February 2020

The

BOLT

February 2020 Volume 20, Issue 4 lightningboltonline.com Sage Hill School 20402 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Coast, CA 92657

Instagram: @shspublications

Effort for Efficient Entry/Exit New Electronic Traffic Arms on Driveway Also Aim to Help Keep Students Safe

Annie Tang |The Bolt

Sage Hill installed new electronic traffic arms by the guardhouse on the school’s driveway in January.

Jacob Gibbs As of January 27, automatic traffic arms have been installed adjacent to the guard shack on the driveway when entering and exiting Sage.

The implementation of this new system is primarily to ensure the safety of students leaving campus during the school day, according to school officials.

Likewise, the arms’ intentions are also to increase efficiency when exiting campus during free blocks and excused absences.

“The essential purpose of the new mechanism is to provide a more secure way for students to enter and exit campus efficiently. By monitoring who comes onto campus, we have more control over the safety of our school,” said a member of the facilities team, who did not want to be named.

“

The school emphasized awareness from all drivers is needed in promoting the new system.

“Do not attempt to follow another vehicle through an open arm (tailgate.)

Doing so will result in damage to your vehicle! The arms automatically close after every vehicle,” according to an email sent to both parents and students.

Though the new arm system is still new to the school and being troubleshooted, the optimal goal is for students to have programmed stickers that the gate system could recognize in order to authorize the dismissal of students.

“Decals or transponders will be activated based on schedules and access abilities per the students’ free blocks and excused absences,” said CFO Jill Livermore.

Each sticker will be programmed for

“Engagement is crucial to student development.

- Dr. Matt Balossi

Editorial, Page 2

News, Page 3

the individual student and exiting campus will have a much more efficient outcome.

As of the end of this school year or beginning of next school year in August, the programmed stickers will be incrementally rolled out.

By streamlining a system with encoded recognition, students will be able to exit and enter campus more quickly.

However, students have differing opinions about the effectiveness of the new system.

“I’m uncertain about the effectiveness of the arm since I’ve observed slower traffic patterns when entering and exiting the school for the past few weeks since it’s been put into place,” said senior Karina Grover.

Other students are apprehensive about the rollout of the arms, since the decal system has not yet been activated.

“When I first heard that there was an arm, I expected a scanning system for students with exit passes; however, that has not been the case with what I’ve observed and I think it’s a waste of both money and time,” said senior Alicia Theologides Rodriguez.

Some students anticipate the arms’ efficiency and look forward to the improvements they may provide.

“I think the arm is a great way to ensure the safety of the students while making leaving and coming back to campus much more efficient. If I’m being honest, I am actually quite surprised that we have not yet implemented a system like this in the past,” said senior Linda Hachim.

No matter the case right now, it is evident that changes will be made as the facilities and security teams analyze the most efficient way to keep students safe.

” Community, Page 4

Sports, Page 6

Tribute, Page 8

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The Bolt February 2020 Sage Hill School

Editorial

Need for a Nurse?

You’re in class and you have a throbbing headache. Maybe you sprained your ankle playing lacrosse. You ask your friends for Advil, but they don’t have any to give you. Now, you’re stuck without aid. What are you going to do?

Currently, Health Management Coordinator and Athletic Trainer Meaghan Beaudoin often fills the shoes of a nurse on campus.

Her position at Sage Hill focuses on treatment for student-athletes. However, most members on campus can agree that she stretches well beyond her job description.

Beaudoin, nicknamed “T-Meg”, also helps with many medical emergencies in numerous departments of Sage Hill.

T-Meg often steps up to the plate when a health situation arises “whether it’s a cut or splinter from something in art or a burn or exposure from one of the science classes,” Beaudoin said.

Still, that is really not in her job description, or anyone else’s at Sage for that matter.

Sage’s faculty members are trained in basic emergency response.

“All of our employees are trained in basic first aid, CPR and use of AEDs,” Dean of School Life Dominic Campeau said. Additionally, “Adam Patterson and the security team also have high-level health care training including special training in bleeding control and other emergency situations.”

There is no doubt that Sage is protected in the case of a large scale emergency, but what does an individual do to receive treatment for a non-life threatening illness or accident? There are more situations on a day-today basis that require the aid of a legitimate nurse.

Say you have a fever, period cramps, or a bad cold. Without a licensed nurse under the supervision of a physician, you aren’t legally allowed to receive medication from any adults on campus. In other words, no ibuprofen for a migraine, injury, or fever.

