September 2016

The September 2016 lightningboltonline.com

20402 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Coast, CA 92657 www.issuu.com/shsbolt @theboltonline

Volume 17, Issue 2 www.facebook.com/sagehillschool

‘Bad Day’ Decision Ends President’s Term

By Vale Lewis 17lewisv.publications@gmail.com

All interviews and information we received for this article were given willingly and published with consent.

Student Council will meet today to determine how to fill the vacant position of President.

Wyatt Manolakas was asked to step down last week, as a result of being placed on social restriction for leaving school before his last commitment.

Manolakas left school after his Student Council meeting on Tuesday, Sept. 20 and stopped to get lunch on his way home, where a teacher saw him.

The fact that he had missed theater class got back to administration, and Manolakas was placed on social restriction. “[On Tuesday], I was having a really bad day, honestly. I was just having one of those days that kicks you around,” Manolakas said. “When I left school, I was under the impression that if [I] left campus but didn’t come back before the end of the day, I was using one of seven unexcused absences [see handbook clarification in caption].”

Manolakas was immediately placed on social restriction, in accordance with handbook rules, which state that, “students who leave campus before their last commitment without permission from the School and a parent will automatically be placed on social restriction.”

When Manolakas heard he’d been placed on social restriction, he started sending emails and meeting with the administration to see what he could do to amend his restriction, but the way the handbook is currently worded, the rule pertaining to the case of a student leaving campus is fairly black-and-white.

As the 2016-2017 handbook reads: “any student [in a leadership role, like Student Council, SAME, Honor Committee, Student Ambassador or Peer Counselor] that is placed on social or academic restriction will

“

be asked to step down from their position,” said Jon Poffenberger, dean of student life.

Any student who leaves campus before their last commitment without permission automatically is placed on social restriction without an Honor Committee hearing, he explained.

“The reason Honor Committee doesn’t hear cases regarding the specific rule to being off campus is because in the handbook, it’s clear that if you leave campus before your last commitment, you will be put on social probation,” Poffenberger said.“There’s no need for an Honor Committee hearing if it’s a clear violation of the rule.”

Within Student Council, the decision about who will step into the presidency is being debated today.

According to Manolakas, vice president Miles Wilson has the option to either step into the role himself, appoint someone else from Student Council or hold a special election.

“I’d like Miles to take the position of president. I think he would do an excellent job,” Manolakas said. “[Student Council is] a really great group of people, and I think they’ll get a lot done with or without me.”

At Town Meeting on Monday, Manolakas announced to the community that he would be stepping down.

“It has been an honor serving you, even in the short time I did,” he said.

Manolakas remains positive about the impact he can still have on the community, despite not being President.

“It’s not the title that defines a leader; it’s the way you act.”

As for the handbook, if students want to express their views about any rules, it is reevaluated every school year and Poffenberger is open to student opinions, the dean said.

“I’m always willing to listen to student input,” Poffenberger said.

“I think it’s important what they think is fair or what could be changed.”

It’s not the title that defines a leader; it’s the way you act.”

-Wyatt Manolakas

Sahar Emtiaz

Farewell Address. Wyatt Manolakas stepped down as StuCo President on Monday at Town Meeting,The decision about who will take his place is to be decided by Student Council later today. (left) Leadership Standards. Each student leader at Sage signs a version of the Leadership Standards, which states that if they are placed on social or academic restriction, they will be asked to step down from their position.

Members of Student Council, SAME, Peer Counseling, Honor Committee and Student Ambassadors sign this agreement.

Cutting class is always impermissible. The handbook states, “Sage Hill strongly believes that all students should make every attempt to attend all classes and all school commitments including assemblies, advising sessions, service learning and grade level meetings in a time manner each day... A student who accrues eight (8) or more absences in any one class per semester may forfeit the right to receive credit for that class.”

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The Bolt Sage Hill School September 2016

EDITORIAL

Culture Clash

Conversations Continue to Create Divides After Current Campus Events If you’ve spent any time at Sage in the past month, you’ve probably heard someone mention the tangible change in culture we’ve had at school.

Students are talking about it, teachers are talking about it and everyone seems to agree that something has to be done, but no one seems to be able to identify the exact problem.

For many, it’s the loss of the indefinable feeling of “Sageyness.” But what is Sageyness? Is it a real feeling that was present on our campus 2-3 years ago? Has it ever existed at all? And if we have lost it, how do we even go about getting it back? These are all questions we’re asking ourselves and each other right now.

