DETAILS PHILOSOPHY The Tower is a student-run publication at The Bishop’s School in La Jolla, CA. Writers and editors work together under the guidance of a faculty advisor to enhance the Bishop’s community and stimulate meaningful conversation through the collection and distribution of news. The Tower aims to educate the Bishop’s community about issues and events that pertain to the experience of young adults. Sections of The Tower include Sports, Arts, Culture, Campus, Local & Beyond, Opinion, and The Bell. The Tower prints six issues each academic year, in addition to continuous online content. POLICY The Tower refrains from prior review of its issues and maintains the right to publish anonymous quotes when the privacy of the individual is a concern. All quotes are subject to editing for clarity and length. Opinions expressed in The Tower do not necessarily reflect the views of the staff or of The Bishop’s School. COLOPHON The Tower is printed by Streeter Printing Company in Mira Mesa, CA. The Staff uses Adobe InDesign, Adobe Photoshop, and Adobe Illustrator to arrange photographs and graphics, and distributed 350 copies of Issue 03 to the Bishop’s community. Typefaces include Didot for the cover, headlines, and subheadings; Minion Pro is used for bylines and body text. Issue 03 and previous issues of The Tower are available digitally on issuu.com. THE BELL The Bell is a section of The Tower that intends to serve as a relief from the depth of the magazine. Satire, puzzles, quizzes, and the like are frequent inside The Bell.
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DETAILS | Issue 03
CONTRIBUTORS
Editor-in-Chief Amy Carlyle Graphics Editor - Print Carly Phoon Online Editor Sariah Hossain Graphics Editor - Online Lucie Edwards Copy Editors Alex Cotton Harper White Staff Writers Ryan Arrowsmith Abby Beamer Kyle Berlage Maya Buckley Cate Freundt Kasie Leung Crystal Li Clare Malhotra Tristan Upton Faculty Advisor Ms. Laine Remignanti CONTACT
The Tower c/o The Bishop’s School 7607 La Jolla Blvd, La Jolla, CA 92037 www.thebishopstower.com thetower@bishops.com IG @thebishopstower TW @thebishopstower Members of the Bishop’s community are welcome to submit letters to the Editor-in-Chief by visiting www.thebishopstower.com/ submit-letter/.
COVER STORY Cover art by Carly Phoon (‘20) In Issue 03’s cover story, Online Editor Sariah Hossain (‘22) and Graphics Editor Carly Phoon (‘20) discuss Bishop’s navigating communication with the school community about past misconduct on campus and efforts to define appropriate student-teacher relationships. The cover depicts the difficulty in defining “professionalism,” the person pushing against what could be considered a solid boundary, or what could be seen as fluid.
ONLINE
www.thebishopstower.com “The Revival of EVA” The Eye on Visual Arts publication is back for another year of student spotlights and artistic fun. By Carly Phoon (‘20) “The 2019-20 Daily Urinal Editors” Meet the four seniors leading Bishop’s independent student forum, the DU. By Amy Carlyle (‘20) “Underclassmen in Maroon” Seniors and underclassmen discuss the evergrowing problem of non-seniors wearing maroon pullover sweaters, a seniors-only garment. By Abby Beamer (‘22) “A Very Jazzy Night” The Instrumental Music Concert debuted in the Taylor Performing Arts Center this November. By Alex Cotton (‘21) “Back on Top” The Boys’ Varsity Water Polo team won in the CIF finals for the first time since 2010. By Ryan Arrowsmith (‘23)
FROM THE EDITOR
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he past few weeks, I’ve been thinking a lot about the holiday season. My neighbors have started to string up their Christmas lights, we’ve had rain, Mariah Carey is relevant again – all is right in the universe. While I love jamming out to Cate Freundt’s (‘22) incredible Christmas playlist (see page 30) and the optimistic vibes of New Year’s, there’s also another special day in the winter: Student Press Freedom Day – January 29. Student Press Freedom Day is organized each year by the Student Press Law Center, a non-profit started in 1974 to protect the rights of high school and university journalists across the country by spreading awareness about media law and First Amendment rights. In addition to recognizing outstanding student journalism and fighting censorship, a large part of what Student Press Freedom Day honors is the commitment that journalists have to report all factors that affect a community, not just positive or comfortable ones. While there are some topics we might not want to discuss, that doesn’t mean we are excused from facing them. In this issue’s cover story, Graphics Editor Carly Phoon (‘20) and Online Editor Sariah Hossain (‘22) take on faculty-student boundaries, discussing what constitutes professionalism in the eyes of the school and what interactions are considered inappropriate. Sensitive conversations such as this are not the easiest, but we have a responsibility to start them, as Carly and Sariah, along with the numerous anonymous faculty who helped in writing this article, have. That’s the point of the press to begin with. Thank you for reading The Tower, and of course, happy holidays. Love,
Amy Carlyle, Editor-in-Chief
FROM THE EDITOR | Issue 03
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6 | ARTS Behind the Magic
The ways in which the Bishop’s community supports its dance department Lucie Edwards
8 | CULTURE Do Justice, Love Kindness, and Talk Humbly Are conservative student voices dismissed? Cate Freundt
OK, Boomer
What does the phrase actually signify? Harper White
12 | CAMPUS The Straw that Broke the Freshman’s Back
How counting GPAs for the Class of 2023 exacerbates their stress Kasie Leung
What Do You Think?
An investigation into the Harkness curriculum Clare Malhotra
Make Good Choices!
What the administration has done to combat juuling Alex Cotton
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CONTENTS | Issue 03
IN THIS ISSUE >>> 18 | COVER STORY Defining Lines
Bishop’s communication about previous misconduct and defining appropriate student-teacher relationships Carly Phoon and Sariah Hossain
20 | OPINION Dark Utopia
Social media companies need to change Kyle Berlage
After Hours
Is Bishop’s justified in its punishment of students off-campus? Abby Beamer
Updated? Check.
Student involvement and awareness of global issues Crystal Li
Access Denied
Why application-only service is unethical Amy Carlyle
28 | THE BELL Top Ten Most Annoying Bishop’s Things Who Sent That Text? Songs of the Season Cate Freundt
CONTENTS | Issue 03
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BEHIND THE MAGIC
The ways in which the Bishop’s community supports its dance department Lucie Edwards
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ere at Bishop’s, students strive for success in the classroom, on the field, and in the dance studio. The Performing Arts showcases at Bishop’s never fail to amaze, and this year’s fall dance concert, Narnia, was no exception. The show followed the story in The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, a novel that follows the story of four adventurous siblings who were sent away from home to ensure they would be safe from the World War II bombs falling in England. Lucy, one of the siblings played by Jamie Xiao (‘20), is bored one day, causing her to crawl into a large wardrobe and find a magical place called Narnia. Seven ceiling-to-floor lengths of white silk hung from above the stage as part of the fantastic world of Narnia. Each time the characters entered Narnia, colorful strobe lights flashed and smoke machines provided the transition with a mystical effect. This journey was also accompanied by recorded commentaries on Lewis’ work, each one edited carefully and played over electronic music. Some of these commentaries took the form of Lewis talking about The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, others were interpretations from literary scholars; all of them were altered until they were almost indecipherable. Behind each dance number is, naturally, a large amount of rehearsal time but also hours of research. This research is conducted not only by Bishop’s Director of Dance Ms. Donna Cory but by many other members of the Bishop’s campus as well.
