THE
OCTAGON
Non-Profit Organization U.S. POSTAGE PAID Sacramento, CA Permit No. 1668 @scdsoctagon
VOL.45 NO.3 • Sacramento Country Day School • 2636 Latham Drive, Sacramento, CA • www.scdsoctagon.com • November 16, 2021
PHOTO ILLUSTRATION BY ARIJIT TRIVEDI, MILES MORROW, ADAM AKINS, GARRETT XU AND GARMAN XU
Aftermath of virtual learning leads to slow first quarter
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BY SANJANA ANAND & ARIKTA TRIVEDI
he usual difficulties of starting a new year include adapting to new classes and teachers. This year, another layer was added — going back in person after, for some, over a year of online learning. The quarter ended Oct. 28, marking the end of the first few months of the 2021-22 school year. As students adjusted to having a normal school year with a full schedule, the first quarter started off slow. Last year, the combination of Zoom and the hybrid schedule resulted in less class time for stu-
dents and teachers. In some cases, classes were unable to cover all the material they usually would. “A lot of teachers, myself included, eased up on our expectations last year,” said high school math teacher Patricia Jacobsen. “We went through, and still are going through, a really tough time. So we really had to decide what was important.” Jacobsen has noticed that many of the freshmen and sophomores in her classes don’t have many of the necessary basic math skills from their classes last year. Recently, when teaching her freshman and sophomore Algebra II Honors class different ways to solve quadratic equations, she
discovered that half the students
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“We went through, and still are going through, a really tough time. So we really had to decide what was important.” PATRICIA JACOBSEN hadn’t used, or even heard of, the quadratic formula. “It’s a staple of the Algebra I curriculum,” Jacobsen said.
“However, it’s usually taught at the end of the year, so unfortunately many students — including from Country Day’s middle school — didn’t learn it or don’t remember learning it.” The sophomores in her Algebra II class were in eighth-grade algebra when the pandemic hit, so many of the skills usually learned at the end of the year aren’t as strong. The freshmen in her class who attended Country Day’s middle school had hybrid classes leading to less class time. As for freshmen coming from other schools, there isn’t really a way to tell what their schedules and classes looked like, Jacobsen said. Occurrences such as this are
why Jacobsen’s class is already a week or two behind. Physics teacher Malak Abou Faour noticed the same with her freshman Physics classes and her Algebra II class. She said the lack of in-person labs affected the students’ math, logic, reasoning and analytical skills. “In class, they’re interacting with the material, writing notes and are obligated to participate in the discussion as opposed to turning off their camera and going on mute,” Faour said. For her Algebra II and Physics 9 classes, Faour is going slower
EDUCATION page 3 >>
Behind the scenes: The maintenance and custodial team BY GARMAN XU There are a lot of things that make a school run smoothly. Many people associate the words “school management” with the teachers who engage students in learning or the administrators who raise money for the various activities taking place on campus. But one important group of people who are easy to overlook is the maintenance and custodial team, overseen by Director
of the Physical Plant Jay Holman. Although they operate largely behind the scenes, the team includes three night custodians, one maintenance employee and one ultility worker, all of whom are essential for a successful school day. As one of Country Day’s night custodians, Raj Singh, is not often seen by many students. He arrives at school every day at 4 p.m. and works on campus until 12:30 a.m. to clean up the campus and classrooms for the next school day.
CAMPUSCORNER ADVISORY LUNCHES
TURKEY DRIVE
To celebrate Thanksgiving, the school is providing sandwiches for lunch for advisories on Nov. 19. In past years, advisorties have eaten in the quad together. This year, students will eat with advisories around campus to maintain social distancing.
On Nov. 12, Country Day held its annual Turkey Drive. The school collected 457 turkeys to help families in need throughout the Sacramento community. The goal was to collect 528 turkeys — one turkey per student. Last year, the school collected 276 turkeys.
Each of the custodians has specific areas where they work on campus. Singh is responsible for the Frank Science center, some middle school classrooms, the multipurpose room and a few lower school areas including pre-K and the lower school art and music rooms. The everyday routine includes taking out the trash, vacuuming classrooms and wiping down windows, tables and chairs. “Sometimes it only takes 15 minutes or 20 minutes to clean a classroom,” Singh
said. “But in the fall season, it takes 45 minutes because I have to vacuum two times to clean up the leaves.” As a former custodian for UC Davis, Singh said the workload at the school is not much different than at the university. This is because although the university classrooms were large, cleaning them was more straight-forward than dealing with K-12 classrooms.
INSIDE the ISSUE Caffeine: the perfect blend or a bitter end?
Do you drink caffeine? Or know someone who does? Read an examination of Country Day’s caffeine culture. (PAGES 6-7)
ILLUSTRATION BY GARMAN XU
MAINTENANCE page 3 >>
02 FEATURE 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 Ava Eberhart 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
NOVEMBER 16, 2021 • THE OCTAGON
Freshman set to make running history BY JACOB CHAND & GARRETT XU
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t’s cold and dark at 5:30 a.m. when freshman Andrew Burr goes on his daily 7-mile run before school, working toward his 50 miles for the week. With nothing on his mind but becoming the best, Burr is on his way to becoming one of the top runners in the U.S. Recently, Burr was named state boys cross country runner of the week by Milesplit, the official national track and field coverage network, because of his notable tournament history. Specifically, Burr outpaced 200 students to win the Wildfire Invitational 5-kilometer race in Forest Hill with a time of 17 minutes, 16 seconds. Burr said his win wasn’t the only reason he was the runner of the week. “I had a string of really good performances at big meets such as the Clovis Invitational and Woodbridge, down in Southern California,” Burr said. In both races, Burr placed first out of 800 runners with a time of 16:35 at Clovis and 16:03 in Woodbridge in the 5-kilometer. “It put me on the radar for a lot of people and solidified me as one of the top freshman runners in California,” Burr said. Burr is more than just a top freshmen runner in the state — he is a former world record holder. He held the record for 10-year-olds until March of last year, running 10 miles in 1:09:05, less than 7 minutes per mile. He set the record in 2017, beating the previous one by a minute and a half in the 45th Annual Cazenovia July 4th foot races in New York. There, Burr represented the Buffalo Chips, a local running club he ran for until he entered high school. Burr said one of the hardest things about the sport is getting prepared. “It’s just as important to be mentally prepared as it is to be physically prepared. So, before a race, I usually stick with a rou-
tine which involves eating the same things and normally getting nine to 10 hours of sleep two nights in advance,” he said. “Before my race starts, I listen to some music and remember my training to relax because being both calm and confident is key,” he said. Burr was first inspired to run by his parents, who are recreational marathon runners. “Whenever his mother and I would be running a 5k or 10k for fun, he would come along and run with us,” said Burr’s father, Jeremy Burr. “I think he saw us running just for fun when he was little and that got him interested.” When Burr was 5, both of his parents encouraged him and entered him into a few recreational races for kids. He ended up enjoying the races and continued with it. When he was 6, Burr started to run 5ks. When he was 8, he ran 10ks, and when he was 9, he ran his his first half-marathon. Burr said he started taking the sport seriously in fourth and fifth grades. “Andrew prioritizes training at the expense of doing other things that may be even more fun. Like he might have a sleepover with his friends, but he’ll still get up really early at 5:30 the next day for his training,” Jeremy Burr said. There’s a reason for that. “It’s a hard sport to get into, but once you get into the rhythm, it’s all you think about,” Burr said. Over the summer, Burr was invited to the American Distance Project in Colorado to run with a professional team made up mainly of young, talented athletes. There, he trained with Olympic silver and bronze medalist Paul Chelimo. Burr said it was a great learning experience running side by side with older and more experienced track runners, and he hopes this experience will stick with him and help him grow in the future.
