament of Champions, Kesselman was ranked 6th in the nation for Lincoln-Douglas debate and Lee was ranked 12th. For the 2023-2024 debate season, the duo said their goal is to win as much as possible.

“Our [collective] goal is to win as many tournaments as possible and get as far as possible, especially at the bigger national tournaments,” said Lee. roughout the fall, Lee and Kesselman have achieved more impressive nishes.

In September, Lee reached the semi nals at the Grapevine Classic and received the 3rd speaker award. Kesselman received the 6th speaker award. At the Greenhill Fall Classic, also in September,

by October is really cool because last year, the rst one of them didn’t qualify until November and the second one didn’t qualify until January,” said Paramo. “ e quali cation process being out of the way is probably a relief to the both of them.”

As the season progresses and the travel season begins in January, Kesselman and Lee hope to do better with each tournament and keep each other motivated.

“[Kesselman and Lee] are one of the healthier pairs that I’ve seen in the time I’ve worked in debate,” said Paramo. “ ey just really work well together and are clearly invested to celebrate each other’s successes.”

Photo illustration by Christan Park

BEST FRIENDS: Outside of debate tournaments, seniors Adam Kesselman and Seth Lee spend time together at senior events, such as spray painting the Water Tower.

Photo courtesy of Adam Kesselman

Evergreen the

Scripting Success: Zoe Marshall ’11

Sophia Li

Among the thousands of screenplays that are written every year, only a few dozen are made into lms and come out in theaters. A few more than that number make it to streaming platforms.

e rst produced lm of Zoe Marshall ’11, “Fantasy Football,” was one of those rarities.

“Fantasy Football” is an adventure comedy starring Marsai Martin and Omari Hardwick.

e lm was released in November 2022 on the Paramount streaming service, with Marshall credited as one of the primary screenwriters.

“It’s about this teenage girl whose dad is a professional football player, and he’s not that great,” Marshall said. “She gets a magical copy of the video game, ‘Madden,’ and she discovers that when she plays the game, she can improve her dad’s gameplay in real time.”

Marshall says that watching “Fantasy Football” go from paper to Paramount was a surreal experience.

“

ere are writers who have perfectly respectable careers, who sell a ton of movies, who work on TV shows, but they’ve never personally had something that they wrote be produced,” said Marshall. “To have a movie of mine come out within eight years of graduating college was a big deal.”

Writing Journey

Before Marshall became a professional screenwriter, she didn’t think there were many viable career paths in writing.

“I didn’t understand that there were viable career options in writing besides being a journalist,” she said. “I was kind of under the impression that, like, most novelists don’t make any money and a lot of the books that we read, those works weren’t really recognized until the author had died.”

at view changed a er Marshall went to the University of Southern California for her undergraduate years.

“When I got to college, USC had a huge lm program and I learned that screenwriting was a job, and so I pivoted to that,” Marshall said.

A week a er graduating with a dual degree from the Annenberg School for Communication and Journalism and a lm degree program in the USC School of Cinematic Arts, she took a job at Creative Artists Agency.

“I graduated from USC on a Friday,” she said. “I started working for the cohead of television at the Television Literary department at CAA, which is Creative Artists Agency, on Monday. I immediately started working for an agent who represents writers.”

A er leaving Creative Artists, she was hired by a writer who was a client at CAA and became showrunner’s assistant on Season 2 of “Underground,” a drama series about the Underground Railroad in antebellum Georgia.

Coming o Marshall signed with the William Morris Endeavor talent agency and began writing professionally.

“I’ve just been writing professionally ever since,” Marshall said.

In her years as a writer, Marshall has been involved in a variety of projects. She was a screenwriter for “Charmed,” “ Man: e Final Chapters” and “Found.” shows she has worked on have appeared on Paramount, Peacock and NBC, among others.

Marshall’s daily schedule changes based on whether she is on a writing sta or working on an independent pilot. Currently, her days consist of three main projects: a pilot with Warner Brothers, an original lm previously owned by Net ix, and the CBS television series “Elsbeth.”

“I currently have a pilot set up with Warner Brothers,” said Marshall. “Once it’s written, I have to pitch to di erent networks, so it could go anywhere. It could end up at HBO, it could end up on the CW, it could go to FX, or Hulu, or Net ix or wherever, so we’ll nd out sometime next year.”

In addition to writing for “Elsbeth,” Marshall is also in the process of selling a project that was previously owned by Net ix.

“I have an original lm that I sold to Net ix a couple of years ago called ‘Proof’ and it had Regina King attached, but Net ix ended up liquidating the department that bought it,” Marshall said. “ e movie was released back to me and I own the rights in perpetuity, so I can sell it to another studio.”

ough some of Marshall’s days consist of spending long hours in writers’ rooms in Los Angeles, other days require traveling to di erent show sets.

“When I am on a show, the studio is responsible for my accommodations, so sometimes they’ll get me an apartment or a long-term hotel wherever we’re lming,” said Marshall. “ e show I currently work on is lmed in New York. e show I was on earlier this year before the writers’ strike was lmed in Atlanta, so I went back and forth between Atlanta and Los Angeles.”

Guild Work

On top of being a screenwriter, Marshall also serves on the board of directors of the Writers Guild of America West.

“My rst year as a member of the guild, I went to some member meetings and I asked some questions and I was very outspoken,” Marshall said. “ e president of the Writers Guild approached me and asked me if I’d be interested in getting more involved in [the] union.”

At the time Marshall joined, the guild was gearing up for a large campaign against Hollywood talent agencies. She was nominated to be a member of the board of directors due to her active involvement in the campaign.

“As a result of my involvement in the agency campaign, the president of the guild nominated me as a candidate to run for

going from an in-person writers’ room to collaborating and writing television shows over Zoom.”

e recent strike Marshall was involved in concerned the negotiation of the Minimum Basic Agreement, which governs how all writers are paid and employed.

“[ e board of directors] decides what our list of demands are to the studios, and the studios are employers,” said Marshall. “ en, we send it for a vote to the membership and they vote to approve that and then we go into negotiations with the studios. It takes as long as it takes.”

I graduated from USC on a Friday. I started working for the co-head of television at the Television Literary department at CAA, which is Creative Artists Agency, on Monday. I immediately started working for an agent who represents writers.”

In April, 98% of guild members voted to go on strike if an agreement wasn’t reached. e contract expired without an agreement, and the writers went out on strike on May 2.

During the strike, Marshall spent time ensuring guild members had access to

“I was out on the picket lines constantly,” she said. “I, on behalf of the guild, ew across the country to help run some pickets that were on location so that we could shut down certain movies. I picketed in di erent parts of California, New York and Atlanta.” e strike ended Sept. 28 and a new ed on Oct. 9. Marshall says that working with the guild has allowed her to understand her rights as a worker.

“Coming from a debate background, I like to understand the contracts that govern my work,” said Marshall. “I like to understand what the rules are so that I can have an opinion about them and to understand what my

Greenhill In uence

During Marshall’s years in Upper School, she spent a majority of her extracurricular time on debate and journalism.

“Debate certainly prepared me for defending my opinions in a lot of Socraticstyle courses that I took in college, since lm courses were Socratic style,”

Marshall said.

Not only did Greenhill’s debate team make Marshall a stronger student, but it gave her the ability to embrace criticism of her writing.

“I had to get really comfortable with notes and feedback in high school, and I’m really thankful that I had a chance to work through my issues with rejection in high school so that by the time I got to college, it didn’t feel so personal when I got criticism on my writing,” she said.

Marshall’s teachers at Greenhill were a key component of her developmental journey. One of those teachers was Upper School English teacher Linda Woolley.

“Mrs. Woolley was the single most in uential teacher I had the entire time I was at Greenhill,” Marshall said. “She was my advisor. I took two of her English courses, and she really held me accountable for turning in my best work.”

Marshall always brought energy and ideas into every classroom, according to Woolley.

“She was the energy of the advisory,” said Woolley. “She always came in with a comment or something for us to do or a spark of something.”

Woolley says that although she was unsure about the exact career Marshall would pursue, her current success is unsurprising.

“When Zoe puts her mind to something you’re like ‘ok that’s going to happen,’” Woolley said.

Words of Wisdom

While Marshall has achieved impressive results in her screenwriting career, she still continues to perfect her writing.

“One of the most impactful professors I had in college used to tell us that a writer who doesn’t read is like a chef who doesn’t eat, and so the way I got better was just by reading a lot,” said Marshall. “To this day, I read a book maybe every 10 days.”

She advises anyone who wants to pursue a career in writing to stay focused and driven.

“For anyone who wants to write professionally, the greatest advice I can give is to stay focused,” she said. “Saying you want to be a writer and dreaming of one day being hired as a professional writer is not the same thing as doing the work. If you want to write for TV, then you need to be studying TV and writing.”

Zoe Marshall

Photo courtesy of Zoe Marshall

BEHIND THE SCREEN: Zoe Marshall ’11, center, is a screenwriter for television shows and movies who serves as a board member of the Writers Guild of America West.

Graphic by Camila Hanson

Evergreen the

Winter Break Antics

A Sneak Peek into How Students and Faculty Will Spend Their Time Off

Chloe Nguyen, Ella Sadka

Many Greenhill students utilize the holidays to take a break from the constant bustle of school. From “staycations” to vacations, student plans are diverse and ful lling.

“I plan to y to Chicago to see my family for our annual Christmas dinner. is year, we are having it the day a er Christmas. We normally get together to cook, eat, make cookies and have a good time. en, we always nish up with some shopping and going to the casinos.”

– Dean of Students Jack Oros

“I’m going to Dubai for two weeks to visit some family. I am really excited because I get to spend time with all my cousins that I haven’t seen in a long time and we’re going to a water park. I am also going to visit my teachers from my old school, which will be really fun.”

– sophomore Soyam Mohammed

“Every year my family and I visit England because my mom grew up there. We stay at my grandma’s house to celebrate Christmas. We go to church, have all my little cousins come over, my grandma cooks all the food and then we open presents. We also participate in this British tradition in the city of Exmouth where hundreds of people all go swimming in the sea on Christmas day. e water is always so cold, but it’s so fun.”

– senior Susie Fagelman

“I plan to hang out with a lot of friends and family. is is a really great opportunity to reconnect with all these people I love and care about so much. e thing that I’m most excited for is going to Six Flags Christmas fest with my friends.”

– sophomore Tara Alim

“I am going to New York and staying at a hotel next to Carnegie Hall where I will be playing the violin at the [International Concerto Competition]. I am staying there for ve days and leaving on Christmas. I’m looking forward to sharing my music with the community and have this really great opportunity to perform at a really nice venue.”

– sophomore Myra Puri

“I am going to see snow in the mountains. My family and I are ying to Geneva rst and spending a week in the city with friends and family. en, we are going to Zermatt to ski and snowboard there as a family.”

– Upper School math teacher Olga Tzanev

“With my dad’s side of the family, we always celebrate on Christmas Eve. It’s this tradition we have that connects with our Spanish culture. We always stay up until 3 a.m. and then go to bed. e next morning, I go over to my mom’s house and have a second Christmas, where we always do a breakfast together.”

