ON THE COVER

less stress more rest

In a world where the pressure is high for teenagers to engage in multiple facets of life - school, work, sports, clubs and extracurriculars - not leaving enough time to get quality sleep can be more dangerous than it seems.

BY COPY EDITOR ZAHRA PARSONS & SOCIAL MEDIA COORDINATOR LAUREN SMITH

Headaches. Mood swings. Lack of focus. At some point in time, everyone has experienced the looming and undeniable effects of sleep deprivation on their mental, emotional and physical health. Due to societal pressure to take on a packed schedule, as well as the multitude of physical and mental disorders and diseases, teenagers and adults in 2021 are not getting nearly as much sleep as they should be, with every one in three teenagers being repeatedly sleep-deprived. While it can seem like a minor issue, it can actually lead to many different unexpected but detrimental consequences. However, there are remediations to lack of sleep, and they can greatly improve daily life.

Sleep Science

There are two main cycles that the body experiences while sleeping: rapid-eye movement (REM) sleep and non-REM sleep. The first cycle, non-REM, is composed of four stages. The first stage occurs in-between being awake and falling asleep. This leads to the second stage, in which heartbeat and breathing regulate and body temperature drops. Soon after, the third and fourth stages occur, both consisting of deep sleep.

During the REM cycle, the eyes are closed and making rapid movements, breath rate increases and the body is temporarily paralyzed. Additionally, brain waves during this stage are similar to when we are awake. Although the REM stage was originally thought to be more important for restoration, cognitive development and memory, according to Johns Hopkins, new data suggests that the non-REM phase has a larger impact on these areas. These two cycles repeat throughout the night.

In addition to the two cycles, there are also two main processes that help regulate sleep: circadian rhythm and sleep drive. Circadian rhythms help control what scientists consider to be an internal clock held by the brain, according to Cleveland Clinic. The purpose of this clock is to control the body’s sleepwake schedule, which it does by picking up on light cues. These light cues are transmitted through the eyes into the brain, letting the body know when it is time to sleep. The internal clock is influenced by the melatonin hormone, age, physical activity and social behaviors. Occasionally, people with total blindness can have trouble sleeping due to the inability to detect these light cues.

The second process, sleep drive, is the body’s ability to know when sleep is needed. Throughout the day, the need for sleep builds as energy is used, a process that scientists describe as similar to hunger buildup. In the case of hunger, however, your body can’t force you to eat, but it is able to put you to sleep when it needs to, an occurrence known as microsleep episodes. These episodes can potentially be very dangerous, as they are commonly seen during activities which lack physical and mental engagement, including driving, one of the most important reasons that doctors and scientists emphasize the importance of sleep. October 2021 // 15

Importance

It is widely understood that sleep is important for people of all ages, but during the teenage years it is especially essential for physical, mental and emotional performance and development.

Sleep benefits the brain by promoting thinking, comprehension and analytical skills. It also makes it easier to consolidate information and distinguish what is most important. Students who get too little sleep are much more likely to struggle in school than those who don’t due to compromised motivation and concentration span, according to the National Center for Biotechnology Information. During sleep, the brain forms connections that help it to process and remember information, and chronic sleep deficiency is harmful towards both long and short-term memory.

“When I get enough sleep, my brain has more time to rest. I am up pretty late every night with homework, so getting not enough sleep makes me drowsy the next morning,” freshman Charlotte Zender said. “My brain isn’t quite awake yet, and my ability to understand and learn is impaired.”

Lack of sleep can be emotionally detrimental, especially for teenagers who are trying to balance the many aspects of their lives. “The big red flag or negative side effect of lack of sleep is going to be mood dysregulation,” psychologist Dr. Kelly Jameson said, who spoke to students and faculty about mental wellness. “The first thing to go if you’re not sleeping well is your mood, because what sleep does, it’s an anti-inflammatory, so it washes away all of your neurons that didn’t connect during the day, like a nighttime janitorial service. So if you didn’t get enough sleep, you didn’t get that basic maintenance, and so the next day you’re not going to look or feel good.” Students can feel this on a day-to-day basis when not getting enough sleep, but still continuing to go through the same routine.

