Octagon 2022-23 Issue 7

CLOTHES-MINDED Sophomore Garrett Xu demonstrates how fast fashion is frequently thrown out as styles fluctuate. While fast fashion can be cheap, the disposable nature of these clothes creates large amounts of waste. PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ADAM AKINS

Consuming our way to destruction: fast fashion, beef

BY EESHA DHAWAN & GARRETT XU

In a world where overconsumption seems to be the norm, it’s easy for high school students to forget the impact their choices have on the environment. Whether that means excessive consumption of fast fashion, meat or other products, the environment bears the brunt of consumerism.

“The byproducts of consumerism, especially without proper recycling, result in contaminated soil, food, water and air,” said John Lundgren, Sacramento County’s Sustainability Manager.

Also an Executive Director for the Sacramento Emergency Climate Task Force, Lundgren said that as consumerism continues to be more ingrained in daily life, the topic and its consequences are increasingly relevant.

The effects of consumerism reach every level of modern society, including the Country Day community.

Middle school science teacher Cade Grunst said that over the past 150 years, human activity has contributed to detrimental environmental changes caused directly by the market-driven wants of people.

According to the United Nations Environment Programme, which is responsible for addressing environmental issues within the United Nations, global resource extraction has increased by a factor of two and a half since 1970 due to the direct contribution of excessive consumption patterns specifically in the areas of fast fashion and food production.

“Ultimately, most of the emissions that are produced are done to satisfy a consumer’s need. The desire for products and services from consumers is the reason why businesses

produce emissions and waste,” Grunst said.

For context, a 2017 study published by the World Wildlife Fund labeled the fashion industry as the second-biggest consumer of all global water use, responsible for 10% of global carbon emissions. Fast fashion comprises over 18% of that industry.

To put that into perspective, WWF concluded it takes about 700 gallons of water to produce one cotton shirt — 20,000 gallons for one pair of jeans.

The demand for fast fashion is largely due to increases in fast fashion’s exposure through near-constant online marketing, growing international markets and the accessibility of services like Amazon.

Designed and manufactured with short turnaround times, fast fashion allows the market to change quickly

CONSUMERISM page 3 >>

Toxic relationships lead to cases of domestic violence

BY ANIKA NADGAUDA & SAMHITA KUMAR

Toxic and abusive relationships pose serious problems for millions of teenagers in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control’s Youth Risk Behavior Survey found in 2019 that 1 in 12 teenagers have experienced physical or sexual dating violence.

It’s an issue that extends to the Country Day campus. One SCDS student, who asked to remain anonymous, dealt with an abusive relationship for two years.

“He would get mad at me if I was at family events if I didn’t answer the phone,” she said. “He would break up with me if I didn’t do things with him that I wasn’t com-

CAMPUSCORNER

SPRING SHOWCASE

On April 20, Country Day will open its doors for the Spring Showcase, which will take place from 5 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. Teachers will display student work for the Country Day community and student-run clubs will man tables for their organizations during the evening.

fortable with. He cheated on me, multiple times. He hit me a few times.”

The relationship did not start that way, the student said. For the first few weeks, she had no idea the relationship was unhealthy.

However, things soon took a turn for the worse.

“He wanted me to do something with him that I wasn’t comfortable doing yet because we had just started dating, and he got up and told me to leave his house,” she said.

As the relationship progressed, the student noted more controlling behaviors. She had to ask for permission before spending time with friends and answer the phone whenever her boyfriend called. She also was forced to participate in sexual acts that she did not feel comfortable with.

ADVANCED PLACEMENT TESTS

AP exams will take place from May 1-12, beginning with AP Chemistry on May 1 and ending with AP Latin on May 12. Results will be released by the College Board in mid-July; passing scores can be used for college credit. Good luck to all Cavaliers taking exams!

These actions are typical of toxic relationships, which are characterized by repeated mistreatment. This can be through controlling behavior, manipulation or isolation, according to Planned Parenthood, a non-profit organization that offers sexual healthcare in addition to sexual education.

Country Day substitute teacher Jovina David described a significant indicator of a toxic relationship as the deliberate violation of boundaries, as well as a lack of communication.

“With every relationship, it’s a two-way street,” said David, who holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and a

INSIDE ISSUE the

“The Super Mario Bros. Movie”

Read a review of the classic arcade and video game characters brought to life on the big screen.

(PAGE 11)

COURTESY OF @SUPERMARIOMOVIE

PRINT EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Simone DeBerry

Garman Xu

ONLINE EDITORS-IN-CHIEF

Adam Akins

Samhita Kumar

NEWS EDITOR Ishaan Sekhon

FEATURE EDITOR

Ava Eberhart

SPORTS EDITOR

Jacob Chand

A&E/OPINION EDITOR

William Holz

PHOTO EDITOR

Adam Akins

PAGE EDITORS

Andrew Burr

Jacob Chand

Emily Cook

Simone DeBerry

Ava Eberhart

Saheb Gulati

William Holz

Lauren Lu

Ishaan Sekhon

Garman Xu Garrett Xu

BUSINESS STAFF

William Holz, manager

Aaryan Gandhi

Saheb Gulati, assistant Garrett Xu

SOCIAL MEDIA STAFF

Samhita Kumar, editor

Ava Eberhart, assistant

Lauren Lu

REPORTERS

Rehan Afzal

Siri Atluri

Eesha Dhawan

Aaryan Gandhi

Daniel Holz

Irene Jung

Sophia Monasa

Anisha Mondal

Anika Nadgauda

Zema Nasirov

Ryan Xu

PHOTOGRAPHERS

Rehan Afzal

Adam Akins

Simone DeBerry

Anika Nadgauda

Zema Nasirov

MULTIMEDIA STAFF

Garman Xu, editor

Jacob Chand

Simone DeBerry

Ava Eberhart

Irene Jung

GRAPHIC ARTISTS

Brynne Barnard-Bahn

Lauren Lu

ADVISER

Bonnie Stewart

The Octagon is the student-run newspaper of Sacramento Country Day High School. The print edition is published eight times a year, and the website is updated daily. The Octagon is committed to unbiased and comprehensive reporting, serving as a source of reliable information for SCDS students and the school community. The Octagon will publish all timely and relevant news deemed appropriate by the editors-in-chief and adviser. We seek to highlight high-school-related events and spotlight the voices of those with a story to share. Further policies can be found on our website or by scanning the QR code below.

The Octagon receives prestigious awards

BY AARYAN GANDHI

The Octagon has been nationally recognized with a 2023 Silver Crown Award from the Columbia Scholastic Press Association and Best Local Story and Best Local Photo from Headliners in Education, an education/ journalism nonprofit based in Massachusetts.

In the CSPA Crown Awards, the highest award is a Gold Crown, followed by the Silver Crown.

As a Hybrid News publication, The Octagon was judged based on the overall excellence of its print and online publications. The CSPA analyzed The Octagon’s design, photography, coverage and writing.

Similarly, the Headliners in Education judged Ava Eberhart and Zema Nasirov’s “Inside the Sacramento animal shelters” story for the quality of writing and reporting. It won Best Local Story in a monthly competition.

“The judges really liked the information sourced and how the writing reflected being in an animal shelter,” Eberhart

said. “Looking back, that’s definitely the feel we wanted the story to have.”

Besides the quality of writing in Eberhart and Nasirov’s story, the judges selected Nasirov’s Page 1 photo of a homeless Siberian Husky for Best Local Photo in the same monthly competition.

After the competition, the judges gave feedback, saying, “It’s hard not to want to take this dog home. The eye makes the picture.”

When submitting entries for competitions, Editors-In-Chief Samhita Kumar, Garman Xu, Adam Akins and Simone DeBerry met to discuss the strongest articles or issues.

However, the EICs also consulted The Octagon adviser Bonnie Stewart.

“Ms. Stewart also used to judge competitions, so she had insight into what judges might look for,” Xu said.

For the Headliners in Education competition, the EICs chose Eberhart and Nasirov’s article because of its connection to the Sacramento community for the local, nonschool story category.

