The Tower Issue 4 (2016-2017)

The Bishop’s School | December

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TOWER Issue 04 MMXVI

Conservatives | English Electives | Popularity | Gatsby Review | Sexism

Table of Contents

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Photo Courtesey to Bishops.com

S

ince August, I’ve spent a portion of every weekend bragging about myself to colleges.

September: Add finishing touches to the Common Application during family dinners. CHECK. October: Rack brain to fill in 35 activities and extracurriculars slots on UC application. CHECK. November: Craft strategically-worded accounts of self-boosting to plug into remaining supplementals. CHECK. Now, in the midst of the holiday season, I warmly welcome a change in perspective.

Many seniors can relate to the self-promoting mindset that becomes strangely natural during the college application process.

Throughout this fast-paced semester, unfortunately, losing sight of family time, relaxation, and even empathy can grow commonplace.

No matter your grade level, amount of stress, or length of your to-do list, the holiday season beckons an internal pause. Amid candlelit meals and gift exchanges, it’s a time to be grateful and reflective, humble in your actions and receptive to the feelings and perspectives of those around you.

Emerging from my college-focused cocoon, I know it’s time now to turn to those in my life who have made those accomplishments possible. Parents who have helped me edit essay after essay, an advisory who brightens each Monday morning with jokes, friends who are a constant source of joy and support, and members of the Bishop’s community who, amidst ceaseless

commitments, stop and set aside a moment for a simple conversation or a word of kindness.

Claire Edwards Editor-in-Chief

Academic

4. How Do You Cheat?

6. From Homer to Herrera: Spring English Electives

Sports 8. So You Never Clap for the Wrong Team Again 10. Startin’em Young: Sports Specialization

Arts 12. All That Glitters Is Gold: Gatsby Dance Performance 15. Beginning Bards: 10-Minute Play Project

Editorials 16. I’m Offended That You’re Offended 18. Saturday Is for the Boys 20. Slacktivism

Culture 21. Defining Popularity: That's so Fetch!

24. FEATURE: Conservatives on Campus 26. Knight Time: School Spirit 28. Starving for Acceptance: Eating Disorders 30. The Year That Shaped Me: Faculty Reflections 34. Formal 36. Yuuuuge Promises: Trump’s Vision

Interest 29. Holiday Date Ideas 39. Top Ten

Front and Back PC: Eliza Lafferty

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How Do You Cheat?

Jessie Faltinsky

“Colleges measure GPA, not integrity.”

T

hese anonymous student comments are responses to a recent survey asking Bishop's high school students why they cheat. It’s no secret cheating takes place at the Bishop’s School, but does our image as a private, college-preparatory school and expectation to maintain a high standard of integrity mask the extent to which cheating is a reality on campus?

According to a recent survey of more than 200 Bishop’s high schoolers, more than 60% of students report they have copied other students’ homework, 45% admit to cheating on in-class assessments, and 65% admit to asking peers about the content of an assessment prior to taking the assessment.

What do these statistics say about our school environment and community? Is it possible to get good grades and maintain mental health at Bishop’s without cheating?

One survey question asked how likely students were to give a peer homework answers if requested. 83% of Bishop’s upper school students replied that they were likely to give answers. Similarly, more than 60% of high school students admitted to

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“Our teacher doesn’t even look up during tests.”

“I have to be able to comp

providing information about the content of an assessment to a student who has not yet taken it. Many can conclude why an individual might want to bend the rules to their benefit; the more complicated question arises when we take a look at the high percentage of students helping their peers cheat.

When asked why they felt inclined to help peers cheat, participants gave a range of responses: “I want my friends to succeed.”

“I feel like I should return the favor.”

“I want to help students feel less stressed.”

“I knew that they needed the grade, so I let them glance at my paper and pretended that I didn’t notice.”

“I felt like I couldn’t say no.”

This accomplice mentality might relate to the fact that only 14% of the high school student body feels comfortable reporting cheating and 30% believe that the cheating they witness is not a big enough deal to report. Survey participants explained that turning someone in for cheating would “ruin their high school career” or cause others to label them as the “tattle-tale of the grade.”

“It’s a social thing,” said an anonymous high schooler. “There is this fear

of losing others’ trust because you told on them that they were cheating. No one likes a snitch.”

That being said, does this mean it is easy to cheat at Bishop’s? According to 58% of the high school student body, it is.

“In chem, we used to have a code where we would tap on our desks to give each other the answers. One tap meant A, two taps meant B and so on,” explained one anonymous senior girl.

“Many teachers are not very aware of what is happening during their tests.

Some teachers take away phones before tests or quizzes which is good, but many teachers do not even look up at the students during tests,” said an anonymous survey participant. “I’ve seen students look at each other during tests and try to talk silently about the test and the teacher not notice. Teachers need to be more aware of the classroom when an assessment is given.”

Another respondent in agreement explained, “If you are not bothered by the moral aspect of it, cheating is as easy as glancing left or right.”

With about 30% of survey respondents admitting they do not feel guilty cheating at Bishop’s, disregard for morality might be a leading factor in this behavior on campus. Some students

“The only way to be balanced at Bishop’s is to cheat.”

“My tutor made me a cheat sheet to bring into my last test.”

“If you’re really desperate, it’s kind of okay.”

“It takes much less energy.”

mpete with everyone else who is cheating.” explained that since Bishop’s is “very honor policy oriented” it is easier to get away with cheating as many Bishop’s students prefer to compromise integrity rather than grades. Are teachers instilling too much trust in their students? Or are they simply expecting too much of them?

“In history, our teacher always lets us have all our devices. We take our tests online,” said Faith RamirezCardenas (’20) who has never cheated, but recognizes how easily she could.

“Yeah, sometimes I see kids with other tabs open during our tests,” Connor Killian (’20) chimed in.

Faith and Connor sat at a table with three other freshmen who described how easy it would be to cheat in math class by keeping cell phones or note sheets in the lower desk compartment.

They feel science and history were the two most cheated on subjects due to the fact that answers to these subjects’ problems are easily found online.

“This school is challenging, and the best way to get help is to cheat.

I don’t feel bad about that,” said one anonymous high schooler. “The teachers should feel bad about giving so much work that I feel the need to cheat.

That’s the real issue.”

“The school system is already so

messed up, and definitely doesn’t reward people for effort or even intelligence a lot of times,” said another high schooler pointing out the majority of teachers’ concern with performance and quality over effort. “I don’t mind going around the system.”

Are these students just bad kids?

Some would say so. But at a school in which 30% claim that it is impossible to get good grades and maintain mental health at Bishop’s without cheating, it is important to take a look at these students’ perspectives.

“This school is demanding. We feel pressured and as though there is no way to get good grades, sleep, participate in extracurriculars, and have a social life without occasionally cheating,” said one survey respondent. “I would also like to emphasize that students would not do it if they didn’t feel it was necessary.”

Another explained, “It is definitely possible to get good grades without cheating, in fact, I have done it easily.

But my hours of sleep have dropped significantly, and I find myself mentally drained everyday after school. The pressure cooker environment makes me want to punch something when I got a B. Can you get good grades without cheating? Yes. Can you get them

without sacrificing at least a bit of your mental health? Nope.”

According to a similar survey sent out to Bishop’s middle schoolers, cheating was shown to be significantly less common with only 32% admitting to have ever copied homework (compared to the high school 62%) and 57% admitting they would be willing to share their homework answers (compared to the high school 83%). Higher percentages of cheating occur in high school with heavier work loads, an increased focus on sports, more social pressure, and the looming stress of college.

Where can Bishop’s go from here?

Do we need to enforce stricter cheating rules? Do we need to reevaluate the expectations we put on our students? Or can we meet somewhere in the middle?

Most importantly, what can teachers, administration, and students do as a community to put an end to the following mindset? “Maybe you won’t be 100% sane at the end of the year, but hey, at least you got a 4.6!”

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From Homer to Herrera Annie Zeigler

For the past six years, Bishop’s has taught a collection of semester-long English courses for eleventh and twelfth graders. The electives allow students to hone in on specific genres of literature, such as poetry or narrative fiction, exploring the themes within the texts of each class. A more in depth description of each second semester option looks to make such a widespread variety of courses less daunting.

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AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERATURE

By weaving novels, articles, films, and poetry, both modern and historical, African American Literature assesses race and identity in general, through countless angles.

More creative than analytical, self reflection, projects, and personal writing are essential to the class. During the first semester, the class, taught by Mr. Gary Hendrickson, read Toni Morrison’s Bluest Eye, Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy, Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God, and Ta-Nehisi Coates’s Between the World and Me, as well as an assortment of articles and short stories. “Mr. Hendrickson formats the class in a way where we’re able to be introspective in our discussions, papers, and projects,” said Annika Kjos (‘17).

CONTEMPORARY WRITING

Taught by Mr. Chad Bishop, Contemporary Writing weighs in on the effect that current events have on twenty first century literature.

“The class has been great because during an exciting time in American history, we can explore contemporary issues like brain fatigue, the return of nationalism, and mansplaining,” said Mr. Bishop. Rebecca Solnit’s Men Explain Things to Me, Jonathan Safran Foer’s Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close, Phil LaMarche’s American Youth, and Don Delillo’s White Noise are the main textual points of the class. “What makes Contemporary Writing really compelling is how we can read about current issues and events in our time and learn more about them through discussion,” said Alex Mani (‘18).

DREAMS, DELUSIONS, AND DEMONS

In combining literature and medieval Christianity, Dr. Regina Ballard and Ms. Kara Crawford have created a class that delves into the mystery and fantasy of Gothic texts. Developed last year and meeting only during the spring semester, Dreams, Delusions, and Demons is fresh and open to new findings. “We look forward to the work that students complete in their final Curation Project,” said Ms. Crawford, “which involves interdisciplinary research, a collection of artifacts, and an essay to explain the theme of their collection and its connection to the class.” The anticipated reading material includes Anglo-Saxon poetry, Pearl by the Gawain Poet, Everyman, Murder in the Cathedral by T.S. Eliot, and excerpts from Dante’s Divine Comedy and Chaucer’s Canterbury Tales.

EPIC EPICS

Ms. Aimeclaire Roche, Head of School, and Ms. Michelle Shea have partnered to co-teach Epic Epics. The “survey of epics” plans to touch on multiple ancient poems and stories, yet still visit themes like tragedy and myth with depth. After diving into sections of Virgil’s The Aeneid, Homer’s The Iliad and The Odyssey, Milton’s Paradise Lost, and Joyce’s Ulysses, students will be able to further appreciate the texts of which so many authors gain inspiration. Now, rather than just hearing Ms. Roche’s classical Greek and Latin quotes during assembly, students can witness her training firsthand during the spring semester.

NARRATIVE FICTION

“This class is great because of the spirited environment Ms. Shea creates. If you like to write creative stories instead of structured analytical essays then this is the class for you,” said Garth Erdossy (‘18). Known for its open atmosphere and unconstrained discussions, Narrative Fiction gives students the freedom to explore their imaginative sides. Taught by Ms. Michelle Shea, Narrative Fiction meets for both the first and second semester. Students model their own creative work after short stories read in class. Neighbors and Cathedral by Raymond Carver, A Perfect Day for Bananafish by JD Salinger, and a collection of works by Stephen King are some favorites from the first semester.

PSYCHOPATHS IN CONTEMPORARY LITERATURE AND FILM

Concentrating on ever-interesting, mentally offbeat characters in literature, this course examines the psychologically troubled, and why they are so much more than “crazy.”

After its first semester debut, the class, created and taught by Ms. Amy Allen, has piqued many student’s interests with the notion of exploring personalities free of guilt, empathy, or fear. The main texts include Cormac McCarthy’s No Country for Old Men, Jim Thompson’s The Grifters, and Gillian Flynn’s Gone Girl. “I think that a lot of the time English classes have the potential to become dull or tedious, but this class has kept me interested throughout the semester.

The topic is really unique, but so are the activities we do as a group. Right now we’re all writing our own contemporary plays in small groups,” says Emilia Aguerre (‘18).

SUBLIME VIOLENCE

“[Sublime violence] will be about the way histories, especially violent histories, resonate over time—the way they are passed and transformed from one generation to the next,” said Dr. Clara Boyle, who will be the new teacher of the spring semester class.