At Country Day, Burr has been dubbed captain of the Country Day cross country team. Coach Joe Hartman said he gave Burr the title for his tremendous skill and work ethic. “His rankings section-wide and statewide at various distances are eye-opening,” Hartman said. “He has a good chance to be the best male runner at SCDS and one of the best runners in section Division 5 history.” In his first year being captain, Burr individually won the Division 5 local league championship, while Country Day placed third overall. Burr is excited to join the SCDS track and field team in the spring, as it begins again following a two-year hiatus due to COVID-19 restrictions. It is Burr’s first high school year and he looks forward to running and competing in the 1600-meter, 3200-meter and 5000-meter events. “I can go into any race and enjoy it,” Burr said. Burr will be leading an upcoming race — Country Day’s annual Run to Feed the Hungry. Burr encourages everyone regardless of running experience to join him for the run on Thanksgiving day. All the money raised will go directly to the Sacramento Food Banks. Donors will receive a special shirt and the satisfaction of doing something good, Burr said. For nine of the past 10 years, the Country Day team has been one of the top donors in Run to Feed the Hungry. As the team leader this year, Burr hopes to maintain Country Day’s streak and encourage students and families to donate anywhere between $1 to $1,000. “Anything helps, and it’s for a great cause,” Burr said. “Country Day is the perfect community for this kind of event.”
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.
SPEED DEMON (Clockwise) Freshman Andrew Burr at the Clovis Invitational where he won the frosh/soph race; Burr at the League Championships on October 29; Burr at the 2018 Run to Feed the Hungry banquet receiving the award for top individual fundrasier from former assistant head of school Tucker Foehl (left) and food bank president and CEO Blake Young (right). PHOTOS BY JEREMY BURR AND COURTESY OF AMY WELLS
NEWS 03
NOVEMBER 16, 2021 • THE OCTAGON
Education: Classes off to a slow start after online learning (continued from page 1) than she had originally planned. She goes through more review packets than in the past, and she’s intervening in labs more than she would like, but for her Algebra II class, she wants to pick up the pace for the remainder of the semester since students seem to be getting the hang of it. Pre-pandemic, Faour’s goal was to cover a wide breadth of material, but now, it’s to focus on a narrower curriculum with fewer in-depth concepts to account for the extra practice. For example, at the beginning of the year in the freshman physics course, the curriculum included electricity, mechanics and light, but she plans to drop the light unit if needed and focus on the first two. While there are some students in Jacobsen’s Algebra II Honors class who remember everything from Algebra and are excelling, there is a far higher number of students struggling with the material. Additionally, the gap between the two groups is much larger than in previous years. In order to accommodate for the learning gap, Jacobsen is allowing all of her students to retake their tests for up to 75% of the total score. “In past years I never would have allowed a retake on tests in an Honors or Advanced Placement class,” she said. “However, this year in the first quarter, as students were getting used to going back to school again, I felt like I needed to be more understanding and flexible. The goal is for them to learn the material and a retake opportunity may help with that.” Faour is also being lenient with her testing policies. She used to never do test reviews because she believes that the classwork is all preparation for the test, but now, she dedicates one class period before every test for any clarifications. Like Jacobsen, Faour also allows test corrections. However, Jacobsen’s classes with juniors and seniors are a different story. “My AP Calculus BC class is prepared. They remember everything really well,” Jacobsen said. “This is probably because, one, they’re older and understand how to utilize their resources and, two, they were already in high
school pre-pandemic.” Head of the Science Department and biology teacher Kellie Whited said that while the first quarter was a period of adjustment for both teachers and students coming back to a full school day of classes, it was easier for her since her classes are filled with juniors and seniors. “Juniors and seniors know how to study and know what is better for their work ethic, so they’re great at letting me know what type of review they need, whether it’s a different explanation, a review session or a video,” she said. “Freshmen are new to high school, so they aren’t as capable of knowing what they need, and it takes them longer to figure out how to bridge that gap.” Juniors and seniors still face challenges due to their lack of lab time. The biggest issue science teachers had last year when
GRAPHIC BY BRYNNE BARNARD-BAHN
school was online was simulating an in-person lab experience, Whited said. “There’s no substitute for in-person learning,” she said. “Juniors and seniors come to me as a third-year or fourthyear student with basic laboratory skills down, so normally, I don’t even think about whether or not they have them.” This year, however, she’s noticed with the juniors and seniors in her classes that there’s a deficit in their abilities to make a solution or follow step-by-step instructions when working with chemicals — skills built during the year of general chemistry. The concepts they learned during the pandemic weren’t understood in the same caliber without having in-person lab experiences to reinforce them. Whited said she spent a lot of the first quarter reviewing safety procedures and lab expectations. “The stamina of the students has definitely decreased, and I think a lot of that has to do with the fact that being in class all day with all of your classmates is something that’s relatively new,” Whited said. “You had a lot of time where you were online, and even if you were in person, the classes were smaller.” The emotional aspects of in-person versus online learning were significantly different. “The students that were in person were thriving in ways that the students who were remote weren’t, and part of that was social, whether it’s approaching a teacher for help during lunchtime or collaborating with friends,” Whited said. Jacobsen also realized the importance of social interaction following online learning. “There’s something about being home on a cold and cloudy day. No one wants to study math. You want to snuggle under your blanket, watch Netflix and eat ice cream,” Jacobsen said. “But if you’re around all these other students who are studying and working, it pushes you to do the same. It’s just easier to not care when you’re by yourself.” “I used to think my job was super important because I teach the students math and do everything I can. But now that I’m seeing stuff differently post-pandemic, I realize it’s the students who lift each other up,” she said.
Maintenance: Custodial staff keeps campus, classes running (continued from page 1) “But kids, especially from the Pre-K classrooms, sometimes make messes. You have to clean up all the small papers and pencils they throw everywhere they want. It is quite hard to vacuum the tiny pieces, and you have to do it a couple of times for them to come out,” Singh said. Even though he works at Country Day for eight hours daily, Singh also has another job. His daily routine involves waking up at 5 a.m. to do his morning prayer and prepare for work at 6:00 a.m. as a security guard at the California Department of Motor Vehicles. Singh works there until 2:00 p.m. and then returns home to prepare for work at Country Day. After a long day of work from both jobs, he once again returns home to shower and get some sleep before repeating the cycle again. Despite long hours of work,
Singh is able to enjoy his hobbies during his free times on the weekends. A soccer player, Singh said he often watches the Country Day soccer team play while doing his job near the field. In addition, he enjoys singing for fun and practicing billiards. “I go every Friday and Saturday for a billiards tournament,” Singh said. “I have plenty of trophies.” The maintenance crew’s workload depends on what needs to be fixed each day. The team arrives on campus every morning to identify problems and plan how to fix them. In addition, they help with setting up school events and performances. “We repair heating, ventilation and air-conditioning, basically all the trades of electrical, plumbing, carpentry and roofing,” said Holman. “We’re responsible for taking care and trying to fix as much of that stuff in-house as we can. For
larger jobs, we contract out,” he said. One of these jobs includes maintaining the campus grounds on a weekly basis. Every Saturday, Country Day hires Procida Landscaping to mow the backfields, trim the shrubbery and change the flowers. In addition, the service occasionally helps maintaining the condition of the many trees on campus by pruning and applyig pesticides. Another area the maintenance team is responsible for is taking care of the buildings throughout the entire school. “We deal more with preventative maintenance on newer buildings. But on older buildings, we’re doing more repairs while we’re still doing the preventative maintenance,” Holman said. This year, however, Holman said the focus has shifted more from repairing to ensuring safety on campus and following
COVID-19 regulations. For example, electrostatic sprayers were purchased at the beginning of the pandemic for classroom sanitation. At the beginning of the pandemic, the custodians sanitized multiple times a day and also cleaned surfaces like door handles. But as the Sacramento County Department of Health and Human Services better understood how the virus spread, the team modified its methods for efficiency. Now, the custodians only sanitize the classrooms once
every evening. Although the pandemic has been a large focus for Holman, being able to adapt and keep on working is a large part of what maintenance is. “The thing about maintenance work is it doesn’t matter if it’s a school, or if it’s your home or if it’s an office building,” he said. “There’s never going to be a lack of work. I think the biggest challenge is going to work every day on a job that you never complete.”
