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VOL.42 NO.3 • Sacramento Country Day School • 2636 Latham Drive, Sacramento • December 4, 2018 Smoke prompts closures of college campuses BY CHARDONNAY NEEDLER While fires were raging at the northern and southern ends of California, the middle was blanketed by smoke, with air quality indices (AQI) rising into the 200s and 300s in areas hundreds of miles away from the Butte County blazes. One such area was Berkeley. On Friday, Nov. 16, students at the University of California, Berkeley unknowingly started their Thanksgiving breaks early. According to Cal senior Emma Brown, ’15, students didn’t realize the smoke had caused an extended break until Nov. 18, when Berkeley announced class cancellations for Nov. 19 and 20. As students stayed, stores sold out of N95 respirator masks, Brown said. “They ran out in the stores and health centers — and people were getting very mad,” Brown said. “It was intense.” According to PE director Michelle Myers, N95 respirator masks work via a filter that keeps the fine particulate matter (of either 2.5 or 10 nanometers) from getting through to the lungs. This fine particulate matter includes not only the remains of trees and grassy fields but also metal, tin, aluminum, plastic, cars, fuel and gas lines. “It’s everything that burned,” she said. “Until (firemen) got the gas shut off, a lot of homes had gas flames going out with natural gas leaking everywhere.” But the same smoke, as well as the subsequent class cancellations that affected Berkeley students, wasn’t really a surprise to students at the University of California, Davis, according to Davis freshman Pria Nijhar, ’18. “Literally everyone rides bikes,” Nijhar said. “Since everyone predominantly uses bikes to get around, the smoke had a huge impact on everyone’s health. “Everyone could feel it. The air outside was so bad.”
SMOKE page 4 >>
Alumnus endures ‘craziest five days Thousand Oaks has ever been through’ in devastating Woolsey Fire
GOLDEN STATE TURNED RED Woolsey Fire flames destroy Malibu buildings on Nov. 9. PHOTO RETRIEVED FROM PBS
BY CHARDONNAY NEEDLER
I
t was 3 a.m on Nov. 8. Johann Dias, ’15, a junior and physics major at California Lutheran University in Thousand Oaks, woke up to multiple notifications: the Apple News application’s breaking story, “Shooting at Borderline Bar & Grill”; texts from friends asking if he was all right, knowing he’d been there three times before; and stories with Justin Meek, a Cal Lutheran alumnus whom Dias said he remembered working at the student union building, being dubbed “a hero” for confronting the shooter who killed him and 11 others. Only one thought went through Dias’ mind: “What the hell is going on?” He didn’t sleep the rest of that night, the start of what he called “the craziest five days Thousand Oaks has ever been through.” Hours earlier at 11:29 p.m., his brother, former Country Day stu-
dent and current Thousand Oaks “wanted people around him to chat High School senior Tristann Dias, with,” so he went over to his friend’s had been at the gym M6 Fitness, house the following morning. a mere 15-åminute walk from the That afternoon, Tristann Dias bar in which shots were simultane- said he noticed smoke in the sky; ously being fired from a .45-caliber the Woolsey Fire had spread near Glock. the Diases’ Santa Rosa Valley home, Not even 15 hours later, the then- and smoke engulfed the area. new Woolsey Fire But that didn’t would blast through stop him from trying I saw the not a bar, but cities to go to a ceremony entire and towns — Oak for those affected by Park, Los Angeles, hillside on fire — the shooting at a loSanta Barbara, Ca- everything was in cal park. marillo, Oxnard flames.” “It took me 45 Shores and Thouminutes to move 30 —Johann Dias sand Oaks. feet down the road,” With classes canTristann Dias said. celed due to the “Traffic was so awful; shooting, Tristann Dias was at his no one could go anywhere.” friend’s house. His friend was one And for those who’d been told to of the first to escape the shooting evacuate, leaving Thousand Oaks — the one whose Instagram video was a challenge. of gunshots followed by his gasping “They had shut down all the freefor breath while running went viral ways and big roads,” Tristann Dias said. “I’m honestly surprised anyon the internet. Tristann Dias said his friend one was evacuated.”
Because of the “insane” traffic, Tristann Dias missed the ceremony. At 2 a.m. the following day, Nov. 9, Johann Dias was up, sleepless again. “I was chilling with my friends over at their house — on the evacuation line,” he said. “Then winds suddenly changed, and they were in a mandatory evacuation zone.” After going outside, Johann Dias said he witnessed the inferno. “I saw the entire hillside on fire — everything was in flames,” he said. “I remember thinking, ‘Well, I guess Thousand Oaks is gonna go bye bye.’” After attempting to sleep for an hour and a half, Johann Dias drove through the “awful-smelling” smoke back to his house. Nonetheless, as the fires were just beginning two days after the shooting, Tristann Dias’ high school classes were still in session.
CALIFORNIA page 4 >>
Staff adjusts to sudden change in newspaper adviser from The Bee BY ANNA FRANKEL Country Day’s award-winning newspaper underwent a massive change this fall due to an impromptu switch in the staff’s adviser. After becoming the Octagon’s adviser this year, middle school English teacher Emily Eustace stepped down from the job in November. Paul Bauman, 11th-grade English teacher Jane Bauman’s husband and a former copy editor at The Sacramento Bee, took Eustace’s place. Bauman said he did not pursue the job after former adviser Patricia Fels retired last spring because the school
had Eustace in mind as a replacement at the time. However, when the school needed a new adviser, he was available and thought he would enjoy working with the Octagon staff. Head of high school Brooke Wells said that once he realized a shift in adviser was necessary, the solution fell into place “pretty fast.” “From early on (Eustace) was the answer,” Wells said. “She was interested, on campus, a very strong middle school teacher and trained in journalism. “Unfortunately, it was just too much (for her).” Wells said Bauman was a perfect solution.
“The whole (process) only ment. took about two days,” Wells “Copy editors edit wire and said. staff stories, trim them to fit “He was absolutely quali- in the print edition and write fied for the job.” headlines and captions,” Bauman worked as a jour- Bauman said. nalist in the U.S. and Japan Along with this journalfor 38 years before retiring ism experience, Bauman was this May, and he has deeditor-in-chief of the Rio sign, writing and editMirada newspaper at ing experience. Rio Americano High For the past 18 School when he was a years, Bauman student there and, latworked at The Sacer, the co-sports editor ramento Bee and was of the Stanford Daily. the sports copy desk Bauman worked chief from 2001 to at the Stanford 2007, superDaily at the vising copy same time editors in as Fels, the sports w h o Paul Bauman departstarted
the Octagon in 1977. However, Bauman said he and Fels did not know each other at the time, as they worked in different departments, and Fels was two grades above Bauman. At Stanford, Bauman majored in communications, specializing in print journalism. “I debated between journalism and law school after college and ultimately decided that my heart was in journalism,” Bauman said. This love for journalism encompasses all sections, according to Bauman; however, he prefers news, sports and opinion pieces. “I like profiles because
people are interesting — everyone is different and has a story to tell,” Bauman said. “I also like opinion columns because some people deserve to be skewered.”