– junior Cassie Rosa

“I might go up to Colorado to see my niece if the weather permits. I am excited to see her and her two children. One I haven’t met yet and the other I haven’t seen in about two years.”

– Upper School math teacher Steve Warner

Graphics by Christan Park and Bette Tomecko

Arts

Artistry Club: Exploring Creative Passions

Noor Zaman

The Upper School Artistry Club was established in 2021 and has been organizing creative projects in the Greenhill community ever since. Most recently, they worked on a linocut project in collaboration with other schools and artists in the Dallas area.

Linocut is a printmaking technique in which artists carve out parts of a linoleum block to create a pattern. Similar to the process of woodcutting and engraving, linocut is a type of relief print in which a piece of paper is stamped with ink from the top surface of the linoleum.

Members of the Artistry Club carved a linocut design that incorporated the

Texas state bird, ower, and tree, while participants from Ursuline Academy and Parish Episcopal School created their own designs. Parish also invited independent artists to contribute to the project along with the schools.

Parish created three prints in total, two designed by teachers and one by student participants, according to junior Ava Mao, a co-president of the club.

“ e theme was Texas ora and fauna, so we [carved] the mockingbird, bluebonnets, and pecans, with rays to highlight the bird,” Mao said.

Junior Fern Hignite, another copresident of the club, said that the prints were 3 feet by 3 feet and were going to be printed with a steamroller machine due to

their large size. e linocut blocks were carved out at the individual schools and later showcased and printed together at an event hosted at the Parish Episcopal School that included participants from both Greenhill and Ursuline.

In an email, Mao described the printing event as one of the most rewarding experiences ever.

“ e amount of joy you feel seeing a project you’ve worked so hard on come to life is so unreal,” Mao said in an email. “Everyone there was so excited and appreciative of the amount of time a project like this takes.”

projects,” Mao said.

Once the prints dry, one will be auctioned o at Parish’s Gala and one at the Greenhill Gala. Another will be hung on Greenhill’s campus, Mao said. A fourth will be displayed around Parish and Ursuline before coming back to campus.

Along with the linocut project, the Artistry Club also works on creating handmade magazines, collaborative drawings, and murals.

e Artistry Club aims to improve participation and appreciation for ne arts within the Upper School, said Hignite.

“Greenhill has a pretty good ne arts program, but I think there are many students who don’t take advantage of it,” Hignite said. “ rough Artistry Club we can encourage people to explore their passion for art.”

Mao views the club as a place for students to nd refuge in the stressful environment of school.

“I originally came there just to relax, and it’s also just fun drawing and making

e Artistry Club consists of around ve to 10 students, although the number of participants uctuates, according to Mao. e club meets every Gold 4 day during Hornet Block, with meetings beginning at 1:55 p.m.

“Not a lot of people show up and we’d like that to change,” Hignite said. “ e most [participants] we’ve gotten was at a meeting where we had pizza and ered community service hours.”

Anyone can join the Artistry Club regardless of the amount of experience they have with art.

“You don’t have to be good at art, you just need to be willing to participate,” Mao said in an email. “Whether we are doodling random pictures together or doing some big project, I believe that it’s always important to have fun and make friends.”

Looking forward, both Hignite and Mao say they hope to implement shorter activities that will welcome newer members to the club.

“We might either do a zine or maybe an introductory drawing [activity] again, or just some other small activities to get to know each other more,” Mao said.

Club leaders are also aiming to host a smaller version of the linocut activity, where participants will be able to make their own designs and print them out.

“For the future, we’re going to try and do more projects and try to make announcements either by email or at assemblies, so more people know about them,” Hignite said.

Upper School Band Students Excel in Auditions

Upper School band students earned wide-ranging honors in two recent competitions.

On Dec. 4, 12 Greenhill Band members traveled to Van Alstyne for the Association of Texas Small School Bands/Texas Music Educators Association auditions. ree students earned 1st chair honors: senior Ayne Park, ute, for Symphonic Band; junior Aditi Vikram, clarinet, for Symphonic Band; and sophomore Sanay Nesargi, bassoon, for Concert Band.

Also earning honors were: sophomore Rachel Jiang, 4th chair ute, Symphonic Band; junior Christan Park, 7th chair ute, Symphonic Band; freshman Collin Sun, 2nd chair bassoon, Symphonic Band; junior Lizzy Nassi, 7th chair clarinet, Concert Band; freshman Carys Diamond, 5th chair French horn, Concert Band; sophomore Vincent Le, 10th chair trombone, Concert Band; sophomore Jin Huang; 7th chair percussion, Concert Band; sophomore Brian Chao, percussion alternate; and freshman Elyse Lau, ute alternate.

e students will participate in a clinic and concert on Jan. 12-13.

Ayne Park, Christan Park, Vikram, Jiang, Sun and Diamond also quali ed to audition on Jan. 6 for a possible seat in the ATSSB State Concert Band.

In a separate competition, seven Upper School students earned a chair in the Texas Private School Music Educators Association State Concert Band: Christan Park, ute; Jiang, ute; Ayne Park, ute; Vikram, clarinet; Sun, bassoon; Le, trombone; senior Pranav Joshi, euphonium; and Nesargi, bassoon. ese students will participate in a series of clinics and concerts Jan. 25-27.

Road to Success

e students began preparing for the

auditions in August, when they received their pieces from Middle School and Upper School Band Director Brian Donnell.

e ATSSB All-Region Band auditions take place in a quiet room with judges who can’t see the performer to avoid bias. Students must play a set of scales, a fast etude and a slow etude. An etude is a short piece of music.

“You only get one shot so it’s pretty stressful,” said Nesargi, the sophomore bassoon player. “You sit down and take a few seconds to compose yourself and then you start playing.”

Ayne Park says the auditions get less stressful over time.

“ e more I’ve been in an environment like auditions, it has been easier to get comfortable [with it],” Ayne Park said. “I know I’ve put in the work, and I’ve practiced so there’s really nothing I can do on the day of.”

A er the auditions, judges choose a set number of students from each instrument to be in one of the two All-Region bands: the Symphonic Band or the Concert Band.

Both ATSSB All-Region bands will perform Dec. 13, at Anna High School.

In contrast, TPSMEA auditions are submitted through a recording sent to judges.

“It’s really fun just because the stress is lower and since you’re not worried about getting it right the rst time,” Nesargi said. “You can really just send in your best work.”

Nesargi says that he prefers the ATSSB audition process.

“I like the live audition more just because you get to meet and talk to other people and it’s a more fun atmosphere,” Nesargi said.

To prepare for auditions, students begin by familiarizing themselves with their pieces.

“I go through the music [and] mark anything that I don’t know, or don’t know how to do as a technique on the instrument,”

Nesargi said. “ en I’ll slowly start a practice schedule and ramp it up.”

Donnell says breaking pieces up into chunks while practicing helps polish di cult sections.

“We work on technique that’s speci c to that particular chunk,” Donnell said. “When they’re practicing at home, they’re working on those small chunks.”

In addition to practicing in sections, some students simulate the audition environment to help ease their nerves on audition day.

“I remember freshmen [and] sophomore year I would go home and set up a camera and just record myself playing and just try to get it as good as I could in one shot,” Ayne Park said. Both Donnell and Middle School and Upper School Assistant Band Director Tony Lopez also give students tips and help with technique.

“[We help with] how to deal with

mistakes that you haven’t made, how to keep going, how to play, how to perform what the judges expect to hear, which is musicality, or nding the right tempo or things like that,” Donnell said.

Nesargi said this assistance is bene cial. “ ey’re professionally trained musicians, they know what the piece is, of course, and they know a lot of things that can help you out,” Nesargi said.

Joshi said that auditions also o er a competitive environment.

“For me, the excitement is just seeing how I stack up compared to everyone else,” Joshi said.

Nesargi sees auditions as an opportunity to showcase his preparation e orts.

“It’s always exciting whenever we have to audition because there’s a lot of time and e ort that goes into preparing your music and making sure that you’re ready,” Nesargi said.

Vedant Subramanian

WARMING UP: Greenhill utist Rachel Jiang warms up for her ATSSB audition, which took place Monday, Dec. 4. She earned 4th chair in the Symphonic Band.

Photo by Christan Park

Graphic by Rachel Jiang

CREATING ART TOGETHER: Students from the Greenhill Artistry Club work with students from Parish Episcopal School and Ursuline Academy to make ink prints.

Photo courtesy of Lesley Rucker

Fall Musical Was “Fetch”

Aria Kutty, Irina Li

The Greenhill eater Department embarked on a journey full of cliques, Kalteen bars and pink- lled Wednesdays for their production of the musical “Mean Girls.” e production ran for three highly attended shows from Nov. 15-17.

“Mean Girls” follows the story of Cady Heron, a teenage girl who moves from Africa to Evanston, Ill. When she arrives, she becomes immersed in the cliques and social hierarchies that govern student life at North Shore High. With help from her two new friends, Damian and Janis, Cady attempts to in ltrate the popular clique, dubbed “the Plastics.” However, she soon realizes that this plan has consequences.

e original “Mean Girls” movie was a pop culture phenomenon, with a starstudded cast and over 25 award nominations.

e movie grossed over $130 million in the worldwide box o ce.

e immense popularity of the movie led to the creation of the musical version of “Mean Girls,” which rst premiered in Washington, D.C., in 2017, and opened on Broadway in 2018. e show immediately became a hit, earning 12 Tony Award nominations. e original Broadway cast recording of the show has seven songs with over 20 million streams on Spotify.

is popularity, along with the impactful message of the show, led the Greenhill eater Department to choose “Mean Girls” for the fall production.

“ e show has a pretty strong message,” Upper School Drama and eater Director Valerie HaussSmith said. “Don’t change yourself in order to belong or try to be cool.”

Record Cast Size

Due to the popularity of the original movie and musical, when students heard that the 2023 Greenhill Fall Musical would be “Mean Girls,” many jumped at the opportunity to be a part of the show.

“I was really excited when I heard that the show was going to be ‘Mean Girls’ because it is a story I know well and I love the characters,” said junior J.J. Arbuckle, who played Damian. “It is just an iconic story.”

contributing to a record cast size for a Greenhill theater production. In total, over 65 students were a part of the cast and crew for the production.

“It was a giant cast size,” Arbuckle said. “I think the [popularity of ‘Mean Girls’] encouraged a lot of people to try theater for the rst time.”

I was really excited when I heard that the show was going to be ‘Mean Girls’ because it is a story I know well and I love the characters.”

Since the cast size was so large, the rehearsal and preparation process had to change.

For many dance numbers, the entire ensemble would not t onstage altogether, resulting in the cast being split into groups that only took part in certain numbers.

“It was de nitely a di erence,” said junior Cassie Rosa, who played Karen Smith, one of “the Plastics.” “We had to split people into groups, called zebras, gazelles and gira es, so that everyone could at least

there are a lot, maybe around 10, because

Arbuckle’s sentiment was echoed by dozens of students in Upper School, each

grades, together each family drives to dinner prior to shows and bonds as a group.

“Normally we only have a couple of families,” Rosa said. “However, this year

daunting, Hauss-Smith says that it all worked out in the end.

“I think I was a little fearful because I was like, ‘there are so many people, how is that even going to [work]?’” Hauss-Smith said. “But when we got toward the end and we were all pushing, it was amazing.”