DUST BUSTER Custodian Raj Singh cleans a library door using new electrostatic sprayers. PHOTO BY ARJIT TIRVEDI
04 FEATURE
NOVEMBER 16, 2021 • THE OCTAGON
Athletic Educators
Teachers play non-competitive sports during their free time Michelle Myers
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BY AVA EBERHART
he smell of freshly cut, emerald grass. The sound of hooves trampling the earth. Fans cheering their favorite team on. In the midst of all of this, physical education teacher Michelle Myers races through the polo field on her horse, mallet in hand. Around 20 years ago, Myers was introduced to polo by one of her clients at the feed and veterinarian supply company she owned then. Her client recommended trying out one of UC Davis’ polo seminars. Myers took some lessons and quickly got hooked on the sport. “I fell in love with it — the horses, the people that we played with,” Myers said. Myers practiced with the UC Davis polo players on a field in Yuba City for a couple of hours every Saturday and Sunday. Then, every weekend during polo season — January through April — Myers went to polo matches in Palm Desert. Myers grew up riding horses, so she had some experience before she started to play polo. “My parents sent me to a horseback riding camp when I was 5, and then over the years I just kind of kept riding,” she said. Myers’s favorite polo horse was a chestnut named Pepé. “He was such an easy keeper. He ate well;
Diego Panasiti BY EMILY COOK On Tuesday and Friday afternoons, you can often find Spanish and English teacher Diego Panasiti running down a grassy field on the UC Davis campus playing soccer with his non-competitive team. Soccer is close to Panasiti’s heart and home. He’s been playing since he was 4 years old and grew up watching his dad, older brother, uncles and cousin play. “Soccer had a very positive influence over me and my academics by instilling within me a deep sense of discipline,” he
he never got injured. The minute you asked him on a field to go do something, he was spot on,” Myers said. Myers loves a lot of aspects of the sport of polo. She admires the competitive but friendly atmosphere and the intense speed, as well as the sound of the horses’ hooves galloping down the fields. Because polo is only played four-onfour, she loved having the camaraderie of a small team. Although everyone was very competitive, she still loved to meet new people who travelled to tournaments from all around the world. Internationally speaking, Myers often traveled to Argentina, Amsterdam and Switzerland for polo tournaments during polo season. Unfortunately, due to overuse from years of athletic coaching, Myers had to have surgery on her right shoulder in April. She hasn’t been able to play polo since then. A polo accident in 2018 could have also contributed over time to her need for surgery. “During a match, there was a player who didn’t know the rules and rode me off. My horse went down and I fractured my arm, so I have plates in my arm,” Myers said. Myers’ least favorite part of the sport is having to play with new players who don’t know the rules, as she finds them to be very unsafe. Although Myers will be able to play polo
again in 2023, she has chosen not to. “I think it might be time to stop that high-risk sport,” she said. Despite the sadness that came with Myers having to end her over 25 years of polo, she had amazing experiences that she will keep with her forever. “I met people, travelled the world, and have had students from Country Day come to watch me,” Myers said.
said. “It helped me dedicate my energy to academics once I stopped playing competitively in my junior year of college.” Panasiti’s role model is Argentinian soccer player Lionel Messi. “He’s an example of how someone can balance being the best player in the world while not letting himself be corrupted,” Panasiti said. However, unlike Messi, Panasiti only plays for fun. After he moved to Davis, he found the community-driven group he plays with through some UC Davis graduate students. The team communicates through a shared email thread and gets information on where and when to play. Because of this, the team can range from 14 to 22 people, and on the higher turn-out days, they can field an 11-on-11 game. “It’s great to build community as well as physical fitness,” Panasiti said. “It’s also fun to share that kind of same sentiment with other people.” His favorite positions to play are forward and midfield because, he said, “who doesn’t like scoring?”
Panasiti said Tuesdays were given the nickname “Toxic Tuesdays” because a few men who come on those days get “all aggro” instead of playing a relaxed match like it’s supposed to be. “We’re trying to infuse positivity in Toxic Tuesdays,” Panasiti said. “We want to be overly positive to the point where it’s like the toxicity doesn’t know what to do.” He enjoys playing despite the occasional overzealous athlete, but recently he suffered a minor tear to his calf muscle after playing in a last-minute soccer tournament not related to his usual team. Because of this injury, he’s been out of commission for over a month. “You have to give calf muscles a lot of time to heal or else you’ll be likely to get a recurrence of the injury,” Panasiti said. “But hopefully I get back to the field soon, and I can report on good news.” So while he’s off the field, Panasiti will have to settle with watching his favorite teams like the Paris Saint-Germain Football Club, Barcelona’s team and the Argentinian league, Boca Juniors.
HORSING AROUND Physical Education teacher Michelle Myers plays for Carmichael, a team associated with the El Dorado Polo Club, in a game in 2012. PHOTO BY LACEY WINTERTON PHOTOGRAPHY
FANCY FOOTWORK Spanish and English teacher Diego Panasiti dribbles the ball in a soccer game at age 16. PHOTO COURTESY OF PANASITI
Jason Hinojosa BY SAHEB GULATI English teacher Jason Hinojosa has been running ever since he was young, using it as an activity to clear the mind. “I think I started taking it seriously in middle school or high school,” Hinojosa said. Although Hinojosa mainly competed in swimming during high school, he continued to run as a cross-training activity. He also trained past high school. “At the height, in college, I ran a marathon and was running five to six times a week,’’ Hinojosa said. “These days. I run maybe once a week in the 4-mile range, occasionally twice. It’s harder to find time with kids at home.” Although Hinojosa looks back on the experience positively, he recalls some hardships. Specifically, one thing he wasn’t prepared for was the toll running had on his toes. Hinojosa often experienced bloody toes after training for long periods. Although he runs less today, Hinojosa still has faced serious injuries. “I recently damaged my Achilles tendon last summer and never really bounced back. I was off my feet for about three months,” Hinojosa said. Now, past his competitive running phase, Hinojosa runs to get exercise and process things. “It’s been kind of this go-to thing for mental health or physical activity. It’s a great way to clear my mind, de-stress and focus again.” Sometimes when Hinojosa runs, he gets into a creative space. “If I’m working on a difficult passage when I’m writing something, the answer will sometimes come while I run,” Hinojosa said. Hinojosa also likes the convenient aspect of running. “Having lived in a bunch of different places, it’s not always easy to find a gym or a team or anything like that, but it’s always easy to have running shoes and an open road,” Hinojosa said. Hinojosa usually runs at Ancil Hoffman Park near his house. Although Hinojosa has done occasional runs with others, he primarily enjoys running as a solo, meditative activity. In the far future, Hinojosa looks forward to continuing to go on runs. “I imagine my daughters one day, and I could see us running together. It’s kind of nice to foresee.”
SPOR TS 05
NOVEMBER 16, 2021 • THE OCTAGON
Athletes, coaches reflect on first season after lockdown Cross Country
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ollowing canceled and delayed seasons during the 2020-21 school year, Country Day’s soccer, volleyball and cross country teams returned with high spirits. All fall sports teams qualified for section playoffs.