The current problem is that everyone has an opinion about what Sage’s culture should be.

Like some of the political issues right now, these different views are very polarizing and, ironically, the very debate about culture and all our efforts towards bringing it back seem to be one of the factors driving us apart.

It’s difficult to have many of these discussions and people often have a

T

hard time accepting feedback. We sometimes come into these discussions with a pre-planned set of things that we want to say and don’t listen to the feedback.

Both the students and administrators are guilty of this, which creates major communication problems.

Many students feel they

aren’t being heard, and I’m sure much of the faculty is frustrated that their attempts at communication fall on deaf ears.

We should spend less time talking and more time listening. And not only listening, but acting on what we heard.

the

he Bolt, published seven times a year, is a student newspaper and serves the public forum at Sage Hill School. Its content - news, editorial, opinion and feature - is protected by Education Code 48907, the state student rights law and the California Constitution which guarantees all citizens the right of freedom of speech and of the press. The Bolt accepts signed letters to the editor from members of the Sage Hill Community which may be posted as comments to our website, lightningboltonlilne.com, or addressed to editor-in-chief Vale Lewis and put in her mailbox on campus. These letters may not exceed 150 words or they wil be edited for inclusion.

Editors-in-Chief

Vale Lewis, Stephanie Min, Claire Lin and Tommy Lee Associate Editors

Christina Acevedo, Lauren Fishman, Catharine Malzahn and Niva Razin Advisor

Konnie Krislock

There is a disconnect between students and the administration, and we have to fix it. When there’s broken communication, there’s resentment about believing like our voices aren’t being heard, and that’s where this culture problem starts.

In the past few years, it has felt like there was a

of the changes we are attempting to implement and the sacrifices we’re making in an attempt to save the culture.

Is it worth it to keep making these types of sacrifices if they create a bigger divide between students and faculty?

It’s not that we have to stop enforcing rules, hold hands and sing Kumbaya.

We shouldn’t strive to be more like other schools.

It’s evident from the fact that just last week the principal of Corona Del Mar High School had to cancel Homecoming because of poor behavior at a football game, that we really don’t want a culture like many other schools.

Administrators need to evaluate the risk they run of over-regulating seemingly without taking students’ voices into account and the impact that could have on LYNN FONG the relationship between collaborative relationship administrators and stubetween the administrators dents. and students.

Neither administrators One of the biggest shifts nor students can fix this culin culture has been the ture problem on their own. change in this feeling beIn the upcoming months, cause many students feel it’s vital that together we like we don’t have a voice bridge this gap between anymore. what we’re saying and what We also have to be aware we’re hearing.

Bolt

Stephanie Beder Halah Biviji Jonathan Chance Jamie Dailey Julia Dupuis Sahar Emtiaz Jo Farkas Daniel Fishman Lynn Fong Jerry Fu Krystal Gallegos Genesis Gonzalez Madison Harris-Weiner Lauren Hausman Richard Horn

Michelle Hung Sarah Kim Jennifer King Trevor Klein Olivia Lowe Abby McGuire Monis Mohiuddin Isabella Mora Donia Olia Emma Ruck Ryan Simpson Brett Super Amani Tarsadia Peyton Webb Hannah Woodworth

The Bolt Sage Hill School September 2016

STUDENT LIFE

On Deadline T

Four Seniors Lead Three Campus Publications

he Publications Staff begins the 2016-17 school year with 37 staff members, all eager to hone their journalism skills and contribute to the three different literary media. Leading the yearbook team, seniors Stephanie Min and Claire Lin have been hard at work all summer to prepare its Altitude & Attitude edition of Storm. Senior Vale Lewis is serving as this year’s editor-in-chief of Sage’s monthly newspaper, The Bolt. Senior Tommy Lee will be managing the online version of the newspaper, which can be viewed at www. lightningboltonline.co.

During two days of meetings to publish The Bolt #1 on the first day of school, the editorial board explained their vision and goals for the coming year.

The four editors sat down and shared their insights on the upcoming year.

Can you tell us what your specific jobs are for publications?

Tommy: I basically manage the online website. I make sure stories are getting out in a timely manner by assigning articles and stories to writers and reaching out to them to get back. I also have to talk to photographers to get photos for the stories that are being written.

Claire: Stephanie and I are co-editors of Storm, which is our school’s yearbook.

Stephanie: We organize, plan, design and basically create the yearbook. We’re in charge of designating people to do different spreads, creating the theme . . .

