May 2019

The

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May 2019 Volume 19, Issue 7 lightningboltonline.com Sage Hill School 20402 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Coast, CA 92657

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Trustees Resign in Scandal Community Reacts to Ties in Nationwide College Admissions Investigation Hannah Woodworth Two former Sage Hill board members – Michelle Janavs and Douglas Hodge – have stepped down from their positions on the Board of Trustees after being charged in the nationwide college admissions scandal in mid-March.

On Tuesday, March 12, coincidentally the same day as Accepted Students Day and the Spring Pep Rally, a list of the 50 people charged in the bribery scheme was released by the New York Times, which included the two former Board of Trustee members and an additional Sage Hill parent – I-Hsin “Joey” Chen.

Hodge, former PIMCO CEO, is under investigation for allegedly creating “fabricated athletic profiles” so his daughter, who attended Sage Hill, and son could be accepted into USC under the false pretenses of soccer and football recruits.

Combined, Hodge allegedly paid approximately $525,000 in bribes so his children could attend his alma mater.

Janavs, a former executive of her family’s food business, which popularized Hot Pockets, has been indicted for allegedly paying over $100,000 to change her daughters’ ACT scores and have one of her daughters accepted as a beach volleyball recruit at USC. In response to the school’s proximity to the scandal, Mike Bolen, Chair of the Board of Trustees, released a statement to the immediate community, explaining the establishment of a “Special Committee” within the Board to “work with legal counsel at O’Melveny & Myers to review the School’s internal counseling and Board processes, and to determine what information or recommendations to present to the full Board, School administration or Honor Council.”

Since the scandal broke, despite the assurance that the administration and legal counsel have the situation under control, many community members have articulated their own beliefs on the scandal, alluding to how the incident speaks to a greater Sage Hill culture.

“It was only a matter of time until someone took advantage and exploited the process,” said Sahar Rohani, Sage Hill alumna of the Class of 2017 and currently a sophomore at USC. “Everyone was asking how I was feeling, and I guess

“

Alicia Theologides Rodriguez | The Bolt

Several Sage Hill School parents, both current and former, found themselves involved in a nationwide college admissions scandal in March. the word I would use is unfazed.”

“I know so many people at USC who have full and half scholarships, and there is such a diverse array of kids there,” Rohani said. “But at Sage, with way smaller classes and that small environment, every parent was always like, ‘Who got in where?’ all the time. It was a toxic environment. If someone didn’t get into a name school, people felt like they wasted $150,000 in tuition.”

Since its founding in 2000, Sage Hill has been distinguished as an elite independent school in Newport Coast, characterized by its rigorous academics and dynamic curriculum, and notably notorious for its nearly $40,000 tuition.

“It’s something I don’t think we talk about enough at Sage, or at least didn’t when I was there,” said Vale Lewis, Sage Hill alumna of the Class of 2017 and current sophomore at Cornell University.

“Socioeconomic privilege is apparent in every aspect of Sage’s culture — from the outrageously expensive cars in the parking lot to the expensive music festivals attended by many students — and I think Sage’s connection to the cheating scandal

I think there’s a lot that we as a Student Council can do better than what we’ve seen this year.

- Nick Fish

Editorial, Page 2

News, Page 3

just serves to highlight that. If Sage wants to truly ‘learn from this experience’ as the administration claims, I think they need to start by addressing the huge amount of socioeconomic privilege present on campus.”

Sage’s proximity to the college admission scandal is not the first time the discussion of privilege has come up in conversation within the community. In the January 2016 edition of the Bolt, Julia Dupuis, Senior Opinion Editor at the time, published a commentary called “Got Privilege,” which discussed “how privileged people are more likely to benefit from power systems that exist in our society.”

Many themes expressed in her commentary seem to speak directly to the situation at hand; she states that “when people are accustomed to privilege, equality can seem like oppression.”

This situation is a concern not only from the standpoint of privilege, but from how the high expectations of students can take a toll on their high school experience.

Some community members said that such an intense focus on college should not be the priority during high school.

“I feel badly for the students who are not able to truly enjoy four years of high school because there is so much pressure on them to use it as a jumping off point for college,” said Konnie Krislock, former Sage Hill Publications advisor.

“I came from a background in the ‘70s where there were tons of elective programs and kids had a reason to come to school, and now since the preponderance of offerings at the normal high school is a lot of AP classes and very few elective programs, who wants to come to school anymore? It is such a chore,” Krislock said.

Some of the most outspoken people as the scandal has played out are Sage Hill parents. Many believe this is an opportunity to reassess the parent’s role as students choose an institution that is right for them.

“Where [our daughter] goes to college is not a reflection of us,” said Sharon Block and David Newman, parents of a current junior and an alumnus. “We hope she finds a university where she fits, and where she can achieve her goals.”

“There are thousands of colleges where students get great educations, so the rush to get into the most prestigious or competitive schools is a shame,” they added. “What matters for success is the student’s hard work, attitude, and drive, not the name brand.”

As students discuss the admissions scandal’s relationship to the Sage Hill community, many conversations developed into brainstorming sessions of how to avoid situations like this in the future.

Senior Josh Cheadle, for example, said he believes a student should be placed on the Board to increase transparency between the administration and the students and faculty.