As destructive and violent themes prevail in all types of literature, Sublime Violence investigates the roots and development of them. The subject matter surrounds an overall dark theme, yet that’s what what it interesting nonetheless. Dr. Boyle is planning to teach the works of William Faulkner, Isabelle Allende, Louise Erdrich, and Patrick Modiano, but she hasn’t solidified which specific titles just yet.

WOMEN WRITERS

Tapping into the vital role of female authors in history, Women Writers seeks to explore what it means to write from a feminine perspective, and fully understand the impact women have made on literature. Ms. Cresence Birder is planning to teach Maxine Hong Kingston’s The Woman Warrior, Charlotte Brontë’s Jane Eyre, Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, poems by Emily Dickinson, and excerpts from Angela Carter’s Book of Fairy Tales in the new class. “There are so many writers and topics to cover, that they simply can’t all be accounted for in a semester class,” she said. “ I am hopeful that this course sparks further interest, and serves as a solid launching-off point for students to continue to investigate more works by women, particularly looking at how these works have evolved over time and reflect cultural and social perceptions of gender roles.”

POETRY: PAST, PRESENT, FUTURE

An accomplished poet himself, Mr. Adam Davis eagerly anticipates teaching poetry during the spring semester. The central text will be The Open Door: 100 Poems, 100 Years of Poetry Magazine—an all-encompassing anthology that offers students a multitude of pieces to read and analyze.

Along with The Open Door, Mr. Davis looks to study other collections of poetry, including Notes on the Assemblage by Juan Felipe Herrera, who is the Bishop’s 2017 Scholar-in-Residence. “This will be the fifth year in a row that students in my poetry class will be able to interact with one of the poets we’ve read—a fantastic opportunity, to be sure,” said Mr. Davis.

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So You Never Clap for the Wrong Team Again Tanner Coleman

W

hen you want to attend a sporting event but find the rules confusing, don’t lose hope. This is your guide to mastering the rules of our power winter sports programs.

BOY’S AND GIRL’S SOCCER Time: According to CIF rules, halves last forty minutes, with added time for injuries and delays at the end of each half. Two teams are allowed to tie. One exception is for tournaments or playoffs when there are two overtime time periods of fifteen minutes and then penalty kicks if there is still no winner.

Offsides: Offsides occurs when one player from the opposing team stands behind the second to last defender and receives the ball or interrupts the play.

The referees move with the second to last defender in order to track offsides.

The attacker is onside as long as there are at least two defenders level with him or in front of him. If there are one or zero defenders between the attacker and the goal, and the attacker also meets the two conditions above, he is in an offside position.

Restarts of the Game: When the ball goes out of play, on the sidelines or touchlines (vertical lines on the field), there is a throw-in, over the head with both feet dragging. If the ball goes out of bounds over the goal line (horizontal lines on the field), there is a goal kick or corner kick. It is considered a goal kick when the attacking team kicks it over the goal line; it is a corner kick when the defending team kicks it over the goal line (where the goal stands).

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BOY’S AND GIRL’S BASKETBALL In the game of basketball there are normally two referees. In the playoffs, there are three officials. (Our valiant Knights will for sure be getting buckets in the postseason!) In basketball it is hard to determine if a foul is really a foul, and it is often up to the officials to determine the correct outcome. Some officials may call fouls more frequently than others. Most of the time though the rowdy fans will try to convince the refs that they have made a terrible call, but there is no instant replay, oops.

Scoring: There are many spectacular ways to score in the art of basketball.

First, any shot behind the three pointline, which is an arc on both sides of the court, counts as three points. A shot from anywhere inside of the three point arc counts as two points. Unfortunately, there is no four point shot.

Fouls: When fouled while shooting, the player fouled goes to the free throw line which is 15 feet from the basket for two one point shots. If the player shooting makes the basket, the shooter is awarded the three pointer or the two pointer, but is also given one foul shot. Also, if the defense is in the bonus, which is after 5 total team fouls, and commits any type of foul, the team with the ball, or the offense, immediately goes to the free throw line for a one and one. A one and one is a free throw and if the shooter makes the shot, the shooter receives another shot.

Personal Fouls: Personal fouls are a tad more extreme than regular fouls.

Personal fouls are any type of illegal

contact like, hitting, pushing, slapping, holding, and illegal screens.

Charging: Charging is an offensive foul that is committed when a player pushes or runs over a defensive player.

The ball is given to the team that the foul was committed upon.

Blocking: Blocking is illegal personal contact resulting from a defender not establishing position in time to prevent an opponent’s drive to the basket.

Intentional Foul: An intentional foul is when a player makes physical contact with another player with no reasonable effort to steal the ball. It is a judgment call for the officials whether or not the player was intentionally fouling another player or not.

Technical Foul: When a player or a coach can commit this type of foul, it does not involve player contact or the ball but is instead about the ‘manners’ of the game. Foul language, obscenity, obscene gestures, and even arguing can be considered a technical foul, as can technical details regarding filling in the scorebook improperly or dunking during warm-ups (grabbing the rim).

After five fouls for a single player, they have to return to the sideline and sit out for the remainder of the game.

Violations Walking/Traveling: Taking more than 'a step and a half' without dribbling the ball is considered traveling and results in a turnover. Moving your pivot foot once you’ve stopped dribbling is traveling.

PC: Bishops.com

Double Dribble: Dribbling the ball with both hands on the ball at the same time or picking up the dribble and then dribbling again is a double dribble.

Goaltending: If a defensive player interferes with a shot while it’s on the way down toward the basket, while it’s on the way up toward the basket after having touched the backboard, or while it’s in the cylinder above the rim, it’s goaltending and the shot counts. If committed by an offensive player, it’s a violation and the ball is awarded to the opposing team for a throw-in.

Backcourt violation: Once the offense has brought the ball across the midcourt line, they cannot go back across the line during possession. If they do, the ball is awarded to the other team to pass inbounds.

GIRL’S WATER POLO After a great season by the men’s water polo team, the Lady Knights of the pool now take on the feat of winning seven CIF championships in a row making a huge mark in Bishop’s athletics history. It is extremely difficult to see water polo fouls from the stands.

With a lot of misconduct going down underwater, the refs have to make judgment calls. Many fouls and ejections are unseen due to the glare of the water and the splashing.

Fouls: The referees whistle two different kinds of fouls: minor (ordinary) fouls and major fouls/ejections. There is no limit to the number of minor fouls a player may commit. However, once a player has committed three major

fouls, that player must leave the game and may not return.

Minor Fouls: The referee normally signals a minor foul with one blast of the whistle and holding one arm out straight in the direction of the attack.

If the minor foul is whistled against the team with the ball, the referee normally signals this with two blasts of the whistle but the arm signal is the same. The most common minor fouls consist of: 1. Delaying time before taking a free throw. To waste time is most often when a team elects not to shoot the ball, and instead throws the ball to a vacant part of the pool and swims away without trying to retain possession.

2. Touching the ball with two hands (does not apply to goalkeeper inside of the 5-meter line) 3. Walking on or pushing off the bottom of the pool (does not apply to the goalkeeper inside of the 5-meter line) 4. Failing to take a shot within 30 seconds (letting the shot clock expire) Major Fouls: A major foul is often referred to as a personal foul. The referee normally signals an exclusion in this manner: (1) two short then one long blast of the whistle; (2) pointing at the excluded player then moving the arm towards the re-entry area; (3) putting up one or both hands and signaling the number of the excluded player. The major fouls are: Brutality - The brutality foul requires that the offending player demonstrate obvious intent to injure another player. As a result of this foul: (1) the offending player is removed from that

game and (at least) the next game; (2) that team may not substitute for that player for four minutes of game time; and (3) the offended team is awarded a penalty throw. Brutality occurs very rarely.

Penalty Fouls - A penalty foul is awarded when a player commits any kind of a foul in the penalty area (inside the 5m line) that, in the opinion of the referee, prevented a probable goal.

This is most commonly awarded in situations where the attacker turns or gets inside the defenders and is fouled from behind.

Conduct Fouls - When the behavior of participants not in the water (players, Coaches’, or any other team personnel) becomes inappropriate, the referees can issue yellow or red cards.

The yellow card is reserved only for the head coach and is a warning that the behavior of someone (including the head coach) on the bench is inappropriate. The red card is awarded when the behavior is bad enough that the referee must order that person to leave the bench. Someone who receives the red card may not have any visual, verbal, or electronic communication with any member of the team for the remainder of that game and all (including the pregame warm-ups) of the next game.

This winter sports season will be a thrill with golazos from the top of the box to alley-oops from half court and even crazy skip shots off of the water.

The referees are bound to make mistakes and call fouls that we Knights won’t appreciate, but we will conquer all opponents in venturing on this quest to CIF.

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Startin'em Young Collin Douglas

Photo Courtesey to Clay Witmeyer ('18)

A

t the annual spring sports assembly, the list of TriVarsity Athlete Award recipients dwindles every year. This coveted award is given to athletes who have received three varsity letter in the school year. Although the number of letters on a letterman jacket has always been something to be proud of, student-athletes today seem to be specializing in one sport more than ever.

When I say specialization, I don’t mean a high schooler deciding to pursue one sport for an assortment of reasons, such as a college scholarship or more time to focus on school. When I say specialization, I am talking about someone dedicating their entire life, year after year, to one sport from a very young age.

When it comes to young athletes, exposure is one of the most important experiences that one can have, and not just in sports. From ages five to thirteen, I played seven different sports, bouncing from field to court to diamond from season to season, and it was easy. Once high school starts, this ability quickly goes away. With the already competitive and usually experienced pool of players and the large time commitment

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(even for JV teams), venturing into a new sport can be much more challenging. Not to say this is impossible, but there is not the same effortlessness that comes with youth sports.

Even some coaches encourage multi-sport athletes. Freelap Timing, a sports technology company, stated that “The NCAA and NFL recruits athletes, not football players. Athletes… guys that can sprint, jump, and explode.”

Obviously this has just as much to do with players working in the weight room as it does playing other sports.

Sure, there are some sports, like basketball, where skill is highly valued even in comparison to athleticism, but if you aren’t able to keep up with the pace and physicality of the game, it’s hard to succeed. Dribbling drills during the offseason are not going to make a player run faster, jump higher, or finish through contact. In basketball, as well as other sports, a lack of athleticism can be a liability. This is easy to see at a high level, where coaches have to hide weaker defensive players with complex defensive schemes. Just look at Stephen Curry, reigning NBA Most Valuable Player. While not as bad of a defender as some reporters may say,

almost every other All-Star point guard in the league complains about playing the Golden State Warriors and not being able to go at Steph because he will only guard the weaker backcourt player, leaving renowned defender and AllStar shooting guard Klay Thompson with the harder matchup.

In addition, doctors have found that playing the same sport year round actually results in more injury due to overuse, and athletes under the age of eighteen are 93% more likely to get injured from this constant, repetitive activity. Even professional athletes, whose job it is to be good at one sport, crosstrain with other activities. Blake Griffin, All-Star power forward for the Los Angeles Clippers, began a Red Bull mini-documentary series, “The Crossover,” where he trained with other athletes in other sports such as a New York City handballer, an olympic sprinter, and an MMA fighter in order to improve on skills that could translate back to basketball.

One can’t deny that specialization would be good for the improvement of the sport as a whole. I mean, if you want to get better at something, you do it often. Malcolm Gladwell explained

Photo Courtesey to Clay Witmeyer ('18) in his bestselling book The Outliers, that “ten thousand hours is the magic number of greatness,” using examples like Bill Gates, and how his early exposure to computers and coding allowed him to log countless hours from a young age practicing his craft, setting himself up for success in that field.

There are only so many hours in a day, and Clay Witmeyer (‘18), who this season decided not to play basketball, believes that playing three sports can be a disadvantage when you narrow it down to each sport. “There’s really no off-season as each sport runs into the other, and in the past two years I have missed the start each season due to the previous sport’s playoffs.” While there were multiple factors that swayed Clay’s decision to not play basketball, one was wanting to have some free time to prepare for his spring sport. As Photos Courtesy of Clay Witmeyer (‘18)

he exlained, “With basketball in the middle of football and baseball it will give me the opportunity to work out and hit so I’m fully prepared to play at the start of the baseball season. It was hard the last few years coming in a couple weeks late and not having played since the summer.”

