The Bolt March 2022 by Sage Hill School

The

BOLT

March 2022 Volume 22, Issue 4 lightningboltonline.com Sage Hill School 20402 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Coast, CA 92657

A Look at Affirmative Action An unbiased, state-the-facts perspective into the debate affecting students across the nation Shaan Sakraney Affirmative action, America’s way of trying to address systemic inequalities, has long been debated as to its implications and efficacy as a system for promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in workplaces and educational environments. Due to the controversial nature of this issue, many people have developed differing perspectives on whether or not affirmative action is a fair and effective policy. To start, someone who supports affirmative action would argue that affirmative action is a necessary counter to the inequity faced by historically marginalized groups. Certainly, people benefit from having a variety of perspectives which come from having people with diverse backgrounds. Affirmative action ensures that people from unique backgrounds are given equal opportunities to pursue educational and employment opportunities in spite of whatever systemic barriers may be in place. Creating more opportunities for these disadvantaged groups provides trickle down effects as well. As these groups gain more opportunities, they additionally have more potential to have upward mobility in terms of socioeconomic status. On average, someone who graduated college can make $32,000 more per year than someone with a high school diploma. In addition, getting acceptance into prestigious, name-brand institutions for colleges allows for better access to well paying jobs, as top employers tend to build better relationships with top schools. With affirmative action in colleges, underrepresented minorities are given more opportunities to access potentially life-changing opportunities to further accelerate their upwards progression. While this argument is certainly very strong, there are some potential weaknesses to this implementation of affirmative action. To start, this argument focuses merely on college and beyond, instead of trying to focus on attacking the root of the problem. Many of the groups that

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Xinyi Xie | The Bolt affirmative action tries to help are located in underfunded school districts, so they struggle to get the same level of education that they have to compete against in the college admissions process. However, if instead there was better funding in public schools from an early age, starting in elementary, middle, and high school, some of these disparities would certainly decrease. On the other hand, people against affirmative action may argue that affirmative action decreases focus on merit, instead focusing on race instead. This position bases itself off of statistics regarding the outreach done by prestigious schools, like Harvard. In 2018, a Harvard Dean of Admissions testified that Harvard had different SAT baseline scores that determined whether or not prospective students would see promotional material from Har-

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vard. Harvard says that for African-American, Native American and Hispanic high schoolers, they require a SAT composite score of around 1100, a very mid range score. However, for Asian-American students, they only send their promotional materials should their scores be more than 250 points above the other students, with a minimum score of 1350 for Asian-American women, and 1380 for Asian-American men. This implies a moderately significant disparity in standards expected for different races, which is indicative of racial bias taking precedence over one’s innate skill or qualifications for the position. However, this argument has its weaknesses as well. For instance, the aforementioned SAT benchmarks were only for reaching out to applicants, and did not affect the admissions of those groups. Additionally, other statistics can be used

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to prove that in fact, colleges still had a focus on merit, and by some standards, kept a balanced view of both race and merit. For example, in 2018, Asian Americans made up 5.8% of the US population, but they were 22.2% of Harvard’s class of 2021. All in all, affirmative action is a nuanced, complex issue with multiple potential answers. One can support an argument that affirmative action is a necessary measure, while other people can just as easily argue that affirmative action is an imperfect solution to the problem it attempts to address. Since so many people can have all of these different perspectives, it is important to expose ourselves to all of these different perspectives to learn from them, allowing for more open and deeper discussions amongst Sage Hill’s community.

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Editorial Leaders and Legacy