Claire: . . . managing deadlines, proofing people’s work and teaching design.

Stephanie: We basically build the yearbook for cover to cover.

Vale: I’m the editor-in-chief of The

Bolt. I manage the team who designs The Bolt monthly, I assign articles to writers and make sure the photos are being taken.

I also work together with the other editors to do a crossover between our platforms.

What are your goals for this year?

Tommy: For online, the main goal is to increase viewership with more media outlets like video, photography, hashtags, twitter campaigns, social medias and multimedia in general. I think I’m going to start a snapchat with Brett [Super].

Vale: It’s similar for The Bolt, we’re trying to increase readership. We have really good content, so we want to get more people aware that The Bolt comes out every month and picking it up.

Stephanie: With yearbook it’s a little bit different because it’s not a daily or monthly thing. Yearbook is actually a yearlong process and it takes a lot of people and time to design it. What we want to do differently this year is really incorporate our theme; we want to make sure everyone knows the theme is Aptitude and Altitude throughout the book.

Claire: We want to make it aesthetically pleasing and definitely make each page to the next seem like they are cohesive .

Stephanie: Claire and I have been on the staff for over three years, and we really want to make sure the theme really carries out and shows all of our Sage experiences.

We want to make it the best yearbook we’ve had so far.

What would you like to do differently from last year?

Stephanie: With yearbook, we want to get more diverse coverage, we want to make sure everyone can see themselves in the yearbook.

Clarie: We also want to teach more people about design. Last year a lot of

people didn’t know how to design, and they didn’t even want to try. We want to make sure we can incorporate as many people as possible into the actual creation of the yearbook.

Vale: For The Bolt, this kind of goes back to increasing readership, but getting more stories that people are interested in and want to read about. Getting more people involved, that’s the biggest thing this year. We work really hard and we want people to know that The Bolt exists and get them reading it.

Tommy: I kind of touched on it before, but mostly using different formats. We’re starting this new thing called Storify which used social media and user generated content. Trying to find different outlets and trying to make the online site more twenty first century and more young adult oriented is the main goal.

Lastly, what is the legacy you want to leave behind?

Claire: I want it to be like “Woah, this yearbook looks so cool!”

Stephanie: I think we want to create the best yearbook ever, in the history of Sage. A yearbook that can’t be imitated it’s that good.

Tommy: I want to increase viewership to the point where whoever decides to take on online next year won’t have to worry about readership because it’s something that is already embedded, and I think that applies to the rest of us also. For next year it will hopefully be mostly about content and getting people to read.

Vale: I think the four of us are a really strong team, and I think we just want to leave behind a legacy in the people who are going to come after us. We want to train them well so they can continue the strong legacy of Sage Hill publications.

from the

EICs

THE BOLT

“. . . getting more stories that people are interested in and want to read about. Getting more people involved, that’s the biggest thing this year.”

Vale Lewis

STORM

“I think we want to create the best yearbook ever, in the history of Sage.”

Stephanie Min

STORM

“I want it to be like “Woah, this yearbook looks so cool!”

Claire Lin

THE BOLT ONLINE

“I want to increase viewership to the point where whoever decides to take on online next year won’t have to worry. . .”

Sahar Emtiaz

Publication Staff EICs. Seniors Tommy Lee,Vale Lewis, Claire Lin and Stephanie Min began their year last week working two days to produce this second annual first-day edition of The Bolt.

Tommy Lee

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FACU

The Bolt Sage Hill School September 2016

Fresh Faculty Meet some of the new faculty on campus.

Tanya Lerch

Lauren Hausman

After moving from New York this past summer with her husband, new mathematics instructor Tanya Lerch is excited to teach AP Statistics and Algebra II at Sage Hill. Although the incredible community and teaching environment at Sage motivated Lerch to come to Orange County, the sunny California weather served as the primary reason behind her move.

“New York was very expensive on teacher’s salary; we were looking for some place where we could have some more outdoor space,” Lerch explained. She calls herself an “outdoorsy person,” very active and constantly looking for new adventures.

“I wanted to live where the climate would be warm and we could be by the beach, the ocean and the mountains,” Lerch said.

However, the climate was not the only new change in store for Lerch.

“I taught at an all-girls school [in New York], so teaching boys is definitely different,” Lerch said. However, she found the Sage environment very friendly and the staff made it easier to assimilate.

“All the faculty and students have been very welcoming, which I really appreciate,” Lerch said.

