T he L og Tabor Academy’s Student Newspaper
thelog@taboracademy.org
Volume 95, Number 3
Quarantine Edition
Quarantine Times
Things To Do While In Quarantine
by Meghan Macdonald Back to school, finally!! I know everyone has been anticipating this for two full months now—the thrill of returning to school to reunite with friends, taking a break from Zoom, and gettting back to life at Tabor. Hopefully, everyone returns with a negative COVID test and we can enjoy the winter season here on campus. Until then, everyone will have to find ways to keep themselves occupied for the time spent quarantining in their dorm rooms or at home. It’s not easy being isolated from everyone else. If you’re going stir crazy and need a few ideas for how to get rid of the cabin fever, I’ve got you covered!
Get your heart rate up Working out will kill some time, get rid of the stiffness in your legs from sitting around, and help tire you out so you sleep better at night. There are plenty of HIIT workouts on Instagram and YouTube that are super effective and can be done in a small space. Write a letter When the COVID lockdown first started last March, I began writing letters to my friends and family and have kept it up ever since then— snail mail is so fun! I can guarantee that you will make the day of whoever receives your letter, and, maybe, they’ll send you one back. My aunt also came up with the idea for all of us in the family to write letters to someone we are thankful for, another way to keep busy while spreading a little gratitude. Get organized Going into the new module with a plan will set you up for success, so pull out your planner and get to it. Set some goals for the weeks ahead, tidy up your space, and get ready to crush Trimester 2 Module B!
Pick up a book Getting lost in a good book is a sure way to help you escape from reality for a few hours and help the time pass quickly. Grab a good one that interests you and get reading!
DANCE PARTY!! I hope you brought your headphones or a speaker because jamming out is so good for the soul! Put on some good tunes, dance your heart out, and enjoy yourself while getting a little exercise! Netflix Find some time to relax before the hustle and bustle starts back up again.
Meditate or practice deep breathing It’s not for everyone, but who knows, you may love it. You have a quiet space all to yourself, so why not give it a shot?! Listen to a podcast True crime, self-improvement, non-fiction, comedy. There are so many to choose from!
FaceTime/call friends and family Catch up with some old friends, stay in touch with your parents, or reach out to people you haven’t talked to in a while.
Rest up! There’s nothing wrong with just chilling if that’s all you want to do: rest is essential!
I hope these tips help you stay occupied while quarantining, and fingers crossed for a bunch of negative test results! Good luck with the start of Trimester 2 Module B. You got this!
Enjoy Crime Shows? Try a True Crime Podcast Take a screen break and just listen... by Tessa Mock I love cop shows like Criminal Minds and Law and Order. I love solving mysteries, and, most of all, I love true crime. That is why my world was turned upside down in the best way possible when I discovered True Crime podcasts. I listen to them in the shower, in the car, and while I am doing math homework. Honestly, I listen to them all of the time. My favorite is Crime Junkie. Hosted by Ashley Flowers and Britt Praywatt, the podcast is conversational, lighthearted, and easy to follow. They make such horrific crimes digestible for most audiences and bring attention to lesser-known unsolved cases in the hopes someone listening will know what happened. Neither of these women has a background in law enforcement or journalism; they are ordinary citizens who love true crime and want to share the stories of the victims they talk about. Friends since childhood, both women share a love for mystery solving and true crime, which prompted them to start the podcast. Ashley Flowers, the primary host, wanted to continue the segment of true crime stories she was sharing on local Indiana news. The rest is history. Each of the stories they share is focused on one of five categories: Murdered, Missing, Serial Killer, Conspiracy, and Infamous. Listed below are the best episodes from each category: Best Episodes:
Serial Killer: Dr. No
Murdered: Breanna Moore
Infamous: The “lonely hearts” Killers Conspiracy: The smiley face killer Missing: Alissa Turney
Personally, I am a fan of all of their episodes and have even become a member
of their fan club gaining access to additional episodes to get my crime junkie fix. The women have named their dedicated listeners “Crime Junkies.” In addition to telling a new story every week, the women share life rules with their listeners, rules like “be weird, be rude, stay alive.” They emphasize the fact that no one ever believes they will be the center of a true-crime story, but you never know what life has in store.
In addition to focusing on lesser-known cases, the focus they place on domestic violence victims and minority cases is admirable. It is often tempting to talk only about the most well known crimes, most infamous cases, or serial killers. Ted Bundy, Jeffrey Dahmer, and John Wayne Gacy are incredibly well-known, and while they are interesting, there are hundreds of documentaries, podcasts, and books all about these men. I appreciate the women of this podcast for bringing light to new stories, and cases nobody seems to talk, or care, about because everybody deserves justice. Additionally, the women donate a lot of the money they make from the podcast to various non-profit organizations—like “Crimestoppers,” which allows people to send in tips completely anonymously and has helped investigators solve hundreds of cases. Another, the DNA Doe Project, sends money to a lab for DNA analysis for cold cases from decades ago. I do have a few critiques. There are way too many ads; it would be lovely if they could cut back on them because they really detract from the episode. And in an effort to make each of their stories flow like a conversation, without losing focus, many of Britt’s responses to Ashley are scripted and unnatural. All in all, though, this is one of the best true crime podcasts I have listened to. It has overwhelming five-star reviews on Apple Podcasts. It is well researched and they give credit to all of their sources either during the podcasts or linked in their description box. (No plagiarism here.) I highly recommend you listen to Crime Junkie. You will not regret it!