AWARDS WELL-DESERVED Sophomore Ava Eberhart and freshman Zema Nasirov pose with their awards from Headliners in Education. PHOTO BY REHAN AFZAL

For the CSPA Crown Awards, the submission process required Hybrid News Publications to choose three print issues from the 2021-22 year.

“We looked for good diversity of stories and page design,” Kumar said.

Apart from judging last year’s print issues, the CSPA also critiqued the content, functionality and aesthetics of

The Octagon’s website.

“The competition is fairly prestigious, but we enter to hear feedback on our issues.” Kumar said.

In fact, The Octagon has submitted entries in the CSPA Crown Awards for the past 10 years. Part of the competition’s rubric includes how a student publication has improved since the previous year.

Ten sophomores advance to symposium

BY WILLIAM HOLZ

The clock is ticking, the pressure is on and the stakes are high. As the end of the year draws near, so does the ultimate test for the class of ’25 — the Sophomore Symposium on April 21 and April 24.

The Sophomore Project is an annual yearlong research project in which sophomores research a topic and create a presentation to showcase during the symposium. Out of the 46 Country Day sophomores, 10 student presentations have been selected:

“Quarantine Tech Transition: How Education Changed during the Coronavirus Pandemic” — Linda Zhang

“Reducing Food Waste: A Key Step Toward a Sustainable Future” — Ava Eberhart

“Enhanced Mineral Weathering: The Key to Weathering Climate Change?” — Saheb Gulati

“Concrete and Its Effects on the Environment” — Sundiata Dumisani

“Google’s Sustainability Efforts against Climate Change” — Aaryan Gandhi

“AlphaFold: Deep Learning and Structural Biology” — Ryan Pirie

“The Social and Political Impact of Hip Hop” — Garrett Xu

“How Barbie Has Stayed Relevant” — Anniston Miller

“Applying Economic Principles to Help Solve California Agriculture’s Existential

Water Crisis” — Andrew Burr

“The Connection: Literacy and Socioeconomic Status” — Jennifer Fominskaya

“Picking the top 10 is a really hard decision,” English teacher Diego Panasiti said. “Because they’ve been so good, we’ve really had to start grading them in fine detail. For example, I’ve been paying close attention to things like delivery. Students’ pace, fluctuation in tone and volume have all been key determining factors.”

Panasiti said many students invested countless hours effort into their projects.

Sophomore Ryan Pirie is a long-time proponent of deep learning. He found the process of making a 30+ hour project natural.

“My favorite part and the most difficult part of the process so far has been my interview with Raphael Townshend, founder of Atomic AI. Even though I haven’t interviewed anyone before, I still had a great time.”

Sophomore Garrett Xu picked a topic related to his past experiences.

“I’m a classical musician, and oftentimes, we have this stigma of being condescending to other genres of music. But, with maturity comes the realization of the values of other forms of music, even if they aren’t as ‘musically’ or theoretically well composed. So, I really wanted to explore that and went with hip hop and what it

truly means, beyond just the rap, lyrics and beat.”

However, Xu’s favorite part of the project has been simply making connections and talking with people to understand their story.

“Truly understanding the backstories of real rappers and understanding and analyzing their human experiences and what their lyrics mean was one of, if not the most rewarding part of the process.”

Originally surprised by his top 10 placement, sophomore Aaryan Gandhi now has his eyes set on first place. He looks to improve his presentation skills, as memorization of his script was his greatest weak point.

“Now that I’m here, I’m going to get better and push for number one,” he said.

Panasiti’s favorite part of the process has been being able to see the driving motivation behind the students’ projects.

“When students follow their intrinsic motivations, they develop a mindset applicable for the future and that’s how they will be successful,” he said.

ISSUE 6 CORRECTIONS

It is The Octagon’s policy to correct factual errors and to clarify potentially confusing statements. Email us: octagon@scdsstudent.org.

Page 4 “San Joaquin League”: The girls soccer team competed in friendly matches with the Sacramento Metropolitan Athletic League (SMAL), not the San Joaquin League.

Page 4 “Delta League champions”: The tennis team is defending its title as Server Delta League champions, not Delta League Champions.

Page 5 “Country Day’s first-ever boys volleyball team”: Boys volleyball is a club, not a team, and County Day used to have a boys volleyball team.

Page 5 “section playoffs”: The golf team is attempting to qualify for league, not section, playoffs.

Page 5 “Central Valley California League”: The track and field team ended its 2021-22 season as second in the combined CVCL/SMAL/NPAC league, not just the CVCL.

Pages 6-7 “Ash LaPlaca”: LaPlaca was incorrectly identified as using she/ her pronouns. LaPlaca uses they/them pronouns.

Consumerism: Change begins with individual actions

(continued from page 1)

with consumer trends. The immediate accessibility of the internet as a culture setter has resulted in constant trend changes.

“The flip side of fast fashion is that the product streams tend to be very inefficient. Because there is a lot of effort put into making sure the clothing is inexpensive, it uses poor quality material that breaks down rapidly, making it resource-intensive,” middle school science teacher Cade Grunst said. “The instinct might be to point the finger at this industry because it is very wasteful; however, it is the consumer demands for new things that drive this fast fashion industry.”

As someone who constantly interacts with teenagers, Grunst has observed that fashion trends seem to shift every five to six months.

The fast fashion industry has normalized and facilitated a culture around fashion that is ever-changing, influencing the younger generations’ consumption of products.

Freshman Ava Dunham believes fast fashion is detrimental to our environment. Companies should be aware of their carbon footprint and try to humanely source their material, she said.

The focus on consumption patterns does not only apply to the fashion industry but also to the food industry, particularly in the United States. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the United States is the world’s largest consumer of beef.

This is a problem because cows are ruminant digesters. They eat grass, which slowly ferments in their stomachs. Most of that fermentation produces methane gas, which they burp out.

Another problem is cattle grazing on the land, which is a major cause of deforestation in the Amazon and in sensitive areas of the United States.

“A large fraction of Amazon deforestation is driven by the United States’ demand for beef. We use over a third of our land area for cattle grazing. That does not meet our demand, so we also import cattle from South America, much of which is

grazed from recently deforested rainforest,” Grunst said.

Still, we must not just focus our attention towards the direct causes, he said.

“All of modern civilization is contributing to the problem. One thing I advocate for is don’t let perfect be the enemy of good,” Grunst said.

Instead, we as a society should work to make even the smallest amount of change possible, Grunst said.

Grunst is not a vegetarian but has significantly cut back his meat consumption and eliminated most of his beef consumption.

“We are getting to the point where the effects of climate change are becoming significantly more obvious in the world. We are capable of change,” Grunst said.

Sophomore Manny Biddle is making that change by shifting toward more sustainable and ethical practices, particularly when it comes to food.

“Think about what you are eating and where it comes from. Be conscious of choosing a non-meat option,” Biddle said.

A 2016 study conducted by Oxford University found that by switching to a plantbased diet, people could reduce their carbon footprints by 73% annually.

Biddle also said it is important to buy from responsible brands that make sustainable products that do not exploit our environment.

For example, certifications, like A Greener World’s Certified Animal Welfare Approved certificates, guarantee that the companies selling grocery meat products raised the animals humanely and sustainably.

“I hope that people become more aware of the decisions they make, especially young people; they are the ones that are usually being marketed products,” Biddle said.

In parallel, John Lundgren, the county’s Sustainability Manager, said when it comes to environmental degradation, the solution is more than just pointing fingers and placing blame on others for environmental issues. It starts with yourself, he said.

Whether that is evaluating the true necessity of a purchase or being mindful of

the environmental impact of an individual’s daily choices, Lundgren emphasizes the importance of taking personal responsibility in making conscious decisions.

“For example, before I can tell someone that they’re not environmental enough, I would certainly want to examine my own life and my own contributions to climate change,” he said.

In addition, Grunst said that cultivating compassion towards the environment is crucial in finding a solution to environmental issues.

“[To be an environmentalist] means that you have care and compassion in preserving the environment,” Lundgren said.

To him, people should care about the environment because it is what sustains us ecologically. Our food is grown in the air we breathe, the water we drink, and the soil we reside on, Lundgren said. That said, people can care about the environment in different ways.