CHANGE page 2 >>
INSIDE News.........................1-2 Sports...........................3 Centerpoint..............4-5 Editorial........................6 Feature ........................7 Backpage ....................8
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News • December 4, 2018
The Octagon
Change: New adviser, editors work together to refine student publication (continued from page 1)
lenge — a fascinating combination of geometry, ballet and boxing.” Although he has been connected to the school since 2001, when he and his family moved back to Sacramento after 27 years of living around the U.S. and in Japan, Bauman has never worked at Country Day before. His children, Jeff Bauman, ’06, and Claire Bauman, ’09, joined the school when they were in the eighth and fifth grades, respectively, and his wife, Jane, has worked at Country Day since 2002. Paul and Jane Bauman, who both grew up in Sacramento, met as juniors at Rio Americano. “I’ve read the Octagon periodically since Jeff and Claire came to Country Day,” Paul Bauman said. “I appreciate the reporting, writ-
As for why he enjoys sports writing, Bauman quoted Ann Killion, a sports columnist for the San Francisco Chronicle, who wrote in January 2017: “It’s not life or death, but sports has the ability to stir our souls, fire our passion, make us feel alive. As we saw in 2016, it can be a mindless escape, a platform for social issues, a vehicle for pride and equality. And a hell of a lot of fun.” SPREADING THE WORD Senior and editor-in-chief Allison Zhang updates Octagon adviser Paul Bauman on Bauman said the highlight of his newly assigned online stories during the elective period. PHOTO BY JACQUELINE CHAO time as co-sports editor at the Daily was covering Stanford football becoming more comfortable with According to senior Allison change in adviser in the middle of games. the Octagon’s system, which is dif- Zhang, one of the Octagon’s five the year has come with its challengBesides his journalism backferent from that of The Bee. editors-in-chief, Bauman’s journal- es, specifically in getting Bauman up ground, Bauman said his hobbies “One challenge is to maintain ism experience and knowledge will to speed on the Octagon’s system. include reading, traveling and playhigh standards while realizing that definitely benefit the newspaper this “The five of us editors have gotten ing tennis. Although he retired earthe students aren’t professionals,” year. a rhythm going, so getting Mr. Baulier this year, he said that his website Bauman said. “He has way more newspaper man used to our system while also on Northern California “I’d like to use my experience than the five of us com- incorporating his expertise and his tennis, which he startexperience to help the bined, and with that comes general knowledge was a bit tough,” Zhang The five of us editors have gotten a ed in 2011, has kept him staff: I will stress fun- editing expertise,” Zhang said. said. busy. rhythm going, so getting Mr. Bauman damentals because I “Mr. Bauman was just dropped in Zhang said that content, grammar “I had been covering used to our system while also incorporating often saw a lack of them and expected to know everything aland story angles are some of the artennis in addition to edduring my career. ready, so we are taking time to walk his expertise and his knowledge was a bit eas that Bauman may enhance in iting at The Sacramento “As I told the students, him through our system.” the paper. Bee, but management tough.” my goals are for them to The editors and Bauman have “We can finally get some actual —Allison Zhang told me I had to edit continue to produce an been able to work well together so lessons on grammar and reporting full-time because of layoutstanding newspafar, according to Zhang, although it offs,” Bauman said. per, learn a lot and have from an expert, which we’ve been is an ongoing process. lacking this year,” Zhang said. So Bauman made a fun.” “We just need more time for ev“And having an adult in the room eryone to get used to the new sysing, photos, graphics, variety and website as an alternative platform to Bauman said that because he creativity.” write about and cover tennis. has been the adviser for only a few is (beneficial) because an authority tem,” Zhang said. Although Bauman has held the weeks, he does not yet know if he figure can step in if necessary and “Tennis is my favorite sport to “But for the most part, we’ve all write about,” Bauman said. “It is the job of Octagon adviser only since will make any major changes to the keep the classroom productive.” met and gone over things, and we’re However, Zhang said having a all on the same page.” ultimate physical and mental chal- early November, he said that he is paper.
The Octagon
December 4, 2018 • Sports
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Despite having ‘grueling’ tournament schedules, student-athletes play in various volleyball clubs
M
ost Country Day teams play in Division VI, the second-lowest division of high school sports. For more competition, many student-athletes look outside of school.
ways wanted her to play a sport in college, and volleyball felt right for her. “Previously I had done gymnastics, so my parents always assumed I would do that in college,” Turner said. “I wasn’t really sure what I BY MEHDI LACOMBE wanted, but when volleyball came along, I realized I liked it — and I While the school’s girls volleyball was pretty good at it.” season is over, the club season is just According to Turner, playing club beginning. And many student-ath- is very important when it comes to letes are jumping at the opportunity competing in college. to continue playing volleyball. “You get more exposure through “(Volleyball) is my favorite sport club,” Turner said. to play,” sophomore “I think if you reNaomi Cohen said. ally wanted to, col“Last year when the lege coaches could When school season ended, come to your high you’re in I was sad and really school games, but wanted to play more, away tournaments high school seasons so I looked into clubs.” all weekend ... are really short, and Cohen is starting those can be kind Division VI isn’t reher second year at ally competitive at a of grueling.” Sacramento Perforcollegiate level.” —Jewel Turner mance Volleyball Playing club also Club (SPVC). allowed Turner to Along with Cohen, use her strengths. sophomores Elise Sommerhaug and “My coach is having speciality Erin Wilson play at SPVC, though practices because I usually play midSommerhaug said she hasn’t always. dle, and I’m 5 feet, 8 inches, which is “I started out with the North Cal- pretty short for the position,” Turner ifornia Volleyball Club (NCVC), but said. sadly, it went out of business,” Som“Since I have more of a hybrid pomerhaug said. sition between an opposite (left side While NCVC’s girls teams are of the net) and a middle, we have under new management and have speciality practices that are going to changed their name to Rage Sac- be on a third day of the week, either ramento, the boys teams still train on a Saturday or Sunday.” under the NCVC name. Players inSenior Bella Mathisen, who pracclude junior Aaron Graves, who has ticed for a year with a club team in played at NCVC for two years. fourth grade, also said she benefited But the girls management change from more specialized training at did affect junior Jewel Turner, who clubs. will be starting her first season at “My mom didn’t want me to try Rage Sacramento this year. out because the youngest team was Rage Sacramento isn’t Turner’s for 12 year olds, and I was only 9, so first club, however. I just trained with them,” Mathisen “I started club volleyball fresh- said. “Then, next year, I bet my mom man year after I played JV volleyball I’d be able to make the team, so I at school,” Turner said. “I played for tried out — and I did!” NCVC, which is like your local team. Mathisen said she stopped play“After (my first year), I got a train- ing junior year so she could spend er and decided to do volleyball for more time on art. real.” But club volleyball isn’t just a fun Turner said her parents have al- way for students to pursue their love
DUBS Junior Jewel Turner (middle-left) celebrates a victory with her Sacramento Performance Volleyball Center team. The girls made “Ws” with their hands, indicating a win. PHOTO USED BY PERMISSION OF TURNER
of volleyball. if I don’t get it done before 6 p.m., I According to senior Tori Van probably only resume around 9:30 Vleck, who stopped playing club or 10.” in her junior year, club volleyball Graves, who played a school sport is also an “insane” and club at the same amount of work. time, agreed. The intense “It was getting re“On days where I ally hard with school coach had soccer and volbecause we had one mixed with the leyball, I had to get all away tournament schoolwork almost my work done during (California Kickoff) school,” he said. “I in January, which made me lose my had to work during came the week be- love of volleyball.” my free periods and fore winter finals, and —Tori Van Vleck even during lunch.” then there was anothThe grueling er tournament that schedule wasn’t Van came right before Vleck’s only complaint about club spring finals, too,” Van Vleck said. “So pretty much every year I ei- volleyball, though. “My last year (at Infinity Volleyther had one or the other or both. ball Club), my coach was really inIt became really hard because I had tense,” Van Vleck said. “He would to study in between games, and I would do worse on finals.” Turner agreed. “When you’re in away tournaments all weekend Saturday to Sunday night, those can be kind of grueling,” Turner said. But even the regular practice schedule can be time consuming, according to Turner and Graves. “(Playing club) absolutely affects my schoolwork,” Turner said. “Practices are usually from 7 to 9 p.m. I’m able to get a lot of homework done before by using my free periods, but
ALL ON THE LINE The varsity volleyball team celebrates after winnig a point on Senior Night against Buckingham Charter on Oct. 17. This was the team’s final regular season game, securing them a spot in the playoffs. PHOTO BY JACQUELINE CHAO
yell at us a lot and really visibly express his disappointment, even if we did well.” Van Vleck said this was very different from her experience at Country Day and even from previous years playing club. “(Country Day coach Jason Kreps) really cares about us all, and while he cares that we do well, he also wants us to be happy,” Van Vleck said. Van Vleck’s experience was so bad that she lost a lot of the joy she had playing volleyball. “The intense coach mixed with the schoolwork almost made me lose my love of volleyball,” she said. “But then coming back to school volleyball, especially this past year, I feel like I really loved it again.”