There is also nowhere for students on campus to seek medical care for a common cold, flu, or other symptoms. So, T-Meg is left to pick up the slack.

“I have kids coming in knocking on my

T

door before I open the training room in the afternoons because they don’t feel well and they don’t know where else to go. I’m super happy to see them but, because we don’t have a nurse’s office or a place where students can be monitored or observed,” Beaudoin said.

No nurse means no place for sick students to rest throughout the day. Furthermore, it means students are responsible for evaluating their symptoms and deciding whether to go home or stay at school. In theory, students who are sick are advised to not be at school in the first place.

“We ask that sick students do not come to school and do not return to school until they have been symptom-free for 24 hours,” the School Handbook says on page 20.

However, many students have a chronic fear of missing class and falling behind on our coursework.

“People come to school when they’re sick because if you skip school you fall back a ton,” senior Ezugo Ononye said.

Students might not know when to draw the line and go home. So, our solution is to “tough it out” and come to class. Without a nurse, there is no one to tell students when to go home, which further perpetuates the

THE BOLT

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, lightningboltonline.com, or addressed to editor-in-chiefs Lily Button or Yuna Baek and put in their mailboxes on campus. These letters may not exceed 150 words or they will be edited for inclusion.

Editors-in-Chief Yuna Baek (Bolt), Lily Button (Bolt), Ian Grimm (Online), and Alicia Theologides Rodriguez (Storm) Editorial Board Jacob Gibbs, Polina Mogilevsky and Annie Tang Adviser Kelly Abbate

cycle of illness on campus. It seems that once one person gets sick, we all get sick.

The administrative justification is: Sage doesn’t need a nurse. However, we believe the need for a nurse is prevalent in our community.

So, this begs the question: Why don’t we have one already?

One possible explanation is for liability reasons. Having a nurse on campus would hold Sage more accountable, which comes with legal risks.

What we do know is that the administration takes the health of its students seriously.

“The broader area of wellness is significant to the school. We have been reviewing and making changes to our wellness programming in order to make sure that it adapts to the ever-changing needs of our students,” Campeau said.

At this point, we are currently unaware if the prospect of a school nurse is on the horizon. With the rising threat of flu, and more recently, the risk of coronavirus, it’s more important than ever students and administrators alike take a deeper look into this issue and reevaluate our health and support needs on campus.

Lauren Avenatti Joey Cha Megan Chan Riya Chaturvedi Courtney Davis Param Desagami Isabel Gomez Riya Gupta Linda Hachim William Ho Adam Hung David Kim

Sanjana Khurana Julia Kwon Ethan Lee

Valentina Lin Max Luer

Alexander Orozco Anisha Punia

Arielle Schultz Max Tu

Reese Wensinger

News

The Bolt February 2020 Sage Hill School

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Survey: Lots of Work, Little Sleep Param Desagani

Annie Tang | The Bolt

Margaret Dunlap from Challenge Success talks to Sage Hill parents and students about redefining success and college fit.

Lauren Avenatti On January 15, Sage Hill hosted the annual Coastline Orange County Case Studies Program, inviting 11th grade students and their parents from Sage Hill, St. Margaret’s, and Tarbut V’Torah to participate in this interactive and very informative event.

After being separated and given random room numbers, the 11th grade students and parents formed imaginary admissions committees, guided by actual college representatives, where they discussed mock applications and collectively decided which out of the fictional characters be admitted, waitlisted, and denied from the also fictional Red Brick University.

The College Counseling team’s main goal by holding this program is for students/parents to understand the ways in which a college application is read, common mistakes made by applicants, and the nuances that go into application review.

“The exercise was really helpful to my family and I in helping us understand what a college admissions board would be looking at when you send in your application,” junior Max Daily said. “It dismissed some myths and made me feel a little more confident in this college admissions process.”

A college fair with over 70 colleges in attendance from across the nation took place after the studies program, where students got to introduce themselves to and interact with college representatives.

“The college fair was a once in a lifetime opportunity that we were so fortunate to be provided with,” junior Katie Mayhew said. “It was such a unique experience to get to hear what goes through the mind of college representatives when admitting students, and it made me more confident about what colleges want from me.”

There were over 200 students in attendance, all seeming to enjoy the interactive aspect of the program along with the college fair and really getting a good grasp of what occurs in a typical admissions office at a university.