The Bolt March 2022 Sage Hill School

An inside look into what student leaders do and why these student organizations are important in defining Sage culture. When you think of Sage, who or what is first to come to mind? There are a variety of responses to that question. Students, faculty, and staff gathered around Town Square for the weekly Town Meeting. Streamers and posters scattered around the gym during Pep Rallies. The energy-crazed Club Fair. Eating Flik food during Conference. Science experiments, English discussions, history lectures, math competitions, and conversations in a foreign language. Theater performances in the Black Box and athletic events in the Ube. The bottom line - there are many components that make Sage the school that it is. One of these components, simply put, is the students. As obvious as that sounds, students are what define the environment at Sage. “Sageyness,” however you define the term, would not exist without the student body. So as student leadership applications are ongoing, we must keep this question in mind: what culture do we want to create at Sage, and what legacy do we want to leave behind? Once again, there are many answers to those questions. For now, we can start off by highlighting some of the student leadership groups that represent what Sage stands for. “Honor Committee allows students with compassion and a sense of justice to help set students on the right track,” said senior Ethan Nguyen. “Through Honor Committee, students can teach their peers about responsibility, maturity, and integrity and help us all grow as people.” “Being a peer counselor at Sage meant I had an advisory which I met with every month,” said senior Victoria Ocampo. “What I enjoyed the most of about being a peer counselor was I got to create a small community with my freshman. I’ve learned at Sage that students can talk to each other and create bonds regardless of

Courtesy Rick Davitt Student Ambassadors is the largest student leadership organization at Sage and is responsible for being representative spokespeople for the school.

which grade they are in.” Other student leadership organizations at Sage include student council, Sage Advocates of Multicultural Education (S.A.M.E.), and student ambassadors. Additionally, there are numerous other ways to hone in on leadership skills and take initiative on campus through a variety of clubs and other student groups. And to put it plainly, these groups matter. Many of these groups are student-led, which means participation in these organizations is an opportunity to take our Sage experience into our own hands. Like we said before,

THE BOLT

he Bolt 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, lightningboltonline. com, or addressed to editor-in-chiefs Riya Gupta or Sanjana Khurana and put in their mailboxes on campus. These letters may not exceed 150 words or they will be edited for inclusion. Editors-in-Chief Riya Gupta (Bolt), Sanjana Khurana (Bolt), Xinyi Xie (Online), Courtney Davis (Storm) and Julia Kwon (Storm) Editorial Board Lauren Chung, Isabel Gomez, David Kim, Noe Lee, and Phoebe Pan Adviser Jennifer Kucera Rothman

“Sageyness” does not exist without the students. We students are the ones who define the culture at the school. We can be compassionate or apathetic, spirited or nonchalant, proactive or reactive. We may not be in total control of our high school experience, but should we not make the most of what we do have control over? It looks like we will realize your answer to that question during the next few months as the school year comes to an end. Until then, go Lightning

Priya Bhakta Carter Bryant Anne Chen Charlotte Cheng Elizabeth Chen Yasmin Dennis Sabrina Do Izzy De Leon Ava Eimani Nic Eimani Alison Hwang Chloe Lee Fiori Lee Lucy Lee Sophia Lin Anna Lin Max Luer

Igrid Luo Alia Sajjadian Ceyda Shamsai Sophia Sun Sophie Qiu Milan Ramezani Max Razmjoo Shaan Sakraney Karmen Sandhu Zahra Sarwono Elizabeth Wattenberg Eric Xie Roya Yahmai Grace Yan Grace Yang Maggie Zhang Winston Zuo

Sports

The Bolt March 2022 Sage Hill School

Dribbling to the End

Photo Courtesy of Rick Davitt The girls’ varsity basketball team won the CIF SoCal Regional Finals on March 8. Lauren Chung Dribble, pass, shoot, score! After a tough, but accomplishing season, our Lightning JV and boys’ Varsity teams wrap up their seasons, while the girls’ Varsity team prepares themselves for the State Championship in Sacramento. Basketball is a sport that requires a team effort. Fortunately, our Lightning stars

have created a positive culture of teamwork and sportsmanship. “I love the environment, and everyone on the team is so welcoming,” said junior Alex Cobb. “My favorite memory about this season was the three-day stay in San Diego during winter break. From the Chick-Fil-A stops to the tournament itself, the trip was a nice way to bring me closer to my team.” On the JV team, junior Ema

