TheBOLT
November 2024
Volume 23, Issue 2
lightningboltonline.com
Sage Hill School
20402 Newport Coast Drive, Newport Coast, CA 92657
Will Dream SchoolS only r emain in DreamS?
Uncertainty clouds state ban on legacy and donor based admissions to private universities.
institution at far lower numbers.”
By Amy Choi
On Sept. 30, Gov. Gavin Newsom
signed Assembly Bill 1780, legislation that banned non-profit private schools from admitting students based on donations or legacy. This policy notably affects schools such as Stanford, the University of Southern California, and Pitzer, whose currently admitted students comprise nearly one in every seven from legacy backgrounds.
Legacy, the practice of accepting students with family alumni, has been banned in public California schools since 1998 and in other private schools, such as Caltech, which has never practiced legacy, and Pomona which ended theirs in 2017.
“Giving preferential treatment to legacy applicants is a way the college can demonstrate loyalty to that alumni member [and] possibly secure future donations,” said Frank Smith, Director of
College Counseling. “This factor can protect the college’s yield percentage, which is the number of admitted students who enroll. Schools like to report a higher yield percentage.”
Although it remains unclear how AB 1780 will impact prospective college applicants starting in 2025, many students at Sage Hill seem to have a positive view of the new bill.
“[Legacy] can be unfair toward generationally low-income people or first [generation] students,” junior Jayla Chan said.
“Opponents [of legacy admissions] argue that the legacy system stymies efforts to diversify a student body with regard to race, ethnicity, gender, socioeconomic status, religion, etc.,” Smith said. “It denies access to students who have been historically underrepresented in higher education or been admitted to that
Universities that consider legacy status reported 59% of their enrolled students identified as white, 12% as Hispanic, and 11% as Black, according to the Institute for Higher Education Policy. Institutions that avoid this preference were more diverse, reporting 51%, 15%, and 14% respectively for these reported student ethnicities. This data suggests that legacy families usually come from a generation of certain racial backgrounds.
With admissions through familial connections, this data may not change without an amendment to the policy.
Junior Sarah Huang said the legacy admissions ban would “help level the playing field for students” at selective colleges, but was also concerned that a possible decline in donations from legacy families could affect colleges’ funding for scholarships and other endowments.
Smith anticipates college alumni will have a mixed response to this new regulation.
“I believe some alumni will be disappointed that legacy status will no longer be a factor at their alma mater, and it could impact their level of giving and support,” he said. “Others will appreciate the greater goal of opening spots for a wider range of applicants and accept the change as a necessary step.”
An example of alumni support towards the legacy ban would be the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), which has not considered legacy status since 2006. In 2021, MIT received $89.8 million from 36,165 donors, many of whom were alumni.
“Time will tell how this law will impact admission review policies and decisions as well as alumni engagement,” Smith said.
Illustration by Jesse Lew for The Bolt
Truth or “Truth”: Nation Must Divert From Political Polarization
The Bolt Editorial Board
On Nov. 6, 2024, the Associated Press called Donald Trump as the victor of the 60th presidential election, putting a conclusion to months of political turmoil and campaigns.
But with the end of the election cycle dawns Trump’s impending second term, and, more likely, even greater political polarization. Contentious topics like the economy, abortion rights, foreign policy, and immigration have cut a seemingly irreparable fissure in the country’s psyche. Voters on both sides of the ballot express doubts that a new administration will bring unification to the United States.
However, lurking behind all of this political noise is a challenge far greater than any one candidate or party: misinformation and the weaponization of the media.
From the perspective of newspaper editors, there are several issues we believe hold unprecedented weight in shaping modern and future society. Over the past decade, the rapid rise of social media and the 24-hour news cycle have reshaped how the average citizen engages with news, absorbs political information, and disseminates their opinions to their family or community. The speed and volume at which social media content is produced makes it challenging for casual consumers to distinguish between truths and falsehoods. The internet is infamous for its lack of fact-checkers, after all, and yet over half of American adults obtain some form of news from social media. Misinformation, such as the viral video of a “Haitian” immigrant eating a cat – which has since been debunked as false by both fact checkers and the original video poster –have even made their way ont o the presidential debate stage, showing how widespread the problem is. Furthermore, the
way information gets delivered— often slanted by biased sources or through echo chambers—has contributed to growing political polarization where neither side can truly look the other in the eye and hold civil conversation.
These factors heavily impact how people vote, understand policies, and perceive the country’s future. By failing to equip ourselves with media literacy skills, we allow misinformation to thrive and deepen existing divisions. When we believe everything we read, we’re no longer voters making informed choices and reacting intelligently to the tide of times. Rather, we become sheep herded by political hounds along a set path we’re blind to.