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Centerpoint
Smoke: Fumes affect music majors, sports scheduling (continued from page 1) To keep its students from the outside air, UC Davis canceled classes on Nov. 13. According to Nijhar, the school emailed students that classes would resume on Nov. 14; however, after “receiving a ton of backlash,” the school sent out another email saying that classes were still canceled and that there was only a limited supply of masks for students. Libraries were closed, Nijhar said, and she, like everyone else, hung out with friends. But some campuses and majors were more affected. Lara Kong, ’15, a music therapy major and flutist at the University of Pacific (UOP), had both her concert schedule and personal life thrown off by the smoke. “I couldn’t produce a great sound,” she said. “You’re breathing more often, so you’re not breathing with the phrase lines or the music.” Kong also said she had asthma problems resurface after five years of clear lungs. “Breathing was hard,” she said. “I started noticing that I couldn’t hold the phrases I usually am able to hold. “Then I couldn’t breathe going up the stairs to my apartment, so I re-ordered an inhaler because all of mine had expired.” Breathing problems affected all the musicians, she said, prompting professors to change students’ schedules. “Over the past week (of Nov. 12), they started cutting rehearsals shorter,” Kong said. “First, rehearsals were ended 15 minutes early — now (Nov. 17), we haven’t heard from the band director, and we had to cancel our concert this weekend.” Kong explained that music majors have two concerts per semester, and this was the second of the two. “If you miss a concert, you automatically fail the class,” she said. “They might understand if you’re really sick, but you’re required to make it.” According to Kong, that concert was never rescheduled. After coming back to campus Nov. 26, Kong’s music professor told the students to turn in their music — they would not be having a concert. In addition, she said, seniors’ and juniors’ recitals — an integral part of all music majors’ grades — were canceled. However, music students weren’t the only ones affected. According to Kong, who is also in the pep band that plays for basketball and women’s volleyball games, the sports teams’ schedules were impacted as well. “All games were moved off campus last minute,” she said. The UOP men’s soccer tournament got relocated to Fresno, women’s volleyball was moved to Saint Mary’s College in Moraga, and the women’s basketball team got sent to Stanford. And even though UOP notifies its students about cancellations via a text and email notification service called Pacific Connect, Kong said students are not always made aware of concert and game changes because of the immensity of events in need of rescheduling. Although more impacted than Brown and Nijhar, Kong said she still enjoyed the days off. “It was really calm but also a kind of weird not having any stuff to do,” Kong said. “College doesn’t just get canceled.”
December 4, 2018
The Octagon
CALIFORNIA IN FLAMES
(continued from page 1)
helping,” Tristann Dias said. “That’d also cause a lot of traffic. I’ve brought food to firefighters — because they’re always out there — and dropped off a ton of baked goods. “There were a lot of people on duty in this area — 12 firetrucks pulled out of nowhere to the house across the street.” When people weren’t helping out, the only thing to do was wait out the flames. “It was scary,” Johann Dias said. “All I was doing was talking to people and checking in with my friends who aren’t in state and aren’t in driving distance. “If you’ve seen ‘This is the End’ with James Franco and Seth Rogen, that’s what things were like: just chilling inside a house during the end of the
“But it was like we were on an imagiAnd while families were scattered, property; bar stools were thrown out nary line. The area around that line was Cal Lutheran had only a “voluntary the windows. I don’t see them opening “Everyone was at school, but we could the safe area; go a little north or south, evacuation,” Johann Dias said. back up for six months at least.” all feel the air and the presence (of the and that’s where the fires were.” Classes were canceled Nov. 8 and 9 Businesses, like Borderline, were typfires),” he said. As fire-free as that line was, traffic but held the following Monday, Nov. 12, ically spared from blazes because most Upon leaving school for a blood drive, bogged it down nonetheless. even though evacuees weren’t allowed buildings burned were residential. Tristann Dias said he could see the ap“Getting to (my friend’s house) took so back on their properties until after 9 “A lot of the area was impacted, but proaching fires. long,” he said. “I was blocked off toward p.m. on Nov. 11, Johann Dias said. not many commercial areas were,” Jo“It was a really surreal,” he said. “I felt the fires, but the traffic away from them “That gave them barely a few hours to hann Dias said. “What we saw go were like I was in a movie looking at the red was really bad.” get home, go to sleep and go to class the just lots of houses.” in the sky and the hills.” Thus, a typically seven- to eight-min- next day,” he explained. In the aftermath, Johann Dias reJohann Dias called the next days a ute ride turned into a 45-minute trek “Being a physics major, I knew that ceived a louder “wake-up call” than “blur.” through a dystopian scene. not a single one of us sociopaths — ded- he’d received five days previous at 3 a.m. While new offshoots of the Woolsey “Looking at Malibu Hills, all I could icated students — would miss class.” “It felt like this isn’t reality,” he said. Fire razed fields in the Simi Valley and see was just a huge fire going over the Academic schedules were challenged “(Thousand Oaks) is one of the safest Camarillo, Johann Dias kept dousing hill — from super small to big, (like) too, as the following week was inter- cities in California. You would never exhis trees. a volcano with lava falling down,” rupted by the university’s Thanksgiv- pect a tragic shooting to happen here or One day from 9 to 11:30 a.m., he was Tristann Dias said. ing break, so Johann Dias had multiple people to lose their homes in fires.” hosing trees outside, he said. “I went home to shower one day, tests postponed — one of which he The Dias brothers and their moth“We have an avocado orchard and everything was pitch black didn’t take until Nov. 28, 20 days after er had also survived Ventura County’s with dry, dead branches waiting except for orange houses that lit the fires’ start. Thomas Fire that ravaged Southern Looking at Malibu Hills, all I could to be set on fire,” Johann Dias up one part of the sky. There was Johann and Tristann Dias, like most Californian fields in December 2017. see was just a huge fire going over said. “I’d drench it repeatedly for the hill — from super small to big, (like) a a huge cloud of smoke; the fire Thousand Oaks residents who were Although, according to CalFire.gov, two hours.” was illuminating it.” running on “basically no sleep for five last year’s Thomas Fire scorched 281,893 volcano with lava falling down.” Some people were almost And although the brothers’ days,” had to keep busy. acres while Woolsey’s flames torched —Johann Dias “waiting to be set on fire” as well, house was removed from active “We went from the shooting to a fire only 96,949 acres, nearly 500 more Tristann Dias explained. flames, Johann Dias said, there in 14 hours, and we were all in shock,” buildings were destroyed in the latter. “There were some stupid people who world; just a bunch of guys inside play- was always a chance it could be next to Johann Dias said. Faced with the increased likelihood of wanted to explore the fires and went ing video games, chilling while the burn down. “Everyone was so flabbergasted at property damage in the future, the Dias fire hunting,” he said. “They’d go to the world burns.” “The wind was crazy, blowing in ev- how it occured so quickly.” family is reconsidering their choice to spots, go up to the hills with active fires Johann and Tristann Dias explained ery direction, changing every five minThe speed at which events occurred live in Southern California. and take videos. that they were in a “pinch point,” sur- utes or every hour,” Johann Dias said. may have been the only “My mom the other day “I was asked to go but said, ‘No, I’ll rounded by fires on both sides. “At one point at 11 a.m., I saw four heli- “silver lining,” Johann said she doesn’t know if stay home and help my family.’ I didn’t “We were lucky that the winds were copters circling only a mile or two from Dias said. she can keep dealing with A lot of the want to be hopping around burnt stuff.” in our favor,” Tristann Dias us. They were trying to use flame retar“The fires didn’t give this,” Tristann Dias said. area was Both brothers said they remained insaid. “The fires came really dant — that’s what freaked me out.” people time to mourn impacted, but not “Every year a fire happens side to stay away from the fires. close multiple times but hit Without the wind, the Diases’ house since they were forced to many commercial here at this exact same “No one was really outside right next door, down the road was just as susceptible to the fires. evacuate,” he said. time — right near the beareas were. What unless they were at Camarillo, and we were right “The country is just filled with green“Newbury Park memginning of the holidays we saw go were in the center of where ev- ery and flammable brush and hills,” bers with families and — and the holiday season just lots of houses.” erything was going on.” Tristann Dias said. friends at the bar during can be stressful enough.” —Tristann Dias He added that they “If this area caught on fire, it would the shooting were in the And according to Jowere on the border of spread fast — lots of houses would be mandatory evacuation hann Dias, who said Thousand Oaks and done for.” zone, so they picked up he was set on living in Santa Rosa Valley And as the brothers’ house stayed their stuff and moved only hours after Southern California long term, the fires in one of the only standing, evacuees came pouring in. the shooting.” have been yet another element that’s two “safe zones” Tristann Dias said many of his brothThe sequentiality of the tragedies changed his mind. in the area. er’s Cal Lutheran friends — ushered out forced people to keep going. Staying “I want to work out of Southern Cal“We live in of their south Thousand Oaks apart- busy kept people’s minds off the shoot- ifornia still, but I’m not sure if I want to the country, ments in a hurried evacuation — stayed ing, which Johann Dias said helped “ev- live here,” he said. right at the Diases’ house. eryone reach that sense of closure.” “The land around our house is so o n Other evacuees the brothers housed “If you were to ask anyone in the flammable; winds were in our favor this Thou- included a Westlake Village friend and Thousand Oaks community, they’d time, but that’s no future guarantee.” sand Oaks’ her mother. know at least one person In addition to the fires, Johann Dias border,” he said. Not all stayed long, who was (at Borderline),” he said the smoke has affected him. We went “After exiting our Tristann Dias said. Some said. “This air quality wouldn’t have gotten from the property, you’re left the Diases’ house for “One of my buddies dove to me five years ago, but my lungs defiin the town.” Camarillo Airport to leave shooting to a fire out the window at (Border- nitely felt it this time.” in 14 hours, and The other safe by private jet. line) and got cut by glass; he The poor air quality is matched by area, according to But they were all in “sur- we were all in isn’t talking about it.” poor drinking water, Johann Dias said. shock.” Tristann Dias, was vival mode.” Johann Dias said that for “The water quality in the valley is awhis friend’s house. “Everyone — especial—Johann Dias Thousand Oaks residents, ful, almost nonpotable,” he said. His friend, unlike the ly parents — was kind of only the shooting result“When you’re drinking tap water (in refugees she housed, had restless,” Tristann Dias ed in hospitalizations, but Thousand Oaks), it’s OK, but then her home spared from said. structural damage was common with you go 40 miles, it’s horrithe fires. “Amber alerts kept everyone awake all both the shooting and the fires. ble — you’re “Less than two miles the time; they rang super loud out of no“(The bar’s) all closed, and I haven’t away, fires were burning where at whatever time. The whole city heard anything about anyone reopenhouses,” Tristann Dias was awake. No one was asleep. All were ing it,” he said. said. on their toes ready if they were next.” “There was so much damage to the
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MANSION FIRE A house in Malibu is engulfed in flames during the Woolsey Fire, which destroyed 97,144 acres, according to the Los Angeles Times. Johann Dias, ’15, and brother and former Country Day student Tristann Dias were affected by the Woolsey Fire and housed evacuated friends for days. PHOTO RETRIEVED FROM VARIETY
tasting things in the water you know shouldn’t be there, and it’s funky.” Johann Dias further said the water crisis was multifaceted. “There’s such growing industry here — a rapidly growing, tight-knit entrepreneurial community — but us trying to maintain all this agriculture in this dry state is unreal.” Unfortunately, according to middle school Earth science teacher Cade Grunst, climate change and a legacy of poor foresting habits will make these fires increase in severity and frequency. “The distribution of rainfall — where and when — is changing,” Grunst said. “We’d expect rainfall in October or November to decrease dry conditions, but now it comes later, and there are longer and longer stretches of dry weather.” But Grunst said that forestry management practices could be improved to reduce risk. “Forest practices for the past 100 years have been to put out all fires,” he said. “We haven’t invested in practices like controlled burns because some wildfire-prone land is on federal land. “There’s 100 years’ worth of fuel on the forest floor — we need to let small fires burn out naturally.” Johann Dias, now a survivor of two major fires, agreed. “What the Trump administration is doing by mitigating claims and saying this is the worst-case scenario is baloney,” Johann Dias said. “They should be taking it seriously and doing something about it. We all should because this is our reality. It’s not an anomaly.”
Air Quality Index (AQI) HAZARDOUS 301-500 VERY UNHEALTHY 201-300 UNHEALTHY 151-200 UNHEALTHY FOR SOME 101-150
MODERATE 51-100
GOOD 0-50
GRAPHICS BY EMMA BOERSMA AND SARINA RYE
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Centerpoint
Smoke: Fumes affect music majors, sports scheduling (continued from page 1) To keep its students from the outside air, UC Davis canceled classes on Nov. 13. According to Nijhar, the school emailed students that classes would resume on Nov. 14; however, after “receiving a ton of backlash,” the school sent out another email saying that classes were still canceled and that there was only a limited supply of masks for students. Libraries were closed, Nijhar said, and she, like everyone else, hung out with friends. But some campuses and majors were more affected. Lara Kong, ’15, a music therapy major and flutist at the University of Pacific (UOP), had both her concert schedule and personal life thrown off by the smoke. “I couldn’t produce a great sound,” she said. “You’re breathing more often, so you’re not breathing with the phrase lines or the music.” Kong also said she had asthma problems resurface after five years of clear lungs. “Breathing was hard,” she said. “I started noticing that I couldn’t hold the phrases I usually am able to hold. “Then I couldn’t breathe going up the stairs to my apartment, so I re-ordered an inhaler because all of mine had expired.” Breathing problems affected all the musicians, she said, prompting professors to change students’ schedules. “Over the past week (of Nov. 12), they started cutting rehearsals shorter,” Kong said. “First, rehearsals were ended 15 minutes early — now (Nov. 17), we haven’t heard from the band director, and we had to cancel our concert this weekend.” Kong explained that music majors have two concerts per semester, and this was the second of the two. “If you miss a concert, you automatically fail the class,” she said. “They might understand if you’re really sick, but you’re required to make it.” According to Kong, that concert was never rescheduled. After coming back to campus Nov. 26, Kong’s music professor told the students to turn in their music — they would not be having a concert. In addition, she said, seniors’ and juniors’ recitals — an integral part of all music majors’ grades — were canceled. However, music students weren’t the only ones affected. According to Kong, who is also in the pep band that plays for basketball and women’s volleyball games, the sports teams’ schedules were impacted as well. “All games were moved off campus last minute,” she said. The UOP men’s soccer tournament got relocated to Fresno, women’s volleyball was moved to Saint Mary’s College in Moraga, and the women’s basketball team got sent to Stanford. And even though UOP notifies its students about cancellations via a text and email notification service called Pacific Connect, Kong said students are not always made aware of concert and game changes because of the immensity of events in need of rescheduling. Although more impacted than Brown and Nijhar, Kong said she still enjoyed the days off. “It was really calm but also a kind of weird not having any stuff to do,” Kong said. “College doesn’t just get canceled.”