BY WILLIAM HOLZ
Volleyball BY ISHAAN SEKHON Country Day’s volleyball season ended Nov. 2 after a 3-1 loss to Forest Lake Christian in the California Interscholastic Federation Sac-Joaquin Girls Volleyball playoffs semifinal. The varsity team ended the season with a 9-3 record, coming in second place in its league. Jason Kreps, the varsity volleyball coach, was proud of how the team played in their final game. “I think they played the best they know. That’s all I could ask for as a coach,” Kreps said. “You know, the other team was a really good team,” he said. “We made more errors. They put the ball where they needed to, so they deserved to win, but we were fighting, and that’s what I love to see.” Kreps said the stand out players of the game were sophomore libero Zoe Genetos, setter Kaitlyn Dias and senior Vanessa Escobar, outside hitter and captain. “Zoe was consistently playing great defense. Kaitlyn was like a quarterback, making sure everything is easier for everyone, and Vanessa played a spectacular game and had several good kills,” Kreps said. For Escobar, the highlight of the game and the season overall was the long back-and-forth rallies. Dias said the section championships were always going to be a hard fight, but she was impressed by the team making it to the semifinals. Escobar was proud of the team for making it to semifinals because of how the bulk of the team was made up of new players. “The majority of the team consists of sophomores and freshmen with only three seniors and one junior,” Escobar said. “The team was really, really young. We were still learning to rotate on the court and hitting the ball correctly.” Junior outside hitter Haylee Holman said that communication was the team’s greatest problem. “That’s where most of our errors came from,” Holman said.
Soccer BY LAUREN LU The Country Day soccer team emerged victorious at the section final championship match against Cristo Rey 2-1 on Oct. 30. The team finished 17-1, earning its fifth Section Championship title in Country Day’s history. The last time soccer won a Section Championship was in 2015. Matt Vargo, athletic director and soccer coach, could not be prouder of the team. “For the past few years, we have had our sights on this season,” Vargo said. “We set and achieved attainable goals and worked hard as a team.” This year, the team’s goals were
For seniors Escobar, Zola Grey and Vivian Conner, the game served as the last game they’ll play in high school. Escobar said that she would play volleyball in the future on a recreational team, or a college team or just for fun. Advice Escobar would give to new volleyball players is to always be positive. “You can’t have a bad mental state about playing the game. It’ll affect your performance on the court. If you just think positively you’ll be fine,” Escobar said. For middle blocker Conner, the game was a bittersweet ending to her time playing volleyball in high school. Conner hopes to play volleyball in college if she has the opportunity. “I’ve been thinking about that a lot — doing sports in college,” Conner said. “It’s a lot more competitive to get
to beat their rival Cristo Rey, qualify for the playoffs and finally win the section championship game. Senior co-captain and forward Arjin Claire was impressed by the team’s great strides in improvement. These strides accompanied the team’s excitement for a full season following last year’s season being shortened and full of difficulties due to the pandemic. “We played really well in the few games we had last year and had strong players, so everyone knew there was a chance to go all the way,” Claire said. For him, the highlight of the season was his second free kick in the championship game against Cristo Rey. The goal brought the score up to the final score of 2-1. “It was one of the best shots I
onto a team. It’s professional sort of. I’m nowhere near that level. But I love doing these sports: volleyball, basketball, etc.” Conner said you don’t need to have skills to enjoy a sport — just heart.
have ever taken in my lifetime,” Claire said. Vargo described the shot as the
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“It takes an entire team to win the championship, so this season was special all the way through.” MATT VARGO
winning goal of the season. “That goal was a career moment for Arjin, and hopefully one of many to come,” Vargo said. “He has missed similar free kicks during similar moments of other games but always stays after
PHOTOS BY ARIJIT TRIVEDI; COURTESY OF ANDREW BURR; GRAPHICS BY ARJIN CLAIRE
The Cross Country team rebounded from a tough COVID-19 season last year to one of its most successful seasons yet. The team achieved incredible results, and Coach Joe Hartman couldn’t be prouder. “The group is thirsty to run, race and improve. Best of all, we fielded a full varsity team of boys at league finals, where the Cavaliers claimed third,” Hartman said. Freshman Wyatt Hall and junior Grace Eberhart won AllLeague Honors by finishing in the Top 7 at SMAL finals. “Fellow freshman Ceci DeBerry heartbreakingly twisted her ankle at league finals but has several league titles and state meet appearances in her future,” Hartman said. “Of course, any discussion of the 2021 season needs to include League MVP freshman Andrew Burr. Burr is undefeated in eight cross country races this season with high hopes of a varsity D5 Section Title,” he said. Unlike last year, COVID-19 has not been a large factor in the season, allowing the team to train, grow and perform at a higher level. Hartman called the amount of student involvement this year the “best of his tenure.” “This year has just been so much better,” Eberhart said. “We’re able to meet every day except for Friday, and everything seems like it’s back to normal. “Also, the team has been growing super quickly. We’re getting runners from both the high school and middle school.” The most improved runner on the team, junior Callister Misquitta, was able to beat his 3-mile personal record by two minutes, with a time of 25 minutes, 30 seconds. “Everyone’s working really hard,” Burr said. “Some people at the beginning of the season who had never run before ended up setting personal records and finishing races. We’ve really come a long way.” All the freshmen boys have qualified for section finals, coming up on Nov. 13.
practice and puts in the effort to implement tips, and his hard work has paid off.” Junior defender Adam Akins was proud of the team’s communication on the field, as well as their improvement in technical skill. “Everyone was vocal on the field, and it was apparent that they were putting the entirety of their beings into each play,” Akins said. Next year, he hopes that returning team members will gain more confidence in their playing and improve their teamwork. “A lot of players have the skill, but they don’t trust themselves under pressure, making unrealistic plays, and even though we are losing many of our core members this year, I still want to be competitive,” Akins said.
The soccer team has had fairly the same starting lineup for the past three years. Thus, Vargo is looking forward to seeing current players’ growth and their ability to replace the leadership of Claire and senior co-captain Ethan Monasa. “It takes an entire team to win the championship, so this season was special all the way through,” Vargo said. “I look forward to the future growth and success of this team.” After Claire, Monasa and other senior players graduate this year, the soccer team will have lost six team members — a big loss, though Claire hopes the team will continue to succeed. “The most important part is that our players take the time to understand and enjoy the sport,” Claire said.
06
CENTER
NOVEMBER 16, 2021
caffeine: the perfect b café country day
I
BY SAMHITA KUMAR
t’s late at night and you are exhausted beyond belief — but you still have hours of work ahead of you. In situations like these, many people at Country Day reach for a cup of coffee, a cup of tea or some other caffeinated product for a jolt of fast energy. An Oct. 26 Octagon poll sent to students in the high school found that 22 out of 35 respondents drink coffee or tea. Freshman Ryan Xu drinks coffee to stay awake. He estimates he drinks around 2-3 cups per day in order to be alert longer and concentrate more intensely but has had up to 6 cups of coffee a day in the past. “I was tired, and coffee helped me with that,” he said. Xu’s overall coffee intake varies depending on the time and workload. He estimated that he reached that level about once a month. This would be when he had around three hours of sleep. On average, he has around five hours of sleep. This is mainly due to schoolwork, Xu said. For example, if he checks CavNET and realizes a major assignment is due the next day, he will drink coffee in order to stay up. He’s also noticed some side effects in the course of his coffee drinking. “Specifically, your attention span is a little shorter,” he said. However, Xu said this issue was balanced by the benefits of the drink. The need for caffeine to power through schoolwork is also a factor in junior Samrath Pannu’s decision to consume caffeinated energy drinks. “You can only pull so much energy from so much sleep,” he said. “With four AP classes, I find myself staying up really late sometimes.” Whether he’s working on a project or studying for a math test, Pannu will occasionally chug an energy drink to stay up later and focus longer. While energy drinks have few side effects for him, he’s had issues with coffee in the past. “When I was taking a summer course, I used to have at least two, three cups of coffee a day,” he said. “When the course ended, I slept for 16 hours and woke up with a raging headache.” After waking up, he had initially been
confused, but realized that since he no longer needed his daily coffee, he was experiencing a mild withdrawal. However, Pannu said this has been a one-off incident. “Otherwise, I keep my intake moderate and controlled,” he said. “So I would never have to deal with withdrawal.” Although Pannu said he thinks he’ll take more energy drinks than usual this year he’s trying to reduce his overall caffeine intake. “My goal is to have it less often than every two days,” he said. Senior Masai Dumisani is also trying to reduce her caffeine consumption. On a normal day, she has two venti-sized (20 ounce)
coffees, which she’s done regularly since sophomore year. “I drink coffee to stay awake,” she said. “I also actually really like the taste.” That being said, Dumisani ultimately decides on how much she’ll drink based on day-by-day issues. “It’s more of a habit,” she said of her two-cup routine. “Circumstances like how much time I have determines whether or not the cup quantity changes.” She also mixes in other products such as Yerba Mate or green tea, which have a lower caffeine content, to get her caffeine fix. She also avoids coffee on the weekends. “I get dehydrated,” she said. “That’s why you see me with my huge water bottle along with my coffee cup at school.”