2
A Look Back at the Holidays
Hybrid Festivities in Heath House
by Piper McKerrow While the holidays have come and gone, you might still need a little holiday cheer! While students were not together on campus to enjoy these fun-filled and festive times, Heath House residents shared their top three holiday movie picks with you. Grab some hot chocolate, gather by the fireplace, and read along for their holiday recommendations.
Ibmd.com
Heath House’s third place pick is… The Nightmare Before Christmas. Combining Halloween and Christmas to give the viewer a spooktacular and merry adventure, film director, Henry Selik, does a great job capturing the holiday spirit. Using various musical numbers, captivating backgrounds, and creative imagery the dynamic characters, including Jack Skellington, aim to bring the Christmas spirit to Jack’s World, Halloween Town. Follow along as the characters take part in a series of whimsical adventures, capturing the audience’s attention, while discovering what the holidays are all about.
Ibmd.com
Ibmd.com
2. In second place… A Charlie Brown Christmas. Following the adventures of the Peanuts Squad during the holiday season, this animated TV special aired in 1965, and has been a “holiday classic and favorite,” says Kiley Smith ’21. It stars Charlie Brown who is frustrated with the commercialization of Christmas. He is also disappointed with the town’s Christmas play for its lack of cheer. As a result, he finds himself buying a Christmas tree, a small sapling. While his friends are disappointed with his tree selection, they all soon discover the true meaning of the holidays.
3. In first place… Home Alone! Home Alone follows the series of mishaps of the McCallister family, as they frantically rush to the airport to spend Christmas in Paris. However, they leave one extremely important thing behind: their youngest son Kevin. Stuck home alone, Kevin must look after himself and the house while his family is away. While Kevin enjoys this time alone at first, he soon becomes fearful of his next door neighbor, a rumoured serial killer, and his house is targeted by burglar duo, Harry and Marv. In this comedy, Kevin must navigate his way, spending the holidays by himself, while keeping away the burglars. This classic provokes emotion, but also leaves the audience laughing, earning its spot as Heath’s favorite holiday movie.
Review: The Queen’s Gambit by Hailey Cohen
The Queen’s Gambit, a limited series recently released on Netflix, weaves a harrowing tale of talent, addiction, and fame. For fans of love stories, logic problems, captivating cinematography, and fabulous 60s fashion, this show delivers all that and more. The show follows the life of Elizabeth Harmon, an orphan with an innate ability to play chess. While excelling in math classes at the orphanage, Beth found a mentor in her orphanage’s janitor, Mr. Shaibel. Mr. Shaibel first introduced Beth to chess, and from that moment Beth spent every spare minute either playing chess or thinking about chess. She quickly rose through the ranks, surprising everyone by showing her expertise in a male-dominated space. Beth is an independent, determined, and driven character. Because of her dedication, she ended up traveling the globe and playing the best chess players all over the world. The show offers an extravagant view of major cities like Paris, Mexico City, and Moscow during the 1960s and 70s. This, combined with a catchy and captivating soundtrack, draws the viewer into Beth’s world.
There are also some darker, more disturbing aspects of The Queen’s Gambit. Most of the people in Beth’s life have either left her or died, so she pushes people away and avoids forming attachments. Her insecurity about her abilities and her inability to fit in with the other girls her age lead Beth down a path of addiction. She repeatedly has episodes of self-neglect and self-destruction when she feels she does not live up to her standards. These scenes may be disturbing to some viewers. However, throughout the show, Beth makes strides to recover and is helped by the people in her life who care about her.
Another aspect of The Queen’s Gambit that could be improved is the portrayal of Black characters. Only a few Black characters appear in the show and seem to play into stereotypes and tropes of POC. Beth’s friend, Jolene, is one of the only Black characters. She is written to fit the “strong and angry Black woman” stereotype, and she repeatedly sacrifices her own success to uplift Beth. She does not really have a major plotline of her own; her main purpose in the show is only to help Beth. Also, there are no POC included in the chess tournaments shown in the series, despite there being many brilliant Black female chess players, Collette McGruder and Baraka Shabazz to name just two.
Despite some flaws, The Queen’s Gambit is definitely worth the watch. The plot is interesting, the cinematography is fantastic, and the characters draw the viewer in. Despite many heartbreaking and harrowing moments, this show will leave you with a smile on your face.
T he L og The Tabor Log is the student produced newspaper of Tabor Academy. The Log is distributed to students, faculty and staff. The Tabor Log welcomes Letters to the Editors. Please send submissions of fewer than three hundred fifty words to thelog@taboracademy.org. The Log reserves the right to edit submissions for space and/or clarity.
Co-Editors: Hailey Cohen Grace Crowley Meghan MacDonald Tessa Mock Editorial Board: Alex Fox Olivia Justice Anastasia Kinsley Piper McKerrow Niya Plynton Catherine Terelak
Photo Editor: Tracy Fang Photography: Photo Pool
Faculty Advisor: Helene Sughrue