The one thing that everyone seems to agree on is how the scandal has offered a great opportunity to both reflect and work toward meaningful and lasting change for the future.

“We thank the community for its understanding and support during this time,” Head of School Patricia Merz said in a statement. “As always, we are inspired by our current Sage Hill students and alumni – as well as their parents – who work hard, strive for excellence and represent the best of our community.”

SAGE ATHLETICS

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Spring Season Sports, Pages 4-5

Arts, Page 6

Opinion, Page 8

2

The Bolt May 2019 Sage Hill School

Editorial

No Place for Anti-Semitism On Saturday morning, April 27, there was another synagogue shooting in the United States at Congregation Chabad in Poway, Calif. And yes, that does in fact say another shooting.

Worldwide, anti-Semitism – the act of hatred or intolerance toward Jewish people – has been reaching an all-time high. In fact, President Macron of France has recently said that anti-Semitism is at its worst level since World War II, according to CNN. This global rise in anti-Semitism has been very apparent in our own community, from the murder of 19-year-old Blaze Bernstein in January 2018 to the vandalism of a local synagogue in October.

In recent months, anti-Semitism has seemed to reach a new level in Newport Beach, with the circulation of a picture of students from Newport Harbor who appear to be doing the nazi salute to red solo cups in the shape of a swastika. This was later followed by vandalism of the school with Nazi posters, according to the Los Angeles Times.

What always seems to happen is that people talk about anti-Semitism for a few days after something happens, but then the conversation seems to fizzle away until something else happens.

But the reality is that two-thirds of millennials do not know what Auschwitz is and that 22% do not really know what the Holocaust is or that Holocaust deniers still exist, and are thriving within our own community.

The scariest part, as students, is that recent reports by the Anti-Defamation League show that anti-Semitism is at a 94% increase in K-12 schools.

As members of the Sage community, and of the other communities we belong to outside of Sage, we must take it upon ourselves to recognize intolerance, ignorance and prejudice whenever and wherever we see it.

These acts of hatred are not just an insult to the millions of Jews worldwide, but an insult to the thousands of people whose loved ones fought, bled, and died in World War II against the Nazis to defeat the swastika and what it stands for.

Most importantly, this is not an issue that is isolated to the Jewish community, but to everyone. It is crucial that all people are equally disgusted by acts of anti-Semitism and that we stand up against

any act of hate that they see, hear, or experience. It is not just the Jewish community or Newport Harbor’s problem, it’s our problem.

And it starts with how we treat and talk to each other. Our words and actions not just in person, but online, make a huge difference. Simple words of encouragement even make a difference.

We have a great deal of power within ourselves to make change for the worse, but we have even more power to make change for the better. which we must remember in times like these.

The most important element is continued discussion of the issue. From this year’s winter play on campus to the activity on social media after the red solo cup

incident with Newport Harbor students, Jewish history can never be forgotten.

And we want to acknowledge all of the support people have shown to this issue on social media. All of the love does not go without recognition, and speaking out is the first step to implementing meaningful and lasting change to this systematic issue in our community.

THE BOLT

T

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-chief Hannah Woodworth and put in her mailbox on campus. These letters may not exceed 150 words or they will be edited for inclusion.

Editors-in-Chief Halah Biviji (Storm), Daniel Fishman (Online), Madison Harris-Weiner (Bolt), Sarah Kim (Storm), Hannah Woodworth (Bolt) Editorial Board Lily Button, Miranda deBruyne, Karli Davis, Alexis Kelly, Trevor Klein, Sydney McCord, Cammi Phillips, Alicia Theologlides Rodriguez Adviser Kelly Parker

Yuna Baek Riya Chaturvedi Ashwin Chona Courtney Davis Jacob Gibbs Isabel Gomez Ian Grimm Riya Gupta Linda Hachim Adam Hung

Sanjana Khurana Julia Kwon Valentina Lin Kate Mlouk Polina Mogilevsky Isabella Mora Anisha Punia Natalie Rosenberg Annie Tang Max Tu

News

The Bolt May 2019 Sage Hill School

3

Changes Come to StuCo

New Officials Elected; New Position Added to Leadership Group Alexis Kelly While the seniors are making their final college decisions, the underclassmen have been looking to the future as well by electing their student council leaders for the 2019-2020 school year.

This year saw many changes to the election process. For the first time ever, voting was done electronically over Google Forms.

This new strategy made it easier for students to cast their ballot and resulted in 86% of the student body participating, a record high.

“I think that the electronic voting method is much more convenient because I can do it anywhere and have more opportunities to do it, such as during passing period or break in class,” junior Brandon Phan said. “With a paper ballot method, I’m restricted to voting only during lunch period and have to walk all the way to Town Square.”

Another change was the choice to create the new Student Council position of Spirit Commissioner. The new Spirit Commissioner, Arnav Choksi, will be responsible for raising student morale and school spirit, whether it be at Town Meeting, a sports game, or an art show.

“I think the Spirit Commissioner should work with the activities coordinators to make

events more exciting and also be the announcer during them,” Choksi said. “I plan on promoting a wider scope of events such as music performances and club-created events.”

Although most other aspects of Student Council’s functioning will be carried into next year, the new members are looking to improve upon the past and make the next school year even better.

