The Tower Issue 01 MMXVIII

shooting in Maryland this June, I saw a hashtag appear on TwitterThe thatBishop’s I had never heard of before: #WarOnJournalism. The tag School || August wasn’t created specifically for the tragedy—in fact, it has existed for years—but as journalism reentered the social media spotlight, so TITLE GOES HERE did the tag.

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The Bishop’s School || August

Author I had already known that journalism is heavily criticized; it seems to have a rather bad rap at the moment—even President Trump went as far as to call it “the enemy of the American people.” Twice.

Still, it surprised me as I fell down the old-Twitter-thread rabbithole how passionate and multifaceted the arguments have become. The original conflict of fake news versus fact is now so much more complex.

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Issue 01 MMXVIII Still, at its very core, the war on journalism is two-sided. On one Issue 01 MMXVIII side, it is the belief that journalism as it currently exists is detrimental to the development of society; journalists are unethical and untruthful, and mainstream publications are inciting chaos.

Alternatively, there is the belief that journalism is an attacked civil liberty that must be vehemently defended, and any criticism of the moral direction of a publication is a violation of that right. These arguments, and the sub-arguments within them, form a complex macrame of conflict.

With every war comes casualties—one of the most recent in the war on journalism is the New York Daily News. In mid-July, Tronc, the company owning the Daily, let 96 reporters go due to financial difficulties and a need to reshape the paper’s image. Tronc hopes to give THE TOWER the a different, more toned done identity to fit the traditional THEDaily TOWER newspaper look. Albeit tabloid-ish and, at times, sensationalized, THE TOWER the paper bore THE TOWER a remarkable local influence. Let go in the firing was Zach Haberman, the Daily’s breaking news editor, who said of the THE TOWER issue, “On the macro level, it’s a loss for the residents of New York, THE TOWER it’s a loss for journalism, and so many journalists who work so hard.

THE TOWER On micro level, it’s a loss for a lot of really good people who will THEa TOWER be looking for jobs inTOWER a tough market.”

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THE TOWER THE TOWER THE TOWER THE TOWER With all this drama, should we fight for journalism instead of THEwhy TOWER THE TOWER just our newspapers die?THE TOWER THE TOWER THEletting TOWER THE TOWER THE TOWER THE TOWER THE TOWER In myTOWER opinion, the role of a journalist parallels that a detective; THEofTOWER THE TOWER THE THE TOWER THE TOWER they answer theTOWER why’s of their readers. Why is this happening?

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Knowledge is power, so any THE TOWER THE TOWER THE TOWER THE TOWER THE TOWER THE TOWER question that can be answered, truth in the THE TOWER THE TOWER must be answered—a THE TOWER THE TOWER THE TOWER dark no more THE than TOWER a lightbulb turned off. I think is increasingly THEit TOWER THE is TOWER THE TOWER THE TOWER common nowadays questions to be tucked aw ay and left unanTHE TOWER THEfor TOWER THE TOWER THE TOWER swered; the importance of journalism is to bringTHE those questionsTHE TOWER TOWER THE TOWER THE TOWER THE TOWER THE out of the dark and demand answers.

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The Details Colophon The Tower is printed by Streeter Printing Company in Mira Mesa, CA. For this issue’s layout, the Staff used Adobe InDesign, Adobe CC (CS9), and Photoshop CC (CS9) to arrange photographs and graphics. We printed and distributed 500 copies of Issue 01 to the Bishop’s community. Typefaces included Bookmania on our cover, Cochin Italic for our headlines and covers, and Times New Roman for our body text. Issue 01 and previous issues of The Tower are available digitally on issuu.com/thebishopstower.

Philosophy The Tower is a student-run publication at The Bishop’s School in La Jolla, CA. Writers and editors work together to evoke meaningful conversation through the collection and distribution of news. The Tower aims to discuss issues that pertain to the experience of young adults and the Bishop’s community. Sections of The Tower include Academic, Sports, Arts, Culture, Beyond, Local, Opinion, and The Bell.

Policy All articles featured in The Tower are student-written and/or from the Bishop’s community. All articles reflect The Tower’s philosophy and goal to deliver relevant content to the Bishop’s community. The Tower works with the administration by communicating about sensitive topics to ensure the safety of Bishop’s students and to confirm all topics are approached in an appropriate manner. The Tower does not engage in prior review of its issues, and maintains the right to publish anonymous quotes when the privacy of the individual is a concern.

Contributors

Contact

Editors-in-Chief: The Bishop’s School Sara Michael (‘19) 7607 La Jolla Blvd, La Jolla, CA 92037 Isabelle Kenagy (‘19) Email: thetower@bishops.com Amy Carlyle (‘20) Instagram: @thebishopstower Copy Editors: Twitter: @thebishopstower Leah Parsons (‘19) Facebook: TBS The Tower Jake Stenger (‘19) Sports Editor: Alyssa Huynh (‘20) Faculty Advisor: Ms. Laine Remignanti Contributing Staff Writer: Maya Minagawa (‘20)

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Issue 01 • August 2018 • The Tower

Editor Letters What does journalism mean to you?

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few months before I left China for the U.S. in 2012, my childhood best friend’s father, who was working for a prominent Chinese politician, died. Though I forget some of the details following the situation, I remember that the days and months after his death were filled with grief and confusion.

The media in China was and to an extent still is heavily censored by the government. Because of this, it wasn’t until I moved to the U.S. that we learned through the news that he hadn’t died of a heart attack, but rather that the politician killed him. I remember reading The New Yorker’s article about his murder and feeling an overwhelming sadness fill me. It dawned on me that I knew why this man died even before his own family did.

Just as Amy Carlyle (‘20) so articulately put it in her op-ed, journalism uncovers the why’s of every situation. As journalists, we weave experiences together into a narrative that explores the truth of an event. Knowledge is power, and knowledge brings closure.

When I joined The Tower in tenth grade, I was reminded again of this. I learned that journalism is the art of freezing moments. We capture these moments and string them together to make sense of a situation. We capture these moments so that years later, we can look back at an incident and understand its impact.

