Octagon 2020-21 Issue 7

THE

OCTAGON

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

VOL.44 NO.7 • Sacramento Country Day School • 2636 Latham Drive, Sacramento, CA• www.scdsoctagon.com • April 13, 2021

Paper or online AP exam?

Choose wisely.

TROUBLESOME TRANSFORMATION Senior Keshav Anand examines his transformed E-coli following an AP Biology lab. During this experiment, some lab materials were faulty, causing half of the E-coli to transform incorrectly. Anand plans to take the paper exam on May 14. PHOTO BY ARIKTA TRIVEDI

Students, teachers adapt to new hybrid AP exam format

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BY SAMHITA KUMAR

P exams, an integral part of many high school curriculums, have shifted to be partially in-person this year.

Last year, exams took place entirely online with a platform that some had technological issues with.

Advanced Placement classes provide a more rigorous curriculum than regular classes, with an end-of-year College Board-administered test. Passing scores on an AP exam can be used for college credits, although policies vary for each college.

This year, the College Board is offering

both in-person and digital versions of AP exams for many subjects.

Students are given the choice to decide which format they will take. There are three testing periods. The first session, which is entirely in person, runs from May 3-17. The second and third sessions, which use both platforms, is from May 18-28 and June 1-11 according to the College Board. The contents of the tests vary depending on the test date and format. Long Essay Questions have been cut from AP U.S. History and the online AP Physics C exam does not have free-response questions, according to the College Board.

Liz Leavy, who teaches AP Art History, is worried about the online AP option.

“Everything about it last year was a disaster,” she said.

One student in her class was unable to submit her answers to the online platform, forcing her to retake the exam over a month later.

Because of these problems, she is advising her students to take the AP Art History test in person.

Chemistry teacher Victoria Conner also recommends the pencil-and-paper version for the AP Chemistry exam.

“There are a lot of special characters writing chemical equations,” she said.

“Sometimes they ask you to sketch out diagrams or graphs. While they say that there’s a way to do that online, it’s an extra

thing you have to learn.”

English teacher Jason Hinojosa also recommended his students to take the in-person exam.

“I believe it’s easier for students to focus in a formal testing environment, and I think fewer things can go wrong,” he said.

Internet connectivity, interruptions from family, or other similar problems have the potential to disrupt the exam, he said.

However, students in Hinojosa’s AP classes are taking the exam with both formats, and he only slightly prefers the in-person version.

Another issue is that seniors choose

EXAMS page 3 >>

Country Day to hire nurse for COVID-19 management

BY ROD AZGHADI Country Day is trying to hire a part-time nurse for the first time since its founding in 1964.

The idea had been discussed by the administration in the past, but COVID-19 made it a reality.

School administrators had many medical questions, so they decided to hire a nurse to guide them through the process, said Head of School Lee Thomsen “Most importantly, this person would help us coordinate our COVID-19 responses, policies and procedures,” he said.

INSIDE the ISSUE PHOTO BY ARIJIT TRIVEDI; GRAPHICS BY CHARLIE ACQUISTO

The nurse will move into former Assistant to the Head of School Tucker Foehl’s office next to the Academic Resources Center.

Shortly after this decision was made, a job advertisement was sent out in a Jan. 22 school-wide email as well as put on the school website. The ad included the job description, responsibilities and requirements.

The advertisement says the nurse will also serve on the COVID Steering Committee.

President of the National Association of School Nurses Laurie Comb, a retired nurse with

over 46 years of experience, said school nurses typically have two big responsibilities on campus: tending to individual students’ health and responding to medical emergencies.

“The nurse would inject insulin shots to students with diabetes and provide inhalers for students with asthma,” Combe said.

The nurse would also train teachers how to administer medicine to students with health issues.

The nurse will also be responsible for any major health emergency during school hours. This used

NEWS 4 The light is at the end of the tunnel!

COVID-19 vaccines are becoming increasingly available, even to students.

to be the job of Director of Physical Education Michelle Myers in the 1980s-1990s.

Myers received a degree in Sports Medicine from Sacramento State, qualifying her to deal with these situations.

Myers said it’s usually the supervising teacher’s job to handle the medical issue at hand, but if they aren’t comfortable, they should call emergency services.

“Every teacher on campus is CPR and first aid certified,” she said. “However, I was called in once this year to handle an injury.”

CENTERPOINT 6-7 The Biden Administration passed the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021.

Learn about how students and teachers feel about it.

Two students’ heads collided at recess, and Myers was called in to evaluate for concussion.

Myers has been working since 1986 and is planning to retire in a few years, so she thinks a school nurse would be a great idea.

The nurse will also tend to minor health emergencies, a job currently belonging to receptionist Erica Wilson.

Wilson evaluates students and gives band-aids, ibuprofen or ice packs to students who need them.

She is also in charge of contacting

NURSE page 3 >>

FEATURE 10 Skincare is important.

From facial cleansers to acne serums, discover what some students use for their skincare routines.

2

News • April 13, 2021

The Octagon

STAFF PRINT EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Sanjana Anand Ming Zhu ONLINE EDITORS-IN-CHIEF Ethan Monasa Arijit Trivedi NEWS EDITOR Nihal Gulati FEATURE EDITORS Arjin Claire Arikta Trivedi SPORTS EDITOR Miles Morrow A&E/OPINION EDITOR Dylan Margolis PHOTO EDITOR Hermione Xian PAGE EDITORS Arjin Claire Nihal Gulati Dylan Margolis Ethan Monasa Miles Morrow Arijit Trivedi Arikta Trivedi Hermione Xian BUSINESS STAFF Arjin Claire, manager Samhita Kumar, assistant SOCIAL MEDIA STAFF Samhita Kumar, assistant Arikta Trivedi, editor HEAD OF TECHNOLOGY Nihal Gulati REPORTERS Rod Azghadi Jacob Chand Emily Cook Jonah Angelo David Simone DeBerry Katie Espinoza William Holz Samhita Kumar Lauren Lu Callister Misquitta Samrath Pannu Natalie Park Aarushi Rohatgi Ishaan Sekhon Kali Wells Hermione Xian Garman Xu PHOTOGRAPHERS Miles Morrow Arikta Trivedi Hermione Xian MULTIMEDIA STAFF Arjin Claire, staffer Samhita Kumar, staffer Dylan Margolis, editor Samrath Pannu, staffer Garman Xu, staffer GRAPHIC ARTISTS Charlie Acquisto Brynne Barnard-Bahn Lilah Shorey ADVISER Bonnie Stewart The Octagon is Sacramento Country Day’s student-run high school newspaper. Its purpose is to provide reliable information on events concerning the high school in order to inform and entertain the school community. The staff strives for accuracy and objectivity. The Octagon aims to always represent both sides of an issue. Errors will be noted and corrected.

The Octagon shall publish material that the staff deems in the best interest of the school community. The staff recognizes the importance of providing accurate and reliable information to readers.

The Octagon does not represent the views of the administration, nor does it act as publicity for the school as a whole.