In addition to bringing her myriad mathematical talents to Sage, Lerch has also introduced a popular new Service Learning group: creating prosthetic hands for youth.

“At my old school we had a 3-D printer and people used it to make little trinkets, cute little things,” Lerch explained. She enjoyed the process but wanted to make the printer valuable. Lerch has certainly succeeded in doing so, and the entire Sage community is excited to see where the new program will go with her at the helm.

- Genesis Gonzales

Analaura Brophy

Spanish teacher Analaura Brophy did not attend high school in her teenage years; she worked at a hotel to support her family.

At 17 she began community college in Mexico and now is finishing her graduate degree work in Spanish Literature.

Initially, Brophy was disinterested in teaching high school Spanish—it wasn’t until a friend recommended her to Sage Hill that she believed it might be a career path. Once she came and had a shadow evaluation for a class she “fell in love with the warmth of community feeling that Sage Hill School has.”

In her free time, Brophy enjoys cross fit, spending time with her 17-year-old daughter, going to movies and spending mornings at Starbucks.

- Stephanie Beder

Despite now serving as a Patterns of Civilization and Modern World History teacher, Christopher Farrish had a strong dislike for history in high school.

“It’s funny because I actually wasn’t interested in history. I hated history,” Farrish said.

Particularly, Farrish was opposed to American History, a subject he currently holds a Ph.D in. Instead, he found himself drawn to other classes such as philosophy and video production.

“I really liked making films and editing them together and putting music in and acting,” he said.

Outside of school, Farrish enjoyed taking part in strength training but wasn’t committed to any sport except track, for which he “ran short distance” his freshman and sophomore years of high school.

Socially, he was very outgoing, attending functions that ranged from school dances to parties. To this he devoted a significant amount of time, managing to balance his academic life because of his “naturally smart” nature.

“I wasn’t on top of my work. I was always good at getting things done at the last minute but in hindsight my approach was not the best one,” Farrish said.

One hobby he has sustained throughout his life is cooking, which he began doing around the age of 9. Referring to himself as “kind of a weirdo,” Farrish explained that he was “the person who would bring nice cheeses and crackers to some party.”

He was also fond of hunting, fishing and hiking, the latter of which he still does.

“That was kind of the community I grew up in—people who did the outdoor stuff,” he said.

Attending Michigan’s Rochester High School, Farrish assumed that like many others he knew he would go on to become involved with business. He eventually developed an interest in teaching during his time in graduate school.

Currently, Farrish has taught at CSU Fullerton and Bard College. He is pleased with his shift to Sage because of the removal of external pressures normally placed upon university professors.

“At Sage I can just teach, which I love. The change [has] been really easy. The students are very, very smart,” Farrish said. - Christina Acevedo

Anie Aklian

With more than seven years teaching and tutoring experience, Anie Aklian holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry from UCLA and has joined the Science Dept., is a freshman adviser and will coach in this, her first year.

Aklian was most recently a Chemistry and Biology teacher at Campbell Hall and before that taught at Rose and Alex Philibos Armenian School both in Los Angeles.

Konnie Krislock

konnie Krislock

Christopher Farrish

ULTY

Shannon Regli

The Bolt Sage Hill School September 2016

Lauren Hausman

A highly-praised and highly-qualified Chemistry teacher, Shannon Regli joins Sage Hill on her twentieth year teaching Chemistry. After receiving her Bachelor’s degree in Chemistry from Cal Poly San Louis Obispo and a Master’s in Atmospheric Chemistry at the University of California, Irvine, Regli taught at a small school in Templeton California, a school in Chile, Nido de Aguilas, and Troy High School.

“The environment is very healthy for students to learn and grow [at Sage Hill],” noted Regli.

She has a strong devotion for her students.

This even extends to her motto: “5 or bust.” Regli maintains her goal for all her students to receive a 5 on the AP exam.

“The focus on the whole child [at Sage] through programs like advisory where you get to know the students besides just as a chemistry student” is special for Regli.

She cares about her students and really appreciates knowing her students on a personal level.

She takes time outside of class to really get to know her students.

“There is more time to get to know the students [at Sage],” stated Regli. She discussed her fondness of Sage so far, including her appeal in regard to the class sizes, with an average of sixteen students in a class.

Regli loves to watch her students grow and see them make connections between the topics in her class.

“I love to see when the students see different connections between the topics [in chemistry] because I really like the flow of chemistry and how you can interweave the topics together,” Regli commented.