Looking back at the event of 2012, I realize how much of an impact it “We capture had on my life, not only because it was one of the first times I felt true these moments and grief, but also because it was precisely then that I realized the importance of the news. string them together As my senior year begins, I’ve set a personal goal to ask more why’s to make sense of a because I know that without questions and journalism, the line between reality and falseness is obscured, so the truth about my friend’s father situation.” may never have surfaced.

Sara Michael (‘19)

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ournalism means a lot to me, as I’m sure you’ve gathered by now. Our Editor-in-Chief letters this issue are meant to explore this, in connection with our cover story; for the sake of avoiding redundancy, I thought I’d share a story instead.

This summer, I lived in Los Angeles to take a journalism class; each week we got to go to a different place and interview random people there about our assigned topic. During my second week, we watched a city council meeting at City Hall.

Our goal after the meeting was to ask other audience members about their opinions of the mayor.

As soon as the chamber doors opened after the meeting, the audience flooded into the corridor outside. I walked back and forth down the crowded hallway, in search of my first interviewee. In all the commotion of City Hall, one man’s quietness stood out to me. At the end of the hallway in front of the community bulletin board — the only slightly uncrowded place around — was a man all alone in silence, pinning his stack of papers one by one onto the board.

I decided to pick him for my questions, seeing that he was definitely the most calm and approachable person nearby.

Fifteen minutes later, and our interview was a success. However, it was much different than I imagined. We spent very little time actually talking about the mayor like I thought we would. The bulk of our conversation was about this man’s life. I started the interview by asking about his name and job. He proudly responded, “My name is Jeff, and I am a community activist.”

Curious, I asked him more questions about his job. I learned that Jeff has been an activist his entire life, but he never truly understood what

that meant until he was an adult. Jeff thinks that every human is an activist in their own way and for their own cause — some are just more vocal about it than others. His goal in life is to change the world, but first, he wants to start by transforming Downtown L.A. into the, “glowing, beautiful city that it really can be if we just show it a little more love.” I also learned that more than anything else, Jeff loves his home. He loves the people he waves to at the grocery store, the people he passes as he walks around his neighborhood, and all of the people he still has yet to meet; they all want to strengthen their community and build it stronger, he says, so what’s not to love?

As I thanked him for talking with me after our interview, Jeff mentioned something that really stuck with me. I don’t remember what he said exactly, but it went a little like this: Thank you for asking the questions. I always like it when people come around and ask questions about the people here. That’s how we keep getting more activists and more work done—it’s the spotlight from your stories.

What I find so special about what Jeff said is that it demonstrates another side of journalism that I think we forget about too often. As much as journalism can be scathing exposés or dramatic breaking news stories, it is equally as much the people in our communities whose stories we can turn the spotlight on.

In the coming months and issues of The Tower, I can’t wait to see who and what the spotlight falls on next. Thank you for your readership — reporting is nothing without someone to share it with.

“Reporting is nothing without someone to share it with.”

Amy Carlyle (‘20)

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Issue 01 • August 2018 • The Tower

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hen I was a little girl the word “journalism” meant nothing to me, but the man reading the news on the TV seemed important and I was completely obsessed with old issues of Vogue. Once I started high school and accidentally enrolled in a course called Journalism, the word itself started to mean something.

At the time, Courtney Douglas (‘16) was Editor-in-Chief and with her powerful wit and intellect she became my reference for the definition of a journalist. My ninth grade year exposed me to the excitement and work behind journalism. I was hooked.

Sophomore year taught me even more as I began to explore more substantial topics. I ventured into my own passions and interests and learned how journalism could channel those. I watched as my older peers wrote articles that made waves on campus and I started to look deeper into journalism as a career.

Junior year taught me the most, though. It was a time when “fake news” dominated every classroom discussion or political joke, and the Pulitzer Prize winner, Ronan Farrow, shocked the world with his powerful New Yorker exposé on Harvey Weinstein.

It was a year where I binge-watched journalism movies like All The President’s Men and The Post and Spotlight. After years of only slightly understanding the impact of journalism, I started to really grasp the power of the profession.

Now, as a senior and a girl who’s putting “journalism major” on all her college applications, I’ve never been more proud to be heading into this field. Journalism is my passion, identity, and craft. Without it, I would be way less bold and annoying ,and there would be one less person making inflammatory feminist statements in your English class. In all seriousness, journalism shapes the world and the people in it. When done correctly and with integrity, journalism keeps the truth at the forefront of conversation and holds the world accountable for its actions. Without journalism I would be lost and so would the free world.

Isabelle Kenagy (‘19)

Issue 01 • August 2018 • The Tower

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In This Issue

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Academic Anything but Black and White Jake Stenger

Culture Welcome to Bishop’s!

Amy Carlyle + The Editors

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Sports

Beyond

Fall Sports Overview Alyssa Huynh

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Issue 01 • August 2018 • The Tower

Working Wisdom Sara Michael

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Local

Cover Story

Adventures at Comic-Con Maya Minagawa

A Cause Worth Fighting For Amy Carlyle

The Man Behind the Coffee Leah Parsons

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Opinion Follow the Leader . . . If You Can Isabelle Kenagy

Issue 01 • August 2018 • The Tower

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The Bell Top Ten First Day Playlist

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ACADEMIC ANYTHING BUT BLACK AND WHITE Jake Stenger

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he college admissions process can at times seem like a game of variables. Each application holds row after row of empty boxes, some demanding simple information, others inviting thoughtful self-reflection. One box that sparks controversy year after year is completely out of each applicant’s control but may affect chances of admissions: race.

Affirmative action refers to the practice of promoting the education or employment of minorities, which have historically been underrepresented. Affirmative action is put into practice in college admissions when schools take race or ethnicity into consideration when reviewing applicants.