Incoming Student Council president Nick Fish used this desire to make his community a better place to inform his decision to run.

“I have always been interested in student leadership and particularly this year I have noticed a trend of games and fun events becoming less and less frequent. I decided then that the best way I could enact real change in my community was to run for Student Body President and make those changes that I wanted to see come to life,” Fish said.

Although it is still months before his tenure begins, Fish wants to hit the ground running in August and already has plans that he wants to implement at Sage.

“I think there’s a lot that we as a Student Council can do better than what we’ve seen this year,” Fish said. “I plan on having a more efficient and well-delegated Student Council so we can plan at least one game a week, and provide exceptional

Alicia Theologides Rodriguez | The Bolt

Presidential candidate Nick Fish gave an inspiring speech that helped him out in the polls. dances, pep rallies and other large-scale events.”

This year, the level of effort that candidates put into their campaign preparations was unprecedented, especially with regards to the signs posted all over campus.

“As far as campaigning, I don’t think anyone anticipated the lengths of which many candidates, including myself, would go to make sure their posters were the biggest and most

noticeable around the school,” Fish said.

In addition, all of the candidates spent time carefully crafting their speeches and finalizing their platforms.

“I constructed a comprehensive list of ideas for games and events for next year in order to give myself an actual platform to run on as opposed to just running on my name alone,” Fish said.

For new Activities Coordina-

tor Jacqueline McNeill, preparations also included confronting her fear of public speaking.

“In preparation for the election, I talked to people to figure out what they would want to see next year, as well as writing a speech, which was very nerve-wracking,” McNeill said.

“I’m not the biggest fan of public speaking so I wanted to be efficient and get my ideas out there in a way that would be easily understandable for everyone.”

AROUND THE WORLD IN A DAY Town Square Transformed for Multicultural Fair Celebration Lily Button

Valentina Lin | The Bolt

Professional Folklorico dancers from Mexico were just one of the performances during the 18th annual Multicultural Fair.

The Multicultural Fair, one of Sage’s most beloved days of the year, once again filled campus with great food, entertainment and conversation.

The event united Sage families and members of the local community in a celebration of diversity and cross-cultural competency.

A variety of student and professional performances were featured throughout the day.

Highlights included traditional Mexican dances, karate katas, K-Pop dances, Chinese dragons, the Sage Hill Jazz Band and several singing groups.

“I thought it was really fun; I liked the environment,” junior Amanda Marshall said.

Taste buds also took a tour around the globe, with themed food booths stationed

around Wilkins Town Square.

Japanese shaved ice, French crepes, Persian kabobs, Chinese fried rice, Israeli challah, Bosnian burek, Greek tzatziki, subcontinental Indian samosas, Italian cavatelli, Korean kalbi, Mexican tostadas, Peruvian chaufa, and Sri Lankan kothu roti were all big hits.

“I thought [the food] was really good. It gave you the flavors of around the world,” freshman Ari Rednour said.

Over at the Ethnic Bazaar, international toys, jewelry and other knick-knacks were displayed for sale.

Meanwhile, henna tattoos and games were available at the World’s Playground. A photo booth also provided momentos for guests, and community service booths featured information about non-profit organizations, as well.

The event closed with a

fashion show, where many students displayed the traditional styles of dress from India, Persia and China.

“For the fashion show, we picked the costumes that portrayed China’s diverse fashion across their different ethnic groups and organized a group of Sage students to walk down the catwalk to Chinese music,” sophomore Leah Cole said.

The event was a learning experience for many.

“I learned how the different cultures express themselves through dance and song” sophomore Matthew Charles said.

Students and parents alike put months of hard work into the event, with planning, advertising, cooking, volunteering, and performing.

Special thanks go to parents, Fariba Sabahi, Carlos Orozco and Sarah Yang for co-chairing this event.

4

Spring

The Bolt May 2019 Sage Hill School

Boys’ Volleyball Polina Mogilevsky The boys’ varsity volleyball team is making strides under new management this year. The team has a new head coach this year, with Coach Justin Johnson stepping up to the net.

“I’m very excited to be here and to see the Sage family,” Johnson said.

The former international volleyball player is excited to help the team reach new heights.

“We have a lot of potential, and it’s very exciting to as a coach tap into that potential and get kids to be playing,” Johnson said.

The team has had some considerable victories and a few bitter losses so far this season. The team started off the season strong with a 3-0 win against Estancia High School, but also suffered an 0-3 defeat against Segerstrom High

School.

With an overall 7-6 record, the team advanced to the first round of the CIF-SS playoffs on Tuesday, April 30.

What started out as just a hobby and a way to connect with friends for junior Amin Sajjadian, quickly developed into a more serious and professional game.

“At the beginning it was more about playing with friends, and as I developed I loved the game. In addition, you still like your friends, but as you progress and get better, your desire to hang out with your friends gets replaced with your desire to play the game,” Sajjadian said.

The varsity-level player said he hopes the team learns to minimize the amount of errors they make and finishes off the season strong.

“In order to be successful, you need to side out and then keep your run going,” Sajjadian said.

Courtesy of Dave Siegmund

Sophomore Crash Collier gets ready to bump the ball during a boys’ varsity volleyball game. The team made it to the CIF-SS playoffs.

