Octagon 2021-22 Issue 1

THE

OCTAGON

Non-Profit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Sacramento, CA Permit No. 1668 @scdsoctagon

VOL.45 NO.1 • Sacramento Country Day School • 2636 Latham Drive, Sacramento, CA •www.scdsoctagon.com • September 21, 2021

FIRE FIASCO More than 1,000 structures have burned since the start of the Caldor Fire, according to Cal Fire. PHOTO COURTESY OF DAVE GREWAL

2021 fire season is one of worst in state history

J

BY ARJIN CLAIRE

ason Tokheim, a South Lake Tahoe resident, was standing in his driveway, clumps of ash flowing around him, as he took one last look at his home, unsure if it would be his last.

“It felt like a scene from a movie,” Tokheim said. “It was surreal to be standing in this dark, dark cloud with ash falling over us.”

Although he and his wife Kristen never actually saw the flames

of the Caldor Fire since they voluntarily left their home on Aug. 29, Tokheim remembers driving away from his house, head-on into a dark, ominous sky, broken up by “eerie orange glows.”

The 2021 California wildfire season is shaping up to be one of the worst in California history.

So far, 2021 is nearly on par with 2020. An unprecedented wildfire season that accounted for four of the five largest fires in California history in terms of both the number of fires and number of acres

burned, according to the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection, which goes by Cal Fire.

Between the beginning of the year and Sept. 7, 7,171 fires burned 2.03 million acres; during that same period last year, 7,856 fires burned 2.1 million acres.

Although 2021 is a close second to 2020’s wildfire season, 2021’s Dixie Fire stole the crown for the largest single fire in California history, with over 960,000 acres burned, almost 500,000 more

acres than the second closest, the Mendocino Complex which contained two separate fires, according to Cal Fire.

More than 15,500 firefighters are battling to keep the fires at bay; temperatures reaching over 100 degrees, a surplus of fuel such as vegetation, high winds and a lack of water have combined to fuel the fires.

With two of the largest fires in California history, the Caldor and Dixie fires, still burning, and 12 other major wildfires burning

statewide, more than 53,000 people have been forced to evacuate, according to the state’s Office of Emergency Services.

Gov. Gavin Newsom has placed several counties in a state of emergency due to the wildfires, the most recent being El Dorado County on Aug. 17 due to the Caldor Fire.

As it did last year, the state has secured Fire Management Assistance Grants from the Federal

FIRES page 3 >>

Enrollment for this school year sets school record

BY SANJANA ANAND Only a few weeks into the new school year and Country Day already is setting new enrollment highs and working to meet the challenges that come with that.

The year started on Aug. 31 with 122 of the 548 Pre-K-12 students being newly enrolled, a new school record. And that’s 85 new families. The previous record was during the 2002-03 year with 112 new students.

Dana Vargo, director of admission and enrollment, said the school expected 510515 total students for the 2021-22 school year.

Head of High School Brooke Wells credited the increase in new students to the

school’s mission statement.

“All teachers and students believe in the

“

The identity of the school drives the idea of people wanting to be here and people enjoying it once they come.”

BROOKE WELLS same mission, the idea of having a compassionate, creative and critical think-

CAMPUSCORNER AN UPDATE TO TRIPS WEEK

TWO POSITIVE COVID-19 CASES

Due to COVID-19 restrictions, the high school trips (Oct. 4-8) were canceled. Instead, students will participate in a series of games Tuesday through Thursday with the black team (seniors and freshmen) and red team (juniors and sophomores) theme. Some classes will be held.

The Sept. 17 Friday Email updated the Country Day community on the current COVID-19 status of the Country Day community. All 588 tests from Sept. 10-11 returned negative, but since that time, two Lower School siblings have tested positive.

Close contacts were alerted.

ing-based education,” he said.

“The identity of the school drives the idea of people wanting to be here and people enjoying it once they come. I don’t think other schools have that exact combination of support academically or any other interests that kids are interested in pursuing.”

He added that, indirectly due to COVID-19, more people are moving from the Bay Area to Sacramento, which allows for more potential interest in Country Day since the cost of living is much higher in the Bay Area.

Head of School Lee Thomsen is proud of the school’s ability to keep students from eighth to ninth grade. This year, 70% of eighth graders stayed, he said. In the past,

students graduating middle school would often move to other high schools.

“More than anything, I was worried that we might be looking at a normal fall where people would go back to public school, but I think experience shows us that once people get the experience of Country Day, it’s hard to leave,” Thomsen said.

Head of Middle School Rommel Loria said the school’s most attractive quality is its small student body.

“Our teaching and learning are more individualized,” Loria said. “Because we are so small, we were able to go back in-person in November of last year, which was much earlier than other schools in the area.

That’s a really important factor for parents

INSIDE the ISSUE Who’s new in the faculty room?

Four new teachers join the high school, including Diego Panasiti (right), the new Spanish and English teacher. Check out their profiles on centerpoint. (PAGES 6-7) PHOTO BY ARIJIT TRIVEDI

ENROLLMENT page 3 >>

02 NEWS STAFF PRINT EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Sanjana Anand Arikta Trivedi ONLINE EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Ethan Monasa Arijit Trivedi NEWS EDITOR Nihal Gulati FEATURE EDITOR Arjin Claire SPORTS EDITOR Miles Morrow A&E/OPINION EDITOR Dylan Margolis PHOTO EDITORS Arijit Trivedi Arikta Trivedi PAGE EDITORS Sanjana Anand Rod Azghadi Jacob Chand Arjin Claire Simone DeBerry Nihal Gulati Samhita Kumar Dylan Margolis Ethan Monasa Miles Morrow Arijit Trivedi Arikta Trivedi Garman Xu BUSINESS STAFF Arjin Claire, manager Samhita Kumar, assistant Willliam Holz SOCIAL MEDIA STAFF Arikta Trivedi, editor Samhita Kumar, assistant Lauren Lu HEAD OF TECHNOLOGY Nihal Gulati REPORTERS Adam Akins Andrew Burr Emily Cook Ava Eberhart Saheb Gulati William Holz Lauren Lu Ishaan Sekhon Kali Wells Garrett Xu Ryan Xu Alex Zinn PHOTOGRAPHERS Simone DeBerry Miles Morrow Arijit Trivedi Arikta Trivedi Kali Wells MULTIMEDIA STAFF Dylan Margolis, editor Arjin Claire Simone Deberry William Holz Miles Morrow Arijit Trivedi GRAPHIC ARTISTS Brynne Barnard-Bahn Lauren Lu Lilah Shorey 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.

SEPTEMBER 21, 2021 • THE OCTAGON

almond farming in a changing climate

BY ADAM AKINS & SAHEB GULATI

A

lmond farming is a staple of California’s agricultural industry and has deep roots with some Country Day families.

Some farms are passed down from generation to generation over centuries, like Benjamin King’s Colusa almond farm. Others are just being created or change hands from time to time. All face an uncertain future with worsening droughts caused by a climate crisis.

King, who is the father of Country Day sophomore Annalucia King, is an adviser for the Colusa Groundwater Authority and has been an almond farmer since the age of 12. His almond farm has been passed down through his family since 1860, three years after his great-grandparents met on a wagon train in 1857.

They acquired their original land package of 900 acres via land patent. The King family still owns 640 acres of land.

The Kings’ business is not an uncommon one: the state of California grows over 80% of the world’s almonds, according to the Almond Board of California.

The reason for California’s unique position in agriculture is its climate. According to King, only 3% of the world has the climate necessary to facilitate almond growth, so the global population has depended on almonds coming from the San Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys.

“California has a Mediterranean climate,” said Isaya Kisseka, Professor of Agro-Hydrology and Irrigation at UC Davis. A Mediterranean climate is characterized by rainy, cold winters and dry, hot summers. “That means we can grow things here that cannot be grown in many other parts of the country, or the world for that matter.”

Consequently, almond farming has become deeply ingrained in the culture of the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys.

Junior Shivom Sharma’s family has been farming almonds for four years. He said his family was in real estate before they began farming.

Sharma works on the farm during summers and helps

communicate with farm workers, many of whom speak languages such as Spanish, Hindi and Punjabi.

The rising issue for farmers is the worsening climate. According to Kisekka, research indicates that climate change will make climate extremes, such as droughts and floods more frequent and more severe. As this happens, the future for almond farmers grows uncertain.

“

It’s in our blood and our heritage. We’re super proud to grow food.”