Oftentimes, advocacy and activism are common forms through which individuals leave a positive impact on the environment.

However, although commonly used interchangeably, Lundgren outlined the clear distinction between advocacy and activism Advocacy refers to the promotion or support of a cause, idea or policy through long-term, legislative efforts. Activism refers to direct action aimed at producing immediate social or political change, often through protests and civil disobedience.

While advocacy and activism both share the goal of bringing about change, advocacy focuses more on long-term policy change and activism prioritizes more immediate action and visibility.

Although Lundgren, who considers himself an advocate, recognizes the power of youth and their passion for inspiring immediate change through the means of activism, he said it’s equally as important to consider the effectiveness of that component in the long term.

“If you want to really make a difference, I challenge you to think long-term, not short-term. I challenge you to think what’s effective and realistic, and I challenge you

to think with an open mind that your viewpoints might not be entirely reflective of the entire circumstance,” Lundgren said.

“I believe things will get better as they have continually been,” Lundgren said. “I see a pathway for success, and I think there’s definitely hope.”

Domestic Violence: Experts recommend seeking help

(continued from page 1)

Master of Science in Biotechnology.

“If one thing is being communicated, and something else is not being reciprocated, I think that’s a potential sign that maybe the relationship won’t go the way you plan.”

Toxic relationships can also center around blame or conflict, she said. A potential “red flag” can be blocking a meaningful discussion.

When these behaviors escalate to the level of abuse, the relationship can enter the realm of domestic violence.

The U.S. Department of Justice defines domestic violence as “a pattern of abusive behavior in any relationship” used by one partner within a relationship to gain control over the other.

These abusive behaviors can range from technological, psychological, sexual or physical abuse, according to the DOJ.

For those in abusive relationships, there are three major avenues of support.

Legal remedies

The California Victims Resource Center, managed by the University of the Pacific, offers legal and educational help to those within the state.

“Our Resource Center operates the 1-800-VICTIMS hotline and maintains a database of resources located throughout California,” said Jacob Elmsworth, a law clerk with the center.

Staff also help victims understand their rights under Marsy’s Law, an amendment to the state Constitution that protects “a victim’s rights to justice and due process.”

For those in abusive relationships, there are several legal remedies available, Elmsworth said.

“It depends on what the victim’s specific goals are,” Elmsworth said. “A victim may choose to obtain a Domestic Violence Restraining Order against their partner. A victim may also choose to report the abuse to the police, which then starts the criminal justice process and could ultimately lead to criminal charges and a conviction against the abuser

According to Elmsworth, there are several legal options including housing, local domestic violence and financial options. Although not all victims would choose to take legal actions.

Professional support

WEAVE, a non-profit organization, is a Sacramento County provider of domestic violence services.

While WEAVE provides legal services, its support also includes crisis counseling and community education, said Laura Swatzen, Prevention and Education Department Manager.

Although WEAVE primarily serves adults in the Sacramento community, resources are also available for children and teenagers.

“We see folks as young as 4 for free individual counseling, but we also offer group counseling,” she said.

WEAVE advocates are also embedded within schools.

“It’s working with different teachers and classrooms to take over that time period to provide activities and workshops during that time,” Swartzen said.

If a teenager reports sexual or domestic violence, “we’re definitely going to be talking to them about their safety,” Swartzen said.

“We’re going to ask if they want counsel-

ing, mental health care; we’re going to ask if they want medical care,” she said.

While outcomes can vary from person to person, WEAVE aims to help clients succeed long term.

“Our hope and our goal is to empower clients, empower survivors, to give them hope, and to help them rebuild and or build a life that feels safe and warm,” Swartzen said.

Community support

While support for those in unhealthy or abusive relationships often comes from organizations dedicated to that purpose, concerned family members or friends can also be valuable resources for those in need.

The anonymous Country Day student who dealt with a toxic relationship sought help from a therapist.

“It was just a way for me to seek out help without going and telling people that are involved in my daily life,” she said.

A simple first step can be beginning a conversation like the one the student had, David said.

She recommended that those on the outside of an abusive relationship remain encouraging. If the person within the relationship is posing a danger to themselves or to others, seek immediate assistance, she said.

The anonymous student emphasized the importance of seeking help, whether from friends or family, in order to break free from unhealthy relationships.

“It’s hard to get out of those relationships,” she said, “but I think knowing your worth, and knowing that, it’s not normal to be treated that way will give you enough willpower to leave.”

SCDS teachers explore music through bands, practice

Mr. Arns

History teacher Christopher Arns has taken a liking for the unique sound of the banjo.

Around 13 years ago, Arns heard the British folk rock band Mumford & Sons play the banjo in many of their songs. Since then, he has been playing the instrument on and off.

“Hearing the versatility of that instrument, I just thought that it sounds cool,” Arns said. “There are lots of types of music that I can learn how to play on the banjo.”

Arns primarily plays bluegrass and folk tunes, songs like “You Are My Sunshine,” “Foggy Moun tain Breakdown” and “Cripple Creek.”

The banjo is a very technical instrument, re quiring intense finger coordination from both hands. Although Arns started out by trying to teach himself how to play the instrument, he found that taking lessons was the better route.

“It was pretty frustrating, so I took some video and sit-down lessons. That was pretty helpful,” he said.

Arns doesn’t perform, but rather plays the banjo for fun, seeing it as an opportunity to relax and be mindful.

“It’s something that’s creative, it’s something that’s recharging,” he said.

Mr. Day

French teacher Richard Day’s love for music began after his older brother picked up the har monica and discovered the blues genre. Day was 10, and since then his musical passion has only grown.

At first, Day would listen to blues albums on vinyls that his brother brought home.

Taking after his brother, Day’s first instrument was the harmonica, which is a popular blues in strument.

“My brother had a huge influence on me,” he said.

He began playing the harmonica when he was 13 and hasn’t stopped since.

Near the end of Day’s senior year of high school, his music interest began to shift from blues to jazz.

So he picked up the guitar, teaching himself how to play in the company of his friends.

“This was an era when jazz-rock fusion was big, so there were these incredible, fast guitar players in jazz-rock,” he said. “I really dug that.”

Day has been playing the harmonica and guitar on and off since then, but he only began performing with bands after moving to Davis in 1990.

From then until now, he has been playing the electric guitar or harmonica for multiple bands, mainly playing blues, rock, folk and rhythm and blues.

Now, Day is officially a member of three bands. Ever since the COVID-19 quarantine, his bands haven’t been gigging as much as they used to, but they are currently working on publicly per forming more often again.

“There’s hardly a day that goes by that I’m not either rehearsing or playing for fun,” he said. Beyond performing at gigs, Day still enjoys simply getting with friends to enjoy music to gether.

“That’s more important to me than mak ing money from gigs,” he said.

Whether he’s practicing for a performance or just playing to relax, Day has always appreciated the deeper aspects of playing music.

“Music touches people in their heart and their soul,” he said. “It’s about bringing people together and making people work together and collaborate.”

Fortissimo Mr. Panasiti Mr. Wells

Head over to downtown Davis and you may see English and Spanish teacher Diego Panasiti on stage with his 10-member band, Bomba Fried

A guitar player at heart, Panasiti has been playing the instrument since he was 6.

He joined Bomba Fried Rice, a local Davis band, during the late spring of 2020.

The band plays a variety of genres, ranging from salsa and reggae to ska and Latin rock.

Panasiti helps out the band by playing rhythm guitar, in which he primarily focuses on playing chords. He is also a vocalist and writer.

“I think as a musician, I often think about ways that I can kind of contribute to music,” he said.

Panasiti considers himself to be one of the agents in songwriting of the band, making himself part of a group of three or four members that produce lyrics.

“We do a kind of free association type of jamming and rhyming, and then that kind of leads to a structure, and then that turns into a song when you polish it,” he said.

Bomba Fried Rice tends to meet once a week to practice. During the spring and fall, when the band receives more requests to play at shows, they practice more often.

“It kind of fluctuates, but the summer and winter are kind of our downtime,” Panasiti said.