The Octagon will publish all timely and relevant news, subject to the following exceptions: obscenity; slanderous or libelous material; or material contrary to the best interests of the school community, as judged by the guidelines among the newspaper staff, adviser and school administration. Editorials

HOLI-DAYS Junior Arijit Trivedi celebrates Holi, the two-day Hindu festival of colors. Trivedi is celebrating on March 29, the second day, by throwing colored powder on his friends and family. PHOTO BY ARIKTA TRIVEDI

Students discuss cultural events on campus

BY SANJANA ANAND

Junior Zola Grey, co-president of Black embarrassed about their religion or being Student Union, joined the union in sopho- part of a different culture,” she said.

Senior Allie Bogetich likes addressing cult Country Day, students have tak- more year for one reason: to make the camtural holidays en the lead in spreading cultural pus aware of issues that the Black community faces around the during world awareness. world. cultures, human But more could be done.

We try to make the “I feel undergeography or reThe LatinX Student Union, the Black Sturepresented in the school as flexible as posligious studies dent Union, the Gay-Straight Alliance, the classes.

Food Club and the Justice, Equity, Diversity student body, sible to give students the opporso the club is Lee Thomsen, and Inclusion Council all play a role in celetunity to observe any holiday.” a safe space to head of school, said brating cultures across campus.

— Lee Thomsen an across-the-camtalk,” Grey said.

Head of High School Brooke Wells appreThe LatinX pus cultural celebraciates cultural clubs on campus and enjoys Student Union tion hasn’t happened before. events displayed by the student-run clubs. members play In the past, holidays like Chinese New “It would be fun to see celebrations of Chi- cultural games like Lotería, the Mexican vernese New Year, Ramadan, Passover and other sion of Bingo, watch Spanish movies with Year were celebrated among middle school students, but there has never been a schoolglobal cultural events,” he said.

English subtitles or talk about their identities wide celebration for a specific holiday.

In the past, the school has hosted events and what being Hispanic means.

Instead, events like the annual Winter such as World Cultures Day, where students “There are only a few Hispanic students on Concert and Grandparents Day have adapted bring food from all over the world, present campus, and being part of the club reminds to be more culturally inclusive than previous me of my heritage,” said junior Vanessa Escoclassical dance performances and events by bar, co-president of the years. a French, Spanish, or indigenous musical “Thirty years ago, the Winter Concert LatinX Student Union. group. would have been called the Christmas Con“I feel welcomed and not Most of the time, I feel welcomed cert, and it would have been a pretty one-diashamed of my cultural these performancand not ashamed heritage while still hav- mensional performance,” he said. es are organized by “Now, when we put together a winter coning a voice in my comof my cultural heritage clubs, Wells said. cert, we’re very conscious of the fact that munity.” while still having a voice In Black StuEscobar hopes to spread we’re trying to include multiple faith tradident Union in my community.” her culture by reviving the tions and be culturally aware as we build our meetings, mem— Vanessa Escobar taco-eating contests when celebrations. You’ll hear music, song and bers discuss school is fully in person. cross-cultural celebrations.” headlines about Some high school students believe that the The school tries to recognize significant African-Americans, the Civil Rights Move- school should help students be more cultur- holidays of all different faiths on social media ment, Black people’s advancements in soci- ally aware. and in the Friday email. Under the school’s ety and times in their lives when they have Escobar proposed a holiday calendar. policy, students receive an excused absence been discriminated against.

“Everyone would feel included and not be and the ability to make up work while celebrating cultural holidays.

“We try to make the school as flexible as possible to give students the opportunity to observe any holiday,” Thomsen said.

As an international student from Israel, senior Shelly Zalezniak shares her customs with classmates and encourages others to spread their culture around campus.

“I believe we should acknowledge these holidays because our community is so diverse, and it’s one of the special aspects I love about Country Day,” she said.

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are approved by an editorial board. Columns/commentaries shall be labeled as such and represent

CORRECTIONS

only the opinion of the author.

In the interest of representing all points of view,

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

letters to the editor shall be published, space permitting, unless otherwise requested. All letters must be signed and conform to the above restrictions.

The staff may change grammar and punctuation or abridge letters for space considerations. Comments can be made on our website to address all stories run.

CULTURAL CONVERSATION In the LatinX Student Union meeting on April 1, members discussed design ideas for club shirts and upcoming activities.

PHOTO BY VANESSA ESCOBAR

• In an illustration caption on Page 8 of Issue 6, Charlie Acquisto’s name was misspelled as Charlie Aquisto.

The Octagon

April 13, 2021 • News

Exams: AP prep slowed by COVID-19 restrictions (continued from page 1) whether to take the AP test. In AP Art History, many seniors choose not to, Leavy said.

“Only a handful are actually going to take it, largely because of the circumstances of the year,” she said.

Under the pressure of the pandemic, the AP Art History class moved at a slower pace, forcing the class to play catch-up. Because of this, Leavy isn’t pushing seniors in her class to take the exam.

Senior Pragathi Vivaik is in the AP Art History class, but she is not planning to take the exam.

“I’m already balancing quite rigorous courses along with college and other activities, and I feel like I wouldn’t have enough time,” she said. “I wouldn’t be able to do as well on the AP Art History exam as I would want to.”

Vivaik is taking her AP exams in person because she is concerned about the reliability of the online platform.

“Last year, I know a lot of people had problems,” Vivaik said. “I actually personally had a problem too with the internet.”

She hopes that taking her AP exams in person will help her avoid those problems.

Leavy said that college credit and preparedness for the exams were major factors in seniors’ decisions.

Students only get credit for passing the AP exams. If they choose not to take the test, they do not get credit.

“Lots of schools don’t take credit or have a limit on the credit,” she said. “Usually the credit they get in other classes gets them further.”

Despite this, she usually encourages students to take the AP exam.

“It’s great for them to show off how much they know and to have that satisfaction,” she said.

Conner has also found AP exam preparation more challenging.

“It’s been a little bit more difficult without being able to do all of the hands-on

labs since there are a lot of a lot of testable labs on the chemistry AP,” she said.

Instead, the AP Chemistry class has been conducting hybrid labs with in-person students or virtual labs.

However, her class has been able to stay on track compared to previous years.

“I think I’m just slightly behind by a few days so I’m not too badly off right now,” Connor said. She plans to speed up her class to spend more time on test preparation as the exam approaches.

Personal circumstances also factor in the decision of many students.

Junior Lilah Shorey is taking the AP exams for U.S. History and English Language and Composition online and remotely due to the timing of the U.S. History exam, or APUSH for short.

“My birthday is May 3. If I was to take the test in person, it’s May 6,” she said. “I don’t particularly want to spend my birthday studying for the AP U.S. History exam.”

The later date of the online APUSH exam would give her more time to study, Shorey said.

However, she has some concerns about the multiple-choice questions on the online platform.

“You can’t go back and change your answer, which is a little bit upsetting,” she said. “Usually when I do multiple-choice for a history test, I like to go back and read it over.”

However, there are some aspects of the online test that she prefers; there are short answer questions instead of a more indepth, longer question.

Junior Sicily Schroeder decided she will take exams for AP English Language and Composition and APUSH remotely.

She made her decision because of the writing portions of the exams, Schroeder said.

“I’m a slow writer and a messy writer and I like to avoid writing if I can,” she said.