Source: Cleveland Clinic and MAYO Clinic
At home on weekends, she has the ability to take naps if she needs to, so there’s no need for caffeine. Dumisani has noticed some side effects when cutting down on coffee. “I get bad headaches sometimes, and I’m a tad sluggish,” she said. However, she hasn’t noticed other issues. On the other end of the caffeine spectrum, history teacher Chelsie Beck avoids all caffeinated products. “If I drink anything or consume anything with caffeine, I will, like, fly to the moon,” she said. This has been an issue for Beck since she was a child. “When I was 3, my dad let me have a sip of his
Coke,” she said. “For a good five hours, I’m told, I ran around the house.” Even products with low caffeine content, like chocolate or soda, are too strong for Beck, so she limits her intake. Culture can also play a role in caffeine consumption. Head of High School Brooke Wells said he has always had tea because of his English mother. Now, he drinks a cup of coffee every morning and a cup of tea a few hours later. “It’s just a ritual,” he said. “There’s a delicious kind of tea called Assam Superb. If things are going well I have that loose. But unfortunately, usually it’s a tea bag.” Wells does not consider the caffeine content of his drinks as a main benefit, and has not noticed any major side effects.
Junior Karabelo Bowsky, who began drinking coffee because of her Italian family, has now incorporated it into her routine. “I probably have caffeine once a day,” she said. “I have matcha tea, and sometimes I have an espresso.” She drinks caffeinated beverages mainly to stay awake, but said that the warming effect of her drinks is also a positive. “I probably drink more of it during the wintertime or when it’s cold,” she said. Bowsky has noticed some side effects to her caffeine consumption. “Oddly enough, if I drink the right amount of it, I fall asleep easier at night,” she said. She also drinks tea to help with her migraine headaches and doesn’t see herself stopping anytime soon. “I come from an Italian family,” she said. “We have espresso shots all the time; it’s a cultural thing.” If she were to stop drinking coffee, she predicts the biggest problem she’d facewould be irritability. “I would just probably be a meaner person,” she said. However, she doesn’t see herself reducing the amount she drinks. In facts, Bowsky’s consumption will likely increase in upcoming years. She’s set herself a goal of drinking a full cup of black coffee. “It’s disgusting, it’s so gross,” she said about black coffee. “But it’s an aesthetic I strive for one day.” English teacher Jason Hinojosa, who drinks one cup of black tea daily, also said his it is an important part of his day. “I started drinking more frequently in college and then once I started working, it became more of a regular fixture,” he said. He’s noticed that caffeine helps him focus more and helps improve his mood. While he’s never intentionally tried to stop drinking tea, there have been times when he hasn’t had access to it. “That’s not very fun,” he said. “I feel groggy and I get a headache, usually.” Other side effects he’s noticed include irritability and fatigue. Regardless of the effects, Hinojosa has no plans to reduce his coffee consumption due to the amount of work he has to deal with. “Not with young kids,” he said. “The idea of not having caffeine is very scary.”
RP O I NT
THE OCTAGON
blend or a bitter end?
07
the bean-efits and drawbacks BY SIMONE DEBERRY
Whether it’s in a bottle of Diet Coke or a disposable cup of coffee, one of America’s most popular drugs — caffeine — enters millions of bodies on a daily basis. A warm cup of joe is a staple in the American diet, but why? Do the pros outweigh the cons? The Cleveland Clinic describes caffeine, a mild stimulant, as a drug that expedites the delivery of messages between the brain and the body. In fact, it is this rapidity that gives us that alert feeling many have come to know and love. Alongside alertness, caffeine enhances memory, according to a 2018 study by Michael Yassa and his colleagues at Johns Hopkins University. In a double-blind trial, participants received either a placebo or a 200-milligram caffeine tablet five minutes after studying images. The following day, those who took the caffeine tablets were better able to recall similar images than their non-caffeinated counterparts. This ability to recognize differences between similar but not identi-
cal items indicates a deeper level of memory retention. Melissa Lao, M.D., of UC Davis explained that caffeine, is frequently, but not always, used to treat migraines. “You might notice that many medications for migraine headaches contain caffeine to some degree,” she said. “On occasion, we suggest patients who do not regularly drink coffee to drink it before we decide to put them on a medication just to see if that added caffeine will minimize symptoms.” That said, do not go out and drink caffeinated beverages whenever you feel a headache coming on, Lao said. Caffeine is all about moderation – according to the Mayo Clinic, ideally no more than 100 mg per day as an adolescent. It is when we consume too much caffeine that adverse effects ensue. An aspect of caffeine’s appeal is its ability to keep us alert, but unsurprisingly, this is also one of its most notable drawbacks: too much caffeine complicates sleep. The Mayo Clinic reports that even slight loss of sleep quickly devolves into daytime drowsiness and poor performance.
For many, caffeine is the go-to when masking this drowsiness, creating a dangerous and unpleasant cycle. Additionally, Lao warned against excessive caffeine consumption for those who already have or are prone to high blood pressure. “It seems to just be temporary, but caffeine increases blood pressure, so I encourage all of my patients with high blood pressure to decrease consumption just to be safe,” she said. The third vital risk of caffeine is the predisposition to develop an irregular hearbeat, known as heart arrhythmias. According to the Mayo Clinic, caffeine, as well as nicotine and other stimulants, often increases a person’s heartbeat. Although this is not necessarily a permanent change, an increased heartbeat may develop into more serious arrhythmias. Additional negative side effects of over-caffeination include headaches, nervousness, irritability, frequent urination and muscle tremors. The bottom line is that caffeine is neither entirely beneficial nor entirely detrimental; rather, it’s all about creating a healthy balance.
caff-feign: Alternatives to caffeine BY SAMHITA KUMAR For those looking to quit caffeine products or find new ways to achieve coffee’s signature energy boost, look no further. Alternatives such as root-based drinks, caffeine-free teas and other beverages that are easy to prepare can fit the bill. One particularly interesting alternative to caffeine-based drinks for those who like the taste of coffee is chicory root “coffee.” This drink is made from the roasted and ground root of the chicory plant — and due to the similar preparation, tastes almost identical to coffee, according to Medical News Today. A 2015 study at Hokkaido University in Japan by Mie Nashimura and others published in the Journal of Traditional and Complementary Medicine found that roasted chicory root had several health benefits. Specifically, researchers observed a decrease in A1c blood sugar — something that reduces risk for diabetes, according to Mayo Clinic — and an improvement in
digestive health upon consumption of roast chicory extract. However, chicory coffee won’t provide the same energy boost. While the placebo effect could give you a jolt of energy and focus, the lack of caffeine means it won’t be as strong, according to Mind Body Green. Even so, chicory root can be mixed with regular coffee beans, creating New Orleans coffee, according to SpruceEats. Since chicory root doesn’t contain caffeine, it’s an easy way to lower your overall caffeine intake. Another, soothing alternative is rooibos tea. While not technically considered a tea, as it is brewed from a different plant, it is prepared in the same way. It does not contain caffeine and can help reduce oxidative stress — an imbalance of antioxidants and free radicals in the body that can cause health problems such as diabetes and heart issues — according to a 2018 South African study in Planta Medica by Rabia Johnson and others.