Mental and emotional well-being can be significantly disrupted through sleep deficiency, as well as behavioral control. “A really big factor for me is my mood, like I’ll be really irritable and cranky when I don’t get enough sleep,” senior Lauren Shaw said. “I can tell when I’m well rested because I’m a lot more calm and a lot less stressed.”

The frontal lobe, the part of the brain that is critical in controlling impulsive behaviors, can also be affected by a loss of sleep, leading to an increased risk of drug and alcohol use, smoking, inappropriate sexual behavior and violence. Additionally, those that are sleep deprived while driving have an elevated risk of accidents due to the possibility of microsleep episodes, as well as delayed reactions.

Quality rest is imperative in maintaining normal physical health and development. It powers the immune system, helps regulate hormones and enables muscle and tissue recovery. According to Sleep Foundation, teenagers who regularly experience inadequate amounts of sleep can develop an impaired metabolic profile and insulin regulation, putting them at a higher risk of developing diabetes and long-term cardiovascular issues. Johns Hopkins pediatrician Michael Crocetti notes that teenagers are going through a second stage of cognitive maturation, and sleep is crucial in supporting that development. It can also lead to higher blood pressure, weight gain, poor balance and even increased risk

of heart disease. 59.5% of students say that they feel that both their physical and mental health are affected by sleep deficiency. Preventing factors According to the American Academy of Sleep Medicine, adolescents between the ages of 13 and 18 need between eight and 10 hours of sleep per night. From a national sample taken by the CDC, 72.2% of high school students reported not getting enough sleep on school nights. Between balancing school, sports, clubs, volunteering, extracurricular activities, jobs, family and social lives, it can be extremely difficult for adolescents to reach at least eight hours of sleep per night. This causes continuous sleep deprivation and less energy to fulfill those activities. School work takes up a large portion of Sion students’ time, as 84.6% of girls say that they attribute their lack of sleep to time taken to do school work. They also report different factors in their lives contributing to their lack of sleep, such as taking care of siblings or family members, long commutes to school and household chores. In addition to busy schedules, there are several medical conditions that can hinder amounts and value of sleep. Common diseases associated with sleep problems include heartburn, diabetes, respiratory problems do you typically get as much sleep as you want/need? and thyroid disease. Heart failure, characterized by decline in the heart’s ability to regulate blood circulation, can cause a person to stay awake at night due to shortness of breath according to 169 students pollled because of the extra fluid around the lungs when they lay down.

NO 50% 16.5% People with coronary artery disease experience fluctuations in circadian rhythms which can trigger chest pain, yes irregular heartbeat and even heart attacks during sleep. Due to pain, as sometimes 33.5% well as insomnia caused by steroid treatments, those with arthritis and fibromyalgia can experience regular sleep deprivation as well. Mental health disorders can also cause a lack of sleep. Those with severe anxiety, also known as generalized anxiety disorder, typically experience persistent worry almost every day for a period of six months or longer. As a result, many who suffer from anxiety have trouble falling or staying asleep, as well experiencing restlessness during sleep. Depressive disorders can disrupt sleep, as 90% of those who have them experience insomnia and spend less time in the non-REM stage. During a manic episode, those with bipolar disorder may go up to several days without sleeping, causing them to stay in bed during depressive episodes. These disorders can all be treated through psychotherapy and medication, however some effects never completely reside, which is why it can be important to find smaller daily lifestyle changes that help you achieve a longer, more restful sleep. It is very common in society to underestimate the importance of sleep and the effects that it has on different aspects of daily life. Often, completing homework and doing various activities takes precedence over physical, mental and emotional health because they lessen the amount of time available for sleep. Additionally, various environmental and biological factors can prevent sufficient, quality sleep. It can be helpful to find different ways to help reach an adequate amount of sleep, and that may mean stepping back from some activities or extracurriculars. It is becoming increasingly necessary to put health and wellness first and to start taking better care of ourselves.

Sleep improvement 101

There are many small, daily lifestyle changes you can make that can help you achieve longer, more quality sleep.

Increase bright light exposure during the day. Sunlight or bright lights help regulate the circadian rhythm and keep it healthy, increasing energy and sleep quality. A study by Healthline showed that it helps decrease the time it takes to fall asleep by 83%. Don’t consume caffeine late in the day. Although caffeine has numerous benefits, such as enhanced focus and alertness, consuming caffeine up to six hours before bedtime can significantly worsen sleep quality, as it can stay elevated for six to eight hours in the bloodstream.