“The Coastline Case Studies gave me an insight into how colleges look at candidates that I didn’t even know I needed. Not only was it the most interesting college admission related event that I have been to, it was also by far the most useful,” junior Koby Twist said. “It helped me understand what factors in a person colleges look at, how they are weighted, and what ultimately determines whether or not someone is accepted or not. And to top it all off, it’s followed up by the best college fair I’ve been to.”

Bullseye #12

The answer to each of the 15 clues listed below is one of the words around the bullseye. Cross out the words as you answer the clues as each word is only used once.

When you are finished, you will be left with 5 unused words which can be inserted into the blanks of the quote below the clues.

∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞∞ #1: Spells a musical instrument in reverse. #2: Leaves a color of the rainbow if you remove a letter. #3: Consists of two things you might see in a horse stable. #4: Names a trademarked symbol if you turn its second letter upside down. #5: Sounds like an NBA team. #6: Leaves something with wrinkled skin if you remove its last letter. #7: Spells an animal if you swap its two vowels. #8: Sounds like an actor’s full name if you swap its two syllables. #9: Leaves a U.S. state if you cross out its first and last letter and reverse it. #10: Leaves two drinks if you remove its last two letters. #11: Spells a flower if you change its if you change its second letter to E. #12: Spells someone who gets her kicks onstage if you remove its first letter and add an E to the end. #13: Spells a special kind of bottle if you move the first two letters to the end and then add an S to the end. #14: Spells a famous dance song from 1978 (don’t worry, you probably know it) if you change its last letter to a Y and reverse it. #15: Sounds like a body part if you pronounce it with a lisp. “__________ __________ __________ a __________ __________” –P.T. Barnum “Every crowd has a silver lining”

Interactive College Event Provides Insight

From a high school student’s perspective, the definition of success typically includes achieving the highest possible GPA, taking numerous AP courses, thriving in extracurricular activities, and ultimately gaining acceptance into a prestigious university.

The Challenge Success partnership implemented at Sage during the 2019-2020 school year redefines success in a way that is tailored to each individual student. The objective is to show students that there is no one set model of success.

An increase in mental and emotional health issues among students led Madeline Levine, Ph.D., Jim Lobdell, M.A., and Denise Pope, Ph.D. to found the program so schools can collect meaningful student data through a survey. The survey is then used to improve support for student wellness and increase

committed to about 8.5 hours of extracurricular activities during the school week, not including SAT or ACT test preparation.

In the foreseeable future, Dr. Balossi hopes the results of this survey will help the school create an environment in which students are more engaged with their teachers, schoolwork, and learning process.

“Engagement is crucial to student development and that to achieve such engagement, assignments and involvement in extracurriculars must be meaningful and student centered,” he said.

Additionally, with the support of the Challenge Success program and the presence of advisors, dedicated teachers, and supportive staff, Sage Hill hopes to exercise more often the existing positive values such as discovery, integrity, and creativity, which will allow them to achieve personal success and gain self-efficacy while maintaining a healthy, well-balanced life.

student engagement in learning.

The program has already been implemented in over 500 US schools and offers both parent and faculty workshops to help support student development and engagement.

In October, Sage Hill School’s students were asked to complete the 30-40 minute survey, which included questions regarding academic coursework, grades, sleep habits, and even academic dishonesty. The data was then reviewed to observe possible correlations between student coursework, extracurriculars, and stress levels.

In a recent interview with Dr. Balossi, Dean of Faculty and Curriculum at Sage, he shared an overview of survey data, which revealed that at the time of the survey most students at Sage slept 6.7 hours a night and on average students dedicated three hours to homework each day. In addition, the data showed that students were

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The Bolt February 2020 Sage Hill School

Mamma Mia! Her

The Sold-Out Winter Musical Paid Attendees Their Own G

ABOVE: Sophomore Saiida Webb closes out the show’s first big number in her role as Donna Sheridan. The song, “Money Money Money,” captures the struggle of Donna to survive after her daughter’s father disappears on her.

BELOW: Donna and the Dynamos, the “World’s First Girl Power Band”, get set to perform a classic number for Sophie Sheridan’s Bacheloette Party.

From left to right, senior Selene Shankle, sophomore Saiida Webb, and senior Farrah Fuerst play Rosie, Donna, and Tanya.