Lacrosse Sanjana Khurana and Isabel Gomez

Senior captain Daniel Fishman starts his swing.

Annie Tang | The Bolt

Sage Hill Lightning’s girls’ and boys’ lacrosse teams both had an action-packed and fun-filled season.

“This year we had so many new players, some who have had experience and some you haven’t, so it was really fun to play and get to know everyone,” senior captain Hannah Herin said.

Herin, a passionate and talented player, has been playing since her freshman year and is a backbone player of the lacrosse team. But for all the seniors the team will lose, there are many new freshmen on the team this year, and the team

has a bright future in the upcoming years.

The boys’ varsity lacrosse team worked together to achieve some winning results this season.

“The boys’ lacrosse team shares a special bond I think no other team at Sage Hill shares. Everything that we do, we do it together,” freshman Christopher Walbridge said.

The team displays great camaraderie, especially during tough practices and tight games.

Walbridge said he is incredibly optimistic about the years to come with this program, despite the departure of many seniors on the team.

Baseball

Adam Hung The varsity baseball team, led by senior captains Ashwin Chona, Trevor Klein and Daniel Fishman, and coach Dominic Campeau, finished the season with an overall 7-10 record and missed the CIF playoffs.

Senior and star pitcher Chona was a key component in Sage’s team this year, winning Athlete of the Week for a flawless game in which he threw 19 strikeouts. He is going on to play baseball at New York

University next year. Klein will also play baseball for Pomona College.

“I’m a second-year varsity player, and I was the starting second baseman this year. Our seniors have really stepped up and led our team,” sophomore Alvaro Corona said.

Despite missing the playoffs, the team had a strong year with the six seniors and a tight-knit community.

“We had a great group of guys this year and a great and positive team environment,” Chona said.

Boys’ Golf

Julia Kwon | The Bolt

Freshmen Cheng Fang and Joon Kim from the JV boys’ golf team practice their golf swings on the driving range.

Natalie Rosenberg | The Bolt

Sophomore Ava Cooper take a defensive stance during a varsity girls’ lacrosse game this spring.

Max Tu Poised on an elevated tee box of grass, the players look at their target -- a tiny flagstick on a green. They swing the club. Ping! The teeny white ball soars through the blue sky and lands on the green sea of grass. Perfect shot.

Sage Hill’s varsity boys’ golf team is having a superb season, with an overall record of 13-3, including a second-place finish in the Ontario Christian Golf Tournament, which had a field of 16 teams.

This record was not easy to manage, as many of the students had school and other extracurricular activities.

“Use your conferences, use your free blocks, try to get some work done so that you can grind during practice,” sophomore Henry Ruck said.

Golf is a mental sport in which players are facing themselves. A bad hole can leave a player frustrated, resulting in a bad round. Luckily they play in pairs and have each other’s backs, “I think we have to pick each other up when we have a bad hole,” Ruck said.

“And you play with another teammate so you’ve always got to keep him feeling good, feeling nice.”

Sometimes bad days for individual players can pile to a team loss. However, losses are pivotal moments for learning.

“They have learned to push through adversity by having a short-term memory in regards to bad play. They are learning to limit bad shots by playing smart golf and not hero golf,” said Kerwin Walters, assistant coach.

The team has a huge goal going forward with the season.

“Our goal for the season is to be one of the top three teams in the Southern Section of CIF so that we qualify for state playoffs,” Walters said.

The future for this young, talented squad is certainly looking bright, as they have a great shot at being a contender for CIF and state playoffs, Walters said.

“The thing I enjoy most about varsity golf is how fun it is and how you make a commitment to the team and the whole team comes together to make a fun organization and we win a lot,” Ruck said.

Sports

The Bolt May 2019 Sage Hill School

5

Boys’ Tennis Courtney Davis The Sage Hill varsity boys’ tennis team is smashing this season, with an overall undefeated record so far and heading hot into the first round of CIF playoffs. This team is thriving under the leadership of co-captains senior Emin Torlic and junior Rohun Krishnan, and Head Coach Whit Kenerson.

A highlight of the season for the team was their outstanding performance against St. Margaret’s.

“We defeated our rival St. Margaret’s 18-0 with a constructive effort from each person on the varsity team. Not only did this give us bragging rights, but it also inspired us to push forward into our season undefeated,” Krishnan said.

Emin Torlic is an essential singles player and has high goals for the team’s

future.

“My goal for the rest of this season is, at least, get to the quarterfinals in the team CIF competition. I believe as long as we keep our focus and don’t mess around for the last part of season we can go far in Division 1,” Torlic said.

As their striking season goes on, the team captains continue to motivate each individual team member.

“Tennis requires a collective effort that requires energy and dedication from each person on the team. At times, it can feel solitary, and it is our jobs as captains of the team to inspire our teammates,” Krishnan said. “We lead the team by example. In a more practical sense, we lead the “lightning strikes” chants each match, announce lineups, try to act as anchors for guaranteed wins, and divulge info from our coach to the rest of the team.”

Swimming

Alicia Theologides Rodriguez | The Bolt

Freshman Mei Patragnoni works on her stroke during swimming practice in the Aquatics Center.

Ian Grimm | The Bolt

Seniors Aaron Bergen and Jerry Fu play in a doubles match together. The team has had an undefeated season so far.