It’s our duty as citizens and voters to rise above all this noise. In the coming weeks, as the fallout from the 2024 presidential election devours our social media channels and muddles the waters, we urge everyone to be careful of the sentiments you encounter online. Large scale protests, social media trends, political extremism—all these are possibilities that we cannot predict. We must scrutinize the information we consume, seek out diverse perspectives, and engage in conversations with people of all backgrounds and beliefs. We also encourage readers to support local news that is fact-checked and impartial to candidates or parties.
This election was never just about who becomes president— the core principle lies in upholding and defending the integrity of our democracy. It’s important to reflect on the value we place, or don’t, on the continuity of democratic institutions. And that starts with becoming informed, critical thinkers who value journalistic truth over the comfort of confirmation.
CORRECTION: Due to a reporting error, the names of Dylan Rosmann and Luke Weichert were misspelled in a Water Polo story on Page 5 of the October 2024 edition. The Bolt regrets the error.
THE BOLT
Editors-in-Chief
The 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. Opinions expressed do not represent the views or beliefs of Sage Hill School and its administration. The Bolt accepts signed letters to the editors from members of the Sage Hill community which may be posted as comments at lightningboltonline.com, or addressed to Editors-in-Chief Ava Eimani, Grace Yan and Arya Rawal and put in their mailboxes on campus. These letters may not exceed 150 words or they will be edited for inclusion.
Ava Eimani (Bolt), Grace Yan (Bolt) & Arya Rawal (Online)
Editorial Board
Maya Desai, Ceyda Shamsai, Taite Nicholson, Katelyn Yeh, Jesse Lew, Mirabelle Jiang, Madeleine Carroll and Jenny Li
Writers Amy Choi, Linda Liu, Jonathan Yan, Nate Yoo, Doyoung Lee, Nathan Tang, Maria Neemuchwala, Ella Wang and Sophia Zhou
Photographers Amy Choi, Jenny Li and Tina Tahbaz
Adviser Daniel Langhorne
Scan this QR code to check out our online edition or find us at lighningboltonline.com for the latest news!
Jenny Li | The Bolt
Senior Dylan Dolotta talks about Proposition 34 during a voter information presentation hosted by the Youth in Political Advocacy service learning group on Oct.10.
The Bolt November 2024
Sage Hill School
School MullS State’S call for Media literacy
By Linda (Qianhao) Liu
California public schools are now required to teach students media literacy skills amid the explosive spike in fake news generated by AI.
Instead of a stand-alone class, media literacy will be incorporated into existing classes and lessons throughout the school year. As a private school, Sage Hill can implement its own structure for how it will follow this trend among peer institutions.
Media literacy is the ability to analytically think through the information provided by others and determine its credibility.
The National Center for State Courts states that “64% of adults said ‘fake news’ caused confusion on basic facts, and 23% said they had shared ‘fake news,’ either knowingly or unknowingly.”
Fake news created by AI or untrustworthy media easily spreads. Without proper education, it can influence the perspectives of students. Only 20 states in the U.S. have media literacy incorporated into their state curriculum.
AB 873 was first proposed by Assemblymember Marc Berman (D-Palo Alto ), citing the overwhelming amount of misinformation online. Gov. Gavin
Newsom signed the law in October 2023, agreeing that action needs to be taken to educate students on media literacy.
Sage Hill has already integrated media literacy into the classroom and through some wellness activities held throughout the school year.
“The foundation of [media literacy] is critical thinking,” said Dr. Matt Balossi, Assistant Head of School for Academics.
Teachers are constantly asking students to observe and evaluate the documents they are handed and statements made by classmates, he said.
Without media literacy education, everybody would all possess different perceptions of real versus fake information.
“It’s important to know what’s persuasion versus what’s information,” Balossi said.
Media literacy also applies to our everyday actions and conversations through social media. This repeated action of fact-checking and verification of the reliability of information is a form of media literacy. False information has been spread through disinformation, biased media, AI-generated responses that aren’t fact-checked, AI fake images, and misinformation through messages and in-person conversations.
School Librarian Michalle Gould has previously led grade-level workshops on digital citizenship and how to responsi-
bly interact with social media.