Chemistry goes beyond the classroom for Regli. She participates on the Orange County American Chemical Society Committee where she has sent three of her students to a national chemistry competition with the top twenty students in the country.

Since joining the Sage Hill community, Regli has enhanced the faculty and science department by bringing her experience in and knowledge of chemistry to Sage. - Daniel Fishman

Melissa Freeland

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Konnie Krislock

Among the new faces you might notice or greet this 2016-2017 school year is Melissa Freeland, learning specialist and cross-country coach.

On campus, Freeland is a “learning specialist,” or a faculty member who works to improve all things learning. You might see Freeland running around campus, observing and giving feedback in the classroom or talking with a student about how to get that chemistry assignment finished on time.

Off-campus, however, Freeland is a kind, but strict coach who always pushes athletes to put in the extra mileage. A distance-runner since she was 10, Freeland was already very experienced in running.

“I like cross-country because while it’s competitive, you’re competing mostly against yourself. While there is an element of team, it is more about bettering yourself,” Freeland said.

Experienced in marathons, Freeland challenged herself to run 10,000 km this year. “I am looking forward to a killer cross-country season”, she said with a beaming smile on her face.

For the past five years, Freeland has been working around the world in international schools in countries such as the Czech Republic. But, there was something missing. Whether it was her family in Southern California or the sense of community in school, Freeland came to Sage seeking the same opportunities she saw in international schools combined with the sense of family she was missing.

With an insatiable love of traveling, Freeland has explored 37 countries and boasts a quirky collection of pencils.

Her favorite moment of these past two week? “Attending Ms. May’s high energy Accelerated Pre Calc class.” - Jerry Fu

Jenny King

Donna Jacobsen

Donna Jacobsen joined Sage Hill at the start of this year, coming out of recent retirement to teach Latin part-time. After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin with a Master’s Degree in Latin, Jacobsen taught at numerous schools across the country, most recently St. Margaret’s.

Aside from teaching Latin, Jacobsen is passionate about healthy veganism and plant-based diets. After battling and surviving cancer 15 years ago, vegetarianism became an important part of her life. She hopes to not only eat healthy herself, but also to keep a small carbon footprint on the environment.

“I came to California to pursue a raw food diet… In the course of all those things, I became interested in being healthy—being a healthy vegan,” Jacobsen said.

Her hobbies include yoga, hiking, pilates and cooking various dishes which all tie into her desire to stay healthy. She also enjoys reading literature, in English as well as Latin.

Jacobsen is enjoying her time at Sage so far and hopes to continue to inspire Latin students through interactive lessons. - Michelle Hung

Danae Howe

Amanda Duong

One of the newest administrative additions is Danae Howe, Sage Center director, who came from Westridge School, an independent, non-denominational school in Pasadena, where she worked for 10 years in roles including Academic Technology Coordinator and Dean of Student Voices and Activities.

On campus, Howe is very involved in the January launch and maintenance of the Sage Center which keeps up with programs already implemented such as Spring at Sage and Sage Hill Internship Program (SHIP) and focuses on a new concept, the “6 Cs”.

The 6 Cs are “21st century skills that have been identified by employers as important to help prepare students with skills for the future.”

Her involvement in the Sage Center will also include collaboration with SAME and Café, in addition to promoting “equity and justice” for all throughout the Sage community.

Howe came to Sage because she “likes the position of the Sage Center and how it mixes together a lot of things [she] has experience with.”

“I appreciate the technology component of the position,” she said. Her favorite part about Sage is the students’ “willingness to be open,” and the idea that Sage fosters “lifelong learners” with an appreciation for knowledge.

Outside of work, Howe enjoys playing music and singing along with spending time with her 7-year-old son. - Hannah Woodworth

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The Bolt Sage Hill School September 2016

ARTS

Stringing Us Along A Note-able Change for Ensembles

By Isabella Mora 19morai.publications@gmail.com

Isabella Mora

Musical Chairs. Freshman Stephanie Yang and junior Maya Byrd practice the cello in Strings Ensemble to elevate their musical talent. Both the Winds and Strings Ensembles have increased their sizes this year.

The Strings Ensemble led

by Brent Dodson, instrumental music teacher, has five new additions to the group. Last year, it consisted of 17 people.

This year, the ensemble has a total of 22 players. 13 violins, 1 viola, 6 cellos and 2 basses constitute the different sections.

This is the largest strings group the music department has had in several years, with a record of 20 percent growth this year. The reason behind this lies in auditioning.