COVID-19 also factored into Shorey’s decision, although she does attend school in person.

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PRECISE PROCEDURE Senior Brian Chow drips a solution into a test tube during his AP Biology pGLO lab on March 23. PHOTO BY KELLIE WHITED “I go to school because it is easier for the teachers, and I like being around people, but I am still a bit wary of the whole thing,” she said.

COVID-19 was not a major issue for all students; Schroeder said it did not affect her decision at all.

Some students are combining both options and taking online and physical AP exams.

Senior Layla MoheyEldin plans to take all of her AP exams online with the exception of AP Microeconomics.

MoheyEldin, who is learning remotely, plans to take her AP Microeconomics exam in person due to the difficulty of online math APs. “Last year, I did hear that they were harder and required a lot more comprehension

of specific topics instead of looking at an overall understanding,” she said.

MoheyEldin also said that the preparation that her class has done is more focused on multiple-choice questions.

“We’ve been doing these exams with a piece of paper and a pencil, so I felt like that would work better for how I’ve prepared,” she said.

The AP Microeconomics exam will be MoheyEldin’s first in-person AP exam; she took all of her AP exams last year remotely, so she’s feeling a little nervous.

“A lot of the nerves stems from not having done it before, which is why I was nervous last year,” MoheyEldin said. “So this year I’m feeling pretty mellow about the online exam.”

Nurse: Nurses need both medical, schooling experience (continued from page 1) parents and/or emergency services when needed.

Combe said COVID-19 has brought another responsibility for some school nurses: contact tracing in the event of a COVID exposure.

Contact tracers quickly locate and talk with the patients, assist in arranging for patients to isolate themselves and work with patients to identify people with whom they have been in close contact, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

“Checking the ever-widening potential contacts for symptomatology is crucial,” Combe said.

To be eligible for the Country Day position, applicants must be either a registered nurse or a licensed practical nurse.

First aid and CPR certification also are required.

Combe described three ways to become an RN: complete a 3-year diploma program through a hospital, earn a 2-year associate’s degree in nursing or a 4-year bachelor’s degree in nursing.

These will all make a person eligible to take the RN licensing exam.

To be an LPN, one must complete a 12- to 18-month skill-oriented nursing program to learn about anatomy, physiology and medicine.

Country Day also requires a

minimum of two years’ professional nursing experience, preferably in a school or pediatric setting.

Although not required, the NASN recommends that all school nurses have a bachelor’s degree.

Combe explained that a bachelor’s degree includes coursework on community health nursing, something diploma and associate’s degree programs don’t offer.

It details concepts such as taking care of and understanding the population of schools.

“The course teaches nursing students that many public health concepts focus on wellness models rather than illness models,” Combe said.

She also said moving into

SAFETY SCREENING Assistant to head of high school Valerie Velo takes the temperature of sophomore Samrath Pannu on the morning of March 30. PHOTO BY ARIKTA TRIVEDI

school nursing is a big adjustment to what nurses are used to — Hospitals and physician’s offices are completely different professional domains than schools.

“You need to understand the language and laws of medicine, but you also need to understand the language and laws of education,” she said.

4

News • April 13, 2021

The Octagon

School to hold small graduation

BY KALI WELLS COVID-19 has brought Country Day’s traditional end-of-the-year celebrations to a halt for the second year in a row. The replacements are expected to be small but are not yet official.

In past years, high school students have been able to participate in events such as prom, graduation and the occasional Brooke Wells Cookout. This year, however, gatherings must be limited to smaller groups of people, which leaves little hope for the sudden comeback of these events in their former glory.

Wells had said that Country Day is still waiting for the California Department of Public Health to release the guidelines for graduations to determine the social end of the school year.

California’s color-coded tier system organizes counties based on the average number and percentage of positive COVID-19 cases. Prom is likely to be canceled and graduation will be small, but if the decrease of COVID-19 cases remains steady through spring break, Sacramento County may move down into the Orange Tier, opening the possibility of new opportunities.

Head of High School Brooke Wells said that the school is looking at a fairly small in-person graduation for seniors and a few of their close relatives. If the school’s COVID-19 cases remain under control, there’s also the possibility of an outside spring concert by the orchestra with the families allowed to attend.

“It all depends on numbers, and spring break is going to be huge,” Wells said, regarding the possibility of another rise in COVID-19 cases. “With the percentage of vaccinations going right now and the number of 16-year-olds going to be vaccinated by mid-April, surely by the fall, we should have a (full) high school and everyone vaccinated.”

At this time of year, Student Council is usually expected to play crucial roles in directing large group gatherings. Student Council would have hosted prom, helped with graduation and directed team games. This year, Student Council has come up with substitutes.

Student Council President Bri Davies, with the Student Council, has led Zoom-friendly events such as the Family Feud game on April 2, attempting to bring the high school together with events that let all students interact.

While Davies expects more group activities in the future, she wants to see that the end-of-year graduation includes the annual roasts. In past years, teachers would praise individual seniors or come up with funny skits, joking about their students’ time at Country Day. “More than anything, I want to see those happen even if it is over Zoom and not in person,” Davies said. “I think the skits are definitely what makes Country Day graduation unique and so special.”

CONQUERING COVID-19 Junior Arikta Trivedi winces while receiving the first shot of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine on March 28 at the Fair Oaks Urgent Care Now. PHOTO BY ARIJIT TRIVEDI

Students receive COVID-19 vaccines

BY JACOB CHAND

I

t was a bright day on March 13. After hours of volunteer work, junior Lilah Shorey rushed to get her first vaccine.

Aiding one of the vaccinators at the pop-up clinic in the Jesuit High School parking lot, Shorey spent over four hours helping vaccinate over 30 people.

“The parking lot was filled with cars waiting to get their vaccine,” she said.

“I would usually just file paperwork, get the bandages ready and help the vaccinator with whatever she needed help with.”

Shorey said the clinic usually had around 1,000 people a day with only around nine to 10 volunteers.

At the end of her shift that day, Shorey was asked if she wanted to get vaccinated because they had so many leftovers.

“It was a rush trying to get my parents here so they could do my paperwork before they closed,” she said.

“But then I signed some waivers, got the Pfizer shot, waited for 15 minutes to see if I had an allergic reaction, and then booked my next appointment.”

Shorey said that she thinks the vaccination is reliable, but won’t feel completely safe until she builds up an immunity after getting her second shot.

To manage the high demand for vaccines, California has established a tier system, splitting people into different groups. People eligible under a tier can book and receive the shot at distribution sites such as the one Shorey volunteers at.

Tier one includes frontline healthcare workers, specialty clinics, assisted living workers and adults over the age of 65. Tier two now includes educational, agricultural, restaurant and transportation workers.

Through this system, 731,200 doses have been distributed to Sacramento residents, according to the Sacramento County’s Public Health website as of April 8.

Additionally, all people over the age of

16 starting on April 15 will be eligible to receive a vaccine.

But the struggle to find a vaccination has been a challenge for most Country Day students.

For senior Allie Bogetich, getting the vaccine came with hours of preparation.

Bogetich was urged by her restaurant employer to get the shot to ensure she can interact with customers without risking their health or her own.