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In the 2015 fall Performing Dance Group (PDG) show, the dancers told the story from F. Scott Fitzgerald’s famous novel The Great Gatsby. The novel, on the surface, appears to be a love story, but upon a closer read the story actually offers a subtle commentary on what makes us human. Subtleties in theme, such as this one, are details that the show may have overlooked without the help of the Bishop’s English department. English teacher Ms. Michelle Shea discussed her role in clarifying the plot and symbols presented in the book, saying, “Gatsby is believed to be a love story, but it’s actually Many of the a story about power, physical costume pieces for realities, and achievement. the Performing Dance Group fall People want it to be a ‘long show, Narnia, were lost love’ thing but it’s not.” created with the 3d Other collaborations printer, including the reindeer antlers worn are not only between Ms. by Alex Spitzer (‘21) Cory and other faculty memand Ashlyn Hunter (‘22) as well as the bers, but also between faculstaff carried by the ty members and the dancers White Witch, in the show. Last year’s fall played by Sheridan Spain (‘20). show, Orbiting Amadeus, explored the life and career of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. In preparation for the show, math teacher and music enthusiast Noble Kime came to one of PDG’s Tuesday night classes to explain Mozart’s music and the feelings behind the pieces. PDG member Delilah Delgado (‘21) reflected on this meeting, saying “Mr. Kime talked to us about Mozart and music from the time period so we could learn more and better perform our show about Mozart.” Narnia cast member and PDG dancer Alex Spitzer (‘21) agreed with Delilah and credits the depth of the Narnia performance to history teacher Dr. Jeff Geoghe-
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gan. Dr. Geoghegan supported the dancers by helping clarify references to spirituality and Celtic history in the novel that the show was based on. Alex felt that Dr. Geoghegan helped the group perform better, saying, “if we didn’t have him, we wouldn’t have such a clear understanding of what we were portraying.” The dancers are not the only students who benefit from inter-department collaborations. In the PDG Spring Show, senior members of PDG create their own solos. They are paired up with a member of Advanced Theatre Production (ATP) who will enhance the seniors’ pieces with unique lighting designs. ATP member Kirra McColl (‘20) has participated in this concert for the past two years and believes that it is a good educational experience for every student involved. She reflects, “There’s a lot of creative liberty that the students had in the situation.” Not only are the dancers creating their own movement, but the tech crew is creating their own lighting designs to go with the dance they are assigned. This creative liberty that Kirra emphasizes is a fairly unique aspect of the Bishop’s dance program. Rarely are there opportunities for teenagers to have such artistic autonomy. Many dance studio classes center on teaching, focusing more on the technical aspects of dance than the creative aspects. This, Ms. Cory said, is what makes the Bishop’s dance program truly educational. These collaborations have spread from the dance program to the theatre program. The costumes for the fall play, She Kills Monsters, had various 3-D printed aspects. These
details were a result of a partnership between the costume department to utilize the Bishop’s makerspace (the building on campus dedicated to working on projects using materials and technology, including 3d printers and a laser cutter) in Wheeler Bailey. In order to be a continually evolving campus, Bishop’s focuses on finding new ways to do old things. Dance concerts are now embroidered with meaning, and costumes are created using modern technology. Most importantly, teachers and students are learning alongside each other what it means to collaborate, and how it enhances the educational experience here at Bishop’s.
“ ” There’s a lot of creative liberty that the students have in the situation. -Kirra McColl (‘20)
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DO JUSTICE, LOVE KINDNESS, Are conservative student voices dismissed? Cate Freundt
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ou can’t have this opinion. You can’t say that you can’t view the world in this way.” These are statements that Claire Nelson (‘20) says she hears at school regularly. This quote demonstrates the hostility of political conversations for some students. On campus, students and faculty are taught to promote an “inclusive and compassionate community” and “honor and embrace diverse identities,” according to the 2019-20 Student Handbook. However, this seems to fly out the window when the conversation both in and out of the classroom turns to politics. Stigma around the topic stems from the fear of being judged; no one wants to create conflict. Because of this, many students avoid talking to their friends about their political views. Parents and teachers tell students to stick up for what they believe in. This often makes conversations about politics uncomfortable because ev-
CULTURE | Issue 03
eryone tries to defend themselves. On campus, liberal and conservative students share different experiences when talking with members of the Bishop’s community. I interviewed six students total, three who self-identify as right leaning and three left leaning, and asked every student the same questions to gain a variety of opinions. All three left-leaning students interviewed felt completely comfortable sharing their ideology with others, while the right-leaning students interviewed preferred to stay silent or choose the right time to express their ideas in a safe environment with students who have similar viewpoints. Some students even felt uncomfortable being interviewed: three conservative students denied my interview request. Some go beyond not sharing their opinions, and pretend to think differently. Ashley Zolfaghari (‘20) was one of those students. “I made the decision last year to share my
beliefs,” she said. “I previously pretended to be moderate.” Ashley explained that she believed it was easier to hide her opinions than face snarky side comments or illtimed jokes from her peers that made her feel uncomfortable. Throughout America, there are places where both conservatives and liberals feel unsafe sharing their opinions, such as high schools and colleges. In a study conducted by the New York Times, on average, 71 percent of college students said they felt the need to hide their political views. At Bishop’s, no one wants this harsh reality. Every member of the Bishop’s community must try harder to foster a supportive environment and open themselves to new ideas because a major goal of the Bishop’s student handbook is to “foster a physically and emotionally safe environment in which different experiences, thoughts and opinions are respectfully expressed and
AND TALK HUMBLY
respectfully heard.” Bishop’s should not shut down conversations around politics, but should make students feel safe voicing their opinions. If Bishop’s has more open conversations, the community as a whole will benefit. There is value in intellectual diversity and learning from others helps everyone grow, no matter what side of the political divide you stand on. Bishop’s should be a safe place to ask questions, especially in class. Although the students interviewed overall feel that teachers value their beliefs and allow them to voice them in discussion, Claire feels otherwise. She expressed that she strategically chooses which classes to express her authentic beliefs in because she feels that a handful of teachers penalize students because of their political beliefs. She said, “In class I am scared [to share my political leanings] because I don’t want my teachers to say that I’m guaranteed to not get an A.” It is difficult to learn in an environment where some students and teachers are not open to hearing all opinions. While Jess Li (‘20) believes that “we are going to appreciate political views that align with ours more,” she also does not think of that as an excuse for not listening to others. As a liberal, Jess visited both Liberal Club and Conservative Club last year to understand the talking points of both views better. This tactic allowed her to gain insight on the political climate at Bishop’s and where everyone is com-
ing from. This helped Jess become a better listener to her peers because she said that “within the clubs it was very supportive” because the environment was set up specifically so that students would feel safe sharing their ideas without heavy judgement and criticism. Sydney Gerlach (‘20) believes that how we interact with each other is the problem. “We don’t actively listen to each other,” she said. “We wait to express our viewpoints.” This mindset creates combative conversations where people feel the need to prove the other person wrong. Everyone has the right to believe in whatever they choose and it is common courtesy and a sign of respect to listen even if you do not agree. So many students and teachers at Bishop’s want everyone to be valued equally and it starts with a simple conversation with close friends. But how do we change the mindset that the way we think is correct and the only way to see things? It starts by actively listening to others and keeping an open mind. On the academic front, teachers help everyone by trying to limit argumentative political discussions, political jokes, and keep an open mind about any political viewpoint. When it comes to social interaction, students must support each other by having thoughtful, calm, attentive conversations.