One of Panasiti’s favorite performances took place during September of 2022 in the Davis Central Park.

“When we played, we had one of the biggest crowds; it was around 8,000 people,” he said. “We filled up the whole park.”

In the future, the band hopes to produce an album. Most importantly, Panasiti hopes to just keep playing.

“I think the main thing for us is just to enjoy the music and have fun,” he said.

Almost every Country Day high school student has heard the famous song led by Head of High School Brooke Wells: “Plums in the Icebox.”

Every year, during the senior class’s last morning meeting, Wells plays the guitar while the high school sings along to the cheerful song.

“It’s funny; it makes me laugh,” Wells said. “I think it’s a nice thing to do.”

The guitar was always a popular instrument in the Wells household, so it came as no surprise that he started to play as well.

“Every time we did something fun after dinner, guitars were involved a lot of times,” Wells said.

As a kid, Wells looked up to American guitarist Jimi Hendrix, often trying to imitate his playing style.

“He was a big figure in my childhood, from when I was 10 years old until I was around 17,” Wells said.

Now, Wells often plays songs by Bob Dylan, Mississippi John Hurt, John Prine, Grateful Dead and various other artists.

“The classic rock stuff is always fun,” he said.

Wells no longer plays in a band, but he still practices as often as he can.

“I go on spurts; some months I’ll play two or three times a day every day, and sometimes I won’t play for a week or so,” Wells said.

In addition to practicing guitar for the sake of enjoyment, Wells also plays the instrument to help teach certain concepts in his English classes.

“A lot of times, there’s connections between music and literature,” Wells said.

One year, Wells played some old blues songs from the era that “The Grapes of Wrath” the book took place during, the 1930s. In doing so, he showed the class how the structure of those songs are similar to modern rock songs.

“Music is a source of human history, kindness and pleasure,” he said.

“It is communication at a higher level.”

STORY BY AVA EBERHART, GRAPHICS BY WILLIAM HOLZ; PHOTO BY REHAN AFZAL

Students intern at colleges, conduct scientific research

fake scenarios and ask them to explain how the subject might feel.”

With this study, DeBerry learned more about what children thought about their own identity.

that I’m more interested in society than the indi vidual.”

Senior Simone DeBerry has always been fascinated by human behavior. Be it criminal behavior, adolescent behavior or even her own behavior, she has longed to understand why people behave as they do.

When DeBerry learned she could explore her interest in behavior as a member of Duke University’s Identity and Diversity Lab, she jumped at the opportunity.

“Both psychology and research have been passions of mine for a long time,” she said. “In the lab, I knew I would be able to merge these two interests.”

The Identity and Diversity Lab, better known as the ID Lab, ex-

plores the relationships between social identity, perception and behavior.

In her six-month internship, DeBerry focused her time on two studies: Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and All Babies and Children Thrive (ABC Thrive).

The first of the two, PCA, sought to understand how multiracial and multicultural children’s racial identities influenced their perception of themselves.

“Typically, with PCA, I would hop on a Zoom call with a 6 to 8-year-old kid for about 30 minutes,” DeBerry said. “During that time, I would have their parent read them a little story, and then I would tell them a few

The second study, ABC Thrive, was created to uncover how children learned best by analyzing gestures, affects and race. In most cases, it took between 45 and 60 minutes to analyze one participant.

“Each shift, I would start by checking in with the lab manager, and she would give me my tasks for the day,” she said. Although DeBerry described her weekly commitment as minimal — about 6 hours — she considered the experience meaningful.

“Going in, I knew I wanted to be a professor, but I thought my focus would be in psychology,” she said. “Don’t get me wrong, I still love psychology, but I’ve found

As a result, DeBerry intends to major in so ciology in college, con centrating her studies on law, justice and soci ety. Still, even with so ciology as her new dis cipline of interest, she said the ID Lab will al ways have a special place in her heart.

“The people I met and the experi ences I gained were invaluable,” she said.

“That kind of hands-on learning is entirely unique, and I think any high schooler with the op portunity should take it.”

With an interest in a medical career and a passion to learn more about bones, junior Zoe Genetos focused her undergraduate research on the examination of bones.

Her research sought to uncover how bones can change when they are genetically mutated.

Genetos chose to center her undergraduate research on this lab because she was interested in orthopedics.

“I kind of always knew that I wanted to do the orthopedic side of medicine, and doing this research was a really fun way to see the more research-based side of it,” Genetos said.

She researched alongside her parents, professor and Chair of the Department of

Anatomy, Physiology and Cell Biology Clare Yellowley-Genetos and Professor in Residence Damian Genetos in the Veterinary Medicine lab at University of California, Davis.

Genetos started and completed the research during the summer of 2022, which allowed her to devote more time to the lab.

“Since we weren’t in school, it’s not like I had to balance out my time with homework. I just had to go in for a few hours a day, get it done, and then live with my life outside of it,” Genetos said.

Genetos collected data about what was occurring when the bones were genetically mutated.

ZOE GENETOS

She worked in her parents’ computer lab and examined images of bones. She used computer programs from the lab to identify how much color was in the bone.

All of the data Genetos recorded over her two-month internship contributed to a research paper that was 5 years in the making.

Genetos was able to get her name on the research

paper which was being published by medical professionals.

Although this lab helped her realize that she wanted to stay on the hands-on side of research instead of behind the scenes, Genetos learned more about orthopedics.

“It was a cool experience for me to understand more of the genetic makeup of bone,” she said.

ORTHOPEDIC RESEARCH INTERNSHIP

Sophomore Manny Biddle has always had an interest in psychology and research.

To pursue this interest, Biddle focused his undergraduate research on psychology with Alicia Herrera, an assistant professor of undergraduate studies in education at California State University, Sacramento.

His research focused on curriculum studies and how students are affected by what they are taught in school.

To connect his research with curriculum studies, Biddle’s research centered around Country Day’s Sophomore Project, a yearlong project completed by all 10th

grade students.

For his research, Biddle reached out to Country Day students chosen by Herrera. Herrera interviewed each student and Biddle collected qualitative data about what students learned based on their project. Biddle’s only concern was related to the number of people he overall contacted.

“I wanted to get a wider range of perspectives,” Biddle said.

To manage his time, Biddle scheduled each email he sent reaching out for interviews. He met with Herrera for about two hours each week to check in with the progress each person had made. When the

two could not meet in person, they talked via Zoom or email.

With the information regarding what the students learned from their sophomore project, Biddle and Herrera plan to make a poster for their presentation on their undergraduate research project.

While working on this research, Biddle’s plans for his future changed.

“I’m now more interested in environmental science, but psychology is definitely interesting

to me,” Biddle said. “That’s part of why I wanted to research it in the first place.”

Biddle’s new interest is in ecology.

Although he experienced a change in focus, he still enjoyed working on his research with Herrera and plans on researching other topics in the future.

“When I was younger, I was naturally drawn to psychology,” Biddle said.

“But as I’m getting older, I discovered more of my own interests.”

MANNY BIDDLE

TRAPPING OUR ATTENTION

Social media platforms have turned to short-form content, causing a crisis unique to the digital generation: decreased attention spans impacting both academic performance and mental health.

Although earlier platforms such as Vine and Musical.ly were the first to hold shortform content, it was not until TikTok was released that this form of content started to blow up.

TikTok allows users to create and watch 15-second videos that are endlessly compiled into its “For You page,” creating a stream of addictive content.

Apps such as Instagram and YouTube have followed suit, extending their platforms to adopt this format of media by implementing Reels on Instagram and Shorts on YouTube. Not only has this shift resulted in massive growth and profit for social media companies, but it has allowed for a surge in content production.

STORY BY LAUREN LU & ZEMA NASIROV; GRAPHICS BY AVA EBERHART & GARMAN XU

Need to Disconnect

For Country Day freshman Morgan Hansen, the urge to scroll through TikTok rather than start her homework becomes an issue when trying to focus on academics.

“When I get home, I have to immediately do my homework because if I sit there for like two seconds, I know that right when I open [Tik Tok], I am done for,” Hansen said.