The players are returning upperclassmen who go beyond the minimum requirements and continue playing through high school. Because of the large numbers, students have to audition for parts in the orchestra, such as violin 1 or violin 2. Students are expected to lead or to follow, depending on what pieces they are assigned.

“Generally, the level has gone up. More people doing great work, it makes it difficult to distribute everybody, but I am excited to have this dynamic orchestra to teach. It makes me feel really fortunate,” Dodson said.

The strings however, are not the only newsworthy ensemble this year. The Winds Ensemble has doubled in size as well.

“It makes for very dynamic rehearsals,” Dodson said.

Dodson is emphasizing the music department’s progress by adding an extra concert this year.

Sage students are encouraged to acknowledge the effort made by their peers who play an instrument.

“The Pacific Symphony is a

professional orchestra in Costa Mesa. Their youth orchestra program has helped our string players with their experience and participate in both the Winds and Strings Ensembles,” Dodson said. “I encourage my students to participate in these outside activities—it makes them better, therefore benefitting our school.

I recognize high school students are busy, but there is an element of sacrifice that has to happen with these outside commitments.”

The winter addition will focus on film music.

“We can be more creative,” Dodson said. “For the fall and spring we will continue the emphasis on Bach D minor double concerto. Each concert will have its own theme as well.”

First semester will focus on standard music, and second semester will circle back to modern music. The music program benefits players with different levels of expertise, also known as standard repertoire.

“I try to make playing enjoyable, but I know experienced musicians are looking to be challenged too. I choose high quality music of very different styles to entertain all players,” Dodson said.

He also spoke about the advantages of being in the group.

“Most college and universities Sage kids would want to go to have community orchestras and concert programs in which students can interact with other people who like to play. A commitment to music demonstrates that a person is willing to dedicate effort towards something for a long period of time. Colleges value that determination and character.”

From Computers to Clay

By Michelle Hung

19hungm.publications@gmail.com

For the first time in several years, ceramics is now part of the arts survey curriculum, a class designed for freshmen to sample different kinds of art.

When Arts Survey teacher and Ninth Grade Dean Brian McMahon first started at Sage, he taught outdoor sculpting to freshmen.

Most recently, McMahon taught digital arts before deciding to switch it up by introducing ceramics to Arts Survey. “[In ceramics], students learn how to build with clay—anything from mugs and bowls to full sculptures, both functional and nonfunctional work. They also learn how to use the pottery wheel to build and alter pots,” McMahon explained.

Though the switch to ceramics wasn’t prompted by any specific event, McMahon hopes to stretch freshmen’s creative abilities by transitioning from a two-dimensional-based class to a

three-dimensional-based class.

Currently, Arts Survey students taking ceramics are working on building sculptural masks to represent their personalities. The goal of the project is for students to look at their own identity and think about what matters to them while exercising their artistic creativity, McMahon said.

“I like ceramics because it’s super hands-on, and we get to be creative,” freshman Miya Stauss, who is part of the Arts Survey ceramics class, said. “Right now we are using different tools to cut, roll and imprint designs onto our masks.”

Despite the limited amount of time in the Arts Survey rotation, McMahon feels that the students have been making great progress so far in the ceramics classroom.

With the Arts Survey program, McMahon hopes to continue to expose students to art disciplines that they may not have tried before and bring out the artist in each and every student.

Jackie Nam

Getting Crafty. Senior Romina Klereby explores her creativity as she molds clay in Ceramics for an assignment.

This year, Ceramics is now included within the arts survey curriculum.

SPORTS

The Bolt Sage Hill School September 2016

7

BRETT’S BOX

What the Flip Is Going On Here?

Jenny King

Eight is Great. Freshman Danielle Beder (8) joins her fellow volleyball players during introductions on the first home game of the season against Mater Dei.The team, newly moved up to CIF Division 3, is in its second week of Academy League play with a game against Brethren Christian tomorrow night at 5:30 in the Ube.

Freshman Joins Varsity Volleyball Danielle Beder spikes her way to top on campus and club

By Isabella Mora

19morai.publications@gmail.com

A student practices a sport since the 5th grade, perfects her strike and talent in different institutions, then joins the varsity team at her high school as a reward.

This is the story of Danielle Beder, one of the few freshmen varsity volleyball players to join the higher ranks of athletics here.

Not only is she part of Sage Hill’s Varsity Volleyball Girls’ Team, but plays with groups outside of school as well.

“I started at a club and staying there for two years, but I was not a good player.