Riya Gupta The Sage Hill Swim and Dive team is having a strong 2019 season under the direction of Coach Pavle Filipovic. The undefeated team of 39 swimmers won the San Joaquin League championship for both boys and girls. They now strive for a place in the CIF-SS Finals and continue to break records.

One of those record breakers is sophomore Sydney Rosmann. She broke multiple records this year, including the 500-meter freestyle and the 200-meter individual medley.

Rosmann has overall broken five records individually and two records in a relay. She said she plans on breaking more records over the course of her swimming career for Sage Hill.

“I love how Sage is so supportive of their athletes, and it motivates me to swim for my school,” Rosmann said.

The team consists of swimmers from

every grade, including freshman Anika Ball.

She said she will swim for Sage over the rest of her high school career and hopes she will represent Sage at CIFs each year. Until then, she puts in her best effort in the current swim meets.

Ball said she is proud of their wins, “especially against Webb and St. Margaret’s because they are our big competitors.”

The 2019 season is the last season for senior Jason Schreiber. His efforts over the last four years have helped define Sage Hill’s successes, and his legacy will continue to inspire future swimmers.

Schreiber will continue to swim for University of Pennsylvania in Division I next year.

“As a senior on the team, I strive to be a role model four younger swimmers and inspire my teammates to continue to be excellent in and out of the pool,” Schreiber said.

Track & Field Ian Grimm Go to Ramer Field one day after school and look out. For what? Sage track.

Every day, every week, rain, shine, wind, gloom or fog, the track team relentlessly runs down the field, training for the biggest races of the year. This season, that unabated dedication is paying dividends.

Even in Sage track’s long history (the sport has been around as long as the school), this year is shaping up to be one of the best yet. The team has over 40 members, and both the girls’ and boys’ teams were in the top 3 going into Academy League Finals.

“Everyone’s been working really hard, learning their individual events and working well as a team,” Head Coach Nate Miller said.

At the San Joaquin League Finals in April, the team had six first-place finishes.

Sage track deserves every accolade they achieve, especially because of their welcoming willingness to let green members walk on and potentially become new varsity runners.

A big illusion that spreads about track is the high barrier to entry — demanding practice schedules, day-long track meets, and the idea of extreme competitiveness and difficulty loom like demoralizing spires. The team’s actions and atmosphere show that nothing could be further from the truth.

Sydney McCord | The Bolt

Junior Kate Miller and seniors Alice Warden and Maya Jaffe run their hearts out in a track and field meet.

“I think a lot of people are really intimidated at first, but it’s something that’s really easy to pick up,” varsity captain and senior Luke Nataupsky said. “The people that are in it get really into it.”

However, the best part about track is the people there, and the community they foster. Tall, short, captain, freshman, 100 meters or 3 kilometers, track is a great equalizer, bringing a slice of Sage togeth-

er to pound the course.

Kate Miller summed up the welcoming nature of track: “You can also be a track runner, you just need to get out here. We always want more people.”

6

Arts

The Bolt May 2019 Sage Hill School

THIS ART IS ‘NOT HIGHBROW’ Annual Art Show is an Exhibition of Student Talent Yuna Baek

Yuna Baek | The Bolt

Students observe the works of Art II, Art Lab, and AP Art students on display on April 15.

The annual spring art show was held on April 15 in the Studio, showcasing a variety of different art works made by many student artists from all grades.

Students, families, faculty and other visitors examined the halls full of beautifully created pieces of art, took pictures and discussed the works in which they feel truly amazed and inspired by.

This year’s theme of “Not Highbrow” references how highbrow art in the past has been a product of only elite artists. Students of all art classes, including Digital Art, Ceramics, Art I, Art II, Art Lab, and AP Studio Art carefully observed and critiqued other students’ works to improve their views on how to approach works.

“I learned a lot more about my peers through looking at others’ art because I was able to see their different styles and personalities through their work.

[It] was interesting to see the parents and other students react to the work all us artists have done all year,” junior Heather Highland said.

Donna Okamura, visual arts teacher, pushed her advance students to apply what they’ve learned in previous classes to execute complex compositions and beginner students to lay down their foundation skills.

“Over the years, I think their

themes are really becoming a lot more creative and starting to be deeper thinkers and starting to find their own stylistic voice.

Everybody’s at a different place in their learning, but everybody has growth,” Okamura said.

Expressing oneself through the medium(s) used in one’s artworks is important in communicating stories and showing appreciation for art.

“I decided to use pastels because it is very intimate and it’s working with nature almost, because my concentration revolves around that. It’s kind of a primal feeling if you will, like playing in dirt and I feel that it correlates well with the environment,” junior Megan Chan said. “I like to portray figures

as a symbol of trace of existing in nature and small compared to the rest of nature because I wanted to make my audience focus on how beautiful the world around us is.”

When thinking of ideas for many kinds of artwork, students have the opportunity to gain inspiration from different artists.

“I made several generic bowls and cups on the wheel in ceramics, along with several purposely broken pieces inspired by Machiko Ogawa,” junior Camille Hansen said. “Ogawa made functional items then broke them to create sculptural pieces, inserting meaning to something that would otherwise have been a simple object.”