Opa!! For this year’s musical, the Black Box Theater was transformed into the Greek island of Kalokairi for the winter production of “Mamma Mia!” The cast and crew spent weeks hard at work memorizing lines, choreographing dances, and paying homage to the Broadway musical and the musical talents of Swedish pop supergroup ABBA. For those not familiar with the popular show, the plot of “Mamma Mia!” centers around a young girl, Sophie (sophomore Sanjana Khurana), trying to figure out who her real father is the day before her wedding by inviting all three suspects to her wedding (seniors Dylan McCarthy, Dylan

Long and Nick Fish). Chaos and shenanigans ensue accompanied by ABBA power ballads.

What was it like for the cast members to be part of such a well-known production?

Khurana said playing the character is “so exciting because her personality is upbeat and full of laughter which makes every second of playing her that much more fun.”

Senior Selene Shankle lit up the stage as Rosie, everyone’s favorite foodie and one of Donna’s (Sophie’s mom) best friends. Shankle is no stranger to theater at Sage Hill and typically plays strong characters.

“I think Rosie is pretty dominant in her own way, because she’s not so great in the area

The Bolt February 2020 Sage Hill School

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re We Go Again!

d Tribute to ABBA Music and Gave Greek Island Adventure of romance, but I think that’s because she’s so independent.

She’s constantly battling with this femininity that everyone expects... She is a really strong woman, she’s capable of taking care of herself,” Shankle said.

One of the things that makes Shankle such a convincing Rosie is her ability to relate to the character.

“I myself am unique and need someone that can match my strength. I’m secure in myself, just it never was in a way of how I appeared to other people. It was more in my abilities and mental state,” Shankle said.

Senior Jacob Gibbs played Pepper, the feisty bartender.

Gibbs is no stranger to the theater department either.

“I did the musical freshman year; I just wanted one last thing in the arts department, to tie it all up,” Gibbs said. “I really, really wanted to be a part of this.”

Gibbs’ rehearsal process consists of three parts.

“There’s the acting aspect, and we do blocking with Mrs. Kildare,” he said. There’s singing with Toni [Helms]. I’m in the ensemble, but I’m also a featured singer.

For those who missed the show, there is still another chance to see Sage Hill students take the stage this year: the One Acts are in early April.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Sam Carmichael (Senior Nick Fish) proposes to Donna Sheridan in the play’s climax and final scene.

In “Does Your Mother Know”, Tanya (senior Farrah Fuerst) refuses the advances of Pepper (senior Jacob Gibbs) and the male ensemble.

Harry (Senior Dylan Long) and Donna (Sophomore Saiida Webb) recall good memories and Vespa rides in “Our Last Summer.”

Rosie (senior Selene Shankle) and Tanya try to cheer up Donna with their old favorite songs in “Dancing Queen.”

Photos by Rick Davitt Writing by Polina Mogilevsky

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The Bolt February 2020 Sage Hill School

Winter Sports Girls’ Soccer

Joey Cha | The Bolt

Senior Alicia Theologides Rodriguez works the ball down field during a game.

The girl’s varsity soccer team is zooming through league games this season. The team has three captains: junior Sofia Lowe and seniors Alicia Theologides Rodriguez and Nicole Motherway, leading alongside Coaches Mike Hammond and Megan Cid. Motherway plays goalie, and also has many responsibilities as captain.

“I think a big part of being captain is leading by example, which includes staying focused during practice and getting the equipment from the shed,” Motherway said.

“Another thing is making sure everyone is friendly and supportive of each other both on and off the field, which helps us perform better as a team and really bond.”

Sophomore Zayna Lateef, who recently won Athlete of the Week, has been a strong asset to the team playing the left forward position.

“Our best memory as a team was the first goal we scored against Pacifica Christian. Lauren scored with a header and it really built up our confidence. It was the start of a great season,” Lateef said.

Nicole Motherway has several goals for the season to end off strong.

“As a team we are aiming to finish second in league, and I think if we keep up how we are currently playing we have a good chance of doing so,” Motherway said. “I also hope that we continue to bond as a team, as it’s a really great group of girls.”

The Lightning team is currently in 2nd place in the San Joaquin League and looking toward the playoffs.

- Courtney Davis

Boys’ Soccer Goal! The boys’ soccer team has been fighting for another tough, yet accomplishing, season. This year, the team is led by seniors Emir Karabeg and Jonathan Lake as well as Coach Joe Franco.