SUREENA THIARA Unlike rice, corn and other crops that can be rotated annually, almond trees have a 25-year life-cycle, Kisekka said. Almond farmers are forced to adjust to the uncertainty created by the climate crisis, making decisions that will last decades.

Sureena and Ravi Thiara, parents of freshman Imani Thiara, are second-generation farmers in Yuba City.

They have multiple properties and farm almonds, walnuts, pistachios, prunes, peaches, persimmons and some rice.

Like other California farmers, the Thiaras face the water dilemma. Because almonds are multi-year plants, the Thiaras cannot choose to leave fields empty in drought years like farmers raising annual crops.

Typically, the Thiaras rely on higher quality surface water from the Sacramento River for their farms. But in droughts, which are becoming more common in California, groundwater from their wells is playing a much larger part.

Groundwater isn’t an infinite source though, and according to the California Department of Water Resources a state law called the Sustainable Groundwater Management Act was enacted in 2014 to stop the overuse of groundwater and the consequential lowering of the water table. SGMA aims to balance the pumping and re-

charge rates of groundwater, creating net zero water loss from aquifers. However, this can create added limits and risk for farmers like the Thiara family.

“We’ve sold a couple of farms because of water,” said Ravi Thiara. The Thiaras currently hold around 5,300 acres of land. “We’re running into issues of not enough water, and SGMA is really, really policing it all the time. We just wanted to get out of the way of that. We thought there was too much risk to stay.”

Sharma’s family relies mostly on its own wells for their almond farm. Most of their riparian rights, the rights to take water from a property-bordering source, have been taken by the state of California.

“But we have our own wells, so that’s how we’re handling that,” Sharma said.

Sharma said SGMA regulations have not been a problem for their farm yet.

“It’s impacted us, but it’s not affecting us as much as it’s affecting the south and areas around Solano County,” he said.

“They’ve really been affected.”

As California moves further into drought, deeper wells are being tapped and farmers have to confront subsidence.

According to King, subsidence is a phenomenon that occurs when water aquifers are tapped enough that the land drops, and even a drop of one or two inches can cause catastrophic damage to roads, bridges and buildings.

In the future, Kisekka said the state needs to pivot water use to more efficient crops.

“You get into something called economic water productivity. Almonds, as well as grapes and a few other high value crops, make farmers more dollars per unit of water use compared to a crop like wheat or corn,” Kisekka said.

Farmers face difficult decisions with planting crops like almonds, especially as water use is more strictly regulated.

“Farmers are not fools; they are very smart. That’s

why they have planted more almonds and other economic crops, but of course, that exposes them to risk,” Kisekka said.

“We have reached the point where we cannot sustain the rapid growth and expansion,” Kisekka said. “And in some ways we have to reduce. We are irrigating way more land than water we have. The question is, do we reduce the number of almond orchards, pistachios, walnuts or other types of crops being grown?”

Finding the balance between managing risk, planting crops with high economic water productivity, and following water management regulations will be key for Central Valley farmers in the future.

Kisekka said that continuing to lead the world in almond production and exportation is an issue of national security. Almonds are essential to the nourishment of the American people and the world. Without the agricultural support of the San Joaquin Valley and Sacramento Valley, America is less sustainable and less selfsufficient.

Despite the challenges, the Thiaras are optimistic.

“There are risks in a lot of different industries and water is going to affect everyone,” Sureena Thiara said. “In our culture, we’re children of migrant families, it’s what our parents did back in India and it’s what we do here.

“Even if the risks are there, we’re probably still going to do it. It’s in our blood and our heritage. We’re super proud to grow food. A lot of people jump in to have their comments about what we do, but at the end of the day we grow food and that’s a pillar of society.”

IT ROLLS IN THE FAMILY Country Day ninth grader Imani Thiara (front right) rides on a bin carrier with her brother Ekram Thiara (front left) and her cousins Rohan Thiara (left) and Tarun Thiara (right).

PHOTO COURTESY OF SUREENA THIARA

NEWS 03

SEPTEMBER 21, 2021 • THE OCTAGON

Enrollment: SCDS retains 70% of eighth grade (continued from page 1) because we’ve all seen firsthand that online learning can’t compare to sitting in a classroom.”

A new student, freshman Ashley Lattyak travels an hour to school every day from Grass Valley. Small class sizes and personalized experience drove her to choose Country Day. The combination of new students and student retention has affected the overall growth of the school.

High school: 150 this year and 144 last year. This year, 24 new students.

Middle school: 145 this year and 118 last year. This year, 28 new students.

Lower school: 253 this year, 241 last year.

This year, 70 new students.

The school is under a conditional use permit granted by the City of Sacramento which caps enrollment at 598 — 180 in high school, 150 in middle school and about 268 for lower school. While the middle school aims for 17 students in each class, the high school’s goal is three sections of 15 students per grade.

The school is currently focusing on

growth for the high school because it is the school’s smallest section and has space to grow.

Thomsen said 598 students is the highest number of students that the school is able to accommodate given the current space. The school is not able to extend to the south of the property because of the power lines.

To accommodate more students, the school wants to build a new performing arts center and a two-story building to replace the current multi-purpose room and middle school L-shaped buildings. The new building, estimated to cost anywhere from $5 million to $15 million, would be used by both middle and high school students.

The city approved the plan, but the school is working with the neighbors to create a long-term plan to avoid traffic congestion.

Especially during COVID-19, accommodating class sections and classroom space has been difficult.

Because of the social distancing requirements and a need for more space with more students, each grade now has three sections, and there has been an increase in staffing. In order to support three cohort

schedules in each grade, two new middle teachers were added to teach Spanish and English.

New Spanish, English and art teaching positions have all been added to the high school to accommodate for this year’s increase, Wells said. The ninth and 10th grade required class subjects have the biggest classes, and teachers often have to share teaching spaces. Wells hopes to have one more physical classroom by the 202223 school year so fewer teachers have to share classrooms.

Parking and drop-off times have also resulted in a back-up of cars on Latham Drive.

Loria said the school is considering a delay in start and end times between each school-level section to avoid traffic. Delaying times within each school section would make scheduling more difficult since students in different grade levels attend the same class.

Wells said this problem isn’t as serious with high school students and will most likely improve after the first month because high school students tend to have extra commitments that force them to Number of students who are new to the school:

come early and leave late.

Another enrollment impact is the lack of seating during lunch in the high school quad. Wells and Director of the Physical Plant Jay Holman plan to add new tables and seats to the quad as soon as possible.

According to Thomsen, the Parent’s Association is working to address the traffic issue. They are encouraging carpooling, walking and biking as well as considering more shuttle service. Currently, students may use two shuttles — one from the Folsom area and one from the Davis area.

To enroll at Country Day, families must fill out an application. Prospective students submit a writing sample and a letter of recommendation. Then, there is a visit day and an interview. The school’s website explains this process and its tuition assistance program. Of the 278 applications last year, 174 students were accepted.

The most important decision when accepting applications is their fit in school, Loria said.

“It’s about the mission appropriateness of the family and how they line up with the way that we teach along with their open-mindedness to our curriculum.”

Enrollment in 2020-21 vs. 2021-22

275 250 225 200 175 150 125 100 75 50 25

ROCK ENROLL Juniors Ibrahim MoheyEldin and Jonah David walk through the high school quad during break. PHOTO BY ARIJIT TRIVEDI

0

- Lower School: 70 - Middle School: 28 - High School: 24

HS

MS

Students enrolled 2020-21

LS Students enrolled 2021-22

Fires: Caldor Fire costs California $25 million every day (continued from page 1)

Comparing this year’s and last year’s fire seasons

2020

2021

Number of fires burned

7,856

7,171

Land burned, in millions of acres

2.10 August Complex Fires The August Complex fires were the largest fires of 2020. They burned a total of 1,032,648 acres, making them the largest combined fires in California State history.

2.03 Dixie Fire The Dixie Fire was the largest fire of 2021. It burned 960,583 acres, making it the largest single fire in California State history.

Data gathered from Cal Fire

GRAPHICS BY ETHAN MONASA

Emergency Management Agency “to help ensure the availability of vital resources to suppress the rapidly spreading fire,” according to the governor’s website.

Unlike last year, however, Newsom elected not to put all of California in a state of emergency, and instead submitted a formal request to President Joe Biden for aid in the form of a Presidential Major Disaster Declaration.

Such a declaration provides help through programs such as housing assistance, medical services and legal services.

It’s also designed to help state, tribal and local governments with emergency response, recovery costs and hazard mitigation in preparation for future disasters, according to the governor’s website.