Arteaga tells that she made so many memories with her team. “I like our cheer, and every time my teammates and I cheer for each other, it brings us so much closer together,” said Arteaga. On the boys’ JV team, freshman Neekon Tabatabai describes how high school basketball is different from his club basketball. “I have been playing club basketball for as long as I can remember,” said Tabatabai. “Even though it was a little unnerving at first, I really enjoyed the bus rides and team bonding activities that I had never experienced before on a club team.” For some, the season has been an unforgettable opportunity mixed with ups and downs. “Being on the varsity team is definitely a step up from the JV environment in terms of intensity,” said junior Andrew Cobb. “Sometimes after practice, I feel so exhausted that I can barely move my legs, but I also know that our hard work and dedication throughout the season has really paid off, as we have made it to the CIF Playoffs.” After transferring to Sage in his sophomore year, senior and Varsity captain Jaden Fabella has been on the Varsity team

ever since. “Honestly, my last season on the team feels like a dream,” said Fabella. “Even though the COVID-19 pandemic has been detrimental to our season, I still made a lot of fun memories with my friends on the team. I know that this is a period of my life that I will never forget.” Senior and Varsity captain Kiana Hosseinzadeh has been part of our Lady Lightning team for all four years of her Sage

experience. “The most accomplishing part of my season was being able to compete against some of the highest-ranked schools in the nation,” said Hosseinzadeh. “Also, I love seeing how much our players have grown, both individually and as a team.” After winning the SoCal Regional Championship, the girls’ Varsity team will compete at the State Championship for the first time on Saturday, March 12.

David Kim | The Bolt Senior David Ho evades the defender’s block for a layup.

Varsity Girls’ Soccer Team Scores Their Way to CIF Playoffs Ava Eimani and Ceyda Shamsai On November 19, the varsity girls’ soccer team ran around Ramer field, anticipation filling the air for their very first game as a team. Weeks of sprinting, participating in grueling drills, and perfecting their technique, have all come together on this day. Coach Isaac brings the team together for a team huddle, and each of them reminds each other of the hard work they’ve put in this past year. “Go Lightning!” yells team captain Lauren Graham, as they run onto the field and into their first victory. Three freshman girls joined the 2021-2022 varsity team, ready to put their best efforts on the field and help score some goals. In their first game against Western High, Ava Wright scored her first goal and greatly aided the team. Freshman Charlotte Cheng says her favorite parts of soccer were, “Blasting music and having fun on bus rides to away games, and how we constantly worked hard to win our games.” Claire Sueyoshi began the season as a key player and starter on JV, but after only a week of practicing with varsity, she earned a spot on the team.

Senior Lainey Cauffman is the varsity team’s goalie and one of the most important players on their team. With her numerous saves and positive attitude, she lifted the spirits of her teammates and was always ready to lend a hand on the field. After four whole years of being goalie, Cauffman has always been dedicated to the team and consistently shows up ready to work. Sophomore Sofia Jacinto began her soccer season as the JV goalie, but also has been brought up to be varsity’s goalie when needed. Jacinto had to step up to the plate in order to be ready to assist during an important league game. During the game against Fairmont Prep, she had 12 saves as well as three crucial game changing saves. This year’s seniors always brought enthusiasm, excitement, and a great work ethic to each and every game and practice. Looking back, seniors reflect on this past season. Jillian Raymer says, “My favorite memory was meeting girls from the other grades and bonding with the freshman.” Nicole Jacinto remarks how the highlight of her season was being a varsity benchwarmer. Team Captain

David Kim | The Bolt Sophomore Amy Qin looks to receive the pass from her teammate during an attack. Anisha Punia says, “Seeing our team push each other and always working hard made this last year special.” The team has had its ups and downs throughout the season, but never stopped trying to win each and every

game. Coach Isaac claims, “The hardest game my girls tackled was the second time we played Fairmont Prep. The first time we played them, we had tied with JV players playing with us, so we needed to really prove ourselves and win with our varsity players

back.” In league play, the team had a record of 2-4-3. Including nonleague games, their total record was 7-5-4. Their third-place finish in league automatically qualified the team for a spot into CIF-SS Division 6 playoffs.