Then I went to another club, Tstreet, and I made the 13-1s. I continued to play on the 14-1s and now I am on the 15-1s there.”

Her teammates know her as Dani, and have gotten very close since the summer tournament in Hawaii, where most of the girls bonded over their victory.

“Two of my favorite memories with the team were beating Edison and Los Alamitos on the trip,” Beder said.

“I love Dani! She has bonded very well with the team,” junior teammate Priya Kamdar said.

“She is an inspiration to the freshmen. She demonstrates that you can be part of something even if you are younger,” junior Kenna Knollenberg said.

Beder has proven very skilled at downball spikes over the net and back-row passing, according to the coach, provoking great enthusiasm from the freshman side of the bleachers during home

games.

Even though the athletic aspect of her high school career is successful, Beder claims her motivation to come to Sage was mostly academic.

“I do plan on playing on a

collegiate level. My three top dream schools are Stanford, University of Washington and Cal Berkeley, but I did not come to Sage just because of volleyball.”

Girls’ Team Moves Up to CIF D3 Playoffs will bring new faces and teams to annual competition after years of top finishes against teams in Academy League

By Catharine Malzahn 17malzahnc.publications@gmail.com

The future is looking bright for girls’ varsity volleyball. Fresh off their win against St. Margaret’s last Friday, they have also been moved up to CIF Division 3 this season.

They play the same teams during the season but once CIF playoffs start, the competition will be more difficult than in previous years.

“The competition in CIF will be tougher: more large schools, and more teams with winning traditions,” head coach Dan Thomassen said.

“There will be tougher early round matches in the CIF playoffs, and the top few teams in the division will be very good.

During the regular season we will play pretty much the same teams, although we added one highly competitive

tournament, The California Challenge, in San Diego.”

The girls are looking forward to the prospect of playing more competitive teams in playoffs.

“It’s definitely exciting because we’ve been working really hard during offseason and the summer so I think we’ll definitely see that payoff when we start playing tougher teams if we move onto CIF,” senior Sahar Rohani said.

There is a lot to look forward to before CIF starts. The team is growing and learning everyday and can’t wait for the season to progress.

“As always, we want this team to get the most out of each day and learn to be great learners of the game.

“We want to win and go to State Playoffs but that comes from learning to prepare the right way,” Thomassen said.

As usual, the team dynamic is strong this year and quickly getting into its rhythm. The girls are working hard and excited to have the best season yet.

“We definitely have a young team. A lot of the girls are first year varsity members which is so exciting.

“We’re not even a month in and they’re already improving so much as players and teammates,” Rohani said.

“There’s definitely a more relaxed vibe to the team, but everyone’s still in it to win every time we step on the court,”.

Not only is there a great team energy this season, but there is also a great crowd atmosphere to support the girls.

Rohani concluded, “I’m optimistic and looking forward to seeing how we grow together as a team. I can already tell it’s going to be a really fun season.”

Your worst fear is now a reality. Bottle-flipping has taken the internet and lunchtime by storm. Now it is a competitive event.

It all started when the first bottle was flipped by Mike Senatore May 24 in a talent show at his high school. Someone in the audience took a video of the bottle flip and the video went viral. Pretty soon, which is very evident in the behavior of some students at Sage, bottle flipping became a pastime of sorts among people around the same age.

This phenomenon is not just contained within the continental United States; there are videos of people flipping bottles in places as isolated as Guam.

As for our own community, I asked senior bottle-flipping standout Wells Drayton about what inspired him to start bottle-flipping. “They told me to flip it—so I flipped it,” he reported.

Wells is right; it seems as though bottle flipping has become a way to socialize. Lunch is accompanied with the sound of water bottles banging on metal tables. Bottle-flipping is a versatile activity that can be done in casual conversation or as a heated competition.

It is simple and straight-forward, but that is what makes bottle-flipping accessible to all.

“The anticipation of [the bottle] maybe landing upright. It just keeps me coming back,” Drayton responded when asked about his favorite part of bottle-flipping.

Bottle-flipping is so easy to do; everyone has the ability to participate in the trend. Also, the skill required to do basic bottle flips is so little that almost anybody can pick up bottle-flipping and feel relatively successful after five minutes.

But junior Justin Camp summed up the bottle-flipping best when asked why he flips bottles: “Because it is sick.”

(Brett Super, headline headmaster, will be writing Brett’s Box in each issue of The Bolt this year.)