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You can’t have this opinion. You can’t say that you can’t view the world in this way.
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- Claire Nelson (‘20)
CULTURE | Issue 03
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OK, BOOMER What does the phrase actually signify? Harper White
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ou’ve all heard it. From TikTok to Twitter posts, CNN to the New York Times to even the Bishop’s own Daily Urinal, the expression has become almost unavoidable at this point. And while the nuances of the phrase, from its overarching meaning for both the younger and older generations to its developing significance in society today, are still being debated, one thing is for certain: “OK, Boomer” has become an important component of meme culture. And it seems like it’s here to stay. The exact origin of the phrase is unclear, but “OK, boomer” gained significant amounts of traction on Tik Tok in recent weeks. All across the app, teens have been reacting to a video clip of an older man voicing his concerns with Millennials and Generation Z. “One of these days, just like the Baby Boomer generation, the generation that came before us, the Baby Busters that came after us, you’re going to mature and you’re going to realize that nothing’s free, that things aren’t equal,” the man said. “Your utopian society that you created in your mind in your youth simply is not sustainable.” Thousands of teens took to Tik Tok in response, creating a variety of reactions to the video, all of which ended by displaying the token phrase: “OK, boomer.” The phrase was further propelled into the spotlight by a New Zealand Member of Parliament (MP) in response to the heckling she received during a speech she made about climate change. After explaining that, by 2050, she would by 56 years old, Chlöe Swarbrick, the MP in question, was interrupted during her speech by another older MP Todd Muller. She paused her speech to look at him and said “OK, boomer,” before carrying on with her speech. “I think [‘OK, boomer’] has gained a lot of popularity throughout the past few months simply because of how it encapsulates everything younger people, especially Millennials, want to say to Baby Boomers,” explained J.J. Tian (‘21), co-author of
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Meme of the Month, when asked about why he thought the phrase has gained so much traction in recent months. “It’s simple, but it’s very passive-aggressive.” And the phrase has certainly gained popularity in recent times. Spotify artist Peter Kuli posted a song featuring Jed Will titled “ok boomer,” which has racked up over 200,000 streams to date and become popular to use as audio for videos on Tik Tok. A student from Centreville High School in Virginia posted his senior photos on Instagram which garnered over 5,000 likes; the photo involved him and a group of friends posing for photos, “OK boomer” spelled out across their chests. Some individuals have even begun selling clothing with variations of the expression stamped onto it. One teen, Shannon O’Connor, raised over $25,000 for selling hoodies and t-shirts with the phrase “ok boomer have a horrible day” emblazoned on the front. The more humorous aspects of “OK, boomer” have reached the Bishop’s campus, too. In the Daily Urinal’s October Meme of the Month, “OK, boomer” was listed alongside some other “pretty iconic and actually very serious memes,” in the words of co-author Sabrina Tian (‘20). In the article, J.J. explained the significance of the meme in greater detail. “We’ve tried
for so long to explain with facts and reason why Boomers need to change their line of thought,” he said, “but they just don’t care to hear it anymore. OK Boomer says ‘you’re so wrong, but I’m too tired and ridden with student debt to explain why.’” And, indeed, that seems to be where the greater significance behind “OK, boomer” lies: for many, it has become the quickfire response for younger generations when they feel they have been dismissed by older generations. In an article by the New York Times, author Taylor Lorenz called the phrase “a rallying cry for millions of fed-up kids.” She explained, “teens say ‘OK boomer’ is the perfect response because it’s blasé but cutting. It’s the digital equivalent of an eye roll.” For many, too, the phrase represents frustration many Gen-Zers feel with older generations, especially Baby Boomers. “I think it stemmed from Millennials and Gen-Z kids confronting how much older generations like Baby Boomers messed up our environment and other stuff,” said Jasmine Dabbas (‘21), “in a lot of cases, [Baby Boomers] are the primary group of people that are pushing back on social issues that the younger generations are trying so hard to fight for, so I think the phrase has turned into a way of sort of shutting all that down.” And, indeed, that seems to be where the
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greater significance behind “OK, boomer” lies: for many, it has become the quickfire response for younger generations when they feel they have been dismissed by older generations. In an article by the New York Times, author Taylor Lorenz called the phrase “a rallying cry for millions of fedup kids.” She explained that “teens say ‘OK boomer’ is the perfect response because it’s blasé but cutting. It’s the digital equivalent of an eye roll.” For many, too, the phrase represents frustration many Gen-Zers feel with older generations, especially Baby Boomers. “I think it stemmed from Millennials and Gen-Z kids confronting how much older generations like Baby Boomers messed up our environment and other stuff,” said Jasmine Dabbas (‘21), “in a lot of cases, [Baby Boomers] are the primary group of people that are pushing back on social issues that the younger generations are trying so hard to fight for, so I think the phrase has turned into a way of sort of shutting all that down.” But while the younger advocates of the phrase see it as an effective means of voicing their exasperation with older generations, the people the phrase targets have a very different take. On November 4, radio host and Baby Boomer Bob Lonsonberry tweeted: “‘Boomer’ is the n-word of ageism. Being hip and flip does not make bigotry ok, nor is a derisive epithet acceptable
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because it is new.” Right off the bat, this drew some criticism. The official Twitter account for Dictionary.com responded to the tweet the same day. “Boomer is an informal noun referring to a person born during a baby boom, especially one born in the U.S. between 1946 and 1965,” they said, “the n-word is one of the most offensive words in the English language.” They are certainly not alone in their thinking that labeling “OK, boomer” as a slur is incorrect at best and downright offensive at worst. “I don’t think we should go as far as calling it a slur,” said Jasmine in conjunction with the issue. While she did agree that some people take the phrase to a level of offensiveness that might cross some lines, she said that, overall, concerns about the phrase are vastly overblown. “I just think calling it that can be really offensive to groups of people who are actually oppressed,” she said. “It detracts away from serious issues that those people face.” So, is the phrase “OK, boomer” being misconstrued? Certainly, there are some that think so. “I believe Baby Boomers find the term more offensive than what it actually is meant to be,” J.J. explained. “It’s just meant to be used as a way to ignore the annoying Baby Boomers. Baby Boomers comparing the usage of the phrase “OK, boomer” to a hate crime is extreme
and dramatic.” However, he conceded that some are taking the term too far. “[OK Boomer] should be used with discretion and knowledge of its true meaning,” he explained. “There are good boomers who are unfairly and immediately put into the “bad” boomer category. Jasmine backed this perspective to an extent, saying: “I understand how one could think it’s rude or an offensive thing to say,” she said. However, she still believed that equating “OK, Boomer,” with a slur is crossing a line of sorts. “To be entirely honest, no, I don’t think it should be something older people worry about as much as they do,” she said. “Calling it a slur feels like you’re overexaggerating its meaning.” In short, “OK, Boomer” seems to hold significance on an individual level, rather than societal or nationwide one. The weight the phrase has seems to vary depending on who is saying it, and who it’s being directed at. For some like J.J., it retains much of its original purpose: a phrase meant to be jokingly used to shut adults down when they start acting in a way he finds annoying. For other older members of society, it may hold more of an offensive, disrespectful connotation. To that, some might say: “OK, Boomer.”