The Bolt March 2022 Sage Hill School

All Around At the Gates of Sage

COVID has affected everyone on campus, including the team of people who helps keep Sage secure Xinyi Xie Every morning as Sage Hill students and faculty drive up to campus, they are greeted by some familiar faces — the security guards that keep vigil at the gates. They are here to ensure the safety of the whole Sage community, during the school day and beyond. “The first guards are here at five in the morning,” said Jocelyn Rodriguez, a security guard at Sage, “And the last shifts end at 10:30.” The now two-year-long pandemic has altered the work of Sage’s security guards immensely. Last year, the officers performed temperature checks on students coming to school. Even now, students self-report their wellness on Titan HST, which the officers would look over upon their entry to campus. “It takes a while to get adapted to everything,” said Rodriguez, “but it’s definitely not pointless work.” In fact, Rodriguez is glad that these changes have given her and her co-workers more opportunities to interact with the rest of the community. “We actually started getting more

familiarized with employees and students, and I feel like we have a better connection with parents here as well,” said Rodriguez. “For the longest time no one really had full conversations with us. But now they talk to us and see us like we’re just anyone else.” Rodriguez has also had her struggles, especially at the beginning of the pandemic. The isolation and the distancing of relationships has been challenging for her to get used to. “I was also used to connecting and talking to my co-workers, but then I’m suddenly by myself,” said Rodriguez. “And coming to work sometimes I’d have family that’s But overall, Rodriguez feels the trials of the pandemic have certainly not been unsurpassable, and that the Sage Hill community has been very supportive in that they had taken the time to get to know her and her fellow officers. “I would like to say thank you to everybody,” she said.

Riya Gupta | The Bolt Members of our Security team, Adam Patterson, Jocelyn Rodriguez and Daniel Garcia, keep Sage safe around the clock.

Shoutout for STEAM

After a successful Athletics Night for prospective families, Sage hosted an event featuring activities related to STEAM Roya Yaghmai In January, the Sage Hill Admissions team hosted its first-ever STEAM at Sage night for prospective families for the 2022-2023 school year. Due to COVID, the event was moved online, but that did not stop Sage Hill from showcasing its STEAM curriculum and the opportunities to get involved in it on campus. After the Athletic Department and Admission team’s joint success in hosting Sage’s first Athletic Information Night in December, showcasing academics in a similar way seemed fitting. STEAM stands for science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics. These are subjects Sage takes pride in implementing everywhere on campus; they are concepts that are highlighted during Sage admissions tours. During STEAM night, Mr. Jordan, Director of Admission & Financial Aid,

hosted a webinar that covered three core topics: Robotics and Engineering, the Arts, and the Sciences, all of which were led by faculty from each department. “There was a great turnout for this Zoom event as it was highly attended by prospective families – parents and students,” said Leyla Hanjan, Associate Director of Admission and Financial Aid. “Each session was led by our faculty who were able to describe programs as well as showcase projects and state of the art spaces.” To enhance all that Sage has to offer to prospective families, Hanjan said that “In between the three sessions were mini sessions which highlighted the 9th-grade experience and Clubs, Student Life, and College Counseling.” All in all, the first-ever STEAM night was a success and will hopefully be hosted in-person in upcoming years.

Photo Courtesy of Sage Hill School Science teacher Kerry Langdale performs a demonstration for the viewers of the online STEAM at Sage night in January.

The Bolt March 2022 Sage Hill School

Campus

AMC Team Sets Records Phoebe Pan Sage students made history this year in yet another competition, as four talented math students set a new record in the school’s American Math Competition history. Over 40 students took the AMC test this November, and several students have qualified for the next stage. Sophia Chen, Andy Du, Helen Fu, and Xinyi Xie overcame the competition this year, placing within the top 5% of participants and advancing to the AIME. Ms. Dear, the team’s coach, noted the success of this year’s group. She mentioned the importance of the team’s accomplishments, as only five Sage students in total had advanced to the AIME in the past 20 years before this season. Junior Xinyi Xie acknowledged that this year’s AMC was difficult, but she also explained that her past experiences have helped her succeed and improve this year. She adds that while the competition does take a lot of time and effort, the AMC is overall a fun experience.

Junior Andy Du also mentioned that the AMC was challenging, explaining, “This year’s AMC was not easy, especially the B [competition]. I definitely studied a lot for it.” He added that he studied practice problems and reviewed concepts and equations in preparation for the next stage of the test. Sophomore Sophia Chen remarks on the sense of accomplishment she feels from participating in competitive math, explaining, “There’s nothing like the exhilarating feeling of finally solving a problem you have been stuck on for ten minutes, a month, or even a few years.” She also noted the AMC’s influence from a broader perspective, mentioning the impact of the strong and supportive community competition math has introduced her to. The AIME exam took place on Tuesday, February 8. Students who advance past this step will qualify to compete in the U.S. Mathematical Olympiad. Make sure to cheer on Sage’s four competitors, and congratulations to those who participated in this year’s competition!