Student Response

Due to the popularity of “Mean Girls,” many students already knew of the storyline of the show before watching the Greenhill production. For some actors, this was an added pressure.

“It is such a popular movie, and everyone knows the story,” Arbuckle said. “ at added a little bit of extra pressure, with this show speci cally.”

Since so many people knew the story, some audience members had concerns going into the show about whether the original storyline would be honored.

“I was a little nervous about how they were going to keep it ‘PG,’” junior Lauren Harrington said. “But they did a great job keeping it high school friendly but not shi ing the story too much, I was so impressed.”

Although the o cial high school version of the show is slightly edited from the Broadway version to keep it schoolappropriate, many viewers still thoroughly enjoyed the show.

“In a weird way I liked the Greenhill musical even better than the movie,” Williams said. “Watching them put on the show, all the little details made even more

Further, many students were extremely impressed with the set design and technical aspect of the show. To accommodate the vast amount of scene locations, the technical theater students worked on designing projections to display behind the actors for each scene. e projections in the background were crazy,” Williams said. “It was so awesome, I loved that.”

In addition, since the show is set in a high school, technical theater students took inspiration from Greenhill’s campus for the set

“When we were designing the bathroom set, we put our knowledge that we learned about real-life designing into it,” said senior Santiago Lopez, a technical theater student who served as head of props and sets for the production. “We measured the [Marshall Family Performing Arts Center] bathrooms and sketched it out, which felt really professional in the end.”

I was a little nervous about how they were going to keep it ‘PG.’ But they did a great job keeping it high school friendly but not shifting the story too much, I was so impressed.”

All the details that the technical theater crew put into the show did not go unnoticed by audience members.

“It all really set the scene, it was amazing,” junior Samantha Aidala said.

A Theater Family

e close-knit nature of the cast played a large part in the success of the show, according to Rosa.

“I feel like our cast is a family and we love to support each other,” Rosa said. “We bring out the best of each other out on stage, and it really showed during the [shows].” is feeling of family and support in the cast was felt by audience members as well.

“It looked like everyone wanted to do it and everyone was really excited to be there,” freshman Akash Bose said. “ ere was fun the entire time.”

Aidala agreed.

“It was very fun,” Aidala said. “You could see how much hard work was put into the show and it all paid o .”

PRETTY IN PINK: Junior Ellery Sherwood, playing Regina George, performs her solo part in the song “Meet the Plastics” on the opening night of “Mean Girls.”

Photo courtesy of Greenhill Communications

SPOOKY SHENANIGANS: Lucas Lopez, as Aaron Samuels, converses with Sanjna Kalisetty, playing Cady Haron, about her costume in a Halloween party scene.

Photo courtesy of Greenhill Communications

Graphic by Christan Park

New Perspective, Ideas How an Infux of Immigration

Nora Ahearn, Christan Park and Kate Ponnambalam

When Bernard Fulton founded Greenhill in 1950, the principles of diversity were of foundational importance. Greenhill was one of the rst secular, co-educational and integrated schools in the Dallas-Fort Worth metroplex.

“ e school was founded as a coeducational school, which was a rarity among Dallas independent schools at the time,” said Head of School Lee Hark.

Decades later, Greenhill continues to build on Fulton’s foundation, but with a di erent twist. Now, a nity groups and events like Greenhill Goes Global features booths to educate students and encourage them to connect with students of di erent cultures.

A recent survey of 250 Upper School students found that 60% of respondents were rst- or second-generation immigrants in the U.S. For this survey, a rst-generation immigrant is de ned as someone born outside the U. S., while a second-generation immigrant is someone born in the U. S. with at least one rst-generation immigrant parent.

e rising immigrant population at Greenhill is being mirrored across the country. Schools throughout the United States have witnessed an in ux of rstgeneration immigrants, according to Pew Research Center. e center’s Current Population Survey found that the population of immigrants and their U.S.-born children hit a record high of more than 87 million in 2022. is shi has altered the demographic landscape of Greenhill and schools nationwide. It has also ignited a change in perspectives, fostering an environment where new ideas ourish.

At Greenhill, these developments align with the

classroom, you probably would not have the kinds of conversations and discussions that we’re fortunate that we can have here.”

Importance of Diversity

Fostering inclusion and awareness around multicultural education and taking a culturally responsive approach to teaching bene ts all students, research shows.

“A diverse educational environment is a positive, good thing,” said Hark. “And because we are diverse in so many di erent ways, it [creates] a better environment in which to learn.” is environment at Greenhill encourages cultural awareness and allows students with di erent backgrounds to have opportunities for success, preparing them for the diverse community outside of Greenhill.

If it was a very homogenous classroom, you probably would not have the kinds of conversations and discussions that we’re fortunate that we can have here.”

“When people go out into the real world a er they graduate, they’re obviously going to be met with a lot of di erent perspectives, especially in college and once you get a job,” said junior Aditi Vikram, the child of a rst-generation immigrant. “So, it’s really important for people to learn how to interact with others and accept other cultures at a younger age.”

demonstrated that those exposed to more diversity show more cultural awareness, lower racial stereotyping and more civic responsibility. Furthermore, students who are exposed to more diversity in school show stronger intellectual engagement, academic motivation and retention.

“Having exposure to a diverse community can o er a window into experiences outside of our own, experiences that stretch our understanding of others and ourselves and increase our awareness of the world around us,” Interim Director of Equity and Inclusion Monsie Muñoz ’05 wrote in an email interview. “More importantly, we need to understand and teach our community the value of diversity in a way that encourages everyone in our community to always seek out diverse points of view and experiences.”

When students are exposed to a variety of distinct beliefs that are di erent from their own in a diverse community like Greenhill’s, they begin to think more critically about what they perceive to be “correct” or “true,” thus dismantling biases and stereotypes, according to the American University School of Education website.

“Asians are expected to be very good mathematically or very good academically, and not so good in sports,” said sophomore Yichen Shi, a rstgeneration immigrant.

“But at Greenhill, because it’s so diverse, students are excelling in a lot more places and

school’s mission statement to create “a diverse and inclusive community” to “prepare and inspire students to lead authentic, purposeful lives.”

“[A diverse community] obviously strengthens the di erent perspectives that are here, and it allows a classroom to understand things in a much broader context,” said Head of Upper School Trevor Worcester. “If it was a very homogenous

At Greenhill, the diverse range of religions, ethnicities, races, cultures and identities contributes to the wide spectrum of opinions. By being immersed in a uniquely diverse community, students gain di erent perspectives of the world around them at a young age.

“I think [a diverse community] is important because there’s no place in the real world where you’re working with everyone that looks like you, everyone that has the same background as you, everyone that is like you,” said senior Angela Kamgang, the child of a rst-generation immigrant. “You just have to learn how to live with di erent types of people.”

As the U.S. continues to diversify, a paper on adolescents by Stanford University

there’s no one model for all students to mold themselves into.”

By creating a community that breaks stereotypes, Greenhill also helps students feel comfortable sharing their own culture. e Upper School survey found that more than 60% of the 250 respondents feel comfortable sharing their own cultures and thoughts.

“With such a diverse group who break stereotypes, it makes it easier to share our thoughts and cultures without the care of being judged about it going against whatever stereotypes,” said junior Shreya Chhaya, the child of a rst-generation immigrant.

Diversity at Greenhill

To encourage connections and cultural competency on campus, Greenhill has taken some steps to foster a diverse and accepting community. One of the prominent steps taken is the creation of a nity groups in the Upper School. ese are groups of students who share a common identi er, and there

Ideas and Thoughts:

Brings Diversity to Greenhill

are over 13 on campus, with groups formed around racial, religious, and other identi ers.

“A nity groups are a safe place for people who identify similarly to nd a group of people who can relate to their experiences,” said senior Ayne Park, who is president of the East Asian A nity Group. “But it is also a space for us to meet and talk about how we can share these experiences with the larger community.”

Further, since there are so many di erent cultures on campus, many friend groups re ect this diversity. is allows students to learn and experience their friends’ culture and celebrations rsthand outside of the classroom.

“I’m exposed to di erent religions on a daily basis because all of my close friends come from di erent faiths, like Hinduism, Islam, Christianity and atheism,” said junior Saida Bidiwala, a practicing Muslim. “I was invited to a Diwali party recently, so I enjoyed learning more about its meaning and the cultural practices behind it.”

When students have friends from di erent backgrounds, they are exposed to new cultures and gain a more personal level of respect for people di erent than them.

“A lot of my friends are not Asian, so their views on life and global events di er tremendously from mine because they’re products of di erent cultures, di erent upbringings,” said Shi. “I think this diversity

feel comfortable, sharing their culture at school.

“Talking about my culture and the experiences that go along with [it,] can sometimes be a topic of conversation that I don’t feel comfortable sharing at school,” said sophomore Soyam Mohammed, a practicing Muslim. “[Some] people sometimes say things that are insensitive to my culture without realizing, which makes it di cult to be open about it.”

is hesitation is a reason why students and faculty alike feel as though there is room for improvement, o en focusing on how to promote inclusion within a community of a diverse group of people.

“Greenhill’s history with diversity and inclusion work has allowed us to grow much deeper roots in this area than most schools,” said Hark. “So given that strength and given that history, we have a unique opportunity and a responsibility: to not only invite people into the school but

“I do think another thing area we’re sort of lacking in – and this hasn’t been a big focus until maybe recently – is English as a second language,” said Haskins. “Maybe we have students who aren’t as pro cient in English as their peers, or their families have very limited pro ciency in English. How do we make sure they feel part of the community as well?”

allows you to be more comprehensive in your understanding of the world and how you view problems.”

In addition to friendships, this diverse student body has now become one of the many attractions for Greenhill applicants and their families.

also to make everyone here feel truly included as well.”

At the same time, Hark acknowledges that there are still Greenhill students who feel as though they cannot bring their full selves to school. e school has begun working to address these feelings beginning with Plural Commons initiatives by former Director of Equity and Inclusion Marcus Ingram, faculty Equity Literacy Goals and new programs to be implemented in the Middle and Lower schools.

With

such

a diverse group who break stereotypes, it makes it easier to share our thoughts and cultures without the care of being judged about it going against whatever stereotypes.”

For some, the curriculum is an area that needs improvement.

“We learn a lot about American history and European history, but not as much African history or Asian

“When I speak to prospective families, I highlight several qualities that many of them expect from Greenhill,” said Hark. “ ose qualities include our rigorous academic program, the way we value the individual experience, and our deep and abiding commitment to diversity, equity and inclusion.”

Hark says the vast majority of prospective families come to Greenhill looking to nd diversity in whatever way they value or de ne it.

Future Hopes

Although the Upper School survey suggests a solid majority of students nds the school inclusive and accepting, about 40% of the respondents said that they either don’t feel comfortable, or only sometimes

Despite this focus on inclusion, everyone has di erent ideas of where weaknesses in diversity lie and where they can be improved upon. For Upper School science teacher Michael Haskins, socioeconomic and language diversity are places he says Greenhill can improve upon.

“We’re reasonably diverse, but maybe not so much socioeconomically,” said Haskins. “Sometimes kids have a hard time understanding that not everyone can a ord a smartphone or a car.”