Keep a regular sleep/wake schedule. The circadian rhythm functions on a loop, aligning with sunrise and sunset, and more regular sleeping patterns can maintain your circadian rhythm and melatonin levels, improving long-term sleep quality.

Put away devices. Blue light exposure to the eyes caused by looking at electronic devices such as smartphones and computers can affect your circadian rhythm and trick your brain into thinking it’s still daytime. It also reduces melatonin hormone levels and makes it harder to relax and sleep deeply. Scientists recommend ceasing blue light exposure at least one hour before bedtime.

Cease engaging activity as early as possible. “I know this is hard with practices and rehearsals and things, but if you can eat dinner earlier, shower earlier, back it up a little bit, that’s better,” said Jameson. “It takes teenagers quite a while to kind of turn their brains off enough to go to sleep, so if you can back everything up as much as you can, that will be helpful.” Regulate the bedroom setting. According to Healthline, a warmer and brighter room has been proven to be harder to fall asleep in. Experts recommend a base temperature of 70 degrees and little to no light in the room.

Exercise regularly. A Healthline study showed that regular exercise halved the time it took to fall asleep and helped increase sleep time by 41 minutes. Avoid exercising later in the evening, as it increases alertness hormones such as epinephrine and adrenaline, and can make it harder to fall asleep.

Don’t drink alcohol. Alcohol is known to cause an increase in sleep apnea, snoring and disrupted sleep patterns. Avoiding it around bedtime can help regulate levels of melatonin and human growth hormone, as well as the circadian rhythm.

Supplements. Many natural supplements have been known to aid sleep quality and duration, such as melatonin, glycine, magnesium, lavender and valerian roots, which promote relaxation and restfulness.

according to 169 students pollled

A&E. Concert Conundrum

Don’t miss out on these long-awaited concerts coming to Kansas City.

BY SOFIA AGUAYO PRINT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Dan + Shay

T-Mobile center, Nov. 14

Country/pop duo Dan+Shay, composed of Dan Smyers and Shay DAN SHAY Mooney, released their newest album, “Good Things,” in August, 2021. According to Mooney in a Taste of Country article, the friends have been making music together since 2013 after they met at a house party in Nashville. According to Apple Music, the duo believes they delivered the “best album of [their] career so far.” The album consists of 12 songs with the first track being the album title, and also the first song they wrote over Zoom, according to Apple Music. Dan+Shay did not take a turn in genres from their past music, but pulled through with producing the classic sounds their fans love.

Beabadoobee & Christian Leave

The Truman, Dec. 5

From a troublemaking past in London to a country-wide album and EP tour, Beatrice Kristi Laus is about to begin her travels touring her first album, “Fake it Flowers” and her most recent EP, “Our Extended Play”. Her music has an alternative rock feel with lots of drums to support her singing. Beabadoobee partners with indie pop artist Christian Leave to open for her at all her shows.

Dayglow

The Truman, Oct. 30

Although it sounds like a band name, Dayglow is the stage name of 22-year-old singer songwriter Sloan Christian Struble. Struble attended the University of Texas at Austin, but dropped out to pursue his dream of performing his own music. In 2018, he came out with his debut album, “Fuzzybrain,” and recently released his latest album, “Harmony House,” which he is touring this year. “Harmony House” has a laid-back alternative/indie feel to it, so expect the concert to be more of a jumpy evening with friends, not a rager.

Surfaces

The Truman, nov. 16

After releasing their fourth studio album, the duo Colin Padalecki and Forrest Frank, commonly known as Surfaces, are now touring their “Pacifico” album. Best known for their hit single “Sunday Best”, one of the hottest tracks this past summer, Surfaces seamlessly mixes pop and acoustic feels to produce music which transports you straight to a sunny beach and nice weather. Everything about the feel of their music is sunny, cool and calming, even their matching themed album covers consisting of soft tones and sunrises.