Burnout, or complete exhaustion of a sport, is the other side of this athletic dilemma. Absence makes the heart grow fonder, and those long months in between returning to a sport can provide not only a break, but a newfound love when the season returns. Chris Rose (‘19), starting power forward on the basketball team, who plays AAU (Amatuer Athletic Union) basketball for Gamepoint, admits that playing year-round can get monotonous: “I mean there’s a limit to it. It’s still really fun though. But yes, it does get tiring.”

Georgia Gilmore (‘17), recent UC Berkeley Water Polo commit, also stated that “sometimes it gets tiring and you just wanna take a break because it’s just an exhausting sport, but after you stop, you realize you’re bored and miss it.” Playing the same sport year round is gruelling enough, but without love for the sport, you are setting yourself up to lose passion for the activity.

All in all though, my opinion or reports of others shouldn’t be the quintessential element in deciding which sports, arts, or extracurriculars to pursue. High school, in all of its facets, is a game of opportunity cost, and only the individual can truly know the best decision for themselves.

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Photo Courtesy of bishops.com

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All That Glitters Is Gold C

ostumes glitter under brilliant, multi-colored stage lights. “A Little Party Never Killed Nobody” echoes throughout Taylor Performing Arts Center.

Showgoers sit at the edge of their seats, gleaming with anticipation. Danielle Wood (‘17) takes center stage, with other dancers spinning and swirling around her. The party has begun.

From costumes adorned with sequins, feathers, and fringe to intricate and advanced choreography, the Performing Dance Group’s fall dance concert, Gatsby, was exceptional.

Performed six times in three days, Gatsby, based on the novel The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald, took its audience back to 1920’s Long Island, into the extravagant world of Jay Gatsby.

Director and choreographer, as well as Head of the Dance Program, Ms. Donna Cory transformed roughly 189 pages of classic American literature into a 90-minute dance production. “It was a lovely experience,” she said. “Everyone was very excited.

Everybody sort of knew where I was going, but a lot of people didn’t know how we were going to bring nine chapters of F. Scott Fitzgerald to life without someone sitting up there reading the book.”

This production recreated the curtain scene, one of the most recognized parts of The Great Gatsby. Ms. Cory said, “There are certain visually iconic moments in Gatsby: one is Jordan and Daisy on the white sofa.”

As Daisy Buchanan [Natasha Webb (‘17)] and Jordan Baker [Emma Lewis (‘17)] posed on the iconic white sofa, the Curtain Corps, consisting of Abby Mack (‘19), Charlotte Mack (‘19), Allison Zhang (‘19), Vi Krstic (‘18), Emma Domingo (‘17), and Davina Dou (‘17), danced effortlessly and elegantly as the white drapes swirled around Daisy and Jordan. Four dancers in the Curtain Corps pulled long, fluttering white drapes onto the stage, making way for Daisy’s symbolic entrance.

Amy Carlyle

In PDG’s production, the green light was manifested as a girl rather than a light hanging at the end of Daisy’s dock, given Gatsby’s strong connection with it. “Gatsby has a profound relationship with that light,” Ms. Cory said. “It represents everything he wants; it represents everything he thinks is ultimately attainable and worth fighting for. It really isn’t a one-sided relationship.”

Sarah Bauer (‘17), the green light, personified Gatsby’s [Gabe Garon (‘17)] longing when dancing with him at his dock towards the beginning of the show. This beautiful duet displayed Gatsby’s immense love for something just out of reach. The green light returns multiple times throughout the production, including at tea in the rain, on the way to the Plaza Hotel, in the speakeasy, and at Gatsby’s party for Daisy—a constant reminder of Gatsby’s motivations and desires.

One particularly captivating moment was a solo performed by Myrtle Wilson [Megan Schwarz (‘17)] in her Manhattan apartment. In this piece, Tom Buchanan [Noah Adaikkalam (‘18)], had just hit Myrtle, leaving a trail of blood across her cheek. After Tom left the stage, Myrtle began this passionate routine, performed to Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep.” The piece was eyecatching and breathtaking, featuring several series of stunning turns and displaying Myrtle’s intense anger. “I wanted you to feel for Myrtle,” Ms. Cory explained. “I didn’t want her to be just a supernumerary.” Ms. Cory and Megan succeeded in doing so, as Myrtle was a pivotal role in Gatsby.

The cyclorama, or “cyc,” is a large projector screen on the back wall of the stage. With 140-some cues, the cyc produced different images to guide the show, and brought much of the novel to life. “All of those projections,” Ms. Cory said, “served three purposes: location, to remind you where you are in the book, and atmosphere.” For example, the show opened with images of soldiers in World War I to establish the

time period. With every chapter, it also showed pages from the novel, to help the audience identify where they were in the text.

Later, during the silk shirts scene, the cyc projected a film montage created by former PDG member Charmaine Hiller (‘16). Ms. Cory said, “[Charmaine] took the Dicaprio 2013 film and the Robert Redford 1974 film, montaged them together, changed the colorization of it, blended [the film] into being black and white, and went back in one frame at a time to colorize each shirt.” During this moment, both Daisy and the green light stop to watch the film before continuing dancing, pausing to absorb the glamour and splendor of what is happening around them. The cyc was instrumental in Gatsby: it set the scene, but still allowed plenty of room for the dancers to perform.

Nick Carraway’s [Nico Langlois (‘17)] cottage, another special feature of the show, stood detached from the rest of the set. While the majority of the dancing took place on the main stage, Nick’s cottage resided on the carpet adjacent to both the stage and the audience. In the novel, Nick often mentions how he is both a part of the story and an onlooker. Ms. Cory said, “Nick continually, in different ways, refers to himself as in the story and out of the story: ‘I was in it, now I’m out of it,’ ‘I’m a character in it, but I’m also the outside eyes reporting this story.’” This, as well as the fact that space is limited backstage, influenced the decision to keep Nick’s cottage separated.

With magnificent costumes, dazzling choreography, and intricate set and lighting design, this modern production of Gatsby took us back to the shallow glamour of the Roaring Twenties. Can’t repeat the past? Why, of course you can.

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Photo Courtesy of bishops.com

Beginning Bards: 9th Grade 10-Minute Play Project Ethan Franco

PC: Ethan Franco (‘20)

S

top, can we read those lines again?” The student shifts his body and repeats the line.

“Great, much better.” Unlike most high school play rehearsals, the directions did not come from a drama teacher or faculty member.

Head of the Drama Department Ms. Courtney Flanagan remarked, “I think it’s satisfying to produce your own work and see it done in front of an audience. When someone is able to create a piece and watch it come alive, that’s pretty darn exciting.” That’s why this year Ms. Flanagan proposed a playwriting project for all freshmen English classes.

In each English class students were split into groups of two or three.

Students spent two weeks writing their roughly ten-minute plays. The drafting was capped off by students staging and

and performing the plays they co-wrote in front of their classmates.

Teachers submit the plays that are the strongest in their class, and Ms. Flanagan narrows those down to around 10 plays that she believes are fit for production. After that, Ms. Flanagan hands the plays to members of the Playwrights Project, a nonprofit organization devoted to arts education, and they select the final six plays. The lucky six will be produced on January 20th and 21st. Noah Adaikkalam (‘18) and Alice Banta (‘17) will be directing the plays.

When the previous Director of Technological Theater left Bishop’s, Ms. Flanagan explained, “I did not want to put the whole workload on one person, but when I came up with this idea, I knew I could go forward with it. I also had two students, Noah Adaikkalam

(‘18) and Alice Banta (‘17), that were extremely motivated to direct the pla ys.”

Alice Banta (‘17) explains the importance of playwriting. “One really important thing that comes from playwriting and acting, and that hopefully comes through when students wrote their plays, is that the words you put down on paper and present onstage can really matter. If you write a play about something you’ve experienced or something that’s important to you, it has the power to affect people because you’re connected to your work and that allows your audience to empathize.”

Ms. Flanagan pushed for freshmen to do this playwriting project to develop collaboration skills. In her opinion, being able to work alongside another student is a great skill to develop. Kellen Hobson (‘20) said, “It’s been great working with a partner. Usually when I am working by myself I only have one or two ideas, but having a partner meant that we could have more ideas and that made our play even better.”

Ms. Flanagan expressed that having a partner meant the student directors were able to combine ideas to create a play that related to each of them.

Parviz Henderson (‘20) explained, “We brainstormed over two days, we discussed ideas, and we were able to come up with a good concept for our play.”

Catherine Stuart-Chaffoo (‘20) explained, “I did not know my partner too well before we were assigned together for the project, but I was able to get to know her more and that meant we were able to assign each other sections of our plays that suited us better as writers, which really helped.”

Students enjoyed learning how to produce a play from scratch as they took part in every step from writing to staging to acting to directing. Ms. Flanagan is hoping this project lights a spark in students’ interest in dramatic writing.

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Photo Courtesy of hieronymus.co

I’m Offended That You’re Offended Isabelle Kenagy

I

The views expressed in this editorial are not necessarily those of The Bishop’s School or The Tower staff.

’m offended. We hear these words almost every day. In our current school climate, anything and everything can be interpreted as offensive, intentions and contexts completely disregarded.

In American universities, a culture of hypersensitivity is accepted and supported by administration and propelled by the students.

Trigger warnings are being issued before classic texts like F. Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby. At Harvard Law, professors have difficulty teaching rape law without “triggering” or offending their students. This culture of catering to the small, personal ideas, words, or actions each student finds offensive is more harmful than helpful.

We see this phenomenon in the Bishop’s community all the time. In our world, it is driven by the diversity seminars, advisory discussions, and those occasional Daily Urinal articles that disregard anything but hurt feelings.

Often, I see students at Bishop’s get emotional about something they interpret as “offensive.” Suddenly, the person behind the triggering material, who may have had no bad intentions, doesn’t matter. The

“targeted” student can say horrible things about the “wrongdoer” or make them feel dreadful, but it doesn’t matter because the argument “I’m offended” is irrefutable.

We get so caught up in our own feelings that we forget the other people involved in the situation, other humans with feelings. Our self-righteousness outweighs our empathy.

The unquestionable “I’m offended” argument is a major cause of this lack of sympathy and perspective. At Bishop’s, and many other highly acclaimed schools around the country, building and presenting a solid argument is a valued skill. However, when someone claims to be offended, there is no questioning of why they are offended or if the “wrongdoer” is in fact reprehensible. They don’t need any other proof to back up their claim that they are offended and the other person is therefore wrong. All they need to use is emotional reasoning (see definitions) to come to the conclusion that they are offended, and that is as far as the thinking goes.

There is no further use of inductive reasoning or critical thinking.

No doubt, racist, sexist, and homophobic ideas and people exist in this community and in the world. I

do not want these things to exist or to prevail. However, the solution to these social ills will come from considering other perspectives before jumping to rash conclusions about the nature of a comment or action.

Hypersensitivity is not helping our culture. In fact, it leads people to think less.

This encouraged over-sensitivity mimics many cognitive distortions, including mind reading (assuming what people think), labeling (assigning negative labels to someone), emotional reasoning (letting personal feelings guide your interpretation of reality), and inability to disconfirm (rejecting an evidence to contradict your negative view). When students are encouraged to become highly disturbed by small mishaps, cognitive distortions prevail.

Succumbing to hypersensitivity and emotional reasoning inhibits the maturity of our thinking, propels cognitive distortions, and leaves students unprepared for the world outside of the education system. In matters of hypersensitivity, the very champions of empathy sometimes become the least empathetic.

DEFINITIONS Trigger warnings: A warning released by a professor to the student or consumer that the subject material of a certain book, film, or subject may be emotionally damaging or “triggering.”

Cognitive Distortions: Ways people think that cause them to believe things that aren’t true Emotional Reasoning: A cognitive distortion where people think that because they believe something or feel a certain way, it must be true.

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Saturdays Are for the

Boys Karinne Aguirre

The views expressed in this editorial are not necessarily those of The Bishop’s School or The Tower staff.

“Nice girls don’t wear their skirts that short.”