Rooted in the civil rights movement of the 1960s, activists have since hailed affirmative action as a means of empowering underprivileged students and benefitting minority groups that have historically been discriminated against. The federal government first institutionalized the concept of affirmative action under president John F. Kennedy, encouraging its use in employment and education to promote equal opportunity. Most private and many public colleges ask for race information on applications and use it in some way while building their freshman class each year, both to promote equity in higher education and ensure diversity in each class. “It is more than just the visual of racial and ethnic diversity. Colleges want to share different experiences, perspectives, and backgrounds on their campuses and in the classrooms,” said Ms. Marsha Setzer, a Bishop’s college counselor.

Colleges denote whether they

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are race blind or employ affirmative action, but there is little transparency as to exactly how race is taken into account. It is nearly impossible to know if, on any given application, race was a deciding factor or even taken into account at all. However, admissions policies are reflected by the demographics of the school’s student body. For example California Institute of Technology, a small school in Pasadena, states that it does not consider race in its admissions process. Last year their undergraduate population consisted of 43% Asian students, 28% white, and 16% underrepresented minority including Black, Hispanic, Native American, Hawaiian or Alaskan. Harvey Mudd College, another tech school near Pasadena of similar size, does use affirmative action, and its demographics reflect this: 17% Asian, 34% white, and 22% underrepresented minority as of 2018. These statistics may partially reflect a difference between a campus that considers race and one focused only on academic merit, but there are undoubtedly many other factors that influence the numbers. A

Issue 01 • August 2018 • The Tower

school-to-school comparison can never be perfect because many other factors in admissions processes can sway their demographics. “College decisions are never made solely on one factor; academics, extracurricular pursuits, legacy status, institutional needs, and many others play a role in the decision a college makes,” said Ms. Setzer.

Colleges and universities mostly have the right to consider race at their discretion, but not without some exceptions. For example, in 1996 California voted to ban race conscious admissions in public universities, and the UC and California state university systems have since been race blind. UC demographics are not significantly less diverse than many colleges that do use affirmative action, but this may be in part because unlike most universities, UC schools are also blind to applicant legacy and family donor status. Giving preference to applicants whose family members attended college or to descendants of wealthy donors can hinder representation of students from disadvantaged groups. Other states such as

ACADEMIC Washington and Texas have partial or full bans on state sponsored affirmative action in education specifically or in general, and some colleges voluntarily chose to be race-blind.

Opponents of affirmative action in college admissions challenge both the practice’s effectiveness and underlying philosophy. While the policy’s payoff is difficult to measure and quantify, some groups of sociologists claim it may actually have effects opposite to its intentions. One theory, known as mismatching, hypothesizes that by holding different applicant groups to different standards, affirmative action misplaces some students in environments they are less likely to succeed in. One study

by University of San Diego professor Richard Sandor claimed that affirmative action increased dropout rates among black law students, but other experts challenged these results. Others, such as black Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, argue that judging any person differently because of race is discriminatory, no matter the intention or the history of underrepresentation.

They argue that all applicants should be viewed only as individuals and not representatives of a racial group. According to most opponents, colleges should operate purely as meritocracies where every person admitted is subject to the same academic standards. Many detractors of affirmative action claim that is it not just unfair but unlawful.

One group that appears to be taking a negative stance on affirmative action is the Trump Administration. The president reversed Obama’s White House policy that recommended schools take affirmative action. While this shift was only symbolic and did not impose changes on any admissions process, some believe it foreshadows an

attempt to weaken or ban the process nationwide. A large unknown is the stance of whoever fills the ninth spot on the Supreme Court, a potential swing vote in cases such as Students for Fair Admissions v. Harvard. This uncertainty will only make debate about the issue more intense.

“College decisions are never made solely on one factor; academics, extracurricular pursuits, legacy status, institutional needs, and many others play a role in the decision a college makes.” Ms. Marsha Setzer

Some of the most prominent legal challenges to affirmative action have risen from perceived conflict between the policy and language in civil rights legislation. Challengers have claimed that by considering race, affirmative action is inherently discriminatory and violates equal rights legislation. In 2016, an applicant rejected from the University of Texas sued the state for turning her away because she was white. The Supreme Court eventually ruled in favor of the university in the high profile case, but the same lawyer is now representing a group called Students for Fair Admissions in a lawsuit against Harvard. The group argues that Asian American applicants in particular are unfairly held to high-

Issue 01 • August 2018 • The Tower

er standards in the admissions process and that this is at odds with civil rights legislation because Harvard receives federal funds.

Regardless of arguments for or against its legality and philosophy, is seems that affirmative action has shifted college demographics to better include minorities. Virtually every college campus in the nation has seen a steady drop from majority white enrollment since the sixties, with major surges in representation of Asian, Black and Hispanic students among other minorities. But while enrollment of these students has risen steadily, so has the general population of the minorities they represent.

Last year, The New York Times found that the percentage of minority group students at the nation’s top 100 colleges has actually dropped when compared to the population of college age individuals in these minorities since 1980. This is especially pronounced in race-blind UC schools, where Hispanics now make up 49% of the college age population but fill only 33% of UC slots. Some advocates say this problem requires stronger affirmative action, while others believe focusing on other areas such as primary education is a sounder approach.

Almost everyone can agree that in a world without racial inequity, affirmative action would have no reason to exist. Most also recognize the unfair disadvantages minorities have faced in higher education. But when the question of race appears on millions of applications, disagreement is guaranteed.

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SPORTS FALL SPORTS OVERVIEW Alyssa Huynh

Girls’ Volleyball

The Girls’ Volleyball team has been training since the very first day of August. The captains this year are Athena Leota (‘19), Caroline Alleyne (‘19), and Maddie Yu (‘20). Spectators can look for good ETA’s—effort, teamness, and attitude—when watching these Bishop’s athletes on the courts. Junior captain Maddie says, “My favorite part of high school volleyball is how close we become throughout the season. I love how the Bishop’s volleyball program cares so much about creating a culture where every player puts the team first.”

(Above) The 2017-2018 Girls’ Varsity Volleyball team with coaches Mr. David Johnston and Mr. Todd Mattox at the start of their season last fall.

(Right) Junior captain Maddie Yu (‘20) set a ball over the net in a game last year.