Social media also negatively impacts junior Grace Zhao’s academics by enabling and worsening her pre-existing struggles with procrastination.

Despite logic telling her to remove distractions from her study area, the urge to scroll is sometimes more compelling, Zhao said.

“Once I start scrolling, it takes so much willpower for me to stop, which wastes time that I could use in much healthier ways,” Zhao said.

Though Zhao identifies herself as a strong reader, she has also discovered that extended use of social media and consumption of short-form content has caused her reading comprehension skills and reading speed to deteriorate.

George R. Mangun, Ph.D, a professor of psychology and neurology at the University of California, Davis, attributes the addictive nature of many social media platforms to the way in which they manipulate the brain’s reward system.

Dopamine, a chemical known as a neurotransmitter, is used for communication between different nerves and brain circuits. Strongly associated with the brain’s reward system, dopamine is primarily released when engaging in activities that make one feel happy or relaxed.

“When one expects or receives a reward, dopamine is released,” Mangun said. “Enjoying social media causes dopamine to be released, which in turn reinforces the association between pleasure and social media.”

The short-form content model allows for this process to happen rapidly and repeatedly.

Another obstacle for Zhao that social media creates is a decreased attention span.

Combined with the urge to scroll, a shorter attention span has made completing her homework quickly and efficiently a battle, Zhao said.

“[Social media] ruins my attention span, which makes it really difficult to get through English readings in particular,” Zhao said.

According to Mangun, this is to be expected and coincides with studies on reading comprehension in children.

“Heavy social media use in early life is very detrimental to reading level, as it results in reduced reading,” Mangun said.

Although Zhao has had Internet access and various social media accounts for years, she identified COVID-19 quarantine as the time period that caused her dependence on social media to become overwhelming and pose a major obstacle in completing tasks.

“During distance learning, while we were all stuck at home in 2020, I spent so much time online,” Zhao said. “The effects were so severe that I completely lost the

ability to focus.”

One factor that makes the overconsumption of social media so detrimental to the attention span is the immediate gratification that the brain receives, Mangun said.

According to Mangun, the short-form content model allows users to scroll endlessly, see countless posts in one sitting — the reward is instantaneous, as opposed to the delayed gratification received from working on a long term task, such as homework.

As a result, the mind is trained to seek out easily obtained, instant dopamine hits, lowering focus, Mangun said.

For Hansen, the instant dopamine hit associated with her cellphone has caused them to lose focus of her once-loved hobbies.

Hansen enjoys crochet and usually watches a show or movie while working on a project. However, with a device that holds endless content only an arm’s length away, they struggle to make time for their passions.

“My other hobbies kind of take a backseat compared to social media because it’s just really easy not having to do anything; whereas, with other hobbies, you might have to be out in the world,” Hansen said.

The sophomore who requested anonymity often is more inclined to Reels on Instagram rather than shows or movies.

“It’s almost like it feels slow. When you’re watching an anime, the plot progresses slowly, but on a Reel, you have instant gratification of the humor,” the sophomore said.

In addition to the impact of short-form content that distances users from their hobbies, it can also have significant impacts on mental health, both positive and negative.

The sophomore found social media benefits by joining communities discussing mental health.

Coming into high school without a supportive friend group to rely on forced them to cope with difficult experiences alone.

“In real life, I don’t have many people who have the same experiences or issues as I do, but I can connect with other people who are like me through social media,” the sophomore said.

Although Zhao recognizes that face-toface interaction is more powerful than any social exchange through Instagram, she said social media brings her closer to her friends.

“I can see what cool things they’re up to, send them funny stuff, or just talk about whatever,” Zhao said. “I know some people say that online interaction doesn’t count, but it’s pretty impactful to me.”

The ability to check up on friends through social media is indispensable; however, it becomes an issue when her time spent on these apps causes her academic endeavors or attention span to suf-

Overcome the Attachment

fer, Zhao said.

“I’m still trying to figure out how to balance the necessity of social media for friendships with the impact that it has on me mentally,” Zhao said.

In addition to a dependence on social media, Zhao is aware of the drastic negative effects that has on her mental health.

“Past a certain point, my screen time directly correlates to low self-esteem, lack of motivation and feelings of depression,” Zhao said.

Her body image is also influenced.

Mangun said social media constantly presents unattainable, seemingly perfect images of body form and other aspects of life. This is comparable to the effect that beauty magazines and advertisements have had in the past, though it is much more pervasive and widespread on social media.

For young people in particular, the result is the development of unrealistic, toxic standards for themselves, Mangun said. Zhao also experiences increased feelings of poor self-discipline, which relates to how social media often worsens her procrastination.

Social media platforms use an algorithm that is constructed so that when a user interacts with a post, the app will showcase other posts with similar content or format, thinking that those are appealing to its audience, Mangun said.

“People like to be agreed with, and social media uses that,” he said

However, this feature can backfire.

For example, social media’s addictive nature causes Zhao to doom scroll, which is spending an excessive amount of time consuming negative information and news online.

“It’s kind of scary how much social media messes with you mentally,” Zhao said. “After I get off a doom scroll, I feel like a total zombie. Then, I’m upset at myself for losing self-control and the whole thing spirals.”

One way that Zhao has tried to limit her time spent consuming social media is by installing screen time limiters. However, she has found that they are not effective.

“They are the bane of my existence,” Zhao said. “I installed one yesterday, and I’ve taken 10 seconds to turn it off everytime I felt the craving to scroll. I don’t know how to outsmart myself.”

One concern with social media is the increased attachment to devices rather than the outside world.

At Country Day, students find themselves spending an average of three and a half hours on social media everyday according to a March 22 Octagon poll with 24 respondents out of 167 high school students. This raises the concern with the lack of restrictions to limit screen time to distance students from their screens.

Checking screen time in the Settings app can reveal the extent of this habit,

which Hansen has tried.

“There was one week where we had off and I was sick, and I would get screen time updates telling me like, ‘this week you’ve been down.’ I had, like, 14 hours on my phone,” Hansen said. “It was mostly TikTok or messages, and I was like, ‘I’ve been caught.’ Maybe I should have been resting or getting better.”

Although the addictive content of these platforms continues to grow, there is still hope for its users to enjoy the benefits of the app while restraining themselves and looking to the outside world.

The anonymous sophomore, for example, began to realize that they had become more digitally attached last summer than they had been. They hadn’t spent as much time reading books and indulging hobbies, leading them to step back and realize that it was time to cut down the hours they spent on their screen.

They started by deleting a few apps, creating restrictions to their screen time inevitably. Through the process they found that they spent time reading when they needed a break rather than reaching for their phone to scroll through social media. Three weeks after they started the process, they re-downloaded social media with the intent to continue the distance they had built and trust themselves to not fall back into the addicting loop of social media.

Since then, they have been able to balance both social media and the hobbies they loved, creating hope for those facing the same dilemma.

As for Hansen, she tries to remind herself that it is best to not get attached to these platforms and content because there is a world outside to explore.

Another issue contributing to the trap of endless scrolling is that media platforms do not have screen time indicators or clocks. In addition, many do not have time limits or scrolling restrictions.

An older version of TikTok made it impossible to view the time while using the app, so that users could spend hours scrolling without being aware of how much time had passed.

Eventually, TikTok did resolve the issue and included the clock on the viewing screen. However, this solution has more room for improvement.

For example, Hansen said that adding a timer to track screen time on TikTok would be an effective live indicator, allowing users to confront and become aware of their habits.

“It would definitely be eye-opening. Like, ‘Wow, I’ve been on here for an hour — What are all the other things that I could have done instead of watching a weird TikTok of some guy eating Oreos?’” Hansen said. “It would definitely be a new level.”

Although the widespread use of social media is changing the students’ attention spans and other aspects of their lives, installing time restrictions is not a definitive solution to the problem, Mangun said.

“People can easily type in the password and bypass the time limit,” Mangun said. “If you want to overcome a dependence to social media, you must practice self-discipline and commit to it fully.”

It’s kind of scary how much social media messes with you mentally.”