We’ve tried for so long to explain with facts and reason why Boomers need to change their line of thought, but they just don’t care to hear it anymore. OK Boomer says ‘you’re so wrong, but I’m too tired and ridden with student debt to explain why.’ - J.J. Tian (‘21)
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“OK, Boomer” has gained a lot of traction over recent months. Designs such as the one to the right, created by teenager Shannon O’Connor, have been printed out on clothing and sold across the country.
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THE STRAW THAT BROKE THE How counting GPAs for the Class of 2023 exacerbates their stress Kasie Leung
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Stress and anxiety eat us alive if we just hold them inside and hope they go away.
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very freshman walks into high school a little bit nervous. New schedules—upper school lunch, ugh—harder classes, the stress of colleges being able to see your grades. However, the stress is only amplified by the fact that this year’s class of 2023 will be the first to have their grades earned in ninth grade counted in their Bishop’s GPA. On September 27, 2019, Academic Dean Ms. Janice Murabayashi sent out an email stating that from now on, Bishop’s would be including freshman grades in students’ total GPA. The email explained: “This change will not have any effect on how colleges and universities interpret your application.” Since colleges already have access to transcripts from all four years of high school, they often recalculate your GPA to meet their own standards. For example, Bish-
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-Director of Counseling Mrs. Megan Broderick (‘98)
op’s does not include grades from arts classes in GPAs, but some colleges choose to do so. Regardless of whether or not the change actually affected anything, the illusion of such change increased stress among the freshmen. Niamh Malhotra (‘23) said, “Teachers and other students say it shouldn’t matter because colleges were counting freshman year anyway, but I feel like it’s just another reason to feel pressure to be perfect when most of us are already completely overwhelmed.” Though she is aware that colleges already had access to grades from freshman year, she still feels more stress. Additionally, the lack of weighted classes available to the ninth graders makes many feel that their GPAs will be dragged down by this year. For example, assuming that a student hasn’t skipped years in math, foreign
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languages, or science, the maximum possible GPA in freshman year is a 4.0. However, with honors and Advanced Placement (AP) options for three subjects in sophomore year, the maximum possible GPA in Sophomore year becomes 4.6. While 0.6 points may not seem like a big deal, it matters a lot to some, including Audrey An (‘23) who believes “GPAs promote people furiously trying to skip ahead in every class.” As students try to find a balance during their first year of high school, they should not be taking classes they aren’t ready to take for the sake of a grade boost. This change only exacerbates that. While the recent change certainly increased stress, it is not the only factor playing into the festering cesspool of stress that is the Class of 2023. Will Keefe (‘23) said, “We’re living in a time where colleges are getting much
FRESHMAN’S BACK
more selective about who they select and no matter what teachers tell us about stress, we still feel pressured by our peers to get comparable grades.” History teacher Mrs. Emily Smith explained, “I think students compare themselves to each other, in a variety of ways, but particularly with regard to grades. Not just semester grades, but there seems to be rampant grade sharing among students on things as small as homework assignments and as large as cumulative exams.” Finally, Director of Counseling Mrs. Megan Broderick (‘98) believes that a major contributing factor in regards to stress is “unrealistic expectations of having to be as ‘good as’ or ‘better’ than the next person.” Students don’t feel comfortable just doing their best; they have to be up to par with the rest of the class. So, what can be done about this? You may recall the Authentic Connections Survey that you filled out a few months ago. Ms. Murabayashi and the rest of the administration are reviewing that data, and the next steps that they take will be guided by that. Additionally, she’s “all ears in
terms of suggestions to make people feel less nervous.” She is also happy to talk to anyone who feels nervous about academics and wants someone to talk to. Outside of policy change, there are various groups working to combat student stress. For example, Peer Support has a bi-annual Stress Less Week that aims to help students re-
Students comparing grades with each other is a major contributor to stress.
lax. Therapy dogs come to campus, hot chocolate is served, and students are granted a welcome reprieve from the uniform for a free dress day. Currently, there is a bulletin board by the cafeteria with fun suggestions on how to destress including taking a bath or a digital detox. Mrs. Smith seconds this solution, and would like to say, “GET OFF SOCIAL MEDIA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”—quoted
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verbatim from her email. To clarify, she added, “It informs our sense of self in the most unhealthy way possible and I think, as a direct result, we have become more used to comparing ourselves in all areas of life in ways that are highly problematic and unproductive.” Finally, Mrs. Broderick recommends reaching out and asking for help if you feel overwhelmed. She says “stress and anxiety eat us alive if we just hold them inside and hope they go away.” Her office is always open to anyone who needs an adult to talk to. Every class is going through considerable amounts of stress. From seniors applying to college, to sophomores adjusting to weighted classes all the way to sixth graders figuring out how Bishop’s works, everyone has their own struggles. While freshman will inevitably face more stress as they move through high school, in our minds, nothing compares to the here and now.
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WHAT DO YOU THINK? An investigation into the Harkness curriculum Clare Malhotra
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alk into any math or physics classroom at was doing.” She supplemented the Exeter math book Bishop’s and there’s a good chance the stuwith extra worksheets. dents are sitting around a table, trying to Some students explained that they feel frustratmake sense of the material, while the teacher sits silently ed when teachers avoid their questions and try to get and nods. Phillips Exeter Academy defines this curricthem to answer it themselves. Nadia Bitar (‘22) noted ulum as “a collaborative approach to problem-solving that “not everything can be learned through discussion and learning.” It is the Harkness method—a group with classmates.” However, for some students, the of students having a discussion, and a teacher teach-yourself method does complement their who focuses on guiding the angle of the learning type and works effectively. Mira discussion rather than dominating it. Gowda (‘22) explained that she thought The question is: do students benefit that the enriched track “isn’t necessarily in the long run? better for smarter or more advanced At Bishop’s, both enriched and students—just fast learners.” regular math and physics classes “There is a reason why not all use this strategy, but according classes are enriched,” Science Deto Math Department Chair, Mr. partment Chair Mr. Ben Heldt Noble Kime, enriched classes pointed out, because students in tend to have more discussion the enriched tracks need to be than others. Regular classes able to logically think their way have a stronger focus on instructhrough something they have nevtion and blend different curricuer seen before, be creative, and lums in order to appeal to more grasp concepts quickly. Mr. Kime learning styles. explained that he’s seen all different This method of high school types of students be successful. Howstudents teaching themselves focusever, he mentioned that the majority es more on learning how to learn— of students who do not struggle seem learning how to work collaboratively, to share some common traits. “I find it’s discuss, and share with peers. It’s about much less effective with students who need to see a problem type many preparing for the future rather than grasping com- Exeter defines Harkness as “a collaborative times before being able to plex material. They figure approach to problem-solving and learning.” understand and solve it, or out how to make distincwho have little interest in tions, understand data, and draw conclusions. When math,” math teacher Mr. Michael Rybak commented. learning advanced material, however, it’s hard to learn It’s crucial that enriched students grasp concepts imcomplicated formulas if they have to derive them themmediately because the Exeter math books never contain selves. Math teacher Ms. Dolores Williamson explained two problems exactly alike. Each builds off the last, so about her first year, “I realized that the enriched track missing the point of one question snowballs into more was missing some fundamentals that my regular class confusion later on. Often procedural students—those
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We learn best those things which we have figured out for ourselves. -Math Department Head Mr. Noble Kime
who prefer to take copious notes and do lots of practice problems—struggle more than intuitive learners and problem-solvers, but according to Mr. Kime, if they attend extra help they can thrive all the same. Different teaching styles benefit different types of learners: auditory learners may benefit more from lecture format, a method that can bore and confuse visual learners. Mr. Kime dislikes the idea of a class with only lecture format. “I think some lecture is often needed, though it’s best in bits and pieces—but a class of all lecture is hard on the teachers, as well as the kids,” he said. However, lecturing can be an effective way to communicate information. Ms. Williamson illustrated this perspective, saying: “when I think of lecturing in my class, I think of a conversation between my students and me.” A 2014 study by the University of Washington demonstrated a 55 percent increase in failure rates when STEM classrooms used traditional lecture format rather than more interactive methods of instruction, like group work. “We learn best those things which we have figured
out for ourselves,” explained Mr. Kime. A recent study performed by Aloysius Wei Lun Koh, a teacher in the Department of Psychology at the National University of Singapore, called The Learning Practices of Teaching: a Retrieval Practice, reported huge improvements in comprehension and long-term retention when students explained concepts to each other rather than just doing practice problems. However, many students will likely encounter lectures after Bishop’s. According to a study by the University of Nebraska - Lincoln, 55 percent of college STEM classes consist of traditional lecturing. If that is what students will be facing in the future, isn’t it important for them to see it now so that they will be prepared? The most effective strategy seems to be a mix of every type of curriculum—more in line with the non-enriched curriculum than the enriched one. Everyone learns differently, so a class only focused on one type of learning is only effective for a selection of students.