“By asking questions about the purpose of media and the points of view it reflects, stu-
dents become more responsible consumers and even creators of media themselves,” Gould said.
opinion: nobel prize in cheMiStry booStS ‘ai for Good’ trend
By Maria Neemuchwala
This year’s Nobel Prize in Chemistry went to David Baker from the University of Washington for computational protein design and John Jumper and Demis Hassabis from Google Deepmind for protein structure prediction. They discovered the code to complex protein structure and used it to build new proteins. The Nobel Prize highlights the significant role Artificial Intelligence (AI) has played in advancing profound discoveries in Chemistry. The Nobel Prize reminds us that we are standing at the gates of a new era in scientific discovery - led by AI, that promises to accelerate our understanding of biochemistry, disease mechanisms, and advance drug discovery. While there is much to celebrate, AI in science introduces new ethical challenges for modern scientists.
Jumper and Hassabis discovered AI methods to predict the structure of proteins in the human body, using AlphaFold. AlphaFold is an AI model built using a mathematical system called a neural network; this network searches and analyzes large amounts of protein data to identify sequences iteratively. AlphaFold is able to search known
databases of existing simpler amino acids (proteins) and use this information to predict the structure of long and complex protein molecules. The Neural Network then creates hypothetical sequences of complex proteins and discards ones that are improbable. This method is used to create previously unknown protein structures.
Knowledge about protein structure is critical to understand diseases. Alteration of protein structure is at the heart of cancer, several infectious and degenerative diseases. Repairing and restoring the structure leads to better drugs that are more effective and cause less side effects. Additionally, AlphaFold has predicted the structure of all the proteins in the human body, significantly adding to the amount of data available regarding protein structure. This data can now be mined to create drugs that have the potential to break up harmful proteins like amyloid fibrils in Alzheimers.
AI has played a significant role in advancing scientific discovery. Predicting the structure of a protein would have taken many laborious years of scientific experimentation. For example, it took 22 years of work to predict
the structure of myoglobin, a protein found in muscles. With AlphaFold, this process is sped up dramatically through the use of computer simulations by creating a virtual model that can predict protein structures without actually having to synthesize that complex protein molecule in the lab. Scientists can now analyze large amounts of data, extract hidden patterns unseen and not discoverable to the human eye, and quickly create alternate realities with speed and accuracy. This reduces effort pursuing failed experiments.
Alpha Fold would not have been created without computer engineering (neural networks), computational biology (protein sequencing), and bioinformatics (creating new protein structures). Additionally, it will go on to assist researchers, pharmaceutical scientists, and chemical engineers. This collaborative approach will continue to assist in major findings in the future.
Although AI has the ability to uncover much good, the potential for misuse and harm still exists. The use of AI raises questions about accountability. Who is to blame when the technology goes wrong? There is also the question of whether the
public can count on industry to be transparent about AI failures. Data fed into AI modules can be easily, unknowingly or deliberately biased, thus creating disadvantages for certain populations. The scientific society should develop ethical processes and code of conduct to avoid unfortunate complications. Such processes should emphasize clear protocols for data collec-
tion, AI training, and privacy. Beyond drug discovery, AI is assisting major breakthroughs in genomics, imaging, autonomous driving, space exploration, climate modeling, and nanotechnology. The potential of AI is exhilarating, and the next decade of scientists can use this technology for astounding revelations, both in science and the world at large.
Courtesy of Ajay Suresh | Creative Commons Headquarters for the The Washington Post newsroom in Washington, D.C.
Courtesy of Adam Baker | Creative Commons
A Nobel Prize medal.
Athletics
Hague Field R enovations HeR ald new atHletics eR a
By Grace Yan
Hague Field is undergoing major renovations during the first half of the school year, providing athletes with a modernized facility to practice and compete.
This project includes several upgrades, most notably, the turfed outfield, which expands field access to teams beyond baseball, including soccer, lacrosse, and football. Considering the construction of the new middle school and gym, a refreshed Hague Field paves the way for new middle school athletics teams that will also need space. Flexible facilities will alleviate encroachment on current athletic activities, adminis -
trators said.
“The baseball field renovation was a natural next step,” Director of Athletics Megan Cid said. “We have so many amazing athletic teams that currently use Ramer Field for practice and games and sometimes there isn’t enough time and space for all of them. Having this new turfed space will be really beneficial for all of our student athletes.”
Hague Field’s overhaul follows the installation of new turf at Sage Hill’s Ramer Field over the summer break.
During the renovation, Sage Hill’s baseball team has conducted their practices on a rented, outside base -
ball field. Other improvements of the field include the addition of stadium lighting, completed in October, which allows games and practices to extend into the evening and greater flexibility for game schedules. Chain-link fencing behind home plate was also replaced with netting, improving the viewing experience for the Sage community. Currently, site grading and drainage work are underway, along with new outfield fencing. A video scoreboard is also scheduled for installation later this month.