Another interesting — and easier to locate — option is apple cider vinegar. This household ingredient mixed with water can boost energy, according to nutritionist Rania Batayneh, M.P.H., in Healthline. However, this should be mixed with water or diluted with other substances — the acid can damage your teeth or cause digestive issues if taken on its own. Medical News Today recommends drinking one teaspoon of apple cider vinegar with at least eight ounces (one glass) of water to retain the benefits. If all else fails, there’s a simple option. Drink more water! A 2011 study published in The Journal of Nutrition by Lawrence E. Armstrong and others found that even mild dehydration can cause feelings of fatigue and even a change in emotional state. Water is also easy to find, and easy to access — after all, it’s everywhere. Whatever your reason for consuming caffeine, there are enough alternatives on the market that it’s possible to gain the benefits of caffeine without the drawbacks.
08 OPINION
NOVEMBER 16, 2021 • THE OCTAGON
MY ANGLE: Music, motivation and more performances
“Un-locker Rooms” by Brynne Barnard-Bahn
EDITORIAL: Locker rooms need to be opened for student use, find storage elsewhere
I
t’s early in the morning after a Country Day basketball practice, and the players are sweaty, tired and ready to get changed. But instead of entering the locker room — which is now little more than a glorified storage room — they’re forced to crowd inside the cramped bathrooms with no regard for physical distancing. Why? The school decided to keep the locker rooms closed. This not only doesn’t make sense, it actively impedes COVID-19 safety. The school’s COVID-19 Policies and Procedures clearly state that while school lockers can be used, “gym locker rooms will remain closed.” Instead, students change in the bathrooms, while the locker rooms are used to store desks and tables. That’s right, desks and tables. Head of High School Brooke Wells said that the social distancing requirements of the 2020-21 school year reduced the number of desks that could be used. “A lot of the desks had to be moved out of classrooms, so they’re being stored in there,” he said. Wells also cited concerns about unsupervised use of the locker rooms. “People stay there unsupervised when they’re not meant to be in there,” he said. “It’s just a sixth through 12th grade policy to not be in there.” This reasoning, however, does not hold up. The need for storage has changed since last year when COVID-19 restrictions were more stringent. Physical distancing in classrooms is no longer necessary to the same degree, so the desks and chairs haphazardly stuffed into the locker room showers presumably should have places to go. The issue of supervision is also not unique to this school year. Students have been using the same locker room without a faculty member watching them long before COVID-19. Why is it that only this year that locker room supervision has become an issue?
On top of that, students are not supervised while changing in bathrooms or other locations. Does the danger of unregulated changing modify itself based on location?
Maximum Occupancy 2 Even if the school could arrange supervision, is that something that should be considered? Having an adult observe students changing is inappropriate and shouldn’t be considered at all. Beyond the practical considerations of locker room usage, there’s another major issue — physical distancing. The Sacramento County Public Health guidelines regarding COVID-19 advise students to maximize their physical distancing whenever possible — including physical education classes and changing rooms. The Centers for Disease Control also recommends that physical distancing be observed whenever possible. Students changing in small, cramped bathrooms goes against that principle.
Currently, multiple student athletes are shoved together in closed, cramped bathrooms. Since there are only three stalls in each bathroom, students are forced to wait in line. That’s if students only change in the stalls. Often, students change wherever space is available in order to make it to practice on time — even as others enter the bathroom to actually use it. Additionally, two of the three stalls are smaller, causing difficulty for those trying to change. This is all despite the sign on the door labeled “Maximum Occupancy 2.” Because of time and practicality concerns, this rule is rarely followed. In the mornings, boys basketball practice results in a crowded boys bathroom. Throughout the day, students in middle school physical education classes stream in and out of the bathroom getting ready as quickly as possible for their classes so as to not be late, while high school students wait in line for an empty stall. As school comes to an end, girls basketball players fill the bathroom to get ready for practice. Meanwhile, high school students flow out of classes after a long day, adding to the ever lengthening queue in the bathrooms. There is clearly a necessity for a changing space for student athletes and physical education students that is separate from the bathroom space being used by all high school students. Even with desks and other classroom furniture being stored in the locker rooms, the available space in the locker rooms is greater than any other changing space on campus. A larger space would mean a larger maximum occupancy. Even if students exceed the maximum occupancy at times, they will be much more distanced than in the cramped bathrooms. Wouldn’t it make sense for students to change in the biggest, most open space? Doing so would ensure the largest possible amount of social distancing and keep students safe.
There are many things that make a great musician: articulation, musicality, a good sense of rhythm and disregard for noise complaints. But arguably the most important “M” word for musicians other than “music” itself is what drives them to success: motivation. It may sound cliché, but motivation is really all that is needed for continual improvement. Sure, while experience and a little bit of luck are also helpful, being driven to work hard will help even a beginner to flourish down the line. And that is why Country Day’s music program should feature more meaningful student performances because they help apply the pressure needed to keep student musicians practicing and striving to improve. Historically, Country Day’s music groups have participated in local festivals and competitions. But they only happen once or twice a year, which is not nearly enough because music students will miss out on a lot of valuable experiences they can only get from performing with high stakes. In fact, this was actually one of the reasons I left the high school jazz band. Staying motivated in any activity starts with taking pride in your work and acknowledging selfgrowth; but I felt I didn’t have much to work toward because most of the concerts I played in were for school events like back-to-school night. While these performances were fun, I found myself slowly losing the urge to practice my jazz chord voicings because our playing mainly amounted to background music instead of performing at more significant events where we were at the center of attention. My motivation to improve in classical piano, however, was different because I was able to perform in concerts and enter competitions more frequently. Unlike the performances at school, those experiences helped rekindle my passion and viewpoint for piano. For example, I learned valuable lessons from both success and failure through performing. If I managed to do well in my competitions, I would feel good about the hard work I put into preparation and be encouraged to continue practicing. But if I didn’t perform as well as I had hoped, I learned how to accept defeat with a renewed focus to get better. If the Country Day music students could be exposed to more experiences like these and take what they learned to heart, they will develop a sense of pride for not only themselves, but for their ensemble. From there, more students will be practicing their instruments with purpose instead of letting them fade amidst their busy schedules.