Photo Courtesy of Maurisa Jones Four Sage Hill students will advance to the next level of the AMC math competition.

Princess Sarah’s Journey Royalty visits campus for a special Sage Center event

Alison Hwang On January 12, Sage Hill welcomed Princess Sarah Culberson, an award winning humanitarian, author, actress, dancer and educator, to come and talk about her and her journey at a Sage Center Speaker Series event. Princess Sarah started her presentation in Wilkins Town Square by sharing where she came from. She was adopted by white parents at a young age, who raised her with only care and love. Growing up in West Virginia, Princess Sarah had good memories, breaking racial barriers in her own family and experiencing the farm life. She then received a full theater scholarship to West Virginia University. After graduating, she wanted to know more about her family. When she could reach her biological father, she was shocked to find out a life-changing fact: she was a princess in Sierra Leone! Finding out that she was West African royalty, Princess Sarah visited Sierra Leone. There, she got to know numerous people, who all welcomed her. It was an eye-opening experience, and she later brought back kids of her organization with her every time she visited. Princess Sarah has achieved a

myriad of her goals, one of the most significant being Sierra Leone Rising, a nonprofit organization formed to support education, as well as the rebuilding of Bumpe High School after the 11-year Blood Diamond War. Later on, Princess Sarah expanded her philanthropic organization to include female empowerment and public health for her people of Sierra Leone. One of her dream projects and ultimate goal as a princess is to “have clean drinking water for the entire Sierra Leone,” said Princess Sarah. “We’ve been partnering with different organizations. But none of this stuff we’ve been able to do has been our own. It’s a village of people making things happen.” Apart from being princess and running her organization, Princess Sarah pursued her acting career in Los Angeles. She has appeared in such shows as “The Secret Life of the American Teenager,” as well as being a dancer with a professional dance company that specializes in Salsa, Hip-hop, and contemporary performances. Now, Princess Sarah continues to tell her story and inspire others on their journey to self-discovery and transformation.

Photo Courtesy of Sage Hill School Princess Sarah delivers a speech to the school community.

Clubs

The Bolt March 2022 Sage Hill School

Sage Spotlight: Food Justice Collaborative

This Service Learning group is dedicated to helping people in Orange County facing food insecurity Priya Bhakta Service Learning is back in full swing this year! Although many collaboratives faced setbacks due to the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, more and more students are now able to go into the community to help make a positive impact. As juniors and seniors, students have the opportunity to join a variety of service-learning organizations and collaboratives. Each of these independent, student-run groups encourages people to become agents of change in the community by giving back through service-based experiences. One of these groups is the Food Justice Collaborative. The Food Justice Collaborative was started to eliminate food inequality and insecurity in Orange County. According to The University of Southern California’s Center for Health Journalism, over 20 percent of children in Orange County live in households that are considered food insecure. This essentially means that they do not have consistent access to healthy and nutritious foods. One of these foods that are often the first to get cut out of diets is fresh produce.

The Food Justice Collaborative’s goal is to minimize the impact of food insecurity in Orange County by helping people have access to fresh fruits and vegetables. To do this, they ask members of the Sage Hill community if they have any fruit trees that give an unwanted excess of fruit that can be donated. They then go to the homes to pick the fresh produce and package it to be distributed. After this, they donate the fresh fruits to food pantries and food banks in Orange County who then share them with those who need them the most. By doing this, the Food Justice Collaborative not only helps eliminate food injustice, but also helps promote sustainability by donating fruits that may otherwise go bad and uneaten. So far, the members of the Food Justice Collaborative have picked over three hundred pounds of fresh citrus fruits to be donated to the community. Through their hard work and determination to minimize the impacts of food insecurity in Orange County, the members of the Food Justice Collaborative have done a great job of representing Sage Hill in our community and helping create positive change that helps others.