Coin

The Truman, Nov. 3

The band trio known as COIN announced their “Rainbow Dreamland” tour this past April, which combines their 2020 “Dreamland” album and their 2021 “Rainbow Mixtape” album. COIN is an alternative/pop band with song styles anywhere from contemplative and slow like “Earth to God,” to pop party music such as “Talk Too Much.” If you’re looking for an up-close and personal entertaining concert, this is the one for you. October 2021 // 19

feature. PHILLY FIGHTER

Morey Williams found her passion through Muay Thai fighting and kickboxing and has competed and trained to fight in competitions.

BY KATE MCCARTHY PRINT EDITOR-IN-CHIEF

Dark grey doors creak open. She steps through. Her walkout song, I Love It by Icona Pop is deafened by the echoes of cheers bouncing off the concrete walls surrounding the arena. Heart pounding, mind racing, she knows what happens in the ring is real. Boxing gloves heavy on her hands, she brushes her honey blonde hair away from her face, secures her bright red head gear, and slides in her mouth guard. Morey Williams is prepared to fight.

Dr. Morey Williams, Director of Humanities, is a Muay Thai fighter. Beginning her fighting career at the age of 27, Williams began practicing due to her natural inclination towards exercise and athletics and as a way to let off steam from a stressful lifestyle. Growing up as both a field hockey and softball player, Williams is very familiar with the realm of exercise.

“I was always a big athlete. I’ve seen people doing kickboxing and I’m like, ‘Wow, that seems like a great workout,’” Williams said. “I have a lot of anxiety, so just hitting something would release a lot of anxiety in a healthy way.”

Williams has fought in seven official fights and won all of them. In addition to this, Williams is the 2009 World Kickboxing Association gold medalist for both Muay Thai and kickboxing. According to Williams, fighting was an eye-opening experience to the reality of the world. In Muay Thai, the round stops when one person is unconscious. Williams gained a new perspective on perserverence and respecting your competition, as this rule makes the sport dangerous and at times, terrifying.

“You get in there, you can barely breathe, and then you’re expected to fight somebody for three rounds,” Williams said. “It’s the longest two minutes of your life, and it’s the hardest you’ll ever breathe.”

Williams has always been a person who gives her all - a passionate, determined woman in everything she does. Exercise through Muay Thai allowed Williams to grow her student relationships as a teacher and continue to grow her relationship with herself. Williams’ husband, Brent Schulte, describes his wife as a person with a huge heart who stands up for the things that she loves and cares about.

“Fighting has absolutely shaped her life,” Schulte said. “She only fought actively for a couple of years, but it was incredibly empowering for her. She is tough and resilient, and I think that fighting helped her develop those qualities.”

Combat has taught Williams crucial lessons about her life and the ways in which she should live it. According to Williams, Muay Thai has allowed her to learn how to be patient, strong, and communicate with others. She passed these philosophies to students at the SelfDefense course during the Life Beyond Sion Deep Dive with her co-teacher Brian Carroll. Carroll is also a Muay Thai fighter and has been teaching this sport for 20 years. According to Carroll, this is the “art of eight limbs,” consisting of punches, elbows, knees, and kicks to take down the opponent. Through his experience in directing the Self Defense course during the Deep Dive with Williams, Carroll learned that she is a well rounded fighter, dedicated to training and working with her students.

“Learning any form of martial arts gives the practitioner a heightened sense of awareness and comfort,” Carroll said. “It builds character, breeds humbleness, brings a healthy way of living and teaches the practitioner to fight through pain in the ring or life when things are tough.”

Williams has done just that with her fighting experience. A Philly-born fighter with a fiery soul, her way of life and passion is an inspiration according to Schulte. Williams’ selfless qualities lead her to care for others deeply and empower their actions. Ultimately, William’s fighting spirit is shown through her teaching style. A champion for her students, Williams will go to any lengths to protect those she cares about.

“She is the most caring and selfless person I have ever met. She cares so much about others, especially her students, and I admire that about her,” Schulte said. “I have seen videos of her fighting and training. Let’s just put it this way: Don’t mess with Dr. Williams.”

PUSH IT TO THE LIMIT

Williams secures her headgear and gets into the zone as she prepares herself to fight in the 2019 World Kickboxing Assosiation National Championships. “This sport is not giving up. I realized that if I can fight then I can do a lot, pretty much anything really,” Wiilliams said.