GARMAN XU
A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS FOR KEEPING US IN THE BLACK! Anand family, Chand Family, Claire Family, Eberhart Family, Gulati Family, Intel Foundation, Kumar Family, Monasa Family, Trivedi Family
FEATURE 09
NOVEMBER 16, 2021 • THE OCTAGON
Senior’s immense work ethic guides artistic pursuits
S
BY ADAM AKINS
enior Lilah Shorey is dynamically artistic. Since elementary school, Shorey’s teachers have described Shorey’s creative ambition and work ethic as a driving force, guiding them into the branching paths of music and artistic expression. Shorey is an integral part of the arts community of Country Day. From seven years of study under art teacher Andy Cunningham to being the lead guitarist of the Garage Band, Shorey’s creativity and artistic prowess are impossible to miss. “Teaching Lilah is like herding cats,” Cunningham said. “It’s just containing and guiding their ambition.” Shorey’s love for art permeates every aspect of their life. They design their clothing, make jewelry and draw incessantly. “Lilah has a sketchbook that is for sketches,” Cunnigham said. “They respect that not every piece can be finished.” Shorey has earned respect for a deep understanding of the creative process. Cunningham repeatedly praises Shorey’s perseverance and respect for learning. Cunningham especially praised Shorey’s proficiency in articulately describing what aspects of a piece or style Shorey enjoys. Shorey’s style is an impressive amalgamation of influences and personal flair that pulls from sources like Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat and a vast assortment of popular culture, especially media like “Watchmen” or “The Boys.” Shorey’s ambition shows through their art. Cunningham says they are constantly looking, finding new interpretations and logging them away. “It’s more just like I give them time and space and some questioning,” Cunnigham said. “We can talk about what they’re doing, what they see and what they might want to do to get there.” Shorey is endlessly working — drawing commissions on the side and logging their ongoing progress on their Instagram art page, @lilahroseart. Shorey’s online presence as an artist has grown with their skill. The platform provides resources and valuable feedback. “I’ve been on Instagram doing that stuff since 2018. I’ve made a lot of really good connections with all kinds of artists,” Shorey said. “I had an online friend who’s super good at watercolor. So I asked her for some help and she gave me some tips and ideas and it really helped me.” Shorey showcased their iron-clad work ethic through this year’s annual chalk mural showcase, which they described as a trying process. Shorey recreated “Traveller,” a complex and vibrantly colorful piece by Taiwanese visual artist James Jean. Even under normal circumstances, this would have been an extremely challenging piece to recreate, but Shorey also had to combat a seemingly evil sprinkler system. “I spent the first day working from 7 a.m. to 9 p.m. without any breaks. I spent like half the first day doing line work and then getting into coloring,” Shorey said. “And then I woke up the next morning to get a photo from my friend who was there already. There were streaks of water straight through my work.” Shorey worked hard again on day two to make it back to the coloring phase. This time the sprinklers turned on midday, and Shorey had to watch as hours of work literally dissolved in front of their eyes. “It was a very hard experience. I think that’s one of the times I think I’ve wanted to quit the most,” Shorey said. “I have a problem where I don’t let myself quit. It wasn’t to my standards, so I just kept working.” Chalk was also a relatively new medium for Shorey, who usually sticks to graphite and colored pencils. Beyond chalk, Shorey is working on mastering acrylic paints and watercolors while experimenting with a less familiar medium, oil paints. As a student in Advanced Placement Studio Art, Shorey has been refining their portfolio, which serves as the final exam for the class. They have settled on depicting the history of rock and roll through portraits. As an avid Led Zeppelin and Beatles fan, Shorey has filled their notebooks with portraits of the bands’ members. As part of the portfolio, Shorey has also cracked open a new sketchbook, devoting it to studying outside of their usual comfort zone of portraits and understanding the art of the human form. But this is not just a mild case of Beatlemania. Shorey has been fascinated with pop culture and music as a whole for as long as their family can remember. “When they did all the testing to get into Country Day
and everything, Lilah was four years old,” said Melissa Shorey, Lilah’s mom. “I remember getting the result saying that Lilah was not clear on body parts. They asked Lilah how they heard music. Lilah said with my heart, and they marked them down.” Since then, Shorey has rotated through a slew of instruments. They credit their start in the musical world to a “rocking” recorder solo for a Grandparent’s Day performance in lower school. After some time on the recorder, Shorey picked up the alto saxophone in fifth grade and began familiarizing themselves with the world of performing. They played saxophone in the school’s concert band through eighth grade before making the switch into the world of rock and roll in sophomore year. Shorey left the saxophone behind for a spot as the lead electric guitarist for Country Day’s Garage Band. Now, as a senior with three years of experience under their belt, Shorey has a heavy hand in song selection. So far, the group’s repertoire includes songs by Hole, The Cure and The Violent Femmes, all favorites of Shorey. Shorey is almost entirely self-taught. They briefly took guitar lessons before the onset of the pandemic but have
subsisted solely on their fundamentals and learned as many songs as they could since then. Shorey faces many common guitar-playing challenges. They are “cursed” with tiny hands, which make certain techniques such as bar chords an ever-present challenge. Shorey’s dual passions play into each other. As Shorey grows as an artist, so does their ambition. They constantly express themselves through their artistic pursuits, and their teachers, friends and parents all agree that their creative ambition and drive are nowhere near being satisfied.
10 A&E
NOVEMBER 16, 2021 • THE OCTAGON
Great but lacking innovation, Dune falls short of expectations
W
ithout its cinematography and never-ending cast of A-list actors, “Dune,” directed by Denis Villeneuve, released on Oct. 22, is almost not recommendable, mainly due to its narrative clock and disappointing character arcs. “Dune” follows the path of Paul Atreides, a young man with supernatural abilities and the next-in-line of the house of Atreides. He travels to the desert planet Arrakis — after the house of Atreides gains control of the planet — and endures a gauntlet of physical and mental trials. Greig Fraser’s cinematography is center stage throughout the film and is the best element of the movie. Most impressively, Fraser accurately depicts scale, making every unique and otherworldly landscape accessible and understandable to the viewer. This is shown perfectly in Paul’s first encounter with a sandworm. Paul and Gurney Halleck—a high-ranking soldier for the House of Atreides— barely escape the worm’s clutches and remain on the outer drawbridge of their space shuttle. As the camera pans out, Paul and Gurney become a reference for the size of the massive sandworm. Unfortunately, the stunning cinematography sometimes gets bogged down by a lack of any profound message. It seems the main goal is to create a visually pleasing experience, an important goal, but only a fraction of the desired result. The shot design needs a meaningful subcontext that either progresses the story or amplifies the film’s message. There is nothing wrong with a beautifully shot film, but there needs to be more, and “Dune” is missing that factor. The acting in “Dune” excels at grounding the film in reality, allowing the fictitious elements to remain understandable. Timothée Chalamet delivers possibly his best per-
formance to date as Paul, continuing his usual style of the quiet, edgy teen, but amplifying it to fit the narrative and the difficulties Paul has to face. During the Gom Jabbar test scene, the audience is completely reliant on Chalamet’s acting to understand the pain he is enduring because a magical box is the source of his misery. Chalamet plays the intensity perfectly; at first, he only smirks slightly, but eventually begins to yelp and quiver in pain. With its expansive cast of A-list actors, the supporting cast also delivers. The effect is a seemingly livedin, realistic world. None of the actors feel misplaced, fitting their roles effortlessly. Hans Zimmer delivers once again with his thoughtful score. Filled with bagpipes, the score fits the visuals perfectly, creating an otherworldly atmosphere. Throughout the entire film, Paul questions the validity of his visions, unsure of whether they predict reality or are just vivid dreams. A narrative clock forms as the movie progresses, counting down until his most pivotal and possibly fatal vision occurs. This narrative clock is weak and lacks suspense. It’s incredibly simple to assume how the story will progress as the film stands, creating an unsurprising and unsatisfying experience. If Paul quickly learned the scope of his abilities, understanding that all of his predictions come to fruition, the question would become whether Paul has the ability to prevent these visions from occurring, making every failure of his even more tragic. Paul would have the knowledge of these tragedies occurring yet have no power to stop them, relating Paul to the viewer as this small and powerless individual in an expansive world. Then in the third act, when Paul assumes power over the House of Atreides, he could begin his rise to control, satisfyingly ending the film. The lack of suspense was greatened due to the way the movie was marketed.