CAMPUS | Issue 03
15
MAKE GOOD CHOICES! What the administration has done to combat juuling Alex Cotton
S
“
ome of the grossest things in the bathroom are in that vape.” “It’s easier to wipe your butt than your lungs.” “Strangely enough, some people come here to put crap into their bodies.” These are just some of the things on posters that Bishop’s has put up in the bathrooms around campus this year. In the last few months, many articles have come out raising concerns about the dangers of vaping. The United States Center for Disease Control (CDC) published an article on November 9 saying, “2,051 cases of e-cigarette, or vaping, product use associated lung injury (EVALI) have been reported to CDC.” Their report established that the “CDC recommends that you do not use e-cigarette, or vaping, products that contain THC.” THC is a natural component of marijuana. With a new article about health concerns published practically every day, it begs the question of how students in the Bishop’s community are responding to growing concerns about vaping. What has the administration and faculty done to try and combat this issue? Because of the recent news about health concerns of vaping, School Counselor Ms. Megan Broderick (‘98) has discovered that “some behaviors seem like not a big deal,
16 CULTURE | Issue 03
and I think we’re finding out that [juuling] is a big deal.” The Bishop’s administration is working to combat vaping on campus. Ms. Broderick is finding that “it is a difficult issue to fight” because vaping is so undetectable because of its lack of noticeable smell and smoke. They have put up the posters around campus, but only 12 percent of the
Posters have been put up all over campus in the bathrooms. 199 students who responded to the survey said that the posters in the bathroom have prevented them from trying or using the Juul. Their main goal right now is to raise awareness of the health risks. Pediatrician and Bishop’s parent Dr. Wendy Hunter gave a health
seminar to the freshmen and sophomores about the negative effects of vaping. Will Keefe (‘23) said, “it was very interesting because she explained the scientific side of vaping, especially what scientists think are causing the illnesses.” In her speech, psychologist and researcher Dr. Tasha Wade mentioned that lung diseases from vaping might be caused by burns on the lungs. In an interview with the New York Times, Dr. Brandon T. Larsen, a surgical pathologist at the Mayo Clinic in Scottsdale, Ariz said, “to be honest, they look like the kind of [burns] you would expect to see in an unfortunate worker in an industrial accident where a big barrel of toxic chemicals spills, and that person is exposed to toxic fumes and there is a chemical burn in the airways.” Additionally, a section on vaping has been added to the ninth grade Health curriculum. Gabi Rosen (‘23) said, “It was really interesting to see what we talked about with Coach Carr in the summer, compared to now with all of the new deaths and lung diseases.” In a 2017 survey of Bishop’s students conducted by The Tower, 33 percent of survey respondents from the class of 2020 thought that kids who Juul are not aware of the health risks. In 2019, that number
The Tower
has decreased to 4 percent. So, with this increase in awareness, have more students stopped Juuling? In 2017, 28 percent of survey respondents from the class of 2020 claimed that they had used the Juul. In 2019, 27 percent of members of that same class claim that they have used the Juul. Despite the increased awareness of the health risks, the same percentage of students continue to Juul. The administration has also made it their goal to increase parent awareness. On August 30 of this year, Ms. Broderick sent out an email to parents advising that they “familiarize [themselves] with what a Juul looks like, what a vape pen looks like and what the dangers of using these devices can be.” The email contained pictures of Juuls and other vape pens, as well as links to articles about the health risks associated with vaping. As the email put it, the goal of the email was for the administration and parents to, “work together to impress upon the children in our community that this habit [vaping] is not something they need or want in their lives.” They seem to be on the right track to accomplishing this goal because only 12 percent of survey responses indicated that their parents have not heard of the Juul. Juuling will continue to be a problem on campus. But, for now, look forward to what the administration will do in the future.
44%
of survey respondents say that the recent events and articles regarding the health risks of the Juul have prevented them from trying or using the Juul.
CULTURE | Issue 03
17
DEFINED LINES
Bishop’s communication about previous misconduct and defining appropriate student-teacher relationships Carly Phoon and Sariah Hossain
Faculty members were a great source of information for this article. All faculty members asked to be anonymous sources.
A
s allegations of sexual misconduct on our campus have come to light in the past three years, the Bishop’s administration has been discussing boundaries between students and teachers as well as navigating communication with the community about these matters. Before this school year started, Bishop’s brought in a guest speaker, Judith Islas from the Liebert Cassidy Whitmore law firm, to give a talk to all Bishop’s employees about student boundaries and scenarios of mandated reporting. Her presentation introduced the strict practices employed by public schools and how they would be implemented into Bishop’s:
The dispute isn’t about obvious ethical boundaries, like prohibiting sexual relations between teachers and students, but about navigating the intricacies– can doors be closed, or must they be open?