She was able to get her first vaccine on March 18 at Sutter Health Urgent Care and is expected to get her second dose of the Pfizer's on April 2.

Bogetich said afterward she had a slight tightness in her arm, but nothing severe.

The worst part for Bogetich was trying to fill out the paperwork.

“My mom sat on her iPad for about an hour trying to get me an appointment,” she said. “She had to constantly refresh the tab until someone canceled. It just shows how many people are rushing to get their vaccine.”

Bogetich said once she arrived, she sat in a waiting room with around 15 people.

From there, they were taken in groups of three to an examination room and given the shot, and waited 15 minutes afterward to check for complications.

Bogetich said she was never worried about her health too much but got it just to make her parents feel safer.

“There’s no harm in my eyes of getting the vaccine,” she said. “I think it’s worth it and reliable. I mean, I didn’t pay with my money, and it only took 30 minutes, so it was really a quick and easy process.

Junior Angela McCurdy got her first Pfizer vaccine at a local urgent care in San Francisco on March 20, and is getting her next one on April 6.

She experienced slight flu-like symptoms for about three days afterward.

“I’m usually pretty tired, but I ended up sleeping for 18 hours each day. I also had a slight headache and rise in temperature, but nothing out of the ordinary,” she said.

McCurdy said she was put into a waiting room with about 30 people.

“The whole process took around 55 minutes,” she said. “We waited in the room for about 30 minutes. The shot only took five minutes, and I had to wait 20 minutes to see if I had an allergic reaction.”

McCurdy said it took her dad around 35 minutes to book her an appointment but says she feels it was worth it.

“The whole process wasn’t that long, and I’m a strong believer in vaccines so I’m glad we signed up,” she said.

GOOFY GRADUATION Jackson Margolis, ’20, poses on top of his car at last year’s substitute drive-thru graduation. PHOTO BY ARIKTA TRIVEDI

April 13, 2021 • Sports

The Octagon

5

Athletes only allowed to play one sport at a time

BY MILES MORROW

C

ountry Day is continuing its trek towards normalcy as more sports are being permitted to start.

Since the start of cross country and the end of golf and ski and snowboard in February and March, Country Day sports will soon include co-ed soccer, co-ed tennis, co-ed track and field, girls volleyball, baseball, and boys and girls basketball.

With more sports starting, however, Country Day is adapting to the new rules and guidelines provided by the California Department of Public Health.

Athletic Director Matt Vargo said some of the rules the school is following are only recommendations from the CDPH. According to the CDPH, athletes and coaches should treat each team as a cohort and students and coaches should only participate on one team over the same season or period of time.

“Following these recommendations and guidelines shows the school’s commitment that the health and safety of our students and coaches is our top priority,” Vargo said.

“At the same time though, not all schools are following these guidelines.”

Along with the recommendations about

athletes participating in a single sport at a time, the CDPH has altered guidelines on who is allowed to attend and watch youth sports.

Observers are limited to immediate household members of the athletes. The guidelines require physical distance to be maintained, a necessity to reduce potential crowding and to maintain indoor capacity limits.

Limitation of capacity is based on the different color tiers. Each state maps the level of COVID-19 spread in each county and ranks the severity using colors. The four different tiers indicate which sports are allowed to be played based on what tier each county is in. Tier three (Orange/Moderate) allows 25% capacity and 50% in Tier four (Yellow/Minimal). Sacramento County

is currently in the Red Tier.

“Some events will have no spectators like in a small gym,” Vargo said. “Other times there will be a lot if it is in a place like a large field or park with lots of space for people to distance themselves.”

In an informal Octagon poll sent out to the high school on March 26, students were asked if they thought athletes should be allowed to play more than one sport at a time. Of the 143 high school students, 53 responded and of those, 64.2% said students should be allowed to play more than one sport at a time.

Freshman Gulzar Sohal was one of those students.

“The risk of getting COVID-19 is the same in each sport,” Sohal said. “Unless all the schools in the district are following

Athletic Attendance Data collected in an informal Octagon poll sent to the high school on March 26. Fifty-three of the 143 high school students responded.

Should athletes be able to play more than one sport at a time?

YES - 64.2% NO OPINION - 24.5% NO - 11.3 %

Are multiple-sport athletes favoring one sport over another?

YES - 52.1% NO 48.9%

Is COVID-19 causing any athletes to miss playing their sport?

YES - 35.7% NO 64.3% GRAPHICS BY MILES MORROW

GETTING BACK INTO IT (From top to bottom) Senior Ming Zhu inspects a course at a ski and snowboard race on Feb. 26 and sophomore Ibrahim MoheyEldin and freshman Luke Scripps battle for the ball during one of the first soccer practices of the season on March 31. The ski and snowboard season has ended while the soccer season started on March 30.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF JASON KREPS, BY ARIKTA TRIVEDI

these guidelines, it wouldn’t make sense.

The other schools will have multiple-sport athletes who interact with our players and the exposure would still occur.”

Sohal plans to play basketball if it occurs but won’t be able to swim.

Similar to Sohal, 52.1% of students of those who responded to the poll who play more than one sport are choosing to play one over the other.

“It is obvious to me that I favor basketball a lot more over swimming. I put more time into basketball compared to swimming and I have more of a passion for basketball,” Sohal said.

He said he feels like he is missing out on a big part of his high school experience.

“I would be really upset if there was no basketball this year,” he said. “I didn’t have a basketball team at my middle school, and I have been waiting for a long time to play a school sport.”

Senior Hana Lee is one of the 11.3% of students who responded to the poll who think that students shouldn’t be allowed to play more than one sport.

Lee’s point of view, however, is not based on the potential increased spread of COVID-19.

“Sports and teams this year are being spread thin,” Lee said. “Teams are smaller and are having much shorter seasons.”

Of the students who responded to the poll, 35.7% are electiving not to participate in sports this year because of COVID-19.

Lee thinks that restricting athletes to one sport per season will allow the smaller teams to actually have a season and for athletes to focus and give their best efforts to one sport.

“Playing multiple sports at once can be difficult even during a regular year,” she said. “It’s almost impossible for an athlete to constantly be putting equal amounts of effort into each sport. They’re always going to be favoring one over another.”

Lee plays varsity volleyball. She, along with the other seniors, are excited to be having a season at all.

“I don’t have many expectations going into the season,” Lee said. “We’re all just hoping to have a long and enjoyable senior season and to maybe win a few games.”

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April 13, 2021

Cente

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ith a $1.9 trillion price tag, the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 is one of the largest economic stimulus measures in U.S. history. Commonly abbreviated as ARPA, it provides additional relief to different sectors of society suffering the negative effects of the coronavirus pandemic. GRAPHICS BY SIMONE DEBERRY, ETHAN MONASA AND ARIJIT TRIVEDI

Country Day community reacts to rescue plan

BY SIMONE DEBERRY Sitting at lunch with his wife, physics teacher Glenn Mangold places his government-issued debit card on the table.

“This one’s on Trump,” he said.

That was three months ago, and although the administration has changed, what hasn’t changed is the money coming in to help people get through tough pandemic times.

Since the March 11 passage of the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021, families around the country are beginning to receive the third round of stimulus checks in the form of prepaid debit cards.