A real quote, said by a teacher to a sophomore girl. At this point I can understand how the conversation about skirt length is a tired one, but small moments such as these are not really about the dress code; they’re about sexism at Bishop’s.

Instances of sexism are undeniable, and in light of this, we do not have the privilege of regarding ourselves as outside of the problem. Earlier this year, one student posted

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a picture on his Instagram with a hashtag that read “#womenbelonginthekitchen.” What ensued was hard to forget. The refusal of the student to do so much as apologize, and the subsequent defense of his actions as all in good fun, that “boys will be boys,” highlighted the sexist undertones that are, consciously or unconsciously, still present on campus.

Although this was probably the year’s most infamous incident of this vein, it is not as if sexism

is something you’d have to search very hard to find.

And yet, a large part of the student body is in denial.

Gabe Krut (‘17) said, “It’s not talked about often because there aren’t enough instances to have it be a popular topic. Take the whole race issue for example. That’s what most advisory, class, and school wide discussions revolve around because we’ve had events that would inspire that kind of conversation.”

But such an inability to see the prevalence of sexism on campus and

"Being the Cool Girl means I am a hot, brilliant, funny woman who adores football, poker, dirty jokes, and burping, who plays video games, drinks cheap beer, loves threesomes...and jams hotdogs in her mouth...while somehow maintaining a size 2....Men actually think this girl exists." ~exerpted from Gillian Flynn's novel Gone Girl

the unwillingness to dissect gender issues might be less of a dismissal and more of a reason as to why sexism has stuck around for so long. Samantha Schwimmer (‘17) said, “I think most of the sexism on campus is subtle. For example, girls on campus feel as if they can’t speak up as much in class because they’ll be perceived as bossy versus their male peers who can because their voices are heard as intelligent and brave. I know that when I was in speech and debate freshmen year, I felt like I had to act a certain way in order to be effective; I couldn’t be blatantly argumentative and had to be very prim and polite.”

Another thing that masks the prevalence of sexism on campus is the defense of the action as just a joke. At a senior’s house party in October, one boy slapped a girl on the butt, and when she turned around and told him not to touch her like that again, he laughed in her face, telling her not to be so sensitive. “A lot of people may think that sexism is a non-issue because the people that are saying sexist things are quick to use humor as a defense. They satirize feminist arguments (ironically, as satire usually draws attention to injustice) and make jokes out of actual gender issues that the world faces, but the minute someone calls them on it they say things like ‘Calm down, it was just a joke.’ The scary thing is, I think a lot of these people actually do think what they’re saying is a joke, which only emphasizes how naive and removed they are from the problem to think that something like that could be funny,” said Alessandra Aguirre (‘17).

The social scene at schools, Bishop’s included, is a breeding ground for double standards. There is the age-old sexual double standard, where men are lauded for their sexual accomplishments and women are shamed, contrasting expectations that have prevailed because of their gritty effectivity in maintaining a gender hierarchy. “Girls are expected to hookup with guys all the time, but it’s weird if they talk about it,” Sophia Acker (‘17) said. “There is more pressure on girls to keep their hookups secret, even though they’re expected to hookup with people.”

The typical double standard is made more complicated with an additional double standard that seems to contradict itself. Get around, but don’t let people know you get around. “I also feel uncomfortable with the way guys talk about girls at our school,” Sophia continued. “I remember one instance where I was talking to a guy about one of my friends who ‘gets around’ a lot. He called her gross and said that she probably had a lot of diseases.

Normally, these types of jokes don’t offend me but I felt super uncomfortable because I wondered if any guys had ever talked about me that way. It made me much more self-conscious about the way I was perceived, knowing that boys talk openly this way about girls at our school.”

This already layered double standard is complicated even more by bro culture, which prioritizes masculine expectations and pits women against one another. Women are expected to be feminine and sexually attractive, but also to be “one of the guys” and party on par with their male peers. This could be one of the reasons why women now outpace men in binge-drinking on college campuses, according to US News, despite having metabolisms that process alcohol slower.

“You see it a lot in reference to sports. If a girl is really into sports or is very athletic, I’ve heard guys say, ‘Oh, she must be a lesbian.’ But if a girl doesn’t know much about sports or isn’t into football, for example, they’ll label her an airhead,” said Natasha Tayebi (‘17). It’s these two polar opposites that make residing in the grey area impossible. “You really just can’t win. I’ve grown up being the only girl in my family and being friends with a lot of guys, and the distinction between the different versions of the girl you’re supposed to be has only become more and more obvious. I can’t help but wonder how differently I would be perceived if I was more feminine, if I didn’t follow soccer, if certain parts of who I am didn’t automatically label me as ‘one of the guys,’” she said.

When asked about bro culture, a number of students framed it in a positive light, saying that, to them, bro culture was more about promoting a

closeness with the other boys in their grade, about bonding over drinking games and girls. But the exclusivity of that idea strikes a chord with people looking from the outside in. “I know this sounds trivial, but whenever I’m at parties, the guys always takes over the BP table and stuff like that and never lets the girls play. Even when we do get the opportunity, guys treat it as a joke.

So, what are we supposed to do? We sit there and talk to other people and are there for them to hook up with, but they don’t grant us the courtesy of making us feel like a part of the environment,” said one anonymous senior girl.

Saskia Heid ('17) also disagreed with the definition that a number of boys provided, saying, “At least from what I've noticed, so much of the guy dynamic is based off of hookups. It's all a competition, and they're not getting themselves involved for genuine reasons; it's all about the way a girl makes them look. It's got a lot to do with power, too, and how power is linked to 'getting girls.' Not on its own, obviously, but it has come to be seen that way.”

The dominant/submissive dynamic described extends beyond specific interactions, accurately reflecting the social scene as a whole. “There’s this power dynamic between guys, where it’s seen as really cool to say, ‘Oh, I f****d her,’ but not the other way around. Girls aren’t supposed to chase you; you’re supposed to go after them.

You need to ‘get’ her. And when you do get her, it’s looked on better by guys if you’re hooking up with someone that is ‘untouched.’ At the same time though, guys expect girls not to be prude.

There’s a very negative connotation surrounding girls who don’t want to do anything, to the point where girls are peer pressured into doing things they don’t necessarily want to, but are worried what people will say if they don’t,” another senior boy said.

Sexism is pervasive in our culture, and it's harmful, but these observations and critiques can only take us so far.

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Liking Isn’t Helping Emma Oliver

The views expressed in this editorial are not necessarily those of The Bishop’s School or The Tower staff.

I woke up on Wednesday, November 9th, and, as I do most mornings, reached for my phone to scroll through the most recent social media posts. Attached to many Facebook posts were the hashtags “#hesnotmypresident” or “#loveTrumpshate.”

Instead of taking one side or another, I simply wondered where all of these voices were before the election.

Slacktivism, a portmanteau of slacker and activism, appears to dominate what some view as social media movements. People can like, share, and tweet until the collected mass of hashtags and retweets bubbles forth into a trending topic. In doing so, they feel they are supporting a social, political, or environmental movement while also fitting in with social media patterns.

In regards to the election, forums like Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram made it easy to feel involved in the political conversation. Hashtags attacking or defending either candidate, campaign videos, and links to sign an online petition all became accessible thresholds into the realm of politics during the 2016 Election.

While I believe in the right to either lament or celebrate this past election, I am less inclined to celebrate the use of re-tweets, likes, or shares as a constructive method to improve our society.

As Malcolm Gladwell writes in Small Change: Why the Revolution Will not be Tweeted, “Social networks are effective at increasing participation—by lessening the level of motivation that participation requires.” Yet, where has this increased participation taken us?

Beyond lazily clicking the like button, what steps has our community taken in the direction of change?

What these so-called “slacktivists” may not realize is that concrete societal change does not necessarily grow alongside social media participation.

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A few weeks ago, I logged into my Facebook to see that a number of my friends had posted their location or checked-in at Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation in North Dakota.

The notifications took me to the Standing Rock Facebook page.

The page was created to protest the construction of a controversial 3.7 billion dollar oil pipeline. The check-ins were meant to prevent the police from tracking protesters on social media.

Almost overnight, these check-ins went viral. More than 600,000 people had checked-in within a week. Ironically, after the page had gone viral with “supporters,” the Morton County Sheriff Department issued a public statement, stating that they do not in fact track or monitor the Facebook check-ins, thus defeating the purpose of the check-ins in the first place.

Additionally, a Sioux spokesman in the Washington Post stated that the Facebook movement did not originate with the tribe nor local protest groups.

He acknowledged the “copy and paste technique” as an effective way to generate large numbers of support, but less effective than a “unique status update or in-person actions.”

For some, social media provides the only means of participation in societal issues to which they may not otherwise have access. Those who do not live in North Dakota may have felt that a Facebook check-in was the only way they could help the protest, but mere acknowledgement of an issue via an online forum cannot effect change.

Students and U.S citizens anywhere can contribute to a cause, such as the protest of the North Dakota pipeline, through more active means of participation, such as fundraising or gathering supplies to send supplies to protesters.

There are many other examples of slacktivism that preponderate social media posts then fizzled out without

much positive change. Perhaps some remember the option to filter their Facebook profile pictures with rainbow colors in support of gay pride or a French flag mourning the 2015 Charlie Hebdo shooting.

In 2014, the #ALSicebucket challenge spread across Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram, asking participants to dump a bucket of ice on themselves to create awareness for the disease and encourage viewers to donate to research.

The person challenged had 24 hours to complete the challenge or had to donate $100. However, by the nature of social media, this became less important.

People thought more about what they were going to say or which friends they were going to tag. For many, support for ALS began and ended with the ice bucket challenge. Many of my friends posted their videos, shared their philanthropic touch on social media, and never again spoke about Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

While slacktivism may seem motivated by good intentions, the minimalist effort it requires infrequently results in positive change. The issue of slacktivism seems reminiscent of Martin Luther King Jr.’s negative peace, which he addressed in a letter from Birmingham Jail: “Shallow understanding from people of goodwill is more frustrating than absolute misunderstanding from people of ill will.

Lukewarm acceptance is much more bewildering than outright rejection.”

THAT'S

so

!

Fetch

Eliza Lafferty

PC: Jessie Faltinsky

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e all know the scene: Regina George and the “Plastics” strut through the locker-filled hallway, walking in sync as heads turn and dumbfounded underclassmen stumble out of their way. For some, the early 2000’s movie, Mean Girls, illustrates the epitome of popularity. But, how does popularity resonate at Bishop’s?

Along with the stereotypical idea of high school popularity, there is also the basic definition of popularity: being liked. Sarah Bauer (‘17) explained that one is popular at Bishop’s when “everyone knows you because of something you do on campus that is very memorable.” She identified ways to become memorable or “popular” on campus. She discussed the possibilities: being a star athlete, an outstanding artist, a figure in student leadership organizations—any position in which people know who you are.

Bianca Serbin (‘18) crafted a similar definition, saying “popularity is when you’re well known and well liked.” “Still,” Bianca said, “I think my definition differs from how it is on [the Bishop’s] campus. I don’t think people who are deemed popular are always well liked.” Bianca sees that the definition of popularity may not always fit with those in the “popular” group.

No matter how many people on campus are appreciated and liked for their accomplishments, according to Bianca, it doesn’t discount the fact that there are distinct stereotypical “popular” groups on campus.

One anonymous senior believes that every teenager, at some point in his or her life, wants to be popular. People will follow through and take a risk, attempt to change themselves or their behavior to fit in with the “popular” group. “It might be something as small

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such as buying a different pair of shoes, or as drastic as getting into trouble by doing illegal activities at a party,” said the senior. “My ‘quest for popularity’ fell short when I realized the actions and risks that I would have to undertake to become ‘popular’ would threaten my own moral beliefs.”

What does it take to risk something to become popular? It may relate to someone’s threshold level. Malcolm Gladwell, a renowned journalist and writer, believes that an individual’s threshold level drives his or her social interactions and decisions. Thresholds are the number of people who need to be doing some activity before you join in. For example, in a riot, the person who would easily pick up a rock and throw it a window with the group group has a low threshold. Someone with a high threshold would need their family and closest friends by his or her side in order to overcome hesitations to throw the stone.

People with low thresholds care about the crowd; they conform with what others are saying and doing.

People with high thresholds risk more.