Construction crews expect the field to be ready for athletes by January, Director of Facilities Dan
Livingston said. Construction has been going smoothly with little to no setbacks, Livingston said. Administrators underscored that the Hague Field improvements are separate from the middle school and second gym project, which is closing in on a $25 million fundraising goal.
“I am very excited about this project, and I can’t wait to see it all finished,” Cid said. “This is a good time for our baseball program, as we have also hired a new head coach and he is also ready and excited to get out on the brand new Hague Field in a couple months.”
ligHtning cRoss countRy Runs to FinisH line
By Nate Yoo
The Boys’ and Girls’ Cross Country team looked back on a rewarding and accomplished year as the season nears its end.
Head Coach Mario Flores aims to have his team finish the season strong. For the Boys’ team, this season was a much-anticipated one. Expectations were at an all-time high with a formidable and experienced returning senior class complimented by hungry and fresh underclassmen.
On the Girls’ side, the competitive attitude towards the season persisted. Having come off a season where they qualified for the CIF Finals they also fielded a competitive team of both returning upper and lower classmen. However, the season was not as straightforward as expected, with surprising results and
outcomes being a hallmark of the season.
The girls came into the season without last year’s standout runners Ryan Langdale and Gabby Eckstrom. Langdale now runs Cross Country for the Naval Academy Preparatory School.
“The team is stronger than it ever has been, but I think our season has been an emotional rollercoaster, and we have faced many obstacles, but ultimately, the team has been performing to the best of our ability,” Junior King Oung said.
However, by staying consistent and training over the summer, the girls continued to maintain their stellar performances led by seniors Raquel Rybakova and Yasmin Cavner.
One of the keys to this incredible season has been the surprise of Junior runner Caroline Mckeen. This season was Caroline’s first season running Cross Country but she has already significantly
improved her time by over one minute to earn the fifth fastest time this season within the team, cutting down her time of 22:47 to 21:33 which she ran at the Brentwood Small Schools Invitational.
As of Nov. 6, this consistent training and effort has earned the girls the 7th ranked spot in the CIF Division 5 rankings. They are expected to run at CIF Prelims to hopefully eventually qualify for the California State meet.
Similarly, the Boys’ team lost their best runner from last year, alumnus Daniel Joshi. The boys still had the goal of returning to the CIF State Championship, their last trip being in 2021. To compensate, the boys found a replacement in Freshman Zach Longo. At the first race of the season, he surprised everyone by running a time of 16:48 in three miles, only 20 seconds off of Joshi’s best time. He continued this improvement trend by
running 16:13 at the Cool Breeze Invitational and eventually 16:07 at the Woodbridge cross-country classic.
Upperclassmen Tony Tan, Noah Jiminez, King Oung, and Brian Yu built upon their performances from last season, running in the 17:00s. The team also saw a particularly strong performance at the Brentwood Small Schools Invitational.
“The Boys’ team executed to perfection,” Flores said. “Having coached for over a decade, I know how difficult it is to have everyone perform well on the same day.”
The Girls hope to continue the momentum they have built this season as they look forward to hopefully running at the State Meet. The Boys aim to earn a ranking and hopefully run at CIF Prelims. Both teams were headed to the Pacific Coast League Championships at Carbon Canyon Regional Park on Nov. 6.
Construction equipment was staged by a dugout at Hague Field on Nov. 6.
Grace Yan | The Bolt
giR ls’ volleyball beats linField in FiRst PlayoFF, Falls to el doR ado
By Nathan Tang and Doyoung Lee
After three months of hard work in the league, the Girls’ Volleyball team earned their spot in the CIF playoffs. In front of an energetic home crowd on Oct. 24, Sage Hill took on Linfield Christian School. Students shook green and pink pom poms to cheer the girls on and celebrate breast cancer awareness. Deafening cheers rang out in the gym as the team practiced their serves.
“Playoffs are win or go home, so we’ve been putting all our energy into it and doing whatever we can to bring home the win,” Assistant Coach Justin Johnson said.
Three freshmen players were in Big Bear during freshman retreat earlier that week, which limited the team’s ability to practice with its full roster. Still, overall team spirit was high going into the game.
“We are all very excited but also nervous about this opportunity because this is our first CIF game, and none of us had this opportunity before,” junior and team captain Amber Wang said.
The first set started slowly as the Linfield Lions scored a few quick early points. Sage quickly picked up the pace, and a perfect connec -
tion between Amber Wang and Eve Fowler was able to bring Sage back on level. The lightning stayed strong until the end, securing the first set 25-20. The girls carried their momentum into the second set, finishing 25-9. In this set, the key aspect was teamwork.