According to the team, soccer is a place for hard work, improvement, and sportsmanship.

“Being a coach [means] being a great mentor and developing the players on my team to be the best they can be, both on and off of the field,” Coach Franco said. “Our goal this year is to play to our potential and with passion.”

Even though the team plays to their best abilities, it doesn’t go exactly as expected, but they encourage each other and improve upon.

“I feel like during most of the games of the season, our team has been very competitive, and sometimes the scoreboard doesn’t always reflect the game,” freshman Luke Chez said. “…We’ve learned a lot so far this season and it’s not over yet as we have a couple more games to showcase our skills.”

Additionally, the sport can lead to a major breakthrough in friendship. Throughout the season, the team discovered an unbreakable bond where every player gets along well and shows kindness to each other.

“In my four years of playing varsity soccer, …each year got more enjoyable [and] I love my team,” Lake said.

- Lauren Chung

Freshman Luke Chez fights for posession of the ball.

Carter Bryant | The Bolt

Boys’ Basketball

Joey Cha | The Bolt

Senior Ryan Hosseinzadeh blocks an opposing player from making a pass.

After winning league for the first time last season, the Sage Hill boys basketball team has kept up an impressive 5-2 league record as of February 3.

They are currently 2nd place in the Academy League, with their first two league losses against Southlands Christian and St. Margaret’s, which was on January 17 at their home.

The team also recently placed in 4th place in the Tri-City Christian Holiday Tournament. The Tri-City Christian Holiday Tournament tournament was hosted in San Diego over winter break with other high school basketball teams from all around Southern California and other states.

“We made a lot of mistakes in the beginning of the year, but we’ve learned from them and are ready to win,” senior forward Janak Bhakta said.

The boys basketball team played their rival, St. Margaret’s, again at the Ube on Tuesday, February 4. Although the game had big implications for Sage Hill’s standing in the Academy League, the game held even more significance. Before the game, both teams honored Kobe Bryant and the eight other lives that were lost on January 26.

“Our game [against St. Margaret’s] is going to be tough and physical,” junior forward August Neubauer said. “But the most important part of the game will be commemorating the lives that were lost.”

The Lightning eventually fell to St. Margaret’s, 48-40.

- William Ho

Girls’ Basketball This winter season, Sage Hill’s girls’ varsity basketball team is off to a slammin’ start. They have won an impressive 18 games to only 4 losses. Team captains Zoe Mazakas ’20 and Isabel Gomez ‘22 have created an encouraging and positive environment for the 13 girls on the team.

Head Coach Kerwin Walters has attributed the success to “an amazing team chemistry… that embodie[s] the Sage Hill ‘family’ mantra.”

Over the winter break, the girls competed in the So Cal Holiday Prep Classic in San Diego.

Sophomore Grace Zhang recounts that the energy surrounding the team was “super hype[d]... [but we] were really nervous about the last game because it was a really competitive team.” She added that they were losing in the first half, but pulled through, persevered and won in overtime. The team eventually won their division at the tournament, which is the best Sage Hill has ever placed.

The team faced their archrival, St. Margaret’s, on February 4 with playoffs on the horizon. They won that game, 51-34, and clinched a playoff spot. Before the game, there was an emotional tribute to Sage Hill parent Kobe Bryant and the eight others killed in a helicopter crash on January 26. A student from St. Margaret’s and her mother were also on board.

Coach Walters said as a coach he hopes to “teach them that life is about the relationships and memories that we create… Always doing things for the right reason, helping others when they are in need and being able to show compassion to others.”

With such inspiring leadership driving the team, this season is considered a success.

- Noe Lee

Joey Cha | The Bolt

Sophomore Isabel Gomez tries to take the ball to the net during a game.

Technology

The Bolt February 2020 Sage Hill School

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They Can Hack It

Sage Hill’s Hackathon Service Learning Hosts a Successful Event Ian Grimm On Friday, January 17 at about 6:00 p.m., a group of students filed into the McNeill Merz loft, pulled out laptops, and gazed forward at the small group of Sage Hill juniors and seniors at the projector.

One of them takes the mic, and says, “Welcome to SageHack.”

SageHack is part of a new wave of computer-science education at the high school, college, and graduate levels.

Aspiring entrepreneurs attempt to conceptualize, design, build, code and present a startup company within very limited time frames, often as short as 24 hours or less.