Yuna Baek | The Bolt

A variety of bowls, plates, and teapots made of clay in Mr. McMahon’s ceramics classes shine in the spotlights.

Students Direct, Perform in 7 One-Act Scenes Miranda deBruyne From April 9-11, the Black Box was transformed once again for this year’s One Acts performances, in which students were given the opportunity to direct and perform in their own individual scenes. These seven scenes allow them a lot of artistic freedom and the ability to fully express how they wish the audience to view their scenes.

Senior Charlotte Cohen has participated in One Acts for the last four years.

“As a senior, it was very special being in my last show. The largest difference between this year and the last few years is that I felt a responsibility to be a good role member for the rest of the cast members,” Cohen said.

“I also learned so much from Gregory and Malini, my scene partner and director, as we collaborated to dissect our scene and my character’s intentions.

Overall, it was a perfect end of my senior year, and I’m couldn’t be happier with our result!”

Senior Peyton Webb directed her own scene this year and compared it to previous years in which she acted in other peo-

ples’ scenes.

“Directing is hard because you have an idea of the way you would like your piece to be and it’s difficult trying to get out of the headspace of ‘it has to be like this.’ Each actor is going to have their own view and perspective of their characters,” Webb said. “At the same time it’s exciting being able to collaborate and ask them what they think about a certain line or blocking when you get stuck.”

Compared to directing, Webb finds acting much more relaxed.

“For me, I don’t really get that nervous anymore going on stage,” Webb said. “It is fun for me so I’m usually more excited than nervous, but as a director watching my one act I’m so nervous. I trust my actors and know they will do amazing but it’s still nerve racking to have to fully let go.”

Senior Lia Darmer also talked about her experience with directing, alongside junior Ashley Sarkisian.

“It was cool to work with Ashley because we both had different ideas for how to play certain lines and we both had differ-

Valentina Lin | The Bolt

Sophmore Taylor Miller as Ashton, a transgender girl, in “The Man Who Wore High Heels,” directed by Selene Shankle. ent visions for how it should look and we ended up really needing each other throughout the whole thing,” Darmer said.

Senior Alice Warden enjoyed

seeing all of the work classmates put into performances.

“I thought it was fantastic” Warden said. “It’s really cool to see your friends on stage doing

something that they love. I liked that there was a variety of styles between the acts, there were some sad ones, but a lot of humor in there too.”

Opinion Venezuela

What Does the Future Look Like?

Cartoon by Lily Humphrey

Isabella Mora There are 300,000 people on the brink of dying every day in Venezuela, and that number continues to climb.

Since their economic collapse, more than half of families are unable to meet the most basic food needs. Other shortages include toilet paper, food of any kind, medicine, and even tin for the production of caskets.

The country’s current state is so urgent that the Secretary General of the Organization of American States said last year that newborns in Syria have a better chance of survival than newborns born in Venezuela today.

Through a mission called “XXI Century Socialism”, the former presidents of Cuba and Brazil, Fidel Castro and Inacio Lula da Silva, founded the Foro de São Paulo in July 1990 with the goal of implementing in Latin America. Chavez launched processes that effectively eliminated state institutions of control, such as the National Electoral Council.

The Chavista party- Venezuela’s communist group- attacked the private sector, killing thousands of people who opposed their regime in any way or showed too much independent thought.

In 2017, at least 73 Venezuelans died a violent death every day fighting for their lives, walking out on the streets trying to show opposition. Most of them were students.

After Chavez’ death in 2014, his successor Nicolas Maduro further enforced the Socialist United Party of Venezuela (PSUV).

The whole world believed that Chavismo would reach its end soon, especially with the rise of Juan Guaidó--a Venezuelan politician, democratically elected as the President of the National Assembly of Venezuela. He is currently recognized as acting President of Venezuela by 54 governments.

However, despite being labeled as illegitimate by the international community, Maduro still holds on to power in Venezuela. This demonstrates that what comes after Maduro’s rule won’t likely be much different, or any less socialist.

There has been no serious challenge to Maduro’s power. After twenty years under a narco terrorist regime, economists and experts are agreeing on one thing today: the opposition to Maduro is actually just an extension of his party.

They support and co-govern in silence while putting up a facade of “opposition” so the general population revolts less and less, thinking someone at the government is speaking up for them.

Repeatedly since he was elected,

Guaido has changed his stance from harsh to diplomatic in regards to Maduro, and has not taken any action to lead the opposition as he promised.

The regional humanitarian crisis is now the worst in the Western Hemisphere because of Venezuela, with more than 4 million refugees. The UN estimates there will be 5.3 million Venezuelan refugees and migrants by the end of 2019, rivaling the scale of the Syrian refugee crisis. However, the situation could very quickly escalate to bigger proportions.

Over 13,000 doctors have left Venezuela since 2015, and there is a shortage of around 85 percent of all medicines in the country.

Thousands of people are crossing daily to other countries as well to meet their basic needs. Colombia is currently hosting the largest number of Venezuelans — more than 1 million — through official and unofficial entry points along its 1,300mile border with Venezuela.

As if that wasn’t enough, the flow of water and electricity has been interrupted for weeks at a time, triggering the country into an emergent state.