18 COVER STORY | Issue 03
if students need to talk with a teacher outside of class, they should bring another student with them; the door should not be closed during these conversations; and students and teachers cannot text or follow each other on social media. The unspoken purpose of this meeting, just as much as it might’ve been to protect students, was to protect the school—to mitigate the possibility of lawsuits going forward. An anonymous teacher said, “[Islas’s] perspective was to ensure the school’s interests, which I think it’s safe to say, in many cases are aligned with the safety of our students and teachers. But the point going on was, she had such stringent recommendations that they didn’t correspond with some of our school values of truly caring for our students and helping them in the most efficient way possible.” The teacher added, “Everyone I spoke to that day and in my conversations in the following days had the feeling of disbelief and concern.” There was enough worry from teachers that these new measures would not serve in the best interest of students—especially in cases such as students having to talk to their teachers about tests or grades in the mandatory presence of another student—that the school held another meeting to scale back the extremity of these measures. These events on campus were a manifestation of the modern question of boundaries that many schools across the country are facing. According to a Mondaq article by Dianna Bowen, a database of legal and financial information, “When the boundaries of [close student-faculty] relationships are not well-defined… the risks are the increased potential for claims by students or their parents.” The dispute isn’t about obvious ethical boundaries, like prohibiting sexual relations between teachers and students, but about navigating the intricacies—can doors be closed, or must they be open? As this summer’s meetings at Bishop’s proved, the task of reforming that line to lie between effective and invasive is challenging at best. As a result of the summer meetings, a few posters for Lighthouse, a 24-hour workplace misconduct reporting
The Tower
service, appeared all over campus around September (including by water fountains and in the college counseling hall). Lighthouse appeared in the daily bulletin once, but no official conversations including students took place. The information was also added to the student handbook. Parents were informed through an email sent out on September 22. As their Confidentiality Commitment states, Lighthouse is independent of Bishop’s, and reports “may or may not be investigated at the sole discretion of the organization.” The service allows for fully anonymous reporting, and can be reached through www.lighthouse-services.com/ bishops, their number (833) 940-0002, or their email reports@lighthouse-services.com. Bishop’s Employee/Student Boundaries statement describes the specific protocols faculty must follow in their relationships with students and is available on the official Bishop’s website. The document has twelve specific protocols employees must follow, including: “avoid meeting [with students] in locations that are closed off or not visible or accessible to others” and “avoid creating excessive emotional attachments beyond the healthy employee/student relationship.” The document doesn’t explicitly define “professional” conduct, an adjective prevalent in the protocols. It instead gives specific examples for aspects of professionalism under a few of the bullet points, such as to “use sound judgment as to how much information [employees] share with students about their own personal life, not share information for their own personal emotional gratification, and [faculty] must avoid sharing any information about romantic, sexual, or other types of private or sensitive information.” Bishop’s has taken other action as well in sending emails to the whole school community in September 2017, July 2018, and May 2019 about previous misconduct on campus after media coverage on the incidents. In that time, they’ve also sent an email to all living alumni giving them the opportunity to report any misconduct or abuse during their time at the school, again through Lighthouse Services. They sent an email to all parents on September 10 that included a list of all faculty/staff training sessions on “boundaries, professional roles, mandated reporting, sexual as-
sault, healthy relationships and other relevant topics.” In some cases involving teachers that were still employed by the school in recent years, Bishop’s chose to keep communication to students extremely limited. Gossip and speculation among the student body has been an unfortunate, inevitable result. The only source of information for most students has been through the grapevine. The information given to a small subset of students who were directly involved has spread to a much larger number of students on campus, but the typical open atmosphere is compromised with hushed conversations during lunch and between classes.
Bishop’s recognizes this consequence of communicating with only a small group of people, but the administration seems to be standing by their decision. Respecting the privacy of the involved parties as opposed to a potential fueling of gossip on campus seems to be an obvious concern. Above all, the school cannot be liable for the spreading of information; they informed the few people that they deemed justified to know and emphasized the importance of confidentiality, and those people could choose whether or not to listen. In light of this reluctance to share information, conversations on campus about topics such as these have fizzled out in passing weeks. Whether these issues will remain hushed or will arise again at the prompting of a new scandal is a question that remains to be seen.
COVER STORY | Issue 03
19
DARK UTOPIA Social media companies need to change Kyle Berlage
M
any commercial (especially social media) sites on the internet are configured to completely satisfy the consumer’s personal interests. In order to show users more ads and sell more of their data, social media sites such as Twitter or YouTube cater to exactly what a user wants to see, therefore keeping them on the site longer. The use of algorithms for this purpose in both Twitter and YouTube ranges wildly, but can result in dangerous outcomes. Many would argue that Twitter, since it is a private corporation, has no moral or social obligation. However, this is not the case. While they are profit-focused, they still consistently promote their brand as a platform for connection and meaningful discussions. This is blatantly clear with Twitter’s 2017 #SeeEverySide ad campaign where, according to Twitter Chief Marketing Officer Leslie Berland, “[You] see what’s happening from every point of view, all perspectives, every side.” However, this is not an accurate representation of what Twitter has become. The algorithm of Twitter, according to Slate, “ensures that you see more tweets from the people you interact with the most and more of the most popular tweets from others you follow;” it was created to keep you on the site longer, in-turn producing more money for the cor-
poration. By only letting the user see who they follow and agree with, the algorithm consistently gears your attention to viewpoints you agree with. Elena LeTourneau (‘22) said, “Twitter tends to be extremely one sided. It’s an echo chamber of the same belief and often people are scared to break that mold, which is unfortunate because diversity of opinion helps me understand different issues better.” By working to make more money by keeping users in their own belief
"[Twitter is] an
which will, hopefully, deradicalize them. The platforms need to actually let people “#SeeEverySide,” rather than coddling them in their own utopias. The dangerous effects of YouTube can be felt across other corners of the internet, too. According to a report by The New York Times, if a viewer starts watching erotic videos on YouTube, the algorithm will continually recommend videos of younger and younger women, until, eventually, the viewer has reached videos of girls at the age of five in bathing suits. This algorithm supports pedophilia and has affected people everywhere. When a mother named Christine from Rio de Janeiro allowed her tenyear-old to post a video of herself playing with the hose in her backyard, she never would have expected that the video would reach 400,000 views in a matter of days. YouTube’s business model is keeping viewers on the site longer and longer, and to achieve that, the site pushes them into darker and darker videos on disturbing topics. These social media sites must change their course. Their current practices enable white supremacy and pedophilia, and the customers using these sites need to realize this. It isn’t just the user experience or profit margins on the line; this dangerous behavior has consequences that are spiraling out of control and it is up to the companies to stop it.
echo chamber
of the same belief, and often people are scared to break that mold." - Elena LeTourneau ('22)
20 OPINION | Issue 03
zone, Twitter allows white-supremacists to stay in their own circles. However, banning these users from the website would not help the situation either. In fact, it hurts the political environment because it forces these users to retreat to alt-right platforms like Gab, where the Tree of Life synagogue shooter was a veteran in anti-Semitic hate groups. If these platforms are committed to advancing the dialogue, they should not ban every hateful person, but rather open their feeds to other perspectives
Twitter and Youtube have a silent dark side that promotes white sup-remacy and pedophilia through their algorithms.