GRACE ZHAO

EDITORIAL: Country Day should add more humanities classes

Since the 2001 coining of the term STEM — science, technology, engineering and mathematics — schools, including our own, cannot get enough of these classes. But, while everyone’s attention has been turned toward the new and shiny STEM curriculum, it appears the humanities have been neglected. It’s an inattention that cannot continue, due to the uniquely beneficial nature of the humanities.

Next school year, Country Day will offer nine of the College Board’s 13 Advanced Placement math, computer science and science classes. In addition to those, there will be seven honors STEM classes including four Advanced Topics courses.

In contrast, the school will offer only three of the College Board’s 10 Advanced Placement humanities courses in English, history and social science classes and two Advanced Topics humanities classes.

The discrepancy between the number of advanced STEM classes and advanced humanities classes is obvious — but why is it the case? After all, it has not always been this way.

“Five years ago, there was no computer science program at all, so we wanted to build that. That became sort of the push: to develop a real robust computer science program,” said Head of High School Brooke Wells.

But, as the computer science program was being fleshed out, the school was cutting back on its history department.

AP European History, which was last offered during the 2018-19 school year, was cut as it did not align with the school’s mission of diversity and inclusion. Just two years later, the school stopped offering AP Human Geography after its teacher left the school.

Now, the removal of these classes alone is not the problem; rather, the issue is in the fact that these classes were never replaced within the curriculum.

“Tipping the scales” by Brynne Barnard-Bahn

Country Day prides itself in its commitment to intellectual discovery, diversity, critical thinking, creativity and compassion, but that cannot be accomplished without providing opportunities for advancement in the humanities.

Courses in writing, analysis and history provide countless opportunities for students to explore these skills.

These courses do exist at SCDS: the new Creative Writing class, taught during Elective II, is a place where students can strengthen writing skills while exploring their imagination.

However, more courses are needed in order to provide students with options.

Whether it’s through writing an argumentative essay or studying historical context, the humanities allow students to expand their analytical skills.

The ability to contextualize and parse texts is paramount in a modern society. While STEM education provides students with the skills needed to solve important problems, those problem-solving skills are strengthened with the liberal arts.

High school history teacher Christopher Arns emphasized the importance of humanities education in developing students’ abilities.

“Nowadays, there’s a lot of focus on STEM education, which is absolutely important,” he said. However, it cannot exist in isolation.

“STEM education is meant to solve some issue or problem in the world. If you don’t know what those issues are, then how can you truly apply it?”

Colleges and universities around the country also require STEM majors to take humanities courses.

MIT, famously known for excellence in STEM, requires students to continue exploring social sciences.

“(STEM fields) can serve the world best when informed by the cultural, political, spatial and economic complexities of human existence, beliefs, and ways of inhabiting the earth,” MIT’s website states.

Even the most complex physics or

biology problems cannot be done in a vacuum; rather, they require conversation and communication — which the humanities develop.

Senior Ryan Paul, who plans to major in economics, recognizes the importance of liberal arts in his college career.

“It helps me understand how you know the world works, and it’ll definitely expand my views and my knowledge,” he said. “So I think that’ll be very helpful going forward, especially in the professional world.”

However, he said he would have benefited from social science courses at Country Day, such as AP Psychology or AP Government.

“It’s essential to your understanding of the country and understanding of people, which will definitely help in the future,” he said.

Other possible courses could include Gender Studies, the new AP African American Studies course or another political science class.

It’s not only students who are interested in expanding the program; teachers such as High School English Department Chair Jason Hinojosa have also expressed interest in teaching subjects they are passionate about.

“Queer Studies, African American Literature, Latin American Literature; I would love to see those,” Hinojosa said. “I have spoken to a number of teachers who say they wished they could do that.”

However, Hinojosa cited a lack of teachers and space as reasons these courses have not materialized.

While these are important concerns, it is clear that both student and teacher interest in these courses is present. If new classes in the sciences can be added, why not in the humanities?

Country Day’s academics and our STEM program can only be strengthened by a robust liberal arts program; it will be worth the effort to get there.

2023-24 CLASSES

ADVANCED STEM

AP Calculus AB

AP Calculus BC

AP Computer Science A

AP Computer Science Principles

AP Statistics

AP Biology

AP Chemistry

AP Physics C: Electricity & Magnetism

AP Physics C: Mechanics

AT in Applied Science

AT in Applied Computer Science

AT in Calculus

AT in Anatomy & Physiology

Honors Geometry

Honors Algebra II

Honors Pre-Calculus

ADVANCED HUMANITIES

AP Microeconomics

AP United States History

AP English Language & Composition

AT in English Literature

AT in Art History

NOTE: AP is Advanced Placement, AT is Advanced Topics

MY ANGLE: Escaping the social media black hole

BY GARMAN XU

Last semester, as a senior riding the edge of burnout, I had a moment of ironic realization as I scrolled through the endless pile of trending YouTube videos on self-help and productivity. I was trying to find tips to improve my work efficiency on a platform with algorithms specifically built to make users less productive.

Before I knew it, social media had become a deep sinkhole of subconscious habits draining the time I needed to accomplish my goals.

Luckily, after taking advice from a pile of self-help books and productivity YouTube videos throughout the past few months, I learned that there are many simple and tangible ways to break away from unhealthy and unproductive social media usage.

Once I regained control over my own schedule, adopted better plans for scheduling daily tasks and set personal limits, I was able to enjoy the perks of social media without hindering my day-to-day productivity.

Utilizing the Help of Extensions

In my experience, the root of the problem was not even social media. Instead, I found it to be an endless loop of both work and social stress.

On days when my schedule was especially overloaded, the urge to gravitate toward social media was greater, which to my disappointment only led to less sleep and more stress.

In other words, whenever I turned to Instagram to relieve stress, I would only end up worsening the unhealthy cycle for myself for the next day.

After my initial efforts to “stop this madness” made little progress, I decided to set forceful limits to fix my habits.

My first step was to set hard restrictions on my access to social media by using app-block extensions, which allowed me to manually block target apps or websites. Setting these limitations on both my laptop and phone during my study sessions helped create a better environment for focusing.

When I first started using these extensions, I was surprised by how many times I opened Instagram or Twitter on my phone without an actual purpose; these platforms trained a fear of missing out on my routine, making my constant feed-checking an almost subconscious action. Even with my eyes closed, my fingers could still find their way to my social media apps because my brain had already trained that action into my muscle memory.

Although it was certainly annoying at times, meeting the blocked page interrupted my subconscious urge to open up social media and allowed me to rethink my priorities. Even if it was for a few seconds, that reminder was enough to help me recognize and start fixing my flaws.

DFTube was another great Google Chrome extension I found useful to deal with my YouTube demons. It has toggles to individually disable the comment section and the platform’s recommended videos page, both potential timesinks. Although these functions are seemingly simple, they really helped me stay focused on the site whenever I needed to access YouTube for educational content.

Actively negating YouTube’s algorithm and autoplay features forced me to be more purposeful in searching. In addition to study time, I also started to block off sessions for family time and for my morning and night routines.

Similarly, I was able to recognize more issues with my own device attachment by slowly being accustomed to my new habits. I used to be attached to my phone the moment I woke up, so I was surprised by how much faster I could get through my morning routine when I started distancing myself from it.

Daily Journaling

Another powerful strategy that keeps me accountable is journaling.

At the start of each day, I evaluate the tasks I have to complete for the day and create a journal entry to keep myself on track.

In the evening, I return to my entry to reflect on my work and jot down a few notable ideas or experiences for future reference.

I found the act of writing down my plans very helpful in officially solidifying them. In addition, it provides a bit of mindset-prepping before I go forth with my day.

I also experimented with both physical and online journaling. Although I ultimately settled for a free online cloudbased journal for organization, both methods were effective as long as I remembered to consistently make updates every day.

The entries themselves should not have to be anything complicated either. For most days, I simply rewrite the CAVnet

assignments I need to complete so I can come back and check them off later.

I personally found this method to be helpful in two ways. One, it is motivating to check off tasks as I work my way through the day. And two, the checklist structure also allows me to break my workload into smaller, manageable chunks.