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Issue 01 • August 2018 • The Tower

SPORTS Cross Country

The Girls’ and Boys’ Varsity Cross Country teams have been working up a sweat with an intense ten week training program given by Coach Adam Weiner.

Captain Christie Linnard (‘20) has done some work on her own—in addition to her Bishop’s regimen—at a Nike running camp at Pepperdine University, and feels pumped for the upcoming season. This year, Christie hopes to beat some of her personal records and to win CIF: “I would really like to see all of us work hard and work together to make that happen.”

The Girls’ Varsity Cross Country team at the Coastal Conference Girls’ Final race last year.

Boys’ Water Polo

The Boys’ Varsity Water Polo team has not only been making a splash in the pool, but also hitting the weights in the gym. Along with five weeks of team training, many other players have been training with their own various club teams. Sole senior captain Maximo “Max” Carrillo hopes to “show the younger kids in the program what it takes to be a leader and how a leader should conduct himself in all situations, whether it be good or bad.” And, of course, he hopes to win CIF.

Merle Richman (‘19) looked to pass the ball in a game last year.

Issue 01 • August 2018 • The Tower

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SPORTS Field Hockey

Senior captain Sarah Mischel has been hard at work hosting practices to prepare the team for preseason. The best parts about the team, according to Mischel, are the relationships players form with their coaches and teammates. “I’ve met so many worthwhile people both older and younger than I, and it has been a wonderful experience to get to know people I wouldn’t necessarily know otherwise,” Sarah said. Fans can look forward to numerous home games and a tough game against their rival, Junipero Serra High School, on Halloween.

(Above) Marley Meyer (‘19) passes the ball to Alie Herbst (‘18).

(Left) The 201718 Field Hockey team after winning Highlander Cup last year.

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Issue 01 • August 2018 • The Tower

SPORTS Girls’ Tennis

With all these sports teams, we cannot forget another court where Bishopians kill it: the tennis court. The Girls’ Varsity Tennis team is preparing to smash its competition this year. Many players have been training with their own club teams, honing their serves and front and back hands. Margo Lyons (‘20) says about the team: “One of my favorite parts of playing high school tennis is getting to know the team and how we bond together.”

(Right) Seniors Emily Chen, Celia Glezer, Rachel Greenfield, Alyson Brown, Sydney Gray, Layla Khazeni, and Nikki Keramati pose together for a photo.

Bishop’s players participate in summer practice on campus.

Football

Although the 2018-2019 school year has just begun, the Bishop’s Football team has already been practicing. Over the summer, many of the current players went on the team’s fifth annual East Coast trip to tour colleges, train, and explore New York City. The boys have been practicing on the field and in the gym in preparation for their first game on August 17 against Grossmont High School. Senior captain Dominic “Dom” Haley’s goals this season are “to win a CIF championship and lead [his] team as best as possible.”

Issue 01 • August 2018 • The Tower

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CULTURE WELCOME TO BISHOP’S Amy Carlyle Back-to-school time brings an onslaught of emotions to students: anxiety, excitement, frustration, anger, optimism. One thing that is the same for all Bishop’s students is that come August 20, we’ll all be in the same boat, once again navigating our ways through new schedules and a new beginning. Whether you’ve long been awaiting the start of school or have been dreading the day since June, hopefully this list of pointers I compiled with my fellow Tower editors will give you guidance, reassurance, or at the very least, a laugh.

1. Quantity Isn’t Always Quality Bishop’s students are often tempted by two things: enticing course options and the need to have mile-long transcripts.

While Bishop’s offers dozens of unique and interesting classes, and it’s always good to boost your transcript before college application season begins, remember that the more is not the merrier when it comes to academics. Take classes that excite you, and take classes that challenge you, but remember to make time to enjoy it all. You’re only in high school once— leave a little room to fill up on memories.

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2. It’s Called Senior Privilege Our centrally located campus makes it easy to escape for a smoothie during lunch, but underclassmen, beware: leaving campus during school hours—even during lunch or your free period—is strictly off-limits to non-seniors, no matter what your friends tell you. If you really need to go, have your parents call the attendance office in the morning, and then sign out before you leave. It seems like a pain, but it’s better than the risks of leaving without permission. Imagine running into your history teacher at Brick & Bell during your free period . . . you can’t talk your way out of that one.

Issue 01 • August 2018 • The Tower

CULTURE 3. Sleep, Sleep, Sleep!

Everyone likes to one-up their friends by bragging about the lack of sleep they got the night before, but it’s 2018: the year of self-care. Get. Some. Sleep. Not only will you feel better, but academically, you will perform better. According to the National Sleep Foundation, getting eight to ten hours of sleep each night will boost your concentration during class, enhance your memorization abilities, protect you from the flu, give you patience, increase your motivation to succeed in school, clear your skin, ease your stress, and heighten your overall sense of self-confidence. That seems like a whole lot on sleep’s plate, but these scientists swear by it.

4. PSA: You Can’t go to the Top of the Tower Unfortunate, I know.

5. The Magic of DynaCal If you find yourself bored out of your mind in that last class before lunch, and you and your open laptop have nothing better to occupy yourselves with, pop on over to DynaCal. Check the day’s lunch, see what time class ends at, and get a sneak peek at tomorrow’s enrichment. Start by going to bishops.com; once you reach the Bishop’s homepage, click ‘Calendar’ in the top right corner of the page—it’s close to the search bar. Voilà! You have found DynaCal: the most valuable asset you will have during your Bishop’s career (well, maybe second—Quizlet is a lifesaver). DynaCal can help you do anything, like get your Homecoming planning started (it’s October 6!) or make a countdown until Winter Break.

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You Got a Friend in Me And Peer Support. And Ms. Broderick. And literally every adult on this campus. And Mr. Beamer’s dog. Everyone is here to support you in whatever ways they can, be it by lending an ear, adjusting your class load, or helping you meet new friends. Bishop’s is hard, and it’s absolutely okay to feel pressure, but don’t endure it alone. Everyone is an email, call, or short-walk-across-the-Quad away.