The declaration was submitted on Aug. 23 and approved a day later, but was specific to the Dixie and River fires. Newsom submitted another request to Biden on Sept. 1 for a Presidential Emergency Declaration for Direct Federal Assistance specifically for the Caldor Fire. The White House approved the request within hours of it being submitted.

Newsom also signed Executive Order N-13-21, designed to support impacted communities and bolster response and recovery efforts.

These response and recovery efforts are headed by firefighters such as Dave Grewal, a fire captain from Riverside, California, who has been fighting the Caldor Fire.

“As a captain, I’m in charge of 30 people,” Grewal said. “Each day I have to take in 30 people and come out with 30 people.

It’s a daunting task.”

While out on the front line, Grewal

could only think of one analogy: “It’s man against beast,” he said.

Although it’s not easy work, Grewal’s driving factor is his desire to help the public. This sense of duty is much appreciated by Tokheim.

Firefighters “have done a tremendous job of spending their time preparing people’s homes, cleaning leaves and pine needles off the ground and clearing defensible spaces, even though it’s not their job to do so,” Tokheim said. “They have put their time, effort and safety on the

“

“It felt like a scene from a movie. It was surreal to be standing in this dark, dark cloud with ash falling over us.”

JASON TOKHEIM

line.”

The work the firefighters put in might not be easy, but it also isn’t cheap. Grewal estimates that with all the equipment and supplies, over $25 million is spent daily in combating the fires.

“There are hundreds of bulldozers, helicopters, tankers and other pieces of equipment that all cost thousands of dollars a day to run,” Grewal said.

This money and equipment hasn’t gone to waste. As of Sept. 17, the Caldor Fire is 71% contained.

Although Tokheim is appreciative of

the work the firefighters have put in, he is nervous about what he’ll find when he returns home.

“I know our house is still standing, but the effect on the Lake Tahoe Basin will be huge,” Tokheim said.

Tokheim predicts that one of the biggest effects will be an emotional toll on the residents and tourists who come to Lake Tahoe to enjoy the views and the mountains.

Another big effect will be on the housing economy, he said, because people are now “more aware and fearful of the fire risk presented to homes.”

Firefighters know the area will not be the same.

Although they were able to get ahead of the fires and contain many of them, “Tahoe will see the burn scars for years to come,”Grewal said.

The problem with fully containing the fire was not the fire itself, but rather the terrain.

“Fire travels 50 times faster uphill than on flat ground,” Grewal said.

“In Lake Tahoe, the terrain is very steep and inaccessible, which stopped us from bringing in lots of equipment. This, the low fire history in the area, low humidity and bad weather make for very tough conditions to fight the fire.”

Global warming also has played a big role in this fire season because it has led to a higher intensity of fires, Grewal said.

High fire intensity changes soil composition and kills more trees, which in turn affects wildlife.

“I saw bears running through the city going through trash cans because there is nothing to eat,” Grewal said. “It’ll take Tahoe years to recover.”

04 NEWS

SEPTEMBER 21, 2021 • THE OCTAGON

School implements new COVID-19 protocols

A

BY ARIKTA TRIVEDI

fter a year and a half of online learning, SCDS kicked off the 2021-22 school year with the goal to stay in person.

In order to safely do so, the school released a new set of COVID-19 guidelines.

While most of the protocols are similar to last year, the school made changes based on the release of vaccines.

Vaccines are recommended, not required, for all eligible students and employees. Everyone older than 12 is required to either submit proof of vaccination or declaration of lack of vaccination.

“It’s possible that in the future we may require vaccines for all eligible students like many other school districts,” Wells said. “At the moment, 100% of eligible high school employees are vaccinated, and we’re still collecting data on students.”

Wells added that if the high school can get up to a high vaccination rate, school events, dances and field trips can become real discussion points.

The school is continuing bi-weekly testing for students and employees regardless of vaccination status. This policy will be reexamined once there’s more testing data, according to the SCDS “COVID-19 Policies and Procedures.”

The test data from the tests on Sept.

10-11 showed no positives tests. However, since then two students, who are siblings, have tested positive for COVID-19, according to a Friday email dated Sept. 17.

Currently, school-wide events such as pep rallies aren’t allowed, but individual division events are.

One of the biggest changes, Wells said, is

reduction of social distancing from 6 feet of social distancing to 3 feet.

“Another big change is that we’re no longer taking temperatures at the curb,” Wells said. “We’re having parents screen at home and fill out the pickup patrol questions just like last year.”

The questions screen for COVID-19 symptoms such as fever, cough, sore throat, headache, diaharrea and also for exposure to COVID-19.

Additionally, the school is no longer divided into cohorts.

“

A very high vaccination rate could open the door to a lot of opportunities. With the delta variant going around, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

BROOKE WELLS Last year, students attended school in two cohorts to limit the number of students on campus. This year, the school has gone back to having all students on campus at once.

“We are no longer supporting remote students in the sense that there’s a remote cohort,” Wells said. “If a student is sick or absent, they need to communicate with their teacher to make up their work just like in the past. Some teachers may choose to Zoom with students at home if it’s easier, but that’s up to them.”

The school will remain open for in-per-

son learning as long as the positivity for on-campus members remains under two percent schoolwide.

The school is also no longer using the hybrid schedule. High school students are following the rotating schedule which was introduced during the 2019-20 school year.

The schedule has five 52-minute classes a day, three-minute passing periods, a 40-minute lunch period and a 35-minute flex period.

There is also a limit on the number of students per classroom and indoor meetings. Most of the classrooms will seat 12 to 13 students with desks three feet apart.

“Because of the increase in students, plus the limited number of students per class, there are more class periods this year,” Wells said.

There are three sections of freshman history and two sections of freshman English.

The school will likely need to add a third section of freshman English in upcoming years and will ultimately need to hire another teacher to help cover the sections, Wells said.

Because of the increase in sections, teachers who only teach a couple of periods need to move between different classrooms, said high school English teacher Jane Bauman.

“When a teacher only has two or three classes, we don’t have enough real estate to give that teacher a dedicated classroom,” Bauman said. “I teach period 1 in Room 5, period 2 in Room 8 and period 3 in Room 6.”

Along with Bauman, director of technology Mike Unti, and Wells both teach in multiple classrooms.

Bauman noted that Unti, Wells, and she

all have an office with a desk, so they don’t need a desk in a classroom.

“The teachers moving through different classrooms doesn’t impact our COVID-19 tracing as long as we have seating charts for each class,” Wells said.

Seating charts are kept for each class and elective in case a student or employee tests positive for COVID-19. If that happens, the school will use the Sacramento County Public Health’s “COVID-19 Symptom and Quarantine Decision Forest for K-12 Schools.”

Classrooms are disinfected at least once a day after school, if not more often. Unlike last year, students and teachers are no longer required to wipe down their desks after classes.

“The most important thing during classes is that the ventilation remains on and everyone has their masks on at all times,” Wells said.

Students and employees are not allowed to eat while indoors. When eating outside, everyone should be socially distanced. For example, there should only be one person on each bench of the lunch tables when eating. Non-individually packed foods may be distributed. Unlike last year, microwaves are available for use but should be wiped down after each use.

“If you’re outside and not eating, then social distancing isn’t as significant, especially if you’re vaccinated,” Wells said.

Many of these policies may be reexamined once the school has more testing and vaccination data.

“A very high vaccination rate could open the door to a lot of opportunities,” Wells said. “With the delta variant going around, it’s better to be safe than sorry.”

Afghanistan refugees receive support from volunteers

BY SAMHITA KUMAR After the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan, many Afghan refugees have come to the United States, and many more may make their way here eventually. Some of those refugees have arrived in Sacramento and are receiving support from local organizations and at least two Country Day leaders.

Garden Supervisor Rory Tira volunteers for the Sacramento Food Bank & Family Services, and Head of Middle School Rommel Loria serves on the board of trustees for Opening Doors, a refugee resettlement nonprofit.

Tira has experience organizing drives for those in need. In 2018, she used social media to fundraise for a family affected by the Camp Fire in Paradise. However, the past weeks have been very

different for her.

“I don’t think I’ve ever done something that feels like part of the world stage before,” she said.

Tira collects what the food bank refers to as Welcome Baskets. These can be for the bathroom of a new household — items like cosmetics, toiletries and toilet paper — or for other kinds of supplies that a family would need.

Tira also collects cash donations, which has been far more successful than she had imagined.

“I thought maybe this would be $500 I would raise. I’m over $4,300 right now,” she said. “I take that money and I go do bulk shopping.”

She got a surprise after one of the trips to the store.