In addition, I make sure to reward myself and relax after each study session or chunk of work, no matter how small. I’ll admit, I will sometimes watch a whole episode of a TV show or anime after just completing a few homework problems or writing a few work-related emails. However, in my view, a little work done is better than nothing at all!

And, the beauty of it is that this work structure still allows me to check social media throughout the day in addition to being productive.

Takeaways

Only through small steps was I able to turn my schedule around.

Although there are more strategies than the ones I have recommended, utilizing app-blockers and starting a daily journal are simple tasks anyone can start incorporating in their daily workflows. Of course, everyone should experiment with what works best for them. But in my experience, success will come by being proactive and staying consistent.

ADVICE: Handling flirtation and scholastic anxiety

BY ANONYMOUS

This is an advice column that responds to questions from anonymous Country Day students. To submit, send a question to the Google form sent out on Feb. 21. Responses are not guaranteed, but all submissions are welcome.

Q: What do I do when my boyfriend flirts with other girls?

I’m sure you’ve heard it before, but communication is key. When there are issues in any relationship, the only healthy way to handle them is by directly addressing them.

If you let frustrations about your boyfriend’s behavior fester, you’ll only build up resentment. So, rather than sit by and watch him flirt with other girls, it’s important you speak with him.

Now, before you talk to him, it’s necessary that we assess the possibilities.

First, his behavior, although it’s unlikely, could be unintentional. If that is the case, a healthy conversation could likely be the end of this issue.

If he doesn’t realize that his actions are flirtatious, then you’ll need to define what you believe is flirting and how it makes you feel. Where does friendliness end and flirtation begin? That should be the focus of the conversation.

The second possibility is that he does not consider the relationship exclusive. In that case, you two will need to have a conversation about the relationship itself. I know it’s sad, but if neither of you feel comfortable adjusting the status of the

relationship, then it’s likely best that the relationship end.

Now, the third and most likely possibility is that his behavior is intentional. If that is the case, I want you to set a boundary for yourself.

No one deserves to be in a relationship in which they are not respected. So, make sure to have the conversation. Be transparent with him. Tell him how his behavior affects you and why you want it to stop. Most importantly, set the standard that you will not settle.

If you don’t want your boyfriend to flirt with other girls, tell him. If he can’t respect that, then end it.

Although some people may say it’s melodramatic to break up with someone over some “innocent” flirting, the foundation of a healthy relationship is respect. Flirting with other people is a telltale sign that your partner does not respect you nor your relationship. If that is the case, it’s likely best to end the relationship.

Q: I’ve always been someone that cares a lot about my schoolwork and my performance in school, but it really stresses me out. How do I stop myself from getting stressed out without completely giving up?

I think the issue you’re facing is with moderation. You have to find the perfect balance that works for you.

Since your natural inclination is to care too much, you need to call yourself out when you notice yourself falling victim to your own fallacies.

What do I mean when I say this?

Well, say you have a test coming up. Before the test, you might find yourself thinking, “if I do badly on this test, then

I’ll fail this class, and then I won’t get into college.”

Realistically, that would not happen.

If you do perform poorly on the test, then yes, your grade will likely drop, but in most cases, it won’t drop significantly.

If it does, you can dedicate more time to that class for the rest of the semester to make up for it. And, even if your grade doesn’t recover, you can still get into college.

So, when I find myself worrying too much, I often remind myself that it’s not each individual assignment that matters but my general performance and growth in the class. If your performance and understanding is typically sound, your grade on a particular assignment holds very little weight.

So, when you find yourself stressing out, you need to talk yourself through it realistically as if you were talking to someone else. Take yourself out of the situation and view it from an objective perspective.

If that doesn’t feel doable, I suggest you talk to a friend or maybe someone else that you trust. It often helps to see that other people have gone through similar situations.

For example, a senior could provide valuable insight on a sophomore problem because, although seniors are still kids with problems themselves, a senior may have overcome the particular challenges that sophomores face.

Older students can look back on the past with both objectivity and compassion because they themselves have faced and overcome the issues that you are encountering.

So, when you find yourself getting stressed out, either call yourself out on your anxiety or talk to someone that can understand your point of view while still being able to see the situation for what it is.

“Into the void” by Garman Xu

CHAND’S CRUISE CHECK-IN

RoyalCaribbean

STORY

JACOB CHAND

LU

Deciding to fly and jingle away from chickens and Christmas, the Octagon sent out one man to risk his spring break in the name of writing “c-lettered” reviews.

Landing on an idea, the editorial board shipped me to one of the biggest ships in the world, The Oasis of the Seas.

With Bob Marley on repeat and a suitcase filled with loose-fitting linen pants, I was ready to embark on an eight-day Caribbean cruise and the various amenities the ship had to offer.

Luckily, this wasn’t one of those ships where I was painted like one of Jack’s French girls, as there was something to do around every corner.

A morning aboard the Oasis of the Seas mainly consisted of obliterating senior citizens in pickleball in the cruise’s sports area.

With a regulation-sized basketball court, early morning games of pickleball with state-of-the-art, Royal Caribbean branded racquets, NBA-grade basketballs, and even the original rubber dodgeballs that everyone misses, ensured I was out looking my best for those later afternoon, shirtless, tropical strolls.

Due to the thousands of guests on board, however, lines to play formed out the door. This mixed with the intense Caribbean heat meant strategic planning on my part.

For the best results, signing up for staff-coordinated sports tournaments was the best way to avoid the lines and go against the best-of-the-best.

Nevertheless, Royal Caribbean’s state of the art equipment and organization

of mini-tournaments guaranteed passengers of all ages could stay active even while on vacation.

With hours of strenuous exercise in the book, a stroll along the ship’s railings led me to the ship’s two top-of -the-line FlowRider wave simulators.

Fearful of the consequences my lack of balance would create, I found one of my favorite trip past-times: watching other people fall.

In a shaded gallery, I spent my afternoons eating snacks and looking in awe as riders’ overconfidence quickly faded when legs started to tremble leading to their eventual demise of a face full of water.

It wasn’t until hours of peer pressure that karma would serve me justice.

Overcoming my initial fear proved to be difficult, but trained guides guaranteed I could get up and feel like the king of the sea.

Although that feeling didn’t last all too long, the FlowRider is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for inexperienced riders to dip their feet in the waters of surfing.

At this point, the day began to conclude, as passengers looked over the railing to watch the evening sun set into the beautiful pinks and purples of the sky.

Not me, though.

Night time was a chance to change out of swim trunks and into collared shirts and dancing shoes.

Like Vegas on water, the ship never slept, as passengers made their way to floor four.

There, they could find themselves at their 18+ nightclub and casinos.

Being my first time in a casino, the headache-inducing flash of the slot machines and pungent smell of cigarette smoke was overwhelming.

With some convincing by my friends, I looked around and scouted out the potential spots where I could win back the money we spent on the cruise.

As a rookie gambler, my time at the roulette table was short-lived, as a bad bet on red 15 left my wallet slimmer than any sense of hope I once had.

Nevertheless, Oasis of the Seas had an endless supply of distractions, as I made my way to the nightclub to sweat-off the number I did on the bottomless non-alcoholic Pina Coladas they served on floor 15.

With a lively and well-themed atmosphere, timeless music catered for all ages, and plenty of room to bust a move, the club social-life was by far the best activity on the ship.

Be warned, don’t get too distracted, as the term, “time flies when you’re having fun” has never been more evident.

After hours of loud music, dance circles and socializing, a glimpse at my phone showed it was 1:30 a.m., which was the only bad thing to come out of that experience.

This might not seem like the biggest deal when you’re on vacation, but when you have three days full of adventure, lack of sleep is sure to keep you from clubbing again.

This feeling was apparent for our first excursion, as Sint Marteen brought nothing but bad luck.

A series of unfortunate weather events canceled our sailing regatta plans. Adapting would prove difficult, as a place labeled the “Friendly Island” brought nothing but hostility.

A 50-minute wait for a taxi took us to the rustic town with rows of shops each identical to the next.

Frankly, it was a miracle to find a store that didn’t sell tee-shirts, alcohol or tobacco products.