7. Get Your Head in the Game It’s so easy to get distracted by Instagram stories or your latest Netflix binge when you’re alone in your room doing homework at 11 p.m., but the faster you finish all your work, the faster you will reap the benefits of your dedication. Procrastination might be fun for now, but will it still be fun when your alarm wakes you up tomorrow morning? Probably not.

8. YOU ARE VALID <3 This phrase might be the bio of every self-care Twitter account ever, but hey—it’s trendy for a reason. Life is stressful, school is stressful, friendships and relationships are stressful, but you will be fine in the end. Don’t doubt yourself: you got into Bishop’s for a reason. You are supposed to be here. You are prepared for this. Now, go show ‘em what you’re made of!

9. Prioritize Let’s be real—Bishop’s kids are expected to do it all. You have to play sports, do art, get A’s, volunteer, run your own club, be elected to ASBC, and ace the SAT all while making newspaper headlines for starting your own 501(c)(3) nonprofit at the ripe old age of 14. How can anyone possibly juggle all of these commitments? Prioritize, prioritize, prioritize.

Having five extracurriculars cannot be fun enough to make your stress worthwhile; trim down your schedule to fit just the most important ones. This will allow you to fully devote yourself to your interests without stretching yourself too thin. Make sure to prioritize how you spend your free time, too. Sure, Netflix at 2 a.m. is entertaining, but you know what’s even better? Not getting an F on your APUSH test the next morning.

10. How to Park at School You must be one of the kids who got overlooked in the lottery for a parking spot . . . tragic. Don’t worry, there’s plenty of parking nearby — try to arrive before 7:45 a.m., and you’ll get one for sure.

Issue 01 • August 2018 • The Tower

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BEYOND WORKING WISDOM Sara Michael

When I was younger, I always pictured working at a bakery for my first job.

I imagined dolloping pastel frosting onto different flavored cupcakes and wearing floral aprons. My first job turned out quite different than I had thought. This summer, I worked as an intern at the Chinese Historical Museum in the Gaslamp Quarter. If you’ve ever been to the museum, you’ll know that it’s not huge, but, despite its square footage, I found myself talking to a Chinese artist, cleaning leaky toilets, and swiping credit cards, and I gained a lot from the experience. Here are just some of the most important things that I learned.

How to understand that people aren’t always going to appreciate your hard work

I noticed the labels on the artifacts had started to peel, so I decided to reprint them. I soon realized that there was no pre-existing document with the labels, so I had to retype them. After typing ninety labels and then cutting them and laminating them, one of my coworkers told me that she wished that I had chosen a better font.

I felt a wave of frustration and bitterness wash over me. In the moment, I debated whether or not I wanted to make all the labels again, but then realized, firstly, how much of a waste of time that was, and, secondly, that sometimes good enough is better than perfect.

How to use a credit card machine How to be direct

My second day at the museum, my boss told me that she was going to put me in charge of the building while she and my co-workers went to lunch. Her request made me uncomfortable for a number of reasons. I was worried about the different liabilities—as volunteer, the museum could sue me if something were to happen—and I was worried about my safety. Instead of being upfront with my boss, I stayed in the museum alone. During those two hours, a man came in and started testing me on the history of Chinese people in San Diego. When I didn’t know the answer to his question, he laughed and said, “that’s what I expected.” I felt humiliated because I couldn’t answer the man’s question, and I also felt angry at my boss for putting me in that situation. In retrospect, I understand that it wasn’t my boss’s fault that I was in that situation. If I had been more honest with her, I could have avoided that interaction.

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Issue 01 • August 2018 • The Tower

BEYOND

How to feed koi fish

How to be more self-driven

During the school year, a lot of my motivation comes from wanting a certain grade on a test or certain feedback for a paper. During the summer, rather than red letters or smiley faces motivating me, I was fueled by finding the happiness in little things, like the shine of the countertops after I dusted them, or the minimalistic font that I used for the price tags in the gift shop. I found these small moments to be more rewarding than any checkmark. This summer, I finally understood how to live independent of feedback.

How to use a laminator How to cope with not knowing what to do

From teachers who stay after school to dissect Shakespeare’s sonnets to SAGE tutors who explain calculus equations, Bishop’s provides students with resources for success at college, but I feel like it hasn’t set me up to function in an ordinary work environment. At the museum, there were new experiences and expectations everyday, and often, I didn’t know what to do.

At times, improvisation proved rewarding. There was an elderly lady who came in one day asking to renew her membership to the museum. Neither my colleague nor I knew how to deal with membership renewals, so, in order to distract her and to make her feel welcome, I made her a cup of tea, and we ended up having a lovely chat.

Other times, I didn’t manage uncertainty as well. A tour group came in once, and after spending a few minutes in the sweltering museum, they demanded that I turn on the air conditioner. I panicked because the museum doesn’t have air conditioning, so they were angry with me. In the moment, I felt responsible for the lack of air conditioning, but I realized that I shouldn’t take things too personally because often, things aren’t always under my control.

Issue 01 • August 2018 • The Tower

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LOCAL

ADVENTURES AT COMIC-CON Maya Minagawa

T

here are most often two distinct types of people who attend the five day, hugely popular event that is San Diego Comic-Con every year. There are those who go for only a day, (probably only Sunday, *scoff*) stroll around, plan to maybe attend a small panel or two, but mostly to shop, then get dinner in the Gaslamp and are home by nine. Then there are those who really go for it, arriving two hours before the convention center opens in the morning, camping out with beach chairs and umbrellas, then after a jampacked 24+ hours, heading home to prepare for doing it all again.

Now, if you were one of the multiple Bishop’s student attendees, you can sort yourself.

I see myself fitting in somewhere in the middle. I did make a color-coded schedule by the hour of my plans, but for me, that’s not saying very much—I break out the highlighters for pretty much everything. But, I also value sleeping in more than most things in the world, so there was nothing anyone could do to get me to the trolley station before 10 a.m.