Outside of socioeconomic issues, Haskins also noted the importance of including people whose rst language might not be English.

history,” said Vikram. “ e curriculum could be tailored more to become a little more diverse.” Vikram also says that a nity groups should have more opportunities to share their experiences with the larger student body.

“I know earlier, the South Asian, the East Asian and the Southeast Asian [a nity groups], collaborated to have a panel where people can talk about their experiences,” said Vikram. “[With] more things like that, people have an opportunity to share with the student body [about] their own personal experiences, so that everyone can nd common things that they all struggle with.”

Rather than one group speaking, junior Sophie Fiedelman says that she feels as though it would be more productive to have events where di erent a nity groups interact with one another.

However, in order to foster a community of diverse and inclusive learners, it is important to include both faculty and students to help broaden perspectives and views.

“It can’t just be the faculty saying that there has to be a buy-in with the student body to say, ‘We are going to be inclusive, and we understand that that means that you might think di erently and that’s okay,’” said Associate Head of School, Chief Financial O cer and Chief Operating O cer Kendra Grace.

As Greenhill continues to improve and push for a more inclusive environment, these changes must be embraced by all community members to ensure that everyone feels they can bring their full selves when they step onto campus, according to Grace.

“A community like ours not only understands the value of diversity but prioritizes creating opportunities for that diversity to thrive through inclusive practices,” Muñoz wrote in an email response to questions. “If we can help cultivate an idea of community amongst our students that embraces diversity and inclusion, the positive impact will extend beyond our immediate community into the world.”

Graphic by Christan Park

Special Report

75th Anniversary Project Highlights Impact of Alumni of Color

Sydney Chien, Evie Kwei

For Greenhill’s 50th anniversary in 2000, Associate Head of School for Mission, Community, and Culture Tom Perryman ’81 and his brother were tasked with documenting the school’s history up to that point.

e resulting book, “From Humble Beginnings: e First Fi y Years of Greenhill School,” told the stories of notable Greenhill alumni and faculty. But some important stories – and perspectives – were missing from the book.

In addition to a digital archive, Perryman says he would love to publish a photobook inspired by the Eric Etheridge book “Breach of Peace: Portraits of the 1961 Mississippi Freedom Riders.” Etheridge interviewed former Freedom Riders to create a photo-history told through old mugshots and modern portraits.

“I knew someday I’d like to do a book on the history of Greenhill kind of like this,” Perryman said.

Notable Alumni

“We talked to a lot of folks and did tons of research and kind of pulled di erent stories together in a way that had never been done before and I’m proud of it,” said Perryman. “But I will say that, in looking back at it, even as we were sending it to the publisher, we realized that the folks who were the decisionmakers and who occupied positions of power at Greenhill for the rst 50 years, were very heavily white and male.”

So, for Greenhill’s upcoming 75th anniversary, Perryman embarked on a new project, one that focuses on people of color.

Perryman says the decision to highlight alumni of color comes from their crucial role in shaping the school’s history. Instead of focusing on only those who nancially supported the school, Perryman says that he wanted to showcase the people who made Greenhill special.

“I just think that tells a story of Greenhill that’s really compelling, that isn’t just about who gave the money to build this building or who made the decision to o er this class,” Perryman said. “ ese are important people who made Greenhill what it is.” is project entails collecting interviews and photographs from 75 Greenhill alumni of color. Upon completion, all 75 portraits, along with quotes from their interviews and short stories about their current lives, will be exhibited in the gallery of the Fine Arts Building.

Perryman says he would also like to create a digital archive on the Greenhill website with thumbnails of all 75 portraits that are linked to clips of their respective video interviews.

“If you’re asking about my dream, I want this to be accessible to as many people as possible,” said Perryman. “I just don’t have the tech skills to do it.”

To make this happen, Perryman has reached out to several alumni who are documentary makers. e goal is to compile and condense hundreds of hours of video footage collected by Perryman so far.

Perryman says one of his most memorable interviews was with Kevin Cowens ’73, who Perryman still remembers as the quarterback on the undefeated 1972 Greenhill football team from when he was in third grade.

“He was my hero,” Perryman said. “I just thought this guy was the coolest kid in the world. I had no idea at the time that having a Black quarterback at a school in Texas was unheard of.”

I just think that tells a story of Greenhill that’s really compelling, that isn’t just about who gave the money to build this building or who made the decision to offer this class.

These are important people who made Greenhill what it is.”

Cowens, who was one of the rst Black students to attend Greenhill, agreed to make the trek from his home in El Paso for the interview.

“When he walked in, I was such a fanboy,” Perryman said. “Just getting a chance to talk to him and to hear about his experience was so cool.”

Many of Perryman’s interviews consisted of people who he knew from his own time as a student, which he says made it even more interesting.

“All these folks are just people that I so admire, but I didn’t necessarily know all their stories,” Perryman said. “Getting the chance to hear their stories, to hear them talk about the experience of Greenhill, particularly in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s, was really moving.”

Photography Process

For the visual aspect of the project, Perryman worked with Upper School photography instructor Frank Lopez so students could hear the alumni stories. Perryman and Lopez decided to have current students take the alumni portraits.

Lopez says the exhibition will be

inspiring to current Greenhill students because it will allow them to see and learn about those who shaped the community. e issues of diversity are more important than ever now, and we are a diverse community of learners,” Lopez said. “To have that diversity referenced in an exhibition, seeing faces with voices, allows students to see themselves in the future as leaders in the Greenhill community.”

Lopez says the portraiture aspect of the project it can tell stories that cannot be expressed through words.

“It really puts a connection when you see someone’s face with the history they have gained through their life and experiences,” said Lopez. “ ose are things that only photos can do. ey can tell a story about a person’s lived experience.”

To ensure students of all levels could participate, Lopez decided to implement a straightforward portrait style. All the portraits are shot digitally on a white background and are edited to be black and white.

Senior Pearce Barnes, who is an Honors Photography student, has been working on this project since last year.

“It’s not usually a lot of work, and I just get to know the person I’m taking photos of,” Barnes said. “For editing, I just make it black and white and do a little bit of contrast, and that’s pretty much it.”

Barnes was given the opportunity to photograph Tino Torres, who is a part of Greenhill’s Facility Operations and Services team. Torres has been at Greenhill since 1979 and, in two years, will become the longest tenured person in the school’s history.

“I think it’s pretty special that I was able to take a photo of him and have that cemented in the history of Greenhill,” Barnes said.

Senior Eliana Campbell describes photographing the Cantu family, which includes Upper School English teacher Alvaro Cantu ’99 and his two siblings.

“I took a photo of the Cantu family which was really cool because they’re all Latino like me,” Campbell said. “It was really fun to talk to and interact with them.”

When Cantu was contacted about being photographed, he says he felt honored to be a part of the project.

“I now know that the Cantu family name is going to be attached somewhere

to Greenhill, so that’s pretty special,” Cantu said. “It’s exciting for me and my little girls who are down in the Lower School to come up and see that.”

e photoshoot also gave Cantu the chance to learn more about his siblings’ experiences at Greenhill. Since his brother and sister are nine and six years older than him, respectively, their experiences di ered.

“We were on campus at the same time, but we led distinctly di erent lifestyles,” Cantu said. “To be able to come back and do something with them and share our experiences was cool. It gave me more insight into some of the things they went through at Greenhill.”

Legacy

At the core of this project, Perryman says he wanted to make sure that people in the Greenhill community knew about the school’s history.

“When this school was founded in 1950, Dallas was a very di erent city, and Bernard Fulton and his founding faculty had a vision for what they wanted to create as far as a community that nobody in this country was doing,” Perryman said. “So, when I talked to a lot of these folks, I just realized the amount of courage and dedication that they had to have to give this experiment a try.”

For Cantu, this project is an important opportunity for current students to see who opened the doors for the students of color at Greenhill today.

“I think this is a good way for the kids that are here now to see kids that look like them who have gone through it the rst time around,” Cantu said. “ is is a way of being able to show multiple voices from di erent perspectives, and the connectivity that we all share despite our di erences.”

A er conducting 35 interviews, Perryman says that he’s found a pattern among alumni of color, with almost all of them saying that they would experience Greenhill all over again, despite any challenges they faced. is, he says, is what makes Greenhill special, and what he ultimately wants to capture with this oral history project.

“ ey may have been the only person of color in their class, they may have been the only person of color in their division at that time, they may have had to drive an hour and a half to get here and an hour and a half home,” Perryman said. “ ey endured a curriculum that was very Eurocentric, they did not get to see themselves in the literature they studied, they did not get to see themselves in the history that we studied, and yet, they said, across the board, they wouldn’t trade it.”

CELEBRATING DIVERSITY: For Greenhill’s 75th anniversary, Associate Head of School Tom Perryman ‘81 is working with Upper School photography instructor Frank Lopez to document students of color throughout the school’s history with alumni portraits and oral histories. The collection will be displayed in an exhibition in 2025.

Photos by Nikitha Thoduguli, Frank Lopez and Eliana Campbell

Tom Perryman

Frank Lopez

Pearce Barnes

Review: Latest “Hunger Games” Installment Hits eaters

Eitan Hahn, Avery Lonergan

The return to the ctional North American nation of Panem hit theaters in the United States on Nov. 17, bringing audiences back into a familiar world of war and betrayal.

Eight years a er the release of the fourth movie

nation with her wit and charisma.

e Hunger Games are an annual televised event where young participants known as “tributes” are selected to compete in a deadly competition, ghting for survival in an arena until only one person remains alive.

As the narrative progressed, viewers witness the complexities of the budding

e narrative centers around the 10th Hunger Games and follows Snow’s role as a mentor to District 12’s tribute, Lucy Gray Baird, a singer who captivates the whole

A“Growing up, I was a big fan of “ e Hunger Games” movies. I was really curious about how they would build upon the story which

they so creatively sculpted over the years.” –junior Will Johnson

“I loved all of the other four. ey were the best movies I’ve ever seen, so I had to check out the new one.” – senior Brenna Norton

“I’d say the action was pretty top tier. Also, I enjoyed the big storyline with a lot of plot twists.” – junior Alex Sharma

“I loved the movie so much that I watched it twice. I really liked the actual Hunger Games part, like the actual game. I wish it could have been longer though. I also liked how each of the characters matched with the characters from the original movies. It made it so much better.” – senior Jasmine Herlitz

e new movie de nitely lived up to my expectations. I was already obsessed with the Hunger Games and the new movie just furthered my hyper xation on the Hunger Games.” – freshman Vivian White

“I actually thought it fell a little short of my expectations, just because I had such high expectations coming into the movie. I thought it had an interesting plot, not really what I expected, but it was still pretty good.”

– junior Alex Sharma

“A er watching the movie, I recently

rewatched all the other ones in the franchise. I think this one was less dark [and] much more cheery at times. I think there was a lot more story building needed on this one, but I think it does compare in a similar manner to the other lms in the franchise and in just the depiction of a lot of the characters.”

– junior Will Johnson

“While the old Hunger Games movies are amazing, rewatching them a er watching the new movie made me realize how much better the new movie is than the past movies in the series and how much more I love it.”