“Instead of focusing on my stats and how well I’m doing, I wanted to play my role in helping the team play their best game,” sophomore and middle blocker Joanna Chen reflected.
Backs against the wall, Linfield fought hard, narrowly taking the third set 25-21. Going into the fourth set, Sage Hill was unfazed and kept their morale high to finish the set 25-18. With that win, Sage Hill reached an impressive 18-5 record.
The Lightning went on to lose its next game against El Dorado High School on Oct. 26, marking the end of the season.
“We really fostered a strong connection with each other during the league games, and I am hoping that everyone, especially our freshmen, comes back next year,” Sophomore Joanna Chen said.
The team is now continuing to build their team chemistry for beach volleyball this spring.
giR ls’ basketball set FoR a R ebound season
By Taite Nicholson
Sage Hill’s Girls’ Varsity Basketball team will play their first tournament of the season on Nov. 21 against Harvard-Westlake, aiming for a repeat trip to the State Championships after faltering in the playoffs last year.
The graduating class of 2024 including Aurora Elder, Zoie Lamkin, Katherine Righeimer, Annabelle Spotts, and Emily Eadie (named Girls’ Basketball Dream Team Player of the Year by The Daily Pilot ) made up 50 percent of the team. As those players have now graduated from Sage Hill, the Girls’ Basketball team is “rebuilding,” Junior Alyssa Cuff said.
“My goal and hope for the season is to win a state championship, but I really just want to bond with the girls and have a good time,” she said Under the guidance of Head Coach Kerwin Walters, Girls’ Basketball prepares for the upcoming season. Cuff described their rigorous practice regime.
“We have a one hour weight room every single day and 1.5 to 2 hours of practice, so almost 3 hours a day on average.”
Their current main focus is conditioning and weight training.
“We really have been trying to put in the work,” Alyssa said.
Walters indicated that the team has been practicing “non-stop” since the end of the 2023-2024
school year. Specifically, the girls are refining their offensive strategy and working on assessing their opponents.
impressive freshmen Eve Fowler and Addi Uphoff, and a number of returning players who make up the strong core of the team including Amelia Holguin, Alyssa Cuff, and Kamdyn Klamberg. Additionally, Isabella Rose, a senior transfer to Sage Hill, is expected to make a great contribution to the team.
“I think we’re gonna have a really good blend of youth and experience. Obviously, we were a senior heavy team last year, but I think our juniors are stepping up. And our sophomores that are returning, are also going to step up to the plate,” Walters said.
Team bonding is also a clear goal. Alyssa described her desire to connect with the team and get to know the new players, both underclassmen and upperclassmen. In her junior season, she expects to take on more of a leadership role and impart her experience and knowledge to benefit the team collectively.
With a strong foundation and dedicated practice, Walters believes the team will fare well this season, even as they face a very tough schedule.
“We want to be a team that actually can run complicated offenses and that can put defenses in compromising positions to take advantage and do what we need to do,” Walters said. “I think we’ll be very good at that.”
Despite losing eight valuable seniors, Girls’ Basketball has a promising roster.
“The freshman class is really good. They are really, really exciting,” Walters said with a smile. He specifically highlighted two
“This season, I hope for us to be one of the top eight teams in the Southern California region and the state. Of course, our goal is to be considered one of the top ranked teams in the state and arguably the country. We always are pushing to be one of the top teams on that na
tional stage,” Walters said.
Amy Choi | The Bolt
Varsity Girls’ Volleyball plays against Linfield Christian during CIF-SS Division 4 playoffs on Oct. 24.
Courtesy of Sage Hill School
Junior Amalia Holguin in action against Portola in January 2024.
Community
Student Spotlight : Senior empowerS Young VoiceS
By Ava Eimani
Senior Courtney Tetteh-Martey channeled her passion for debate over the summer into creating Debate Discovery Kids, an initiative designed to provide free speech and debate education to students who would otherwise lack access. Realizing the need for funding to scale her initiative, she successfully pitched Debate Discovery Kids to the Dragon Kim Foundation, a fellowship committed to providing young entrepreneurs with mentorship and funding. She secured a $5,000 grant to run three summer camps and a series of workshops. Courtney’s program aims to make debate programs available to everyone, regardless of financial barriers.
Courtney’s own debate journey began in seventh grade when she reluctantly chose debate as her elective course. What started as an experiment turned into a passion, as she thrived in an environment where polarizing topics were openly analyzed. Her debate teacher, Joshua Thimons, played a pivotal role in her growth, encouraging her to use her unique voice to succeed in tournaments.