English teacher Jason Hinojosa recognizes the benefits of these checks.

“I think the stimulus checks may offer practical and perhaps also emotional help to those who have been negatively impacted by pandemic restrictions,” said Hinojosa.

Likewise, sophomore Adam Akins believes the money could not be arriving at a better time.

“Not only are these necessary, but they are long overdue,” he said. “Hopefully, they can stimulate the economy and allow for general commerce to take place.”

Sophomore Haylee Holman is unsure that this money will restore the economy as many others hope.

“All together, the checks make up a significant amount of money, but when divided up amongst so many people, each person doesn’t receive very much,” she said. “Obviously, it’s something, but I don’t think it is enough to make a noticeable difference in the economy right now.”

Although Holman’s views contrast with Akins and Hinojosa, all three of them are, in a sense, correct.

The Household Pulse Survey, conducted by the United States Census Bureau, discovered that the majority of initial stimulus checks were spent on everyday necessities, thus benefiting the economy directly. However, the second round of checks was primarily used to decrease debt.

Still, there is hope that the stimulus checks will continue to benefit the economy. The logic is that families with more savings and less debt are more likely to consistently spend money, creating longterm positive effects. If more families reach a point where they can comfortably afford to buy more, the economy will profit.

Mangold said that it is through this future spending that the government will be reimbursed.

“The idea is to stimulate the economy when it is weak and needs help,” he said.

“In theory, when the economy recovers, the government is supposed to collect enough money to pay for the prior stimulus, but that is not guaranteed.”

In addition to the uncertainty of a full recovery, some Americans see flaws in the execution.

To Holman, the phaseout period is too short.

“I don’t understand why people making $75,000 per year get the full amount, but people making $80,000 per year get nothing. There should be a greater disparity because I don’t think $5,000 can separate complete need from no need.”

Akins added that stimulus checks only benefit people if the people receive them.

“The glaring problem with the checks is that it is incredibly difficult to receive one without an address; thus, homeless people must go through an extensive process to receive benefits,” he said. “These are the people with the greatest need, especially the ones that have lost their homes as a result of the pandemic. It makes sense that helping people without an address would take longer, but if the goal is to help those in need, more efforts need to be made to make the checks more accessible.”

Although it may be difficult to navigate the system, homeless people can apply for a check by completing a 2020 tax return and getting a P.O. box to recieve the check, according to the IRS. However, getting a P.O. box isn’t neccessary if they can receive mail through a nearby homeless shelter, said a spokesperson for Union Gospel Mission Sacramento, a nonprofit organization that serves the homeless.

Like Akins, Hinojosa is unsure that the checks are reaching the right people.

“There are many people in serious financial trouble right now, and these checks may help them find their way out,” Hinojosa said. “But as nice as it is to receive a check, it is becoming increasingly apparent that not everyone receiving checks needs the money.”

With all of this uncertainty, Holman believes it is advantageous that the stimulus checks are not the only method of supporting suffering families. To her, amendments to the Child Tax Credit — which provides tax credit to families with children making less than $200,000 for a single parent or $400,000 for married couples — have a greater probability of generating benefits for society as a whole.

With the passage of the ARPA, changes were made to impact one’s eligibility, the value of the disbursements and the method of distribution.

The $2,500 earning floor was rescinded.

The income at which the phaseout period begins increased to $150,000 for married couples and $75,000 for single parents.

Credit is increased to $3,000 per child for children as old as 17 and $3,600 per child under 6.

Senior Avinash Krishna said these changes are arguably the most important aspects of the ARPA.

“I think these changes can make genuine differences in terms of childhood poverty and life path, even if the change is just for this year,” he said.

“Childhood poverty is something that at least one in 10 children face, and these measures could make a necessary difference in decreasing it.”

According to the Columbia Center on Poverty and Social Policy, Krishna is right.

In a Jan. 25, 2021 study, the CPSP discovered that even these small provisions can cause a reduction in child poverty from 20.1% of families to 12.8%.

Junior Vanessa Escobar was pleasantly surprised to hear this statistic.

“Even before I knew much about the changes to the Child Tax Credit, I thought that it was an important advancement,” she said. “Now that I know this has the potential to significantly decrease the number of children experiencing poverty, I know my suspicion was right.

I’m glad to see efforts being made to help disadvantaged parents and children.”

Like Escobar, Head of School Lee Thomsen approves of these changes.

“From what I understand of the Child Tax Credit, it has the potential to lift a significant number of children and families out of poverty, and that is most definitely a good thing,” he said.

Despite some uncertainty surrounding the stimulus payments, many have confidence that the Child Tax Credit is just what the nation needs.

“Although definitely incomplete, the bill provides funding to a variety of overlooked groups,” said chemistry teacher Victoria Conner. “The immediate relief will most definitely help the families and organizations that need it most.”

Similarly, Thomsen looks forward to seeing the lasting effects of the ARPA. “I am excited to see assistance pumped into the economy for those who need it.

The pandemic has taken a significant toll, particularly on lower-wage earners and on marginalized groups. From what I have read, the funds will result in long-term benefits for the city, the county and the nation.”

HOW I STACKS UP

TIMELINE Biden introduces $1.9 trillion package

February 27

January 13

House passes American Rescue Plan

Senate passes A Pla

Marc

The Octagon

erpoint

IT S

American Rescue an

ch 6

$410 billion - Stimulus Checks $350 billion - State and Local Governments $289 billion - Expanded Unemployment Insurance and Unemployment Insurance Tax Exemption $268 billion - Transportation and Infrastructure, Financial Services, and Other Education and Labor $135 billion - Expanded Child Tax Credit and Earned Income Tax Credit $129 billion - K-12 Aid $122 billion - Energy and Commerce, including testing, tracing and vaccines $86 billion - Pensions $50 billion - Small Businesses $81 billion - Expanded Premium Tax Credits and Health Benefits for Workers $43 billion - Foreign Affairs, Veterans Affairs and Agriculture $24 billion - ERTC, CDCTC and other tax credits

Per Adult CARES Act

Per Child

Consolidated Appropriations Act

Per Adult Per Child

American Rescue Plan

Per Adult Per Child

0

300

600

900 In dollars

1200

1500

March 10

Biden signs American Rescue Plan

House approves American Rescue Plan

March 11

7

8

Opinion • April 13, 2021

The Octagon

Emily Cook

LGBTQ+ representation

“Name” by Lilah Shorey

EDITORIAL: Hold off on new schedule “Misinformation” by Lilah Shorey

EDITORIAL: Read and share the correct news

W

e’ve all been there. Scrolling through social media or news headlines when suddenly you see a shocking news headline or story you haven’t heard about before.

It’s easy to immediately believe that the news is true because everyone is talking about it on the platform. But, we implore you to always do some research on your own before immediately believing random pieces of news on social media.

While they can have some truth to them, it’s easy to fabricate news.

In order to be accurately informed, make an educated opinion, choose ethical news sources, and read multiple sources about the topic, maybe even those with opposing viewpoints.

Social media also tends to spread a lot of misinformation. While activism through social media can be good, it’s important to fact-check what you read before you buy into it, just as you should with news sources.