December 4, 2018
The Octagon
CALIFORNIA IN FLAMES
(continued from page 1)
helping,” Tristann Dias said. “That’d also cause a lot of traffic. I’ve brought food to firefighters — because they’re always out there — and dropped off a ton of baked goods. “There were a lot of people on duty in this area — 12 firetrucks pulled out of nowhere to the house across the street.” When people weren’t helping out, the only thing to do was wait out the flames. “It was scary,” Johann Dias said. “All I was doing was talking to people and checking in with my friends who aren’t in state and aren’t in driving distance. “If you’ve seen ‘This is the End’ with James Franco and Seth Rogen, that’s what things were like: just chilling inside a house during the end of the
“But it was like we were on an imagiAnd while families were scattered, property; bar stools were thrown out nary line. The area around that line was Cal Lutheran had only a “voluntary the windows. I don’t see them opening “Everyone was at school, but we could the safe area; go a little north or south, evacuation,” Johann Dias said. back up for six months at least.” all feel the air and the presence (of the and that’s where the fires were.” Classes were canceled Nov. 8 and 9 Businesses, like Borderline, were typfires),” he said. As fire-free as that line was, traffic but held the following Monday, Nov. 12, ically spared from blazes because most Upon leaving school for a blood drive, bogged it down nonetheless. even though evacuees weren’t allowed buildings burned were residential. Tristann Dias said he could see the ap“Getting to (my friend’s house) took so back on their properties until after 9 “A lot of the area was impacted, but proaching fires. long,” he said. “I was blocked off toward p.m. on Nov. 11, Johann Dias said. not many commercial areas were,” Jo“It was a really surreal,” he said. “I felt the fires, but the traffic away from them “That gave them barely a few hours to hann Dias said. “What we saw go were like I was in a movie looking at the red was really bad.” get home, go to sleep and go to class the just lots of houses.” in the sky and the hills.” Thus, a typically seven- to eight-min- next day,” he explained. In the aftermath, Johann Dias reJohann Dias called the next days a ute ride turned into a 45-minute trek “Being a physics major, I knew that ceived a louder “wake-up call” than “blur.” through a dystopian scene. not a single one of us sociopaths — ded- he’d received five days previous at 3 a.m. While new offshoots of the Woolsey “Looking at Malibu Hills, all I could icated students — would miss class.” “It felt like this isn’t reality,” he said. Fire razed fields in the Simi Valley and see was just a huge fire going over the Academic schedules were challenged “(Thousand Oaks) is one of the safest Camarillo, Johann Dias kept dousing hill — from super small to big, (like) too, as the following week was inter- cities in California. You would never exhis trees. a volcano with lava falling down,” rupted by the university’s Thanksgiv- pect a tragic shooting to happen here or One day from 9 to 11:30 a.m., he was Tristann Dias said. ing break, so Johann Dias had multiple people to lose their homes in fires.” hosing trees outside, he said. “I went home to shower one day, tests postponed — one of which he The Dias brothers and their moth“We have an avocado orchard and everything was pitch black didn’t take until Nov. 28, 20 days after er had also survived Ventura County’s with dry, dead branches waiting except for orange houses that lit the fires’ start. Thomas Fire that ravaged Southern Looking at Malibu Hills, all I could to be set on fire,” Johann Dias up one part of the sky. There was Johann and Tristann Dias, like most Californian fields in December 2017. see was just a huge fire going over said. “I’d drench it repeatedly for the hill — from super small to big, (like) a a huge cloud of smoke; the fire Thousand Oaks residents who were Although, according to CalFire.gov, two hours.” was illuminating it.” running on “basically no sleep for five last year’s Thomas Fire scorched 281,893 volcano with lava falling down.” Some people were almost And although the brothers’ days,” had to keep busy. acres while Woolsey’s flames torched —Johann Dias “waiting to be set on fire” as well, house was removed from active “We went from the shooting to a fire only 96,949 acres, nearly 500 more Tristann Dias explained. flames, Johann Dias said, there in 14 hours, and we were all in shock,” buildings were destroyed in the latter. “There were some stupid people who world; just a bunch of guys inside play- was always a chance it could be next to Johann Dias said. Faced with the increased likelihood of wanted to explore the fires and went ing video games, chilling while the burn down. “Everyone was so flabbergasted at property damage in the future, the Dias fire hunting,” he said. “They’d go to the world burns.” “The wind was crazy, blowing in ev- how it occured so quickly.” family is reconsidering their choice to spots, go up to the hills with active fires Johann and Tristann Dias explained ery direction, changing every five minThe speed at which events occurred live in Southern California. and take videos. that they were in a “pinch point,” sur- utes or every hour,” Johann Dias said. may have been the only “My mom the other day “I was asked to go but said, ‘No, I’ll rounded by fires on both sides. “At one point at 11 a.m., I saw four heli- “silver lining,” Johann said she doesn’t know if stay home and help my family.’ I didn’t “We were lucky that the winds were copters circling only a mile or two from Dias said. she can keep dealing with A lot of the want to be hopping around burnt stuff.” in our favor,” Tristann Dias us. They were trying to use flame retar“The fires didn’t give this,” Tristann Dias said. area was Both brothers said they remained insaid. “The fires came really dant — that’s what freaked me out.” people time to mourn impacted, but not “Every year a fire happens side to stay away from the fires. close multiple times but hit Without the wind, the Diases’ house since they were forced to many commercial here at this exact same “No one was really outside right next door, down the road was just as susceptible to the fires. evacuate,” he said. time — right near the beareas were. What unless they were at Camarillo, and we were right “The country is just filled with green“Newbury Park memginning of the holidays we saw go were in the center of where ev- ery and flammable brush and hills,” bers with families and — and the holiday season just lots of houses.” erything was going on.” Tristann Dias said. friends at the bar during can be stressful enough.” —Tristann Dias He added that they “If this area caught on fire, it would the shooting were in the And according to Jowere on the border of spread fast — lots of houses would be mandatory evacuation hann Dias, who said Thousand Oaks and done for.” zone, so they picked up he was set on living in Santa Rosa Valley And as the brothers’ house stayed their stuff and moved only hours after Southern California long term, the fires in one of the only standing, evacuees came pouring in. the shooting.” have been yet another element that’s two “safe zones” Tristann Dias said many of his brothThe sequentiality of the tragedies changed his mind. in the area. er’s Cal Lutheran friends — ushered out forced people to keep going. Staying “I want to work out of Southern Cal“We live in of their south Thousand Oaks apart- busy kept people’s minds off the shoot- ifornia still, but I’m not sure if I want to the country, ments in a hurried evacuation — stayed ing, which Johann Dias said helped “ev- live here,” he said. right at the Diases’ house. eryone reach that sense of closure.” “The land around our house is so o n Other evacuees the brothers housed “If you were to ask anyone in the flammable; winds were in our favor this Thou- included a Westlake Village friend and Thousand Oaks community, they’d time, but that’s no future guarantee.” sand Oaks’ her mother. know at least one person In addition to the fires, Johann Dias border,” he said. Not all stayed long, who was (at Borderline),” he said the smoke has affected him. We went “After exiting our Tristann Dias said. Some said. “This air quality