“Before debate, I was shy and was a little afraid to speak up. In tournaments, during my uninterrupted time, I discovered my voice and my unique ability to persuade and argue different topics,” Courtney said.
At Sage Hill, Courtney has excelled as a member of the debate team but found her true calling as an assistant
in debate workShop
coach for Thimons’ middle school team.
Coaching allowed her to do more than teach debate skills—it became an opportunity to mentor young students at a critical time in their lives.
“Middle school is such a fragile time. Everyone is trying to figure out who they are and what they want. It was so rewarding to be able to help grow these kid’s confidence and have a positive impact,”
Courtney said.
However, Courtney couldn’t ignore the lack of diversity in debate, particularly when it came to economic status.
Realizing how debate had shaped her own growth, she was determined to make it accessible to educate young children about this competitive academic team. Courtney developed a 70-page workbook, which breaks down debate in an engaging, easy-to-understand way.
Each workshop taught essential skills like public speaking, structuring arguments, and using credible evidence. About 100 students attended her events in Santa Ana. But more than that, Courtney instilled confidence in her students, encouraging them after practice debates. Every camp concluded with a showcase, where students presented their debate skills to family and friends.
“My favorite part of the camps was the very last day when we hosted a showcase for the parents. Witnessing the students’ level of excitement and confidence truly made me happy to see that I had made a difference,” Courtney said.
FreShman claSS unwindS at delaY ed r etreat
By Ella Wang
retreat to Cedar Lake Camp on Oct. 21.
The freshman retreat has long been a tradition of Sage Hill, having started
during free time at Cedar Lake Camp on Oct. 23.
in 2007. As the school values a close community, it was intended to create meaningful connections within the grade level and their advisories early on through activities that encourage collaboration. Despite the postponement, however, the Class of 2028 has already established close bonds, which impacted the dynamics of the retreat.
“If it wasn’t postponed I feel like we would’ve gotten to bond more. Because it was later, I feel like friend groups were already formed so it was kinda a waste since the whole point was to bond with our freshman class,” Freshman Becca Weichert predicted.
Community was built on the freshmen’s own interests, instead of within
advisories. Because many favored their personal friend groups, students were more enthusiastic about individual activities on the first day.
The first day of the Big Bear retreat kicked off with a camp orientation, followed by an afternoon of free time where the students were free to stay within their own friend groups. Students spent hours indulging in the crisp fall air on a hike or chatting with friends while sipping from a cup of warm hot chocolate in the commons area. This was noted by many as their favorite parts of the retreat.
“My favorite activity during the retreat was my free time because it allowed me to adventure through Big Bear and see nature with my friends.” Freshman Sophia Lin said.
Sophia added that she enjoyed the independence of venturing off with friends.
“My favorite parts were exploring the woods with my friends and playing volleyball during free time,” freshman Bryan Tseng said.
The second day consisted of more collaborative activities where students exercised their communication skills with their advisory in rotations that consisted of lawn games, The Great Race, and rope climbing. The day ended with making advisory banners, which were later presented to the entire grade. The Parker advisory won the competition with a banner that presented Haikus representative of each member. Despite the positive idea of advisory bonding, some students said they would’ve liked more freedom.
“My least favorite part of the retreat was the fact that we were limited to being with our advisories and weren’t able to do activities with the rest of the school,” freshman Ethan Mcnutt said.
Over a month after the Sage Hill Freshman retreat was postponed due to a forest line fire in the San Bernardino National Forest, freshmen eagerly boarded the buses on a three-day
Courtesy of Jessimi Lyu
Freshmen Ruby Wang, Sophia Lin, Jaden Rall, and Gabby Park
Amy Choi | The Bolt
Senior Courtney Tetteh-Martey volunteers as a debate coach.
Arts & Entertainment
R eview: L auded NoveL a
By Linda (Qianhao) Liu
The animated film “The Wild Robot,” a highly anticipated adaptation of the award winning book, was released on Sept. 7. While fans hold mixed views of the film directed and written by Chris Sanders, I believe that this movie is worth watching, especially if you are a fan of the book.
The main character of this film is a robot named Roz, voiced by Lupita Nyong’o, accidentally dropped in the wild during a transportation accident. She encounters a fox named Fink, voiced by Pedro Pascal, while she is picking up Brightbill the goose, who hasn’t hatched yet. They embark on a journey together that centers around the robot experiencing friendship, love, and kindness with the newborn baby goose and the sly fox. With kindness, the three
characters form new bonds with animals in the wild to overcome obstacles.