A Feb. 22 Pew Research Center study named “How Americans Navigated News in 2020: A Tumultuous Year in Review” published that in the last two years, Americans who largely got their news from social media knew less about politics and current events and knew more about unproven stories.

Additionally, a survey conducted in March 2019 by Satista, a company that specializes in market and consumer data, showed that 49% of adults who shared false information did it unknowingly but 10% did so knowingly.

A recent example of misinformation on social media that went viral was a tweet

by U.S. Sen. Ted Cruz. Cruz has often been outspoken about not believing in climate change. During the recent Texas snowstorm, a fabricated tweet that said “I’ll believe in climate change when Texas freezes over” was attributed to Cruz and went viral. The tweet has been proven to have been fabricated.

A search for the tweet on his Twitter account yields no results. Additionally,

the tweet isn’t in ProPublica’s Politwoops database that tracks deleted tweets by elected officials.

Research by Reuters, a trusted wire service, also concluded the tweet was fabricated.

Many people may have realized it was fake when they saw it, but many have also retweeted and reposted the fake tweet on various social media platforms, whether or not they believed it.

This is how misinformation spreads. If you don’t take the steps to fact-check information, it’s easy to be misinformed.

Misinformation can also be spread due to biased news sources. For example, Fox News is a known right-leaning news source. Ninty-three percent of Fox News viewers identify as Republicans or lean right, according to the Pew Research Center.

This is shown in many of their headlines, as it tends to have loaded headlines that are in support of conservative ideologies, such as “‘They Wanted It to Blow Up’: Limbaugh Says Success of Trump-Kim Summit Caught Media Off Guard.”

Fox News has also been proven to spread misinformation. A recent example of this was when they aired TV segments linking electronic voting machines to fraud during the 2020 U.S. election.

The allegations claimed that the Smartmatic systems illegally changed millions of Former President Donald Trump’s votes over to President Joe Biden in multiple states. Trump filed unsuccessful lawsuits; no evidence has been provided for any of the allegations and federal courts have dismissed his lawsuits.

Being misinformed doesn’t just hurt you.

It could potentially hurt your community and even the entire nation.

This is critical and detrimental to important times like election periods in a nation’s history.

When choosing to align with a party or supporting a candidate, it’s crucial that you look at multiple sources of differing views that may not agree with your be-

lieved political alignment.

According to the Pew Research Center, about 25% of Democrats and Republicans frequently used news outlets that politically aligned with their views.

If those people were to use sources with unbiased news stories, they would be able to get a more holistic view of politics.

The best news outlets to get information from are the ones that have minimal partisan bias or a balance of biases as well as accurate information. You should avoid inaccurate, biased news sources.

In a chart credited to Adfontesmedia, news sources with minimal partisan bias and accurate information include the Associated Press, Bloomberg, ABC, PBS, The Wall Street Journal, BBC, NPR, Time Magazine, The New York Times, The Washington Post and The Sacramento Bee. Those sources report hard news facts without opinions.

If you want to understand arguments about a topic from multiple perspectives with analysis and opinion, look at The Guardian, The Economist, MSNBC, CNN, The New Yorker, The Washington Times, The Atlantic, Vox and Vanity Fair.

Since these news outlets tend to have hyper-partisan bias while still giving a fair interpretation of the facts, form an opinion with more than just one source.

Avoid at all costs: The Huffington Post, BuzzFeed News, Daily Mail, New York Post, Fox News, News Max and the Daily Caller.

These publications have been proven to give opinionated and fabricated information. Under no circumstances should you ever resort to these sources as your main news feed or form an opinion based on something written by these outlets.

It’s your responsibility to follow the truth, make opinions accordingly and share them with others. The next time you’re about to swipe up on an eye-catching headline, remember to check the source and research other reports of the topic before forming a viewpoint.

In recent years, the LGBTQ+ community has been featured more and more in different forms of media, including TV shows and advertisements.

This is a big step in the right direction but can be a disservice at times due to a stereotypical or false presentation. Young members of this community can be easily influenced by these detrimental stereotypes.

An example of this is the character Kurt in the TV show “Glee,” which first aired in 2009.

Kurt was too cliché, and this was harmful towards people that related to him, because it trapped them in a societal norm that was forced upon them.

Kurt was over-emotional and loved stereotypically things, like musicals. Though there is nothing wrong with loving musicals or being empathic, having it be a defining feature is detrimental to young viewers.

As a general rule before scripting a show, writers should interview people on what they would like to see in the show if the writers don’t have personal experience on the topic themselves. This would help a lot because then the writers would have an example to base their characters off of.

Being gay, bisexual, transgender, asexual, pansexual or having any other sexuality doesn’t define someone’s personality. It should only define who someone finds attractive.

The media consistently tends to blur these lines, which is problematic to young members of the LGBTQ+ community, making them believe they have to dress or act in a specific way.

This is shown in terms of cuffing jeans, having your eyebrow shaved or wearing rings. The belief of not being valid if you don’t follow specific trends isn’t right. It can be hurtful when people feel forced into certain categories and feel like they have to fit in or else they don’t count.

Another thing the media has portrayed is overwhelming heteronormativity in advertisements. Target falls victim to this by following the stereotypical herterosexual approach. In its ads on TV, nuclear families without much diversity are most commonly shown. This is harmful because then people who identify as part of the LGBTQ+ community never see anyone that looks or acts like them.

People, including the younger generation, use the media for guidance and so when they receive stereotypes and negative descriptions, it damages their view of themselves.

The media need to start portraying the LGBTQ+ community in a non-stereotyping, positive way. Only this way can people begin to understand and accept people for who they are and how they identify themselves.

A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS FOR KEEPING US IN THE BLACK! Anand family, Claire family, Cook family, Kumar family, Intel Foundation, Gulati family, Monasa family, Trivedi family, Zhu family

The Octagon

April 13, 2021 • Feature

HAYDEN BOERSMA Senior gamer attempts to become ‘Valorant’ pro

V

BY GARMAN XU

ideo games are usually seen as a fun and relaxing pastime. However, senior Hayden Boersma has been working hard to improve his skills through dedicated practice in pursuit of a career in the esports industry.

With the increased popularity of online live streamers and personalities, the interest in esports, competitive gaming at a high level, has been on a significant rise in modern pop culture. Many gamers around the world are practicing hard to hopefully get noticed and recruited by prestigious esport teams.

Boersma, a co-founder of the SCDS E-sports Club, has already been gaming as a hobby for a few years. Last year, he was one of the captains for the SCDS Overwatch team, consisting of a few passionate high school students who practiced to go against teams from other U.S. high schools.

Sophomore Chance Swinmurn played for the team last year and participated in the friendly practices with other aspiring high school teams.

Swinmurn believes that Boersma is a proficient shot caller, or a player who leads the team and instructs everyone what to do and who to attack.

“He’s very loud.” Swinmurn said.

“So when he tells you to focus on someone, it’s pretty clear who you’re going for.”

With the increased popularity of esports and Boersma’s interest in the industry, his parents Jon and Jeannie Boersma, are also open to him exploring the field.

“We’ve embraced the idea of esports as there is clearly a strong demand within the demographic,” Jeannie said. “So we’re supportive of his passion but are less knowledgeable about esports than we are in other traditional sports.”