Photos submitted | Morey Williams

news. takes two

totango

Dancing with the Stars gains publicity as Jojo Siwa is chosen as a celebrity contestant, despite previous professional dancing experience, and forms the first same-sex dance couple.

STORY BY WEB EDITOR-IN-CHIEF LIV ZENDER DESIGN BY PRINT EDITOR-IN CHIEF SOFIA AGUAYO

On August 26, “Dance Moms” alum and children’s idol, Jojo Siwa, announced that she would be participating in the next season of “Dancing with the Stars” alongside dance partner Jenna Johnson. Siwa and Johnson are the first same-sex dance pairing to be featured on the show. This announcement came as shock to many as not only are Johnson and Siwa the show’s first same-sex dance partners, they are both already professional dancers. According to sophomore Gracie Orf, she’s not surprised that Jojo Siwa was hired on to the show, even though she is a professional dancer since after all of these seasons, Dancing with the Stars has probably started running out of celebrities who want to participate.

“They’re kind of running out of people,” Orf said. “It’s not really fair, but what else are they gonna do?”

The latest season of “Dancing with the Stars” premiered on September 20, starring many well-known celebrities. “Dancing with the Stars” has been a hit television show since it premiered in 2005 and has released 30 seasons since. Over the years, “Dancing with the Stars” has gone through several hosts, many judges, and dozens of contestants. The goal of the show is to match professional dancers who already know how to dance with partners who don’t know how to dance, generally well-known celebrities. Together they memorize weekly dance routines and perform them for an audience, a set of judges and live television. Then the judges vote, along with the general public who can submit their votes through text. Audience votes are counted up and worth 50% of the group’s score. The other 50% is based off of the score that the panel of judges decides on. For junior Angie Schimmel, “Dancing with the Stars” has been a consistent part of her life for several years.

“I have watched Dancing with the Stars for the past four years,” Schimmel said. “My favorite part about this season is how there is a variety of different ages, some are younger competitors and some are older.”

Arguably one of the most well known celebrities participating in this season of “Dancing with the Stars” is Jojo Siwa. Siwa has a very large fan base with a wide variety of different ages. Teenagers and young adults remember her from her original claim to fame, “Dance Moms”, a reality show about a children’s dance studio. Siwa left the show in 2016 during season six after signing a contract with Nickelodeon for an overall talent deal, which included consumer products, promotions and more. Since then Siwa has gone on to release many singles, one album and most recently a movie. Like many teenagers, Schimmel knew of Siwa before “Dancing with the Stars”.

“When I think of Jojo Siwa, I think of Dance Moms,” Schimmel said. “That, and the big bows.”

Jenna Johnson’s career originated on the show, “So You Think You Can Dance” when she placed third runner up. Now she is on her eighth season as a professional dancer for “Dancing with the Stars”, with her most memorable performances being during her second season on the show, when she was partnered with Olympic figure skater Adam Rippon and ended up winning first place. Schimmel remembers Johnson from her previous years of dancing for the show. “I’ve watched her previous dances, she’s been around for a while,” Schimmel said. “I like some of her older dances but not necessarily her newer ones.”

Siwa and Johnson form the first same-sex dance partners to ever compete on “Dancing with the Stars”. While the decision came with controversy, for the most part people were very excited and supportive of the announcement. In fact, many people questioned why it had taken so long for same-sex dance partners to be featured in the first place. Junior Katherine Pineda thinks that having samesex dance partners has been a long time coming.

“I think it’s really awesome that they finally have samesex dance partners on the show,” Pineda said. “I feel like they should have done this a long time ago. But I’m glad that’s finally happening.”

Arguably, what ended up bring even more controversial than a same-sex couple being featured on “Dancing with the Stars” was the fact that Siwa was chosen to be a celebrity contestant when she is already a professional dancer herself and perhaps should be competing against Johnson rather than dancing with her. She is the only celebrity in this season that is a previously trained dancer, and people speculated that this would set her above the other competitors and their partners. Thus far, this theory has proven to be true, with Siwa and Johnson having placed either first and second in the first four dances that have taken place. Pineda agrees with most of the general public, who also think that it’s unfair to have a set of dance partners that consists of two professional dancers.