When people go to medical facilities, they find broken down buildings without electricity, empty of medicine or health care. Without access to proper medical care, people have become more vulnerable to treatable and communicable diseases like tuberculosis and malaria as noted in a recent Human Rights Watch report.

The medicine that there is left in the country is so scarce, its price is inflated beyond what is affordable for the average person. The malnutrition, coupled with the lack of hygiene and healthcare deteriorating, the modern equivalent of that would be a pandemic in Venezuela, one which would trigger a mass exodus of people.

This is the most concerning fact of all.

A new Brookings Institution study forecasted that the number of Venezuelan refugees will skyrocket to 8 million in a mass exodus. Without any implemented change, this is what the future could look like in the next two to three years. The reality of this possibility should trigger alarm bells in the United States and Latin America. It would be the world’s biggest mass exodus in recent times, and could destabilize the region.

As a last resource, Venezuela is asking president Donald Trump to order an intervention. An American intervention would mean not only a liberation from oppression, but the likely fall of the tyrannical dictatorships of Cuba and Nicaragua--countries that Venezuela supports economically. Trump is likely to benefit from an intervention in Venezuela by overturning all immigrant Latinx votes in his

The Bolt May 2019 Sage Hill School

7

MADISON’S MOVIE REVIEW American Graffiti (1973)

Madison Harris-Weiner

“You just can’t stay 17 forever,” recent high school grad Steve chides during American Graffiti’s opening scene. The comment is fleeting but the moment echoes across the rest of George Lucas’ (yes, the one of Star Wars fame) coming-of-age masterpiece as each character, even Steve himself, struggles at one point or another to hang onto 17 for one last night. During summer’s final hours, in limbo between the aching pull of the past, the warm familiarity of the present and the great big unknown of the future, the characters grapple with what to do as they balance on the precipice of a future that they aren’t quite ready to begin.

American Graffiti takes place over the course of only one night, following a colorful group of teenagers and their hot rods across town as they break-up and make-up, banter and philosophize, flirt with danger and ruminate over the impending future and all they’re about to leave behind.

There’s a natural spontaneity to the way the film moves between scenes, a commonality to its moments that feels true to life. It’s a snapshot of a small moment in time but the question of whether or not main characters Steve and Curt will say goodbye to their small California hometown and go off to college the next morning as scheduled gives a monumental and bittersweet finality to the otherwise normal night.

At the beginning, when the sun has yet to set, there is the invigorating sense that this last night will be the catalyst for the rest of their lives.

Pranks are pulled, cars are raced and big decisions are wrestled with but as the night runs its course, no monumental event sweeps in to alter their lives forever. Instead, change occurs subtly and the answers to big life questions come during the small sliceof-life moments — moments which Lucas presents with such sincerity that they feel even more transformative than leaving home for college.

The film alternates between characters, jumping across town to check in on each as old school rock and roll swings the scenes from one to the next. At the forefront is the clean-cut Steve, the deep-thinking Curt and the gawky Terry who somehow ends up with the blonde bombshell. And then there’s Milner, the brooding drag racer. Though Lucas treats him with the same optimistic eye (focused on the possibilities of youth rather the flaws) that he does the rest of his characters, Milner nevertheless seems to serve as the example of what happens when you refuse to let go of the past.

Sure, he might always be the best car racer in Modesto but what happens when the sport drops out of fashion?

He certainly isn’t the only one who longs to stop time’s ceaseless march favor just in time for the next elections.

However, The United States government must also foresee that the likely future for Venezuela is something along the lines of a civil war- a natural implosion of power that would divide armed institutions such as the PSUV and the military. Under those conditions, it is not logical to remove one dictator just to have him be replaced by another.

Venezuela has recently been cornered into holding elections soon in response to the international pressure to invoke change.

forward; in fact, there is an undeniable reluctance in all of Lucas’ characters to face the future. But, all signs nevertheless point toward the horizon and the wise ones know that that’s where they need to head.

Though released in 1973, American Graffiti takes place a decade earlier at the beginning of the sixties. It’s clearly a homage to the specific time, reminiscent of drive-in diners and sock hops, but Lucas never gets caught up in bygone eras. A film that places so much importance on its vintage cars, drive-ins and classic soundtrack is inevitably going to trigger nostalgia but there is such a mature practicality to its themes that it resonates just as strongly today as it did over forty years ago. For a film that is so much about the future, about moving on, it does a better job than most at capturing the present and what it means to truly live in it.

Lucas has a great sense of humor — his catchy one-liners and the sticky situations in which he places his characters are signature to the film — but there is also a seriousness to his execution, a respect and fondness for his characters, that gives importance to even their most trivial teenage antics.

He has an acute understanding of what it means to be young, to have all of life ahead of you but to also long to hang on to the now just a bit longer.

“It doesn’t make sense to leave home to look for home, to give up a life to find a new life, to say goodbye to friends you love just to find new friends,” Steve’s girlfriend Laurie says at one point. There’s unexpected truth to her words but there’s also a tragic naivety. How can you possibly know that what you have is best if you haven’t ever ventured past it? There is nothing like being young and American Graffiti knows that wholeheartedly, but there is also vastly more to life and to never let go, Lucas seems to warn, is to give up actually living.