wouldn’t have gotten from the property, you’re left the Diases’ house for “One of my buddies dove to me five years ago, but my lungs defiin the town.” Camarillo Airport to leave shooting to a fire out the window at (Border- nitely felt it this time.” in 14 hours, and The other safe by private jet. line) and got cut by glass; he The poor air quality is matched by area, according to But they were all in “sur- we were all in isn’t talking about it.” poor drinking water, Johann Dias said. shock.” Tristann Dias, was vival mode.” Johann Dias said that for “The water quality in the valley is awhis friend’s house. “Everyone — especial—Johann Dias Thousand Oaks residents, ful, almost nonpotable,” he said. His friend, unlike the ly parents — was kind of only the shooting result“When you’re drinking tap water (in refugees she housed, had restless,” Tristann Dias ed in hospitalizations, but Thousand Oaks), it’s OK, but then her home spared from said. structural damage was common with you go 40 miles, it’s horrithe fires. “Amber alerts kept everyone awake all both the shooting and the fires. ble — you’re “Less than two miles the time; they rang super loud out of no“(The bar’s) all closed, and I haven’t away, fires were burning where at whatever time. The whole city heard anything about anyone reopenhouses,” Tristann Dias was awake. No one was asleep. All were ing it,” he said. said. on their toes ready if they were next.” “There was so much damage to the
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MANSION FIRE A house in Malibu is engulfed in flames during the Woolsey Fire, which destroyed 97,144 acres, according to the Los Angeles Times. Johann Dias, ’15, and brother and former Country Day student Tristann Dias were affected by the Woolsey Fire and housed evacuated friends for days. PHOTO RETRIEVED FROM VARIETY
tasting things in the water you know shouldn’t be there, and it’s funky.” Johann Dias further said the water crisis was multifaceted. “There’s such growing industry here — a rapidly growing, tight-knit entrepreneurial community — but us trying to maintain all this agriculture in this dry state is unreal.” Unfortunately, according to middle school Earth science teacher Cade Grunst, climate change and a legacy of poor foresting habits will make these fires increase in severity and frequency. “The distribution of rainfall — where and when — is changing,” Grunst said. “We’d expect rainfall in October or November to decrease dry conditions, but now it comes later, and there are longer and longer stretches of dry weather.” But Grunst said that forestry management practices could be improved to reduce risk. “Forest practices for the past 100 years have been to put out all fires,” he said. “We haven’t invested in practices like controlled burns because some wildfire-prone land is on federal land. “There’s 100 years’ worth of fuel on the forest floor — we need to let small fires burn out naturally.” Johann Dias, now a survivor of two major fires, agreed. “What the Trump administration is doing by mitigating claims and saying this is the worst-case scenario is baloney,” Johann Dias said. “They should be taking it seriously and doing something about it. We all should because this is our reality. It’s not an anomaly.”
Air Quality Index (AQI) HAZARDOUS 301-500 VERY UNHEALTHY 201-300 UNHEALTHY 151-200 UNHEALTHY FOR SOME 101-150
MODERATE 51-100
GOOD 0-50
GRAPHICS BY EMMA BOERSMA AND SARINA RYE
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Opinion • December 4, 2018
OCTAGON STAFF
The Octagon
“#NoFilter” by Emma Boersma
My Angle
EDITORS-IN-CHIEF
Jack Christian Mehdi Lacombe Chardonnay Needler Mohini Rye Allison Zhang
BY SARINA RYE
Flip-flops and toe socks: Name a more iconic duo!
NEWS EDITORS Jack Christian Allison Zhang
SPORTS EDITORS Jack Christian Allison Zhang
FEATURE EDITOR
Chardonnay Needler
A&E EDITOR
Mehdi Lacombe
OPINION EDITOR Mohini Rye
BUSINESS MANAGER Larkin Barnard-Bahn
PAGE EDITORS
Larkin Barnard-Bahn Jack Christian Anna Frankel Mehdi Lacombe Jackson Margolis Chardonnay Needler Mohini Rye Sarina Rye Héloïse Schep Allison Zhang
REPORTERS
Sanjana Anand Arjin Claire Jackson Crawford Dylan Margolis Ethan Monasa Miles Morrow Arijit Trivedi Arikta Trivedi
GRAPHIC ARTISTS Emma Boersma Jacqueline Chao Mohini Rye
SOCIAL MEDIA EDITOR Mehdi Lacombe
PHOTO EDITOR
Jacqueline Chao
PHOTOGRAPHERS Jacqueline Chao Elise Sommerhaug Shimin Zhang
MULTIMEDIA STAFF
Harrison Moon, editor David Situ, assistant Ming Zhu, staffer
ADVISER
Paul Bauman The Octagon is Sacramento Country Day School’s student-run high school newspaper. Its purpose is to provide reliable information on events concerning the high school and to inform and entertain the entire school community. The staff strives for accuracy and objectivity. The Octagon aims to always represent both sides of an issue. Errors in stories will be noted and corrected. The Octagon shall publish material that the staff deems is 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 timely and relevant news, subject to the following exceptions: obscenity; slanderous or libelous material; and material contrary to the best interests of the school community, as judged by guidelines between the newspaper staff, adviser and school administration. Editorials are approved by an editorial board. Columns/commentaries shall be labeled as such and represent only the author’s opinion. In the interest of representing all viewpoints, letters to the editor shall be published, unless otherwise requested. All letters must be signed and conform to above restrictions. The staff may change grammar and punctuation or abridge letters for space. Comments may be made online to address all stories run.
EDITORIAL: Alert students directly about schoolwide announcements
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t 7:04 a.m. on Nov. 14, dean of student life Patricia Jacobsen texted her marathon training elective group chat that there would be “no school today.” Seven minutes earlier, parents had been alerted via email, text message and phone call that classes were canceled that day because of hazardous air quality due to the Camp Fires. And while many students rejoiced over the lack of classes that day, many parents scrambled to find alternative child care options, especially because the school did not provide day care. The school did acknowledge the inconvenience of the last-minute alert, however, and a new policy has been set in place for future school cancellations: School will be canceled if the air quality index (AQI) is over 200 in the Arden-Arcade area, and parents will be alerted by 6:15 a.m. Yet while having a notification by 6:15 a.m. is an improvement, there are instances when the determination can be made the night before, which is what should ideally be happening. On Nov. 14, however, head of school Lee Thomsen said he didn’t “expect to have to even think about closing when I woke up Wednesday morning,” as the AQI that morning was higher than expected. But since the maximum AQI level has now been standard-
ized at 200, there are times when predictions about whether there will be classes should be made the night before, such as what occurred on Nov. 15, when Thomsen said the AQI was so bad that he decided to cancel classes for the following day as well. We understand that sometimes, decisions have to be made last minute, but, hopefully, this night-before notification can become the new norm. However, these notifications went to just parents and landline phones, and for many students, having the information sent straight to their own phone and email would be much more convenient, especially for students who drive themselves to school or whose parents work in the mornings. And doing so shouldn’t be hard — just add the class-wide email addresses so that notifications go to middle and high school students’ emails as well. Furthermore, because nearly every high schooler (and even middle schooler) has a cell phone, a quick text to those numbers would help disseminate any information faster and more directly. High school is a place for students to gain more independence, whether that’s from having free periods or driving themselves, but the independence is lessened if students must constantly rely on their parents for schoolwide alerts.