Once again, a foolish marketing team decided to use cheap tricks to lure in more viewers than to depict the actual film. The overly aggressive, information-heavy style of trailers that have become commonplace must stop. A majority of the trailer features Chani, played by Zendaya, creating the belief that the story would heavily feature her and Paul’s relationship. That couldn’t have been farther from the truth, with Zendaya appearing in around seven minutes of screen time. A subversion of expectations is not necessarily a bad technique, but only if it’s in the vein of an addition rather than subtraction. Take, for example, the television show “The Mandalorian.” The now infamous side-character Grogu, or Baby-Yoda, was purposely not featured in any trailers. But, because viewers who watched the trailers expected an action-packed thrill-ride about Star Wars, and that’s what was received, the addition of Grogu didn’t reduce any claims that the show had previously advertised; it purely added to the already revealed plot points. “Dune” did the exact opposite, advertising the seemingly large amount of screentime of Chani, disappointing many viewers. All of “Dune” was good; it just was not great. There is a better example of every part of this movie such as the cinematography, which is better in “Blade Runner: 2049,” also directed by Denis Villeneuve, or the acting, which is better in “The Godfather” or the dialogue which is better in “Pulp Fiction.” That doesn’t mean these parts were not good, because this is still an example of solid filmmaking but, they feel lower-quality do the multiple better examples and lack innovation. Sometimes it’s better to have one specific attribute that excels, being the best of the best, rather than trying for all and falling short.
RATING: 4 OUT OF 5
STORY BY DYLAN MARGOLIS; GRAPHICS BY ARIJIT TRIVEDI
A&E 11
NOVEMBER 16, 2021 • THE OCTAGON
cavalier calisthenics STUDENTS SHARE UNIQUE WORKOUTS
9,488
4.4 miles
2,069 cals
steps
10
20
floors
mins
66 bpm resting Tired of the old standard exercise routine? Do you have one to begin with at all? Here are unique workouts that some students of Country Day do to stay in shape. Daily Goal: Get Moving! Stories by Rod Azghadi; graphics by Nihal Gulati.
dylan breen Senior Dylan Breen has been swimming since he was less than a year old and on a swim team since he was 4. His favorite part? Playing underwater hockey with his teammates. Once a week, Breen plays this game with his swim teammates at the Auburn Racket Club.
annalucia king Sophomore Annalucia King originally started hula dancing as an alternative to ballet, but it has become her passion. King started ballet when she was 3, but constantly dancing on her toes caused King foot pain, for which she received physical therapy. She halted her ballet journey and searched for something that wouldn’t aggravate her injury. That’s when she discovered hula dancing through a family friend at the beginning of her
cj dwumfuoh It’s almost every young hooper’s dream to dunk a basketball. But not everyone knows that there is a science behind jumping higher: plyometrics — explosive bodyweight exercises that build your speed, stamina and strength. Junior CJ Dwumfuoh has a plyometric exercise routine he does 2-3 times a week in his backyard.
There are two goals made of bricks set up underwater, and two teams are trying to get a puck in the goal. Each team consists of about 20 people, and they play in water as deep as 18 feet without any breathing devices. This drill is designed to increase your lung capacity and allow you to swim longer distances underwater. “Underwater hockey even helped me out with our dry days where we would do drills on land,” Breen said. “I was able to run and
breathe more efficiently.” Although Breen has fun while playing, it can be scary at times. “Sometimes you get trampled and stuck under people, and you have to fight your way to the top to get a breath,” Breen said. Underwater hockey also strengthened Breen’s core. He would constantly be kicking his legs to keep himself underwater, which engaged his core muscles. “I am always sore the next day,” Breen said.
sophomore year. King’s six-person dance team meets once a week. When King arrives at practice, she puts on her floral skirt in a very specific manner. “Hula is all about respect. We have to put on the skirt from over our heads and we can’t let it touch the ground,” King said. At King’s practices, they do a set of essential hula movements. “Hula has so many different steps and components that it’s just like telling a story,” King said. The hardest part of hula is doing all the hip movements, according to King. “Staying in sync with my dancemates all
while moving quickly and staying low to the ground is very difficult,” King said. King needs a strong core to perform these quick movements, so she does planks and other abdominal exercises at the gym a couple of times a week. Also, since her hula class is almost entirely in Hawaiian, she studies Hawaiian vocabulary flashcards during the weekdays. Her mom, Laura King, is a certified yoga instructor and teaches Annalucia occasionally as well. “Doing yoga with my mom really helps me out in hula because it increases my mind-body connection,” King said.
Dwumfuoh takes exercises such as unweighted Bulgarian split squats and broad jumps and adds a twist to them. For example, he adds a jump to the end of his split squat and holds a 10-pound kettlebell during broad jumps to make his movements more explosive. Dwumfuoh got into plyometrics last summer by watching motivational videos on TikTok and YouTube. He was impressed by how quickly people progressed and decided to give it a shot.
Dwumfuoh has seen major progress in his basketball game. “When I first started, I wasn’t able to dunk. But now, I can dunk consistently,” he said. Dwumfuoh is on the Country Day track and field team, so he is also doing plyometrics to make him perform better in sprinting and jumping events. “Ever since starting plyometrics, I’ve been able to get out of the sprinter’s box quicker and jump further on the long jump,” Dwumfuoh said.
12 ENDPOINT
NOVEMBER 16, 2021 • THE OCTAGON
Now, !at’s delicious! Octagon staffers share family recipes
Apple Sausage Stuffing 1. Preheat oven to 325 F. 2. Put cubed sourdough bread in large bowl and set aside. 3. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish. 4. Melt 2 tablespoons of butter in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the sausage and break it up with a wooden spoon. 5. Cook until it loses most of its pink color, but don’t let it dry out (about 5 minutes). 6. Add the sausage and pan drippings to the sourdough cubes. 7. Melt the remaining butter in the pan. Add the onion, apple, celery, garlic, sage and ½ teaspoon salt. Cook until the veggies are soft. Add the broth and parsley and bring to a boil. 8. Pour the vegetable mixture over the stuffing cubes and toss until evenly moistened. Mix in the eggs. 9. Loosely pack the stuffing in the pan and cook uncovered until the top forms a crust (about 40 minutes). 10. Drizzle about 2 tablespoons of melted butter over the top and cook for 20 minutes until top is golden.
s t n e i d e r Ing
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s t n e i d e r Ing
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Chocoflan Cake 1. You will need a 12-cup bundt pan or a 10-inch springform pan and a roasting pan to make a double boiler (watch tutorial on YouTube.) 2. Preheat oven to 350 F. Coat the pan with butter and drizzle the bottom of the pan with caramel. 3. Whisk the oil and sugar together until fluffy. Beat in the egg. Sift all dry ingredients together. Then, mix the dry ingredients into the wet mixture, 1/3 at a time, alternating with buttermilk. 4. Blend all the flan ingredients in a food processor on high for 30 seconds or until smooth. 5. Scoop cake batter into the bundt pan on top of the caramel, then ladle the flan mixture on top. 6. Lightly butter a piece of foil and cover the bundt pan. Set bundt in roasting pan, then pour boiling water in the roasting pan about two inches deep. Bake for 1 hour, or until an inserted toothpick comes out clean. 7. Remove the cake from the water bath and cool completely to room temperature. Invert the cake over a platter.
Chicken Curry 1. Heat oil in a large pan. 2. Add whole spices. 3. When you see the oil bubble around the spices, add onions and stir until they turn transparent. 4. Add grated ginger and crushed garlic. Sauté for 3 minutes. 5. Add tomatoes and salt. When the tomatoes turn mushy, add turmeric, chili powder and coriander powder. Stir to prevent sticking. Sauté for another 3 minutes. 6. Add chopped chicken and stir so the gravy coats the meat. 7. Cover and cook for about 20 minutes. 8. After, check for doneness. If the chicken is cooked through, you can continue to cook uncovered to allow the gravy to thicken. 9. Add cashew powder and stir — this will help thicken and make the gravy richer. 10. Garnish with cilantro and serve with rice.
RECIPES (FROM TOP TO BOTTOM) BY KALI WELLS, WILLIAM HOLZ AND SAMHITA KUMAR; GRAPHICS BY ROD AZGHADI
s t n e i d e Ingr
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