They go against the grain and don’t succumb to peer pressure. In the case of popularity, those who don’t try for popularity may be those with high thresholds, and those who make the changes to be popular may have low thresholds. To become popular, do you need to have a low threshold? An ability to conform to the group? And, if you do seek popularity, when does it happen?

For many, the system of “cliques” throughout campus are limiting and begin in middle school. When people join for upper school, most of the groups are already formed. People join together, as in any social environment: based on interests and senses of humor, hobbies and ethnicities, etc. There are always

those who don’t belong to a group, and there are always those who are friends with multiple groups.

These groups, according to Amy Carlyle (‘20), are set in stone starting in middle school. “There’s one day in 7th grade that determines your fate.

You don’t really get to pick what group you’re in. All of a sudden, that’s your group; that’s where you stay. If you do try to change, then it’s this huge falling out.”

For Danielle Wood (‘17), that day was orientation. “Either you join Bishop’s in sixth grade and have a clear group of friends, or you make connections on orientation. My friends came from the people in my advisory, whom I met at orientation. But, when I was in one group and my morals no longer aligned with theirs, they no longer included me in the group.”

This case of changing groups may be rare. For many people, friend groups are steady and only a few people move around in them. Speaking with Upper School students, the majority agreed that the groups that formed in Middle School remain virtually the same throughout high school. “One or two people shuffle in or out of the group, but otherwise, it’s the same since middle school,” commented Collin Douglas (‘18). If someone changes, he or she could even be seen as a social climber, or a “tryhard” according to Nathaniel Parsons (‘21).

Nathaniel, a current eighth grader, thinks that sometimes being in the popular group has to do with friend groups before Bishop’s. He said, “I knew people in that group when I came to Bishop’s in 7th grade, and I’m still friends with them a year later.”

To enter a popular group, according to Anna Langlois (‘19), you need to be able to fit into a crowd, meaning you

“From the outside being in the popular group looks glittery and wonderful, but these people are actually horrible to each other.” need a low threshold. With the riot example, you need to join in if the group starts throwing a rock at a window. In this same way, being popular is about fitting in with the crowd according to Anna—attending parties, hosting parties in return, and being wanted at parties. Besides the standards for partying, expectations for popularity may differ between males and females.

Tanner Coleman (‘17) noted that for guys, they need to be athletic, funny, and good looking. For girls, he said popularity could depend on a female dressing well, being good looking, and not exceptionally smart. He explained, “some of the popular girls try not to be as smart so the male feels dominant, and she can become more desireable.”

Samantha Schwimmer (‘17) questioned, “Who determines what is ‘attractive?’ You can’t deny that there’s a standard of beauty for being in La Jolla and being in Southern California.” For example, Samantha discussed how many girls in middle school straightened their hair. She recalled one middle school dance in particular: “I straightened my hair, and all these popular people I’d never talked to gave me compliments on my hair. It’s easy to compliment someone on something when you notice a difference, but it makes you question, ‘Is my natural hair not good enough? Does it not hold up to the beauty standard we set to be popular?’” It was as though they found her more acceptable after she conformed to their notions of beauty.

Along with beauty standards, there are also clothing and fashion expectations. Tanner said, “For guys, it doesn’t really matter what you wear. For girls, it seems as though being in style is much more important.” In the opinion of a sophomore girl to stay in the popular group, there needs to be a level of Photos Courtesy of bishops.com

wealth. “In the sophomore class specifically, there was a trend of the popular girls wearing matching bracelets. And they’re all really expensive. You need to have a certain level of wealth to be in that group, to be considered popular.”

Changing your hair, buying a bracelet, or going to more parties are all the ways people will try to fit into the popular group. A sophomore referenced the “popular group” specifically.

“From the outside being in the popular group looks looks glittery and wonderful, but people are actually horrible to each other; they’ll do anything to maintain their status: changing themselves, cutting their friends out. I don’t think the stereotypical image of popularity is that different at Bishop’s. It still exists in the classical, high school way.”

Anna noticed that the perception of popularity is different than actually being in the popular group. “There’s definitely a group that thinks they’re the most popular, but the only people that like them are the people that are in that group. So, I feel like they’re not actually popular because they don’t really have anybody looking up to them and calling them the popular group.” Anna brings up a logical fallacy: a popular group that is not popular. Who is popular then?

There are those, on the other hand, who take a different risk—people with high threshold rates. Samantha said, “I had someone come up to me in seventh grade, and she was in sixth grade, and she asked me, ‘Why aren’t you in the popular group?’ I told her I didn’t want to be. But it wasn’t really an option for me. I didn’t know anyone in the group.

I interacted with people who were in the ‘bubble,’ but no one was open to getting to know me, and I wasn’t getting to know them. I have a lot of friends who were in the ‘bubble.’” The “bubble”

references a term the seniors used to explain the popular group in their class.

The term was prevalent during middle school and was moreover used by those seeing the group from the outside.

As someone who doesn’t want to and doesn’t try to join the “popular group,” Alix Schroeder (‘17) sees those who are popular as “just people who drink more and go to more parties.” Alix noted certain sacrifices people make. “Maybe [those in the popular group] sacrifice the time they spend on schoolwork or other activities or lose being able to express themselves or say certain things.”

Multiple seniors, however, came to the conclusion that especially after retreats this year, the class doesn’t care about popularity anymore. Will Griffith (‘17) said: “Especially after retreats this year, I feel like everyone is less cliquey, and our class is so comfortable with each other. We don’t really care about popularity anymore.”

Why did this only start senior year?

Maybe it’s a combination of senior retreats, an escalation in maturity, or our final year together that’s fostered this change. For many classes, from sixth to eleventh grade, cliques dominate the grades. Even for seniors, cliques are still there; they’re just more fluid.

Maybe popularity isn’t about the girl or guy who fits into the whole group—the ones with low thresholds who stick to a set of expectations. Popularity could instead be that person who confidently changes the expectations, is strong enough to be different and redefine norms.

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FEATURE

W

hether you like it or not, Bishop’s is a predominantly liberal campus.

In light of the recent nomination of Donald Trump as the president, the division between political parties seems more prevalent than ever. This election has made the term “conservative” and “Donald Trump supporter” synonymous. How many conservatives are, in fact, Trump supporters? And, more importantly, is Bishop’s a safe and welcoming place for conservative students?

Bishop’s Political Atmosphere

There are, of course, conservative students on campus, despite Bishop’s being a primarily liberal school. In a recently conducted survey, of 183 respondents, 52.46% said they identify as a liberal (ranging from slightly to extremely), 33.33% said they identify as a conservative (ranging from slightly to extremely), and the remaining 14.21% said they didn’t lean right or left.

Many conservatives on campus believe that being the minority is more challenging than most people think. “I

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am hated by a lot of people on campus just for being conservative,” Scotty Latimer (‘18) said. He went on to explain that people who disagree with him never spark a conversation to try and understand his political views. “I feel like I walk on to campus and get dirty looks and no one appreciates me for who I am, and I don’t have a voice on campus. I’m just my political party.”

In a similar vein, Gabe Krut (‘17) noted, “Being Republican has been equated with being homophobic, racist, and sexist. And that’s not fair.”

Patrik Kjos (‘17) agreed, “Republicans are definitely a minority on campus.

They often don’t get a lot of respect or space for their political opinions to be viewed. The ‘left’ at Bishop’s is sometimes quick to call conservatives bigots and racists.”

But the space for opinions to be viewed is even more narrow for some students. “Being a female and a conservative at Bishop’s I feel like I have even less of a say then some of the male conservative students. Already conservative students have to stay quiet in class, but I feel like my opinion is even less valued,” said an anonymous female student.

Young Republicans Club

Every F day, the Young Republicans Club meets in faculty sponsor Mr. Blake Cass’ room under the guidance of group leaders Matt Buckley (‘18), Scotty Latimer, and Sebastian Schafer (‘17).

“A typical Young Republicans Club meeting starts with a very patriotic song, sometimes “God Bless the USA” by Ellie Greenwood. Yes, we sing. We are very patriotic in there.

We talk about conservative issues, and what it means to be conservative,” Scotty explained. Sebastian added, “Usually we will begin with a video or a topic of discussion from a recent event. And then we let discussion take place.” The Young Republicans Club, like most clubs at Bishop’s, serves as a “safe place” for likeminded people to share their opinions.

According to Sebastian, the goal of their club is to “have a place in which the conservative minority of the school can discuss issues and the changing dynamics of the conservatism.”

“I would also say the club has an opportunity to clarify what is conservatism to many students who may have

CONSERVATIVES ON CAMPUS

an inaccurate view of the movement. We wish to add to the intellectual space that is Bishops which one can say has conformed to the generic liberal educational experience,” he added. Both Scotty and Sebastian noted that they are welcome to non-Republican students attending meetings as long as, according to Scotty, they “are willing to learn about conservative values and what it means to be a conservative.”

Closet Conservatives

In an environment where students feel unsafe sharing their political views, many students choose not to speak up due to fear of judgement from their peers, and even their teachers. “People are ‘closet conservatives’ at Bishop’s because they are afraid teachers will give them bad grades, they will get nasty looks, people will not like them, they will get in trouble with the authorities [at Bishop’s]. It’s not a good thing to be conservative at Bishop’s and it’s what they [the faculty] teach us. They are teaching us to be liberal,” Scotty said.

Sebastian agreed, explaining, “The enrichments are geared toward political correctness. We have had enrichments on microaggressions and safe spaces.

These are not values that conservatives believe in.”

Another anonymous student said, “Faculty and staff at our school are extremely liberal and all they try and do is push their agenda on us all during their lessons, enrichments, and chapel discussions. It’s a joke. School is not supposed to be about pushing one’s agenda. It is supposed to be about becoming educated with facts not opinions.”

Scotty went on to describe “closet conservatives” as those who are actually conservative, but are afraid to say it due to the political climate at Bishop’s.

An anonymous senior girl had a similar experience, “At Bishop’s everyone assumes you’re liberal. That’s not

necessarily the case.” She explained that in one of her classes, she remained silent during a post-election conversation because she wasn’t prepared to have the entire class “fight” her on her political views. In some cases, being silent is easier than standing up for your beliefs.

Even those who are openly conservative are often afraid to speak their minds. Scotty admitted, “I feel like I am not heard. I am not allowed to talk.

I come home lost a lot of days from school, not knowing what to do. I don’t have a voice.”

The Election

In nontraditional elections, such as the most recent one, there becomes a larger divide between a political party and their nominee. The lines become blurred. Not all Republicans voted for Donald Trump and not all Democrats voted for Hillary Clinton. Others were too young to vote. “If I could have voted, my vote would have gone to Donald Trump,” Scotty Latimer (‘18) began.

“Donald Trump is my hero. There couldn’t be a better candidate. He is outspoken and a successful businessman.

He is going to set a specific budget on the wall and we are going to be under budget on the wall and ahead of schedule. We are going to have it done before his first term is completed and he will be able to do even more things in his second term.”

But not all Republicans share the same view on the election and its results.

“I am a conservative, but I can’t say that I support Donald Trump because he is a jackass,” said an anonymous junior male. Sebastian commented, noting the implications that come with supporting Trump, “I am not a Trump supporter. I have never been a Trump supporter. I hated him throughout the primaries. But for me to express any pro-Trump views would mean that I would put a bad name on myself. And a lot of teachers, I think, would see me differently.”

Emily Stutts

In the survey sent to the upper school, of the 183 respondents, 51.55% said they supported Hillary Clinton, 20.50% said they supported Donald Trump, and the remaining 27.95% said they supported neither candidate. These results were extremely similar to the school wide mock-election that was conducted just prior to the real one.

59% of those who participated voted for Hillary Clinton, 26% voted for Trump, and the remaining 14% voted for either Jill Stein or Gary Johnson.

Safety Pin Initiative

In an effort to “remind us to be upstanders and advocates for equality and acceptance at and beyond Bishop’s,” according to an all school email sent from ASBC, ASBC members handed out safety pins at middle school and upper school lunch. This initiative has received mixed views. An anonymous senior boy committed, “This [the safety pin initiative] is just another chance to shove Hilary propaganda down our throats.” However, not everyone’s view is that drastic.