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The Bolt Sage Hill School September 2016

BACKPAGE

You Don't Have to Hate Women to be Sexist

Lynn Fong

By Julia Dupuis

17dupuisj.publications@gmail.com

Let’s say you’re a man, and you consider yourself an ally to women. Maybe you even consider yourself a feminist.

This doesn’t give you a free pass from sexism. In fact, you may be perpetuating misogyny without even knowing it.

“But I’m not sexist,” you say. “I think men and women are equal. I love women!”

The most important thing to remember is that this isn’t about you. Loving and respecting women has nothing to do with whether or not your actions are sexist, and acknowledging this sexism isn’t about your personal ego: it’s about the people that you’re hurting.

You don’t have to hate women to be sexist. All of us, regardless of gender, are unconsciously sexist in the ways we think, speak and behave. Misogyny is a long standing form of oppression that’s built deep into the structure of our society. The status of women has improved significantly over the years, but the impact of past sexism still lingers in our culture.

So how can you be sexist without knowing it? It’s important to examine how you might

be perpetuating the system.

The most common form of casual sexism comes in the form of microaggressions. Microaggressions, a term first coined in the 1970s, are defined as subtle and often unconscious actions that marginalize people in oppressed groups. “Microaggressions start really small,” says an anonymous junior. “They don’t seem like that big of a deal but when you deal with it every day it builds up into something worse.”

They are a result of internalized biases, assumptions and stereotypes about oppressed groups of people. Microaggressions are an easy and subtle way for the misogynistic undercurrents of our culture to leak out into our everyday lives.

Even if you approach with good intentions or mean something as a joke, microaggressions can still be harmful and insidious. With every microaggression left unchecked, environments at school, home or the workplace become a hostile reminder of inequity. Microaggressions allow misogynistic undertones to creep into our lives and create a sense of unease, reinforcing the existence of a power imbalance between men and women.

So what do sexist microag-

gressions look like?

Some of them might seem more obvious. Telling someone she’s good at basketball “for a girl,” for example, or berating your friend for being “beat by a girl.” These statements might be thinly veiled as compliments, but they’re also laced with the sexist assumption that women are assumed to be weaker and less competent and that having a woman be good at something is a surprise.

They can also take form as casual jokes, like telling a woman to “get back to the kitchen,” or joking about how wives always nag. These jokes sometimes surface as subtle mockery, deriding some form of femininity such as makeup, clothing or long hair.

While comments like these may seem light hearted, sexist jokes rely on and promote misogyny.

Regardless of whether it’s meant that way or not, the impact is the same. Making sexist jokes tells women that you don’t care about making them uncomfortable, and that you’re willing to use your humor to promote a culture of violence and oppression against women.

One of the most common and most subtle forms of microaggressions is known as chivalry. This can often be the most

dangerous too—since chivalry tends to come out of the kindest of intentions.

Holding the door open, offering to carry something heavy, or paying the bill for a girl all seem well intentioned and helpful. But as insignificant as it might seem, these actions are steeped in subtle condescension and stem from the assumption that women are delicate and need to be cared for.

“It puts women in a position where they are dependent on men,” says senior Krystal Gallegos. “And it assumes they can’t do anything for themselves.”

But what if you were just trying to be courteous? What if you don’t want to end up over analyzing every act of kindness towards women? Even if microaggressions feel like harmless words or actions, they exist as powerful tools to silence women and remind them every day that they aren’t equal to their male peers.

It’s important to take a step back and remember that microaggressions usually aren’t intentional. They’re a result of how societal misogyny has been ingrained into our thought processes and our behavior.

So instead of feeling guilty, it’s important to recognize how microaggressions happen and how

we can work to change them.

Microaggressions don’t seem like a grand, terrible acts and their pervasiveness and invisibility can make them feel frustrating to try and overcome. The best solution is simply to be more aware of motivations behind the things you do. Are you opening the door for everyone or just for women? Do you pay the bill for your girlfriend every time, or do you switch off? Do you insist on carrying something for a girl if she doesn’t ask for help?

Why is sexism the punchline of your joke? Why did you choose to compliment a woman in that way? Interrogate why you did or said what you did, and then examine what kind of stereotypes, assumptions or implications it might hold.

This conversation is much bigger than whether or not we are unconsciously sexist. It’s about how each one of us deserves to feel safe and supported, regardless of our identity. Microaggressions like these can interfere with that feeling of safety.

So if you really believe that men and women are equal, and if you really consider yourself an ally, take a moment to consider your own actions, and how you might be participating in this system of oppression.