After another series of disappointments, my family tested its luck at the restaurants lined across the beach.

Spiced-aromas seeped through kitchen vents, luring me to the island’s famous jerk chicken and fried plantains.

Robust flavor dribbled throughout the tender chicken thighs, contrasted with the sweetness of the cooked plantains.

Vacating out of my ‘hangryness,’ I headed to the irresistible jet ski rentals that bordered the ocean shores.

With the freedom to roam to my heart’s desires, I skipped across the water’s top until my stomach’s churning was more

vigorous than waves I was riding on.

I would later find this to be a poor decision, as the ski-excursion took the chicken out of my body and jerked me into the bushes behind the restaurant.

The thread of bad luck initially followed us to our next stop in Puerto Rico.

The day was my first time in the country and the first time I’ve ever been snorkeling without seeing a single fish.

As a self-proclaimed avid snorkeler, I never fail to have a good time in the ocean looking at the beauty of mother earth’s creation.

This was not the case, as low visibility, no fish and rough waters pushed me to stay on the boat.

Luckily, the city of San Juan’s animated vitality made me want to stay longer.

With quaint, pastel-bricked markets, and a diverse selection of antique jewelry, pottery and trinkets, this was the perfect place to buy souvenirs for those at home.

Deserving of their own Chand’s Checkin, the coconuts in Puerto Rico, however, were the highlight of the day.

Vendors climb barefooted up 25-foot trees, machete in hand, to deliver what I can only describe as the fruit of the gods.

The coconut’s thirst-quenching nature delivered an antidote to the intense heat.

A single sip is sure to make a city-slicker cooler than the cool Caribbean breeze.

The coconuts from Puerto Rico rolled us to Royal Caribbean’s private island, Coco Cay, home of the largest water slide in North America.

Our excitement was halted by the infamously dreaded family photos.

Yet, that was the key to a day of fun, seeing the island had a 33,000 square foot, crystal clear pool built around a walk-up bar and restaurant, a rideable air balloon hoisted up to 450 feet, wave pools and nine water slides.

Although a younger Jacob would be disappointed, I learned my lesson from the jet skis and decided to pass on more water activities.

Instead, time was spent in the island’s Bora Bora-esque cabanas draped over turquoise waters crowded with tropical fish, stingrays and nurse sharks.

With mini-fridges, hammocks, bluetooth speakers and a mini-slide, the last day on our vacation was spent attaining that ever-sought after Caribbean-caramel tan.

But all good things come to an end, as chicken sandwiches, Christmas activities and now cruise vacations have all come to a close and checked the boxes of Country Day’s own, Chand’s Check-in.

BY

PHOTO BY ADAM AKINS GRAPHICS BY LAUREN

BY ISHAAN SEKHON

Despite being based around the popular Nintendo video game characters, “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” felt more like a half-baked fan fiction than an adapted story of the franchise.

The animated movie, which hit theaters on April 5, follows the transdimensional adventure of two Italian plumbers, Mario (voiced by Chris Pratt) and Luigi (voiced by Charlie Day), as they save the Mushroom Kingdom from a powerful tyrant turtle, Bowser (voiced by Jack Black.)

The directors, Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic, adapted all the wrong parts of the video game story, such as Bowser’s obsession with Princess Peach (voiced by Anya Taylor-Joy), the female lead of the film.

One example is when Bowser addresses his army about their plans of attack. The scene is tense because Bowser’s army is established as the most powerful in the world, but the tension is broken when Bowser announces his plans to marry Peach while preparing to conquer the world.

This ruins the scene because the seriousness of the scene is undercut by the comedic love story, which contains all the surprise and awkwardness the writers intend but none of the comedy.

Another glaring problem is “The Super Mario Bros. Movie” is Mario-centric, almost entirely discarding the character and the presence of Luigi. A more fitting name for the movie would be the “Super Mario Movie.”

In a film that relies on the popularity of a video game franchise, you would think the writers would keep popular and nostalgic characters, like Luigi, at the forefront of the film instead of relegating him to a uncharismatic background character with little audience appeal.

For the majority of the 1 hour and 32 minute film, Luigi is trapped in a cage. The rest of his screen time humiliates his character by making him as clumsy, weak, cowardly, useless and simple-minded as possible with little redeeming qualities besides being pitiful.

One major theme the movie tries and fails to emphasize is brotherly bond, specifically between Mario and Luigi. This theme fails because Mario and Luigi rarely spend time together in the movie outside of the beginning and ending of the film. Having Luigi and Mario together as they journey to defeat Bowser could create more moments to experience their bond and display how important family ties are.

The movie’s pacing is also an issue, cutting through significant points of development for the plot and characters. In fact, I thought my theater played the film at double speed because of the lack of fleshed out relationships between characters.

This is most prominent in the relationship between Ma-

rio and Donkey Kong (voiced by Seth Rogen), who quickly transforms from his rival into his friend.

When the two are trapped together in the belly of a monster, they begin to bond about meeting the expectations of their father. But, instead of uniting to gether or accepting one another, the two just complain about their dad without emotion, plot or charac- ter progression. This is a common trope, where two rivals bond over a shared problem, becoming friends through this shared understanding.

However, it fails due to the lack of meaningful discussion occured and their interactions are completely the same after this moment.

This lack of discussion wastes what could have been an

engaging moment for character development, which the story sorely lacks.

Another issue is the voice acting cast. Mario and Luigi are Italian plumbers; however, their voice actors aren’t Italian. In the beginning of the film, in an ad for their plumbing business, Mario and Luigi have Italian accents that are clearly understandable, so why didn’t they have accents throughout the whole movie?

Although the lack of voice authenticity does not impact the story, it’s jarring to hear Mario and Luigi, two iconic video game characters, speak without their iconic accents. This contrast between the video game voices and movie voices made me struggle to immerse myself in the plot.

Clearly the voice actors were chosen because of their popularity rather than their voice acting talent.

Although Pratt has previous voice acting experience, such as Emmet in “The Lego Movie,” his Mario voice is devoid of emotion, ruining the impact of his lines and emotional moments, such as his reaction to Luigi’s capture.

Instead of portraying grief, shock or anger when his brother is taken from him, Mario’s voice is calm and he reacts casually, further contributing to the constant release of tension the movie tries to build up.

Sadly, this trend is true for most voice actors in the film, with the exception of Black, the voice of Bowser.

Although the artistic vision for Bowser’s character was inconsistent, Black makes the best of his lines through his enthusiastic performance.

In the ridiculous piano scene where Bowser sings of his love for Peach, Black’s calm and focused voice makes the scene plausible and his singing even enjoyable. Here, the comedy worked because of Black’s singing ability, the humor in the lyrics of the song and the fact that it didn’t interrupt any tense or otherwise impactful moments.

Another positive for the movie is the variety of references to the franchise that populate the movie, providing fan service to fans of the game without interrupting the flow of the story.

One example is the arena where Donkey Kong and Mario fight. The fight and the arena itself is a reference to the Super Smash Bros. game, where players could pick their characters to fight against one another in a combat arena.

There is also a reference to Mario Kart, a racing game, when Mario customizes his vehicle like a player would in the game. This ends up making the movie a little bit more interesting and enjoyable but still failed to salvage the film as a whole. Unfortunately, the references to games and the voice acting skills of Jack Black are not enough to save the movie from the lack of emotional moments, lack of good characters and largely stale voice acting cast.

how’s the view?

Country Day students anonymously share their perspectives on all things ranging from relationships experiences to opinions on pop culture trends.

dating culture is ruined by the influence of media and dating apps

you can’t be truly friends with someone you personally find attractive

work hard, play hard mentality implies you are not truly enjoying what you do for work

the harder you try, the more people can smell your insecurities

cancel culture has nothing to do with free speech. twitter users aren’t the government

android is better than apple, but apple music is better than spotify

it’s easier for an “ugly” guy to get a girlfriend than it is for an “ugly” girl to get a boyfriend

ANONYMOUS

QUOTES FROM SCDS COMMUNITY GRAPHICS BY GARMAN XU