Photo Courtesy of the Food Justice Collaborative

Members of the FJC collect fruit to donate to people in need.

A Message from Youth Fighting Homelessness

Homelessness in Orange County and how YFH is helping the cause The homeless population has been rapidly rising in Orange County, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Research shows that there has been a 20-30% increase in the number of homeless people in the last few years. Housing insecurity also poses an issue for families, as it has been approximated that 27,000 youth experience house insecurity per year. As the colder climate approaches, these

insecurities are an increasing issue among the homeless, which can lead to extreme health concerns. With the uncertainty of when the next meal would take place, people’s job searches are delayed. In a 2019 Orange County interview, one in five individuals said they had to cut the size of their meals or even skip a meal due to not being able to pay. Children who are not provided

Photo Courtesy of Youth Fighting Homelessness

A poster made by the YFH group highlighting homelessness statistics.

with enough nutrients are more prone to illnesses, like COVID, and the lack of nutrients damage their ability to fight such illnesses. Just last year alone, at least 320 people died on the streets of Orange County. To help address this issue, the Youth Fighting Homelessness group has partnered with the Orange County Food Bank on two occasions where we packaged

boxes filled with items such as cereal, juice, rice, and canned and dried foods. When working with the Freshman group, approximately 700 total boxes were packaged. By being able to work together and use our hands to make an impact on hundreds of lives, the feeling of accomplishment was fulfilled. Our group hopes to continue to positively impact the lives of others.

Current Events

The Bolt March 2022 Sage Hill School

Anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation

Looking back on history to honor the 158th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation Ingrid Luo January 1, 2022, not only marked the beginning of a new year, but also the 158th anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation, enacted in 1863. When the Proclamation was issued, the states were in the midst of the bloody American Civil War. The Civil War, lasting from April 12, 1861, to

April 9, 1865, was fought on the grounds of slavery, and whether it should be legal in America. The abolitionist Northern states comprised the Union, while the pro-slavery Southern states formed the Confederacy. After a year of grueling war that showed no sign of stopping soon, President Abraham Lincoln declared on September 22, 1862, that if the Civil War

didn’t end by January 1, 1863, “all persons held as slaves” in the Southern rebellious states “shall be free.” The Proclamation tied the issue of slavery directly to the Civil War but, as said by Dr. Farrish, was a “military strategy as well,” since it allowed Black Americans to fight as soldiers. By the end of the war, almost 179,000 Black Americans had enlisted in the

Union and an additional 7,000+ held officer positions. “The Proclamation also motivated the enslaved to rise up [in the South]. If enslaved laborers were rising up, fleeing, fighting back, [the North] suddenly had an ally in the South that’s helping them win the war,” said Dr. Farrish. Though the Emancipation Proclamation of 1862 was un-

able to completely and successfully grant freedom and equality to Black Americans in the South, it indicated the first step of progress. Until today, equal civil rights have not fully been provided, and the anniversary of the Emancipation Proclamation should serve as a reminder to continue pushing towards improvement.

Roe v. Wade:

A Crack in a Long-Standing Precedent

Alia Sajjadian

The recent Texas Heartbeat Act, enacted in 2021, has reinvigorated the legal debate about abortion and threatens to weaken the precendent of Roe v. Wade. This 1973 Supreme Court decision ruled that a woman’s right to have an abortion without excessive government regulation is protected by the Constitution. The landmark case also established that government restric-

tions to this right could only be imposed after fetal viability has been achieved, which is commonly recognized as around 24 weeks of gestation. The newly implemented Texas law blatantly disregards the established viability standard of Roe v. Wade by banning abortions after the detection of embryonic cardiac activity, which can be as early as 6 weeks, without exceptions for incest or rape. In more practical terms, this law prevents any

abortion as soon as 10 days after a missed period, which is before the majority of women realize they are pregnant, and effectively bans all abortions within the state. More consequentially, the current, conservative leaning Supreme Court allowed the Texas law to remain in place foreshadowing the likely demise of the 7-2 decision rendered by Supreme Court Justices in 1973. In addition to bringing the constitutionality of Roe v. Wade

into question, the new Heartbeat law allows for anti-abortion proponents to not only take civil action against women who terminate pregnancy, but permits them to pursue legal action against those citizens who aid her (whether that person is her physician or the Uber driver who drives her to the procedure). Besides creating a vigilante system of enforcement pitting citizen against citizen, the Texas law insidiously creates an environment of tension and fear by attacking

women and her support networks. Since the law does not directly outlaw abortion, it skirts judicial review and walks a fine line outside the legal precedent of Roe v. Wade. While this legal loophole of sorts may withstand judicial challenges, the more consequential effect will be its impact on the physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing of women who are already facing a difficult and potentially life-changing choice.