Other people worry about what is “says” to not wear a safety pin. “It is an interesting idea that we feel the need to call people ‘good’ i.e. not a bigot, it seems odd that is necessary. We don’t have everyone who is a bigot wear something that shows that they aren’t a ‘safe person’ to talk to. It almost makes it seem that a symbol of a bigot to not be wearing one. It is strange that we need to make this distinction on our campus,” said Senior Class President Gabe Krut.

Whether one chooses the label conservative or liberal, shouldn’t we, as a community, strive to be more inclusive of political beliefs that differ from our own, given that our mission statement reads, at Bishop’s, “thoughts and opinions are respectfully expressed and respectfully heard.”

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Knight Time

Claire Edwards

Girls waving pom-poms in short skirts stand on the sidelines under the Friday night lights, the head cheerleader jumps and shouts as her boyfriend scores the winning touchdown, the entire senior class attends the fairytale-like formal dances and floods the gymnasium with school colors during every sporting event. Due to the stereotypical high school experience conveyed through the media, do students at Bishop’s feel that they are missing out on these aspects? How has our own brand of school spirit changed over the years, and how would we like to see it develop in the future?

SCHOOL SPIRIT AT BISHOP’S Bishop’s is a school rich with tradition, but apparently not in accordance with “classic” high school components.

Many sources of our school spirit are unique to the Bishop’s community.

The annual Bishbowl event in October is a major forum of grade-level spirit competition, where “spoints” (spirit points) are awarded to each grade based on student attendance at the pre-football game pep rally, as well as the grade who gives the best class cheer and displays the best spirit by wearing class colors. Each grade can earn spoints throughout the year by winning games organized by ASBC or by having the highest attendance at a sports or arts event. The senior class is currently in the lead.

“I think the last time [spoints]

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were relevant were when [ASBC Spirit Representative] Connor Hayes (‘15) came up with the concept because it was new and exciting, but since then, it hasn’t really mattered,” said current ASBC Chief-of-Staff Danielle Wood (‘17). “I think we have pride in the individuals that go here, but we’re not proud of our school as a collective community.”

ATHLETICS AND SPIRIT Throughout much of Bishop’s history, girls were not allowed to compete in interscholastic high school sports.

“In my mother’s generation during the 1950’s, girls were not allowed nor encouraged to play high school sports,” history teacher Mr. Kamal Assaf (‘88) explained. “Whereas girls were once restricted to function as cheerleaders for male sports in high school and college, Title IX changed the law and the status of girls playing sports at every level across the nation. Beginning in 1972, girls began playing high school sports at a much greater level and became eligible for college scholarships just as boys were.”

Mr. Assaf. explained that Bishop’s athletics had always been strong in certain areas, specifically soccer, tennis, and field hockey. When Head of School Mr. Michael Teitelman came to Bishop’s in 1983, he increased the focus of athletics on campus, and as a result, the football, volleyball, and water polo programs recruited new talent and

became a greater force to contend with. “[Mr. Teitelman] thought, as many schools now agree, that students could be very academic and also excel in the arts and athletics. He started to really value sports, and it went from being the kind of spirit that must have been good at a predominantly girls school that had a boarding program to more of a traditional high school experience,” Mr. Assaf explained. “Participatory wise, I think sports are better. I think we take them more seriously than we did in the 80’s. Games are better attended; there are fun rivalries.”

Though consisting of only six senior males, the major forum of school spirit, The Dungeon (est. 2009), sparks excitement among those who attend the various sports games, delivering humorous announcements and creating Instagram videos to advertise upcoming athletic events. They summon crowds at sports games and lead the players on with cheers such as “Knight Time” and “Rollercoaster” that are now classics within the Bishop’s community.

“It kind of irritates me [that The Dungeon is all male] because I thought we kind of broke a barrier last year with Nikta [Shabaz (‘16)] being on it,” said Danielle. “Granted, only one girl interviewed [this year] and her schedule was crazy, so you can’t really complain if there was no demand for it.” Danielle feels that The Dungeon is generally inclusive and is effective in getting the crowds spirited at games. “There is this sense that ‘The Bishop’s School is the

Photo Courtesey to Megan Broderick Dungeon’ and these are just the people that know the cheers by heart and are going to lead us through it, and I think it’s a healthy dynamic,” she said.

Owen Gallahue (‘17) views The Dungeon as a group with significant potential to increase school spirit. “I have faith in [The Dungeon] to come out big for basketball. Also, it would be cool for them to try and create a new cheer to continue their legacy,” he said.

During her time as a Bishop’s student, math teacher Ms. Kristin Davidson (‘97) viewed spirit as an outlet for school pride that came with personal responsibility. “I wore crazy, goofy, yellow outfits because I was bonding with my class and was able to put my own self to the side in order to boost the moral of the class. At that moment I did not care if I looked crazy because I was doing it for the group,” she said.

ASBC Sports Representative and Dungeon member Omar Dabbas (‘17) distinguishes the current Bishop’s spirit compared to that of other schools.

“I do think that Bishop’s has a lot of school spirit, but not necessarily in the traditional way that other schools do,” he said. “We all go to games and stuff like that, but I think we really show school spirit in the way we talk about ourselves outside school. Our students are proud to tell people that they go to Bishop’s and are a part of the Bishop’s community.”

THE CHEERLEADING DEBATE School Counselor Mrs. Megan Broderick (‘98) recalls the pre-Dungeon days at Bishop’s when the senior girls, calling themselves “spirit queens,” would attend sports games in their dress uniforms and cheer people on. “I remember when I was in school here we were oddly proud of not having cheerleaders. There was this feminist vibe to it, at least in my world that was kind of how we viewed it,” she said.

“I certainly don’t feel like I suffered in any way as a student here because we didn’t have [homecoming, cheerleaders, etc.]. In a sense, I feel like it was an equalizer, like everyone was working towards the same goal.”

Many Bishop’s alumni resonate with the feminist aspect of the absence of a Bishop’s cheerleading team.

“My understanding was, and it was something I was very proud of, that at Bishop’s girls were expected to play sports and not just cheer for the boys,” math teacher Mrs. Catherine Beamer (‘95) said. “I think some of those school traditions have stayed in ways that they haven’t at other schools that merged with boys’ schools. I personally am proud that the cheerleading is a grassroots effort by students that are interested in supporting and cheering on their classmates.”

Ms. Davidson is glad that Bishop’s does not have a cheerleading team, as it accounts for less social pressure and more focus on athletics. “I do not fully

understand the necessity for cheerleaders and question, isn’t the sport I am watching exciting enough? Why do I need other people to cheer? And then with the cheerleaders, there is talent and athleticism, but again my attention is split between what is happening with cheering and the sport—an intermediary that I do not understand,” she explained.

Mr. Assaf, drawing on the mission of Bishop’s founders Ellen Browning and Virginia Scripps, pointed out the importance of an opportunity for sports to be “educational and empowering” for female students. “I don’t think those cheerleaders are missed in our high school experience. In fact, I think there’s more spirit in seeing volleyball girls at a football game, field hockey girls at a water polo game. What’s more special is when you see authentic support,” Mr. Assaf said. “It was a big thrill being a freshman or sophomore on varsity [basketball] and hearing your English teacher say, ‘Hey, good game.’ When kids realize that they’re more than what they do in class, that’s when you make connections.”

It’s hard to say what defines a typical “high school experience” anymore, but walk into any basketball game or PDG performance at Bishop’s, and the booming spirit and confidence in our students is evident. What time is it?

Knight time, of course.

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Art by Sara Michael (‘19)

Starving for Acceptance Sara Michael

E

ating disorders are often labeled as a spoiled white girl’s way of getting

attention.

Despite their bad reputation, eating disorders are legitimate mental illnesses, one which, according to the National Eating Disorder Association, afflicts more than 10 million men and 20 million women in the United States alone. Eating disorders run the gamut from the more commonly-known anorexia, bulimia, and binge eating to the less commonly known orthorexia nervosa, pica, and Prader-Willi syndrome. What underlies all these disorders is a psychological disorder defined by abnormal or disturbed eating practices.

In a recent survey on body image, taken by 100 upper schoolers, seventeen respondents said that they struggle with eating disorders. Of the respondents who have suffered through eating disorders, eleven said they were anorexic, two were bulimic and four suffered through other eating disorders.

Eating disorders have the highest fatality rate of all mental illnesses because they are so hard to treat given that those battling an eating disorder don’t want to speak up.

One of the anonymous survey respondents commented, “I have lost weight, I have gained weight, and I have only worn certain clothes that would hide my body. I was also hyper-conscious of what I put into my body which developed unhealthy habits. I still struggle with the way I look and feel. Even when talking to people [who] I know have gone through similar experiences, I feel as if my problems are insignificant

compared to theirs. Sometimes I feel as if I wasn’t ‘sick enough’ to qualify sharing my struggles.”

Ms. Megan Broderick, school counselor, explained the dangers of not speaking up. “The important thing to know is that having an eating disorder is not something to be ashamed of. It is a disease that, unfortunately, many people struggle with, and they can’t go through that struggle alone. Eating dis-

“I still struggle with the way I look and feel as

I will never be enough at times.” if

orders can be very dangerous and life threatening, and it is so important to take them seriously.”

It’s hard to fully reach out and seek help for an eating disorder, but at a highly competitive school like Bishop’s, it can be even harder.

Charlotte Mack (‘19) talked about the competitive nature of Bishop’s.

“I think the Bishop’s community is a place that could and possibly does harbor eating disorders due to the high levels of stress and workloads placed on students. I also think perfectionists are naturally drawn towards high powered academic activities like the ones found at Bishop’s, but this perfectionism is also associated with eating disorders.”

It’s no secret that Bishop’s students have high standards; many students struggle to maintain a healthy

relationship with their mental health while balancing a heavy course load.

Eating disorders are often tied to perfectionism and various kinds of obsessive behaviors. According to National Eating Disorder Association, it’s a butterfly effect: stress is a common trigger for eating disorders.

Charlotte continued, “It is difficult for me to see how any school could really reform this system because eating disorders are such a complex issue and aren’t easily solved by some hour-long documentary about body image shown to a class. Keeping students informed is important, but I struggle to see an end to this problem. Possibly introducing methods to help students cope with such rigorous expectations and/or finding time to keep people educated on the signals of someone falling into disordered eating habits.”

Students struggling with an eating disorder have to worry about schoolwork, but they also are surrounded by a constant cloud of body image concerns.

Another anonymous student struggling with an eating disorder said, “I still struggle with the way I look and feel as if I will never be enough at times. Some days I am confident in my appearance and some days I can’t even look in a mirror.”

So how can we as a community try to alleviate some of the pain these victims endure?

Though there is no clear cut answer. The best thing, according to Ms. Broderick, is to spread awareness.

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It’s not often that we get to peek behind the curtain of our teachers’ lives.

For some of them, one year stands out as pivotal. Here’s a look into that formative year.

Year The

That

Shaped

2005

Me

Leah Parsons

Marcus Chang - Director of Diversity 2005

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I was born and raised in San Francisco. I loved everything that the city and the Bay Area had to offer. The food, the outdoors, the culture, the weather, and have I mentioned the food?! I spent 38 years of my life in San Francisco. My entire family was within 30 minutes of me, and I could ski in Tahoe one day and play golf in shorts the next. I had been working at the same school for 14 years, and I loved working there. I rode my bike to school everyday, and there were an endless amount of new things to do all the time. Why would I ever leave?!

Well, life happens, and I was confronted with a decision to make: move to New York City to pursue a relationship or to end that relationship and stay in San Francisco. Do I give up my “charmed” life and move 3,000 miles away to a place where I knew one person or do I stay somewhere I could literally spend the rest of my life? The answer to that burning question was, of course, to move!

After all, my thinking was to spend a year in New York and then convince my partner to move back to San Francisco. Yes, I know, not a well thought out plan. I packed up my VW Jetta and drove cross country to the city that never sleeps. I arrived in NYC 2 weeks later to a place that I had never visited, Brooklyn, an apartment that I had never seen and a roommate that I had never met.