The dialogues in the animation are very clear and give the audiences insights on the inner feelings of the characters. The filmmakers also do a fine job of pacing the movie’s plot. The plot is spread out and successfully communicates the story without leaving too many mysteries. However, there could be a deeper connection shown between Roz and her background if it explained more about her creation. The characters develop throughout the film in reasonable ways that help the audience understand their conflicts and how they overcome them.
The animation also flows smoothly throughout the film. Audiences can notice the texture displayed by the scenes in the wild. Especially, the wild
poetRy CoRNeR :
iNk a Nd iNspiR atioN
By Maya Desai
Welcome to the second edition of our poetry column. Sit somewhere cozy, grab some hot chocolate, and enter into the world of Ink and Inspiration. All you have to do is open the page!
PLAYING WITH PANTOUMS
A type of poetry, pantoums repeat the second and fourth line in every stanza with the first and third line in the next stanza. Authors use pantoums to play with the meaning of a verse and keep readers on their toes as to how a line will be repeated–changing the context of stanza, parts of the verse, or leaving it the same. This poem became popularized because authors could use the same verses to explore different themes and deeper topics. In the “Pantoum of The Great Depression” by Donald Justice, his use of the phrase “we did not ourselves know what the end was” changes depending on the stanza. He uses this line to describe the Great Depression, and, later in the poem, to depict how people acted at the time. Pantoums cleverly play with diction to illustrate a subject.
PANTOUM IN A STUDENT’S WORDS
The night cracks under the weight of our words
Our voices unite and usher
dapted iN “ the wiLd Robot”
robot’s change in appearance as he becomes damaged through rough experiences in the wild is noticeable. The sound effects clearly portray the desired mood of the scenes. For example, upbeat music is played when
the characters are relaxed and urgency can be felt when characters are facing danger.
The animation combined with the sound effects allows the audience to have an immersive experience with the plot and the characters.
Overall, I would recommend this film to those that love heartfelt movies revolving around friendship and familial love.
dawn for a nation blighted
Patiently, we stand on the edge of liberty
Never forgetting our freedom akin to a caged bird
Our voices unite and usher dawn for a nation blighted.
We step forward into the light, relishing the warm touch of the sun
But we cannot forget that we will be as free as a caged bird
Night will come, and slowly we will fade into shadow, our worn feet disappearing beneath us
We step forward into the light, relishing the warm touch of the sun
The light imprints echoes of freedom onto our skin
But we cannot forget that night will come, and slowly we will fade into shadow,
Darkness hiding voices united to urge a caged bird flighted
The light imprints echoes of freedom onto our skin
We scream and shout, dreaming about ending the world’s sins
Darkness hiding voices united to urge a caged bird flighted
Yet together, we fight and we fight until we are righted
Shadow cracks under the weight of a flame burning so bright that the rest of the world is lighted and darkness is blinded.
Courtesy of DreamWorks
Lupita Nyong’o voices Roz the Robot and Pedro Pascal plays Fink the Fox in “The Wild Robot.”
Crossword by Jesse Lew
School Life
Spirit Week SizzleS, Capped W ith
‘NeW York Cit Y’ homeComiNg da NCe
By Arya Rawl
Donning plaid pajama pants and bringing their favorite stuffed animals to school, the student body kicked off Spirit Week with a classic theme, Pajama Day, on Oct. 21. Organized by Student Council members, Spirit Week was an opportunity for students and faculty to come up with creative and unique ways to match the assigned theme for each day.
After Pajama Day, Tuesday’s theme, Rhyme Without a Reason, saw duo or group costumes such as maternity and fraternity, princess and wild west, or rapper and napper. Wednesday followed up with a new theme: Everything but a Backpack. Students filed into their classrooms carrying their notebooks, folders, and other stationary in tote bags, pots, or even wagons. On Thursday, which was Senior Citizens vs. Babies Day, upperclassmen showed up in pearls, white wigs, and sweaters to match the underclassmen dressed in bibs, pacifiers, and onesies. The Parents Association also hosted Gelato Day during lunch, where students could choose between different flavors of gelato and customize their bowls with the various toppings offered, including chocolate chips, marshmallows, and candy.
The week closed out with Pep Rally Day on Friday, where students, teachers, and staff wore their grade-level T-shirts emblazoned with their assigned colors.
The Homecoming Pep Rally featured a performance from Sage Hill’s Dance Team to songs such as “Man Eater” and “Shut up and Drive,” a game of Zorb soccer, and grade-level music videos.