Book Review: The Remains of the Day

Grace Yan

Acclaimed author Kazuo Ishiguro’s The Remains of the Day is his most famous novel– and for a good reason. Taking place in the subsequent years of WWII, the plot follows a butler named Stevens, who embarks on a short excursion to the English countryside to

visit an old friend. All the while, he ruminates on many old memories, contemplates his life choices, and his ideals. A large theme in play is the pursuit of dignity. Stevens believed the best way to live his life as a butler was to serve his employer, Lord Dalington, who he deemed a great, and noble man, and had the

power to steer the fate of the European continent. However, after finding his professional demeanor had clashes with his own morals, Stevens chose to forsake his morality in pursuit of his dignity as a butler. Ultimately, the main theme of the novel is regret. Stevens, who dedicated his whole life to emulating the pinnacle of his

profession, sacrificed many opportunities, his own happiness, and personal life. Regret is the root of many mental miseries is the knowledge that we could have done something better, and also knowing that there’s no second chance. Stevens is forced to face the reality that his value as a butler was slowly declin-

ing, and can only ponder his life, knowing that nothing he does now can ever amend his mistakes. This is the most heartbreaking aspect of the novel and also why his story retains such relevance and resonance among readers, even after over three decades since its publication.

Movie Review: The French Disappointment Yasmin Dennis Wes Anderson’s most recent film, The French Dispatch, consists of several storylines that bring articles from The French Dispatch of the Liberty, Kansas Evening Sun to life. Bill Murray, Tilda Swinton, and Adrien Brody all star in this

movie, as per usual to Wes Anderson’s films. New to the Wes Anderson scene, Benicio Del Toro and Timothée Chalamet, expertly play their roles as an agonized imprisoned painter and a young French Revolutionary, respectively. Although this film recreates Wes Anderson’s recognizable and unique cinematic style,

it fails to replicate the flow of Anderson’s previous movies. As someone who has seen the majority of Anderson’s ten films, I went into The French Dispatch expecting a dramatic love story or the tale of a comedic oddball. However, the characters and plot of The French Dispatch failed to meet my expectations. Anderson

has called this film “a love letter to journalists,” and although I agree with this statement, this supposed love letter is choppy and at times hard to follow. Ann Hornaday, a Rotten Tomatoes critic claims that “Anderson seems far more interested in concocting his dollhouse world than inhabiting it with messy human feelings,” and I couldn’t

agree more. Despite these flaws, I must admit that the visuals and soundtrack of this film were incredible. Wes Anderson is planning on releasing a new film titled Asteroid City in the near future, and I hope that this movie revives Wes Anderson’s classic yet eccentric narrative filled with

The Bolt March 2022 Sage Hill School

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Sustainability’s Chic Style Secrets Noe Lee

Count to 150 billion. I dare you. Start counting… on your marks… get set… go! You’re probably thinking: there’s no way I could count to 150 billion! Me neither, but while researching the negative impacts of the trend cycle I discovered that this massive number is produced per year in just clothing. Of the 7.753 billion individuals on the planet, with this amount of production, each person could have 14 new pieces of clothing each year. Some of you might be wondering: What’s so bad about that? I could go for some new clothes. But did you know that discarded clothes in landfills take over 200 years to decompose? Not to mention the toxicity of dyes and chemicals that find their way into our groundwater and soil. The rise of ‘fast fashion’ has caused an environmental crisis that’s effects will soon be irreversible to the planet. As an avid sustainability advocate, I would strongly encourage you to start shopping green. When using the phrase ‘green’ I don’t mean drenching your closet in different hues of sages and emeralds. Don’t get me wrong… I’m a sucker for a good green outfit, but the meaning of a ‘green wardrobe’ has changed dramatically in the past few years. So… What is a green wardrobe? A green closet is a sustainable, environmentally conscious wardrobe that breaks damaging fashion cycles. While it sounds daunting, having ethically aware apparel is much more simple than it sounds.