“In the time I was out, another $150 to $200 came in just while I was shopping,” she said. “It’s just coming in constantly all day.”

FIRST STEPS After leaving Afghanistan and arriving in Sacramento, a family holds hands as they exit the airport. PHOTO COURTESY OF JESSIE TIENTCHEU

Because of this influx, Tira has not set a goal for cash donations.

Instead, she wants to help people feel more connected to the current refugee crisis.

“It’s really common that people feel like something is too big, that they can’t do anything about it,” she said. “This is right here in our city. This is something we can do right now.”

As the chair of the Board External Affairs Committee for Opening Doors, Loria focuses on connecting with media outlets to share information about the refugee resettlement nonprofit.

“As a trustee, we’re looking at numbers, and we’re asking questions and, ultimately, we’re providing approval for the organization to change,” he said.

This work helps support the wider goal of the organization to provide “wraparound services” to

refugee families.

As refugees arrive in Sacramento, volunteers from Opening Doors meet them at the airport and set up apartments for them.

Wraparound services include long-term help in the weeks and months after arrival. These include mentorship, legal help, aid in school enrollment and a micro-loan program.

“It’s the idea of not just welcoming people but figuring out how do they become self-sufficient, how do they achieve stability,” Loria said.

Opening Doors keeps a holistic approach to resettlement and aims to help refugee families integrate into Sacramento society.

Opening Doors is looking for additional volunteers to drive families from the Sacramento airport and to help set up apartments. They also have opportu-

nities for other wraparound services, such as providing English as a Second Language tutoring and mentoring.

Tira has the same long-term focus with her efforts and hopes to keep this issue in the spotlight.

“It’s kind of a sad reality but when this is out of the news in a few weeks, are people going to still be paying attention?” she asked. “Are they going to still want to donate $100? Are they still going to want to go to Target and buy pots and pans?”

For now, she’s focusing on addressing specific needs of the community.

She hopes to start a back-toschool collection of backpacks, school supplies and other items to help refugees over the upcoming months. “This is our city, we have to pay attention,” she said.

“This is on us to act.”

SPOR TS 05

SEPTEMBER 21, 2021 • THE OCTAGON

Volleyball captain improves leadership skill through sport

BY LAUREN LU

A

n opponent hits the volleyball, sending it hurtling to the floor of the court.

Suddenly, everything is meaningless to senior outside hitter Vanessa Escobar except the ball, dangerously close to the ground. One wrong move could earn the Cavaliers a point violation.

Muscles tensing, Escobar dives to save the ball, one hand to the ground to protect herself from face planting.

Success! She sends the ball

to the hands of the setter.

Escobar described this save as one of her proudest moments in volleyball this season, especially since she injured her shoulder during summer tryouts. At the beginning of the season, she wasn’t able to serve overhand for the first few games because it put too much force on her shoulder.

“At our third game, I was able to make my usual overhand serve over the net without my arm hurting, so I think I’m all healed for the season!” Escobar said.

Her teammates admire her physical and mechanical ability on the court and her determination to never let the ball drop.

“Vanessa is always the one getting that ball that everyone thought was going to drop,” said sophomore middle Sylvia Valverde.

“She’s always ready to put it all on the court with a smile on her face, a lifting presence for the team,” Valverde said.

Escobar has been playing volleyball for the school since fifth grade, after being introduced to the sport in PE class.

The discovery that she was good at serving drove her to join the school team and improve.

“I’ve always been the strong one in my family, so my serves were really hard and powerful, even as a fifth grader,” Escobar said.

Her strongest skills as a volleyball player are her serves and hits.

Seeing the ball hit the floor after one of her power moves is one reason why she loves the sport.

“When you serve aces, get a perfect pass to the setter or a really powerful and successful hit — it’s moments like those that make volleyball really fun,” Esco-

bar said.

She enjoys the team aspect of the sport, the trust and communication that goes into each play.

In her freshman year, she was team captain of the JV team and has been on the varsity team since sophomore year. This year, Escobar was named varsity team captain by coach Jason Kreps.

“I choose leaders based on experience and how they interact and respond to other students on and off the court,” Kreps said.

“Vanessa has been on the varsity team for three years. She’s a role model and someone who quietly leads the team,” he said.

Escobar was surprised and happy to receive her title this season.

“I didn’t know I was captain until Kreps pulled me aside at one of our first games before the coin toss,” Escobar said.

Driven by her responsibility, Escobar aims to lead the team by

setting good examples and always keeping positive energy.

Volleyball helped her come out of her shell and step up to leadership positions, Escobar said.

“I was always really afraid of public speaking and giving my perspective, but volleyball really helped me push my limits when I was JV captain and again as a senior,” Escobar said.

Escobar is also an editor-in-chief of the Medallion, the school’s yearbook publication.

Her position as an editor-in-chief played a role in developing her patience and mentorship skills toward younger yearbook staff and volleyball teammates.

“I prepared with (co-editorin-chief Lilah Shorey) our class agendas so we’d know exactly what to say,” Escobar said.

If they didn’t understand, Escobar would be there to help them.

In volleyball, Escobar helps enhance the skills of her new teammates by showing them tips and practicing various drills.

She has made deeper connections with her teammates — people she would have never gotten to meet or know without volleyball.

“I’ve never talked to Kaitlyn before this year, and now we’re really good friends,” Escobar said.

Sophomore setter Kaitlyn Dias had no qualms about Kreps’ decision to name Escobar as captain.

“I think a worthy leader is someone who is close with everyone on the team, super positive and experienced, and Vanessa checks off all those boxes,” Dias said. “Her skill and composure on the court is unmatched.”

As a mentor, Dias said, Escobar set an example for the team to let mistakes go and have good sportsmanship.

SET TO WIN Senior varsity volleyball captain Vanessa Escobar has been playing volleyball for Country Day since she first had the chance in fifth grade. PHOTO BY MILES MORROW

Regular athletic schedule returns with new guidelines

BY ANDREW BURR & MILES MORROW After 555 days of no athletics hosted on campus, new COVID-19 regulations are bringing sports back for their seasons.

Last year, sports didn’t have seasons or were moved to different times of the year.

This year, however, under new regulations, sports are coming back in full force.

The usual fall sports — co-ed soccer, cross country and volleyball — are all up and running. Last year, these sports were all played in the spring rather than fall.

During those games last year, Country Day athletes were required to wear masks while

playing. The opponents they faced, however, rarely wore masks.

Now, with all these sports returning to the fall, new COVID-19 guidelines make masks optional during games and practices for soccer and cross country.

“Having to wear masks really took a toll on our stamina during games last year,” said junior midfielder RJ Vargo.

“Now that they aren’t required, I’m excited to see how everyone will perform.”

The SCDS soccer team is 5-1 in the pre-season this year and are looking forward to the start of their league games.

Cross country had one of the most dramatic changes in regulations on top of the new

OFF TO THE SIDE (From left to right) Sophomore Ike George, freshman Cezar Abou Zaki, sophomore Ishaan Sekhon, junior Felix Wu, freshman Andrew Burr and soccer co-coach George Champayne watch a pre-season game against Paradise Adventist Academy. PHOTO BY ARIJIT TRIVEDI

mask regulations, said athletic director Matt Vargo.

“Last year, we participated in races one on one against other schools, which doesn’t really work with cross country,” Matt Vargo said. “Now, we can attend meets with up to 10 other schools, which is awesome.”

Junior runner Grace Eberhart was also excited about the ability to start running against more schools.

“Running against just one school was kind of weird,” Eberhart said. “I’m super excited to participate in actual meets again.”

Masks are no longer required at any time during meets and only when athletes are grouped up at practices. Last year, runners had to wear masks at the start of each meet and during practices.

Now, the cross country team has participated in multiple meets, and have won a race in every meet they have entered.

While mask regulations have changed for outdoor sports, masks are still a big part of indoor sports. Volleyball players must wear their masks at all times while practicing and playing in the gym.

While volleyball has much stricter rules, players are still looking forward to the season.

“Last year, the gym was split in half due to one half being used as an online classroom,” sophomore setter Kaitlyn Dias said. “That made practicing and serving very difficult.

And although we still have to wear masks while playing, I don’t think it will be too much of a problem.”

Matt Vargo is just as enthusiastic about the athletes being able to play again.

“Missing multiple seasons of athletics was very difficult,” he said. “I think we are super lucky to have the opportunity to play again and I can’t wait to see how the seasons go.”