On top of that, many students heard and relied on other group texts with fellow students and teachers to determine whether there would be classes. Jacobsen sent texts to both her marathon training elective group chat and her advisory group chat; a few students may not have known about the cancellation if not for those texts. Some students were even in contact with teachers throughout the day to try to get a prediction about whether there would be school the next day. After knowing that other schools in the area — such as St. Francis High School — had already canceled classes and after hearing teacher speculation, some students assumed that classes would be canceled and slept in that morning. So rather than rely on teachers or fellow students to get this information, students should automatically receive announcements on their cell phones. Since teachers get hourly reports about the air quality in the area, why can’t those go to students too, so they can stay in the loop as well? Admittedly, the circumstances behind the poor air quality — the wildfires in California — often occur only a few times a year. But the school still needs a better notification system for other possible cancellations, possibly due to strong weather or even threats of on-campus shooters.
A BIG THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS FOR KEEPING US IN THE BLACK! Anand family, anonymous, Bahn Management Company, Christian family, Frankel family, Impact Venture Capital, Lacombe family, Monasa family, Needler family, Schep-Smit family, Situ family, Zhang family
This winter I am turning over a new leaf. Gone are the days of cold feet — literally. Because I have made the discovery of a lifetime: toe socks. Why can’t I wear normal socks? Well, if you haven’t noticed, my greatest accomplishment is wearing the same pair of flip-flops almost every day for the past two years. My sister said she would disown me if I got toe socks, but becoming an only child is a small price to pay because they have solved so many of my problems. I can keep wearing my flip-flops, and the weather can’t stop me! To be fair, I would have worn them even without the toe socks, but now PE teacher Michelle Myers won’t scold me for having bare feet when it’s 50 degrees out. And if I didn’t wear my flip-flops, I wouldn’t have the freedom and ease of taking my shoes off whenever I want. (Which is often.) The possibility of not wearing my flip-flops, even in the winter, is just not an option. Especially since I already know how it feels to not be able to wear my flip-flops. There was a very stressful time last spring when I had to get new flipflops after I wore out my first pair — which was a tragic experience in itself, really. And boy, was that the search of a lifetime, as the key fact in this story is that my beloved flip-flops are discontinued. If you ask me, it’s a disservice to humanity to deny these flip-flops from those who hunger for the perfect shoes. But more importantly, it is an outrage that Clarks would get me hooked on this one pair of flip-flops — forever ruining other shoes for me — only to stop producing them and force me to scour the internet for another pair. Yes, other brands make memory foam flip-flops. So what makes these so special? Why did I spend so long looking for this specific pair? Let me break down these Clarks flip-flops for you. Smooth, silky black cloth covering soft, perfect memory foam. They are akin to small beds for your feet, providing a small bit of relaxation throughout the day. So, sure, Nike makes memory foam flip-flops, but their coarse and stiff nature just isn’t the same caliber as my Clarks. It’s like comparing the sand from a Caribbean beach to pebbles. Since wearing a different brand of flip-flops just wasn’t an option, I knew I had to continue my internet journey. I must have reached the ends of the earth while searching. And it paid off: After combing through what seemed like every website that sold shoes, I finally found a pair. The only problem was that the shoes were a size 9. But they were my only option, so I ordered them and prayed to the shoe gods they would fit. I guess they heard me, because I finished ninth grade wearing a brand-new pair of Clarks memory foam flip-flops. OK, so I may have already worn them out too, but that’s another story.
The Octagon
December 4, 2018 • Feature
‘Trailblazing’ senior interns at university lab for class credit BY MOHINI RYE
“fascinating in itself.” Continuing during the school year was a must, enior Joe Zales is your typ- but it would have to be done through ical high school student — a class, especially since lab hours except he swims 18 hours a are usually during school time. Zales described the steps to getweek, takes only three classting his ideal schedule as a “longer es on campus and spends his afterprocess.” noons culturing cells in a college “Sometime at the end of last year, science lab. I went and talked to Mr. Wells and So maybe not so typical. (assistant head of school Tucker) Furthermore, Zales is also the first Foehl, and between the two of them student to have lab work counting as and (director of college counseling a class rather than just an extracur- Jane) Bauman, I was able to get the ricular; his internship working in lab as a class,” he said. Robin Altman’s Sacramento State “This isn’t something Country University lab will go on his tran- Day has done before, so it definitely script as “Research and Directed wasn’t a short process to choose my Study in Alzheimer’s.” schedule.” According to head of high school According to Zales, the lab shows Brooke Wells, it will likely be a pass- up as one of his courses on CavNet. fail class. Valerie Velo, assistant to the head of Zales got the internship through high school, is listed as the teachbiology teacher Kellie Whited. Be- er because Altman — formerly an interim biology and fore last school year chemistry teacher — ended, they discussed no longer works for the possibility of conI see (ZaCountry Day. tinuing the internship les) as a Wells said he was through the school already aware that trailblazer. Here’s year as a class if the making the lab into a a young man who summer went well. class was a possibiliAnd it did: Starting knows what he is ty after seeing which June 5, Zales worked interested in, and classes Zales wanted four to five days per that’s science.” to take senior year. week in the lab, learn“As his course se—Lee Thomsen ing about cells and lections were coming how to culture them. through, we knew,” According to Zales, Wells said. “We just the lab’s goal is to gain more under- had to make sure he was taking the standing of the cause of Alzheimer’s required classes at Country Day: by culturing human brain endothe- U.S. History, for example.” lial cells of the blood-brain barrier. In addition to U.S. History, Zales “We’re adding glucose or insulin is taking two other on-campus classto their media — different amounts es — AP Physics C and AP English — to see if there is an effect on their Literature and Composition — plus physiology or metabolism and to see an online statistics class through if glucose or insulin affects Alzhei- Laurel Springs School. mer’s,” he said. Zales is also a teacher’s assistant Zales said he found the research for Whited, which is an elective
S
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GRAPHIC BY MOHINI RYE counted as a class, bringing his total quired — both how much and when tually doing coding in a local comcourse load to six. — can often change quite a lot from pany or lab,” he said. Although his eccentric schedule one week to the next.” And there are already classes that works for him now, Zales said it was However, getting in lab time is students are doing outside the typia struggle to make it a reality. also difficult because of another cal curriculum: for example, being a “It took a lot of convincing for the major extracurricular taking up Za- teacher’s assistant. Several students school to allow me to do three class- les’ time: training with Davis Arden other than Zales are assistants, es, an online class, and then to do Racing Team (DART) Swimsuch as seniors Bella Mathisen and the lab and count it as a fifth class,” ming. He has practices Yanele Ledesma for art teacher he said. Andy Cunningham and chemevery day, the norm since Part of the difficulty was schedul- freshman year. istry teacher Victoria Conner, ing Zales’ classes consecutively so respectively. According to Zales, that he’d have time to go to the lab, though, his lab work is Zales, however, is the first to but according to Wells, the issue was planned so that it’s simply have a lab internship as one of minor. his courses. part of the school “It’s easier to (line up) three