OPINION | Issue 03
21
AFTER HOURS
Is Bishop’s justified in its punishment of students off campus? Abby Beamer
P
icture this: you have a few friends over to your house for the weekend, and are ready to have a good time after a stressful week of tests and school. One of your friends decides to bring some alcohol and another friend invites some of their friends from another school. The party keeps growing and eventually you give up on trying to know who is there and just decide to have fun. The following Monday at school you check your email and Dean of Students Mr. Michael Beamer had sent you a message saying he wants to meet during lunch. As you walk to his office, you wonder what you could have done. Did you and your friend collaborate on each other’s work a little too much? Did someone see you leaving school during your free period without signing out? But when you sit down, you’re told that you are there because of your party over the weekend, and the school found out. You think to yourself: I wasn’t in uniform. I didn’t involve the school in any way when I threw that party. Yes, it was wrong, but the school shouldn’t punish me for something that they have no involvement in. If there is one thing that can be said about Bishop’s, it is that the school cares for its students. The Student Handbook states that it “strives to guide students
through their daily lives both on and off campus,” and works to build an environment “where all members can reach their full potential.” The Student Handbook is binding, and students are required to follow the rules, even if they are not physically on campus. So, why
Students at Bishop’s
happen outside of school can lead back to school. In cases such as this, Bishop’s will get involved. “It depends on the situation. It depends if it had an impact on the experience students have here,” said Mr. Beamer. For example, a student sending a mean text to a group chat about another student will likely have an impact on campus in the future. Mr. Beamer said that “as soon as that’s the case on campus, then we need to look into it.” The School does not try to catch students doing the wrong thing, and is not watching every move a student makes. “I’m always concerned about students,” said Mr. Beamer. “I always want students to be their best selves. I always want them to live up to the standards of this place. I don’t go searching for students doing the wrong thing, on or off campus.” Bishop’s has a reputation that it needs to uphold. Whether a student is in or out of uniform, they are still a Bishop’s student, and are associated with the School. Bishop’s is a private institution and is always receiving applicants because of its excellent reputation of having an academically rigorous environment with curious and engaged students. When asked why they were drawn to Bishop’s, Flavia Valente (‘22) responded, “I liked the teachers’ passion
“are always Bishop’s students. Online and offline, they are Bishop’s students.”
22 OPINION | Issue 03
- Dean of Students Mr. Michael Beamer is the school then justified in the action it takes against students for things they do off campus? Students at Bishop’s “are always Bishop’s students. Online and offline, they are Bishop’s students,” said Mr. Beamer. “Conduct jeopardizing the good name of the school” can lead to punishment, even if it takes place off campus. But is this an overstep of the school into students’ private lives? Often, things that
The Tower
Students in uniform hang out off-campus all the time– but does it really matter if they are in or out of uniform? for their subject and teaching and the fact that the students seemed involved in school clubs, extracurriculars,” and Alex Scafidi (‘22) said, “The academics were amazing, and they had the best water polo team.” Bishop’s holds a high standard. The behavior of ill-mannered students off campus can contribute to how applicants see the School, and if the school is seen in a bad light, can impact whether or not a student might apply, or decide to attend Bishop’s. There is no need for students at Bish-
op’s to be paranoid about their choices and actions, if they are choosing to do the right thing. For example, if a student is making a comment about another student which is unkind, they should think before they send it to their friends. As the administration cares about the mental health of all students, they may take action against them. But, students at Bishop’s know their right from wrong. After all, all students got accepted to Bishop’s because they are smart, thoughtful students who the admissions
team believed would be a good addition to the school. Every student should remember what Mr. Beamer questioned before doing something that may be against the handbook: “Will you be seen as a Bishop’s student, and will your actions be tarnishing the reputation of that place?”
OPINION | Issue 03
23
UPDATED? CHECK. Student involvement and awareness of global issues Crystal Li
L
“
It is extremely important because to know what’ s happening in the world has direct repercussions in our daily lives.
”
-Athena Hernandez‘23) (
24 CULTURE | Issue 03
ocally? Recent California fires, check. Nationally? The impeachment controversy, check. Internationally? The Hong Kong protests, check. Often, we question the importance of being up-to-date with our world, ignoring the fact that our world is becoming more and more tech-dependent and modern; the frequent use of sophisticated technologies exposes us to parts of the world we are unfamiliar with, thus needing the global knowledge to navigate through our society. Today’s students require a comprehension of our world’s prosperity, politics, social formations, and surroundings in order to make the most competent judgments regarding how to continue their own experiences after high school and beyond. At the same time, viewing current news with a perceptive eye is essential to eliminating prejudice or narrowmindedness. More than ever, recognizing news and current world events is a crucial step towards self-empowerment and progression. Students are developing in communities that are converting into a much more diverse environment due to modern global migration. Students are already interacting face-to-face with others from various countries and regions, and they need to be able to learn from people of other cultures who may speak different languages, possess different values, or worship in ways that are separate from their own. As the co-president of the Current Events Club, Tobey Shim (‘20) elaborated on the connection between news and cultural backgrounds: “Following the news makes us more informed global citizens, and can give us insight about the challenges other people might face. This, in turn, builds mutual respect and helps knit together our diverse, multicultural community.” Moreover, possessing global awareness is crucial for producing solutions toward significant issues that are present in our world. Athena Hernandez (‘23) commented, “It is extremely important because to know what’s happening in the world has direct repercussions in our daily lives.” Global knowledge promotes awareness and interpretive reasoning about subjects such as poverty, climate change, ethical and cultural diversity, world enterprise, and politics.
The Tower
According to a Tower survey sent this November to the Upper School, Bishop’s students are well informed regarding the underlying concerns of our society. These students display a strong example of showing how not only students but also adults, should take action towards understanding this complex world. From the 181 responses, more than 118 students answered that they check their preferred news source daily or even multiple times a day. As a result, of the total number of respondents, 80 percent answered “I am very aware” when asked about their knowledge on the issues surrounding California fires, the Trump impeachment controversy, and the Hong Kong protests. Although on campus, we have reached a satisfactory amount of news awareness, it does not hurt to set further goals for ourselves and our peers. World Language teacher Dr. Leo Landrey frequently talks about the importance of news awareness to his students during advisory time. When asked about tips or things to look out for regarding news sources, he said, “The audience of news institutions needs to retain trust in them, but not uncritically.” He continues to encourage stu-
dents to go through a process of evaluating whether a specific news institution is one they can trust. Once they have determined two to three reputable news sources, they can then learn about current world events by comparing and contrasting these sources to earn a broad perspective. After mastering these tips, students can undoubtedly learn more about our world by getting into a habit of placing themselves in a constant practice of decision-making, critical thinking, and problem-solving.
CULTURE | Issue 03
25
ACCESS DENIED Why application-only service is unethical Amy Carlyle
O
A number of students involved in the organizations mentioned spoke to The Tower on condition of anonymity as not to jeopardize their active positions in the groups.