06

CENTER

SEPTEMBER 21, 2021

whø’s ñëw ïñ th Malak Faour

BY EMILY COOK When AP U.S. History students enter a brightly lit classroom, they find a smiling Chelsie Beck in the center of the room ready to greet them individually as they take their seats.

Junior Karabelo Bowsky is enjoying the class.

“She makes sure to make her students feel comfortable in her classroom,” Bowksy said. “I feel as though her teaching style is very flexible so each child gets the best out of the class.”

While Bowsky was nervous at first, Beck’s attitude towards the class has put her at ease.

“I expect to find a really nice balance of having fun in the classroom but also learning a great deal,” Bowsky said.

This is Beck’s first year teaching at Country Day. She previously taught humanities at a high school in Massachusetts for a year in 2018 and taught for a semester full time at a private high school in Georgia, which has helped her settle in easily.

“I love the community. I like the smaller class sizes and how the students are all really engaged when I’m teaching,” Beck said. “It’s lovely.”

Inside the classroom, Beck structures her curriculum to focus on critical thinking and creativity. She has added “Land of Hope: An Invitation to the Great American Story” to this year’s AP U.S. History curriculum in or-

BY ISHAAN SEKHON For physics and math teacher Malak Faour, teaching physics is more than just a job.

Her inspiration comes from her high school physics teacher in Lebanon.

“From that time, she made me like physics,” she said. “I wish to be that inspiring person for my students. I like to see the sparkling eyes of my little kiddos,” Faour said.

In 2016, she graduated from Lebanese University with a master’s in education. She also earned a teaching diploma from the same university in 2009. She is the process of obtaining a doctorate in physics.

Faour taught in Lebanon for 12 years at multiple secondary schools and at Shouf National College. Her favorite part of her physics classes was doing labs and hands-on activities.

She left Lebanon for Sacramento in 2021, where she had relatives.

Faour, her husband Nabil Abou Zaki, her children — freshman Cezar Abou Zaki and sixth-grader Ryan Abou Zaki — left behind Faour’s other family members, including her ill father.

Faour’s father’s health continued to deteriorate and she had to return to Lebanon for a short period.

der to keep students interested in the material. She also uses art and drawing exercises to help students learn, something she picked up in 2018 during her experience interning at the Columbus Museum of Art’s education department in Ohio.

This internship is what made her want to begin teaching.

“They have this really fantastic program called The Art of Analysis where they bring in medical students. They observe paintings and it’s to help them develop bedside manner and compassion,” Beck said. “I love that so much. I realized that I was missing developing relationships with students because you only see them for an hour at a time. This is what made me want to be with high school.”

Beck received her bachelor’s degree in U.S. History from Shippensburg University in Pennsylvania, her master’s in library and information science from Kent State University in Ohio and her Master of Arts in education from St. Michael’s College in Vermont.

Beck is a strong advocate for having a growth mindset, allowing students to correct their work and believing more in unit projects than in exams.

“The primary thing that set her apart from the other candidates is her thoughtful approach to what it means to teach,” Head of High School Brooke Wells said. “She thinks

“Unfortunately, I lost him in April,” she said.

Then she returned to Sacramento where she was interviewed by Head of High School Brooke Wells, chemistry teacher Victoria Conner and biology teacher Kellie Whited.

“She was head and shoulders above the other applicants. She had a really strong understanding of high level physics and teaching as a craft,” Wells said.

“There are few people who know high level physics and fewer who know how to teach it. She does both.”

As part of the interviewing process, Faour did a demo lesson on Zoom last year for freshman physics.

Whited said Faour stood out to her as a candidate because of how she brought students into the conversation.

“She was really good at complimenting students, even if they got the question wrong,” Whited said.

“I felt like she’s the right person for the job. We felt as though she’d be the person who’d stay here for many years,” she said.

When Faour heard she got the job, she immediately started house hunting. She had been staying in a hotel room with her family but began looking for an affordable apartment in the city.

deeply about what the best pedagogy is for kids so she is going to be, and already is, a good teacher.”

He is pleased she doesn’t solely rely on lectures but uses discussions and activities to keep students engaged. This is especially important due to the amount of content AP U.S. History needs to cover, Wells said.

Beck is glad to have the chance to explore deeper into history with her students as well as participate in the National History Day project with her ninth graders.

“With my 11th graders, I’m excited to go more in depth with U.S. history than I’ve been able to before since it is an AP class,” Beck said. “I am most looking forward to having deep class discussions and hearing all of my students’ thoughts and opinions.”

Her focus on art extends outside the classroom. Beck danced ballet for 12 years until she dislocated her sacrum while practicing. She still loves watching performances and is hopeful that she’ll get to see some in San Francisco.

Something Beck finds fascinating is reading early to mid20th century fictional and historical novels. She enjoys learning about what life was like at that time. Currently, her favorite authors are Stella Gibbons, Elizabeth Cadell, Elizabeth Fair and Margery Sharp.

Unfortunately, she and her family found few options. The first apartment Faour and her family toured left them with a horrible feeling.

“We were frustrated and disappointed,” she said. “We stayed in the hotel for six days.

We found a very tiny apartment.”

Despite the difficulties, Faour was able to establish herself in Country Day, with the help of Whited, who looked at apartments for Faour when she was in Lebanon.

“She gave me good advice,” Faour said.

“She was my savior.”

Whited said it was challenging because there weren’t many apartments open because of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Faour plans to start her freshman physics class with electrical circuits; previous classes studied physics during the second semester.

Jesus Aispuro, a senior in her Advanced Placement Physics C class, said that she was very energetic and loud, making the class really exciting. This was despite the AP class having lots of material to cover.

Above all, Faour hopes her students are able to learn.

“In my class, we will go for concepts, not algebra,” Faour said.

Chelsie Beck

RP O I NT

THE OCTAGON

07

hë fåçültÿ røøm?

Diego Panasiti

BY KALI WELLS New computer science teacher Charles Farris is excited to be at a school where learning is “not just learning,” but also promotes the general good of humanity.

“I want to bridge the gap between video games and education,” Farris said.

Farris prefers to go by Mr. Charles or Charlie in the classroom. When Farris and his fiancé, Phoebe Jones, get married, they will be taking her last name. She has all sisters and they want to progress her family name.

“I believe how last names are chosen are misogynistic,” Farris said.

Farris’s progressive nature expands into his classroom and attire. You’ll often see him rocking his crocs or wearing an expressive tee.

On his first day presenting to the student body he came on stage in a bright Pikachu tee.

The first person Farris met at Country Day was Head of High School Brooke Wells.

Farris felt that Wells’ and Country Day’s ideology on how topics should be taught in the classroom matched his.

Farris’s vision is for younger children to be introduced to

computer sciences as early as lower school so they can learn more advanced topics in the future.

“I want to support his vision for what he wished he had as a computer science program when he was in high school,” Wells said.

In 2019, Farris graduated with a Bachelor’s in Arts and double majored in Spanish Language and Literature as well as Computer Science from Wesleyan University in Connecticut.

Wesleyan is known for its film program and diverse studies. There, he was able to build a learning path that fit his needs and allowed him to find his true passion.

Farris has been teaching for 10 years. This year, however, is his first in California as well as his first time teaching an Advanced Placement class.

Before coming to Country Day, he taught for two years in a Honduras bilingual school. There, he taught English, social studies and science and was piloting a computer science program.

Farris wishes to bring more diversity into the field. His robotics class has 23 students, all of whom are male. He hopes a more inclusive education system will help to even out that imbalance.

BY GARMAN XU & GARRETT XU Inside Diego Panasiti’s classroom, students explore culture through music and language. An immigrant himself, Panasiti brings his experiences and skillsets to the high school as the new Spanish II and English 10 teacher.

Drawn to Country Day’s small, diverse community, Panasiti felt a strong connection to the faculty and the school’s mission.

Panasiti brings his own spin to his classroom by using his past experience. As a student at the University of Maryland, he joined a Teacher Assistant fellowship with the goal of coming up with his own philosophy to teach a college class. He also majored in Latin American studies which gave him a better understanding of the culture through sociology, anthropology and literature.

Panasiti has adopted new books for English 10.“Enrique’s Journey” will be replaced with Karla Cornejo Villavicendo’s “The Undocumented Americans.” Other new books include “Children of the Land”

by Hernandez Castillo and “The Warmth of Other Suns”

by Isabel Wilkerson.

“As a department, we play to the strengths of the individual teachers,” Wells said, “If we have a teacher whose ex-

Outside of computer sciences, Farris enjoys playing video games.

“He likes a lot of stuff that I like, like video games and hobbies like computer science and tech.” said senior Malek Owaidat.