– freshman Vivian White

Dance Company Triples in Size

er consisting of just two members

last school year, the Greenhill Dance Company has now tripled in size.

Current members include senior Natalie Stachowiak and ve freshmen: Tali Berrelez, Deenah Baig, Nylah Qureshi, Rebekah Miranda and Pilar Marlett.

ree more freshmen are set to join the company next semester.

“ ere’s no audition process, so if you have interest and want to perform, we welcome everyone and tailor the pieces to the strengths and interests of the students that year,” said Middle and Upper School Dance and Drama teacher Kelly McCain.

“Every year is its own capsule.”

During the school year, a majority of the Dance Company’s performances are joint performances with the Greenhill Singers, Concert Band or Orchestra.

Music is given to McCain by the director of the respective musical arts discipline and she choreographs dances to those pieces. e company’s rst show of the current school year was the Greenhill Orchestra’s Fall Concert, which took place in mid-October. It was the third consecutive year that Middle School dancers have been included in the fall concert, according to McCain.

“I liked them being there,” McCain said. “It’s what I call bridging moments, where [the] Middle and Upper School

can be together, which gives a leadership opportunity to the Upper Schoolers and shows the Middle School students what their roles will be in the future.”

Beyond preparation for collaborative performances, the Dance Company works on building a repertoire of their own pieces. e dancers currently have ve pieces prepared for upcoming performances.

McCain isn’t in class already,” said freshman Tali Berrelez.

Beyond a di erent dynamic, the choreography of the company’s pieces has changed with the increase in size.

“Once we have a few pieces under our belt, we run those pieces for warmup sometimes and make corrections when necessary,” McCain said. “Continually doing this keeps these pieces fresh and ready to go for performances.”

All students in the Dance Company have the option to choreograph if they’d like to. Currently, Stachowiak is putting together two pieces. ree other freshmen co-choreographed another group piece.

One way these pieces are performed is through Greenhill’s Upper School eater Showcase, which features performances from Upper School theater classes and the Dance Company. Acts include scenes, monologues, songs, dances and more.

“I like theater showcases because it’s when people show student choreography,” Stachowiak said. “I think it’s really fun to see how di erent people create dances and what they choose to make.”

A New Dynamic

e increase in company members, speci cally freshmen, has had an impact on the group dynamic.

Stachowiak says that as the only upperclassman in the Dance Company, she has had to step into a leadership role.

“Natalie has been an amazing leader, and she has this connection with each and every one of us, getting us started if Mrs.

people gives us more opportunities to do di styles because as many people as you bring in, it’s that many more opinions, styles and ways of working,” McCain said.

there are also enough people to create multiple sections in dances. But having more dancers requires more teaching by McCain and more practice time for the company.

“It’s the di erence between teaching one person versus nine people, and that will always take a little bit longer,” McCain said. “ at may mean a three-minute piece instead of a four-minute piece, which changes the dynamic of what the class structure needs to be.”

Stachowiak, through teaching pieces she choreographed, has also noticed the need for more time.

“It de nitely slows things down a little bit because I have to make sure that everyone understands and is getting the choreography,” she said. “I might also need to alter dances based on what people can or can’t do, or what they don’t want to do. ere’s just another layer to how I set dances.”

Stachowiak hopes that the arrival of new freshmen this year is indicative of a greater trend of more people joining the Dance Company.

“I think it’s cool that all those freshmen came up a er taking Middle School Dance, and I feel like that used to be the case before the pandemic,” said McCain. “COVID really broke the cycle, but I feel like we’re now back on track.”

PREPARING TO DANCE: The Greenhill Dance Company’s rst performance occurred in mid-October. This fall the group tripled in size, gaining ve freshmen dancers.

Photo courtesy of Kelly McCain

Emily Hu

Photo illustration by Chloe Nguyen

Graphics by Christan Park

Kelly McCain

Senior Musicians Bond on Stage

Pooja Sanghvi

Three seniors formed a pop-rock band at the end of the 2022-2023 school year, and they’ve been performing at arts festivals and various open mic events ever since.

Red 40 is comprised of seniors Nate Rutledge, who plays bass guitar, Ashlynn Bigby, who plays guitar and Alex Peplinski, who plays the drums. For occasional vocals, Bigby and Rutledge switch o or they ask someone outside the band to appear as a guest singer.

e group members don’t write their own music. Instead, they play covers of other bands that t their musical vibe.

Having played guitar and piano since middle school, Peplinski says their passion for drums started from wanting to learn something new in freshman year.

“I started learning because I had a lot of energy,” Peplinski said. “Now, it’s really fun, and I really like playing with people. It’s meaningful.”

Similarly, Bigby, with a multi-faceted role in the band, has explored new ways to gain experience.

“I’ve been playing piano for as long as I can remember,” Bigby said. “I started writing music in seventh grade, but I was writing classical music. I started doing jazz in ninth grade with the Greenhill Jazz Combo. I got into guitar junior year and that’s when I transitioned to mostly rock music. I only started working on my singing this year.”

Rutledge, on the other hand, started learning the bass guitar as a sophomore.

“People are generally surprised that I only started playing the bass [in 2022],” Rutledge said. “ ey’ve been playing instruments for way longer.”

The Journey

Originally, Rutledge, Peplinski and Bigby pursued their passions for music at a program called the School of Rock North Dallas.

e trio soon became a part of the school’s house band program, in which they get to perform live at rock venues across Texas.

e trio formed a band named Red 40, which they are trying to expand while also focusing on School of Rock.

“I think what sparked us to make our own band was that we wanted to play certain songs, but we didn’t really have much of a choice of what we play in the band program,” Peplinski said.

Apart from Red 40, Bigby is also a part of a couple of other bands because of the performance aspects of them.

“My main band is a band called Psyrus and I was in it for a while before Red 40,” Bigby said. “We formed a trio to do co eehouse performances at Greenhill, but hopefully we can transfer over to bigger and better things.”

e group practices individually

more than they do as a band because of the di culty they face moving equipment from location to location. However, they sometimes have a chance to practice as a band at the School of Rock North Dallas. at’s when they put nishing touches on their music.

Whenever they practice outside of school, they have sessions in Rutledge’s garage.

“My parents think it’s cool when they see a recording of us playing,” Rutledge said. “My dad is really excited about the band because he’s really into rock, and my mom is happy because it’s a way to meet new people.”

I think what sparked us to make our own band was that we wanted to play certain songs, but we didn’t really have much of a choice of what we play in the band program.”

Within the band itself, each person has their specialty, bringing the group together as a cohesive unit.

“Ashlynn’s the best when it comes to music knowledge and theory,” Peplinski said. “Ashylnn’s really trained in music theory, and I just hit the drums and see what sounds good.”

Overall, Rutledge says the chemistry between them is what makes the experience ful lling.

“It’s a good chemistry,” Rutledge said. “You never feel le out.”

Performances

So far, the band has played at the co eehouse of the Independent Schools Association of the Southwest arts festival last spring and other open mics around Dallas.

performed at the last Music for a Cause event, a club that hosts open-mic events to raise money for donations.

My parents think it’s cool when they see a recording of us playing. My dad is really excited about the band because he’s really into rock, and my mom is happy because it’s a way to meet new people.”

Graphic by Christan Park

Photo by Aria Kutty

ROCK ON: Red 40 performed on stage last spring at the ISAS Arts Festival during the co eehouse event.

Sports

Girls Basketball Projected to Excel

Kaden Alibhai, Payton Blalock

The Greenhill 2023-2024 girls basketball season has o cially kicked o under the leadership of senior Sibelle Zambie, junior Vivian Franklin and several other key contributors.

Zambie entered Greenhill as a sophomore and quickly had an impact on the team. She signed her o cial NCAA Division I letter of intent to take her basketball career to the next level at Lehigh University on Nov. 8. She is the only returning member of the team’s starting lineup due to new arrivals and senior departures.

“We have four new starters, so it’s a di erent experience,” Zambie said. “I think just being a leader to me means making everyone the best they can be and doing whatever I can to support the team, even if it means sacri cing.”

With such a new team, building chemistry is vital, according to Franklin. She says the team has gotten closer through preseason tournaments and team lunches during the school day, hosted by Varsity Girls Basketball Head Coach Darryn Sandler ’95.

However, the lineup change is nothing new to Sandler. In 2014, Sandler coached a team of only one returning starter to a Southwest Preparatory Conference championship – the rst of two championships he has won at Greenhill.

“It’s no di erent,” said Sandler. “I’ve done it before. It’s just trying to get them to understand and be patient.”

Due to SPC regulations and Greenhill’s large number of three-sport athletes, there isn’t a long period of formal preseason practices before games begin. is forces coaches to be e cient in determining rosters and players must be diligent in their e orts to build team chemistry and skill prior to the start of gameplay.

Greenhill varsity basketball program.

As far as Zambie’s preparation goes, her work going into her senior season di ered from her typical summer basketball with AAU. She spent the summer playing for a team in the Nike Elite Youth Basketball League.

“For my senior season, obviously the ultimate goal is to win SPC, so I think there couldn’t have been a better thing for me to do,” said Zambie.

Sandler also has an SPC title in mind.

“I think there are four to ve teams that are capable of contending for the title, and I would put us in that mix,” Sandler said.

E orts and Results

As of Dec. 3, the team had played 13 games and accumulated a record of 10-3. Several of these games have been part of tournaments, including the Parish Tournament in early November and the Bishop Lynch Tournament during the rst weekend of December.

We have four new starters, so it’s a different experience. I think just being a leader to me means making everyone the best they can be and doing whatever I can to support the team, even if it means sacrificing.”

e team played its rst nontournament game of the season on Nov. 14, resulting in a loss against Ursuline Academy of Dallas

e games being played during the months of November and the majority of December do not count toward conference standings, but Sandler says they are a bene cial way for the team to learn how to play together. ey also help build momentum before the team starts playing games that count toward conference

competitive in other respects.

“I like Greenhill more because we all listen to each other, and we’re willing to learn and grow with each other,” Franklin said.

Franklin also used her athleticism to contribute to the girls cross country team this year, which helped her to maintain athletic tness despite the lack of o cial basketball practices before the season started.

“It helped with endurance and being able to play full games,” said Franklin. “It gets injuries, such as shin splints, out of the way.”

With the fall sports season fully

of the Amateur Athletic Union, more commonly known as the AAU. is is a large organization for club sports in America, and its basketball league is one of the most common ways for high school players to elevate their level of play and network with college coaches.

“We’ve all played AAU, so everyone has more experience than we’ve had in previous years,” said Zambie. “ ere’s still a long way to go, but we’re also probably more ahead than we’ve been in past years.”

Jain is on J. Key’s Texas Rankings of players to watch for the class of 2027. She also practiced with the varsity team last season as an eighth-grader, which has helped her grow her skills and become more familiar with the

concluded and the winter season becoming more intense each day, awareness of the SPC tournament in February is on a steady Sandler and the team take steps each day to improve the dynamic of the group on and o the court to prepare for what is to come later in the season.

“I think it’s based on people buying into the concept that team comes before self,” Sandler said. “For these four months, everything we do impacts each other.”

attended DeSoto High School, a 6A public school with a strong girls basketball program. As this season kicked o , Max Preps, a website that specializes in coverage of American high school sports, ranked the DeSoto team as number 9 in the nation.