I soon realized what living in a “city” meant. NYC is nothing like any other city. I quickly developed a love/hate relationship with a place that has 7 million people taking the subway every day (the population of San Francisco is 800,000). I loved the food, the people, and the museums. I loved walking around at 3 AM and always feeling safe. I loved riding my bike across the Brooklyn Bridge every morning to go to work (except in the winter, of course). I loved that on one subway ride there were 5 languages being spoken, people with suits on, and others with close to nothing on! I loved that at the school that I worked at, I ran into Richard Gere, David Bowie, and Iman. I write about this because I had the time of my life in NYC. I spent 8 years on the East Coast and didn’t regret a single second. Getting out of my comfort zone and leaving somewhere I felt incredibly comfortable allowed me to evolve as a person in ways that I can’t describe.

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1997 Carlos Martell - Spanish Teacher 1997

My good friend Robert Garcia wrote a poem: “Summer came and died in its own heat.” Back then, in high school we wrote poetry and listened to the Smiths. Back then we hated the valley.

I remember the crisp clear skies and the brilliance of the winter sun. I loved the spring in the desert, and the sound of chicharras in the summers, the sound of the chachalacas at dawn. I loved the brilliance of colors, the intensity of the all the hues that one could see before the deadening of summer, before the mute brown haze that blurred one’s vision covered everything in its suffocating heat.

I disliked the valley not because of its nature and climate—I disliked its small town mentality. At that time Calexico was a city of 26,000 people.

That May of 1997 my mother and my Uncle Jorge took me to the airport.

The plane ride was smooth, and the sky intense electric blue. We landed on the grey tarmac. Mexico City was drab grey and sooty. All around me were new colors, shapes, forms, and sounds. And the intensity of density: 18,000,000 people constantly moving, cars, and more cars, and metros, and taxis, and trolleys, and bicycles. I was 23 years old, and the city was a maze of wonder, dangerous, and exhilarating.

My father had told me about my tía Rosario. “You’ll meet your aunt. She’s an

66

artist, an intellectual,” he said. A month later I was living with my aunt Rosario, my Uncle Jaime, and my cousins Karla and Monica. They lived on the foothills of the Ajusco mountains in the south side of the City. At night it’s a sea of stars, the night inverted. This year I lived in Mexico City, I studied literature and history at the department of Philosophy and Letters at the National Autonomous University. The classes were amazing, and the streets were an open textbook.

My aunt and my uncle were two of the greatest teachers I have ever had. My aunt Rosario is a chemist; she worked in many different laboratories and hospitals, studied painting in the afternoons, and on Sundays we’d go to the university’s cultural center to listen to classical music. She spoke to me about the city, about our family in Tepic. She told me about the major Mexican painters, about engraving, about her teacher. We studied the Orozco, Rivera, and Siqueiros murals. We spoke about color, indigos, azul añil, and turquoises.

My Uncle Jaime was a veterinarian.

He was a tenured professor at the National Autonomous University’s veterinary school. In the 70’s he worked in Chiapas with native communities offering beekeeping courses.

My aunt and my uncle were two of the most humble persons I have known. They

were the embodiment of humanism. We’d spend endless hours speaking about poetry, art, music, and the political environment of México, such as the movement of ‘68, how the revolution was betrayed, and I had explanations to why the country was in the condition that it was in. Back at home I had never had these types of conversations. It was only at UCSD and my literature courses that I had the opportunity to come to consciousness. And here I was in the middle of it all.

My Uncle Jaime died of cancer not long ago. I spoke to him when my wife Daniela and I had travelled to Acapulco, and I asked him to come see us. I called him from a pay phone from the plaza of old Acapulco. His voice sounded harsh, and he said he had a cold, but that he couldn’t go only because he was about to leave to Egypt. I was kind of sad because I really wanted to see him, and I was expecting for him to drive down. Egypt was his last trip, and that conversation from a public phone in that small plaza of old Acapulco was the last time we spoke. He didn’t want to tell me that he was dying. He didn’t want to tell me that I was going to go back to México City in a couple of months only to bury him. He didn’t want to tell me. I know now that that year of 1997 was the year that shaped me.

Kamal Assaf - History Teacher 1990

1990 was a year that changed my life in ways I could never imagine. At the time I was a third year student at UCSD, studying history and pursuing my dream of playing college basketball. I had played basketball competitively since I was 10 years old. Having experienced some success in high school, I hoped I would be able to enjoy the opportunity to play at the “highest” level. Entering my junior year [of college], I was either going to make the team or get cut from the roster. My athletic life was hanging in the balance, a mere ten years after it began. Playing competitively was always focused around friendships and overcoming challenges. It was about learning to manage my time and discipline myself to improve.

After practice one day in October, I got the word from the UCSD coach; “Kamal, I want to thank you for trying out, but unfortunately we are going to have to cut you.” I was stunned. The words slowly sunk into me as I knew a big part of my world could be coming to an abrupt end. The childhood game that I played for thousands of hours in the backyard with my brother and in gyms all over San Diego was no longer mine.

The problem was that I had wrapped so much of my identity into being a basketball player and a good athlete. I trained hard and sacrificed time, social events, and travel. How did I fail to measure up? What would I tell my family and my friends who assumed that I would play in college? At that moment, I realized that I was no longer a competitive athlete. It was all over at the age of 20. Initially I was heartbroken as my concern now shifted to figuring how would I love anything as much as I loved playing on an organized basketball team while enjoying the comradery and the thrill of competition.

Looking back, getting cut from the basketball program at UCSD was one of the greatest gifts for me. It gave me a greater sense of humility, and showed me that all new endeavors were challenging and that excelling at anything required a remarkable commitment. I learned that I could fail and continue to move forward in my life. I began coaching basketball soon after getting cut as a player. While it was different, coaching younger players kept me connected to the game and allowed me to use basketball to encourage my players to become better young men. Coaching basketball made me look into teaching as a profession and gave me a plan that I would pursue after graduating from college.

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Donna Cory - Head of the Dance Department 1973

In July of 1973, I was two weeks into being 13 and travelling in Manhattan with my dance instructor and fellow students. My mother had wanted desperately to be a parent chaperone, but I had put the brakes on that in a large, loud, self-invested tantrum kind of way. She gave in and let me travel without her. It is my first memory of “winning the battle, but losing the war.”

As it turned out, I suffered a catastrophic injury on that trip, resulting in my right kneecap sliding to the posterior side of my body and remaining there for close to an hour. I landed in the emergency room of Bellevue Hospital without a legal guardian. That day began a lifelong journey of information collecting: orthopedic, somatic, chiropractic, and homeopathic.

If someone had an opinion about the situation I was in, I listened. I was very aware that every other player in my story was older than me and more educated than me. I didn’t really see that as a fundamental concern. I knew, even then, without arrogance or disrespect, that I was the only person in the story who actually resided in the body with the crooked legs. I was the only person in the story who was a dancer, the only person who was with these legs every day of their existence. I was a dancer. I wasn’t retired at 13. I was going to piece all the information together, factor in all the opinions, listen to the laundry list of professionals, and live my life on my own terms.

Because of this year, I know far more about adolescent orthopedic issues than the average dance teacher.

I run a ridiculously safe class. I understand, at a first-hand level, what an injured student dancer is dealing with emotionally. I embrace all the movement possibility that lives in what may not be deemed a “perfect” dance body. I believe we are all capable of unexplainable self-knowledge, and finally, to this day, I graciously let my mother chaperone anytime she wants.

1973

Matthew Valgi - History Teacher 2013 Berlin is a dark place in winter. The sun rises after eight and sets around four. During this fleeting window of time, the sky barely changes from black to grey to black again with the disk of the sun hiding out for days and weeks on end. In January of 2013, I was living near Alexanderplatz in the concrete heart of the former East Berlin, splitting my time between silent archives and throbbing nightclubs. My journey to Berlin the previous summer had been clear and purposeful however, in the depths of this particular winter, my next step was anything but.

A few years beforehand, I had moved with my then girlfriend (now wife) back to my hometown of La Jolla to pursue a graduate degree in history.

Like my classmates, I hoped to one day become a tenured professor at a prestigious university, a “proper” historian.

While I enjoyed the program overall, I began to notice worrisome differences between my impressions and those of my classmates. Most longed for the

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quiet solitude of the library and resented the burden of teaching undergraduates. For me, individual research was never as exciting or fulfilling as being in the classroom, either as the student or the teacher.

As part of my program, we were expected to conduct a year of primary source research in preparation for a final dissertation. Because my academic focus was on modern German history, where better to go than Berlin?

By spring 2013, I was desperate.

Almost a year away from my classmates, my wife, and my students crystallized the loneliness and boredom I felt conducting individual research.

While my love of history and longing for the classroom remained unabated, the prospect of thirty or forty years spent chasing down dusty sources and writing papers alone filled me with existential dread. For years, I had been in denial about my own limitations and contradictions. While most of my life had followed a clear trajectory, I

changed course in 2013 and decided to discontinue my graduate program and pursue teaching.

Fortunately, through a combination of luck, good timing, and help from our very own Rich del Rio, I found myself on a Skype call from Berlin with Ms. Caffrey and Mr. Goss in July. By August, I was teaching part-time at The Bishop’s School.

La Jolla is a pleasant place in winter with a bright sky and crashing waves. Now my time is split between hundreds of excited kids at school and one rambunctious kid at home. While I work much harder now than I ever did in graduate school, I am grateful each day for the changes I made in 2013.

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3

1966 Nicole Holland History Teacher

My most impactful year was my senior year in high school, when I was applying early decision to the college I really wanted to go to. In my interview, I was asked something like, “What was the most significant experience of your life in terms of making you aware of yourself as a person?”

I thought for a second and told the interviewer about an event I’d never reflected on. It had been on a late afternoon walk with my father in the woods near our home in Washington, D.C., the winter before. We had the most unforgettable sunset that afternoon, full of corals, hot pinks, violets, and deep purples, all with gleaming gold edges. My father asked if I knew why we were observing this richness, and when I didn’t answer he told me that it was the effect of dust particles from a volcano on the island of Krakatoa in 1883. These tiny bits were still in the atmosphere and causing the coloration on the sinking sunbeams. I knew at that moment I was part of a historical chain that had begun long before me, and would continue long after me. That was powerful, and I think about that every time I see a sunset.

13

Mary Jane Sutherland - Spanish Teacher 1968

It was 1968. A lot was happening. Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated in April; Robert Kennedy was assassinated in June. Violence in U.S. cities intensified. Student protest movements were breaking out in many European countries as well as at Columbia University. All of that was distant background noise. I was a junior in high school and had been selected to participate in the Indiana University Honors Program in Foreign Language for High School Students.

I was one of 30 students who would travel to San Luis Potosí, Mexico, for an 11 week study and homestay program. I’d never travelled farther than to my grandparents’ house in northern Indiana or my aunt’s in Detroit. We 30 students boarded a Greyhound bus and departed the Indiana University campus on a trip that took over 48 hours non-stop. When we arrived, I went home with the Fanti family. Their house was much bigger and finer than my 825 square foot home in Indianapolis where I grew up with my three older siblings and where now I lived alone with my mother. The floors here were shiny marble. The rooms were spacious. There were two live in maids. They had a car, something we did not own.

Needless to say, I was in shock. I couldn’t understand anything anyone said to me. Attending the classes designed for our program group provided safety and familiarity. I went with my Mexican sister Irma to a party with her friends the first weekend. The local boys were testing my knowledge (or lack thereof) of slang and inappropriate language. I smiled instead of crying. I was uncomfortable as the center of this not quite welcoming attention. One nice guy, Jorge Islas, drew me away from their taunts. He became a friend.

As the summer progressed, my Spanish speaking and comprehension improved, and I felt more at ease. I could engage in conversations. I remember feeling particularly proud of using the preterit and imperfect correctly when I spoke.

Irma, at times reluctantly, invited me to accompany her and her friends to social events. I became friends with these teens and shared their world. I fell a little bit in love with Jorge Islas.

The summer ended more quickly than any of us had imagined. All of our new families and friends gathered at the school where we had arrived to hug and cry and say good-bye. We cried all the way to the US border. We kept speaking Spanish to each other as a way to prolong the experience. Tom, one of our students, played his harmonica into the night. We sang “where have all the flowers gone?” and “The cruel war is raging”, and our sorrow blended into the hymns of the era, the age of protest and hope for peace.