Farris also enjoys being outside and visiting national parks.

“I think a big problem with programmers is that they don’t get the opportunity to go outside as often as they should,” Farris said. “There’s a lack of respect for living things or nature.”

Farris also sets time aside to indulge in music, particularly the bass. He will be one of the new music directors and will help to run the recording studio once he and Wells finalize the logistics.

Farris is working to make the recording studio more of an inclusive workspace.

Farris is happy to see learning and communication happening between students in person this year.

“I’m most excited to see the students back in the classroom,” he said. “I look forward to seeing learning happen in person instead of online.”

Farris looks forward to using Country Day’s curriculum to help students not just to survive but to thrive.

pertise, in this case, is in Latin American Studies, we will shift toward books that are more within his actual areas of academic study.”

Panasiti is no stranger when it comes to themes of immigration and fitting into a new country. As an immigrant from Argentina, Panasiti experienced firsthand the challenges of starting fresh in a new country. In fact, as the youngest in his family, he was the first member of his family to graduate from high school and pursue higher education at a university in America.

With his older brother and sister, Panastiti’s family of five immigrated to the U.S. when he was two with no experience in English.

“In a way, I was a translator and intermediary for my parents,” he said. “Now, I do this as my job.”

Thus, his goal for his classes is to create a safe and trusting environment for students to reflect critically about ideas presented from the books as well as current events.

“The backbone of my identity as an educator comes from my culture and from my experiences,” he said. “Expression of culture enables you to self-reflect who you are as a person within the community.”

Panasiti plans on using a similar approach to teaching Spanish. He said learning

a language is more than just memorizing words, reading the textbook and studying.

He plans to use hands-on activities to explore different Spanish-speaking cultures.

Panasiti also wants to make speaking Spanish natural by incorporating it frequently in the classroom and in student-led activities.

Freshman Priya Chand is in Panasiti’s Spanish II class and enjoys the cultural learning.

“He’s fun and engaging,” Chand said. “I like how he only talks in Spanish and it gets me to use the language, which is extremely helpful.”

Outside the classroom, Panasiti is an expert landscape photographer and an outdoor hiking enthusiast.

He believes that hiking will be a great de-stressing activity for students. Using his experience as a hiking guide, Panasiti plans to form a club and develop an outdoor education program in the future.

Head of Spanish and former Spanish II teacher, Patricia Portillo, has high hopes for Panasiti. “He has an extensive curriculum and life experiences that will benefit our student body: a background in Latin American Studies, sociology and Spanish, solid teaching experience, leadership skills, and passion for the outdoors,” Portillo said.

“All in all, we are lucky to have him at Country Day!”

Charles Farris

08 OPINION

SEPTEMBER 21, 2021 • THE OCTAGON

CLIMATE CHANGE CLIMATE CHANGE CLIMATE CHANGE

EDITORIAL: Students, the future is in our hands!

C

“Old Car, Old News” by Brynne Barnard-Bahn

limate change is the largest issue facing humanity. It’s easy to disregard its existence, or claim it’s not caused by humans, or fall into the trap of thinking that we can’t do anything about it. All of those are false. Although most major changes, such as carbon caps, have to be implemented by the government, there are things all of us can do.

Part of the issue is that climate change never feels imminent or dangerous. We consider it to be something in the far future, something that only comes up in the occasional hurricane or fire news.

However, the United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel of Climate Change served a large wake-up call with a report released in August.

The IPCC report goes into excruciating detail, about 1,300 pages of it, on the exact effects humanity has been having on the world and the consequences of those actions.

Overall, the message is hauntingly simple: humanity is in trouble.

The IPCC report summary, conclusion A.1 says: “It is unequivocal that human influence has warmed the atmosphere, ocean and land. Rapid changes in the atmosphere, ocean, cryosphere and biosphere have occurred.”

Conclusion A.1.1: “Observed increases in well-mixed greenhouse gas concentrations since around 1750 are unequivocally caused by human activities.”

Conclusions A.1.2 and A.1.3: “Each of the last four decades has been successively warmer than any decade that preceded it since 1850,” with a “best estimate” of a 1.07°C increase.

Note the definite nature of the statements, the use of the word ‘unequivocally.’ This is nothing new; it’s what has been described by previous researchers. The difference in this report is how clear it makes it.

The report also lays out possible futures, saying that “Global warming of 1.5°C and 2°C will be exceeded during the 21st century unless deep reductions in CO2 and other greenhouse gas emis-

sions occur in the coming decades.”

If you are still hazy about whether you think human global warming exists, read the full report summary. It mostly speaks for itself.

If you are convinced of the science, you may be feeling a bit defeatist about all of this. The report paints a picture of drastic consequences, with only slim possibilities of avoiding them.

But we still change this from a catastrophic 3°C increase to something more manageable, like under 1.5°C. There are some irreversible effects to our climate, but most of the others can be fixed given the proper carbon cutting measures.

The responsibility of enacting these measures falls mainly on lawmakers; they need to implement restrictions and limitations on emissions and wastefulness in our industries. Without government intervention, there’s little chance our companies would rise to meet this issue over their own profit.

The biggest way we can help on this is to contact our legislative representatives. Science teacher Cade Grunst especially emphasizes this.

You can pick up your phone once a year, find the numbers (or email) of your local, state, and federal representatives, then call and say that you want climate change regulations enacted.

It seems like a small effort, but say if thousands of people called Congress to advocate for this, Congress would absolutely do something about it.

But what can we, Country Day and we as individuals, still do?

“Any attempt at conservation has small effects, especially in the people around you, in the way that it changes the culture,” president of the Environmentalist Club junior Adam Akins said.

“If there’s a culture of saving, of being responsible, of not wasting, it will help change things long-term.”

Part of bringing that culture comes with education. Akins recommended learning about composting, recycling, sustainable farming, or just learning to reduce needless waste.

Climate change is covered in middle school, but is not heavily focused on in the high school curriculum.

Adding another, more in-depth unit on sustainability and climate change to the ninth or 10th grade curriculum, be it in the history or science classes, or even adding an AP Environmental Science course, would be a way to better educate Country Day students and eventual adults on the matter.

We can also make steps towards lessening our carbon emissions. Because 25% of U.S. carbon emissions are from the power sector, according to the EPA, one option would be to retrofit the existing high school and middle school building roofs with solar panels.

As individuals, we also can consider using solar panels for our own homes.

Depending on the property, you can even get paid for excess electricity.

Solar isn’t always feasible, though, and those whose electricity is provided by the Sacramento Municipal Utility District have an even better option.

SMUD offers a green energy program that lets you pay a flat $4 a month fee to get half of your electricity sourced renewably or $8 a month to get all of it sourced renewably.

There are additional options for businesses, so Country Day should also look into joining the green energy program.

Another option is purchasing an electric vehicle. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, transportation accounts for 29% of the U.S. carbon emissions.

Electric vehicles have become much more economical and convenient in recent years. At this point, there’s little remaining advantage to traditional gas cars. It’s definitely something to consider if you’re making a new car purchase.

Even on the small scale, just reducing the amount of unnecessary things we buy will add up to a world where we’re better at moderation, better at managing our effect on the environment.

There’s always something, no matter how small, that we can do for our planet. The responsibility to fix this is with us.

MY ANGLE: Do we need vaccine mandates?

On the surface, we may all desire a vaccine mandate. Many people who have already been vaccinated do not want to put up with uncomfortable masking and social distancing, as these rules are largely made to preserve the health of those who have not yet been vaccinated or prevent the vaccinated from experiencing a breakthrough case of COVID-19.

School COVID-19 regulations are becoming more strict as people grow impatient for the end of the pandemic. Los Angeles schools have implemented vaccination mandates for their students, allowing only vaccinated kids to attend in-person classes.

However, Country Day should continue to follow COVID-19 regulations, but should not implement a vaccine mandate.

Why? This seems counterintuitive to the vaccine mandate arguments many have made in the media and in society. A vaccine requirement would create imbalances in education quality.

According to the Los Angeles Unified School District, “A qualified exemption (for a COVID-19 vaccine) includes a medical exemption or being a foster child, homeless, migrant or military family. State law does not recognize religious or personal belief exemptions for student immunizations.”

That means that children can be denied in-person learning if their parent’s religious beliefs conflict with the vaccination of their child.

Many may agree that Zoom classes are adequate, but learning is most productive for most kids in person. If a kid has to stay home on Zoom in a more remote and distracting environment and does not learn as well, he or she is not receiving the same education as his or her peers.