Franklin was on their varsity roster last year, but she chose to advance her academic and athlete career at Greenhill this year. She noted that a higher number of skilled players leads to a more competitive environment in some ways, but they are still equally

Vivian Franklin

Darryn Sandler

Graphics by Camila Hanson, Christan Park

FREE THROW: Senior Sibelle Zambie shoots a jumpshot from the free throw line while warming up for a basketball practice that took place in the Cox Gymnasium.

Photo by Chloe Nguyen

Seniors Volunteer as Mavericks “Ball Kids”

John Hurley, Aman Jaleel

From a young age, seniors Tayce omas and omas Rowley have been avid followers of the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks. In the summer of 2019, they took their passion to new heights when an opportunity arose: a chance to be a Mavs “ball kid.”

Heading into the eighth grade, omas and Rowley attended the Dallas Mavericks youth outreach basketball camp. eir participation was noticed, and they were later presented with the opportunity to get involved in games as volunteers.

“I lled out the application, sent it in, and I was selected,” Rowley said.

It was the same for omas.

Before they started their unpaid positions at the American Airlines Center, where Mavericks home games are played, omas and Rowley had to complete a training session. is involved learning the arena layout and getting familiar with the court.

During their rst year, omas and Rowley handed out pamphlets and welcomed fans to the stadium. Additionally, they helped set up hal ime events.

A er their rst year, they were promoted to perform duties on the court before and during the games.

“It takes a lot of responsibility,” Rowley said. “We’re very lucky to be able to do that.”

“Ball Kids”

Although they are called ball kids, their major on-court responsibilities involve using mops to keep sweat or anything else o the hardwood playing surface. ere are three moppers on each side of the court during the games, each with a di erent role.

“ e third mop has less responsibilities,

Aand you only mop during timeouts,” Rowley said. “ e second mop follows the rst mop who mops whenever [they] see water on the court.”

e Mavericks have a three-part rotation where volunteers are split into three separate groups and have to attend every third home game. However, ball kids can also go help at any Mavs’ home game.

“I try to go as much as I can,” omas said. “I’m basically up there every home game.”

Additionally, omas and Rowley can rebound for players prior to tip-o

As a reward for their service, Rowley and omas receive various perks from the Mavericks. e two receive free tickets for their families, along with parking tickets that they can use when attending any home game.

ey also receive a 30 percent discount from the team store.

It takes a lot of responsibility. We’re very lucky to be able to do that.”

omas and Rowley also receive service hours for their volunteer work with the Mavs. Since eighth grade, omas and Rowley have each accumulated around 450 hours.

“I’m very grateful for the opportunity to work for such a great organization and accrue the amount of volunteer hours that I have, especially because it represents my enjoyment for community service, and how I’m able to serve my community through personal interactions and work,” Rowley said.

Memories

roughout their time volunteering for the Mavericks, both omas and Rowley have fond memories. omas says her favorite experiences are rebounding for players prior to tip-o

“Last Christmas, there was a game against the Lakers, and I got to rebound for LeBron [James],” omas said. “ at felt pretty special.”

Rowley says one of his favorite parts of this experience is meeting fans from out of town.

“I love mopping because you’re able to be in the middle of such an exciting game, with fans cheering all around you. You really get to see what the players feel like,” Rowley said.

Although omas has enjoyed her time with the organization over the last ve years, one of the more di cult parts of her work is controlling her excitement when encountering famous NBA players.

“My least favorite part is people either being there and taking really bad photos of us or not being able to go up to the players

and talk to them,” omas said. “It’s about being professional.”

Rowley says he enjoys volunteering, but it’s time consuming. Rowley’s schedule for games involves leaving straight for the American Airlines Center a er school. Rowley then has around an hour of free time before game activities commence. From about 5:30 p.m.-9:30 p.m., Rowley will be occupied either assisting fans or mopping the court.

omas and Rowley both say they have learned new skills that will be applicable even a er their time with the team ends.

“I have always liked basketball and being on the court has given me a sort of [bump] on my resume for preparing me for more professional things,” omas said.

Rowley echoes this sentiment.

“I think the people skills will be useful,” Rowley said. “Maybe I’ll do something in sports business, I think those skills will be applicable everywhere.”

Swim Program Broadens Horizons

s the winter sports season begins, the Greenhill swim team has launched initiatives to create a more inclusive and productive space for all members of the program.

e new changes have consisted of team-bonding activities as well as the appointment of junior varsity team captains and High Performance Center captains.

“I think swimming is naturally an already unifying sport but just taking it to the next level with having out-of-school events will be helpful,” said senior Josie Arbuckle, girls varsity swim captain. roughout the COVID-19 pandemic, the swim program had restrictions on the activities they could do for team bonding. A er the pandemic ended, Head Varsity Swim Coach Patti Monzingo said the team was able to have more “enthusiasm, energy, and excitement for the season.”

“I’m glad we’re putting more of an emphasis on team bonding; it’s big for the team,” said Monzingo. “Everybody gets to know everybody and cheer for each other.”

Traditions

is year, the team is bringing back long-standing traditions such as dinners a er holiday practices and sleepovers. In addition, the team has implemented a new

I’m glad we’re putting more of an emphasis on team bonding; it’s big for the team. Everybody gets to know everybody and cheer for each other.”

Daniela Hallack

MOP THE COURT: Senior Tayce Thomas cleans the American Airlines Center court during a close game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Photo by Chloe Nguyen

Patti Monzingo

Graphic by Chloe Nguyen

Tayce Thomas

Thomas Rowley

Devin Davis: Senior Soccer Star a “Rare Athlete”

that, [I respect] her attitude on the eld and the way that she plays the game.”

On Wednesday, Nov. 8, senior Devin Davis realized a long-held dream by signing her national letter of intent to play soccer for the University of Tennessee, Knoxville women’s soccer team.

“ e journey here has been di cult at times but a er 14 years of hard work and dedication, I made it to my dream school and I cannot be more excited,” Davis said.

Davis’s soccer career started at age three when her parents signed her up for a recreational team called the Sea Biscuits. At four, Davis moved up to a more competitive level, Academy soccer, before joining her rst soccer club, Solar.

Following that, Davis played on several select club teams through her lower and middle school years.

When Davis entered high school, she joined the FC Dallas Elite Club National League team.

“I have been playing with FC Dallas ECNL for three years now and that is where my recruiting journey started to take o with my new coach,” Davis said.

Davis’s current team is in the top league in the country and is ranked rst in a conference that includes teams from Texas, Oklahoma, and Colorado.

Davis’s team consists of some of the best high school players in the nation and is extremely competitive, said her coach, Matt Grubb.

“Devin is one of the best players on the team and that says a lot about her as a player and an athlete,” Grubb said.

Role Model

At Greenhill, Davis has played on the girls varsity soccer team since her freshman year. She is currently a captain.

“Our team consists of a lot of new freshmen girls so it’s important that I, as a captain, act as a role model for them to follow,” Davis said.

Davis also notes the importance of having a leader gure on the eld who is willing to advocate for their team.

Senior Siena Richey, one of Davis’s teammates, appreciates the work Davis puts into the team.

“She’s in the top .001% of athletes who make it to as high of a level as she is at, so I just really respect her work ethic and her determination,” Richey said. “Along with

Varsity Girls Soccer Head Coach Laura Flanagan has known Davis since second grade and has been a mentor for her ever since. Davis has developed into a capable and talented leader over the years, according to Flanagan.

“Devin is so special because she not only leads by example but is also a bright light on the team and that gets the girls excited,” Flanagan said. “She loves soccer and the competition, so she pushes her teammates to play at their best as well.”

Richey agrees.

“Whether it was boosting morale or just sharing a hair tie with her teammates, Devin is always there to help the team in any way possible,” Richey said.

Richey believes that Davis’s determination and work ethic have led to where she is today.

“[Devin] is probably one of the hardest workers I know. She takes on a lot of responsibility and makes sure her teammates are in a position to succeed,” Richey said.

Although soccer is Davis’s main sport, she also plays varsity lacrosse at Greenhill. Last season, Davis led the team in scoring with more than 80 goals.

here has been difficult at times but after 14 years of hard work and dedication, I made it to my dream school and I cannot be more excited.”

Girls Lacrosse Head Coach Cam Cook has been Davis’s coach for three years and has developed a close bond with her.

“Devin is a rare athlete, one that is very competitive,” Cook said. “She only knows one speed. When she steps on the eld, it’s all go.”

Recruitment Process

For Davis, playing collegiate soccer has been a lifelong dream. However, the process became serious for her on June 15 prior to her junior year – the date when collegiate coaches are allowed to begin calling high school athletes to express interest.

“I got a lot of calls that day, some from really good schools and others from schools I wasn’t really interested in, but that is where my recruitment process started,” Davis said.

“I actually had a pretty unique experience that set all of this o .”

Previously, Davis had been injured during the “showcases” that college coaches use as opportunities to scout athletes, so she had not garnered as much attention from schools as she hoped.

However, that changed during the summer of 2022, when Davis traveled to San Diego to compete in the Elite Club National League Tournament with her club. Hundreds of college coaches were present at this tournament.

Devin is a rare athlete, one that is very competitive. She only knows one speed. When she steps on the field, it’s all go.”

For Davis, this tournament presented a new opportunity.

Originally a forward, whose main role is attacking and scoring goals, Davis had to switch to being center back when a teammate got injured ve days before the tournament.

“It was really stressful because of what was at stake, but I was con dent that if I did well in that role, then it would only add to what coaches saw in me in regards to recruitment,” Davis said. is was not a position that Davis had previously played, yet she adapted to the role immediately, according to her coaches.

“She quickly became a leader of the back line, a quarterback almost,” Grubb said. “She showed that she was versatile and that she could excel in any position.”

Davis started to receive a lot more attention from college coaches a er her performance at the national tournament. She received a total of 12 o ers and visited seven schools in the process.

“A er our rst game, I’m suddenly getting calls from all of these colleges asking about Devin,” Grubb said. “ ese were top programs in the country that recognized how good Devin truly was.”

Eventually, Davis narrowed down her list of potential schools to three: Clemson

University in South Carolina, the University of Virginia and the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

“While [the coaches] acted as a support system for Devin, she went through this rigorous process mostly independently, which is an achievement by itself,” Flanagan said.

Flanagan had played soccer at Clemson University with their current assistant coach, so she acted as Davis’s main source of contact and advocate for the NCAA Division I school. In addition, Grubb was able to get Davis in touch with many of the coaches that she wanted to get in contact with.

“If there was ever someone I needed to contact, I could text [Grubb] and he would send me their phone number right away,” Davis said.

In the end, Davis committed to the University of Tennessee.

“First of all, I loved the coach and the entire team because it immediately felt like I was part of a family,” Davis said. “When I walked around campus, I could really see myself being part of this community, which led me to pick Tennessee.”

Senior Jasmine Herlitz, a long-time friend of Davis, says she was extremely excited when she heard the news of Davis’s commitment.

“I knew she was going to achieve great things from the very start and that she has earned all of this through hard work,” Herlitz said.