During April 2020, Boersma booted up the beta demo for a new 5v5 tactical shooter, Valorant. Though he was just playing for fun at the time, the game eventually gave him a new mindset in his approach to gaming.

During summer break, Boersma met a couple of online friends who were also passionate in the game, and they practiced together through friendly scrim-

mages. Later, they formed an official team and entered local tournaments, testing their skills against other aspiring players. It was also at this time Boersma decided to hone his skills with purpose and hopefully get scouted.

“The game was new, and there was a lot of new talent coming out, “ he said.

“I thought maybe if I really put my mind to it, I could get a shot playing with pro players in high-level tournaments.”

Since he had a lot of free time during break, Boersma set up a detailed training schedule for improvement. In total, he would spend an average of 10 hours daily: with 6 hours of playing the game, 2 hours of video reviews and another 1.5 hours of mechanical aim training.

Similar to physical sports, improvement requires smart planning in addition to just playing the game. After practice scrimmages, Boersma and his team would spend a considerable amount of time reviewing their pre-recorded gameplay and analyzing what

“I thought maybe if I really put my mind to it, I could get a shot playing with pro players in high-level tournaments.”

— Hayden Boersma

areas they needed to improve. During this review, the team also worked on teamwork and formulate strategies to attack or defend.

“Polishing your gameplay is more quality over quantity,” Boersma said.

“Working out, eating healthy and getting a good night’s rest are also very important.”

On the terms of balancing his schedule, Jon and Jeannie also weigh in with their perspective as his parents.

“Supporting his passion is great but It’s important to keep the main thing which is schoolwork,” Jon said. “It’s important to find the balance between enjoying this activity and his education.”

Another key factor of improving that Boersma worked on was his ingame mentality.

During his Overwatch days, Swinmurn points out one of Boersma’s main weaknesses as a player was keeping his mental game steady.

“Overwatch sometimes is a very annoying game,” Swinmurn said.

“So he would get annoyed, and that would affect his playing and skill in the game.”

Boersma said the main difference that separates average players from high-ranked ones is their willingness to accept their mistakes and improve.

Since picking up the game, Boersma has been able to build confidence in the

skills he has worked on and apply them during tournaments. One special characteristic of his team had been unconventionally pushing in a hyper-aggressive manner on both attack and defense, which usually catches their opponents off guard.

“The best way to beat someone who’s better than you is to meet their confidence with more confidence than they were expecting from you,” Boersma said.

However, school responsibilities have also been in the way of Boersma’s path to the professional league. Ever since high school started again in September, he left his first team and decided to focus more on improving his grades and adjusting to the remote learning schedule but doesn’t have as much time to follow his 10W-hour practice plan. Nevertheless, Boersma recently got recruited to a local team called the CrayZ Pandas and hopes Boersma especially looks forward to getting experience in more tournaments.

This summer break, he plans on giving the big leagues another shot using his free time to further build his online reputation. He hopes he can figure o u t

something during that time before he goes to college.

“If I can’t make something happen soon, then I’m probably gonna lean more towards a more standard career,” Boersma said, referring to his plans on majoring in Computer Science. “I have to be special and be able to do something no one else can.”

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Feature • April 13, 2021

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N I s n K o i t S solu S

BY ROD AZGHADI

ophomore Amaya Anguiano’s skincare journey began when her mom gifted her products at a young age.

Skincare has swept the world in becoming one of the hottest trends. Advertisements for skincare products are all over t h e in-

ternet, and people are buying them more than ever before.

Sophomore CJ Dwumfuoh is one of the few high school boys who has a skincare routine.

Moving into the new year, Dwumfuoh had a resolution of self care, focusing more on his body.

On top of strength training, Dwumfuoh added skincare to his routine since he is getting older and spending more time under the sun.

After seeing ads on YouTube, Dwumfuoh decided to explore the world of skincare. He researched many different products and finally bought a morning and night facial cleanser from Walmart.

He’s been using these cleansers every morning and night for a few months and has seen major results.

GRAPHICS BY CHARLIE ACQUISTO

“My skin is clearer now, and I feel more confident,” Dwumfuoh said.

His favorite part about skincare is seeing his skin and improve, but there is one major downside: it’s time consuming.

“Remembering to wash my face every morning can get annoying,” Dwumfuoh said. “I just have to put my mind over matter and know it’s for the best.”

Dwumf u o h wants t o

normalize boys taking care of their skin. It shows that a person puts effort into themselves and makes them look more presentable.

Dwumfuoh’s routine is fairly simple, but sophomore Haylee Holman’s skincare is more complex.

Holman first got into skincare in 2018 after being inspired by YouTube videos.

Since then, she has switched routines more than five times.

“Some products dry my skin out and others just don’t work,” Holman said.

Like Dwumfuoh, Holman has a morning and night routine, both of which are practically identical.

She starts with the First Aid Beauty face cleanser which cleans her skin of dirt and natural oils. She then uses a niacinamide dark spot serum to get rid of acne scars.

“ T h e s e r u m will also eventually get rid of my freckles,” she said.

Holman follows it up with a 2% salicylic acid acne spot treatment which dries out her acne.

She finishes up with cannabidiol oil to smooth out dry, bumpy and sensitive areas.

The only difference between her morning and night routine is that she uses a 30 S.P.F. sunscreen in the morning in place of the cannabidiol oil.

Her least favorite part about skincare is the cost of the products she buys from Ulta Beauty.

“I went shopping for a new routine in February and racked up a bill of $500,” she said.

Anguiano also has a skin care routine, but her story is different from Dwumfuoh and Holman.

Instead of being inspired by the internet, Anguiano’s mom got her into skincare.

She would buy skincare products for her as birthday and Christmas presents and guide her to make a routine out of those products.

“If it wasn’t for my mom, my skincare wouldn’t be what it is today,” Anguiano said.

Like Holman, Anguiano switches her routine based on the status of her skin.

If she is breaking out, she uses a cleanser that has salicylic acid. If her skin is dry, she uses a moisturizing cleanser.

T h e products Anguiano is using are a Lira Clinical cleanser and moisturizer, Bioderma micellar water, Obagi Nu-Derm

toner, Puremay toner and EltaMD sunscreen.

Both Holman and Anguiano complain about the price of products.

The more expensive products are those that tend to better affect the skin, she said. Although drugstore products are cheaper, they won’t benefit your skin as much, she said.

“Quality skincare items should be accessible to anyone, not just only to people who can afford it,” Anguiano said.

Like her mother, she likes to teach people about skincare. Her younger brother is in fifth grade, so he is approaching a point in his life where hygiene is crucial.

She teaches him how to wash his face and which products to use.

Remind you of anyone?

The Octagon

April 13, 2021 • Feature

11

DaytIme dozIng

Students use naps to ‘recharge’ themselves, make up lost sleep STORY BY NIHAL GULATI; GRAPHICS AND PHOTO BY ARIKTA TRIVEDI

H

igh schoolers are notoriously sleep-deprived, and many are turning to naps — during and after school — to fill the gap.

In an informal highschool March 17 Octagon poll, 23 of the 30 respondents said that they napped during the day, with 13 saying that they also did so during school hours.