In addition, the decision for vaccination is not even in the child’s hands. The parents are responsible for the decision to get vaccinated or not. Why should we deprive kids of the same education as their peers just because their parents have differing ideologies?

The case can also be made that in a school setting where multiple ages are present, such as Country Day, an attempt to enforce a vaccine mandate does not make medical sense. Children have the ability to interact with each other on the school campus whether they have been vaccinated or not, and children under the age of 12 are not even eligible for vaccination.

Although a vaccine mandate would be inequitable, COVID-19 safety regulations are not. Students should continue to follow safety requirements by socially distancing and wearing masks at all times.

William Holz

A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS FOR KEEPING US IN THE BLACK! Anand family, Chand Family, Claire Family, Eberhart Family, Intel Foundation, Monasa Family, Trivedi Family

A&E 09

SEPTEMBER 21, 2021 • THE OCTAGON

COOKIE LOVERS

ENTER HERE!

caramel pumpkin

“A soft pumpkin cookie topped with a caramel cream cheese frosting swirl and sprinkled with pumpkin pie spice.”

The taste brought me to a fall afternoon filled with cool breezes and colorful leaves. This delicious cookie was the best pumpkin-flavored dessert I’ve ever had. The slightly-bitter pumpkin cookie blended nicely with the sweet caramel cream cheese frosting, and the pumpkin pie spice gave the cookie a flavorful kick.

galaxy brownie

“A rich brownie cookie covered in a warm fudge glaze and topped off with intergalactic rainbow candy bits.”

This warm, colorful chocolate cookie was very pleasing to look at. The M&M-like candy bits sprinkled onto the chocolate glaze that oozed over the cookie gave the cookie a fun resemblance to the popular dessert: Cosmic Brownies. As much as I liked the look of the cookie, I wished that the taste lived up to its looks. Coming from someone who isn’t a huge fan of chocolate, I’d say that chocolate fudge on top of a chocolate cookie is just too much. The fudge, despite being tasty, was very rich and I had to practically chug a glass of water after a single bite from the cookie. If there was no fudge I would’ve liked the cookie a lot more.

overall rating:

STORY AND PHOTOS BY AVA EBERHART; GRAPHICS BY ARIKTA TRIVEDI

W

alking into the Crumbl Cookies bakery in Rocklin for the first time was an experience I’ll never forget. The pleasing colors of pink and white filled my vision, and the smell of sweet, freshly baked cookies was one I wish they would use as a scented candle. Just from taking a step into the bakery, I was hoping that the cookies would exceed my expectations.

One feature that makes Crumbl Cookies so remarkable is the rotating menu. Every Sunday, four to five new cookies appear on the menu, replacing cookie flavors from the past week. Don’t worry if you miss a flavor — the cookies always rotate back in after a couple of weeks. However, the flavor “Milk Chocolate Chip” always remains on the menu as their signature cookie. Also, "Classic Sugar" is considered a semi-permanent flavor which is usually on the menu.

Another unique aspect of the cookies is their extraordinarily large size — they are about the size of a hockey puck. They are meant to be shared — Crumbl Cookies even sells a cookie cutter that slices their cookies into fourths. In addition, they are very thick and, therefore, tend to be very soft all around, but especially in the middle.

I went to Crumbl Cookies during the week of Aug. 30, 2021. That week’s flavors consisted of “Caramel Pumpkin,” “Cookie Dough,” “Classic Oatmeal,” “Galaxy Brownie,” “Classic Sugar” and, of course, “Milk Chocolate Chip.”

All of the cookies are $4 each, but I bought the six-pack, which is $19.20, so there’s a pretty big savings if you choose to buy a big pack.

milk chocolate chip

classic oatmeal

“A warm cookie with milk chocolate chips.”

A classic cookie flavor executed perfectly! I could not get enough of this cookie’s taste, texture, and appearance. Although the flavor was probably the simplest out of all the flavors I tried from that week, I really enjoyed the sheer bliss of biting into the soft, chewy cookie, and the sweet chocolate flavor really topped it all off — perfectly complementing the rest of the cookie. In addition, the cookie was very thick and puffed up, and the chocolate chips were distributed perfectly, making it very pleasing to look at.

“A tasty celebration of an old classic. A warm oatmeal cookie infused with hints of vanilla and molasses.”

This warm cookie, with a hint of vanilla, practically melted in my mouth as soon as I took a bite, and I just had to go for more and more bites. As someone who doesn’t care for raisins in cookies, I was pleasantly surprised at the lack of raisins. But, if you’re looking for an oatmeal cookie with raisins, this one isn’t for you. Also, the wonderful, chewy texture added to its absolute perfection.

cookie dough

classic sugar

“A chilled chewy brown sugar cookie topped with an ice cream inspired cookie dough buttercream and chunks of cookie dough pieces.”

I love cookie dough flavored desserts, so I had high expectations for this cookie. However, cookie dough pieces on cookie-dough-flavored buttercream is a bit much.

There was a sweetness overload when I took a bite into the enormous cookie, and I felt slightly nauseated after taking a couple more, similar to how you’d feel after eating an entire bag of candy corn. Despite all of this, the chocolate chips and cookie dough bits on the top added a pleasant texture to the cookie, and the frosting itself was very yummy. So, the individual components were great, but altogether it was just too sweet.

“Our classic sugar cookie base topped with a perfect pink swirl of almond-flavored frosting.”

Looking at the cookie, it seemed to be very plain and simple. I actually had low expectations for this one — I saw it as just another regular sugar cookie with overly-sweet pink frosting. However, I was very wrong.

As I took a bite and the frosting landed on my taste buds, a smile immediately grew across my face. The taste of the frosting was heavenly — imagine powdered sugar with a hint of almond, a splash of vanilla, and a spoonful of delight. The frosting wasn’t overly sweet like I expected it to be, and it really complemented the slightly-salty cookie base. I have to say that the Classic Sugar was my absolute favorite.

Despite other cookies receiving a 5/5 rating, the Classic Sugar was my absolute favorite. The cookie had the best frosting I’ve ever eaten, and I would definitely recommend ordering the Classic Sugar if you ever go to Crumbl Cookies.

The overall feel of the bakery was very friendly and warm. There was a bit of a line but we moved through it quickly. Once the cookies were made, a crew member showed them to me to make sure that they gave us the right cookies. I really appreciated this extra step, as a lot of bakeries I’ve been to don’t do this. The cookies weren’t premade or pre-frosted, but freshly baked and I got to watch the crew members decorate them.

At the Crumbl Cookies location that I went to, there were no seats inside or outside of the store. The bakery only consisted of ordering kiosks, the place where you pay, a waiting area, and, of course, the baking area in the back. So, after ordering the cookies, I had to make my way out of the bakery and eat them at home.

After such a wonderful experience at Crumbl Cookies, I would definitely recommend the bakery, and I plan on going back there soon.

10 FEATURE

SEPTEMBER 21, 2021 • THE OCTAGON

GARRETT XU Freshman Garrett Xu is a talented pianist, and he looks forward to the friendly community here at Country Day. He previously attended Granite Oaks Middle School.

Q: What are some of your interests?

A: I really like classical piano. I’ve been playing since I was 5 years old.

In fact, I went to Carnegie Hall to perform Chopin - Waltz in C Minor (Op. 64 No.2) a couple years ago.

So yeah, I compete in competitions here and there.

Q: What was Carnegie Hall like?

A: It was really nerve racking, but I think it was a great experience.

During the first half of my performance I was way too nervous. However, I learned to control them and played calmly for the rest of the piece.

CEZAR ABOU ZAKi Freshman Cezar Abou Zaki went to school in the Lisa National Schools system in Lebanon before coming to Country Day. Abou Zaki left his aunts, uncle and grandmother when he moved to Sacramento.

Q: Did you move to the U.S in the summer?

A: Yes, I did move during the summer. I’ve been here for one month now, maybe more than a month by a bit. It was fun moving to a whole other country, seeing new people and getting to know everybody. New language, new history, new everything.

Q: Has learning English been hard for you?

A: Learning English has not been hard for me, but sometimes it’s hard for people to understand since I don’t talk to too many people in Lebanon. I spoke in Arabic, the main language of the country.

Q: Has living in a new place been difficult for you?

A: I have a new background. I have to learn the culture of the country, the background and history. I am starting over a new life. Sometimes it’s hard to talk to people.

Q: Why did you come to Country Day School?

A: I came to Sacramento Country Day because my mom (physics and Algebra II teacher Malak Faour) is a teacher here. She wanted to put me into this school. And from what I’ve noticed, this school is really good.