“I do feel like there is an advantage, which I feel like isn’t the greatest, especially since it’s supposed to be a show where professional dancers and non-professional dancers dance together,” Pineda said. “But either way I am so happy that she was on it.”

While views and ratings have plummeted during this season of “Dancing with the Stars”, the Siwa and Johnson duo has definitely brought some extra attention to the show, but whether it is negative or positive attention has yet to be determined. However, competition-wise, Siwa and Johnson are flourishing and it should be interesting to see what they bring to the table in future weeks and future competitions.

I absolutely love this partnership. That was a moment. Derek Hough

“You affected my brain with the quality of the technique, you affected my heart with the artistry that you produced. Len Goodman

The most exquisite interpretation of the importance and power of friendship. Bruno Tonioli

You leave me nothing to say, other than this “ was perfection. Carrie Ann Inaba

The ability to speak multiple languages connects junior Juwali Ya, freshman Maya Devkota and senior Anna Baklanov to their families and their cultures.

BY SOPHIE GROMOWSKY COPY EDITOR

Bathed in the glow of the afternoon sun, junior Juwali Ya adjusts the colorful skirt of her longyi to perfectly reflect the light before turning to strike a pose for the camera. A longyi is a traditional piece of clothing worn by women in Burma, and Ya says traditional fashion is one of the many aspects of Burmese culture that are present in her home. However, the part of the culture that is most prevalent in her everyday life is the language. Ya learned to speak Burmese from her parents, Kari Mar and Mya Dwe, who both grew up in Burma before immigrating to Thailand, and later to the United States when Ya was three years old. During her early childhood, the family spoke exclusively Burmese and Ya did not begin to learn English until she entered Pre-Kindergarten. “When I was super young everyone around me spoke Burmese, no one spoke English so when I went to Pre-K for the first two or three days I had a hard time adjusting to how things were done,” Ya said. “But after that I started to get the hang of it.” Now fully fluent in both English and

Burmese, Ya says that being bilingual still comes with some challenges. Sometimes she says she will begin to read something in

English and automatically begin translating it to Burmese in her head. Other times, she will start to speak in Burmese without even realizing that she is doing it because it comes so naturally to her. She also finds that she is more prone to forgetting simple words in both languages. “The other day I forgot what a watermelon was in both English and Burmese,” Ya said. “I had to ask my mom, ‘what’s the very big green fruit with the stripes on the outside?’”

Being bilingual has also inspired Ya to want to learn more about other languages. She is also currently learning to speak Thai through an online program and with the help of her sister-in-law who speaks Thai fluently and incorporates it into their conversations and text messages. Ya also studies French at Sion and hopes to be fluent by the end of her junior year.

“Anywhere you go, being a translator is a good thing,” Ya said. “So I’m trying to learn to speak several languages so that I’m able to do that as well.”

Another way that Ya’s family incorporates Burmese culture into their lives is through their cooking. Dishes prepared in their home are made with many Asian spices, such as masala and tumeric. Ya says that some of her favorites dishes are Burmese curry called aamellsarr hainn, which her mother makes often, and as well as a white sweet pudding.

“It’s super sweet. When you look at it you think it’s going to be like milk but it’s really not.” Ya said. “It’s made with a lot of condensed milk, evaporated milk, a lot of sugar, and these little dough balls in there.”

Ya plans to one day travel back to Thailand, where many members of her family still reside, and cross the border into Burma to experience the culture firsthand. Currently, Burma is under a Do Not Travel Advisory due to the country’s tumultuous political situation, but Ya is hopeful that it will be possible in the future.

“That’s my heritage,” Ya said. “I don’t want to be one of those people who says they’re so proud to be from somewhere but doesn’t know anything about the culture.”

Overall, Ya believes that being bilingual has made her a better person because it has exposed her to two different cultures, which has opened her up to be more accepting of different points of view. She believes that if she only knew one or the other, it would not be as easy for her to be so open minded about other ways of life.

“I know two different things,” Ya said. “And because they’re so different I’m more open to other cultures and other languages and other aspects of life than I would be if I only knew one.”