“For all the members on the Dance Team, it felt like such a privilege to dance at the Pep Rally and Homecoming football game, especially being able to contribute spirit and energy to such an exciting day,” Junior Dance Team Captain
Chloe Haddad said. “We spent a long time on rehearsals and choreography, so we were so happy to feel the support of all the students.”
Placing in fourth place, the juniors ended up losing the first round of the soccer game to the seniors, who went on to play the sophomores in the final match. Although the sophomores made it to the finals, they ultimately lost to the seniors, leaving them in third place. Following their victory in both the soccer match and the overall Pep Rally, seniors stormed the gym, flocking to celebrate with one another and congratulate their classmates who had participated in the activities.
The freshman earned second place in their first Pep Rally after scoring points
for their music video and class cheer.
“This was something I never had at my old school, everyone sitting together cheering for and celebrating their shared places in life, as well as everyone else’s. It was lively, fun, and a great time,” freshman Amelie Lalvani said.
On Saturday, following a victory against Chadwick School’s football team, students filled the art lobby for the annual Homecoming dance, dressed to the theme of New York City: The City that Never Sleeps. Although the location had changed from previous years of using the parking lots outside of the science buildings, the dance was elevated by the hard work of Student Council.
“At first, I was hesitant about the new
location in the art lobby, but I was beyond content with how it turned out, and I’m sure we’ll be seeing a lot more dances held in there,” said Student Council Vice President Ella Wong. Other members of Student Council noted how exciting it was to be a part of the team that planned such a large event.
“I was so excited to plan Homecoming alongside my friend Haley [Li] this October,” Co-Activities Coordinator Cordelia Cieplucha said “Although we ran into some roadblocks regarding the budget and location, we were able to work through the challenges to put on a fun, memorable night for our fellow students.”
theatre program ShiNeS iN ‘peter pa N’ prequel
Sage Hill’s fall play opened at the Kazu Fukuda Black Box Theater on Nov. 7. The show, “Peter and the Starcatcher,” based on a novel of the same name, tells the origin story of the boy who never grew up, Peter Pan. This fresh take on a storybook classic is directed by Theatre teacher Mary Kildare.
“I wanted to choose an ensemble piece that was very creative and where the focus was on the acting and the actors. It is always best when the play is about our students and their talents,” Kildare said.
The lead roles are Molly Aster played by Senior Zabelle Martin, Blackstache played by Junior Paul Cauffman, and Peter played by Freshman Seth Weerasuriya.
Seth quickly found he loved acting in seventh grade.
“I actually never saw Peter Pan as a kid so it’s kind of fun to discover a new character that has been so popular,” Seth said.
It is rare to see a freshman cast in a lead role, but Kildare remains convinced it was the right call.
“I don’t usually cast a freshman in a lead role but he’s really fantastic and definitely the right person for the part,” she said.
The genre of the performance is sto -
rytime theater, a theatrical style where the actors create everything about the story with minimal props. Ships are depicted simply with ropes, leaving it to the actors to craft the story and its setting. Kildare expressed the difficulties and challenges the cast and crew have faced given this innovative style. She credits the actors, tech team, and stage manager Claire Sueyoshi for quite literally “making the show.”
Kildare also emphasized the main themes portrayed in the story and performance: contrasting relationships and childhood innocence.
“We have villains in our stories and we have heroes, but rarely do we focus on the relationship of them being counterpoints,” Kildare said. “We, as people, make up our humanity and it’s really a story about finding that.”
The cast hopes to bring the community together and remind them about the importance of unity, despite differences in politics or backgrounds.
“I’m hoping that this is a service that the students can provide for our community to keep the energy up and remind us that we are all in this together,” Kildare said. “Everyone is doing a great job and I am really excited for our community to see their work. I hope our audience is able to come and appreciate that and just have a great time.”
Remaining Showtimes: Friday, Nov. 8 at 7 p.m. Saturday, Nov. 9 at 2 p.m. & 7 p.m.
Tina Tahbaz | The Bolt Sophomores Sienna Burnette, Cheryl Xin, Freja Westrell, Breeze Estrada, and Valeria Uribe getting ready for the Pep Rally on Oct. 25.
Jenny Li | The Bolt
(From left) Senior Carter Klein, Senior Zabelle Martin, Sophomore Breeze Estrada, Freshman Seth Weerasuriya, Freshman Raif Abahusayn and Junior Paul Cauffman rehearse for the fall play, “Peter and the Starcatcher” on Oct. 24.
By Taite Nicholson & Katelyn Yeh