I’ve enjoyed it. Everyone is really friendly. The teachers are really nice. They help me understand stuff, always ask me if I have trouble understanding a subject.

— Ishaan Sekhon

Q: What did you do over the summer?

A: I didn’t have much to do because of COVID-19, so I just stayed home and played video games and piano.

My favorite game to play is Osu, a music coordination video game. I’m actually rated in the top 4,000 in the world for that game.

Q: What are you looking forward to most this year?

A: I am looking forward to smaller classes and a tighter community, which is quite the opposite of my old school.

AVERY LAPLACA Freshman Avery LaPlaca previously attended kindergarten through eighth grade at Genevieve Didion in Sacramento and is a sister to freshmen Jordyn and Ashleigh Laplaca.

Q: What are your favorite activities?

A: I like to hang out with friends and family as well as read fiction books, my favorite being “Assassin’s Blade.”

I also like watching TV shows like “Avatar: The Last Airbender.”

Q: What’s a fun fact about you?

A: I don’t like melted cheese. I don’t really like the taste, smell, texture or the way it looks. I also don’t like nacho cheese, cottage cheese or ricotta cheese.

Q: Do you have any pets?

A: Yes, I have three dogs and three cats divided between two houses.

At my dad’s, I have a dog named Frannie and my oldest sister has a cat named Penny. At my mom’s, we have two huskies named Roxy and Rory. We also have two cats named Prince Loki and Rosalina.

Q: What’s it like being a triplet?

A: It’s nice because you have someone to talk to, and you can get help with homework or something. But it can also be annoying. For the most part I like it, but not all the time.

— Emily Cook

— William Holz

AARYAN GANDHi Freshman Aaryan Gandhi attended Winston Churchill Middle School in Carmichael.

Q: What did you do over the summer?

A: I went camping at Camp High Sierra, and I looked at some pre-college business programs to take next year for fun. In seventh grade, I was in a club called FBLA (Future Business Leaders of America), and I’ve been interested in business ever since. Also, I like math, and finance is math-related, so I think I want to go into business in the future.

Q: What are your hobbies?

A: Basketball, golf and chess. I’ve played basketball for four to five years and golf for seven. I plan to make the varsity team for both sports. As for chess, my grandpa taught me when I was 7, and I also just taught a friend of mine.

Q: What are you most excited about at Country Day? A: I’m most excited about Country Day’s flexible schedule to take classes, and the community here is very nice and friendly.

— Garrett Xu

A&E 11

SEPTEMBER 21, 2021 • THE OCTAGON

‘Certified Lover Boy’ brings out all sides of Drake, masters the art of the beat drop

ALL IN ALL

C L B

A

ubrey “Drake” Graham released his sixth studio album “Certified Lover Boy” on Sept.

3, 2021. After only one week since its release, “CLB” claims nine of the top ten spots in the Billboard’s Hot 100 Chart. The album also features artists such as JAY-Z, Lil Baby, Future and Travis Scott.

I cover the hits and the misses of the long-awaited album from the perspective of a Drake fan.

Scan the Spotify codes underneath each song on your phone using the Spotify app to listen to the song.

REVIEW BY ROD AZGHADI; GRAPHICS BY ARIJIT TRIVEDI

Champagne Poetry I clicked on the first song of the album expecting a Drake classic: a sick beat with heavy bass. It was nothing like that at all. Although “Champagne Poetry” was missing the bass, it impressed me nonetheless. The intro of the melody-heavy song set the tone for the whole album, proving that Drake isn’t limited to traditional rap songs.

The computerized, auto-tuned repetition of the phrase “I love you” for the first 15 seconds put me in a trance. It relaxed me and made me appreciate the lyrical rhymes Drake uses throughout the song. However, the phrase “I love you” continued to be played over Drake’s rapping for most of the song, which started to get on my nerves by the end.

“Champagne Poetry” also samples and uses the lyrics of “Michelle” by The Beatles, which shows the influence great artists have on Drake.

The five-minute, 36-second duration of this song is also too lengthy for my taste. RATING: 3 STARS

3 Way 2 Sexy feat. Future and Young Thug “Way 2 Sexy” wasn’t that bad the first time I played it, but it got worse from there.

The words are repetitive and I wish Drake would’ve put more effort into writing the lyrics of “Way 2 Sexy.” I mean, the song repeats the words “too sexy” 40 times.

The song itself gets one star; however, the music video jumps it to three stars.

Drake impersonates celebrities such as Michael Jackson by doing Jackson’s signature dance moves and Sylvester Stallone dressed as Rambo and shooting a gun.

The video also features NBA player Kawhi Leonard. I found this funny because Leonard is known around the league for being a quiet guy, and I was shocked to see him collaborate with a star like Drake. RATING: 3 STARS

3

Girls Want Girls feat. Lil Baby Because this was “Certified Lover Boy’s” most popular song with over 31 million streams on Spotify, I had high expectations.

As the song started, I noticed something strange: the intro was similar to Summer Walker’s 2018 hit “Girls Need Love,” a song Drake was featured on.

I appreciated Drake doing this because it’s a cool spin-off of Walker’s song, and it is a detail that often goes unnoticed.

Lil Baby is also my favorite artist Drake collaborates with. “Girls Want Girls” draws similarities to “Wants and Needs,” one of my favorite Drake songs featuring Lil Baby.

In both songs, Drake starts out with a slower pace with less auto-tune, and Lil Baby follows with a fast-paced rap that pumps me up.

This change of pace is an aspect I look forward to and enjoy while listening to Drake. RATING: 4 STARS

4 Fair Trade feat. Travis Scott Two of this generation’s biggest rappers collaborated for possibly my favorite song of the album.

It’s my go-to song when I’m driving to basketball practice. My car reverberates with the deep bass as I hum along with the rap.

Drake mastered the art of when to drop the beat and when to cut it off.

For example, Drake starts off rapping fast with a beat, but as he slows down, the beat also fades. Subsequently, the moment the beat drops again is so satisfying.

The one downside of “Fair Trade” is the outro. The last 40 seconds of the song is random computer-generated mumbling that just drags on — it gets frustrating quick. RATING: 4 STARS

4 TSU Abbreviated for Texas Southern University, “TSU” recalls the story of a girl Drake met at the university.

Again, Drake perfectly utilizes changing the pace of the beat and his voice in this song.

The first half of the song has a bass that couldn’t stop me from bopping my head along to the music.

Around the 3:30 mark of “TSU,” Drake fades from traditional rap to extra terrestrial, galactic type music to finish out the song.

However, the one thing holding “TSU” back from being five stars is the long intro.

For the first minute of the song, there is no rhythm at all, and it’s just a random guy saying random sentences. Periods with no music and minimal words are becoming a trend on this album, and it’s holding “Certified Lover Boy” back from being one of Drake’s greats. RATING: 4 STARS

4

Yebba’s Heartbreak

7am on Bridle Path

Who is Yebba and where is Drake? Those were the two questions I had when I finished this song.

Yes, you heard that right. Drake doesn’t rap on a song listed as “by Drake.”

At first, I thought “Yebba’s Heartbreak” was going to be one those songs Drake collaborates with a pop star for, like “Chicago Freestyle ft. Giveon.”

I kept on waiting for Yebba, an American artist and songwriter, to stop singing and for Drake to come on. Sadly, Yebba had me waiting for the whole song.

Don’t get me wrong — she has a nice voice, but I am listening to “Certified Lover Boy” to hear Drake. Sorry Yebba, this song is an automatic skip. RATING: 3 STARS

I get goosebumps every time I listen to this song.

It was my favorite song during my first listen of the album, and it still holds that spot.

Now this song is classic Drake — it has a simple beat, geniusly engineered lyrics and no featured artists.

Drake opens and closes the song in the same way: spitting rhymes.

My favorite part of the song is the intro when he raps for a solid 15 seconds without taking a breath. Now that’s impressive.

Also, he shouts out NBA champion Giannis Antetokounmpo.

I bring that up because when he won the championship, rappers struggled to create lyrics that rhymed with his not-so-easy-to-pronounce last name. However, Drake nailed it and I smile everytime the line comes up.

FYI: it’s at 0:25. RATING: 5 STARS

3

5

12 ENDPOINT

SEPTEMBER 21, 2021 • THE OCTAGON

Summer Vacation

O

ver the past summer, students had the opportunity to travel internationally for the first time since the coronavirus was declared a pandemic. Those who were traveling were required to follow certain precautions depending on the destination.

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