With the concept of a green closet comes the idea of a ‘capsule wardrobe.’ Originally created by shop-owner Susie Faux, the phrase is defined as ‘a limited number of essential or staple items that you can wear for multiple seasons.’ A capsule wardrobe can be vastly different depending on the person. Whether a flannel and jeans, or a leather jacket and shorts carry you through years of outfits--the idea remains the same: reducing consumption of unethically sourced unnecessary additions to your closet. Shopping green doesn’t just mean where the clothes come from, it also correlates to how much consumers buy from retail. Even if everyone shopped from sustainable brands for the rest of their lives, the impact would still be huge if buying trends continue at the same rate they are right now. Massive clothing ‘hauls’ and other social media trends encourage shoppers to continue buying new clothes at a ridiculously alarming rate. A good way to pause before overconsuming is to ask not only “Would I wear this in five years?” but also “Would I have worn this five years ago?” So… How does one shop in an environmentally friendly fashion? Sustainable brands like Patagonia, Reformation, and Kotn provide style and ethics to the regular consumer, but as companies lean more toward sustainability, often times they lose their marketing of affordability. Understandably, many people veer towards more affordable options at the expense

Noe Lee | The Bolt Green Gypsy Thrift Shop is a sustainable clothing thrifting option located in Honolulu, Hawaii.

of their environmental footprint. Supporting brands like Shein, Forever 21, and RipCurl keeps the vicious eco-toxic cycle alive and kicking. To those with concerns about the price-point of sustainably-sourced brands thrifting is an incredible alternative. If you’re willing to invest a little bit more time and effort into your shopping experience, going to a local thrift store is a great way to decrease your carbon footprint

through your closet. Thrifting can be a little daunting at first, and many times the process is stigmatized by the idea of ‘wearing someone else’s clothes.’ To that I ask: is it better to wear vintage pre-loved clothing… or clothing made in sweatshops with a style shelf-life of less than a year. At the end of the day, your decisions are up to you but with hope for the fate of our globe, I encourage you to find sustainability chic.

Beauty Standards’ Controversiality Izzy De Leon

Beauty standards in America have shifted over time, but have always been a taboo subject to most people. Because beauty is subject to one’s personal opinion on how different features “aesthetically” appease them, different ethnic features have fallen in and out of conventional favor over time. Over the last few years, the notion of conventional beauty standards has been increasingly challenged in the public sphere - namely through social media. Changing beauty standards over time displays just how futile it is to

limit the definition of beauty to a particular standard that generally fits a specific group. For example, according to Science of People, in terms of body types, the 1920s favored slender women with a boyish stature. On the other hand, society of the 1930s-1950s, only a few decades later, favored curvier women with a more “hourglass” figure. Standards of what are deemed as conventional are constantly changing, meaning that strict definitions or standards are unrealistic and a hindrance to an acceptance of people’s differences. Social media and certain beauty or fashion brands

have become more open about speaking out against strict beauty standards, paving the way for a more inclusive view of beauty in society. In terms of makeup and beauty, brands such as Fenty Beauty, MAC Cosmetics, and Maybellene have adopted more inclusive beauty standards to accommodate people of different skin tones, colors, ages, and races, factors that were not as widely considered just a few decades ago. Similarly, in the realm of fashion, brands such as Reformation, ASOS, Gucci, and Aerie have created more body positive and plus-size inclusive lines and/or accessibility of more inclusive cloth-

ing. When people see how brands in the public sphere are shifting away from conventional beauty standards and ideas, they are often more encouraged to be more comfortable with themselves and/ or support brands and companies making real strides to mend the gap of traditionally exclusive/ unattainable beauty standards with more realistic and inclusive images. It is important for leading designers and brands to encourage the embracement of unconventional or untraditional beauty to help foster inclusivity and body positivity, moving us away from the disheartenment of reaching for the unattainable convention.