After I finally did drag myself out of bed, I was met with a lot of waiting. Waiting for the trolley to arrive, for my stop to come, for my turn to be let into the

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convention center—it went on for a while. On Thursday, Day One, I waited for the panel entitled From Earthlings to Martians, centered around a television show I had never seen, National Geographic’s MARS, solely for the purpose of seeing Andy Weir, the author of one of my favorite books, The Martian. The panel’s discussion of the possible outcomes of colonies on Mars was fascinating and a little bit terrifying—the panelists discussed things like conflicts between different nations, the mental impact of living underground for an extended period of time, and what the next steps after landing on the planet would be.

Fittingly, the next panel I saw that day was for a new show called Nightflyers, also about space exploration, created with the help of George R. R. Martin, author of A Game of Thrones. They previewed a clip that looked more like the end of a season finale than the first two minutes of the pilot, which was what it actually was. The two following panels, one for Netflix’s Van Helsing and the other for SYFY’s Z Nation, were entertaining I would say, being about TV shows I’d never heard of but decided I would never watch. The only thing that stood out to me was how loud and filled with various supernatu-

Issue 01 • August 2018 • The Tower

“The only thing that stood out in my mind was how loud and filled with various supernatural creatures the previews of the new seasons were, so fairly quickly I stopped listening and used that time to make my way as far back in the New York Times’ crossword puzzle archive as I could.”

LOCAL

ral creatures the previews of the new seasons were, so fairly quickly I stopped listening and used that time to make my way as far back in the New York Times’ crossword puzzle archive as I could.

Finally, the long awaited Brooklyn Nine-Nine panel arrived and it was better than I could have ever imagined; it still retains the number one spot on my Favorite-Things-Done-At-Comic-Con list. After a close call with being cancelled on Fox at the end of the last season, the show was picked up for a sixth season on NBC, and the relief and excitement that came along with the reboot and seeing almost the entire cast filled the room of more than 2,600 people with roaring laughter (mostly courtesy of starring comedians Andy Samberg and Chelsea Peretti), cheers, and cheesy jokes.

As my prized schedule predicted, I was very tired from my very long day, so Friday I set my sights a little lower.

The highlight was definitely listening to Ruth Carter, the costume designer for Black Panther, talk about her process. She was so creative, unique, and funny, and overall, it was just the best. Second best was a salad I found in the convention center cafe later that day that was surprisingly delicious. I also wanted to rest a little longer, so I stayed in the room after the Black Panther panel and wound up in a panel featuring location managers from all around the world talking about their lives traveling and picking filming locations. I can conclude that traveling around the world all-expenses-paid searching for potential movie sets sounds like the dream.

After that came Saturday, the day I hoped to fulfill my dream to wait in the infamous line to try to get into Hall H. It is not uncommon to meet people who have waited upwards of 12 hours to gain entrance. With a capacity of 6,500, this room houses the biggest and most prestigious panels.

We’re talking the Infinity War’s and the Wonder Woman’s.

I had blocked out all of Saturday to brave the line to see the Deadpool 2 panel, but my friend and my father backed out, so instead we spent the day wandering around and eating samosas. Standing in the Expo Hall and seeing the seem-

ingly endless rows of numbered banners hanging from the ceiling combined with the never ending current of people scuttling below them is one of my quintessential memories of the event. Despite veering off my schedule, I consider it time well spent.

The final day was absolute chaos. I spent as little time in the thick of the crowd as I could. After seeing the Women of Marvel panel, which featured many women who worked for or were involved in Marvel (which was super cool), I grabbed another batch of samosas and darted out of the convention center. Back to reality.

There were so many other bizarre and interesting things to do at Comic-Con that it would have taken me at least four and a half years to explore them all. But, alas, that is not the case. Oh well—2019, here I come!

Issue 01 • August 2018 • The Tower

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LOCAL

THE MAN BEHIND THE COFFEE Leah Parsons

M

ost Bishop’s students recognize the name of the quaint little coffee shop on the corner of Silverado Street and Girard Avenue. Many have stood crowded in line for a chai tea latte or a sunrise sandwich, or have glimpsed a classmate clutching a half-empty Brick & Bell cup during the first period of the day.

Of course, this picturesque cafe is only where a fraction of the effort involved in running a coffee shop occurs. Hidden down the alley behind Brick & Bell, in a small office filled with the aroma of fresh pastries, sits owner Mr. Peter Watry.

In the fifteen years since he began his business, Mr. Watry has worked to grow it into the “small giant” it is today, building his empire from five employees to 55. Last year, Brick & Bell sold a quarter of a million scones. This success can be attributed very simply to persistence and love for business: Mr. Watry works seven days a week, for around 14 hours each day. He begins these long hours at either 3:30 or 4:30 in the morning so that he can visit the bakeries before the coffee shop opens for the day. The last day he took off was May 5, 2017, although he regrets nothing about his dedicated schedule. “It’s been fun. The cafe is my life’s work. I love it,” he said.

Mr. Watry spends much of his day exploring the nuances of his business, such as marketing and strategy, in order to fuel his passion for learning. He compares his experience to a real life game of SimCity. “I’m doing the same thing, except I’m doing it for real. It’s fun, it’s a game, I can’t wait to get here everyday,” he explained. He describes his partners and employees as his “team,” drawing on his background as a coach for the United States Soccer Federation.

250,000 scones sold in 2017

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Brick & Bell’s first location is a few blocks away from Bishop’s in La Jolla Village.

Prior to Brick & Bell, Mr. Watry was involved in a wholesale bakery, a scone factory that baked scones for large companies such as Starbucks. The idea for an independent coffee shop came when he visited La Jolla for the wholesale bakery. He noticed a small cafe located where Brick & Bell is now (called New Break), decided he could run it better, and bought the business.

The inspiration for the famous Brick & Bell scones comes from Mr. Watry’s travels to England, where he went searching for the perfect scone recipe.

He wants to continue to draw on influence from other countries for his next business idea: a German-inspired toy factory based on his German roots. His vision for next summer is that a portion of the toys be made on the Brick & Bell porch by toymakers brought from Germany. “I can’t put ‘Made in Germany’ [for the name of the business] by law, they’re big on those laws, but I’m talking to my lawyer about ‘Made by Germany’—little preposition fix there—because the Germans are here,” he explained.