Ideas with exceptional merit can win prizes, acclaim from judges and fellow attendees, and possibly even a deal from venture-capitalist investors seeking to realize the nascent concept.

While most Hackathons focus primarily on computer science projects, there are specialized events that focus instead on other scientific disciplines, where participants design practical products and wearables, engineering concepts that imagine creative uses for existing technology like solar power,

and even potential innovations in biotech and medicine.

SageHack sets itself apart from the nearly 60 other active LA-area Hackathon events that have run in the last 12 months with its explicit focus on encouraging high-school students interested in computer science to train, compete, and build a company.

Most current hackathons have broad college audiences—SageHack’s founder Jackie Ni discussed how at one of the first Hackathons he went to, his team was the only high school group—but SageHack’s focus on younger students helps develop the entrepreneurial ability required to succeed in real startup design.

While the team stepped into the Hackathon not knowing what to do, they found a lot of support for the event. Fifteen individual corporate sponsors provided funds, prizes, and supplies for the event, and the team is working on expanding that list in the future. Members of the Sage Hill community, including several current students and alumni, and others also provided support for the event.

“Our advisor is Mr. Miller, who has helped us manage, organize and run the event. We also work with an organiza-

Timothy Guo advises a participant on finding a project idea during SageHack tion called Hack Club, who’ve helped sponsor us and provide the funds for our competition to succeed, and we’re in contact with UCI computer science professor Sandia Irani,” Ni said, elaborating on the people and groups who have helped make SageHack a reality.

The program was inspired

by the previous experience Jackie Ni has had in past hackathons, and his desire to share his passion about it with the Sage community. Ni encourages the Sage community to attend future hackathons, including SageHack’s second event, which is coming up in April of 2020.

Joey Cha | The Bolt

“I’ve been to a number of hackathons before, and yeah they’re intimidating, yeah they’re stressful, but I feel like you get a lot out of it because after you go, you get a better sense of what you can do,” Ni said.

“There’s a lot of possibilities out there, and there’s a lot of things to learn. You just have to do it.”

Building Up Robotics Adam Hung

Valentina Lin | The Bolt

Seniors Nathan Luong and Crew Parker work on their robot for an upcoming competition.

The Robotics team has always been a popular group at Sage, but is back this year better than ever with new members and technologies.

“We’ve added more options for making, such as 3D printing, welding, woodworking, and in the future I want to continue to expand to things like leatherworking, fabrics, laser cutting,” said Tovi Spero, the club’s new faculty advisor and physics teacher.

Spero has picked up where last year’s advisor, Aaron Soffa, left off, and the club has also welcomed many new freshmen members this year.

“Next year, we’ll be combining the robotics, drones and rockets clubs and expanding our offerings in STEAM related fields,” said Spero, who has a multitude of new visions and goals for the club.

Currently, the club is preparing for the competition it enters each year, the First Robotics Competition. FRC is an international high school robotics competition. Each year, teams of high school students, coaches, and mentors work during a six-

week period to build game-playing robots that weigh up to 120 pounds.

“The last two years, we haven’t been super competitive in FRC, but this year with all the new structural changes it’s looking really positive,” said Isaac Choi, junior and co-president of Robotics.

Members of the team are also provided with all the resources to learn about tools, electronics, programming, and more, and senior members of the club help to educate and prepare new members for the future.

“Robotics is a great place to learn different facets of engineering, and I’ve learned a lot from both my peers and Mr. Spero,” junior Alan Wang said.

Individuals can even invent and execute any kind of robotics-related independent projects, which they present to Spero and can be funded by the school.

“We’re also working on reaching out for new membership,” Spero said. He welcomes students of any experience level to stop by at club meetings during X blocks in the physics lab.

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The Bolt February 2020 Sage Hill School

Backpage

Tribute to a Hero: Kobe Bryant Sanjana Khurana & Isabel Gomez

On Sunday, January 26, the world was shattered by the tragic deaths of nine people with strong ties to Orange County and our community: Kobe Bryant, Gianna Bryant, John Altobelli, Keri Altobelli, Alyssa Altobelli, Christina Mauser, Payton Chester, Sarah Chester, and Ara Zobayan.

Kobe Bryant often used helicopters to travel to his games and practices in Los Angeles from his home here in Newport. He often chose to fly so he could be a basketball legend and also an involved and loving family man.