class- day, making his “In a way, he’s a trendes than six,” Wells said. setter,” Wells said. schedule more While making the lab a class re- manageable. Head of school Lee quired overcoming some hurThomsen said dles, now that it’s in place, Zales he fully supIt’s an experience that not many said everything is “working well.” ports Country high schoolers get — to work in a “During the summer, I was Day’s direction working about 12-15 hours a lab or to do whatever internship they’re with unconvenweek,” he said. “As far as during doing over the school year.” tional schedthe school year goes, my goal has ules. —Joe Zales been to be in the lab six hours a “I love the week — preferably two threeidea of more hour days.” students pursu“I do the internship during school ing a schedule like this one because Zales has gotten close to his goal, averaging about five hours per week. when I have large breaks, so I’ll get it allows students the freedom to The biggest roadblock, he said, has out at 3:20 (p.m.) to make it to swim pursue a nontraditional path in their been trying to find times both he practice at 4,” he said. education,” he said. “I see (Zales) as But as for balancing schoolwork a trailblazer. Here’s a young man and Altman are available to work. “(Altman and I) had already talked with swimming and the lab, Zales who knows what he is interested in, about me continuing the internship said he has to be particularly care- and that’s science.” during the beginning of the summer ful. Thomsen also approved of Zales’ “I have to have better time man- push away from APs, which Thomand how it was going to be hard to schedule — she’s busy with teaching agement and use my free periods sen said are an “arms race.” classes and office hours, and I have a — when I have them — really well “By creating a schedule where rotating schedule,” he to get my homework he’s spending time working rather said. “There are times done,” he said. than taking yet another AP course I have to when I have chunks “So far that hasn’t in a ‘traditional’ discipline, (Zales is) have better been an issue, actually carving a path that, one, he of time free, but she doesn’t.” time management though.” will likely enjoy more and, two, that So to account for and use my free As much as Za- will differentiate him from other stuAltman’s teaching les’ new class has dents,” Thomsen said. periods — when I and Zales’ school changed his life, it When asked how he feels about schedule, the duo have them — rewill also change the being called a “trendsetter,” Zales have devised a sys- ally well to get my lives of future stu- said he was “happy” to set a path tem: Zales gives Al- homework done.” dents interested in down for others to follow. tman access to his “It was definitely difficult to set —Zales following the path he schedule online, and blazed. While Wells up, and I wouldn’t say it was handed each weekend, they said Zales’ schedule to me on a silver platter in any way,” check in over email is a “new model,” he he said. to set up lab times for the following added that it’s “going to be done “But I think it’s a good thing for week that work for both of them. again — for sure.” the school to have this sort of proBoth Altman and Zales agreed Nontraditional classes such as Za- gram, and it will benefit the students that this arrangement works well les’ are part of the school’s strategic and the school if programs like this given the vagaries in their schedules. plan, and other classes are planned continue. “It allows for a fair amount of flex- to follow that model, too, according “It’s an experience that not many ibility,” Altman said. “(It’s) perfect to Wells. high schoolers get — to work in a lab given the nature of the work (Zales) “Computer science might go that or to do whatever internship they’re does in the lab, where the time re- way as well, where you can start ac- doing over the school year.”
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Backpage • December 4, 2018
The Octagon
FUNKY FRAPPUCCINO Junior Anna Frankel grimaces at the Caramel Brulee Frappuccino. PHOTO BY EMMA BOERSMA
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s a longtime Starbucks consumer and fan of its flavorful spins on coffee, I’m a bit peculiar — I’ve tried only a couple drinks on Starbucks’ highly publicized holiday menu. To rectify this, I ordered everything on the Featured Drinks menu on the Starbucks app. Self-proclaimed Starbucks veterans juniors Emma Boersma and Anna Frankel accompanied me on my Nov. 9 quest to review the nine drinks on this year’s holiday drink menu — which premiered on Nov. 2 — at The UV Starbucks (458 Howe Ave.). Drink prices range from $4.25 for a “short,” the smallest size, to about $5.75 for a “venti,” the largest size. See the remaining two reviews at www.scdsoctagon.com.
#1
STORIES AND RATINGS BY LARKIN BARNARD-BAHN
Caramel Brulee Frappuccino
#3
A blend of toasted caramel and butterscotch, the Caramel Brulee Frappuccino instantly overloaded my tongue with sugar. The interesting flavor combination included a hint of coffee and, according to Emma, soap. Emma complained that this Frappuccino was worse than its
nonseasonal counterpart, the Caramel Frappuccino, while Anna compared it to the Butterbeer at Universal Studios’ theme park, The Wizarding World of Harry Potter.
Caramel Brulee Latte
Rating:
Like the Caramel Brulee Frappuccino, the milky Caramel Brulee Latte tasted of toasty caramel and an overwhelming amount of burnt sugar, but its coffee flavor was stronger. While I would not buy it and instead
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preferred its Frappuccino equivalent, this latte was decent compared to the others. Emma and Anna enjoyed it considerably less than I did, and Anna declared that the holiday lattes all tasted like “disgusting sugar.”
Toasted W hite Chocolate Mocha Although superior to its Frappuccino counterpart, the Toasted White Chocolate Mocha merely tasted like a slightly diluted regular mocha made with lower-quality chocolate. Since this mocha was too sweet
Peppermint Mocha Of the nine festive drinks, the Peppermint Mocha was the only one I — or any of us — finished. Although Anna and I thought it lacked any indication of containing coffee, the mocha tasted like a
Rating: for them, Anna and Emma said they would rather drink Starbucks’ regular mocha, the Cafe Mocha, instead. “Why wouldn’t you just buy a regular mocha?” Emma asked critically. “If I was craving something sweet, I would go for it,” Anna said.
Gingerbread Latte Before I brought the drink to my lips, a strong cinnamon scent hit me, warning me of the Gingerbread Latte’s overpowering flavor. This cinnamon taste combined with gingerbread, milk and coffee to form a drink detestable to my tongue. None of us drank more of the Gingerbread Latte than necessary. Emma and Anna
agreed that the latte’s cinnamon and gingerbread taste was overwhelming. Although Anna said she wouldn’t buy it, she added the Gingerbread Latte was better than the caramel-flavored drinks. “It tastes like a sweet gingerbread cookie,” Anna said.
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decent-quality peppermint hot cocoa. Unlike many of the other drinks, the flavors were balanced, and the warm, silky drink would be perfect on a cold winter day. Neither Anna nor
Chestnut Praline Latte Chestnuts and pralines harmoniously blend with coffee and milk in the Chestnut Praline Latte, a mild-tasting drink that reminded me of Starbucks’ Chai Latte. Too sweet for Anna and Emma, the drink was highly crit-
Rating: I detected coffee, but Emma did. However, Emma thought that the peppermint simply tasted of a generic spice flavoring and that the chocolate was weak and watered down.
Rating: icized by Anna for tasting only of praline, sugar and milk. But both Emma and I recognized all the flavors, and Emma said she would order the drink again with less sugar added. “This doesn’t have any weird tastes like the other ones,” Emma said. “It tastes normal, which I like.”
Egg nog Latte Ever wanted to drink sour, rotten eggnog with coffee? Then you’re in luck! Starbucks’ Eggnog Latte combines the taste of burnt crystalized sugar, fermented vanilla Greek yogurt and coffee. In fact, Anna gagged upon smelling the drink. “I’m assuming this is just what eggnog tastes like, but this tastes rotten, and it smells really bad,” Anna said. However, Emma said she didn’t think
eggnog was supposed to taste this way. Furthermore, she said she couldn’t taste any coffee, least of all any latte flavor. And the horror didn’t end: The Eggnog Latte’s sour aftertaste lingered like an unwanted houseguest until we decided to cleanse our palates with a butter croissant.
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#2