Until then, Mr. Watry already has a lot to be proud of. His cafe has expanded into three different locations in San Diego: 2216 Avenida de la Playa in La Jolla Shores, 928 Silverado St. in La Jolla Village, and 976 Felspar St. in Pacific Beach. But, most importantly for a neighborhood coffee shop, Mr. Watry can boast a communal and warm atmosphere.

Issue 01 • August 2018 • The Tower

OPINION

FOLLOW THE LEADER… IF YOU CAN Isabelle Kenagy

I

’ll be the first to admit that I complain. A lot. We all do.

But what if, instead of complaining, we were able to create change through our personal actions?

As I reach the legal age of adulthood, I’m coming to a point where I get to decide who I want to be and what I want to bring to the world. In fact, every single student at Bishop’s is coming into this time of their lives. We are blossoming young adults with bright futures ahead and these formative teenage years are when we get to make true decisions about what we value.

When venturing into this year of lasts, I looked back on my high school years and gave a hard look at the person I am and the world we live in. And then one day, while sitting in Director of Diversity and Community Life Mr. David Thompson’s office discussing abstract ideas like my future and the frustrating state of America, he told me, “Just lead by example. Change things by acting the way you wish the world would act.”

It isn’t just Mr. Thompson who thinks this way, but actually a wide range of experts have been looking into this idea, and it makes sense.

It has been fairly widely accepted as a leadership strategy that demonstrating positive behavior to your subordinates creates a more productive environment. As Victor Lipman from Forbes Magazine said, “It sets the right tone for those in the lower levels of an organization who are closely watching (as most everyone is) how their leaders behave.”

Interestingly enough, the same principle can apply to your own everyday life. Personally, I often look at social issues and get frustrated. I’ll be so annoyed with the world and society and complain to everyone I see for the next week while continuing to take 15 minute showers and punch plastic straws into my Starbucks cup.

Philosopher and Nobel Peace Prize winner Albert Schweitzer said, “Example is not the main thing in influencing others; it is the only thing.” Often when we identify something we don’t like, we are part of the problem. Our singular actions can actually make a large difference. Think about it: if every student who complained about how much we talk about college, and I’m included in that, stopped talking about college, the problem would practically go away.

There would simply be less people contributing to the topic and therefore less energy and focus being directed at college admissions. Sounds easy, right?

But we all know it’s not. According to a 2013 study from consulting firm Root Inc. only 26% of workers strongly agreed “that managers embody the values they expect from their employees.” So, even though we believe this idea that we should lead with our actions we often don’t. For a boss, it is much easier to be irresponsible and come into the office late or break the rules than to set a proper example. Here at Bishop’s, it is much easier to continue venting about college and teenage traumas than it is to simply keep quiet and pretend the looming cloud doesn’t exist. In my own life, I try to use my experience as team member to guide how I lead but I can personally attest to how easy it is to slip into negative patterns. However, I can also very confidently say that I have seen the best results when I lead in a manner that respects all opinions and sets a proper and just example.

So, I know it’s hard to stop complaining, we all do.

But what if we just tried to lead by example? What if we replaced every complaint with an action that countered it?

Think of all the change that can happen from affirmation instead of negation.

Issue 01 • August 2018 • The Tower

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COVER STORY A CAUSE WORTH FIGHTING FOR Amy Carlyle

A

fter the Capital Gazette shooting in Maryland this June, I saw a hashtag appear on Twitter that I had never heard of before: #WarOnJournalism. The tag wasn’t created specifically for the tragedy—in fact, it has existed for years—but as journalism reentered the social media spotlight, so did the tag.

I had already known that journalism is heavily criticized; it seems to have a rather bad rap at the moment—even President Trump went as far as to call it “the enemy of the American people.” Twice.

Still, it surprised me as I fell down the old-Twitter-thread rabbithole how passionate and multifaceted the arguments have become. The original conflict of fake news versus fact is now so much more complex.

Still, at its very core, the war on journalism is two-sided. On one side, it is the belief that journalism as it currently exists is detrimental to

the development of society; journalists are unethical and untruthful, and mainstream publications are inciting chaos. Alternatively, there is the belief that journalism is an attacked civil liberty that must be vehemently defended, and any criticism of the moral direction of a publication is a violation of that right.

These arguments, and the sub-arguments within them, form a complex macrame of conflict.

With every war comes casualties—one of the most recent in the war on journalism is the New York Daily News. In mid-July, Tronc, the company owning the Daily, let 96 reporters go due to financial difficulties and a need to reshape the paper’s image. Tronc hopes to give the Daily a different, more toned done identity to fit the traditional newspaper look.

Albeit tabloid-ish and, at times, sensationalized, the paper bore a remarkable local influence. Let go in the firing was Zach

“The decline of journalism is an emergency, akin to a health epidemic, and time is not on our side.”

- Kyle Pope

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Issue 01 • August 2018 • The Tower

OPINION Haberman, the Daily’s breaking news editor, who said of the issue, “On the macro level, it’s a loss for the residents of New York, it’s a loss for journalism, and so many journalists who work so hard. On a micro level, it’s a loss for a lot of really good people who will be looking for jobs in a tough market.”

The decline of the Daily follows a pattern of local news publications closing their doors or firing employees in order to stay in business; according to the Seattle Times, 47% of U.S. newsroom jobs have been cut in the last ten years.

With all this drama, why should we fight for journalism instead of just letting our newspapers die?

In my opinion, the role of a journalist parallels that of a detective; they must answer the why’s of their readers.

Why is this happening? Why should this be important to me? Knowledge is power, so any question that can be answered, must be answered—a truth in the dark is no more than a lightbulb turned off. I think it is increasingly common nowadays for questions to be tucked away and left unanswered; the importance of journalism is to bring those questions out of the dark and demand answers. Everyone deserves to wield that power.