While flying to his daughter Gianna’s basketball tournament in Thousand Oaks with some of her Mamba teammates, their helicopter crashed near Calabasas, leaving no survivors.

We want to send our love and prayers to the Bryant, Altobelli, Mauser, Chester and Zobayan families as well as everyone else who is dealing with the shock of this accident and the grief that comes along with it. These nine will never be forgotten. They will live on in our memories and of those who loved them.

Following this tragic accident, thousands of fans have shown unbelievable displays of love toward Kobe Bryant. The Grammy Awards happened to be held on January 26 at the Staples Center, which was Bryant’s second home, his turf. During his 20-year basketball career with the Los Angeles Lakers, he made it what it is today.

Thousands of fans gathered around the Staples Center wearing shirts with Bryant’s jersey number, Lakers hats, foam fingers; many brought flowers, chocolates, candles, and basketballs and laid them out in front of the arena. People from all over came together to grieve and share their feelings of love, pain, and sadness. The entire city of Los Angeles echoed the chanting of the fans screaming, “Kobe, Kobe, Kobe!”

Throughout the night of the Grammys, many artists paid tribute to Kobe dedicating the night to him.

“We’re literally standing here heartbroken in the house that Kobe Bryant built,” said Alicia Keys, who hosted the Grammys.

She opened the Grammys with a speech dedicating the evening to Bryant and performed in his honor.

The world is mourning Bryant,

one of the greatest basketball players of all time and a celebrity known throughout the world.

But we here in Newport Beach are also mourning the father, the coach, the neighbor and the person we so often saw on campus, in the Ube, at the grocery store, and just driving around town.

Sage Hill recently hosted boys’ and girls’ varsity basketball games against St. Margaret’s Episcopal School, our rival. The Chester family was a part of St. Margaret’s community, so both schools decided to come together and use this game to honor those who passed in the accident. There was not a single seat left in the gym that night and hundreds of shirts were passed out to those who came and supported.

On the front, the shirt read, “Mamba Forever,” and on the back, a quote of Kobe Byrant’s was written: “We don’t quit, we don’t cower, we don’t run. We endure and conquer.”

Kobe Bryant wore many hats: basketball legend, inspiration, father, husband, coach. He was an author as well. In an interview about his book “The Mamba Mentality,” he said: “Hard work outweighs talent – every time.

Mamba Mentality is about 4 a.m. workouts, doing more than the next guy and then trusting in the work you’ve put in when it’s time

to perform. Without studying, preparation and practice, you’re leaving the outcome to fate. I don’t do fate.”

As the devoted dad of four girls, two of them active athletes and students, he often spoke of his children with pride and passion. It was clear to all that he adored them and always wanted the best for them.

Mr. Bryant, as he was known to most of us, was a constant presence around town and always a joy to see. Whether it was checking in on the progress of a team, asking about a summer vacation, or just offering a high-five, many of us had the pleasure and honor of interacting with him over the years.

The Sage girls’ basketball team was in a particularly fortunate position with regard to interacting with both Kobe and Gianna Bryant. They had the pleasure of scrimmaging his 7th grade team (who killed us by nearly 30 points).

On the sidelines, he was an assuring presence with a positive attitude. Bryant knew the things to say to his players to get them fired up and excited to enjoy their game (amid grueling workouts and training). Many of us on campus knew that the Mamba team used the Ube to train during the week or on weekends, and some of us even had the honor to watch his

genius at work. His unmatched work ethic was passed down to his ten players, who constantly strived to get better at their craft each and every day.

Bryant’s involvement in the basketball community, post-retirement, extended out to Coach Russ Davis, the Vanguard women’s basketball coach. When Davis contracted throat cancer, Bryant “wouldn’t let [Davis] be weak” in his fight and supported him throughout his battle. Bryant was incredibly good at building strong, loving relationships with a lot of different people from different walks of his life.

Whether it was the stars of the NBA or the everyday people like us that he ran into, every person felt a connection with him.

These cherished connections with him make this an even bigger and more personal tragedy. In the days after the crash, hundreds of different stories about his time in the league, his time as a coach, or as a dad surfaced. There are so many layers related to the sadness of his death and the deaths of all the others involved.

We mourn the athlete and his accomplishments, the hero when the clock is running down, the celebrity on the red carpet, the philanthropist and volunteer, and the everyday man that so many of us knew.