Grubb has high hopes for Davis’s future at Tennessee.

“I know that she is going to be at a great place with a great coach,” Grubb said. “To go from where she was when she was injured to where she is now is an incredible accomplishment, and I hope she knows that we are all so proud of her.”

Varun Mukund, Victoria Cisneros

Photo courtesy of Devin Davis

Photo courtesy of Devin Davis

SETTING UP THE OFFENSE: FC Dallas Elite Club National League 19U standout

Devin Davis dribbles the ball down the eld as she prepares to pass to a teammate.

NEW TEAM, NEW THREADS: Senior Devin Davis has o cially signed her NCAA national letter of intent to play soccer for the University of Tennessee, Knoxville.

The journey

While [the coaches] acted as a support system for Devin, she went through this rigorous process mostly independently, which is an achievement by itself.”

Beyond the Hornets Nest

Greenhill Students Support Dallas Teams

Andrew Mann

In a survey of Upper School students, the NBA’s Dallas Mavericks were voted Greenhill’s favorite team, favored by 34% of respondents.

e NFL’s Dallas Cowboys came in second place, receiving 30% of student votes. e Women’s National Basketball Association’s Dallas Wings nished in third place with 11%. Here’s a snapshot of the local pro teams that Greenhill students love to watch.

FC Dallas made the Audi 2023 Playo s Cup for the second consecutive year before losing to Seattle Sounders FC.

“I like FC Dallas because of the atmosphere. Going to the games and seeing everyone in red, the fan base becomes a community.”

– freshman Alex Phu

e Dallas Mavericks have started the season with an 12-8 record as of Dec. 7. In the 20212022 season, the team made it to the Western Conference Championships. e Mavericks are led by All-NBA star players Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving.

“

e Dallas Mavericks are my favorite sports team because I started watching them at a very young age with my dad. Luka Doncic is personally my favorite player on the Mavs because his playstyle is exciting to watch and is so interesting to me.”

– junior Juan Barrientos

e Dallas Cowboys have made the playo s the past two seasons and are projected to make the postseason again. e Cowboys are led by star quarterback Dak Prescott.

“ e Cowboys are an unpredictable team, but that leads to a lot of excitement. ey have a lot of personality and great talent.”

– senior Brenna Norton

e WNBA’s Dallas Wings have established themselves as a fan-favorite since arriving in the DFW metroplex in 2016.

“ e Dallas Wings are one of my favorite teams to watch because of their style of play, competitiveness and ability to spread awareness to important issues relating to women’s sports.”

– senior Iyad Mohammed

e Dallas Stars made it to the NHL Conference Finals last year, losing to the eventual champions, the Vegas Golden Knights.

“ e Stars are my favorite sports team because the environment is so unique, all the fans are super engaged, and almost everyone in the stadium has a jersey on.”

– senior Sophie Schwartz

e Texas Rangers captivated the DFW metroplex by beating the Arizona Diamondbacks in November to win the World Series for the rst time in franchise history.

“I enjoy the culture surrounding the Rangers and the way they include and thank everyone in their fanbase. e players are really appreciative of their fans. I’m super happy we won the World Series, and going to the parade was a fun experience.”

– junior Cooper Rabin

Photo illustrations by Chloe Nguyen

Views

Common Ground: Republican Candidate Roundup

Helina:

Happy birthday to you! You’re nally 18! We are eligible for jury duty, we can donate blood and most importantly… we can vote!

Payton:

We can, but the question is: who do we vote for?

Helina:

It looks like I only have one choice if I decide to support my party. Scratch that, I only have one choice that makes sense even if I decide to look elsewhere. As of now, former President Donald Trump is set to win the Republican Party nomination. I would rather not vote than cast a vote for Trump, so President Joe Biden is my only option.

Payton:

In some ways, it feels like Republicans also only have one choice. Trump continues to dominate the polls, despite the four indictments and countless outbursts since his presidency. While I was once excited for the opportunity to familiarize myself with a new array of candidates, as of Dec. 4, Trump has earned 58.8% of support in the Republican primary polls. Less has changed in the past four years than I thought.

Helina:

I understand completely. It feels as if nothing is di erent in the

political sphere. e candidates from both parties are the same and voters are battling the same concerns that they had in 2020. Trump and Biden are still old, and they are just getting older. I am not excited to vote in my rst election because it feels like we are watching history repeat itself. While watching the Republican Party debates has been entertaining, it is easy to view them as super cial. Most of the candidates who are doing well in the polls are just sensationalists who won’t make a substantial impact.

Payton:

I enjoyed following the campaigns of candidates like Sen. Tim Scott and former Rep. Will Hurd. However, their di erences from Trump have ultimately resulted in a lack of support from GOP voters, leading them to

drop out of the 2024 presidential race. As a moderate political thinker and someone who will be voting in this upcoming presidential election, it is di cult to come to terms with how captivating Trump continues to be for so many Republicans. e way I see it, he is a plague to the sustainability of classy politics, and his childish methods of grabbing public attention and manipulating his followers doesn’t represent a Republican Party that I feel comfortable identifying with.

Helina:

Even though I am not a Republican, the selection of candidates that has been produced from the GOP has proven to me that they prefer quantity over quality. However, something that does surprise me is the diversity of candidates.

Former Gov. and U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley and American entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy are both candidates that I would have never foreseen as serious competitors for the GOP nomination.

Payton:

I see Haley as the most tolerable Republican candidate right now, and I think it’s hard to argue with the fact that she would at least breathe new life into a party that has been tattooed by Trumpism. She challenges the typical stereotype of a Republican politician, as a 51-year-old Asian American woman. I also respect the fact that her views are less aggressive than several of her counterparts and I think this proves, to some extent, that she thinks as an individual and not just as a party member. She is less opposed to immigration than several other candidates, stating that people who work hard, love America and abide by its laws should not feel unwelcome in our country. I’m not saying that she’s perfect, and she has still been somewhat hesitant in her e orts to speak out against Trump, but she is the most relevant candidate le that I can honestly say I would feel con dent seeing in o ce.

Helina:

I am happy to see a successful woman of color as a contender for the GOP nomination but unfortunately, I doubt that she will see much progress or have impact outside of being a good speaker during the debates. If Trump wins the nomination, I sincerely hope the Democrats consider backing a fresh candidate to diversify this upcoming election.

How to Be Successful in...

Multicultural Literature: Survey of Modern Poetry

Gabi Appel

Upper School English teacher Joel Garza recognizes the value of interacting with modern poetry and shares his passion in this area through his course, Multicultural Literature: Survey of Modern Poetry.

Garza recalls how years ago members of the Upper School English Department recognized a need for students to engage with living poets.

“Students need to engage with recent poets, not only ancient poets or poets like Shakespeare, but really people that are writing closer to our here and now,” Garza said.

Having taught this class for the past ve years, Garza leaves it to students to choose whatever topic may interest them and express it in a way that voices their emotions surrounding it.

“In this course, students develop mastery in two kinds of writing. First, they develop mastery in explaining the meaning of a work they’ve chosen, an elevated conversation with the poem,” Garza said. “ e bulk of the writing in this course comes from the student’s subject of choice and from the student’s understanding of the machinery and choices of a poem.”

e Evergreen asked students who have taken the class about their experiences. Here’s a lightly edited transcript of what they said:

“I was interested in the class because I think we don’t talk enough about authors aside from Western cultures. ere are valuable stories to be heard from every person, which made me interested in talking Multicultural Lit.” – senior Natalie Stachowiak

“I really love this class because it’s discussion based, and a lot of classes we go outside and admire the environment and even write poems about what we see.”

– senior Susie Fagelman

“Very o en in this class, when you ask students to write about their personal experience, they’ll be very candid, and very vulnerable. More than anything, what has been very rewarding is, according to students that I trust, the freedom to write bravely and emotionally and developing the con dence to one day or maybe even during the course write on their own, hopefully. at’s what a lot of teachers on this campus do. We aim to give you all the tools and the

interest and curiosity, and then you can take it and do what you wish.” – Upper School English teacher Joel Garza

“ e class mostly consists of reading works di erent authors created and then discussing them in class. We looked both at content and the structure to evaluate the work. We started every class with a freewrite, where we had the opportunity to write about a prompt creatively without high expectations. Every once in a while, we would have an assignment where we wrote a work of our own (e.g. a poem or an essay) that we would submit.” – senior Natalie Stachowiak

“You have to understand the cra before you can practice it well. So, the bulk of the product comes from the student’s subject of their choice, a series of criteria they’ve chosen. But in many cases, it’s modeled pretty closely on a mentor poet that they’ve chosen. e writing that they do requires that they understand the machinery and choices of a poet, and then they’ve got to make their own style choices and decide what kind of writer [they] want to be.” – Upper School English teacher Joel Garza

“I think the best thing any class can do for a student is to give them some understanding of themselves, and to give them a greater love for themselves. e course material is poetry, but the real outcome is guring out who you are. Hopefully [students] merge a feeling of ‘I can do this,’ ‘I’m this kind of writer’ and ‘I’ve got this kind of lens on the world nobody else has.’” – Upper School English teacher Joel Garza

“Sometimes listening can be more valuable than talking. Your classmates have di erent lives than you, and you may currently know nothing about them. But, by learning more about them and their background, you can understand them better.” – senior Natalie Stachowiak

“Go in with an open mind. Poetry is not supposed to look a certain way. It is what you want it to be. e class taught me that there are various ways for someone to express themselves. Even outside the realm of poetry it’s important to try to see the message people are trying to send and why the medium is being used.” – senior Angela Kamgang

“Be brave in the rst dra , be merciless in the subsequent dra s.” – Upper School English teacher Joel Garza

Joel Garza

Editorial: Increase Student Feedback

As students, we highly value the opportunities that we have to give feedback to teachers. Establishing a feedback loop creates the chance for teachers to understand what teaching methods work in classroom settings, and, in turn, students bene t from more productive learning environments. FolioCollaborative surveys are a way for that to happen.

Prior to COVID-19, Greenhill administrators required Middle and Upper School students to complete FolioCollaborative surveys for every teacher they had. Within the survey, students had the opportunity to anonymously give constructive feedback to their teachers, detailing which methods in the classroom worked and which did not.

e surveys contained questions in which students could move a slider from “strongly disagree” to “strongly agree” in response to certain prompts. For instance, some questions were about classroom community building while other questions asked about whether students feel a rmed in discussions. In addition to the slider-based questions, there was a text box at the end for students to add additional comments.

e teacher received the feedback anonymously, and so did Greenhill

administrators. e assurance of anonymity in the process created a safe and comfortable space for students to express their thoughts openly and honestly.

Following the 2020-2021 school year, the surveys were discontinued. Without the surveys, there was no formal way to give constructive feedback to teachers. is resulted in problems.

e discontinuation of surveys le students without a formal way to provide feedback on their learning experiences. O en, students would hesitate to give feedback to teachers for fear of negatively in uencing a teachers’ perceptions of them.

Near the end of the 2022-2023 school year, Director of Academics Jason Ya e reinstated the surveys. We feel that this was a positive change; it demonstrated that administrators value the input of students and acknowledge the importance of their perspectives in shaping the overall educational experience.