nce admitted to Bishop’s, one might imagine that their days of applications were over, at least until college. As it turns out, applications still dictate opportunities at Bishop’s, whether for higher level English and Science courses, student leadership, or one area perhaps more unexpected than others: community service. At Bishop’s, students have the chance to start and join service clubs. Enriching Young Minds, Planned Parenthood Support Alliance, and the Period Poverty Project are just a few of nearly thirty different student-found and -led groups that welcome all students to join. In addition, Director of Service Learning Mrs. Jackie Gomez also leads two application-only clubs, Community Service Initiative (CSI) and the Rady’s Children’s Hospital Project Board, or Rady’s. Both selective groups contribute greatly to the school service community and comprise a significant part of it, but the exclusive nature of the groups brings up an ethical dilemma: are service projects something from which an interested person should be excluded? The legitimacy of the groups’ application processes have especially come into question in light of the cancelation of Rady’s Week two days into the event. Rady’s Week, an annual project for the Rady’s group, is a five-day series of fun and festivities to raise money in support of the hospital. This year, Rady’s -- led by chairs Elizabeth Stuart-Chaffoo (‘20), Sarina Krishnan (‘20), Meghan Behr (‘20), and Kasey Harvey (‘20) -- chose to focus on the Autism Discovery Institute). The group planned a series of bake sales and lunch activities in addition to
26 OPINION | Issue 03
bringing a speaker to Upper School An- year in addition to those annual events,” nouncements on October 21 from the Elizabeth said. Autism Discovery Institute. The speaker, Applications for CSI and Rady’s consist Dayna Stout, discussed what autism is of a Google Form of questions. After and how the Institute and its programs submitting the Form, applicants schedule lunch interviews with Mrs. Gomez help children affected by autism. An anonymous member of Rady’s and the rising chairs of the groups. Last reported that the week was canceled af- application cycle, Rady’s received apter the group failed to follow-through proximately 22 applications– excludin organizing their events, namely by ing previous members, since each year not bringing items to sell in their bake sale. The group will reevaluate their members’ roles and plan an alternative to Rady’s Week, the source said. Another anonymous Rady’s member shared, “I think this incident demonstrates why we need to rethink our application process. The goal is to accept students with proven dedication to the group and to service, but that didn’t work out for us.” Similar to Rady’s, CSI is also an application-only Community Service Initiative sold treats outside the group that seeks to bring volleyball game before Bish Bowl to raise money for hurricane relief. From left to right: Shirley Xu (‘23), Jasmine service projects to the Dabbas (‘21), Emma Myer (‘23), Anjali Sethi (‘23). school and encourage the student body to become more active in service learning. The group’s student chairs are Elizabeth, Sarina, Meghan, and Lucie Edwards (‘21). “We always have several drives, like our leftover Halloween candy drive, our Giving Tree event, a spring cleaning drive, and a Veteran’s Day project. We typically have two or three addiLike CSI, Rady’s also had a fundraiser at Bish Bowl tional projects that change each to raise money for Rady Children’s Hospital.
The Tower
members must reapply. Elizabeth noted, however, that the group typically receives more applications than were received this year. The group accepted seven new members. CSI, on the other hand, received 13 applications and accepted nine, according to Elizabeth. Questions on the CSI application focused on the applicant’s potential contributions to the group and interest in service, asking questions like: “What personality traits can you bring to the table?” and “What is your favorite service project/organization and why?” The Rady’s application focused on similar topics, asking questions such as: “Why would you be an asset to the Board?” and “Do you have any project ideas to contribute?” Applications are read blindly to keep the process fair and unbiased. It makes sense why CSI and Rady’s would be application-only: the groups would want members who are dedicated, who show up on time, and who will actively participate in group efforts, not students looking for another college application activity. Mrs. Gomez said, “We’re looking for indepth answers, not just one sentence responses. Can they really share with us their whole perspective on service and what they can contribute to the group? Do they have new and creative ideas?” Additionally, Mrs. Gomez also wants personalities and skill sets that complement each other so the whole group can operate efficiently and accomplish a variety of goals. There are also logistical components. Larger groups are more difficult to run, so keeping these clubs smaller is beneficial. Still, Mrs. Gomez recognizes the interest from the student body in joining CSI and Rady’s. “If I could take everyone, I would. Every
student that is passionate about service and Rady’s or CSI I would love to take, but in reality I can’t. I try to stay around twenty kids for each group because for me, that number is manageable and we can find a space to meet,” she said. At the same time, how can one fairly determine who is genuinely interested in service through essay questions? More than seven or nine students at Bishop’s can be equally passionate about pursuing service or have uniquely valuable traits to contribute, and it
can be hard to demonstrate that interest through an application. Also, a thorough application doesn’t necessarily equate to a consistently hardworking and dedicated club member. “I don’t think the work put into applying for the club, going to an interview, and then being either denied or accepted based on that really has an effect on how much people in the group participate,” an anonymous student said, noting how strengths demonstrated on the application don’t correlate with effort performed once in the group. “I think it would be really easy for mem-
bers of the group to go through the year without contributing to the group at all. CSI can be demanding if you choose to put effort into it, but there are tons of people in the club who don’t see CSI as something to work on at all.” Ironic, considering the work these students must have put into their applications in the first place if they were truly accepted based on demonstrated skill. As shown by the questions asked on the application, CSI and Rady’s determine their new members based upon personality, interest in service, and creativity. These questions lead group leaders to deem applicants not interested enough in service despite the fact that they completed the application. That’s not to say that CSI and Rady’s should forgo their application processes altogether, since, as Mrs. Gomez pointed out, a smaller group size makes the group operate more smoothly; however, the element of exclusivity does warp the definition of service. As written on the Bishop’s website, service learning is intended to make students, “reflect upon their role in the wider community, the interdependence of communities and our common humanity.” While there are many ways a student can become involved in service and these groups certainly aren’t the end-all-be-all, it’s disheartening that one student’s reflective experience can be taken to a higher level because of how they answered a few questions.
OPINION | Issue 03
27
Top Ten most annoying Bishop’s things
6)
When there are no seats in the upstairs library
2)
“Who was the vending machine for Halloween?”
7)
Repetitive DU articles
3)
The fact that Peer Support is actually a class
8)
1)
4) 5)
That one guy who blasts “hot girl bummer” in his car every morning in the parking garage
That one spot on the Quad that’s always muddy even if it hasn’t rained in months
People one-upping your lack of sleep
28 THE BELL | Issue 03
9) 10)
When you’re late to Chapel and have to do the Walk of Shame
People pretending that they have more stuff going on than you
Freshmen
The first student to match each Tower editor to the correct number and email their response to thetower@ bishops.com will win a shoutout on our website, www.thebishopstower.com, and on our Instagram, @thebishopstower. Editors: Amy Carlyle, Carly Phoon, Alex Cotton, Lucie Edwards, Sariah Hossain, Harper White
THE BELL | Issue 03
29
Songs of the Season! by Cate Freundt
“Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer” - Trap City “Feliz Navidad” - José Feliciano “Drummer Boy” - Justin Bieber “All I Want for Christmas is You” - Mariah Carey “Rockin Around the Christmas Tree” - Brenda Lee “Holly Jolly Christmas” - Michael Bublé “Baby It’s Cold Outside” - Glee Cast “Sleigh Ride” - Carpenters “Shake up Christmas” - Train “Jingle Bell Rock” - Bobby Helms “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” - The Jackson 5 “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)” - Justin Bieber, Usher
30 THE BELL | Issue 03
I T S
R E
D
PH
C
O T O
DETAILS Table of Contents - Pages 4-5, PC: Christie Linnard (‘20) ARTS Behind the Magic - Pages 6-7, Art by Lucie Edwards (‘21) CULTURE Do Justice, Love Kindness, and Talk Humbly - Page 8, Art by Cate Freundt (‘22) OK, Boomer - Pages 10-11, Art by Lucie Edwards (‘21) CAMPUS The Straw that Broke the Freshman’s Back - Pages 12-13, Art by Kasie Leung (‘23) What Do You Think? - Page 14, Art by Carly Phoon (‘20) Make Good Choices! - Page 16, Art by Lucie Edwards (‘21) COVER STORY Defined Lines - Pages 18-19, Art by Carly Phoon (‘20) OPINION Dark Utopia - Page 21, Art by Kyle Berlage (‘22) After Hours - Page 23, PC: Abby Beamer (‘22) Updated? Check. - Page 25, Art by Carly Phoon (‘20) Access Denied - Page 26, PC: Amy Carlyle (‘20) THE BELL Who Sent That Text? - Page 29, PC: Amy Carlyle (‘20) Photo Credits - Page 31, Art by Amy Carlyle (‘20)
Cover thanks to Carly Phoon (‘20)
PHOTO CREDITS | Issue 03
31