Similarly, journalism is also meant to spark curiosity. A good article answers questions, but a great article should also leave readers with new questions. How do we go forward from here? What can be done about this issue? Journalism should perpetuate a sense of wonder, both in answering questions and in provoking them.

In that same analogy, just as detectives might jump to conclusions too soon or gain evidence in an un-

ethical way, so can journalists. So can anyone, for that matter. Still, I think it is important to recognize the benefits that journalism brings—generalizing that all forms of reporting are dangerous is equally irresponsible.

A world without journalism is a world without stories: as much as the news is about data and facts and information, it is about the real-life situations that occur around the world. This is true of all kinds of journalism: an exposé on government embezzlement played on national television provides just as much “story” as a piece exploring the difficulties of teen anxiety published in a school newsmagazine. Sure, one is more action-packed and dramatic than the other, but in the future, people can look back on both of these pieces and learn about what our era was like. Phillip Graham, former publisher of The Washington Post, called news “the first rough draft of history.” It’s defining.

This is why we must defend journalism: not solely because we are entitled to freedom of the press, but because it documents our culture. Kyle Pope, editor of the Columbia Journalism Review, described the decline of journalism as “an emergency, akin to a health epidemic, and time is not on our side.” Instead of letting our stories fall into forgetfulness, now is the time to document them. For now, for next month, and for next year, our tales need recording before it is too late to recount them.

Issue 01 • August 2018 • The Tower

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The Bell

The Bell

Nestled inside the Bishop Johnson Tower is a bell. Though tucked away from view and hardly ever rung, everyone knows it is there. The bell has become a prize to find—students have attempted to reach the top of the tower for decades. Needless to say, the bell is a much sought-after icon on the Bishop’s campus.

The Tower has its very own bell; though not mysterious and more easily accessible, it aims to stir the same excitement as the physical bell.

Home to lighter news and satire alike—such as Top Ten, Bachelor/Bachelorette, and Who Wore it Better—the Bell intends to serve as a relief from the depth of the magazine and bring joy to the Bishop’s community.

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Issue 01 • August 2018 • The Tower

TOP TEN EMOTIONS ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

06

Grief: Currently mourning tans, (relatively) healthy sleep habits, and self-esteem. RIP.

07

Denial: Maybe this is all just a dream?

Maybe I’m hallucinating and I’m actually still asleep at home?

03

Panic: Uh oh . . . you already told everyone you had a major summer glow-up.

Time to prove it.

08

Exhaustion: Guess I shouldn’t have stayed up until 2 a.m. all summer.

04

Fear: When you thought your GPA couldn’t get any worse, but you’ve been here two hours and it’s already dropped.

09

Realization: You only have to go through 1,074 more hours of this.

Deep breaths, deep breaths.

05

Post-Summer Depression: “All around me are familiar faces . . .”

10

Acceptance: SENIORITIS, TAKE ME.

01

Excitement: It’s been 2.87 months since you last saw your entire squad all at once. Get ready for an Insta spam.

02

Anticipation: Well, first period was awful, but the rest can’t be that bad . . . right?

Issue 01 • August 2018 • The Tower

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The Bell

TEN SONGS TO GUIDE YOU

THROUGH THE EMOTIONAL

ROLLERCOASTER THAT IS THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL

“Cool for the Summer” by Demi Lovato “Summertime Sadness” by Lana Del Rey “Summer Nights” by John Travolta and Olivia Newton John “Sign of the Times” by Harry Styles “Stressed Out” by Twenty One Pilots “Mad World” by Jasmine Thompson “Bad Day” by Daniel Powter “Sad but True” by Metallica “Nostalgia” by Nao “no tears left to cry” by Ariana Grande From your new DJ/Sports Editor, Alyssa Huynh 26

Issue 01 • August 2018 • The Tower

PHOTO CREDITS ACADEMIC Anything but Black and White — Page 8, PC: Jake Stenger (‘19) SPORTS Fall Sports Overview — Pages 10-13, Photos Courtesy of Maddie Yu (‘20), The Locker Room, Sarah Mischel (‘19), Isabelle Kenagy (‘19), Matt Copland CULTURE Welcome to Bishop’s! — Page 14, Art by Sara Michael (‘19) BEYOND Working Wisdom — Pages 16-17, Art by Sara Michael (‘19) LOCAL Adventures at Comic-Con — Page 19, PC: Miguel Aranada www.flickr.com/photos/viipeer/28688958587 The Man Behind the Coffee — Page 20, PC: Sara Michael (‘19) OPINION Follow the Leader . . . If You Can — Page 21, Art by Sara Michael (‘19) A Cause Worth Fighting For — Pages 22-23, Art by Sara Michael (‘19) THE BELL The Bell Cover — Page 24, Art by Sara Michael (‘19) Playlist — Page 26, Typography by Amy Carlyle (‘20) Front and back cover art thanks to Amy Carlyle (‘20)

Issue 01 • August 2018 • The Tower

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In that same analogy, just as detectives might jump to conclusions too soon or gain evidence in an unethical way, so can journalists. So can anyone, for that matter. Still, I think it is important to recognize the benefits that journalism brings— generalizing that all forms of reporting are dangerous is equally irresponsible.

A world without journalism is a world without stories: as much as the news is about data and facts and information, it is about the real-life situations that occur around the world. This is true of all kinds of journalism: an exposé on government embezzlement played on national television provides just as much “story” as a piece exploring the difficulties of teen anxiety published in a school newsmagazine. Sure, one is more action-packed and dramatic than the other, but in the future, people can look back on both of these pieces and learn about what our era was like. Phillip Graham, former publisher of The Washington Post, called news “the first rough draft of history.”

It’s defining.

This is why we must defend journalism: not solely because we are entitled to freedom of the press, but because it documents our culture. Kyle Pope, editor of the Columbia Journalism Review, described the decline of journalism as “an emergency, akin to a health epidemic, and time is not on our side.” Instead of letting our stories fall into forgetfulness, now is the time to document them. For now, for next month, and for next year, our tales need recording before it is too late to recount them.