While we appreciate the return of FolioCollaborative surveys, we would like to see them given more frequently. Last year, the survey was issued in the last month of the school year, meaning students never got to experience the impact of their proposed changes.

We believe that having two FolioCollaborative surveys a year would be helpful: one midway through the rst semester and another midway through the second semester. Having two surveys would allow students to give feedback to teachers who solely teach fall semester classes. In yearlong classes, two surveys a year would allow students to provide feedback to teachers on whether they successfully implemented the changes proposed in the fall survey.

As the fall semester of the current school year comes to a close, we wish that we had the opportunity to critique our teachers for our classes thus far. ere are changes we believe could have been implemented to make our experiences better, such as having more class discussions or more individual meetings.

e FolioCollaborative surveys not only bene t students, but they also give teachers an opportunity to create a classroom more conducive to learning. When teachers know student preferences, they can shape their classes accordingly and engage students better. Moving forward, we hope Greenhill administrators consider twice-a-year surveys as a bene t for faculty and students.

Guest Essay: 75 Seconds

Valentina Casas-Sayek

All it takes is a few seconds to lose everything you have worked for your entire life.

A core memory of my childhood consists of spending time in Turkey, speci cally the towns of Iskenderun and Arsuz, which is where my mother grew up.

I recall buying my grandmother’s favorite fruits, such as apricots, melons, and watermelons, at the fruit shop. e fruits in Turkey are fresher and taste better than the ones in Dallas. Every summer, my family and I would buy a bag of apricots at least once a week. My sister and I would eat so many that our mother began to place limits on us.

I remember that the owner of the fruit shop’s children would always be running around. All of them, even the younger ones, would be doing something to help in the shop. Many times, they would help customers take their bags to their car, while the older ones helped other customers choose their fruits.

I also remember my favorite restaurant, Ali Döner. It had the best döner kebab, which is ground lamb mixed with spices and wrapped in bread. When I was younger, I did not like döner at all, however, I started to like it more as I grew older. I used to go to this restaurant to have lunch with my older cousins a er spending all morning at the beach. Everyone would always have a very speci c order with a bunch of toppings they wanted to add. Yet, I always wanted a plain döner, just meat and bread, something that everyone would tease me about.

“How can you eat it so plainly? You are eating it incorrectly,” my cousins said.

All it takes is 75 seconds to lose the place where you spent your childhood and made some of your greatest memories.

On Feb. 6, my parents informed me of the 7.8 magnitude earthquake that lasted 75 seconds in Turkey and parts of Syria and killed more than 60,000 people.

at day, I had just arrived home a er watching a friend’s soccer game. Once I got home, my parents told me that there had been an earthquake in Turkey and that we could not contact some of our family members.

My biggest concern was the safety of my grandparents. A er brie y communicating with them, it seemed like they were safe. is information was all I needed to hear. My mother, on the other hand, stayed up all night waiting for news and talking with her

cousins in other parts of Turkey. Little by little we received news that our family was safe.

When I arrived in Turkey several months a er the earthquake, a short car ride from the city of Iskenderun to the beach town of Arsuz made me realize that although my family had survived, everything was not the same. Directly observing the consequences of the earthquake made me realize that everything can disappear in seconds. is car ride made me realize how fortunate my family and I were, as some other people had lost everything and everyone.

Most buildings have been reduced to rubble; the few that were not destroyed had cracks on the wall, and pieces of the building were missing. Re ecting on the pictures I previously saw, the damage did not appear as bad as it had been months before our arrival due to the majority of the debris and rubble that had been cleaned up.

As we drove around town, I realized that the buildings and people I had spent my summer around were gone. e fruit shop I frequented with my grandmother was gone, and so was my favorite restaurant. e restaurant was forced to move to a more secluded location, a little bit outside of the town, which resulted in them losing most

the Evergreen Sta

EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Riya Kommineni and Pooja Sanghvi EXECUTIVE

Payton Blalock Emily Hu

Evie Kwei

Kutty

Sydney Chien and

Jaleel

Sadka

Varun Mukund

NEWS EDITORS

Hallack

Lyna Kamgang and Rory Liu

FEATURES EDITORS

Kate Ponnambalam and Noor Zaman

ARTS EDITORS

Nora Ahearn and Justin Wu

SPORTS EDITORS

John Hurley and Vedant Subramanian

VIEWS EDITOR

Sasha Wai

STAFF WRITERS

Adam Strauss

Derian Herrmann

Nia Harrison

Timo Kamgang

Irina Li

Avery Lonergan

Victoria Cisneros

BUSINESS MANAGER

Kaden Alibhai

ASSISTANT ADVISOR

Amy Bresie

ADVISOR

Gregg Jones

Have a response? Opinion?

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Email the Editors-in-Chief: komminenir24@greenhill.org sanghvip24@greenhill.org

EDITORIAL POLICY

The Evergreen is an independent, student-run newspaper serving the community of Greenhill School. It is printed six times during the school year. Print circulation is 900 copies. Past issues are archived at issuu.com/ghevergreen.

of their customers. e fruit shop no longer exists, and we had to nd a new place to buy our apricots. I am le with the memories of the times I had been there with my cousins.

Although the earthquake changed the lives of millions of people in the Middle East, most of my friends in Dallas are still unaware of the devastation caused by the earthquake, since this occurred so far away and did not a ect them directly. In general, when there is a major incident somewhere in the world, people may hear or read about it in the news. ey may sympathize with what other people are going through. However, within a few weeks, the news cycle moves on and people carry on with their lives and forget. Although I did not experience this directly, these 75 seconds will continue to a ect me and my family for years to come. I am grateful every day for my family and my friends.

Our sta upholds a code of ethics that values honesty, integrity, accuracy and responsibility. Our mission is to help our community interpret campus, local, national and international events through articles and editorials written and edited by students.

The Evergreen welcomes letters and emails from readers. We reserve the right to edit submissions for accuracy, grammar and length. The Evergreen will not publish material that we judge to be libelous, or obscene, invades privacy or constitutes hate speech. Anonymous letters will not be published.

The sta editorial represents the opinion of The Evergreen sta , not necessarily that of Greenhill School.

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AFTER DISASTER: Homes were destroyed in the aftermath of a catastrophic earthquake in Turkey. The e ects following the earthquake devastated millions.

Photo courtesy of Valentina Casas-Sayek

& Rants Raves

A RANT to the increased workloads before holiday breaks. e three weeks between anksgiving break and the winter holiday break are arguably the toughest weeks of the whole school year. Multiple tests, papers and quizzes are the only things standing between us and a good respite from the chaos of school.

A RAVE to winter sports season. We are so excited to cheer on our winter sports teams in the pool, on the court and on the eld. ere have already been so many successes in the season thus far, and we are ready to see more!

A RAVENT to the rst semester ending. With the rst half of the school year coming to an end very soon, it is exciting to have a fresh start going into semester two. At the same time, it means that our senior class begins their nal semester on the Hill.

A RAVENT to holiday music. It is always nice to get in the spirit of the season at this time of the year, but some people have been playing holiday music since October. It’s hard to deny that the music is catchy, but when is it too early to start listening to it?

A RAVE to holiday break. A er a semester of hard work, there is nothing better than to settle down and relax, whether that be away on a vacation or at home. We are excited to spend time with family and friends and recharge before we jump right back in for another semester!

A RANT to showering a er morning sports practices. In fear of not being late to class a er a morning practice, our athletes must rush through getting ready so they can make it to class on time. Showering is a nice way to clean up a er exercising, but in the interest of time, this is o en not an option.

The Evergreen Crossword

ACROSS:

4. Senior Tayce Thomas rebounded for this player from the Los Angeles Lakers _____ James

7. Kevin _____ ‘73, the quarterback on the undefeated 1972 Greenhill football team

8. _____, character played by junior J.J. Arbuckle in Greenhill’s adaptation of the musical “Mean Girls”

9. _____ D.C.: where alumni reunions are hosted; where the 8th grade class traveled to in November

10. number of games won by the Greenhill girls varsity basketball team as of Dec. 11

11. the percentage of Upper School students who are first- or secondgeneration immigrants

12. President _____ Snow from the Hunger Games franchise

14. Junior Christan _____ and senior Ayne _____, who both qualified for the ATSSB and TPSMEA All-Region Bands

15. _____ Mental Health: a team to improve mental health among Greenhill students

17. Greenhill will host a meeting for this organization on Jan. 31

DOWN:

1. Hill _____: Upper School students who show prospective families around Greenhill’s campus

2. A printmaking technique in which artists carve out parts of a linoleum block to create a pattern

3. The profession of Zoe Marshall ‘11

5. _____ 40, name of the band formed by three Greenhill seniors

6. Senior Natalie _____, a member of the Greenhill Dance Company

10. University of _____, where senior Devin Davis will play NCAA DI soccer

12. Senior Daniel Walker and sophomore Sasha Wai, the HPC _____ for the Greenhill swim team

13. The Power _____, the section of the Poderistas that Upper School Spanish teacher Stephanie Almanza is a part of

16. A prestigious nation-wide debate tournament that both seniors Adam Kesselman and Seth Lee have qualified for

Crossword

Winter Holidays

Many Greenhill students celebrate various traditions over the December Break, including Christmas, New Year's and Hanukkah.

Christmas

Christmas originally was a Roman holiday organized by the Roman Catholic Church on Dec. 25, following the Saturnalia festival. People feasted and exchanged gi s. Now, many people celebrate Christmas, regardless of religious a liations, due to its traditional appeal.

“We like to set up a small Christmas tree and add decorations, then watch it light up together as a family,” said sophomore Rachel Jiang. “And although I don’t believe in Santa anymore, I enjoy writing fake letters and hiding gi s for my sister to keep her Christmas spirit alive.”

Many people celebrate by listening to and singing Christmas carols, watching holiday movies, going to church and having a special dinner.

“I celebrate Christmas with my family by hosting a Christmas party with all of my family and friends,” sophomore Jacquelyn Dishman said. “My mom and I make the desserts and my dad and uncle make dinner.”

Hanukkah

When the Jewish temple in Jerusalem was liberated a er the Maccabees won a revolt in 164 B.C.E., the temple was rededicated and the festival of Hanukkah was instituted as a celebration.

“We go to services with my family and celebrate by eating lunch a erwards,” said junior Ashley Weinstein. “It’s a good way for us to get together celebrate this important time with each other.”

Now, people celebrate Hanukkah in several ways, including lighting a candle of the Menorah every day, reading the Scripture and going to services.

“For Hanukkah, I go to my grandparents’ house and we light the Menorah and open presents together. We share a huge meal as a family where we eat latkes, matzo ball soup and brisket,” said senior Shaina Starr.

New Year's

New Year’s is celebrated to welcome the start of another calendar year, and a fresh beginning. To commemorate this, people o en make resolutions to follow through the year.

“On New Year’s Eve, I usually stay up to celebrate the New Year and our family has a tradition where we eat 12 grapes at midnight within a minute,” said freshman Oliver Ferris-Rojas.

To ring in the New Year, people o en watch a countdown with their family and friends a er sharing a meal together.

“Usually, I’m on vacation with a large group of friends and family and we do New Year’s resolutions together and ring in the New Year,” senior Willa Bonnette said.

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