Senior Kenyatta Dumisani, a fully online student, makes use of naps mainly to supplement his sleep schedule and energize himself.

“It’s really just a matter of recharging myself,” Dumisani said, “so I can keep powering through work for the rest of the day and also my classes. It’s rejuvenating, you know.”

Dumisani, like most students who responded to the poll, takes naps whenever he can, usually about an hour in length.

“If it’s after an exam or at the end of the day, that will probably be half an hour to an hour, sometimes even an hour and a half,” Dumisani said. “Other times it’s about 10 to 15 minutes. That’d be during my free period, or

sometimes during the snack break, that 15 minutes that we have. Because I’ll still be groggy.”

Dumisani attributed his naps to simple tiredness, since he gets four to six hours of sleep on average.

Junior Sicily Schroeder, a hybrid student, said her usual sleep time is also about four to six hours.

Her naps are usually after school.

“I nap a couple times a week — mostly when I’m tired, when I’ve stayed up late the night before, like an hour, or 45 minutes,” Schroeder said.

Junior Malek Owaidat usually has a regular nap schedule, taking a nap every day from when he gets home from school to his soccer practice.

“Basically, I go home, I’m just super tired. So I go to sleep.” Owaidat said. “Then I wake up, and I’m all rejuvenated and everything.

Then I do my soccer practice. I’m tired after soccer, but then I have to do my homework. I’m tired all the time.”

Owaidat blamed both his procrastination and workload for his sleep schedule.

“I think it wouldn’t be as

much of an issue if teachers didn’t assign all this work,” he said. “They’ll give us two problem sets that are due on the same day that a test is due or when a homework assignment is due, which doesn’t make sense.”

Owaidat, after finishing his homework, usually goes to sleep at about 3 a.m, and averages about seven hours of sleep daily, including his naps.

Sophomore Sage Spradlin said, by contrast, that she does not think the workload is overbearing.

“I’d say that teachers, at least in the sophomore category, teachers are pretty good about not giving us an unbelievable amount of homework,” Spradlin said.

“So my naps usually aren’t because I have too much homework or anything.”

Instead, Spradlin said she takes naps to augment her irregular sleeping habits.

“When I do school from home, I’ll sleep during my free period, and then through lunch because they’ll line up a lot of days,” she said. “My meds make me sleep weird, so I’ll stay up all night and then nap a lot during the day. I’ll get anywhere from two to 14

hours of sleep. Really irregular.”

Freshman Tanish Shenoy, similarly, was less affected by his workload or sleep deprivation than Owaidat or Dumisani and usually gets eight to 10 hours of sleep.

“I nap when I have a free period, when I just need a little bit of refreshment,” Shenoy said. “I’m usually up till 10 or 11 o’clock, sometimes midnight, partly due to my homework, also just my schedule.”

Occasionally, students have missed classes because of their naps. Schroeder once fell asleep during AP U.S. History while attending class from the gym. Spradlin has had similar experiences.

“Sometimes I’ll accidentally sleep through my alarm and miss a class,” Spradlin said.

For Dumisani, naps are just a way to make up for his workload and sleep.

“I just nap because I’m tired,” he said. “Sometimes you just want to close your eyes and not have to look at a screen for a while.”

Zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz...

In a March 17 Octagon poll of all high schoolers, out of 30 respondents,

23 said they nap after school.

In a March 17 Octagon poll of all high schoolers, out of 26 respondents,

13 said they nap during school.

JUNIOR MALEK OWAIDAT

12

Endpoint • April 13, 2021

The Octagon

Error 404: Page Canceled Students agree cancel culture may be beneficial but excessive

O

June 2, 2020

BY ARIKTA TRIVEDI

ver the years, the power of social media has shown itself in many ways — one of the most prominent being cancel culture. Cancel culture is a modern form of ostracism toward people or ideas, according to Dictionary.com. Usually when someone is “canceled,” they are pushed out of their social and professional circles for something they’ve done and are especially ostracized on social media platforms.

Some Country Day students think cancel culture can be beneficial but mostly detrimental, depending on the reasoning behind it.

Some see it as more harmful than beneficial because it leaves no room for improvement and punishes people without giving them the chance to learn from their mistakes.

“It can be helpful when the person getting canceled is actually dangerous, but I often see people getting canceled for things they’ve said or done in the past when they’ve quite obviously changed as a person,” sophomore Natalie Park said. “It leaves no room for growth or improvement.”

An emerging problem students see with cancel culture is the cancellation of things from the past such as older books or movies. Recently, many people have asked that older books and movies that were socially acceptable in the past but aren’t anymore to be removed.

An example of this are older Dr. Seuss books. Six of his books will now stop printing because they portray racial stereotypes, specifically toward Black people, Asians and Arabs.

Junior Vivian Conner believes that older works are often “pulled out of context and blindly beaten down.”

Conner added that often the content from the past that gets canceled wasn’t offensive in the past and maybe even extraordinarily progressive for its time.

Cancel culture doesn’t only target works like books or movies, but also people. Many famous actors, actresses and influencers have also been canceled for past or recent actions.

Recently, actress Gina Carano was fired from “The Mandalorian” for sharing multiple controversial social media posts which gained a lot of traction on the internet.

One of the posts she shared today’s divided political climate to Nazi Germany, and angered many people.

As a result, the hashtag #FireGinaCarano went viral, asking Disney to fire her from the TV show “The Mandalorian.”

Conner agreed that if someone today acts unacceptably, they should face consequences.

“Now, if someone today was being insensitive in obvious context and there’s no other explanation other than them being a terrible person,” she said, “that’s another case, and they deserve to be brought down a notch, called out and quietly pulled out of the spotlight.”

However, Conner believes that cancel culture takes things too far sometimes. It’s another form of cyberbullying, according to Conner.

Senior Carter Joost added that people often make mistakes, and they should be given the chance to learn from it.

“Sometimes cancel culture holds people legitimately accountable and that’s good, but often it goes too far.”

October, 2020

Streaming giant Disney+ added restrictions on classic movies such as “Dumbo,” “Peter Pan” and “The Aristocrats” due to racist and culturally insensitive depictions. Access to these titles as well as “Swiss Family Robinson,” “Fantasia,” “The Jungle Book” and “Lady and the Tramp” have been restricted on kids’ accounts.

The kids TV show “Paw Patrol” has been under fire in an effort to publicize police brutality and banish the “good-cop” stereotype promoted by Chase the German shepherd.

Feb. 10, 2021

March 2, 2021

After topping bestseller lists, six Dr. Seuss books including: “On Beyond Zebra!”, “Scrambled Eggs Super!”, “The Cat’s Quizzer,” “McElligot’s Pool” and Seuss’ first book, “And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street,” were canceled due to racist content.

The move came directly from Dr. Seuss Enterprises and sparked conversation after their announcment to stop publishing these books.

After a Instagram post likening the experience of Jews during the Holocaust to the U.S. political climate, actress Gina Carano — who played Cara Dune in the hit TV show “The Mandalorian” — was dropped from the cast and ridiculed over social media. Hashtags such as #FireGinaCarano were trending on Twitter.