So I came home. I felt different, but I didn’t yet know how. I had shared life experiences with people in another culture and in another language 1800 miles away. The clamor of current events broke through as my own world expanded exponentially. For me, this was really just the beginning. Subsequently I participated in the university junior year abroad program in Madrid and began teaching in 1973. In 1976 I took students abroad for the first time. I continue to advocate for study abroad and student exchanges. To find the commonality among those whom we may have at first considered “other” and to establish relationships that could last a lifetime are the ultimate goals of supporting such programs. And of course, there’s the fun, tempered with some linguistic frustration, and the possibility of falling just a little bit in love.

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Formal Leah Parsons

PC: Leah Parsons (''19)

A

s I walked confidently, feet already throbbing in heels, down the red carpet leading into the cafeteria at exactly 8:02 PM on December 11th, I was already thinking about leaving. I clutched my friend’s arm so as not to fall and looked around at the beginnings of the crowd, mostly freshmen eager to begin their first formal and loudly complimenting each other’s elaborate attire.

I’m not fond of school dances.

Let’s just get that out there. I do not particularly enjoy being pushed into fellow classmates on an over-crowded dance floor as Mr. Beamer keeps an eye on things from his stealthy position against the wall.

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But, funny enough, as the last groups of seniors arrived and the deserted dance floor grew not-so-deserted, thoughts of leaving slipped from my mind. I found myself enjoying the decorations, the music, and the food.

The formal committee had done their homework.

The cafeteria and Manchester Board room were divided into sections, split up by hanging white curtains attached to strings of festive white lights.

There was the main section, complete with a photo booth in the corner; the dance floor and DJ section, of course, and a little side room. It was all quite holiday-like. The tables completed the festive vibe, covered with dark red

tablecloths, candy canes, pinecones, and lanterns.

Thankfully, this year’s formal did not involve a giant ice sculpture—instead, two glossy chocolate fountains on white tables stood at the entrance to the cafeteria. I was advised not to taste them, as my friend had seen someone stick a finger in the pool of chocolate, but in the interest of good journalism I tried a chocolate-covered marshmallow anyway. And then another. It was high quality chocolate.

In addition to chocolate fountains and velvet tables, the movie The Polar Express (a tribute to the theme of the dance), played on two different screens, where people who neither

l desired to dance nor socialize could amuse themselves by making up their own dialogue for the silent movie.

I contemplated this option, as I was wary of getting too involved with the sweaty throng of dancers, but as the night wore on, I got into the groove, shouting out lyrics along with everyone else. The music was eclectic, drawing people on and off the dance floor depending on the popularity and dance-ability of the tune. “Traditional” dance songs such as “Low,” “Going Down For Real,” and “Don’t Stop Believing,” produced the most energy from the crowd, while songs like “Santa Tell Me” accomplished the opposite.

Towards the end of the night, a

quick succession of “Girl Power” artists played, including Beyoncé, Taylor Swift, and Miley Cyrus, which prompted even some of the faculty chaperones to bust a move.

Of course, the energetic atmosphere surrounding the glittering cloud of dancers was enhanced by their formal attire—this year, I saw everything from short and strappy white dresses to long, sparkly black ones, paired with heels of all different heights. A personal favorite of mine was nude-colored, mid-thigh length, and covered with an intricate pattern of gold sparkles, which, the wearer informed me, made it quite itchy to wear.

The half hour between 10:30 and 11:00 PM saw a gradual decline of formal-goers as they moved on to the next adventure of the night, be it an afterparty or a good night’s sleep. A good time was had by all, even DJ Dev: “Compared to all the other schools, I would have to say, especially private schools, Bishop’s has always been the most lit.”

As the last scenes from The Polar Express concluded, I made my way out, passing crushed leaves and petals from corsages and boutonnieres that littered the ground. Formal was over, and it had been a success, at least for me.

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Yuuuuge Promises

David Brewer

Trump’s campaign promises and their effect on the United States

From Brexit to Trump’s victory, 2016 has been an exceptionally odd year. Recently, Thomas Wright, a U.S. foreign policy expert, tweeted that it was “pretty clear this is the most important election anywhere in the world since the two German elections of 1932” (the year the Germans elected Hitler).

President-elect Trump has a foreign policy that differs from that of nearly all modern presidents.

Since the 1930s, Presidents of the United States have agreed on the importance of the global alliance system and the fact that America should set an example for other countries. Trump does not agree. He believes in two major economic ideas: resistance to alliances and opposition to free The Tower 36

trade. Here are nine of Trump’s likely be able to pass the replacecampaign promises and how they ment plan due to the Republicanwill affect the U.S. dominated Congress.

1. End Obamacare The President-elect constantly criticized Obamacare while on the campaign trail. On November 3rd, 2016, he tweeted “ObamaCare is a total disaster.

Hillary Clinton wants to save it by making it even more expensive.

Doesn’t work, I will REPEAL AND REPLACE!” Trump plans to replace Obamacare with a Republican plan. The replacement plan would likely cover fewer people, and appeal to younger, healthier people as opposed to older, sicker people. The plan will likely save the US government lots of money. Trump will

2. Bring Jobs Back to America On Twitter, Trump said that he will be “the greatest jobs president God ever created.”

Trump plans to pull out of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, and renegotiate terms of NAFTA (North American Free Trade Agreement). NAFTA is an agreement between the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. The Trans Pacific Partnership is a trade agreement among twelve of the Pacific Rim Countries that is intended to support economic growth and competitiveness and create jobs.

Even if Trump can successfully

renegotiate these agreements, it is nearly mathematically impossible to fulfill all of his promises.

While bringing back four million manufacturing jobs and getting what Donald Trump wants out of the trade agreements would help the american economy, most experts say that it’s not feasible.

Trump could very possibly bring some jobs back to the states, and renegotiate the trade agreements effectively, which would greatly benefit the US. However, if negotiations fail, Trump could also bring back very few jobs at a high cost to the nation’s economy.

3. “Bomb the Shit out of ISIS” Donald Trump has been extremely vague in describing his plan to defeat ISIS. Only two things are clear: he plans to use lots of bombs and he will seize Middle Eastern oil. The United States is already “bomb[ing] the shit out of ‘em,” so Trump’s plan would change very little in that respect. Matthew Reed, an expert on Middle Eastern politics, said, “If Trump wants to take oil from ISIS, he needs an invasion plan and an occupation plan covering years, plus a reconstruction plan worth billions of American dollars.” This would waste American money and troops, as the United State’s current plan is incredibly cheaper and less deadly.

4. Place Tariffs on Chinese and Mexican-made Goods As president, Trump will have the authority to raise tariffs, but it could lead to a trade war and cost thousands of jobs. Both Mexico and China would likely retaliate and, in so doing, damage the economy and job market.

Starbucks, Boeing, and Apple all have substantial business in China. Each company has publically said that they believe

China will be their largest market in the coming years. A trade war with China would cost these American companies millions of dollars and could force them to cut American jobs and wages.

5. Temporarily Ban Muslims from Entering the United States After the San Bernardino shooting in December 2015, Trump wanted a “total and complete shutdown of Muslims entering the United States.” Trump ended up modifying this statement, stating that he would end immigration from “nations tied to Islamic terror” within his first 100 days in office. Whether this is attainable remains to be seen, but it is clear that the Presidentelect feels strongly about this issue.

The American Immigration Council argues Trump’s plan would hurt the American economy by making it harder for shipments and businessmen to legally cross the border. Many people are also worried that a wall will turn into a money pit for the government. When taking into account the need to pay for privately owned land and need to pay for workers and materials, the wall could easily cost as much as 30 billion.

8. Cut Taxes

Trump’s tax reforms would give everybody a tax cut, but not without some consequences.

Politifact estimates that the tax cut would increase the federal deficit by at least $10 trillion in the next ten years. This figure must have worried Republican leaders because they have recent6. Re-negotiate the Iran ly said that Trump’s tax plan will Deal likely change. No updated plan has been released as of now.

Most experts agree that this renegotiation is necessary and pos- 9. Renegotiate the North sible. Iran claims that they will American Free Trade not negotiate, but under pressure, Agreement and the Transthey will most likely oblige. By Pacific Partnership renegotiating, Trump could tighten regulations of Iran’s nuclear Trump used these agreements, facilities by increasing monitor- which he says have led to job lossing of nuclear facilities. This es, to criticize Hillary Clinton. would help prevent Iran from Trump does have the authority to creating nuclear weapons and withdraw the United States from could potentially save the U.S. these agreements, but only if he from another cold war scare. is willing to give some things up. In return for America’s with7. Build the Wall drawal, China and Mexico would be able to negotiate various reBuilding a wall along the United strictions on American trade.

States’s nearly 2,000 mile bor- In other words, because of new der with Mexico will be costly. regulations that come with withPresident-elect Trump has said drawal, it is likely that this action that the wall will cost between will not improve the economy. eight and twelve billion dollars, but it is clear that he is not completely sure how tall the wall will be. He has been quoted saying 35 feet, 40 feet, 50 feet, and “even higher than 50 feet.”

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Holiday Date Ideas Isabelle Kenagy With Christmas trees, menorahs, and Santa look-alikes in shop windows, TV commercials, and suburban family homes, the festival spirit can be felt almost everywhere.

For those craving even more Chrismukkah spirit here are a few activities to enjoy with a group of friends, family members, or a significant other that will make you bleed tinsel.

HOTEL DEL CORONADO

Experience the hotel’s grand lobby magnificently decorated for the holiday season. The hotel also has an ice skating rink and a light show every evening.

Location: Coronado Island Price: $ GRINCH AT THE OLD GLOBE

This is the 19th year the Old Globe A fun activity that can make you has put on Dr. Seuss’ How the feel as if you are in a place with real Grinch Stole Christmas. Tickets are seasons for at least an hour. available for matinee showings and night showings.

Locations: UTC mall, Hotel del Coronado, Liberty Station, and Location: The Old Globe more Theater in Balboa Park Price: $$ Price: $$$ ICE SKATING

GARRISON STREET LIGHTS

Garrison Street in Point Loma is known for its over-the-top Christmas decorations and lights.

While you can drive down the street, most park and walk to fully enjoy the scene. Bring along some hot chocolate to enhance the experience.

UGLY SWEATER

Put on your favorite ugly holiday sweater and watch Love Actually or any other Christmas movie of your choice. Some Tower staff favorites include Elf, Home Alone, and A Charlie Brown Christmas.

Location: Your home Price: $

Location: Point Loma SPREAD THE HOLIDAY SPIRIT Price: Free (hot chocolate not During the holiday season, there included) are plenty of people in need who would be happy to receive some JULIAN ROAD TRIP kindness and generosity.

Take an hour drive to the small mountain town, Julian. During Ideas/Locations: Serve a meal at Julian’s Country Christmas the St. Vincent de Paul village, help whole town is decorated with se- kids with mental disabilities at lect holiday activities occurring on San Diego Parks and Recreation’s certain days. You can also go on a Breakfast for Santa, knit scarves hike, try the town’s famous apple for the homeless, or adopt a famipie, or go apple picking. ly and provide them with gifts for their Christmas.

Location: Julian, California in the Price: Free Cuyamaca mountains Price: $$

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Top 10 Bishop’s Parent Problems 1. When your child only takes three APs 2. Wanting your child to go to bed early while also playing on a varsity team sport and maintaining good grades 3. Going broke because your child buys the entire book store 4. When your kids won’t accept your follow request on instagram 5. Missing pilates because the PA meeting went too long 6. When your kids tie their ties like they tie their shoes 7. Compromising a PG-rated skirt length 8. Trying to decipher phrases like “tfti,” “swag,” or “lit af” 9. When there are not enough emojis available to express yourself 10. Teachers that don’t understand your child deserves an A

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Editor-in-Chief: Claire Edwards Managing Editor: Karinne Aguirre Copy Editor: Jessie Faltinsky Graphics and Online Editor: Eliza Lafferty Assistant Graphics Editor: David Brewer Human Interest Editor: Emma Oliver Sports Editor: Collin Douglas Staff Writers: Amy Carlyle, Tanner Coleman, Ethan Franco, Isabelle Kenagy, Sara Michael, Leah Parsons, Emily Stutts, Annie Ziegler Faculty Advisor: Ms. Allen

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