Lucas is smart to not drench American Graffiti in goodbyes. While he crafted his story around situations that are intrinsically nostalgic, he executes them in an unexpectedly matter-of-fact way. The story is set in the past and it surges with a love of another time but its head remains bravely turned toward the future. That’s not to say that some moments don’t get time to wallow, but Lucas always manages to pull them back to the smart sensibility that the future is coming whether you like it or not so you might as well meet it with open arms.

The final image of American Graffiti is bittersweet but there is more hope in it than regret. Steve and Curt have made their decisions and they go their separate ways, knowing that things are never going to be quite the same. The end of an era, however, doesn’t always have to be tragic. It’s impossible to discover something new without leaving a little something behind, but who’s to say that the best times aren’t still to come?

Sadly, those elections will do little other than further secure the success of said “opposition” to socialism. In reality, Chavismo will continue to manifest itself through people like Juan Guaido, simply with different visible actors at its front.

Venezuela will not actually be able to rid itself of socialism yet. So, although life will continue to get worse in Venezuela, the regime will most likely retain its hold on power through the remainder of this year and into the next.

Read the full article online at lightningboltonline.com

8

The Bolt May 2019 Sage Hill School

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Megan Chan | The Bolt

Don’t Feel Guilty For Being Privileged The College Admission Scandals Is About Morality and Not Privilege Trevor Klein The infamous college admissions scandal has plagued the national news for the last few weeks. The adults involved in the scandal displayed an egregious lack of integrity that must be prosecuted.

A few Sage Hill families were involved as parents allegedly funneled money to fake charities in order to help their children raise their standardized test scores and get into top institutions. In addition, Newport Beach-based private college counselor Rick Singer orchestrated the nationwide scandal.

The prosecuting attorney Andrew Lelling stated that the scandal is “a catalogue of wealth and privilege,” implying that privilege was to blame. Top media outlets including the Washington Post, The Boston Globe, Forbes, and countless others blame privilege as well. We hear the narrative that economic privilege and wealth inherently coincide with corruption time and time again in society.

In Western culture, this resentment for the wealthy has existed as long as there has been wealth. In Matthew 19:24, Christ says, “It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter [heaven].” Another Bible verse, Timothy 6:10, says that “the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil.”

This hatred of the rich is not exclu-

sive to Christianity; religions and philosophies around the globe have demonized wealth for ages. Karl Marx applied these values to politics. In the modern United States, democratic socialist politicians like Bernie Sanders and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (AOC) have gained traction recently alongside an eruption of resentment for the rich among young voters.

While few will say it directly, an overwhelming majority of people believe that the wealthy are naturally dishonest.

This comes from the common belief that the rich attained their money largely by exploiting others rather than earning it through hard work and ability.

In an article he wrote for The Guardian, Sanders applauded Pope Francis for saying “the powerful feed upon the powerless.” In a 2012 speech, former President Barack Obama proclaimed that “if you got a business, you didn’t build that.”

People assume that the wealthy have had everything handed to them and are simply products of the system, but that is simply not true. Steve Jobs made billions by building Apple because he inspired the world with his innovative computers and smartphones. John D. Rockefeller, one of the most infamous “robber barons” in history, earned his fortune by making kerosene cheap and available to everyone in America. Cheap kerosene fueled lamps which allowed average Americans to stay up past sunset and enjoy the evenings for

the first time ever. The long story short: the rich do not exploit others to gain their wealth; they create it.

To create wealth is to create something of significant value. The free market rewards those who make invaluable contributions to our society through wealth. Many people who pursue money are honest and others are corrupt. In the case that someone chooses to pursue wealth dishonestly, we should not blame money. We should blame their lack of morality that lead them to be dishonest.

We cannot let the immoral few dominate our perception of the wealthy. Rather, we should look to the honest innovators who fuel the motor of society.

What about us at Sage Hill? Many of our families are very affluent, making us the children of the rich. We did not create any of our families’ wealth, thus we are examples of truly being born with economic privileges.

We constantly hear about economic privilege living in such an affluent area, and we are taught to feel ashamed of our privilege in some way. It’s OK to be privileged, and we should not be ashamed. Rather, we should be grateful for the foundations our families laid for us and use these opportunities to accomplish great things in the world. We must recognize our privilege, but we should not feel guilty because of it. With that being said, we should still be sensitive to the less fortunate and be cognizant of the

burdens that they have to deal with as a result of their financial status.

Now, one still could argue that the government should enforce estate taxes or other measures to redistribute wealth more evenly. That is inappropriate and not the government’s job. The rich earn their wealth, and they may want to use it to help their children have better lives. It is their right to do that as it is their money and they earned it. Working hard so one’s children can have a better future is a key part of the American dream. Thus, it is morally wrong to forcefully seize money from the rich and redistribute it in the fashion that Marx and, to a lesser extent, Sanders and AOC call for.

In the college admission scandal, privilege did not corrupt the defendants and cause them to commit crimes, but rather it was their individual lack of character. They are not a product of the system; they are outliers.

In a broader sense, we must chose to pursue our goals and values with integrity rather than succumb to the blatant disregard for morality that the adults involved in the admission scandals demonstrated.

If you are privileged, be proud of your families accomplishments and be thankful that your family created such a good start in life for you. Use your advantages and resources to go out into the real world to enjoy your life and accomplish great things which will naturally work to make the world a better place.