One hundred twenty-five meters in the air, freshman Maya Devkota gazes out over the sparkling city lights of Paris as she dines at the Jules Verne restaurant atop the Eiffel Tower. As they feast on French delicacies including escargot, frog legs, and cow tongue, Devkota and her family talk, laugh, and spend time catching up on their busy lives. Devkota’s mother immigrated to the United States from France, where she moved to in high school after spending her childhood in Morocco. As a result, she became fluent in the languages English, French, and Arabic, all of which she has taught to Devkota. “I learned English first. Then I learned French as soon as I got English down, so about two,” Devkota said. “Then Arabic I learned around the time I was four.” Though English is the primary language spoken in their home, Devkota still regularly practices her other languages as well - French in conversations with her mother and Arabic in WhatsApp calls with her grandparents. “I speak English a lot at home, but I speak more French when I’m with my mom,” Devkota said. “And then Arabic when I’m with my grandparents who I see or call really often.”

During trips to France and Morocco Devkota also has the chance to fully immerse herself in each of her languages. Her family visits Paris every year, and having traveled there so frequently, Devkota considers herself to be familiar with the scenery and no longer visits the standard touristy landmarks. Instead, she enjoys exploring the city and finding new shops and restaurants to stop into. In Morocco, she spends her days with family on the beach. One of her favorite memories from her travels is riding a camel with her mother on the beach as the sun set over the ocean.

“It was super hard to get on the camels and they smell really bad,” Devkota said. “Obviously I was terrified at first, but then it was actually super fun.”

Devkota’s family also incorporates other aspects of Moroccan culture into their lives. They have several family heirlooms including a teapot and necklaces that have been passed down from generation to generation. They also make traditional dishes such as paratha, a layered flatbread that can be filled with stuffing, and couscous with orange sauce.

“I know the recipes, but I don’t really like cooking that much so I don’t cook them,” Devkota said. “When I’m with my grandparents I try to, but my grandma wants them perfect so I don’t really help.”

Devkota celebrates her trilingualism as a part of her identity which makes her unique. As a younger child she says that she sometimes wished she only spoke one language in order to better fit in with everyone else, but as she grew she came to realize that her abilities set her apart and made her special.

“It’s super cool in a way because I know a lot of people that speak different languages and they’re ashamed when they come to America,” Devkota said. “But I’m proud that I speak other languages.”

Recalling days filled up with visits to small carnivals in the park, eating vanilla ice cream cones, and going for long walks with her grandmother, senior Anna Baklanov remembers her time spent with family in Russia and Belarus as some of the happiest of her life. These trips have also provided her with the opportunity to be fully immersed in Russian language and culture. Fluent in both Russian and English, Baklanov says that being bilingual provides her a unique connection to her family and her heritage.

“It makes me understand more of who I am and the amazing community that I’m a part of,” Baklanov said.

As a child, Baklanov’s parents spoke to her in Russian, familiarizing her with the language. Today Russian is the primary language spoken in their household. Baklanov also found a way to practice speaking Russian during the pandemic through daily Facetime calls with her grandparents who live in Germany.

“My Russian improved and I also grew closer with my grandparents,” Baklanov said. “It was really beautiful.”

Baklanov is given the chance to spend time with her grandparents and also to experience more aspects of her Russian culture when they travel to visit every fall. During their stay, Baklanov’s family spends time together preparing traditional Russian dishes including borscht, red beet soup with potatoes and carrots; coleslaw-type salads and different porridges. They also play Russian card games such as Durochka, which translates to fool in English, referring to the person who loses the game.

“It’s the most competitive game we play,” Baklanov said. “My mom can’t go to bed when we play until someone else loses and has to be the fool.”

Traveling to Russia and Belarus has given Baklanov the opportunity to learn more about her family’s heritage. While there, the entire family on her mother’s side gathers to stay altogether in one home. During previous trips to Belarus, they have stayed in a summer house belonging to Baklanov’s grandparents and harvested carrots and potatoes from the large garden. They have also spent time at a flat in Minsk that has been in Baklanov’s family since before World War II and is decorated with paintings done by her great-grandfather. From each of their travels they bring back with them a souvenir, like nesting dolls, which serve not only as a memento of the trip but also a symbolic reminder of the culture.

“It’s one thing to know the language, it’s another thing to fully understand where the language comes from, where the land is, what the people look like, what kind of culture it is,” Baklanov said. “And just fully understanding that makes language a part of something bigger than just the language.”